daily updates about Activities and Events
at St. Peter’s

You are warmly invited to join us next Sunday, March 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM in person or on ZOOM for Week 4 of our Lenten Series when we explore everything [in] between Lost & Found. We welcome all!

One of the projects we have had in the works at St. Peter's is replacing the windows in the Bell Tower. Alex Black has spearheaded this project. The windows were measured, made, painted, and today, March 27, 2025, the new ones were put in.

From Alex: "The day started at 6:45, and the 85' lift was already on site! I took two pictures while up in the lift, one looking west along King Street and one close-up of the newly installed west window before the glass was installed. You can look through the new window and see the old north and east windows. Work was completed slightly after 3:00."

Thanks, Alex and thanks to everyone involved in this project!

http://stpeterscambridge.com/weekly-announcements

*******************************

ZOOM INFORMATION FOR SUNDAY MARCH 30th, 2025-FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT

The ZOOM link for today’s service, which opens at 09.30 am on March 30, 2025, can be found here:
Worship March 30, 2025 09:30 am ZOOM room opens; service begins at 10:00 am.

Join Zoom Meeting click here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86594280120?pwd=cJ07AosND16wJ0Jo0pnzqOjVbLaXMR.1

Meeting ID: 865 9428 0120        Passcode: 155931

You don’t have to have a computer or internet to connect to any of our church Zoom services; you can also just call in on one of these numbers (long distance charges may apply):  (All Canadian numbers). You can also access the ZOOM from your telephone by using the “One tap mobile” option: 
+15873281099,,86594280120#,,,,*155931# Canada; +16473744685,,86594280120#,,,,*155931# Canada

Dial by your location:
+1 778 907 2071 Canada
+1 780 666 0144 Canada
+1 204 272 7920 Canada
+1 438 809 7799 Canada
+1 587 328 1099 Canada
+1 647 374 4685 Canada
+1 647 558 0588 Canada

Meeting ID: 865 9428 0120       Passcode: 155931  

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kkudXhpUs
……………………………………………….

UPDATE March 29, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Saturday

God of Mercy and Understanding,
I know that with help
I can open my heart more fully
to the mysteries of the suffering and death
of your son.
Help me to be humble in this journey
and remember that any mercy and compassion I feel
is a gift from you.
I await the joy of Easter with new longing and patience.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘One People’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJCCpD6vMU&list=RDPBJCCpD6vMU&start_radio=1
*******************

UPDATE March 28, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Friday

God of Mercy,
I feel my heart overflowing with your tenderness.
I sense your loving touch deep within my soul.
I ask for your help in my weakness
that I might be faithful to your word
and I am so grateful
that your mercy for my failings
is as strong as your unbounded love for me.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘You’re Still God’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22WoEYfuZN0&list=RDKf43P5QuZ2E&index=2
*******************
UPDATE March 27, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Thursday

Loving God,
I hear your invitation, "Come back to me"
and I am filled with such a longing to return to you.
Show me the way to return.
Lead me this day in good works I do in your name
and send your Spirit to guide me and strengthen my faith.
I ask only to feel your love in my life today.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Troubled Soul’, by Philippa Hanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf43P5QuZ2E&list=RDKf43P5QuZ2E&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 26, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Wednesday

God, you love me as your own child.
May I bend my life and will toward you
so that I might accept your teaching and guidance.
I am so grateful for your support in my life,
now and in the eternal life you are preparing for me.
I beg for your help and Spirit in my life today.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Send Out Your Light’, by Sandra McCracken ft Ashley Cleveland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-cEvMW_PCI&list=RDL-cEvMW_PCI&start_radio=1
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UPDATE March 25, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Tuesday

God of infinite love,
I thank you for this reminder of your love
and your call that we be more patient,
gentle and compassionate with others.
Here in the middle of Lent,
I turn to you to beg for your help.
Please soften my heart.
Help me to let go of judging others.
I ask you this, in Jesus' name.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Morning Has Broken’, by Cascade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92EYvNX7CNE&list=RD92EYvNX7CNE&start_radio=1
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UPDATE March 24, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Monday

Merciful God,
Free your Church from the sins of this world
and protect us from evil we see
and the evil we prefer to ignore.
We need your guidance, Lord
for we cannot do this alone.
Only with your help can we be saved.
Thank you for your desire to save us and love us.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Canon in D’, by Cascade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4fpbDNz30Q&list=RDh4fpbDNz30Q&start_radio=1
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UPDATE March 23, 2025

The Third Week of Lent
Sunday

Loving Father,
So many times I turn away from you
and always you welcome me back.
Your mercy and love gives me confidence
Thank you for the invitation to share, fast and pray
so that you can form a new heart within me.
Your powerful compassion for my weaknesses
leads me to ask for mercy
and await with great hope the Easter joy you share with us.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-03.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Evermore’, by Christy Nockels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05SMCk2bvBA&list=RD05SMCk2bvBA&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 22, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Saturday

God of infinite love,
you shower me with limitless gifts in my life.
In my every thought and action today
guide me to the bright and loving light of your kingdom.
Help me to be aware of
the many ways you allow me
to share in your life so intimately today.
Thank you for the gifts you have placed in my life.
Let me be grateful every moment of this day.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Will Be Here’ by Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk3Fb_21W2Q&list=RDHk3Fb_21W2Q&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 21, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Friday

Loving God, Caring parent,
I am a child who so often turns my back
on your love.
Please accept my small acts of sorrow today
and help to release me from the self-absorption
that closes my heart to you.
As I journey through Lent,
let me remember the feast you have prepared for me
in the resurrection
and let me be filled with thanks to you.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘No Greater Love’, by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGffrc0CUYA&list=RDEGffrc0CUYA&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 20, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Thursday

Loving God,
I hear your invitation, "Come back to me"
and I am filled with such a longing to return to you.
Show me the way to return.
Lead me this day in good works I do in your name
and send your Spirit to guide me and strengthen my faith.
I ask only to feel your love in my life today.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Come Magnify’, by Christy Nockels|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmmPe10MUXA&list=RDJmmPe10MUXA&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 19, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Wednesday

God of Love,
through this Lenten journey,
purify my desires to serve you.
Free me from any temptations to judge others,
to place myself above others.
Please let me surrender even my impatience
with others,
that with your love and your grace,
I might be less and less absorbed with myself,
and more and more full of the desire
to follow you, in laying down my life
according to your example.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘As For Me (Psalm 2)’, by Christy Nockels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFWjFsxp4Sc&list=RDBFWjFsxp4Sc&start_radio=1
*******************
UPDATE March 18, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Tuesday

God in heaven and in my life,
guide me and protect me.
I so often believe I can save myself
and I always end in failure.
Lead me with your love away from harm
and guide me on the right path.
May your Spirit inspire the Church
and make us an instrument of your love
and guidance.
Thank you for your care for me
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Mighty Name of Jesus’, by Hope Darst
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFfQFwjfTPY
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UPDATE March 17, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Monday
Lord,
your commandment of love is so simple
and so challenging.
Help me to let go of my pride,
to be humble in my penance.
I want only to live the way you ask me to love,
to love the way you ask me to live.
I ask this through your son, Jesus,
who stands at my side
today and always.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Be Thou My Vision’, by Keith & Kristyn Getty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZBOSfiH8Rk
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UPDATE March 16, 2025

The Second Week of Lent
Sunday

Loving God,
there is so much darkness in my life
and I hide from you.
Take my hand
and lead me out of the shadows of my fear.
Help me to change my heart.
Bring me to your truth
and help me to respond to your generous love.
Let me recognize the fullness of your love
which will fill my life.
Free me from the darkness in my heart.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-02.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Peace Be Still’, by Rev. James Cleveland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfIjj-wN93Y&list=RDyfIjj-wN93Y&start_radio=1
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UPDATE March 15, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Saturday

Loving God,
Sometimes my heart
turns in every direction
except towards you.
Please help me
to turn my heart toward you,
to gaze upon you in trust
and to seek your kingdom with all of my heart.
Soften my hardened heart
so that I might love others
as a way to glorify and worship you.
Grant me this
with the ever-present guidance of your spirit.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Redeemer’, by Matthew Ward
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he-E9nMETFA&list=RDhe-E9nMETFA&start_radio=1
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UPDATE March 14, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Friday

Creator of my Life,
renew me: bring me to new life in you.
Touch me and make me feel whole again.
Help me to see your love
in the passion, death and resurrection of your son.
Help me to observe Lent
in a way that allows me to celebrate that love.
Prepare me for these weeks of Lent
as I feel both deep sorrow for my sins
and your undying love for me.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘O Be Still My Soul’, by Celtic Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6bK-2oiemg
*******************
UPDATE March 13, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Thursday

Lord,
I’m not always eager to do your will.
I’d often much rather do my own will.
Please be with me on this Lenten journey
and help me to remember
that your own spirit can guide me
in the right direction.
I want to ‘fix’ my weaknesses
but the task seems overwhelming.
But I know that with your help,
anything can be done.
With a grateful heart,
I acknowledge your love
and know that without you,
I can do nothing.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Friend in Jesus’, by CAIN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1D5C0kid2g
*******************
UPDATE March 12, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Wednesday

Dear Lord,
I know you receive what is in my heart.
Let me be inspired by your words
and by the actions of your son, Jesus.
Guide me to make sacrifices this Lent
in the spirit of self-denial
and with greater attention to you
and to those around me.
Help me to believe that you will grant me this
because of the sacrifice Jesus made for me.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus’, by Celtic Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lwtbnU-1Tw
*******************
UPDATE March 11, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Tuesday

Father of my soul,
Mother of my heart,
I know your love for me is limitless beyond imagining.
You care for me as a loving parent.
Through my smallest Lenten sacrifices,
help me to become less selfish
and more aware of your ways.
Fan the flame of my desire
to draw ever closer to you.
Guide me to seek your love.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Father of Light’, by Celtic Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7g0IMTUWHs
*******************
UPDATE March 10, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Monday

Loving God,
you call us back to you with all of our hearts.
I feel your call for me deep in my heart
and I know you want me back
as much as I want to return.
Please, Lord,
give me the wisdom to know how to return.
Make my journey back to you this Lent
one of grace, forgiveness and gentle love.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Stand Amazed’, by Celtic Worship ft Steph MacLeod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmt5VNnrJIM
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UPDATE March 9, 2025

The First Week of Lent
Sunday

Lord God,
you who breathed the spirit of life within me.
Draw out of me the light and life you created.
Help me to find my way back to you.
Help me to use my life to reflect your glory
and to serve others
as your son Jesus did.

Amen.
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-01.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Sacred Harp’, by Paul Simon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xg3itKffEw
*******************
UPDATE March 8, 2025

Prayer for International Women’s Day

On this International Women's Day,
as we celebrate and give thanks for the achievements of women,
we remember the women who have played a part in our lives.
Those who have
nurtured us,
taught us,
inspired us,
loved us.

Forgive us when we have limited women
through inequality,
by stereotype,
by exclusion,
through lack of opportunity.

On this International Women's Day,
as we acknowledge the challenges women still face,
we pray that all women may know equality
of healthcare,
of education,
of wealth,
of prospects.

We pray that all women may know themselves to be
respected,
safe,
included,
empowered.

We ask these things in the name of Jesus
in whom there is neither male nor female.
Amen.
By Rev. Rosie Frew
https://churchofscotland.org.uk/news-and-events/news/archive/2020/a-prayer-for-international-womens-day-rev-rosie-frew

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘One Woman’, by Various International Artists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldyvIcVR9JI
*******************

UPDATE March 7, 2025

Friday
After Ash Wednesday

Lord,
I know how much you love me.
It’s hard for me to feel it sometimes,
but I know your love is always with me.
Help me to use your love as a way
to persevere in my Lenten intentions.
I am weak, but I know with your help,
I can use these small sacrifices in my life to draw closer to you.
Amen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yRC1VJsCk8

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
 
‘Your Forgiveness’, by Paul Simon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCdginpjlZU
****************
UPDATE March 6, 2025

Thursday
After Ash Wednesday

Lord,
Let everything I do this day and in this season of Lent
come from you, be inspired by you.

I long to be closer to you.
Help me to remember that nothing is important in my life
unless it glorifies you in some way.
It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day of my life and keep saying,
"Tomorrow, I will spend more time in prayer,"
but now my longing meets your love and I want to do it now.
Help me to rely on you for help.
The prayer asks you that I reach perfection.
Please, Lord, remind me that "perfection"
isn't the crazy, "successful" way I try to live my life,
but a perfection of my most authentic, real self.
My "perfection" might be holding my many flaws in my open hands,
asking you to help me accept them.
Heal me, Lord, and help me to find you in the darkness of my life.
Let me reach out in this darkness and feel your hand and love there to guide me.
Amen
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/Daily-prayers-00.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Nearer, My God, to Thee’, by Andre Rieu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yRC1VJsCk8
********************
UPDATE March 5, 2025

Blessing the Dust
For Ash Wednesday

All those days
you felt like dust,
like dirt,
as if all you had to do
was turn your face
toward the wind
and be scattered
to the four corners

or swept away
by the smallest breath
as insubstantial—

did you not know
what the Holy One
can do with dust?

This is the day
we freely say
we are scorched.
This is the hour
we are marked
by what has made it
through the burning.

This is the moment
we ask for the blessing
that lives within
the ancient ashes,
that makes its home
inside the soil of
this sacred earth.

So let us be marked
not for sorrow.
And let us be marked
not for shame.
Let us be marked
not for false humility
or for thinking
we are less
than we are

but for claiming
what God can do
within the dust,
within the dirt,
within the stuff
of which the world
is made
and the stars that blaze
in our bones
and the galaxies that spiral
inside the smudge
we bear.
—Jan Richardson
https://www.janrichardson.com/books

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Want Jesus to Walk With Me’, by Lynda Randle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR9Y_ZNvzoA
******************
UPDATE March 4, 2025

Your Word is Hope
In a world of fake news,
lies and half-truths
may this be known,
your word is true
and everlasting,
Your word is love
and brings healing,
your word is joy
to those searching,
your word is hope
to those struggling,
your word unites
rather than dividing.
In this fragile world
in which we live,
Lord God, may it be
your word that we trust.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Hope.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Today we feature a song Dolly Parton wrote to celebrate her and her husband’s 50th wedding anniversary. Dolly’s husband Carl Dean passed away at the age of 82 on March 3rd. Dolly and Carl were married for almost 60 years.

‘Forever Love’, by Dolly Parton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLOjqVNo_0o
******************
UPDATE March 3, 2025

In Your Time
In your time, Saving God,
You walked upon this earth,
And in your time
Became one of us,
To show what we could become.
Remind us always
As we look at our lives
In comparison with yours,
That at the centre of all things
Is the saving Grace of God

In your time, Mighty God,
You will come in glory,
And in your time
Gather the harvest,
From one end of this earth to the other.
Remind us always,
In times of plenty,
And in times of famine,
That at the centre of all things
Are the mercy and justice of God.
Amen
https://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_Encounters_with_God.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Running With Angels’, by Sons of Sunday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9MwJYnq5oM
******************
UPDATE March 2, 2025

Transformation

There is a transformation that takes place
within the warmth of your embrace,
That certain knowledge that you are
refuge, shelter, fortress and stronghold,
against which no army can succeed.
That you are Brother, Sister, Mother, Father,
the love that knows no bounds.
That you are God,
And I am lost outside of your embrace. https://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_Encounters_with_God.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God Did!’, by Sons of Sunday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrhhYWU6BGE
******************
UPDATE March 1, 2025

Sign of Hope in a Troubled World
Yours is the love
that in a moment of divine joy
announced, “Let there be light!”
and in a blaze of glory
revealed the master plan
of a garden we now walk upon.
Creative love,
Enduring love,
Patient love,
Forgiving love,
Yours is the love
that in such suffering and pain
announced, “The price is paid!”
and in a blaze of glory
revealed the Master’s plan
of Salvation that we depend upon.
Yours is the love!
Amen
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_signs_of_hope.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Looked Up’, by Sons of Sunday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spAibihiiLI
******************
UPDATE February 28, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

The Truths We Hold (Book)
By Kamala Harris
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication date: 2019
Media Type: Print, e-book, audio

From Wikipedia:
The Truths We Hold: An American Journey is a memoir by Kamala Harris. The book was first published by Penguin Books on January 8, 2019. A young readers edition was published by Philomel Books on May 7, 2019.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris details her life as the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India. She was born in Oakland, California, and raised in West Berkeley.  She describes her childhood neighborhood as "a close-knit neighborhood of working families who were focused on doing a good job, paying the bills, and being there for one another."

Harris would eventually become the San Francisco district attorney in 2004. Her decision to become a prosecutor was so she could serve "the victims of crimes committed and the victims of a broken criminal justice system." Understanding this dichotomy, Harris describes herself as a progressive prosecutor. She elaborates:

“It is to understand that when a person takes another’s life, or a child is molested, or a woman raped, the perpetrators deserve severe consequences. That is one imperative of justice. But it is also to understand that fairness is in short supply in a justice system that is supposed to guarantee it. The job of a progressive prosecutor is to look out for the overlooked, to speak up for those whose voices aren’t being heard, to see and address the causes of crime, not just their consequences, and to shine a light on the inequality and unfairness that lead to injustice. It is to recognize that not everyone needs punishment, that what many need, quite plainly, is help.”

The book continues on through her time as California Attorney General, her face-off against fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez in the 2016 U.S. Senate election, and ends with her touting her fights against the Trump administration.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Jesse’, by Roberta Flack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPoZRJP1ZH8
*******************
UPDATE February 27, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

The Warmth of Other Suns (Book)
Author  Isabel Wilkerson
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Random House
Publication date: 2010
Media type: Print, e-book, audiobook

From Wikipedia:
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration is a 2010 non-fiction book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson. The book provides a detailed historical account of the Great Migration, a movement of approximately six million African Americans from the Southern United States to the Midwest, Northeast, and West between 1915 and 1970. Wilkerson's work has been widely acclaimed for its comprehensive research, engaging narrative style, and significant contribution to the understanding of this crucial period in American history.

The book chronicles the Great Migration through the lives of three primary subjects:

Ida Mae Gladney, who migrated from Mississippi to Chicago in 1937; George Starling, who moved from Florida to New York City in 1945; and Robert Foster, a physician who left Louisiana for Los Angeles in 1953. Through these personal narratives, Wilkerson illustrates the broader historical context of the Great Migration, including the social, economic, and political factors that drove millions of African Americans to leave the South.[1] The author explores themes such as racial discrimination, economic opportunity, and the search for personal freedom and dignity.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’, by Roberta Flack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVuktsluhiE
*******************
UPDATE February 26, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Becoming (Book)
By Michelle Obama
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Publication Date: 2018

From Michelle Obama’s Website:
In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, now available in paperback and as a Young Readers edition, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.

Available wherever you buy your books in hardcover, paperback, audio, and Young Readers editions

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus’, by Aretha Franklin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AubmN7UYlRQ
*******************
UPDATE February 25, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

How We Got Over (Documentary)
Louisiana Public Broadcasting
Produced, Written, & Edited by: Dorothy Williams Kendrick
Narrated by: Huel A. Perkins
2024; Running Time 1 Hr 28 Min

From YouTube
After the Civil War, many formerly enslaved people left Louisiana and moved to the North or out West in search of better opportunities.

This is the story of those that decided to stay behind in West Feliciana parish.

Their success in the post-war world and the unbelievably difficult times ahead hinged on the impact of education and one man – John Dawson – and those that believed in him.

Hard work and new industry eventually propelled African Americans in West Feliciana to a level of prosperity not seen in many of Louisiana’s communities. It’s a story that has many Black Louisianans looking back on the challenges and wondering just exactly, “How we got over?”

(This video does contain fundraising ads for Louisiana Public Broadcasting)

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsFxASXS7MU

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘How I Got Over’, by Yolanda Adams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTRvdzhuUOA
**************
UPDATE February 24, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Paid in Full: The Battle for Black Music (Documentary)
3 Episodes
Production Companies: Catalyst Studios, Green Door Pictures, Pink Towel Pictures, Supercollider Global
2024; Running Time: Each episode: 44 min

From CBC
Black artists have been exploited since the dawn of recorded music. Paid in Full explores the fight for fair pay and racial justice in the music industry.

Episode 1: Black artists have fought for fair pay and ownership of their songs since the 1920s. Includes the stories of Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Little Richard, TLC and more.

Episode 2: Black-owned labels like Motown, Stax and Def Jam shaped the musical landscape and confronted injustice in the music industry. But it wasn’t easy.

Episode 3: Streaming changed everything, but the economics are still bad for most Black recording artists. What does it take to get fair pay for music in the digital era?

Sensitive Content Warning: This film has content that may be sensitive and triggering. Viewer discretion advised.

Episodes 1, 2 & 3 available at the following link:

This documentary is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/ but you will need to set up a free account.
https://gem.cbc.ca/paid-in-full-the-battle-for-black-music

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God on the Mountain’, by Lynda Randle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCTl4tUYIAg
*******************
UPDATE February 23, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

James Earl Jones-With A Strong Voice: An A & E Biography (Documentary)
Produced by Alan J. Weiss
Written & Directed by Alan J. Weiss
Narrated by Peter Graves
Running Time: 47 Min

From Wikipedia
James Earl Jones (1931–2024) was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, he is known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage and screen. Jones is one of the few performers to achieve the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985, and was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009, and the Academy Honorary Award in 2011.

Following his death in 2024, The New York Times described Jones's career as a "a prodigious body of work" and called him "one of America's most versatile actors in a stage, film and television career". The Hollywood Reporter referred to Jones as "one of the most-admired American actors of all time". The Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw wrote, "like Sidney Poitier or Harry Belafonte or Paul Robeson, [Jones] was an African American actor with a beautiful voice which was the key to his dignity and self-respect as a performer; it was how his characters rose above racism and cruelty", and described Jones as "movie royalty". Academy Award–winning actress Viola Davis said that Jones's career reflected "black excellence".

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njLXJF8KT4U

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ese (Thank You)’, by Patience Tumba
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBb-9b10qdA
******************
UPDATE February 22, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Fannie Lou Hamer’s America: An America ReFramed Special (Documentary)
PBS Production
Directed by: Joy Elaine Davenport
2022: Running Time: 1 Hr

Fannie Lou Hamer’s America is an original documentary film told through the public speeches, personal interviews, and powerful songs of the fearless Mississippi sharecropper-turned-human-rights-activist.

If you’ve ever heard of Fannie Lou Hamer, odds are you were introduced to her through the heart-wrenching testimony she delivered before the 1964 Democratic National Convention’s Credentials Committee. As significant as Hamer’s 1964 DNC speech was and is, her testimony is but one moment within the activist's career that spanned nearly 15 years and took place before audiences - in every region of the country.

One of the movement’s pre-eminent orators, Hamer used stories from her own life to call America to account for the racism that defined every aspect of her existence—from the turn-of-the-century cotton plantations of the Mississippi Delta where she was reared, to her death in an all-black hospital in 1977.

Viewer discretion advised: Mature content, racial epithets in historical context, and descriptions of violence

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h2MzXavgEg

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Will Wait’, by Bri Babineaux
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfJUQOThguQ
******************
UPDATE February 21, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Knoxville's Red Summer: The Riot of 1919 (Documentary)
Executive Producer: William Osom II
Directed by: C. Lee Smith
Narrated by: Brandon Gibson
2020; Running Time: 27 Min

From Black in Appalachia
On August 30, 1919, 27 year old Bertie Lindsey was assaulted and murdered in her home by what was reported to be a Black intruder. The lead investigator on the case, Police Officer Andy White, had a particular grudge to settle and arrested a handsome, young man about town, Maurice Mays.

The next 48 hours would challenge the city of Knoxville’s highly touted progressive race relations and New South marketing. The Sheriff, having relocated the accused to Chattanooga, Tennessee, would see the destruction of the jail house, mass consumption of confiscated moonshine and the would-be lynch mob’s looting of weapons from downtown shops.

Soon the rioters turned their rage to the Black business district and where they were met with armed and prepared Black military veterans. Eventually and through loss of life and property, the National Guard managed to restore order to the city, but no such relief was found by Maurice Mays. He was eventually executed by the State for a crime he did not commit.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.blackinappalachia.org/knoxville

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Nessun Dorma’, by Aretha Franklin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHb75oTHOV4
***********************
UPDATE February 20, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Into the Light (Documentary)
Produced by: Nathalie Cloutier
Writen & Directed by: Gentille M. Assih
2020; Running Time: 1 Hr 19 MIn

From the National Film Board Website:
Into the Light features the liberating life stories and powerful words of inspiring Quebec women of African origin who’ve regained control over their lives after suffering from domestic violence. The film transcends prejudice and breaks the silence, pulling back the curtain on a poorly understood, hidden world, while testifying to the tremendous power that comes from overcoming isolation and accepting one’s self. It’s a luminous dive into the quest for personal healing and universal humanity. This is Togo-born director Gentille M. Assih’s third documentary.

This documentary is free for you to watch from the National Film Board website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/into-the-light/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Down By the Riverside’, by Sister Rosetta Tharpe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xzr_GBa8qk
***************
UPDATE February 19, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Unarmed Verses (Documentary)
Writen by: Charles Officer
Directed by: Charles Officer
Produced by: Lea Marin
Executive Producer: Anita Lee
2016; Running Time: 1Hr 25 Min

From the National Film Board Website:
This feature documentary presents a thoughtful and vivid portrait of a community facing imposed relocation. At the centre of the story is a remarkably astute and luminous 12-year-old black girl whose poignant observations about life, the soul, and the power of art give voice to those rarely heard in society. Unarmed Verses is a cinematic rendering of our universal need for self-expression and belonging.

This documentary is free for you to watch from the National Film Board website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/unarmed_verses/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Blessings’, by Yolanda Adams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3LD1JI5saU
*****************
UPDATE February 18, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Two Podcasts about Birding

Two Podcasts about Birding from the perspective of people of colour. Birdwatching, and nature-loving in general, has historically been thought of as something done primarily by white people. However, people of colour find the same joy, peace, comfort, and indeed deeper spirituality as white people do. These two podcasts highlight the hobby of birdwatching and the challenges people of colour face as well as showing the rest of us that birds and nature really are for everyone.

First, Bring Birds Back® is a show about the joy of birds and the ways that humans can help them through simple, everyday actions. Speaking with bird enthusiasts from many different backgrounds, identities, and communities, we share stories that are not only educational, but timely, new, inspiring, and expansive. We invite listeners to join us in appreciating the beauty and mystery of birds all around us and learn small but impactful ways we all can help bring birds back. https://www.birdnote.org/podcasts/bring-birds-back

Second, the Bird Joy Podcast, is where birds, community, and connection take flight! Hosted by Dexter "The Wisco Birder" Patterson and Jason "The Birding Beardsman" Hall, they bring together bird enthusiasts from around the globe to share the joy of birding, inspire curiosity, and build a welcoming space for everyone. From tips for beginner birders to in-depth conversations on conservation, urban birding, and green spaces, we explore how birds enrich our lives. Our episodes feature expert guests, personal stories, and lively discussions on birding, inclusivity in the outdoors, and the latest birding trends. Whether you're a seasoned birder, or a newbie curious about what makes birding so magical, the Bird Joy Podcast is your place to discover, learn, and celebrate the feathered wonders around us. Are you ready to find your flock and soak in some Bird Joy? Let's go!

These podcasts are available wherever you get your podcasts: Apple, Spotify, Google, Castbox, YouTube, or any number of other podcast platforms.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Help Me Jesus’, by the Staple Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf9ZzOzb7Hk
********************
UPDATE February 17, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Miles of Smiles, Years of Struggle (Documentary)
Director: Paul Wagner
Producers: Paul Wagner, Jack Santino
Editor: Paul Wagner
1982; Running Time: 1 Hr

From YouTube
This oral history documentary tells the story of the Pullman porters who organized the first Black labor union. A group of retired porters board an old passenger train and tell stories of their work and camaraderie, their unionization battles with the Pullman company, the important role they played as leaders in the Black community and as activists in the early days of the civil rights movement, and the challenges they faced maintaining their dignity as Black men providing personal service and surviving on tips from white passengers. The film is narrated by Rosina Tucker, the 100-year-old wife of a porter and a courageous union activist.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLQJ16SokVg

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘If My People’, by The Choir Room ft Chaundra Jefferson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X7PqN15Yto
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UPDATE February 16, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Charley Pride: I’m Just Me (Documentary)
Director: Barbara Hall
Narrator: Tanya Tucker
Collaborator: Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson
2018; running Time 78 Min

From CBC Documentary Channel:
Charley Pride: I’m Just Me traces the improbable journey of Charley Pride, from his humble beginnings as a sharecropper’s son on a cotton farm in segregated Sledge, Mississippi to his career as a Negro American League baseball player and his meteoric rise as a trailblazing country music superstar.

The new documentary reveals how Pride’s love for music led him from the Delta to a larger, grander world. In the 1940s, radio transcended racial barriers, making it possible for Pride to grow up listening to and imitating Grand Ole Opry stars like Ernest Tubb and Roy Acuff. The singer arrived in Nashville in 1963 while the city roiled with sit-ins and racial violence. But with boldness, perseverance and undeniable musical talent, he managed to parlay a series of fortuitous encounters with music industry insiders into a legacy of hit singles, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Narrated by Grammy-nominated country singer Tanya Tucker, the film features original interviews with country music royalty, including Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker and Marty Stuart, as well as on-camera conversations between Pride and special guests, including Rozene Pride (his wife of 61 years), Willie Nelson and fellow musicians.

This documentary is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/  but you will need to set up a free account.
https://gem.cbc.ca/charley-pride-im-just-me-1-8bedb4d5-a1f2-415b-88ab-c5a8d3f3e9a7

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I’m Just Me’, by Charley Pride
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78KiZk_Yric
***************
UPDATE February 15, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Hollywood Black (Documentary Series)
4 Episodes
Directed by: Justin Simien
Cast: Spike Lee, Forest Whitaker
Executive Producer: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Amy Goodman Kass, Shayla Harris, Jon Kamen, Kyle Laursen, Stacey Reiss, Jeffrey Schwarz, Justin Simien, David Sirulnick
2024; Running Time: Each episode 1 Hr

A chronicle of the Black experience in Hollywood, revealing the story of the actors, writers, directors and producers who fought for their place on the screen.

Episode 1-Built on Our Backs
During the dark days of Jim Crow segregation, silent film star Bert Williams and the Oscar®-winning Hattie McDaniel pave the way for the glamorous Lena Horne and genteel Sidney Poitier to become stars

Episode 2-The Defiant Ones
After the success of Blaxploitation, Black actors and directors try to maintain their dignity without selling out. Melvin Van Peebles, Charles Burnett and William Greaves pave the way for Spike Lee.

Episode 3-The Price of Admission
In the 90s, studios finally recognize the value of Black stories and open the doors for stars like Halle Berry & Denzel Washington but the popularity of hood films outshines other groundbreaking works

Episode 4-Dear Black People
After the election of Barack Obama, Hollywood offers Black filmmakers and actors more opportunity than ever. Working across new genres, black filmmakers embrace this new landscape.

This documentary is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/  but you will need to set up a free account.

Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4 can be found at the following link:
https://gem.cbc.ca/hollywood-black

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Motherless Child’, by Sweet Honey in the Rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFvDtzMpPM0
*******************
UPDATE February 14, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Jackie Robinson (Documentary Series)
4 Episodes
Written by: David McMahon, Sarah Burns
Directed by: Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon
Starring: Jamie Foxx
Narrated by: Keith David
Producers: Sarah Burns, David McMahon, Ken Burns
Production Company: Florentine Films
2016: Running Time: Each episode 55 Min

From CBC Gem
Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball’s colour line and become one of the most beloved men in America. A fierce integrationist, Robinson used his immense fame to speak out against the discrimination he saw on and off the field, angering fans, the press, and even teammates who had once celebrated him for “turning the other cheek.” After baseball he was a widely-read newspaper columnist, divisive political activist, and tireless advocate for civil rights, who later struggled to remain relevant as diabetes crippled his body, and a new generation of leaders set a more militant course for the civil rights movement.

This documentary is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/  but you will need to set up a free account.

Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4 can be found at the following link:
https://gem.cbc.ca/jackie-robinson

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Uncloudy Day’, by The Staple Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV46KeFRKds
******************
UPDATE February 13, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital (Documentary)
Directors: Joyce Fitzpatrick, Brian Shackelford
Cast: Rebecca Robinson-Williams, Earle U. Robinson Jr., Walter E. McDonald, Oliver W. Page Jr.
Producers: Joyce Fitzpatrick, Rebecca Robinson-Wiliams, Brian Shackelford
Production companies: Flatcat Productions, Tunnel Vision Entertainment
Executive producer: Joyce Fitzpatrick
2018; Running Time: 1 Hr 50 Min

From https://www.thecolorofmedicine.com/press-release
The documentary titled, “The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital” tells the untold history of the exceptional medical training of African-American doctors and nurses at an all-black operated hospital in St. Louis from 1937 to 1979. This film features Dr. Earle U. Robinson Jr., a 2nd generation physician and alumnus from Homer G. Phillips Hospital , who shares his unique and colorful personal story at “The G,” and his father’s, Dr. Earle Robinson, Sr., who was one of the first 27 black graduates of this ground-breaking facility.

“The Color of Medicine” film proudly captures the rise and fall of Homer G. Phillips Hospital along with heartfelt stories from other doctors, nurses and community members chronicling the hospital’s vibrant years, in remembrance of the significance of Homer G. Phillips Hospital and its valuable place in African-American history.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVxgfZWiGuQ

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Sit Down, Servant’, by The Staple Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxgZuE14he8
*****************
UPDATE February 12, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Our Voices: Our Stories Andrew Young (Documentary)
Directed by Jesse Nesser
Production Company: Overseas Cowboy Films
2021; Running Time: 51 Min

From YouTube
“Watch the documentary about Andrew Young as part of the “Our Voices: Our Stories” series produced by the Ford Motor Company Fund and the Andrew Young Foundation. You’ll hear Ambassador Young share stories about his time as a pastor, politician and activist while serving as a close confidant to Dr. King throughout the civil rights movement and as Executive Director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He reveals how these experiences shaped him and prepared him for public service as a U.S. Congressman, United Nations Ambassador and Mayor of Atlanta.

As the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, the Ford Fund provided financial support to produce the “Our Voices: Our Stories” documentary series which raises the voices of Black Americans to ensure their legacies are heard and shared today, and for generations to come.”

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j51YXac5Mfc

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Leaning on the Everlasting Arms’, by The Five Blind Boys of Alabama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9Rhl-S2KIs
*******************
UPDATE February 11, 202 

Today's Black History Month Resource

The Ocoee Massacre (Documentary)
Project Manager & Executive Producer: Daralene Jones
Storytellers: Deanna Allbrittin, Deneige Broom, Melonie Holt, Q. McCray, Karen Parks, Cierra Putman
WFTV9 & Cox Media Group
2020; Running Time: 44 Min

From the WFTV9 Website:
In the late 1800s Blacks migrated to Florida from other southern states. They were looking for better opportunities. By 1920, Ocoee, Florida was home to hundreds of Blacks. Some had bought their own land with the money they earned through Florida’s booming agricultural business.

That year something else happened in Ocoee. Blacks went to the polls and tried to vote in a Presidential election. Republican Sen. Warren G. Harding was up against Democratic Gov. James M. Cox. Women and Blacks were legally allowed to cast a ballot. Their votes could shape the outcome of the election. In Ocoee, their neighbors turned on them.

There was a massacre: killings, bloodshed and a public lynching. This made November 2, 1920, the single bloodiest day in modern American political history.

This is the story of the Ocoee Massacre.

From YouTube:
The atrocity in the rural settlement started on Nov. 2, 1920. An untold number of people were killed, Black and white. It led to the lynching of one of Ocoee’s most successful Black businessmen, Julius ‘July’ Perry, in downtown Orlando. Described as the “single bloodiest day in modern American political history,” it brought about the forced removal of hundreds of Black citizens from Ocoee.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA0CLxHeH6Y

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Take it To the Lord in Prayer’, by The Birmingham Community Gospel Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdTNMOc4u58
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UPDATE February 10, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

I’m Still Here (Documentary)
Reel South Series Episode, PBS
2025; Running Time: 26 Min

From the PBS website
Between 1947 and 1967, black-owned homes in Birmingham, Alabama were bombed over 50 times. Homes on Center Street were targeted so often, the neighborhood became known as ‘Dynamite Hill.’ What happened on Center Street is a scar on American history, but the voices of Dynamite Hill speak with strength and grace about how they faced unimaginable hatred, with one repeated refrain: “I’m still here.”

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiIw55O_Mbs

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ndikhokhele Bawo (Lead Me Father)’ by The Unveiled
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkz9xBFD-ls
****************
UPDATE February 9, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Shirley (TV Movie)
Written & Directed by: John Ridley
Produced by: Regina King, Reina King, Anikah McLaren, Elizabeth Haggard, John Ridley
Starring: Regina King, Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Christina Jackson, Michael Cherrie, André Holland, Terrence Howard
Production companies: Participant; Royal Ties Productions
2024; Running Time 1 Hr 57 Min

Shirley is a 2024 American biographical drama film written and directed by John Ridley. It depicts the 1972 presidential run of Shirley Chisholm, who was the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. The film stars Regina King in the title role alongside Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Christina Jackson, Michael Cherrie, André Holland, and Terrence Howard. Shirley had a limited theatrical release in the United States on March 15, 2024, before its streaming debut on Netflix on March 22, 2024.

Shirley Chisholm, already the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress, ran for president of the United States in 1972, becoming the first Black candidate to run for a major-party nomination for president and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's nomination.

This movie is available for you to watch on Netflix with a subscription.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Do It Anyway’, by Tasha Cobbs Leonard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mtrOSbrNX0
****************
UPDATE February 8, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

The Six Triple Eight (TV Movie)
Directed by: Tyler Perry
Written by: Tyler Perry
Based on: "Fighting a Two-Front War" by Kevin M. Hymel
Produced by: Keri Selig, Carlota Espinosa, Tony Strickland, Angi Bones, Nicole Avant, Tyler Perry
Starring: Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian, Dean Norris, Sam Waterston, Oprah Winfrey
Production companies: Tyler Perry Studios, Mandalay Pictures, Intuition, Her Excellency Productions
2024; Running Time: 2Hr 7 Min

From IMDB
During World War II, 855 women joined the fight to fix the three-year backlog of undelivered mail. Faced with discrimination and a country devastated by war, they managed to sort more than 17 million pieces of mail ahead of time.

This movie is available for you to watch on Netflix with a subscription.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Trust and Obey’, by Erica Campbell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPzNWbaBrU4
*****************
UPDATE February 7, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (Documentary)
Director: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
Production companies: Perfect Day Films, Magnolia Pictures, Mongrel Media
Producers: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Johanna Giebelhaus, Tommy Walker, Chad Thompson
2019; Running Time: 2 Hr

From Wikipedia
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am is a 2019 documentary film, directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, and produced by Johanna Giebelhaus, Greenfield-Sanders, Chad Thompson, and Tommy Walker. It follows American novelist Toni Morrison who examines her life and work. The film also features Oprah Winfrey, Fran Lebowitz, Russell Banks, Angela Davis and Barack Obama.

Morrison was an American novelist from Lorain, Ohio. In 1988, she earned the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel Beloved and in 1993, she became the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. She died on 5 August 2019. In the film, she and various friends, colleagues and literary critics discuss her life, work, and the themes she has explored throughout her career.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6Dpvy4-uZI

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘How I Long for Peace’, by Rhiannon Giddens, Crys Matthews, Resistance Revival Chorus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmwwqHmwZq8
**************
UPDATE February 6, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

The Central Park Five (Documentary)
Directors: David Mcmahon, Sarah Burns, Ken Burns
Producers: David Mcmahon, Sarah Burns, Jim Corbley, Ken Burns
Distributed by: Sundance Selects
Production company: Sundance Selects; WETA; Florentine Films; PBS; The Central Park
Five Film Project
2013; Running Time: 1 Hr 58 Min

From Ken Burns’ Website:
THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE, tells the story of the five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem who were wrongly convicted of raping a white woman in New York City’s Central Park in 1989. Directed and produced by Ken Burns, David McMahon and Sarah Burns, the film chronicles the Central Park Jogger case, from the perspective of the five teenagers whose lives were upended by this miscarriage of justice

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1yTgXhcJOU

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Father, Let Your Kingdom Come’, by Birmingham Community Gospel Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXzwnNK5E_s
*******************
UPDATE February 5, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

For Our Younger Readers:
little people, big dreams: Rosa Parks (Children’s Book)
Written by: Lisbeth Kaiser; Illustrated by: Marta Antelo
By Frances Lincoln Children's Books
32 pages
For ages 4 to 7 years

From Indigo-Chapters:
“In this book from the highly acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Rosa Parks, the "Mother of the Freedom Movement."

Rosa Parks grew up in Alabama, where she learned to stand up for herself at an early age. Rosa went on to become a civil rights activist. In 1955, she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Her courageous decision had a huge impact on civil rights, eventually leading to the end of segregation on public transport. She never stopped working for equal rights. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the activist's life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.
 
Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!”

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘If You Miss Me From the Back of the Bus’, by The Freedom Riders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ODLwix8DGM
*********************
UPDATE February 4, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World (Book)
By Christian Cooper
Random House, 2023
304 pages
ABA Sales–Buteo Books 15350

From Goodreads.com
“NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Central Park birder Christian Cooper takes us beyond the viral video that shocked a nation and into a world of avian adventures, global excursions, and the unexpected lessons you can learn from a life spent looking up.

"Wondrous . . . captivating.”—Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of An Immense World

Christian Cooper is a self-described “Blerd” (Black nerd), an avid comics fan and expert birder who devotes every spring to gazing upon the migratory birds that stop to rest in Central Park, just a subway ride away from where he lives in New York City. While in the park one morning in May 2020, Cooper was engaged in the birdwatching ritual that had been a part of his life since he was ten years old when what might have been a routine encounter with a dog walker exploded age-old racial tensions. Cooper’s viral video of the incident would send shock waves through the nation.

In Better Living Through Birding , Cooper tells the story of his extraordinary life leading up to the now-infamous incident in Central Park and shows how a life spent looking up at the birds prepared him, in the most uncanny of ways, to be a gay, Black man in America today. From sharpened senses that work just as well at a protest as in a park to what a bird like the Common Grackle can teach us about self-acceptance, Better Living Through Birding exults in the pleasures of a life lived in pursuit of the natural world and invites you to discover them yourself.

Equal parts memoir, travelogue, and primer on the art of birding, this is Cooper’s story of learning to claim and defend space for himself and others like him, from his days at Marvel Comics introducing the first gay storylines to vivid and life-changing birding expeditions through Africa, Australia, the Americas, and the Himalayas. Better Living Through Birding recounts Cooper’s journey through the wonderful world of birds and what they can teach us about life, if only we would look and listen.”

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Wade in the Water’, by The Spirituals Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxZ4H-gq_lc
*****************
UPDATE February 3, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Baltimore Rising (Documentary)
2017; Running Time: 93 Min
Director: Sonja Sohn
Producers: Sonja Sohn, Marc Levin, Anthony Hemingway, George Pelecanos, Sheila Nevins, Nathan Mook
Executive producers: Sonja Sohn, Marc Levin, Anthony Hemingway, George Pelecanos, Sheila Nevins, Mark Taylor
Produced by: HBO Documentary Films; Blowback Productions

From Wikipedia
Baltimore Rising is a 2017 documentary on the protests in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray. It was created, directed, and produced by actor and filmmaker Sonja Sohn and HBO Films. It covers the death of Freddie Gray, the protests and riots immediately following, efforts to keep the peace during the unsuccessful prosecutions of the six police officers involved, as well as efforts to change policing by both the Maryland General Assembly and the US Department of Justice. It includes segments covering the perspective of Black Lives Matter protesters, community leaders, and members of the Baltimore Police Department.

Among the protesters, it focuses on Kwame Rose and Makayla Gilliam-Price, two young (17–21 years old) activists. Among community leaders, the documentary shows Adam Jackson and Dayvon Love, members of the group Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle. Among the police, Baltimore Rising includes Lt. Colonel Melvin Russell, head of a community affairs program in the BPD; Detective Dawnyell Taylor, the lead police investigator into the death of Gray; and interim police commissioner Kevin Davis, who came to his position shortly after Gray's death. Baltimore Rising premiered on HBO on November 20, 2017.

You can watch this documentary on Crave TV or HBO with a subscription.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
 
‘Glory’, by Common and John Legend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUZOKvYcx_o
******************
UPDATE February 2, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Harriet (Feature Film)
2019; Running Time: 125 Min
Directed by: Kasi Lemmons
Screenplay by: Gregory Allen Howard, Kasi Lemmons
Produced by: Debra Martin Chase, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Gregory Allen Howard
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn, Janelle Monáe

From https://www.focusfeatures.com/harriet
Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, Harriet tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. Haunted by memories of those she left behind, Harriet (Cynthia Erivo) ventures back into dangerous territory on a mission to lead others to freedom. With allies like abolitionist William Still (Leslie Odom, Jr.) and the entrepreneurial Marie Buchanon (Janelle Monae), Harriet risks capture and death to guide hundreds to safety as one of the most prominent conductors of the Underground Railroad. Witness the story of a woman who defied impossible odds to change the course of her life and the fate of the nation.

You may be able to watch this movie through any number of online streaming services.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ringing Them Bells’, by The Spirituals Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3wzlwUztd4
******************
UPDATE February 1, 2025

Today's Black History Month Resource

Finding Me (Book)
By Viola Davis
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780063037328

From Indigo.ca
“It’s clear from the first page that Davis is going to serve a more intimate, unpolished account than is typical of the average (often ghost-written) celebrity memoir; Finding Me reads like Davis is sitting you down for a one-on-one conversation about her life, warts and all.”—USA Today

“[A] fulfilling narrative of struggle and success….Her gorgeous storytelling will inspire anyone wishing to shed old labels.”—Los Angeles Times

In my book, you will meet a little girl named Viola who ran from her past until she made a life-changing decision to stop running forever.

This is my story, from a crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the stage in New York City, and beyond. This is the path I took to finding my purpose but also my voice in a world that didn’t always see me.

As I wrote Finding Me, my eyes were open to the truth of how our stories are often not given close examination. We are forced to reinvent them to fit into a crazy, competitive, judgmental world. So I wrote this for anyone running through life untethered, desperate and clawing their way through murky memories, trying to get to some form of self-love. For anyone who needs reminding that a life worth living can only be born from radical honesty and the courage to shed facades and be . . . you.

Finding Me is a deep reflection, a promise, and a love letter of sorts to self. My hope is that my story will inspire you to light up your own life with creative expression and rediscover who you were before the world put a label on you.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘A Change is Gonna Come’, by Sam Cooke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4
******************
UPDATE January 31, 2025

High Flight
By John Gillespie Magee Jr.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds,—and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/157986/high-flight-627d3cfb1e9b7

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘By Faith’, by Praise and Harmony Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEUskp1e2bg
********************
UPDATE January 30, 2025

We offer up a prayer today for the victims of the mid-air collision between an army helicopter and a small passenger plane last evening over Washington, DC. We pray for the family members and friends left behind and for the first-responders who have been working tirelessly to recover all of the passengers. You are encouraged to keep all those affected by this terrible tragedy in your ongoing prayers.—ED

Let’s pray together.

Lord, for many of us, this was just another run-of-the-mill Thursday morning. We woke up thinking about our to-do lists, making breakfast, getting the kids out the door to school. But then we turned on the news or scrolled through social media posts that alerted us to this terrible tragedy and loss of life. It jolted us out of our temporary complacency and was a stark reminder that all is not as it should be in the world.

So this morning, Lord, let us lay aside our personal struggles and focus our attention on those who are grieving. We pray for comfort for the families of every person who lost their life both on the airplane and the helicopter. Surround them with a loving, caring support system today and in the difficult days of grief ahead. Give them hope when it seems like none can be found--a peace that the world cannot understand because it only comes from you.

We acknowledge that you are the one who gives and takes away and we won’t always understand why this side of heaven. But we also know that you will never leave us or forsake us. We know that each life is precious to you and you know each of us so intimately that you can count each hair on our heads (Luke 12:7).

Jesus, we remember your words that you will send the Holy Spirit to be with us. You called him the Comforter, and we ask for his comforting presence now for the sake of those who are grieving. We pray that he would still anxious, despairing hearts and draw people to you through this tragedy.

Father, we also pray for the first responders and all who are involved in the rescue and recovery efforts. We pray that you would direct their steps and allow them to serve with diligence and gentleness. We pray boldly for your guidance that each body would be found so that the process of closure and healing can begin.

Lastly, Lord, we pray for all those traveling today. This tragedy has sparked fear in the hearts of many who were about to board an airplane. We ask for your peace and the assurance that nothing is out of your control and there is nothing we can do or fail to do that is outside your plan. Give your Spirit of assurance to all airline passengers today and your wisdom to pilots and crew members.

We pray all this boldly, knowing you welcome us to the throne of grace.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/a-prayer-for-those-grieving-the-washington-dc-crash.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘He Will Hold Me Fast’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OOphIgGkjM
*********************
UPDATE January 29, 2025

A Day of Hope
May this be a day of hope,
of expectation,
and relishing each moment
as a gift from you.
May this be a day of joy,
of breaking free
and loosening the shackles
that are binding us.
May this be a day of peace,
and healing,
knowing our lives are
always in your hand.
May this be a day of love
and blessing,
living as children
of a living God.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Hope.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘In Need’, by Praise and Harmony Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smm1cFRjz3I
**********************
UPDATE January 28, 2025

For those of us who have been around for more than a couple of decades, this time of year is a difficult and dark period in our collective remembrance. Specifically your attention is drawn to the disasters that befell those who sought to explore the expanse of outer space. It is also a time of renewed willingness to find joy through tragedy, life, through loss, and hope through defeat. The tragedies of Apollo 1 (January 27, 1967), Challenger (January 28, 1986) and Columbia (February 1, 2003) all happened six days apart across the span of thirty-six years. Each one of these incidents, on their own, with such a tragic loss of life, could have ended the exploration of space altogether, being a price higher than we were willing to pay. But, our human eagerness and need to ‘see what else there is to see’ pushed us to learn from each of these disasters, to fix the flaws and faults that caused them, and to return to our exploration of space with renewed purpose. Each time the space programme returned to the launch pad following tragedy, they carried on the legacy of those who were lost in such a public way, as well as those who perished along the journey in unseen training accidents and whose names we might never have heard of. We forged on, and we continue to do so, thus honouring their lives and their sacrifice. 

May God bless the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger STS-51, and Columbia STS-107, as well as all who died in the field of space exploration. Take a moment to say a prayer for those they left behind, and prayer of thanks for the lives they so willingly gave seeking new horizons.--ED

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Flying for Me’, by John Denver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0xW6d4zGTg
******************
UPDATE January 27, 2025

On this International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Prayer
Loving God, you care for each
and every human life. All people
are cherished as your beloved
children, no matter how ordinary or
extraordinary their stories are.
Today we come before you to
remember the victims of the
Holocaust.

We lament the loss of the six
million Jews who were killed in the
Holocaust, the millions of other
victims of Nazi persecution, and
victims of all genocides.

May our minds be clear and attentive
to their memory, and our hearts be
moved to bear witness to their lives.

Help us all to turn away from hatred
and division, and to build a world
where genocide is no more.

Strengthen us so that we, in our
own ordinary ways, may show
extraordinary love in the world
today. Amen.
https://www.plymouth-diocese.org.uk/holocaust-memorial-prayer/
https://www.gloriadei.ca/news/a-prayer-for-holocaust-remembrance-day

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ilse Weber: Wiegala‘, by Esther Abrami & the Esther Abrami Ensemble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY9-wBia_4E
******************
UPDATE January 26, 2025

A Prayer in Time of Political Turmoil
Speak Lord, into the heart
of government, and those
whose decisions today will
affect the lives of millions.
May their incentive be
not pleasing the powerful,
the political influencers,
loudest voices and donors,
but rather to do your will;
seek justice, help the poor,
work for the common good
of all people, not just a few.
It’s a difficult ask, we know,
but in you, Lord, is our hope.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Hope.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, by Demaree ft Dolly Parton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFzY_jBVb0U
*********************
UPDATE January 25, 2025

A Prayer for Hope
In a world of fake news,
lies and half-truths,
may this be known,
your word is true
and everlasting,
Your word is love
and brings healing,
your word is joy
to those searching,
your word is hope
to those struggling,
your word unites
rather than dividing.
In this fragile world
in which we live,
Lord God, may it be
your word that we trust.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Hope.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘He’s Making All Things Right’, by Bryan Fowler, Skye Peterson, Ben Shive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxNc6cjQK3c
*****************
UPDATE January 24, 2025

Let Us Pray:
For those who bring hope
where there is none,
love where there is hatred,
peace where there is war,
sustenance where there is hunger,
water where there is drought,
and comfort where there is sadness,
bless them Lord Jesus ,
whether they be Christian, Muslim,
no faith or any faith.
For all love has it's source in You,
and every act of selfless giving
brings a smile to your face.
https://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_Encounters_with_Gods_people.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘How Long?’, by Oasis Chorale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMSbitUUsjI
******************
UPDATE January 23, 2025

Let Us Pray:
We pray for confidence
to share your Word with others
and for the opportunity to proclaim it.
Forgive our reluctance,
our timidity.
We pray for wisdom
to know what should be said
and the moment in which to say it.
Forgive our reticence,
our anxiety.
We pray for knowledge
of the fullness of your Grace
and the willingness to live it.
Forgive our ignorance,
our self-reliance.
Be the centre of all we are
The Light by which we walk
The blessing we bring to others
Through Jesus Christ alone we ask. Amen
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Epiphany.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Chosen’, by Matthew West
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrpRNqiHr8E
******************
UPDATE January 22, 2025

Let Us Pray:
For all those brave voices
speaking out on injustice,
inequality, abuse of power,
and corporate greed, who
want to leave this world
a better, more equitable
place for their children
and grandchildren to inherit.
Who are willing to stand
in the firing line of politics
and suffer the consequences
for speaking out the truth.
Bless their endeavours.
May their voices be heard,
and this world, your gift to us,
begin once more to resemble
the world that you intended.
Amen.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_justice.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God, Turn it Around’, by Jon Reddick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gv8VDqc-os
******************
UPDATE January 21, 2025

Powerful words from Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde during the Prayer Service at the National Cathedral in Washington DC this morning. Though the words were directed at the new president, they might be seen as a call to all of us to remember that each and every one of us bear the image of God and that we are precious in God’s sight. May we all take them to heart and put them into action.--ED

“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you, and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals, they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwara, and temples.

I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love, and walk humbly with each other and our God, for the good of all people, the good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen.”

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Mercy’, by Rachel Platten
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKdmJhOeoTg
****************
UPDATE January 20, 2025

Former Planned Parenthood USA President Cecile Richards passed away surrounded by her family earlier today following a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer (glioblastoma). She was 67. Richards was the daughter of former Texas Governor Ann Richards and while she was president of Planned Parenthood, she fought to change policies and laws in order to keep access open and available for women’s reproductive health care. She believed that reproductive health care must be accessible to all women, regardless of economic status, race, sexual orientation, or immigration status. She was a tireless champion for women everywhere and she fought for them until illness forced her to turn that fight over to others. Thank you, Cecile. Your example of being ‘all in’ for the fight for all women will never be forgotten. Rest in peace and rise in glory. Godspeed.--ED

Here are some quotes by Cecile Richards:

“Feminist is not a passive label; it means speaking out and standing up for women everywhere, and also for yourself. One woman calling out an injustice is powerful enough; when we raise our voices together, we can shake the status quo to its foundation.”
― Cecile Richards, Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead

“This is your life. It is the only one you get, so no excuses and no do-overs. If you make a mistake or fail at something, you learn from it, you get over it, and you move on. Your job is to be the very best person you can be, and to never settle for anything less.”
― Cecile Richards, Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead

“There is a takeaway here for aspiring hell-raisers: We get only what we’re willing to fight for—nothing more and, I hope, nothing less.”
― Cecile Richards, Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead

“One day, our children and grandchildren may ask us, ‘When it was all on the line, what did you do?’” “The only acceptable answer is, ‘Everything we could.’”—Cecile Richards: Democratic National Convention August 2024
……………………………………
A Prayer for January 20th
By Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber

Dear God,

All I can think to say this morning, is please guide my attention to that which is worthy of it.

When I am overwhelmed by everything that has to get fixed in this broken down world, show me what is MINE to do then please give me the strength to do it and the humility to rest afterwards.

Open my eyes to behold that which is hopeful and lovely and to know that the terrifying and malicious will always be there and that looking away for a moment is not callus, it’s calculating.

Guide my attention to that which is worthy of it: making art, cooking food, loving people, noticing birds, petting dogs, contacting friends, and doing the work that is mine to do.

And when I am scrolling through meaningless videos, once again wasting more precious moments on this Earth than I realize, snap me out of it, Lord and help me just go for a walk or something.

In your holy name,

Amen.
--Reprinted with kind permission

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Don’t Fight Alone’, by Jon Reddick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zh-z_c6zIA
************************
UPDATE January 19, 2025

God, Spirit at Work in the World,

We are tired.

We are weary.

We are disinformation-ed out.

We are holding on to hope for a change, but hope feels dangerous.

We want to believe in the good of humanity, but we are shocked by the magnitude of the vile.

We want to trust that basic dignity will prevail, but we’ve seen it erode.

But today, despite all the “buts”, we choose to anchor into the bigger story of Peace.

Peace that doesn’t come from trite words or things going our way.

Peace that comes from honoring justice never comes comfortably or easily.

Peace in remembering we are part of a long story, intricately tied into the slow and laborious work of social change.

Peace in looking up at the heavens and recognizing the vastness of God’s creation and our small part in the endless story. 

Peace in looking down at the earth and seeing our feet anchored into ground that’s filled with a long legacy of survival, of hope, of humans taking the next right step.

Peace in the wild ways of Jesus that don’t make sense to the empire but we know are worth living for.

Peace in the solidarity of kindred spirits who are weary, tired, and trying to be hopeful, too.

Peace in the remembering that there leaders across every faith, industry, shape, and size, who are leading humbly, compassionately, and justly despite the angst.

Peace in dedication to integrated peace-making–not false peace-keeping–and recognizing that we can’t stay silent no matter the cost.

Peace in the simple things—a cup of cold water, passing on a kindness, a mask, a checking in on a struggling friend.

Peace that can’t be robbed by a tweet, a ridiculous threat, a narcissistic bully, a social media post, or a comment that makes you question a friendship.

Peace that isn’t checking out this week but is actually checking in—being present, feeling all the feels, honoring why it’s so hard, respecting the toll this keeps taking.

Peace that prompts us to keep doing absolutely everything we can to keep working for peace.

God, Spirit at Work in the World,

Help us anchor in Peace this week.

--by Kathy Escobar
https://kathyescobar.com/a-peace-prayer-for-political-trauma/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘No Fear’, by Jon Reddick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYtUec8mzak
***************
UPDATE January 18, 2025

“Spending extended amounts of time inside other religious worldviews has loosened the screws on my own, which is beginning to seem like a good thing. Disowning God has been a great help to me. Owning my distinct view of God has helped me understand it much better. Although I can see the places where religious truth claims collide, this does not bother me as much as it could. I am far more interested in how people live than what they believe.”—Barbara Brown Taylor

“The only clear line I draw these days is this: when my religion tries to come between me and my neighbor, I will choose my neighbor... Jesus never commanded me to love my religion.”
― Barbara Brown Taylor, Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The God Who Sees’, by Elisha Mackal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keAh8v4lFk0
*****************
UPDATE January 17, 2025

“What if the gravel of a parking lot looks as promising to God as the floorboards of a church? What if a lost soul strikes God as more reachable than a lifelong believer? What if God can drop a ladder absolutely anywhere, with no regard for the religious standards developed by those who have made it their business to know the way to God?”—Barbara Brown Taylor

“The problem is, many of the people in need of saving are in churches, and at least part of what they need saving from is the idea that God sees the world the same way they do.”
― Barbara Brown Taylor, An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘He’s Never Failed Me Yet’, by CeCe Winans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFbQ_2M_njY
*****************

UPDATE January 16, 2025

“By the grace of God, I am being mended, and God has called me to he a mender too. Since many threads are stronger than one, God has put me on a sewing team. Day by day, our job is to hunt the places where the world is ripped and bend over the damage to do what we can. Every good deed, every kind word, every act of justice and compassion tugs the torn edges closer together. The truer our aim, the smaller our stitches and the longer the patch will hold. We made plenty of the rips ourselves, and some of the worst ones show evidence of having been mended many times before, but that does not seem to discourage anyone. Mending is how we continue to be mended, and we would not trade the work for anything.”
― Barbara Brown Taylor, Speaking of Sin

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Father, Let it Be’, by Sidewalk Prophets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9xeZd6kd8Q
*******************
UPDATE January 15, 2025

“Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day down in Alabama with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right down in Alabama little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that, let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, Black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.”

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I Have a Dream Speech
August 1963

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Up to the Mountain’, by Patty Griffin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA6Q5-Ap3o8
*****************
UPDATE January 14, 2025

From Darkness to Light - A Prayer In a Time of Disaster

Loving God,

At the beginning of Creation, You calmed the chaos of the world. Be present now to those whose lives are suddenly filled with chaos. Grant them the grace of calm in the midst of confusion. We pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

You have always shown us the way from darkness into the light. For those struggling now to see the light, we ask that You shine it a bit brighter in our world. Grant us all the grace to see a way forward through the present darkness. We pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Throughout history You have raised up leaders to care for your people. May those who are called upon to lead now in this time of despair be given the grace to do so with conviction and compassion. We pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

You are truly a God of abundance. Open our eyes so that we may see how our ministries can use the abundance with which we have been blessed to help those in need. Grant us the grace to move with humility and prudence in all that we do. We pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

You are also a God of wonders. We have often struggled to imagine the breadth and depth of what is possible with You at our side. Grant us all – those directly affected and those holding them in prayer – the grace of creativity in our response to this event. We pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

The Psalmist sings, "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." Let it also be our song this day. May we, and those we pray for, truly hope in the Lord. And may that hope give us all the strength and heart we need to move from darkness into light.

Amen.

https://www.chausa.org/prayers/cha-prayer-library/prayer/from-darkness-to-light---a-prayer-in-a-time-of-disaster

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘It Is Well’, by Nathan Pacheco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spVYWOtakfU
*****************
UPDATE January 13, 2025

A Prayer for the Feast of Epiphany

Lord God of heaven and earth,
you revealed your only Son to every nation
by the guidance of a star.
Bless this home and all who inhabit it.
Fill us with the light of Christ
That our concern for others may reflect your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
https://lourdesprayerrequest.com/epiphany_prayer

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Take Us Home by Another Way’, by Christopher Grundy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOw7kqKEcFA
*******************
UPDATE January 12, 2025

Epiphany Prayer
(based on Isaiah 60:1-6, Matthew 2:1-12)

God of all time,
we praise and adore you for breaking into the darkness of this world
with the glorious light of your presence.
A light which made your love for the world visible
in the babe born in Bethlehem—
Jesus Christ, your Son, our Saviour.
A light which guided those gift-bearing travellers from afar
to find and worship the Christ-child.
A light which leads us to you, now revealed in Jesus Christ.
We pray that you will accept our worship
for it arises from hearts and minds
in awe over the enormity of your gift to us of pure love.
In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen
— Moira Laidlaw, on Liturgies Online. 
https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2011/12/opening-prayer-epiphany.html

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Light One Candle’, by Peter, Paul, & Mary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1cRXgDFiSs
*******************
UPDATE January 11, 2025

A Prayer for Those Who Have Lost Their Homes to Fire

Loving God, our strength in times of despair, be with all those who have lost their homes to wildfire, comfort them in their distress, strengthen them for the journey ahead, and sustain them with your loving embrace, that they may find a sense of home once again. We ask this in the name of your son Jesus Christ, who heals the sick and restores the lost. Amen.

https://www.episcopalrelief.org/church-in-action/worship-resources/let-us-pray/wildfire-prayers/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Day is Done’, by Peter’, Paul, & Mary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UrunpqtcIE
******************
UPDATE January 10, 2024

A Litany Prayer Those Impacted by the Wildfires

Almighty God, for those affected by the wildfires, we pray;
have mercy on them and keep them safe from harm.

For those in the affected areas, their loved ones, neighbors, friends, pets and livestock, we pray;
grant that they may escape the flames, smoke and devastation.

For homes, businesses and places of worship, we pray;
save them from destruction.

For those whose health is threatened by the smoke and ash, we pray;
ease their suffering and protect them from permanent damage.

For firefighters and first responders, we pray;
meet their needs, shield them from harm, lift their weariness, and send them relief.

For wildlife and old growth in the path of the flames, we pray;
grant the means of escape and prevent irreversible harm.

For those who have already lost homes and jobs and treasured possessions, we pray;
comfort and sustain them and restore all they’ve lost.

For the displaced and the discouraged, we pray;
lift their spirits and restore hope to them.

For all who are stressed, anxious and fearfully following the news, we pray;
pour out a healing and calming balm.

And, Lord, when these fiery trials have ceased,
renew lives, families, communities and environments in ways only You can.

In You, O Lord, we place our trust. For You, O Lord, we wait in hope.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

https://www.halifaxyarmouth.org/archbishops-2/archbishop-dunn-s-letters-videos-to-the-faithful/item/prayers-for-those-affected-by-the-forest-fires

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Puff the Magic Dragon’, by Peter, Paul, & Mary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z15pxWUXvLY
******************
UPDATE January 9, 2025

Prayer In Time of Wildfires
God of all creation, all the elements belong to you.
The earth, air, water and fire are yours to command.
You guarded your people Israel by night with a pillar of flame.
You sanctified the early church with tongues of fire at Pentecost.
You appeared to Moses in the burning bush, which was engulfed but not consumed.

God of wind and flame, extinguish the fires engulfing land, communities, and homes.
Guard those who must flee because of the blaze, give them safety and wholeness.
Bring those who have perished home to you, grant them your perpetual peace.
Protect those who battle the flames, sanctify their service and send them your Spirit.

Restore our land, our homes, our faith in your goodness,
And show us again how you bring life out of ash and dust
Give us the resources and strength, we ask, to rebuild and replant
And show us that you are the loving Creator and Savior.
Amen.

https://www.chausa.org/prayers/cha-prayer-library/prayer/prayer-in-time-of-wildfires

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

We continue to feature some of the music of Peter, Paul, & Mary for a few days as we pause to remember the life of Peter Yarrow who died on January 7th, and his gift of music. Thanks for the music, Peter. Day really is done.—ED

‘If I Had a Hammer’, by Peter, Paul, & Mary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD-pyWALro4
*****************
UPDATE January 8, 2025

Iconic folk singer-songwriter Peter Yarrow, one third of the trio known as Peter, Paul, & Mary died yesterday, January 7, 2025 from complications of cancer. He was 86 years old. He performed with Noel Paul Stookey and Mary Travers throughout the turbulent 1960s calling for peace and an end to the Viet Nam war. They also sang at the March on Washington in 1963 where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr gve his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.

Yarrow wrote several of the groups most famous hits including, ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’, ‘Light One Candle’, ‘Day is Done’, and ‘The Great Mandala’. The group’s harmonies also made huge hits of songs written by other up-and-coming songwriters like Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, and John Denver.

Mary Travers died in 2009. Peter and Noel Paul Stookey continued to perform together and Peter also performed on stage with his daughter, Bethany. Peter had more than a few faults and flaws and paid dearly for them over the years. However, the musical legacy he leaves behind embraces more than one generation and several activist movements that continue to this day. He was passionate about the things he believed in and he rested those passions in the arms of his Jewish faith.

Thanks for the music, Peter. Day really is done.—ED

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

We will feature some of the music of Peter, Paul, & Mary for a few days as we pause to remember his gift of music.

‘Blowin’ in the Wind’, by Peter, Paul & Mary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld6fAO4idaI
****************
UPDATE January 7, 2025

A Prayer for Epiphany
“We have seen his star in the East and have come with gifts to adore the Lord.” – Matthew 2.2

God of all Nations,
your Son born for us all,
was adored by Magi from distant lands.

Like the Magi we come before the crib
with our gifts and our lives.
May the gifts of our talents and treasures
be for the good of all and the glory of your name
as this new year unfolds.

May the gift of our life
be a witness of generosity and kindness
for all are our sisters and brothers.
May the gifts we received and gave this Christmas
be a reminder to share with those in need
in all the seasons of this year.

As we adore the Child in the Manger
we give ourselves and our lives,
we surrender them to you,
the Great Gift-Giver.

As we present our gifts
we humbly ask you to
gift and bless us with
hope, peace,
joy, and love
today and always.
Amen.
https://mountstfrancis.ca/2025/01/03/a-prayer-for-epiphany/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Wandering Pilgrim’, by Twila Paris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmvrlJelkT8
*******************
UPDATE January 6, 2025

Prayer for Epiphany

For those who seek a Saviour
we lead them to the Stable
To the One who was born
To bring freedom
Forgiveness
Liberty
For those who seek Assurance
we lead them to the Light
To the One who opens eyes
to understanding
God's Word
Truth
For those who seek Forgiveness
We lead them to a Grace
beyond comprehension
To wholeness
Healing
Peace.
https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Epiphany.htm#gsc.tab=0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Beautiful Star of Bethlehem’, by Patty Loveless
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6BnnnIP_eI
*******************
UPDATE January 5, 2025

We Greet Your Coming

We greet your coming, God, with wonder:
You come to be with us; yet you remain far greater than we can imagine.
You are near; yet your wisdom sets you apart from us.
You appear among us; yet we cannot describe your glory.

We greet your coming, God, with repentance:
We are more or less satisfied with ourselves; but your presence exposes our sin and failure.
We are self-confident; but you challenge our confidence in ourselves.
We are proud of our understanding; but you show us that we do not know everything.

We greet your coming, God, with joy:
We had no true idea of what you are like; but you have shown us yourself in Jesus Christ.
We felt our human life could be of no importance to you; but you have shown its value by appearing among us as a man.
We are aware of the gulf between us and you; but you have bridged it with love.

God, we greet your coming in Jesus Christ our Lord!

- Caryl Micklem, Contemporary Prayers for Public Worship
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/advent-and-christmas-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘When Heaven Touched the Hay’, by Jaxon Maverick Phoenix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbrtTrqo5H0
*******************
UPDATE January 4, 2025

Prayer to Jesus in the Manger

O divine redeemer Jesus Christ, prostrate before thy crib, I believe thou art the God of infinite majesty, even though I do see thee here as a helpless babe. I humbly adore and thank thee for having so humbled thyself for my salvation as to will to be born in a stable. I thank thee for all thou didst wish to suffer for me in Bethlehem, for thy poverty and humility, for thy nakedness, tears, cold and sufferings.

Would that I could show thee that tenderness which thy virgin mother had toward thee, and love thee as she did. Would that I could praise thee with the joy of the angels, that I could kneel before thee with the faith of St. Joseph, the simplicity of the shepherds. Uniting myself with these first adorers at the crib, I offer thee the homage of my heart, and I beg that thou wouldst be born spiritually in my soul. Make me reflect in some degree the virtues of thy admirable nativity. Fill me with that spirit of renunciation, of poverty, of humility, which prompted thee to assume the weakness of our nature, and to be born amid destitution and suffering. Grant that from this day forward, I may in all things seek thy greater glory, and may enjoy that peace promised to men of good will.

- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/advent-and-christmas-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Huron Carol’, by Farya Faraji
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsAVvkirjyk
******************
UPDATE January 3, 2025

Praise for the Ordinariness of Christmas

God of Goodness,

We give you praise for the ordinariness of Christmas - that the day comes the same as any other day.

We give you praise that there is no sign in the heavens, and no bright star but the light of your presence in the ordinary birth of the child.

We give you praise that unobtrusively you are in the center of human affairs, involved in the struggle of life, and sharing human experience.

We give you praise that out of compassion you take our part, and open to us a new way of life. We pray that this day we shall be able to see its true glory.

- Caryl Micklem, Contemporary Prayers for Public Worship
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/advent-and-christmas-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘From the Stable to the Cross’, by Songs of Wisdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgnRttr4Ff8
******************
UPDATE January 2, 2025

Keeping Christmas
By Henry Van Dyke

Are you willing...
To forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you?
To ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world?
To put your rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance and your changes to do a little more than your duty in the foreground?
To see that men and women are just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy?
To own up to the fact that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give to life?
To close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness?
Are you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing..
To stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children?
To remember the weakness and loneliness of people growing old?
To stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask yourself whether you love them enough?
To bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts?
To try to understand what those who live in the same home with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you?
To trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you?
To make a grave for your ugly thoughts, and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open?
Are you willing to do those things, even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing...
To believe that love is the strongest thing in the world, stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death - and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem two thousand years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love?

Then you keep Christmas.
And if you can keep it for a day, why not always?
But you can never keep it alone.

https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/advent-and-christmas-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Mystery’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJaQM8egwE4
*****************
UPDATE January 1, 2025

THE YEAR AS A HOUSE

Think of the year
as a house:
door flung wide
in welcome,
threshold swept
and waiting,
a graced spaciousness
opening and offering itself
to you.

Let it be blessed
in every room.
Let it be hallowed
in every corner.
Let every nook
be a refuge
and every object
set to holy use.

Let it be here
that safety will rest.
Let it be here
that health will make its home.
Let it be here
that peace will show its face.
Let it be here
that love will find its way.

Here
let the weary come
let the aching come
let the lost come
let the sorrowing come.

Here
let them find their rest
and let them find their soothing
and let them find their place
and let them find their delight.

And may it be
in this house of a year
that the seasons will spin in beauty,
and may it be
in these turning days
that time will spiral with joy.
And may it be
that its rooms will fill
with ordinary grace
and light spill from every window
to welcome the stranger home.
—Jan Richardson

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Somewhere in Your Silent Night’, by Casting Crowns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT-5cP4BeoI
**********************
UPDATE December 31, 2024

I Am There
Now God says to us
What He has already said to the earth as a whole
Through His grace-filled birth:

I am there. I am with you.
I am your life. I am your time.
I am the gloom of your daily routine. Why will you not hear it?
I weep your tears - pour yours out to me.
I am your joy.
Do not be afraid to be happy; ever since I wept, joy is the standard of living
That is really more suitable than the anxiety and grief of those who have no hope.

I am the blind alley of all your paths,
For when you no longer know how to go any farther,
Then you have reached me,
Though you are not aware of it.

I am in your anxiety, for I have shared it.
I am in the prison of your finiteness,
For my love has made me your prisoner.

I am in your death,
For today I began to die with you, because I was born,
And I have not let myself be spared any real part of this experience.

I am present in your needs;
I have suffered them and they are now transformed.

I am there.
I no longer go away from this world.
Even if you do not see me now, I am there.

My love is unconquerable.
I am there.
It is Christmas.
Light the Candles! They have more right to exist than all the darkness.
It is Christmas.
Christmas that lasts forever.

- Karl Rahner, S.J., "The Eternal Year"
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/advent-and-christmas-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘At This Table’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKRROCZ7D08
*****************
UPDATE December 30, 2024

Former United States President Jimmy Carter passed away yesterday, December 29th, 2024 at the well-earned age of 100 years. He now joins his late wife of 77 years Rosalynn who predeceased him in 2023. He also, more importantly, joins the God he served, who guided each step he took and each act he undertook in every aspect of his remarkable life.

President Carter and Rosalynn Carter showed us that two people can be devoted to each other decades into a marriage and still think the sun truly rose and set on person with whom they chose to spend their lives. President Carter demonstrated that honesty and integrity matter. He showed us that what others think of you might sting at times, standing on your principles really isn’t up for debate.

Jimmy Carter was a simple man from Plains, Georgia who rose from very humble beginnings to the highest elected office in the country. He governed with heart and with empathy, and with concern and compassion for his fellow citizens. When we lost his bid for re-election, he returned home to Plains, Georgia and began working with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for people who needed them, doing much of the hands-on labour himself on those building projects. He and Mrs. Carter founded the Carter Center which “[has] a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering, the Center seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health”.

President Carter truly lived his faith in all aspects of his life. He taught Sunday School each week until his health no longer allowed him to continue. He served both Democratic and Republican presidents when asked and continued to work for peace and justice as long as he was able. He accomplished more in his life than most of us could do in several lifetimes. He was always guided by faith, doing right because it was right, and was always looking for ways to serve his fellow human beings.

Thank you President Carter for showing us that good and decent people still exist and that our world could use a whole lot more people like him. Rest in Peace, Mr. President, and Rise in Glory.--ED

“I have one life and one chance to make it count for something... My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.”—President Jimmy Carter

“We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes and we must.” —President Jimmy Carter

“Whether the borders that divide us are picket fences or national boundaries, we are all neighbors in a global community.” —President Jimmy Carter

“Earlier in my life, I thought the things that mattered were the things that you could see, like your car, your house, your wealth, your property, your office. But as I've grown older I've become convinced that the things that matter most are the things that you can't see — the love you share with others, your inner purpose, your comfort with who you are.” —President Jimmy Carter

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Waiting for You’, The Many
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-ElOo0Yxws
*****************
UPDATE December 29, 2024

Christmas Day Table Prayer
Lord God of Life,
together with the beautiful traditions
of decorating the Christmas tree,
of singing carols and giving gifts,
this Christmas dinner is an important part
of our celebration of the birth
of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Come, Lord our God,
and surround our feast day table
as we delight in this joyous season of Christmas.
Gift us in this meal with the taste of happiness
as we savor this coming together
of family and friends.
As sparkling stars and singing angels rejoiced
at the birth of the Christ Child in Bethlehem,
so may we take great joy
in this our Christmas dinner-celebration.

May You, our God, bless it and us
in Your holy name.

- Hays, Edward, "Prayers for the Domestic Church: A Handbook for Worship in the Home"
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/advent-and-christmas-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘New Star Shining’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAsPlEy1H7A
*****************
UPDATE December 28, 2024

Joy of Discovery
The joy of discovery
that moment
when hope and expectation
were gloriously met
by the illumination of one bright star.
We cannot imagine
what words were spoken by visitors
or if first impressions
left them somewhat confused.

Messiah, Savior, a King
born in the barest of palaces.
Yet they saw and fell down
on their knees in adoration.
Lord, they saw you and knew
whom they had met.
As we meet around crib
candle or advent wreath
draw us into that stable
in our imagination.

In the quiet moments of prayer
this Christmas, that brief oasis
from the bustle of the world
bring alive to us
the smell of the hay
the sound of the animals
the cry of a baby.

Draw us close to our Savior
Messiah and King as we bring
not Gold, Myrrh or Frankincense
but the gift of our lives
the only offering we can bring.
- Found on: Contemporary and traditional prayers for Christmas, www.faithandworship.com

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Christmas in Heaven’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7UIrFtRFEY
*****************
UPDATE December 27, 2024

A Christmas Prayer
Not gold, nor myrrh, nor even frankincense
would I have for you this season,
but simple gifts, the ones that are hardest to find,
the ones that are perfect,
even for those who have everything (if such there be).

I would (if I could)
have for you the gift of courage,
the strength to face the gauntlets
only you can name,
and the firmness in your heart to know
that you (yes, you!) can be a bearer of the quiet dignity
that is the human glorified.

I would (if by my intention I could make it happen)
have for you the gift of connection,
the sense of standing on the hinge of time,
touching past and future
standing with certainty that you (yes, you!)
are the point where it all comes together.

I would (if wishing could make it so)
have for you the gift of community,
a nucleus of love and challenge,
to convince you in your soul
that you (yes, you!) are a source of light
in a world too long believing in the dark.

Not gold, nor myrrh, nor even frankincense,
would I have for you this season,
but simple gifts, the ones that are hardest to find,
the ones that are perfect,
even for those who have everything (if such there be).

- Rev. Maureen Killoran
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/advent-and-christmas-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings’, by Barenaked Ladies ft Sarah McLachlan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGVNzgUxE-g
***************
UPDATE December 26, 2024

The Work of Christmas

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others,
To make music in the heart.

By Howard Thurman

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Grown-Up Christmas List’, by Amy Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmF2rsDHOZc
*******************
UPDATE December 25, 2024

Christmas Carol
By Paul Laurence Dunbar

   Ring out, ye bells!
   All Nature swells
With gladness at the wondrous story,—
   The world was lorn,
   But Christ is born
To change our sadness into glory.

   Sing, earthlings, sing!
   To-night a King
Hath come from heaven's high throne to bless us.
   The outstretched hand
   O'er all the land
Is raised in pity to caress us.

   Come at his call;
   Be joyful all;
Away with mourning and with sadness!
   The heavenly choir
   With holy fire
Their voices raise in songs of gladness.
 
   The darkness breaks
   And Dawn awakes,
Her cheeks suffused with youthful blushes.
|   The rocks and stones
   In holy tones
Are singing sweeter than the thrushes.

   Then why should we
   In silence be,
When Nature lends her voice to praises;
   When heaven and earth
   Proclaim the truth
Of Him for whom that lone star blazes?

   No, be not still,
   But with a will
Strike all your harps and set them ringing;
   On hill and heath
   Let every breath
Throw all its power into singing!

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Joseph’s Lullaby’, by MercyMe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFzo0grLfTo
********************
UPDATE December 24, 2024

Wartime Christmas
By Joyce Kilmer 1886 –1918

Led by a star, a golden star,
The youngest star, an olden star,
Here the kings and the shepherds are,
Akneeling on the ground.
What did they come to the inn to see?
God in the Highest, and this is He,
A baby asleep on His mother’s knee
And with her kisses crowned.

Now is the earth a dreary place,
A troubled place, a weary place.
Peace has hidden her lovely face
And turned in tears away.
Yet the sun, through the war-cloud, sees
Babies asleep on their mother’s knees.
While there are love and home—and these—
There shall be Christmas Day.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Night of Silence/Silent Night’, Luther College Nordic Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hy9j_mHjUw
********************
UPDATE December 23, 2024

From the Stable to the Cross
By Edith Stein

The Christian mysteries are an indivisible whole. If we become immersed in one, we are led to all the others. Thus, the way from Bethlehem leads inevitably to Golgotha, from the crib to the cross. When the virgin brought the child to the temple, Simeon prophesied that her soul would be pierced by a sword, that this child was set for the fall and resurrection of many, for a sign that would not be contradicted. His prophecy announced the passion, the fight between light and darkness, that already showed itself before the crib.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Just Because it’s Christmas’, by Anne Wilson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkVCiOuX9fg
******************
UPDATE December 22, 2024

A Sky Full of Children,
By Madeleine L’Engle

A sky full of God’s children! Each galaxy, each star, each living creature, each particle and subatomic particle of creation, we are all children of the Maker. From a subatomic particle with the life span of a few seconds, to a galaxy with a lifetime of billions of years, to us human creatures somewhere in the middle in size and age, we are made in God’s image, male and female, and we are, as Christ promised us, God’s children by adoption and grace.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Rose of Bethlehem’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_HoavOP_Dk
*************
UPDATE December 21, 2024

Mosaic of the Nativity
By Jane Kenyon

On the domed ceiling, God is thinking:
I made them my joy,
and everything else I created
I made to bless them.
But see what they do!
I know their hearts
and arguments:

“We’re descended from
Cain. Evil is nothing new,
so, what does it matter now,
If we shell the infirmary,
and the well where the fearful
and rash alike must
come for water?”

God thinks Mary into being.
Suspended at the apogee
of the golden dome,
she curls in a brown pod,
and inside her the mind
of Christ, cloaked in blood,
lodges and begins to grow.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Breath of Heaven’, by Amy Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CzgN8F52Bc
******************
UPDATE December 20, 2024

They Watch for Christ
John Henry Neuman, 19th c.

They watch for Christ
who are sensitive, eager, apprehensive in mind,
who are awake, alive, quick-sighted,
zealous in honoring him,
who look for him in all that happens, and
who would not be surprised,
who would not be over-agitated or overwhelmed,
If they found he was coming at once.

This then is to watch:
to be detached from what is present, and
to live in what is unseen;
to live in the thought of Christ as he came once,
and as he will come again;
to desire his second coming, from our affectionate
and grateful remembrance of his first.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Wexford Carol’, by Alison Krauss & Yo Yo Ma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxDZjg_Igoc
***************
UPDATE December 19, 2024

Evening Hymn for Advent, 8th century

Creator of the stars of night,
Your people’s everlasting light,
O Christ, Redeemer of us all,
We pray you hear us when we call.

In sorrow that the ancient curse
Should doom to death a universe,
You came, O Savior, to set free
Your own in glorious liberty.

Come, Sun and Savior, to embrace
Our gloomy world, its weary race,
As groom to bride, as bride to groom,
The wedding chamber, Mary’s womb.

At your great name, O Jesus, now
All knees must bend, all hearts must bow;
All things on earth with one accord,
Like those in heaven shall call you Lord.

Come in your holy might, we pray,
Redeem us for eternal day;
Defend us while we dwell below,
From all assaults of our dread foe.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Creator of the Stars of Night: Advent Vesper Hymn’, by Gregorian Chant Schola of Saint Meinrad Archabbey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZjeOH_Qh2M
*****************
UPDATE December 18, 2024

Advent

I live my Advent in the womb of Mary
And on one night when a great star swings free
From its high mooring and walks down the sky
To be the dot above the Christus i,
I shall be born of her by blessed grace.
I wait in Mary-darkness, faith's walled place,
With hope's expectance of nativity.
I knew for long she carried me and fed me,
Guarded and loved me, though I could not see,
But only now, with inward jubilee,
I come upon earth's most amazing knowledge:
Someone is hidden in this dark with me.
– Jessica Powers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Til the Season Comes Round Again’, by Amy Grand & Vince Gill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKq4zCJeMAA
*****************
UPDATE December 17, 2024

Advent Summons

Come forth from the holy place,
Sweet Child,
Come from the quiet dark
Where virginal heartbeats
Tick your moments.

Come away from the red music
Of Mary's veins.
Come out from the Tower of David
Sweet Child,
From the House of Gold.

Leave your lily-cloister,
Leave your holy mansion,
Quit your covenant ark.
O Child, be born!

Be born, sweet Child,
In our unholy hearts.

Come to our trembling,
Helpless Child.
Come to our littleness,
Little Child,
Be born unto us
Who have kept the faltering vigil.
Be given, be born,
Be ours again.

Came forth from your holy haven,
Come away from your perfect shrine,
Come to our wind-racked souls
From the flawless tent,
Sweet Child.

Be born, little Child
In our unholy hearts.
– Mary Francis, P.C.C.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Hope of Christmas’, by Matthew West
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27rMrWqJsNA
|*******************
UPDATE December 16, 2024

Today in the news we are hearing of yet another tragic school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin. As of this writing, three people are confirmed dead, including the shooter as well as a teenage student and a teacher. At least six others were transported to area hospitals: two students in critical condition with life-threatening injuries and four students with non-life-threatening injuries, according to authorities. This shooting happened at a private, Christian school and apparently a handgun was used. Events are still unfolding and none of us can even begin to imagine the tragedy of this happening just two days after the twelfth anniversary of the Sandy Hook school shooting, and nine days before Christmas.

There will be plenty of time to find reasons for this shooting and those with the loudest voices will look to place blame anywhere but on easy access to guns. Mental health is often the fall-back target of blame, and yet few resources are actually put into addressing mental health issues in young people who might be struggling. It is hard not to fall into a state of deep lament at the feelings of our own helplessness. It is hard to know how to force our leaders to address their own lack of will to find solutions to the problems of gun violence. How long, O Lord, how long?

It is especially hard at this time of year when we focus on the love, hope, peace, and joy of the Advent/Christmas season and the coming once again of the Christ-child, to remember that this season won’t be that way for everyone. Today’s events bring that into stark reality. We can look away, but those whose family members won’t be coming home this evening will never see life quite the same way again. Now is when we lift them up in prayer. Now is when we look around at our own friends who also suffer tragedies at this time of year. Now is when we hold even tighter to the hope that the coming birth of Jesus brings. Love still comes Hope still comes. Peace still comes. Joy still comes. Jesus still comes. --LC

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Heard the Bells of Christmas Day’, by Johnny Reid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lPvv0IEY4o
*******************
UPDATE December 15, 2024

Advent Antiphons

From Mary's sweet silence
Come, Word mutely spoken!

Pledge of our real life,
Come, Bread yet unbroken!

Seed of the Golden Wheat,
In us be sown.

Fullness of true Light,
Through us be known.

Secret held tenderly,
Guarded with Love,

Cradled in purity,
Child of the Dove,

COME!
– Sr. M. Charlita, I.H.M.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Tennessee Christmas’, by Amy Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZqNMS_mEmE
***************

Never forgotten. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.

UPDATE December 14, 2024

December

All bright and clear, the starry vault
With golden lights and crisp, clean air,
Allures the soul to rise, nor halt
Till she shall float exultant there.

Earth folds her form in ermine cloak,
Whose glist'ning sheen reflects the stars;
Clear rings the skaters' rhythmic stroke
From stream held fast in icy bars.

Uprears the sun at morning's birth,
In glory bathes the wood and plain;
Day's busy hum awakes the earth
To view the scene of Winter's reign.

We love the smile of youthful Spring,
There's gladness in the Summer's glow,
And rich in Autumn's harvesting,--
Yet, greater gifts can Winter show,--

Rare gifts, surpassing pearls and gold;
God's Mother-Maid, Immaculate,
And Christ the King--these, Winter old
Brings down to bless man's poor estate.
- J.A.M

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Mary and Joseph’, by Tim McGraw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYR-dFm84DM
*******************
UPDATE December 13, 2024

Advent Prayer

Like foolish folk of old I would not be,
Who had no room that night for Him and thee.
See, Mother Mary, here within my heart
I've made a little shrine for Him apart;
Swept it of sin, and cleansed it with all care;
Warmed it with love and scented it with prayer.
So, Mother, when the Christmas anthems start,
Please let me hold your baby--in my heart.
– Sr. Maryanna, O.P.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Star Still Shines’, by Matt Koenig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHNFVaR7-J4
****************
UPDATE December 12, 2024

The Winter Is Cold, Is Cold
by Madeleine L’Engle

The winter is cold, is cold.
All’s spent in keeping warm.
Has joy been frozen, too?
I blow upon my hands
Stiff from the biting wind.
My heart beats slow, beats slow.
What has become of joy?

If joy’s gone from my heart
Then it is closed to You
Who made it, gave it life.
If I protect myself
I’m hiding, Lord, from you.
How we defend ourselves
In ancient suits of mail!

Protected from the sword,
Shrinking from the wound,
We look for happiness,
Small, safety-seeking, dulled,
Selfish, exclusive, in-turned.
Elusive, evasive, peace comes
Only when it’s not sought.

Help me forget the cold
That grips the grasping world.
Let me stretch out my hands
To purifying fire,
Clutching fingers uncurled.
Look! Here is the melting joy.
My heart beats once again.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Wrap This One Up’, by Christy Nockels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkEg8MRhAkw
****************
UPDATE December 11, 2024

The God We Hardly Knew
by Óscar Romero

No one can celebrate
a genuine Christmas
without being truly poor.
The self-sufficient, the proud,
those who, because they have
everything, look down on others,
those who have no need
even of God- for them there
will be no Christmas.
Only the poor, the hungry,
those who need someone
to come on their behalf,
will have that someone.
That someone is God.
Emmanuel. God-with-us.
Without poverty of spirit
there can be no abundance of God.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Song in the Air’, by Christy Nockels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rFyAhGEL8w
****************
UPDATE December 10, 2024

Into The Darkest Hour
by Madeleine L’Engle

It was a time like this,
War & tumult of war,
a horror in the air.
Hungry yawned the abyss-
and yet there came the star
and the child most wonderfully there.

It was time like this
of fear & lust for power,
license & greed and blight-
and yet the Prince of bliss
came into the darkest hour
in quiet & silent light.

And in a time like this
how celebrate his birth
when all things fall apart?
Ah! Wonderful it is
with no room on the earth
the stable is our heart.

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Simeon’s Song’, by The Porter’s Gate ft Tenielle Neda & Paul Zach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNhcJZbg_0E
******************
UPDATE December 9, 2024

Advent Longing
by W.S. Beattie

These are the greedy days.
It used to be
That Advent was a longing fast,
A time to feel our need
in faith and tingling hope
And keen-eyed looking forward.
Now we cannot wait
But day by day and week by week
We celebrate obsessively
Clutching at Christmas.
When at last it comes,
The day itself,
Our glass is empty.
We have held the feast
Already, and the news is stale
Before it ever reaches us.
We cheat ourselves.
Yet – somehow – still we hope
In these spoiled days
That there may be a child.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘In a Land By Death O'ershadowed’, by The Porter’s Gate ft Paul Zach & Page CXVI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzEPMtIFUv8
**********************
UPDATE December 8, 2024

O Sapientia
Madeleine L’Engle

It was from Joseph first I learned
of love. Like me he was dismayed.
How easily he could have turned
me from his house; but, unafraid,
he put me not away from him
(O God-sent angel, pray for him).
Thus through his love was Love obeyed.

The Child’s first cry came like a bell:
God’s Word aloud, God’s Word in deed.
The angel spoke: so it befell,
and Joseph with me in my need.
O Child whose father came from heaven,
to you another gift was given,
your earthly father chosen well.

With Joseph I was always warmed
and cherished. Even in the stable
I knew that I would not be harmed.
And, though above the angels swarmed,
man’s love it was that made me able
to bear God’s love, wild, formidable,
to bear God’s will, through me performed.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Isaiah (O Come)’, by The Porter’s Gate ft Paul Zach, Jessica Fox, and IAMSON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF9dKlRgnVY
*****************
UPDATE December 7, 2024

First Coming
Madeleine L’Engle

He did not wait till the world was ready,
till men and nations were at peace.
He came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.

He did not wait for the perfect time.
He came when the need was deep and great.
He dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine.

He did not wait till hearts were pure.
In joy he came to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours, of anguished shame
he came, and his Light would not go out.

He came to a world which did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.

We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Reign of Mercy’, by The Porter’s Gate ft Paul Zach & Lauren Plank Goans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rX2yDtjSDw
*******************

On this day, December 6th, 35 years ago, fourteen women were murdered and another ten were injured along with four men being injured by an armed gunman at the École Polytechnique in Montreal. The gunman separated the women from the men in a mechanical engineering class and opened fire only on the women. He then moved on and roamed the halls targeting other women. We continue to mourn their loss even as we realize we must recommit to fighting misogyny and gender based violence. Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, kyrie eleison.
*******************
UPDATE December 6, 2024

Advent Calendar
by Rowan Williams

He will come like last leaf’s fall.
One night when the November wind
has flayed the trees to the bone, and earth
wakes choking on the mould,
the soft shroud’s folding.

He will come like frost.
One morning when the shrinking earth
opens on mist, to find itself
arrested in the net
of alien, sword-set beauty.

He will come like dark.
One evening when the bursting red
December sun draws up the sheet
and penny-masks its eye to yield
the star-snowed fields of sky.

He will come, will come
will come like crying in the night,
like blood, like breaking,
as the earth writhes to toss him free.
He will come like child.

--You can find this poem in Haphazard by Starlight.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Make a Way’, by The Porter’s Gate ft Liz Vice & Paul Zach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXbPMVg3mUU
*********************
UPDATE December 5, 2024

“On Thy Wondrous Works I Will Meditate (Psalm 145)”

    Every morning I want to kneel down on the golden
       cloth of the sand and say
    some kind of musical thanks for
       the world that is happening again — another day —
    from the shawl of wind coming out of the
       west to the firm green

    flesh of the melon lately sliced open and
       eaten, its chill and ample body
    flavored with mercy.  I want
       to be worthy of — what? Glory? Yes, unimaginable glory.
    O Lord of melons, of mercy, though I am
       not ready, nor worthy, I am climbing toward you.
     -- from “DEVOTIONS: The Selected poems of Mary Oliver

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Advent Song’, by The Porter’s Gate ft Jonathan Ogden & Page CXVI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRr3HHT857A
**********************
UPDATE December 4, 2024

Varanasi
By Mary Oliver

Early in the morning we crossed the ghat,
where fires were still smouldering,
and gazed, with our Western minds, into the Ganges.
A woman was standing in the river up to her waist;
She was lifting handfuls of water and spilling it
over her body, slowly and many times,
as if until there came some moment
of inner satisfaction between her own life and the river’s.
Then she dipped a vessel she had brought with her
and carried it filled with water back across the ghat,
no doubt to refresh some shrine near where she lives,
for this is the holy city of Shiva, maker
of the world, and this is his river.
I can’t say much more, except that it all happened
in silence and peaceful simplicity, and something that felt
like the bliss of a certainty and a life lived
in accordance with that certainty.
I must remember this, I thought, as we fly back
to America.
Pray God I remember this.
--Mary Oliver

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Infant Holy, Infant Lowly’, by The Porter’s Gate ft Paul Zach & Lauren Plank Goans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTR6njWwX8s
*******************
UPDATE December 3, 2024

Thirst
by Mary Oliver

Another morning  and I wake with  thirst
for  the  goodness I do not  have.  I walk
out to the pond and all  the way God has
given us such beautiful lessons. Oh Lord,
I was  never a  quick  scholar  but sulked
and  hunched  over  my books  past  the
hour  and  the  bell;   grant  me,  in  your
mercy,  a  little  more  time.  Love  for the
earth and love for you are having  such a
long   conversation  in   my  heart.   Who
knows   what   will   finally   happen   or
where  I will  be  sent, yet already I have
given a great many things away expect-
ing to be told to pack nothing, except the
prayers   which  with   this   thirst,   I  am
slowly learning.
--Mary Oliver

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Mary’s Lullaby (Black Haired Boy)’, by The Porter’s Gate ft Liz Vice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC6Xp2qmruw
***********************
UPDATE December 2, 2024

The Chat -
by Mary Oliver

I wish
   I were
     the yellow chat
         down in the thickets

who sings all night,
  throwing
     into the air
         praises

and panhandles,
   plaints,
      in curly phrases,
         half-rhymes,

free verse too,
   with head-dipping
      and wing-wringing,
         with soft breast

rising into the air –
   meek and sleek,
     broadcasting,
         with no time out

for pillow-rest,
   everything –
      pathos,
         thanks –

oh, Lord,
   what a lesson
      you send me
         as I stand

listening
   to your rattling, swamp-loving chat
      singing
         of his simple, leafy life –

how I would like to sing to you
   all night
    in the dark
         just like that.

--Mary Oliver

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’, by The Piano Guys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO7ySn-Swwc
*****************
UPDATE December 1, 2024

An Advent Poem
by Mary Oliver,
Dear Lord, I have swept and I have washed but
still nothing is as shining as it should be
for you. Under the sink, for example, is an
uproar of mice – it is the season of their
many children. What shall I do? And under the eaves
and through the walls the squirrels
have gnawed their ragged entrances – but it the season
when they need shelter, so what shall I do? And
the raccoon limps into the kitchen and opens the cupboard
while the dog snores, the cat holds the pillow;
what shall I do? Beautiful is the new snow falling
in the yard and the fox who is staring boldly
up the path, to the door. And I still believe you will
come, Lord; you will, when I speak to the fox,
the sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering sea-goose, know
that I am really speaking to you whenever I say,
as I do all morning and afternoon: Come in, Come in.
--From Thirst by Mary Oliver

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Thrill of Hope-Advent Hymn’, by Christy Nockels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNuY6I4OtoE
******************
UPDATE November 30, 2024

Remember your ancestors. Remember your elders. Remember your story. Remembering is such a vital part of spirituality. When we remember we create a continuity that connects our past with our future. You and I will be remembered one day: just as we are remembering others now. Community is memory. Kinship is memory shared.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Fresh Fire Fresh Wind’, by Josh Baldwin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNq2q7EiNS0
***********************
UPDATE November 29, 2024

May we have enough. May we share what we have. May our sharing generate trust. May trust open new doors. May we step through those doors together. May we find peace. May we learn to live in peace and pass peace on to our children. May the circle be complete. May we have enough.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Narrow Road’, by Josh Baldwin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcurr4Zk4vs
*****************
UPDATE November 28, 2024

Every life is a work of art. Of many arts, in fact. Our lives are music, a symphony of love and loss, the haunting refrain of what might have been. We are paintings on the canvas of time, bold strokes and bright colors, more mystery than meaning. Our lives are drama and comedy, a dance of chances, a novel filled with characters we have known and a few we have loved. Spirit is the artist. We are the creation.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘You Are Our God’, by Josh Baldwin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK6Lh6n2i6g
*******************
UPDATE November 27, 2024

Hold on together. That is what we will do. Link arms, shoulder to shoulder, face forward and stay together. In this way, we become one organism, one community, that will not be moved from the high ground of integrity. We will hold on for peace, compassion and justice. Come what may, we will hold on together.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Made for More’, by Josh Baldwin ft Jenn Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov9Ls4npIrc
******************
UPDATE November 26, 2024

It has been my experience that people who do more of the work tend to need less of the praise for doing so. In fact, they can be very shy when it comes to recognition and prefer to remain in the background. So, without embarrassing anyone, let me just say to all of you (and you know who you are)…thank you, well done, we could not do it without you!

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Time and Time Again’, by Mack Brock & Josh Baldwin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB5WWVzywwo
****************
UPDATE November 25, 2024

Keep the prayer flags flying, the candles burning, the drums drumming, the sights and sounds of hope, hope making its presence known as unavoidable, irrepressible and persistent, no matter how great the odds or difficult the struggle. Hope is a sacred gift -- something to see us through -- until we find our balance again.
-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Stained Glass Window’, by Cochren & Co
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E50Xgs55BOE
*******************
UPDATE November 24, 2024

We are sharing some quotes from author, literary scholar, and Anglican lay theologian C.S Lewis today. He died November 22nd 1963. The anniversary of his death is often overlooked since it happened on the same day that President Kennedy was assassinated. But, even if you have never read any of his books, his thoughts and quotes give us a glimpse into this man of faith and the depths of his beliefs.--ED

“Friendship ... is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .” ― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” ― C.S. Lewis

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” ― C.S. Lewis

“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” ― C.S. Lewis

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Grave’, by Cochren & Co.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azcaS6c8muE
********************
UPDATE November 23, 2024

I saw this small light, hovering in the evening shadows, a last bit of the sun, left behind by accident, waiting for rescue by some passing poet. I cupped the light in my hands and hurried home. All around us are glimmers of love and hope, left behind for us to find, when we are in an evening of shadow, and need a light to bring us home.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Lows’, by Cochren & Co.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU-n9Lg1ZF8
************************
UPDATE November 22, 2024

A Friday Prayer from Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber

Dear God,

You remember that whole “who by worrying can add a single hour to their life” thing? I could use a reminder of that right now.

I’m just rehearsing dread and practicing fear right now.

So when I start doom-casting about what might happen in days to come, remind me that this day has worries of its own.

Guide my hand to turn off the radio, my feet to walk away from my laptop, and my eyes to turn away from my phone, because none of that shit is healthy for me right now.

With your grace, may we all recoil from hot takes as from a hot flame.

And then give me the strength to do the next right thing in this life I have been given, among these people you love, in this place you created.

I guess what I’m saying is, please help me not miss the good stuff because I’m worrying about the bad stuff.

And if it’s not too much of a bother, could you, in your infinite mercy, also help everyone be on their best behavior this year at all our Thanksgiving tables? That’d be great, because more drama we do not need.

Amen.
--Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘When I Fall’, Katy Nichole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH87xXauLoI
*************************
UPDATE November 21, 2024

All that we really know is that what we know will change. We see through a glass, but darkly. There is more going on behind the scenes than we may ever learn. Our pragmatic spirituality takes this in stride. We keep our eyes on Spirit, and our feet on solid ground. Spirituality is being prepared.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Lift Me Up’, by The Afters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHwZXvbGX_I
********************
UPDATE November 20, 2024

Rev. Dr. Tony Campolo died on Tuesday November 19th at the age of 89. From Wikipedia: “Campolo was an American sociologist, Baptist pastor, author, public speaker, and spiritual advisor to U.S. President Bill Clinton. Campolo was an influential leader in the evangelical left. Campolo was a popular commentator on religious, political, and social issues. In 2007, with Shane Claiborne, he founded Red-Letter Christians, with the aim of bringing together evangelicals who believe in the importance of insisting on issues of social justice mentioned by Jesus (in red in some translations of the Bible). He also became a leader of the Red-Letter Christian movement, which aims to put emphasis on the teachings of Jesus.”

Some quotes from Tony Campolo:

“I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a shit. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night.” ― Tony Campolo

“Jesus never says to the poor: ‘come find the church’, but he says to those of us in the church: ‘go into the world and find the poor, hungry, homeless, imprisoned.” ― Tony Campolo

“I don't know how your theology works, but if Jesus has a choice between stained glass windows and feeding starving kids in Haiti, I have a feeling he'd choose the starving kids in Haiti.” Tony Campolo

“There are 2,000 verses of Scripture that tell us we must be committed to protecting the poor and the oppressed... There is no concern of Scripture that is addressed so often and so powerfully as reaching out to the poor.” Tony Campolo

“One of the most startling discoveries of my life was the realization that the Jesus that I love, the Jesus who died for me on Calvary, that Jesus, is waiting, mystically and wonderfully, in every person I meet. I find Jesus everywhere.” Tony Campolo

Thank you for your powerful witness, Tony! Rest in peace and rise in glory!

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Will Fear No More’ by The Afters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMmmbJlWhtk
*********************
UPDATE November 19, 2024

The courage of love. That is what got my ancestors through times of turmoil and conflict. It was not that we all thought alike; just the opposite: our people always think for themselves. But when the chips are down, we unite with a common commitment to our people -- a love from which we will never retreat. We have the courage of love.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘What God is Gonna Do’, by The Afters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTsVlWlqbmc
***********************
UPDATE November 18, 2024

We have a message to share, a wonderful, liberating message of peace and hope. We know our message is real because we have experienced it with each other. No matter what our differences, we have agreed to seek Spirit together. Our experience is needed now more than ever. Do not be intimidated by the dark waves of our time: tell others what you have seen with your own eyes.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Light Up the Sky’, by The Afters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3EJ_4GBSes
**********************
UPDATE November 17, 2024

We acknowledge the sacred kinship of all creatures. All living things have a spirit within them, the handprint of the Potter who shaped them from clay and breathed the breath of life into them as they lay sleeping. Therefore, we have many elders whose wisdom can help us -- and not all of those are human.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God is With Us’, by The Afters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kWk_Wu-wKM
******************************
UPDATE November 16, 2024

It will start today. Now. The minute that you recognize it, turn toward it, and allow its grace into your life. It is the love of Spirit, the pure center of all that exists in time and space, the core to creation. When you open your mind to its presence and your heart to its power: it will transform you. Starting today. Beginning right now.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Well Done’, by The Afters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7jhljYvxrY
******************************
UPDATE November 15, 2024

I bet like me, you can’t stop thinking about how many people are suffering right now. There are so many. Suffering for so many reasons. We must refuse to be overwhelmed. Even if it is modest, there is always something we can do. Locally and globally. May our actions be a constant source of hope and healing. Together, may we be a deep well of compassion.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘He Leadeth Me’, by Wilson Fairchild
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xg-S-7NpVM
******************************
UPDATE November 14, 2024

Prayer is energy released. When we focus our thoughts, our minds light up and begin processing the details. When we engage this process with a deep sense of emotion, the energy we create extends through our whole body. We become transmitters: of love, of compassion, and of healing. Never underestimate your prayers: they are pulses of hope, connecting with an even greater energy that surrounds us.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Humbled Heart’, by Sarah Kroger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2vBD93_MH4
******************************
UPDATE November 13, 2024

Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Standing Strong & True (For Tomorrow)’, by Various Artists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuNeV0fMflw
******************************
UPDATE November 12, 2024

Prayer for Sanity

God of all, we call you by different names, but You listen anyway. You satisfy our need, but in our greed, we ask for more. You sustain us but do not restrain us because You gave us free will. Sadly, we use that gift of free will to kill freely and often in Your name.

Over and over, we have fought “holy wars” to convert others to our beliefs. Why are we so sure that we alone have Your blessing? Surely in Your infinite mercy You love us all equally, just as a mother loves all her children and wants them all to be safe.

In our present time of strife when violence is rife, please give life to our hopes for a peaceful resolution of this war and absolution for our sins. Please shelter in Your loving arms Your errant children of all races and creeds. Let us see our likenesses rather than our differences and see Your face in all of us. Amen.

-- Ann Dow of Thorofare composed this “Prayer for Sanity” in responses to her belief that “God has to be neutral.”

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Remembrance Day’, by Bryan Adams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ-TVcoFbRU
******************************
UPDATE November 11, 2024

In Flanders Fields
By John Mccrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
    That mark our place; and in the sky
    The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
      In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
    The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
|We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
        In Flanders fields.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Highway of Heroes’, by The Trews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qEcvurq63A
******************************
UPDATE November 10, 2024

Opening Land Acknowledgement by Pastor Laura in our worship this morning:

“As we gather, I invite us to begin by remembering and giving thanks for Senator Murray Sinclair, chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, who died this past week. The TRC revealed the truth of the Residential Schools and their legacy, and put before Canadians ‘94 Calls to Action’ to help us live into reconciliation with the indigenous peoples of Turtle Island. Today we give thanks for the life and witness of Murray Sinclair. May his memory inspire us to carry on the work of truth and reconciliation in this land.”

A Prayer for Our Soldiers
God of love, God of peace, Min Ha’Meitzar Karati Yah. Out of the depths of despair, we call to You. Our ears ring with the words “Do not fear.” But our stomachs churn with the acid of doubt. Determined to preserve our shared world from the tyranny of terrorism, we turn to You for answers, for values, for strengths.

We stand before You with respect and concern for those who have been summoned to protect and secure our nation, our world. Give them the courage to meet the chilling stare of death…Return them safely to fulfill dreams unrealized so that they may bless Your name through the lives they live. May their efforts further the cause of peace throughout the world and bring us closer to the day when “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn of war anymore.” Amen.

-- Rabbi Jerome Epstein, executive vice president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the association of Conservative synagogues

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘A Pittance of Time’, by Terry Kelly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kX_3y3u5Uo
******************************
UPDATE November 9, 2024

Knowing how volatile the issue of refugees and borders is today, I have been remembering an image my elders gave me long ago: there are no pearly gates to heaven because there is no need for a gate at all. Spirit has no need of gates and walls. Eternal love alone encircles the holy community. In this age of boundaries and conflict, it is healing to remember the elder’s vision: an open path to heaven for all who seek shelter.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘In the Silence’, by Sarah Kroger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F2VxxP1JR8
****************************
UPDATE November 8, 2024

We are more than we imagine, more than we have been told, more than we could ever become on our own. The healing power is within us, but it is the Spirit who opens our awareness and sets us free. We discover ourselves. We find our gifts. And we grow.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Human’, by Sarah Kroger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwMYuJCuT1s
*************************
UPDATE November 7, 2024

So much of our lives is an investigation. We search for clues, for connections, for meanings. We follow the facts. We weigh the evidence. We are spiritual detectives, trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together, the puzzle we call life. Spirit is as much a question as an answer.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Glory Be’, by Sarah Kroger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUkewtbCOJg
***************************
UPDATE November 6, 2024

Deep meditation is when you keep dancing, even after the music has stopped. It is such an embrace of the holy that time disappears. Only your awareness of Spirit remains. That perfectly calm center to the pinwheel of creation, where the dance of life goes on forever, in the silence of space.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Communion’, by Sarah Kroger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjXBTNNdjgA
**************************
UPDATE November 5, 2024

We are not given more than we can bear, though it sometimes seems that way. The pain and disappointment of life can be so raw, it is hard to imagine how we keep going -- but we do -- and not by ourselves alone. We have a secret weapon against despair: the presence of Spirit, the silent strength that carries us on broad shoulders of hope, safe and secure from all alarms.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Somebody Prayed’, by Crowder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUrvBHgYn0I
*********************
UPDATE November 4, 2024

I may be physically weaker than I once was, but spiritually I grow stronger each day. My prayers arise from a deeper experience of life, my hopes from a wider view of history. I am nearer now to the angels and I walk close enough to the ancestors to hear their voices.  Time cannot contain me, nor age set my limits. I am small, but filled with a universe of love.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Gardner’, by Sarah Kroger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5bJguYEapg
********************
UPDATE November 3, 2024

I have walked alone and I have stood in the crowd. I have forgiven others and I have been forgiven. I have danced in joy and I have mourned in silence. My life, like any life, follows the pendulum of time and circumstance. I am a leaf on a rushing stream and I am a mountain unmoveable. Only Spirit stays the same.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Giving Up’, by Sarah Kroger ft Leeland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw0Ju5USPiA
**********************
UPDATE November 2, 2024

When the harvest came, the whole community rose up, as if from a peaceful sleep, to work instinctively together, an unspoken understanding that in the harvest was the promise given by Spirit, a full barn for all to share, a witness to the unity of all people, a celebration of resurrection -- for the seeds that so soundly slept had been transformed, once more, and forever.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Then I Will’, by Lauren Daigle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKBQrWWX570
********************
UPDATE November 1, 2024

Give me a just heart, Spirit, that I may see the world as it truly is, not as I may wish it would be. Let me not look away from suffering or need. Let me not scapegoat others or avoid recognizing my own complicity. Put justice before me like a flame, that I may serve the cause of peace and build the community of hope.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘What the Lord Has Done’, by Hope Darst
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXWsjw4RA7o
*****************
UPDATE October 31, 2024

There is joy in even the smallest things, a child’s laughter, a pet curling up to sleep by you, a sunset of gold and lavender. Even if life is difficult, these tiny embers of hope and beauty are cast across our path, just waiting to be noticed, to be discovered, and to release their healing power. The ancestors walk before us, scattering blessings as they go.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘When God Pulled Back the Curtain’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0-din48DNk
*******************
UPDATE October 30, 2024

Take the love you want to receive, the nature of that love, the expression of that love – and turn it outward to those around you. If you want a patient love, then be intentionally patient with someone else. Send out what you know will one day come back to you. Draw the circle of love and let it touch others as it touches you.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Believe’, by Charity Gayle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuD33xMxAoY
************************
UPDATE October 29, 2024

There is more mystery in this world than all our senses will ever discover. We live where the poets first found us, awash in a creation of wonder. It will not be the rational that guides us to peace, but something closer to the heart: empathy. Peace begins in the mutual recognition that none of us owns the mystery.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Friend in High Places’, by Zach Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaz8nZju8c8
**********************
UPDATE October 28, 2024

In the forest the deer raise their heads. The eagle and the hawk glide above, piercing the thin air with their sharp cries. The buffalo gather in a circle. The wind in the trees falls silent. Something sacred comes this way. The Spirit comes this way. The unity of creation is not an idea, but a feeling. It is kinship. Open your heart and it will be there.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Christus Victor (Amen)’, by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Cochren & Co.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF5knxzkCVw
*********************
UPDATE October 27, 2024

dear father in heaven,

we call upon you in jesus' name.

we come empty-handed.

we have not been able to love our enemies.

we have mostly not even seen them.

we have avoided them.

where we saw them, we found no love in us, but fear and anger.

so we come to you not as children of your love, but as their enemies and ask you for ourselves and all others: bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you.

forgive us what we owe our enemies.

you lead us out of the confines of fear and the prison of hatred into the wide open space of freedom.

let us see your sun rising over evil and good, and rejoice with our enemies in its warmth.
amen.
—  jürgen moltmann

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Chasing Rebels’, by Ben Fuller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjC_B2H8pUU
********************
UPDATE October 26, 2024

It’s in the eyes. The eyes of a seeker. They look out at the world through the lenses of their hope. They reflect the stillness within, the deep compassion that is at the core of what makes a person trust enough to believe with their whole heart. Nothing is held back in those eyes, for they have seen struggle, but they have also seen miracles.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Turn’, by Ben Fuller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gckmq2Uwf0
***********************
UPDATE October 25, 2024

We are all needed, more than we know. We are needed to fulfill the purpose Spirit had for us at the moment of our awakening into the world. We are needed to share our love and vision. We are needed to help others walking with us. I am needed. You are needed. We are all needed. Just as we are.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Jesus Won’t You Guide Me Through This Storm’, by Anointed Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZsh9qgE7Xg
*************************
UPDATE October 24, 2024

It seems the world is becoming a more violent place. Violence is the brute response to disagreement, the favorite option for the tyrannical, and the ignorance of others rooted in fear. We may never completely eradicate violence, but there is much we can do to minimize and isolate it. Critical thinking, transparent communication, and education are among the tools we can use. Creating non-violent community must become a priority for people of every spiritual tradition.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Who I Am’, by Ben Fuller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXFklH5A4jA
*******************
UPDATE October 23, 2024

You have kept the faith, your dream of a day when peace will come. You have kept the vision, your hope for Mother Earth and all her children. You have kept the witness, your work for justice and peace. Now, it is time to let the love of Spirit keep you. Let its energy fill you with new life and with a deep sense of wellbeing.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘If I Got Jesus’, by Ben Fuller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc2sNY5HMV8
********************
UPDATE October 22, 2024

Harvest season makes me think of the families around the world for whom a plentiful harvest may be a distant dream. That is true for people far away and close at hand. Scarcity and abundance are concepts, but they are also symbols for human need and human response. They reveal so many ways to share what we have.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Don’t Let Me Forget’, by Ben Fuller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USclW21NFmk
**************************
UPDATE October 21, 2024

Don’t give up. If you are in a situation that seems hopeless, if you have wrestled with a problem until you are out of ideas, if you think the condition of the world is terminal, then my simple message is: don’t give up. Love will find you. Hope will return to you. Peace will show you an answer you never imagined.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Black Sheep’, by Ben Fuller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erc4IeGwfjk
****************************
UPDATE October 20, 2024

It may be that you can see the other side of the river from where you are walking. You know one day you will cross over to explore that country. But first you have a vocation to complete here -- distributing as many blessings as you can. Forgiveness and mercy, kindness and compassion, love and healing: you have much to share before you see what life is like across the river.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘How Great is the Greatness of God’, by Matt Boswell, Bryan Fowler, Matt Papa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnCn5cXwI1I
***********************
UPDATE October 19, 2024

Love never sleeps, but keeps a watchful eye on those who do, to protect and to comfort, a living presence in each life, the heart-covenant between life and the source of life, where the soul does not slumber, but holds every life in a blanket of hope, the promise of a bond unbroken, the vision of all dreamers, awake to the wonder around them.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Where Forgiveness Is’, by Sidewalk Prophets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRpabLhQZ2k
***************************
UPDATE October 18, 2024

Here is a prayer to send around the Earth, prayer as simple as a word: peace. Peace now, peace here, peace everywhere. Peace to one and peace to all. Peace among all nations, peace flowing from every heart. Peace to wrap round the corner-less world until peace becomes an embrace that will never let go.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Keep Making Me’, by Sidewalk Prophets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuBuxIKciqo
**********************
UPDATE October 17, 2024

Thank you for the ambiguity, Spirit, for the mystery and the exploration. Thank you for choices, for ideas and moments of wonder. Our lives are always a response to your ancient invitation to think for ourselves. Critical thought is one of your greatest gifts and we are eternally grateful.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
 
‘Live Like That’, by Sidewalk Prophets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfosSggwQS0
**********************
UPDATE October 16, 2024

My joy will not be contained, though the news of the day tries hard to make it so. I will accept the realities in which I live, in all their vagueness and distraction, knowing that I cannot control where they will take me, but refusing to allow them to define me. They do not. Hope defines me. And love. And vision. I will carry joy with me like the First People carried fire.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘You Love Me Anyway’, by Sidewalk Prophets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myP9Mvs1sOk
************************
UPDATE October 15, 2024

Spirituality is not magic, but it can seem that way. A prognosis transcended by healing that cannot be explained. Lives heading toward a crash, pulled up by invisible hands. An offer of help, coming at just the right moment. We have all witnessed this kind of outcome in our lives and others. We may not call it magic, but we certainly can receive it as miracle.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Come to the Table’, by Sidewalk Prophets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXXxLwxfo0U
**************************
UPDATE October 14, 2024

A Simple Prayer of Gratitude

Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you have bestowed on my life. You have provided me with more than I could ever have imagined. You have surrounded me with people who always look out for me. You have given me family and friends who bless me every day with kind words and actions. They lift me up in ways that keep my eyes focused on you and make my spirit soar.

Also, thank you, Lord, for keeping me safe. You protect me from those things that seem to haunt others. You help me make better choices and provide me with advisors to help me with life’s difficult decisions. You speak to me in so many ways so that I always know you are here.

And Lord, I am so grateful for keeping those around me safe and loved. I hope that you provide me with the ability and sense to show them every day how much they matter. I hope that you give me the ability to give to them the same kindness they have provided to me.

I am extremely grateful for all of your blessings in my life, Lord. I pray that you remind me of just how blessed I am and that you never allow me to forget to show my gratitude in prayer and returned acts of kindness.

Thank you, Lord.

- By Kelli Mahoney
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/thanksgiving-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Heart is Filled With Thankfulness ‘by Keith & Kristyn Getty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qntf2Y_VNok
**********************
UPDATE October 13, 2024

Remembering Others

O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
- Samuel F. Pugh
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/thanksgiving-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Thanks and Praise’, by Songs From The Soil ft Philippa Hanna, Rich DiCas, Lucy Grimble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8vBK1pra1w
*********************************
UPDATE October 12, 2024

October 7th marked the one year anniversary of the horrific, unprovoked attack on Israel by Hamas. There are reports of about 101 people still held hostage by Hamas, about 1,200 people were killed in the initial attack, the number of Palestinians killed in the ongoing war now numbers about 42,000 people, and upwards of 110,000 Israelis and Palestinians have been injured in the past year. Many, many of the dead and injured are children. We continue to pray for peace and an end to the conflict and war.

God of Peace

In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful: Guide us on the straight way, the way of those whom thou has blessed. Help us so that we do not transgress the bounds of what is right and lawful. Take us out of deep darkness into light. Make us not bear burdens which we have no strength to bear. Help us bring about mutual affection and understanding between us. Grant us Thy forgiveness and blessings, O Our Sustainer, for with Thee is all journeys' end.
- Mian Ashraf
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-in-times-of-crisis/prayes-for-peace-in-the-middle-east

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Isaiah 61 PRAYER SONG to Set the Captives Free’ by Israeli believers from all over the Land
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7I77RcmHfA
*********************
UPDATE October 11, 2024

October 7th marked the one year anniversary of the horrific, unprovoked attack on Israel by Hamas. There are reports of about 101 people still held hostage by Hamas, about 1,200 people were killed in the initial attack, the number of Palestinians killed in the ongoing war now numbers about 42,000 people, and upwards of 110,000 Israelis and Palestinians have been injured in the past year. Many, many of the dead and injured are children. We continue to pray for peace and an end to the conflict and war.

God, Most Gracious

O God of peace, you have established Jerusalem as the Lord's House and a place of peace, and you have called on all who live there to love you and prosper. Instill in her inhabitants - Jews, Christians and Muslims - a hunger for justice and dignity and a resolve to end the distrust that culminates in violence. Grant them the wisdom and patience to build a city where Israeli and Palestinian reside in safety, free from oppression and committed to the good of all. In this endeavor, make every one of us agents of your peace, O God. Forgive us our indifference and stamp out the prejudices that lead to hatred. Fill us with the reconciling spirit of your presence. So may we join people of good will - in the Middle East and throughout the world - who raise before Jerusalem's gates their insistent Shalom and Salaam: "Peace be within your walls. . .Peace be within you."

- The Reverends Harry and Judith Hoehler First Parish (Unitarian-Universalist), Weston, MA
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-in-times-of-crisis/prayes-for-peace-in-the-middle-east

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Bring Them Home’, by Homeland Concert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aIyZnFbOu0
**********************
UPDATE October 10, 2024

October 7th marked the one year anniversary of the horrific, unprovoked attack on Israel by Hamas. There are reports of about 101 people still held hostage by Hamas, about 1,200 people were killed in the initial attack, the number of Palestinians killed in the ongoing war now numbers about 42,000 people, and upwards of 110,000 Israelis and Palestinians have been injured in the past year. Many, many of the dead and injured are children. We continue to pray for peace and an end to the conflict and war.

Bring Justice and Peace

God of all creation, bring justice and peace to our world.
Teach us to be peacemakers. Guide us in our pursuit of
justice and the common good. Inspire us to welcome all, forgive
all, and love all. Direct us as we walk in the shadow of Jesus: the
Way, the Truth, and the Life. Inspire us to perceive the world
through your eyes, that we might find hope and joy each day,
supportive of each other, for the sake of your Kingdom.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-in-times-of-crisis/prayes-for-peace-in-the-middle-east

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Al Shlosha D’Varim’ by Halifax Camerata Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5xpamd3f0U
***********************
UPDATE October 9, 2024

October 7th marked the one year anniversary of the horrific, unprovoked attack on Israel by Hamas. There are reports of about 101 people still held hostage by Hamas, about 1,200 people were killed in the initial attack, the number of Palestinians killed in the ongoing war now numbers about 42,000 people, and upwards of 110,000 Israelis and Palestinians have been injured in the past year. Many, many of the dead and injured are children. We continue to pray for peace and an end to the conflict and war.

Reconciliation in the Middle East

Almighty God!
After almost a century of mistrust and fratricide,
you inspired Jews, Christians, and Muslims
to take the path of reconciliation in the Middle East...
We ask for your forgiveness, O God,
yet we find it hard to forgive our past enemies.
May Your Words touch those who still stray
in the wilderness of vengeful violence,
forgetting your command to "forgive and overlook,
till God accomplish His Purpose;
for God hath power over all things."
- Abdelwahab Hechiche
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-in-times-of-crisis/prayes-for-peace-in-the-middle-east

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘L’Chi Lach’, by Debbie Friedman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8WrShnKTWY
*****************
UPDATE October 8, 2024

October 7th marked the one year anniversary of the horrific, unprovoked attack on Israel by Hamas. There are reports of about 101 people still held hostage by Hamas, about 1,200 people were killed in the initial attack, the number of Palestinians killed in the ongoing war now numbers about 42,000 people, and upwards of 110,000 Israelis and Palestinians have been injured in the past year. Many, many of the dead and injured are children. We continue to pray for peace and an end to the conflict and war.

Peace in the Middle East

God of mercy and compassion,
of grace and reconciliation,
pour your power upon all your children in the Middle East:
Jews, Muslims and Christians,
Palestinians and Israelis.
Let hatred be turned into love, fear to trust, despair to hope,
oppression to freedom, occupation to liberation,
that violent encounters may be replaced by loving embraces,
and peace and justice could be experienced by all.
- Reverend Said

https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-in-times-of-crisis/prayes-for-peace-in-the-middle-east

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Peace, Salaam, Shalom’, by Emma’s Revolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbdKW39TMNk
************************
UPDATE October 7, 2024

Listen for the voice of a holy messenger, speaking in a sacred way, announcing the work of Spirit, calling us all to be aware.  I believe I have heard it, perhaps you have too. Though its full meaning is still unfolding, I share what I have heard, a new hope in a single word: a breakthrough is coming.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

We continue to feature some of Kris Kristofferson’s music over the next few days, some recorded by him, and some recorded by other artists. Kristofferson passed away at the age of 88 on Saturday September 28th. Godspeed Kris, and thanks for sharing your gift of music with the rest of us.--ED

‘Why Me, Lord?’, by Kris Kristofferson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzVycgM8XHQ
************************
UPDATE October 6, 2024

If you have not heard this recently, please let me say it once again: you make an enormous difference in this world. You make things so much better. And while you may not imagine this to be true, thinking you have no great position or authority, it is true because the love you embody is exactly what millions of people hope they can experience. You are a living sign of that hope. And that is making a profound difference.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

We continue to feature some of Kris Kristofferson’s music over the next few days, some recorded by him, and some recorded by other artists. Kristofferson passed away at the age of 88 on Saturday September 28th. Godspeed Kris, and thanks for sharing your gift of music with the rest of us.--ED

‘Loving Her Was Easier’, by Kris Kristofferson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCgnbRWVvU8
*********************
UPDATE October 5, 2024

You are the mystic you always knew you were. I share that thought as an affirmation, not a definition. Mysticism speaks to our spiritual intuition, to what we discover, to why we believe. Whatever the mystical may be for each of us, we are all tied to it by a holy thread, back to the time of the ancestors. We are all inheritors, if we choose to accept our inheritance.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

We continue to feature some of Kris Kristofferson’s music over the next few days, some recorded by him, and some recorded by other artists. Kristofferson passed away at the age of 88 on Saturday September 28th. Godspeed Kris, and thanks for sharing your gift of music with the rest of us.--ED

‘Help Me Make it Through the Night’, by Sammi Smith (written by Kris Kristofferson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si5aH1sg7gU
************************
UPDATE October 4, 2024

Here are some words to ponder: moxie, grit, pluck, gumption. They are funny old words. And they all mean similar things: courage and determination. Resourcefulness and resilience. Sometimes the funny old words still have a message to teach. They are what we need, and thanks to Spirit, what we have, to face the times in which we live.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

We continue to feature some of Kris Kristofferson’s music over the next few days, some recorded by him, and some recorded by other artists. Kristofferson passed away at the age of 88 on Saturday September 28th. Godspeed Kris, and thanks for sharing your gift of music with the rest of us.--ED

‘Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends’, by Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLeDe5yRi8s
***********************
UPDATE October 3, 2024

I hear you singing. As I have so many nights before. I do not know who you are. Or where you are. Or even why I hear you. But I do. Out there. In the night. Across vast oceans beneath the moon. I hear you and I take hope. I know I am not alone. I pray you can hear me too. For I am singing. Just like you.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

We continue to feature some of Kris Kristofferson’s music over the next few days, some recorded by him, and some recorded by other artists. Kristofferson passed away at the age of 88 on Saturday September 28th. Godspeed Kris, and thanks for sharing your gift of music with the rest of us.--ED

‘For the Good Times’, by Ray Price (written by Kris Kristofferson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BW0_D6jJ1g
**********************
UPDATE October 2, 2024

A blessing for collective grief

God, we are blindsided
what we thought was impossible,
even unthinkable
has brought us to our knees.

God, things don’t make sense,
the innocent still suffer,
buildings still fall,
families still grieve.

Help us to know what to feel,
what to do,
how to grieve—together.

Blessed are we
who let reality in
though our bodies shudder.
blessed are we
who ask and wait, and ask again
for answers that may not come,
for hope that seems hard to find,
for comfort that is not easily found.

 Along the way
show us how to live
when we’ve lost the things
we cannot get back.

Remind us that you, oh God,
are our home and our refuge
when life’s cruelty and our fragility
are too difficult to shoulder alone.
be with us, oh God of all comfort
-Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

We continue to feature some of Kris Kristofferson’s music over the next few days, some recorded by him, and some recorded by other artists. Kristofferson passed away at the age of 88 on Saturday September 28th. Godspeed Kris, and thanks for sharing your gift of music with the rest of us.--ED

‘Me and Bobby McGee’, by Kris Kristofferson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-J7mLyD3yc
*********************
UPDATE October 1, 2024

Singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson died on Saturday September 28, 2024 at the age of 88. Kristofferson also delved into acting at times over the years. He was a Rhodes Scholar who had a deft way with words and wrote songs with language and phrasing that few songwriters before him had ever employed. He wrote about love, melancholy, loneliness, humility, and heartbreak in ways that spoke to people in new and different ways. No one’s lyrics sounded like his. His songs became career-making hits for other artists, but he also made hits of them himself. His raw, gravelly voice was real, and people related to it.

We will feature some of Kris Kristofferson’s music over the next few days, some recorded by him, and some recorded by other artists. Godspeed Kris, and thanks for sharing your gift of music with the rest of us.—ED

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’, by Johnny Cash (written by Kris Kristofferson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPiSYVLFCM8 
****************
UPDATE September 30, 2024

A poem for Orange Shirt Day
from Abigail Echo-Hawk (Pawnee)
When they buried the children
What they didn’t know
They were lovingly embraced
By the land
Held and cradled in a mother’s heart
The trees wept for them, with the wind
they sang mourning songs their mothers
didn’t know how to sing
bending branches to touch the earth
around them. The Creator cried for them
the tears falling like rain.
Mother Earth held them
until they could be found.
Now our voices sing the mourning songs
with the trees. the wind. light sacred fire
ensure they are never forgotten as we sing
JUSTICE

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Residential School Song (Indian Boarding School Song) ’, by Cheryl Bear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoVERQn0YV0
**********************
UPDATE September 29, 2024

I have been practicing my listening. Listening is such a core part of spiritual life. It is how we cast our nets to gather in new insights; how we challenge ourselves to see reality from another perspective. It is the gift of fresh ideas. It is going deeper than we first imagined. With practice, we learn to hear what we need to hear, not what we like to hear.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Every Child Matters’, by Teagan Littlechief & Tracey Bone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-GAXNU7blw
*********************
UPDATE September 28, 2024

All creatures possess a spiritual nature. It locates us in the patterns of creation. It describes our purpose and our being as embodied by the Spirit who made us. All creatures have equal access to Spirit, though how is a mystery. We live where we are meant to be.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Believe’, by Damascus Worship ft Seph Schlueter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8hlL3OccMI
******************
UPDATE September 27, 2024

A blessing for when you want to change

God, I carry around this incompleteness,
this drive for fulfillment that always seems just around the corner.
If only I could get it together and find my true calling,
my real passion, or the right plan.

God, help me, guide me. What am I missing?

Blessed are we who strive earnestly
to change ourselves and the world around us,
but feel the drag and pull of what won’t budge,
the weight of all our limited and frail humanity.
We carry it with us.

Blessed are we, the hungry,
in lives that are both too much and not enough,
willing to tell the truth to ourselves and to each other,
that we languish here…

in “what is perhaps the central paradox of our condition—
that what we hunger for more than anything else, is to be known in our full humanness, and yet that is often just what we also fear more than anything else.” (Frederick Buechner)

To be fully known, and fully loved, in all our humanity.
And that is a God-sized project.

Blessed are we, thankful that we can live
our human-sized lives in the glad company of the vulnerable and the broken,
the imperfect made whole in the love of God, through Jesus Christ.

Maybe it’s right to be hungry. And stay that way.
-Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘We Draw Near’, by Damascus Worship ft Seph Schlueter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGqCB6TB9MU
**********************
UPDATE September 26, 2024

Let the dance begin. Summon the singers and let the drum know we are ready. Have the people gather. People from every land and every hope. Invite them onto the dance ground. Create a circle within a circle, ever spiraling out to the edges of creation. All in step with the same heartbeat. All belonging to the rhythm together: the ancient dance, the first dance, the one that still echoes in the human heart.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Prodigal’, by Sidewalk Prophets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZUCtUOPX7I
***********************
UPDATE September 25, 2024

I am in the age of goodbyes, perhaps some of you are too. When you get to a certain age you start saying goodbye to people you have known. Sometimes you are surprised by the news. Sometimes you find yourself pondering what it means. But if you are like me, and find yourself saying goodbye more and more, please remember this: there is another age, another place, just as real as this one. It is a place of hellos, a place where all those you have known are being welcomed and greeted. We will all see one another again.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Impossible’, by Sidewalk Prophets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUL3dJkNTKI
*********************
UPDATE September 24, 2024

We are on a migration. The whole human family. We are going somewhere, somewhere mysterious, somewhere beautiful. We have been searching for it for a very long time. We have resting places on our journey, but no permanent address. Change is our reality -- one that we live into over and over again. We are able to do this because, over all these years, we have learned an important lesson: what we cannot do, we do with Spirit.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Come to Jesus’, by Sidewalk Prophets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me0Fqi9Sx1E
*************
UPDATE September 23, 2024

a blessing for the brave

Blessed are you, brave one. you who perform big courageous acts of sacrifice.

The firefighters and military and activists and doctors and nurses and paramedics. You who move toward danger so the rest of us feel a little more safe. 

Blessed are you, brave one. you who do small acts of great love.

The memory keepers who remember for those who can’t. and the parents who long to keep our kids small and safe.

Or you who teach for far less than you are worth. or pastor even when the cranky member complains about the music again.

You who hold people’s hand all the way to the edge. and give you handkerchiefs when they are needed.

Your great love moves you closer toward people’s great need. 

Blessed are you, brave one. you who are grieving, even if you feel like you are doing it all wrong.

You who have received the bad news. you who are sitting in the shards of a life that has come undone.

In your fear. in your shaky hope. Brave looks like that too sometimes. 

You who live still. brave and scared at the same time.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Believe it Now’, by Sidewalk Prophets ft Olivia Lane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8sLyM9tMZY
*******************
UPDATE September 22, 2024

You will know it. When the eye of the sacred looks your way. When a new insight into truth enters your mind. When love seems to fill your heart in beauty and tenderness. You will know it: for the unmistakable handprint of Spirit will be visible in your life and the deep compassion of all that is holy will be wrapped about you like a shawl of stars.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Unbelievable’, by Sidewalk Prophets ft Ben Fuller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuBqgPqBAXA
***********************
UPDATE September 21, 2024

Standing in the light of love, sitting in deep reflection, walking the red road as it opens before me. Wherever I go, whatever I do, the sacred will enfold me in a timeless embrace. Behold the mystery of every life, listen to the sound of old souls praying, and discover a sanctuary within, where all your hopes come to make their home.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Just Came to Talk With You, Lord’, by 11th Hour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEJ7CSj9Ihw
**************************
UPDATE September 20, 2024

Even on the darkest day love will be there to help. Even when all seems lost. Even amid the tears and the loss of words. Love will always be there -- because Spirit will always be there. Open the eyes of your soul and see this truth known by more lives than will ever be counted: even in the hardest times, love will always be there.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Need a Favor’, by Jelly Roll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1nRboaLTzU
****************************
UPDATE September 19, 2024

a blessing for learning to delight again

Blessed are you, the pragmatic.
You who have run the math and know what adds up…
and what doesn’t.
You have set it all down.
You who don’t hope or dream or plan anymore because… what’s the point?

But blessed are you, learning to live here.
Your world has shrunk.
Pain or grief or fear has sucked up
every bit of oxygen from the room
and every ounce of delight has been squeezed from your hands.

But blessed are we,
who discover that even in the smallness,
our attention might compress even more.

We who pull out a magnifying glass
to discover… to notice… to taste… to smell…
the small joys and simple pleasures that make a life worth living.

You who wear the fancy blouse
because it makes you feel nice,
long after you thought your body was worth decorating.
You who eat the over-the-top meal because that is what today can afford.

you who make the memory and plan the trip and who snap a picture because we know that this one, wild, precious life might cost us everything… so why not make it not just bearable, but beautiful.

--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Am Not OK’, by Jelly Roll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qop5XLgwkNc
******************
UPDATE September 18, 2024

Worship is our acknowledgment of the transcendent. It is how we seek to express our awe, our curiosity, our wonder. We believe there is something -- a presence, a mind, a consciousness – far beyond the reach of our control, but still accessible to us, aware of us, engaged with us. Worship is standing at night on a high hill beneath the sky, feeling like you could cry from happiness.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘May I Suggest’, by Red Molly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kbvTPlYgNw
**********************
UPDATE September 17, 2024

There is a reason spiritual people are critical to our shared future: we are more likely to hold the center than run to the extremes. That fact alone makes us valuable to global community, for we are in every corner of the Earth. Open-minded, critical thinkers with a deep sense of compassion, we are in every religion and every society. We are the leaven of tomorrow.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Whispered Prayers’, by Karen Peck & New River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7YcQS_mUlc
**********************
UPDATE September 16, 2024

I know you have suffered, for I have suffered too. I know you have rejoiced, for I have rejoiced too. I know you and you know me. We are related. Our kinship keeps us in balance as we travel the seasons of our lives. I know you are only a prayer away, for I am only that far from you.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘He Sees What We Don’t’, by 11th Hour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh9WPQP6olE
**********************
UPDATE September 15, 2024

a blessing for when we lose ourselves in other people’s problems

God, I am a shapeshifter.
Hidden in plain sight.
A great disappearing act.

Every now and again,
when I am spinning in a tornado
of other people’s needs and wants,
I worry that if I stepped out of it
to stand dumbfounded for a moment,
my body would cast no shadow.

God, I vanish.
The unnecessary pain and necessary needs
of others feels durable. Measurable.
God, look at how much they need me.
Isn’t it necessary that I am not myself today?

God, remind me of my own goodness.
The way you look at me and grin.
The way the earth can stretch to hold
my own dreams when I remember them.

God, let my stomach grumble and I eat.
Let me be delighted and I laugh.
Let me tire and I rest.
Give my heart peace as today
I am here
surprisingly myself
as the storm rages on.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘He Saw it All’, The Booth Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4H-J5Ynpog
*******************
UPDATE September 14, 2024

Grant Us Strength

The One Universal Creator of all, our Divine Mother and Father In Your blessings we find true and lasting comfort and peace Grant healing and solace to our wounded hearts Grant us strength to bear the loss of loved ones and to live in Your Will Grant us resilience in the face of hate, and the courage to face it with dignity May we all unite and share one another's pain and tears May the hatred in the world melt away in Your boundless and everlasting love And living in Your Will, may all find peace, harmony and serenity.

- Dr. Satpal Singh
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/patriot-day

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘If I Should Lose My Way’, by Linda Eder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqoyTDBtvSw
********************
UPDATE September 13, 2024

We Place in Your Loving Arms

God of love we place in your loving arms the thousands of innocent lives that were lost on that unforgettable morning of September 11, 2001. We also remember the courage of the countless men and women who put their lives at risk in order to rescue, alleviate and bring solace to the afflicted. Help us to continue to work for a world free from every form of hatred, violence and ignorance. May terrorism -- in all its forms -- disappear from the face of the earth.

Amen.

- Fr. Alberto Cutie
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/patriot-day

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘There Are No Words’, by Celtic Aire, United States Air Force Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4duNWjct1uA
*********************
UPDATE September 12, 2024

Prayer for the Anniversary of 9/11

O God, our hope and refuge,
in our distress we come quickly to you.
Shock and horror of that tragic day have subsided,
replaced now with an emptiness,
a longing for an innocence lost.

We come remembering those who lost their lives
in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.

We are mindful of the sacrifice of public servants
who demonstrated the greatest love of all
by laying down their lives for friends.
We commit their souls to your eternal care
and celebrate their gifts to a fallen humanity.

We come remembering
and we come in hope,
not in ourselves, but in you.

As foundations we once thought secure have been shaken,
we are reminded of the illusion of security.
In commemorating this tragedy,
we give you thanks for your presence
in our time of need
and we seek to worship you in Spirit and in truth,
our guide and our guardian.

Amen.
- Rev. Jeremy Pridgeon
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/patriot-day

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?’, by Alan Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPHnadJ-0hE
********************
UPDATE September 11, 2024

Anniversary Prayer for 9/11

Holy God,
Creator of all people and all nations,
It is with sorrow and apprehension we remember the tragic events
That occurred on this day.

We lift to You in prayer all those who died
In the Twin Towers, at the Pentagon, and on United Airlines Flight 93
In Shankesville, Pennsylvania.

We entrust them to Your loving care.
Console their families, friends, and all who mourn this loss
In the hope that all who trust in You find peace and rest in Your Kingdom.

We pray for those who courageously responded to provide aid and comfort to the afflicted.
May their painful memories of that day
Be healed and transformed into strength and positive resolution.

We also pray for ourselves as we seek Your strength and guidance.
We live in the aftermath of this tragedy and under the shadow of future acts of aggression;
We stand in need of Your assistance.

Enable us, Dear God, to put an end to fear:
By resolving to live lives that are based on respect for one another;
By resolving to abide in a peaceful manner
and never settle disagreements in our lives in a violent way;
By resolving not to fall into the trap of blaming entire ethnic groups, races, or religions
in response to acts of hostility;
By resolving that justice, not revenge, prevail in our world.

Let us resolve that in the face of hatred, we will show love;
That in times of despair, we will be voices of hope
And creators of new dreams;
That in times of darkness, we will be sources of light.

Let us resolve that we never regard forgiveness as weakness,
But rather as a source of strength in our lives and in our world.

And, let us honor the memory of nearly 3,000 individuals who died on September 11, 2001
By resolving, with Your help Almighty God,
To truly live this way so You may be glorified and Your love made known to others through us.

Amen.

- Bro. Darrell Burns, S.J.
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/patriot-day

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘If I Had My Way’, by Linda Eder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y32XCriC-rI
*****************
UPDATE September 10, 2024

Reality is like a cold shower, it may shock you, but it won’t kill you. In fact, sometimes we need that jolt of awareness. Life is complex and full of the unexpected. “Now” is where we live: in that slim space of time between the past and the future. We don’t have much time for guessing games. Give it to us straight, Spirit. We need to know where we stand.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Peace at Last’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfFfLxGOvHY
************************
UPDATE September 9, 2024

A blessing for when you need a little peace

God, I am a shape-shifter.
Hidden in plain sight.
A great disappearing act.

Every now and again,
when I am spinning in a tornado
of other people’s needs and wants,
I worry that if I stepped out of it
to stand dumbfounded for a moment,
my body would cast no shadow.

God, I vanish.
The unnecessary pain
and necessary needs
of others feel durable. Measurable.
God, look at how much they need me.
Isn’t it necessary that I am
not myself today?

God, remind me of my own goodness.
The way you look at me and grin.
The way the earth can stretch to hold
my own dreams when I remember them.

God, let my stomach grumble and I eat.
Let me be delighted and I laugh.
Let me tire and I rest.
Give my heart peace today
as I am here
surprisingly myself
while the world spins and spins.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘He Looked Beyond My Fault’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za1DyuDaaLQ
********************
UPDATE September 8, 2024

Spirituality is a sanctuary, a refuge for the vulnerable, a community of kindness in a world torn by anger. Spirituality is a process, an ongoing conversation, an exploration of discovery. Spirituality is a vision, a portrait of the best we can be, a sign of hope, an invitation to continue our sacred voyage.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God is Real’, by The Sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avS807dBJZg
***********************
UPDATE September 7, 2024

Give me my assignment, Spirit, and let me stay active in your service. Sometimes the needs of this life seem so great, it is easy to feel a little overwhelmed. But when I am busy, I feel I am doing something positive to create change. So take me off the bench and put me in the game. I am ready to help in every way I can.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Prayers My Parents Prayed’, by The Sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJM48JYzyUc
*******************
UPDATE September 6, 2024

Wisdom is a choice. We can be as wise as we want to be. But it is not easy. Wisdom means letting go of preconceived ideas. It means taking a risk. It requires us to be an open-minded and critical thinker. Wisdom is a commitment to accurate data and free dialogue. When we choose wisdom, we choose the harder path of learning.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Amazing Grace (with a twist)’, by The Sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxtg_WloQac
*******************
UPDATE September 5, 2024

A blessing for when faith breaks your heart
Blessed are you standing among the ruins of a faith
that once felt so sturdy,
now turned to dust under your feet.

The certainty you once had, gone.
The community you loved, dissipated.
The hope you held dear, hard to find.

Instead, what’s taken up residence
is the very stuff that seems counter
to what you imagined:
Disappointment. Doubt. Disillusionment. Despair.

In this new landscape, may you practice the courage to find the others
who make space for your questions without easy answers,

who celebrate doubt when it makes room for more faith,
who search high and low for a defiant hope born amidst despair. 

Bless you, dear one. You who don’t give up wrestling.
who have eyes to see something new being rebuilt on top of what was.

Blessed are you who walk away wounded, yes. But changed.
--Kate Bowler
This blessing was inspired by my conversation with Randall Balmer on the Everything Happens podcast.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Family Chain’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPE_aMzJCu8
**********************
UPDATE September 4, 2024

Since the beginning, when we first wondered about the meaning of it all, we have been aware of an ancient duality. Light and dark, right and wrong, true and false, life and death and all the gray areas in-between. Now, once again, we face the need to choose. The first step: clear our own vision that we may see our choices more clearly.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Can I Get a Witness’, by The Sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WcXOIg60DU
**********************
UPDATE September 3, 2024

Let us see you as clearly as we can, Spirit, for this is a time when your people need to know you are there. They want to follow you more closely, for the way is steep and the steps are narrow. Come, please, and be visible on our horizon, your presence a beacon of hope we all may see. Come, stand before us, that our hearts may be made strong once more.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Just Wanted You to Know’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujjyMVXAVHE
******************
UPDATE September 2, 2024

An appeal to our better nature, the nature within us, within any community, to recognize how difference makes us stronger, to see the common threads of family and love that run through all of our lives, to bear witness to the ability of only a few good souls to turn the tides of history. Our nature, our character as a people, is where I make my appeal, for it is where our destiny will be decided.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Helping Hand’, by Amy Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fX-92K08sc
**********************
UPDATE September 1, 2024

for parenting teenagers: A BLESSING

Bless you who love a teenager.
You whose worries about them
keep you up at night.
wondering if you’re doing it right,
if they’re going to be okay,
if you over-reacted or under-reacted.

If you’re going to make it through tomorrow
without losing it.
Or how you’re going to have that hard conversation
without them shutting down or shutting you out.

Bless you in this hard, beautiful work.

In those moments of big feelings,
may you remember to take a beat
and say something like:

“If I was in your shoes,
I’d feel the same way.”

(Even when you’re tempted
to give them advice,
or to solve their problem for them,
or to offer how they could have avoided
the problem in the first place.)

Bless you in your restraint.

May you know when to intervene and
when to stay that steady, calm presence
that will offer them the grounding
to grow and change their mind
and make mistakes.

May you have the patience
to affirm their normal
(sometimes very big) feelings
and may your constant love
relieve their fears (and yours).

May laughter and joy fill your home,
fueling even the hardest of moments
or most difficult of conversations.

And bless you who wish *you* would have
gotten this kind of parenting.
And bless you who want to do it differently.

Imperfect love.
It's okay that we know that.
We can bless it all the same.
--Kate Bowler
(this blessing was inspired by my conversation with @lisa.damour listen to the episode here: katebowler.com/podcasts/understanding-todays-teenagers)

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘First Church of Mercy’, by The Sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-gkt9OqEjI
*******************
UPDATE August 31, 2024

You are not alone. Please spiritually tattoo that somewhere you will always be able to see it. No matter what the situation, no matter how seemingly final or irreparable, no matter how difficult or personal: you are never alone in dealing with it. Love is there. Healing is there. Hope is there. Mercy is there. In other words, Spirit is there. Right by your side.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The God I Serve’, by Karen Peck & New River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnv0WfhU6Qk
****************
UPDATE August 30, 2024

The spiritual life is not a maze, but a garden. It is not designed for us to figure out, but to experience. Sitting, walking, working, resting, thinking, doing, feeling, dreaming – the sacred is infused within our reality. Each day we open ourselves to the mystery and the beauty around us, is a day we draw one step closer to the source we are seeking.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Keepers’, by Karen Peck & New River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nm7CL-fmk4
****************
UPDATE August 29, 2024

Fear slips in through cracks of doubt. When we are uncertain about how things will turn out, when we worry things might go wrong, we begin cycles of anxiety that can lead to emotional paralysis. Common sense and diversity counteract fear. Our spiritual confidence puts our worries into perspective and allows us to work on solutions. Our strength is in our faith.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Four Days Late’, by Karen Peck & New River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5UPiotS96k
****************
UPDATE August 28, 2024 

a blessing for when things don’t add up

Blessed are you who say:
This did not add up.
I had hoped these choices I made,
the life I tried so hard to pick,
would add up to something
Meaningful.

But now I’m left
without many choices at all.

Left wondering… did I pick right?
Did I waste my days?
What should I have done differently?

This limited life is
what it means to be human.

In our failures and bad, bad math.
In our best intentions and hardest work,
In our waylaid hopes and far off dreams.

In the love that is never ever
too late to give or receive.

Maybe ‘success’ and ‘happiness’
can mean something different now.
On the other side of a life changed.

Where minutes become moments.
And there will never be enough
sunsets or handholds or jokes shared.

But there is never ever too much love.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Three Nails Instead’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=005oMyjWVWE
*****************
UPDATE August 27, 2024

The most subversive thing we can do is love. If we do not like the way things are going, if we would like to see radical change: love is the way to create it. Anger and blame can release emotions of the moment, but they cannot sustain long term change. Only hope can do that. And love gives life hope in abundance. So join the revolution: love extravagantly.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Hear the Voice of My Beloved’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRFWW6kh9iY
****************
UPDATE August 26, 2024

What keeps us going? Vision, for one thing. The vision of a just and peaceful world. The vision of a clean and healthy planet. The vision of a future free from the struggles we have known for so long. We can see all of that and more in our spiritual imagination. We know it is possible. We will keep going until it is reality.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My God Can’, by Katy Nichole & Naomi Raine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnsdMC8gipU
****************
UPDATE August 25, 2024

Never underestimate the power of a single heart. One person. One passion. A spiritual bond unbroken and unbreakable. That level of commitment is how mountains are moved. Never underestimate yourself.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Money Can’t Buy’, by Cochren & Co.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRD9OTn43p4
****************
UPDATE August 24, 2024

Here’s a blessing for you who feel like the bad thing.

You are everyone’s reminder of frailty, of life’s cruelty. Your chronic pain or depression or regular scans remind those around you that life isn’t as fair or easy as they had hoped.

Blessed are you who try to hide your humanity. You who temper your complaints, who avoid mentioning your next appointment, who pretend you are doing better than you are to make reality a little more palatable for others. You, who try and try and try to make yourself easier to love, easier to be around, easier to manage.

But, dear one, blessed are you because you are not the bad thing. Your illness or grief or despair or addiction is not too much. It’s just your humanity showing.

And blessed are we who get to see it up close. Who, despite our own fears and reminders of our finitude, get to hold your hand as you face each day with courage as you face things you didn’t choose. It is this kind of courageous living– the kind that shows all the shabby edges– that we are so thankful to see up close.

You, blessed one, remind us that life is so beautiful and life is so hard. And we feel lucky for the privilege to do life with you — no matter how difficult, no matter how messy.

You are not the bad thing. You are a gift. And we love every bit of you.

--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Running Home’, by Cochren & Co.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK1AkCEHkZQ
****************
UPDATE August 23, 2024

If I tried to share my vision in as short and simple a statement as I can, I would say: trust love. In the end, when all is said and done, it will be love that will get you through. The love of Spirit. The love of the Earth. The love of others. The love we have for what is within us. Trust love. Do everything else you can, in all the ways you can, but keep your heart fixed on a life of love.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘One Day’, by Cochren & Co.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kg6EtcGq0I
***********************
UPDATE August 22, 2024

A great change has begun, an axial age in the making. It started some years ago, when we were distracted, not noticing how history was moving around us. Now we sense the shift -- like deer in the forest alert to every sound. As an indigenous person I would say a great spiritual migration has begun. We will become what we believe.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Be There For You’, by Cohren & Co.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8l7MWJNbg4
***********************
UPDATE August 21, 2024

Emotion is energy. When we respond to something, positively or negatively, we release emotional energy into the equation. We draw on our inner resources. We express our feelings…which is why we need to stay in spiritual shape, expending our energy where it is needed, letting our experience guide our choices, our actions aligned with both our mind and heart.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Daniel Prayed’, by The Isaacs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1J27Dsvy8E
***********************
UPDATE August 20, 2024

today already feels like too much: a blessing

I was hoping to
be the kind of person by now
who doesn’t tumble,
headlong, into the day
falling, falling, falling
from the high board
without nearly enough water below.

I swear I didn’t plan it like this.
But here I am,
hoping for another miracle.

bless these dumb plans
that will short circuit my thinking
and make me fragile, brittle.

bless these multiplying tasks
that swarm like mosquitoes.

Underneath this to-do list
and these calendar invites
and these many obligations
is a set of loves.

Keep love in front of my eyes.
Love in the car.
Love in the waiting room.
Love on the phone.
Love at my laptop.
Love in the laundry room.

And love, especially,
for the soft heart—mine –
who cared enough to be this tired
in the first place.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Through the Fire’, by The Crabb Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiSF7sNU2UA
***********************
UPDATE August 19, 2024

Sentinels of the Spirit, keep watch over the most vulnerable, guard the innocent, shelter the children. Keep vigil over the flame of justice, with truth a transparent process for all to see, and freedom a responsibility for all to share. Sentinels of the Spirit, stand with us through days to come, constant and strengthening, a watch kept by day and by night.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Loving God, Loving Each Other’, The Gaither Vocal Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WHFhpz00YQ
******************
UPDATE August 18, 2024

Spirit, watch over us, please. We are feeling a little anxious, a little uncertain, as if something was hanging over us, something beyond our control. Give us your confidence, Spirit, let us feel your presence among us, for when you are by our side, fear cannot be found.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Then Came the Morning’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikJMzqK5fQI
******************
UPDATE August 17, 2024

A small spiritual lesson from our four-legged relatives: the next time you think it is silly to talk about people having auras, try standing next to a dog. Animals can sense, and perhaps even see, the energy within other creatures, including us. Like our infrared heat signature, we embody an energy that many animals can sense. As the elders would say: we are a source.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘As For Me and My House’, by Cochren & Co., Keith & Kristyn Getty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIUcAFMCDnY
******************
UPDATE August 16, 2024

a blessing for your great, big, dumb heart

Love can break your heart.
It’s probably in the fine print.
Didn’t you click the box at
the bottom of the terms and conditions?

Blessed are you when
your kids are ungrateful,
when your parents are unbearable,
or when they would have been
if they were still around.

When you help an unfixable friend,
listen much longer than
a normal person should,
or give selflessly out of
meager resources.

Blessed is your terrible evaluation
of who is worth it.
Your cost-benefit analysis would be
the laughingstock of any economist.
You ignored the signs:
Will this make you richer?
Happier?
Well rested?
Probably not.

You have been noticing for a while
how these small moments—
the privilege of wrapping a blanket
around this love, that friendship,
this stranger—are impossible to quantify.
Love is adding up to
so much more, somehow.

Because blessed are you
whose heart has grown three sizes.
Regardless.
You who push through
the fear of intimacy,
the fear of loss,
the fear of all the unknowns,
and choose to love still.

Blessed are we,
loving beyond our limits,
loving when it doesn’t make sense,
loving without any lifetime guarantees,
loving when it might break our hearts.

That is, of course,
the best thing about us:
our great, big, dumb hearts.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Night Song’, by CityAlight ft Colin Buchanan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBraI_mU1O4
**************************
UPDATE August 15, 2024

I may dance a little slower, but I still dance, and I hope to go on dancing a while longer, even if it is only dancing myself to sleep. My ancestors expressed and practiced their spirituality through dance -- the eternal movement of the sacred. We are all spirit dancers, moving to the heartbeat, on the holy ground of heaven.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting’, by Hymns of Grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0vKNYDQa9Q
*************
UPDATE August 14, 2024

What would you give for peace of mind? How about…free of charge? How does that sound? And it is true. The peace that passes all understanding is for any of us to receive, embrace, and put to work healing the world around us. Peace of mind is the free blessing of the Spirit. Keep opening your heart to it each day and let it grow within you.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘How Deep the Father’s Love for Us’, by Hymns of Grace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeUUmuwZIRs
*****************
UPDATE August 13, 2024

I have been to the other side of time. I made that flight and returned. Like any poet. Like any dreamer. Spirit carries you until you are able to see between the clouds, aware that what you see is what will be. Any of you who know what I mean, join me, for the message we bring must be heard: it will not be easy, but together, we will make it.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘In A Little While’, by CeCe Winans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI70E6SVmBQ
****************
UPDATE August 12, 2024

a blessing for those who care about strangers

What a waste.
That wasn’t going to get you
a nicer apartment.
Bless those who give their health
in service of people
who might not even deserve it.

Or if they took unnecessary risks
or was selfish or
was never going to say thank you?
You could have been protecting yourself
or God forbid, sleeping through the night.

Bless those who listen to long,
winding stories from lonely hearts.
Instead of rushing off
to more interesting friends.
You picked boredom or patience
instead of the warmth of being known.
That was your time and

you’re never going to get it back.

Bless those who loved people
who weren’t grateful.
The sick who endangered your health,
The deeply boring,
who know you have things to do.

Loving people can be
the most meaningful thing in the world,
but it can also be hard and scary
and boring and disgusting or sad
or anxiety inducing with zero overtime.

Thank you to all those who
make these bad investments.
Those acts of love that are not
going to add up to success
in the way that the world sees it.

You, my darling,
are the definition of love.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Praise the Lord’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e8H3tCqS64
********************
UPDATE August 11, 2024

Here is the assignment: create a simple statement that can be translated and sent out around the world as an invitation to unity. Here is one I imagined: we are all loved. I would like to send that idea out to as many people as I can. And please feel free to offer your suggestion. Together, we can begin to signal a new hope.

--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Come Harvest Time’, by Glen Campbell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJraC1NN2sY
*******************
UPDATE August 10, 2024

Every child I see, is the answer to the question: why do you do what you do? Why do you go on believing in a better world to come? Why do you continue to think justice and peace are possible? Why do you see this time as a beginning and not an ending? Every child I see, is the answer. Millions and millions of small and hopeful answers all around the world. They are why we do what we do.

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Will Arise’, by Glen Campbell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k39ejSbzSsU
******************
UPDATE August 9, 2024

Want to do something outrageous? What if we spend the day being happy? That’s a pretty outrageous thing to do these days. What if we were not angry today? Not fearful. But kind, understanding and generous?  How outrageous would that be? Or we could really be all in and help others find a reason to be outrageous too. We could start a worldwide movement of outrageous hope. How does that sound?

-Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/I’ll Fly Away’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S0O5kGQY5o
**********************
UPDATE August 8, 2024

A blessing for everyday empathy
Blessed are you, the sensitive one,
attuned to the feelings of others.
You couldn't turn it off if you tried.

Blessed are you with the
emotional bandwidth to hear hard things,
without fixing or minimizing or deflecting,
You know the gift of presence.

Blessed are you who
chooses to show up without judgment with
little gifts or small acts of practical help.
You know the gift of compassion.

Blessed are you, too,
when you are utterly exhausted
by other people’s problems.

(And actually now that we’re talking about it
it’s getting even more annoying.)
Your empathy is a precious gift
that deserves to be protected too.

Today, help me stand ready to hear
those divine whispers nudging me
to give compassion away.
Naturally. Freely.

And help me find those who,
to my surprise, want to pour back into me.
(Which, fine, you know I hate receiving.)

Love given and received,
without shame or embarrassment.
Because what else can a big-hearted person
do but learn to give and get?

--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Jesus and Me’, by Glen Campbell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBKodIRDGkw
*********************
UPDATE August 7, 2024

For Those Who Mourn
Bless those who mourn, eternal God, with the comfort of your love that they may face each new day with hope and the certainty that nothing can destroy the good that has been given. May their memories become joyful, their days enriched with friendship, and their lives encircled by your love.

- Vienna Cobb Anderson

https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/condolence-loss-sympathy-prayers

We continue to feature some music from The Nelons. Three of the four members of this award-winning family gospel group, in addition to four others, were killed in a tragic plane crash on July 26th. You are encouraged to keep this family, and all who suffer unexpected, tragic loss, in your prayers. We are never promised tomorrow and so we must live each day as faithful followers of Jesus. And, when that day comes when we are called home, may Jesus be able to say to each of us, ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I’m Going Home With Jesus’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYMiLOHU-V0
******************
UPDATE August 6, 2024

Overcoming Life's Hardships
O Lord, we call upon You in our time of sorrow, that You give us the strength and will to bear our heavy burdens, until we can again feel the warmth and love of Your divine compassion. Be mindful of us and have mercy on us while we struggle to comprehend life's hardships.

Keep us ever in Your watch, till we can walk again with light hearts and renewed spirits.

- Author Unknown

https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/condolence-loss-sympathy-prayers

We continue to feature some music from The Nelons over the next several days. Three of the four members of this award-winning family gospel group, in addition to four others, were killed in a tragic plane crash on July 26th. You are encouraged to keep this family, and all who suffer unexpected, tragic loss, in your prayers. We are never promised tomorrow and so we must live each day as faithful followers of Jesus. And, when that day comes when we are called home, may Jesus be able to say to each of us, ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Know Who Holds Tomorrow’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aSpf5UZ6G0
*****************
UPDATE August 5, 2024

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

(KJV)

We continue to feature some music from The Nelons over the next several days. Three of the four members of this award-winning family gospel group, in addition to four others, were killed in a tragic plane crash on July 26th. You are encouraged to keep this family, and all who suffer unexpected, tragic loss, in your prayers. We are never promised tomorrow and so we must live each day as faithful followers of Jesus. And, when that day comes when we are called home, may Jesus be able to say to each of us, ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Going Home’ by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPaa6akcKW0
*****************
UPDATE August 4, 2024

Jewish Blessing of the Mourners
Those who are worn out and crushed by this mourning, let your hearts consider this:
this is the path that has existed from the time of creation and will exist forever.
Many have drunk from it and many will yet drink.
As was the first meal, so shall be the last.
May the master of comfort comfort you.
Blessed are those who comforts the mourners.

https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/condolence-loss-sympathy-prayers

We continue to feature some music from The Nelons over the next several days. Three of the four members of this award-winning family gospel group, in addition to four others, were killed in a tragic plane crash on July 26th. You are encouraged to keep this family, and all who suffer unexpected, tragic loss, in your prayers. We are never promised tomorrow and so we must live each day as faithful followers of Jesus. And, when that day comes when we are called home, may Jesus be able to say to each of us, ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Heard it First on the Radio’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLVN5sYvQsA
******************
UPDATE August 3, 2024

Only For a Short While
Oh, only for so short a while you
have loaned us to each other,
because we take form in your act of drawing us,
and we take life in your painting us,
and we breathe in your singing us.

But only for so short a while
have you loaned us to each other.
Because even a drawing cut in obsidian fades,
and the green feathers, the crown feathers,
of the Quetzal bird lose their color,
and even the sounds of the waterfall
die out in the dry season.

So, we too, because only for a short while

have you loaned us to each other.

- Aztec Indian Prayer
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/condolence-loss-sympathy-prayers

We continue to feature some music from The Nelons over the next several days. Three of the four members of this award-winning family gospel group, in addition to four others, were killed in a tragic plane crash on July 26th. You are encouraged to keep this family, and all who suffer unexpected, tragic loss, in your prayers. We are never promised tomorrow and so we must live each day as faithful followers of Jesus. And, when that day comes when we are called home, may Jesus be able to say to each of us, ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Hallelujah, What a Savior’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsEqXf7k9_0
****************
UPDATE August 2, 2024

In Times of Loss...
We pray that in this time of loss,
You'll feel God's love much more
And that you'll find your comfort
In the presence of the Lord
We pray God pours upon you,
His sweet amazing grace
And overflow your heart with peace
As you live in His embrace.

- M.S. Lowndes
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/condolence-loss-sympathy-prayers

Three members of an Atlanta gospel group, The Nelons, died in a fatal plane crash near Gillette, Wyoming, on Friday, July 26, 2024. The beloved gospel music family were on their way to the Gaither Homecoming Cruise in Alaska. The individuals who were killed in the crash were Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber and Nathan Kistler, and their assistant, Melodi Hodges. The pilot, Larry Haynie, and his wife, Melissa, were also among those who lost their lives.

Statement from Autumn, their daughter. “As many of you have heard by now, my father and mother, Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, along with my sister, Amber and brother-in-law, Nathan, as well as our dear friends Melodi Hodges, Larry and Melissa Haynie were involved in a tragic plane crash on Friday," “Thank you for the prayers that have been extended already to me, my husband, Jamie, and our soon-to-be-born baby boy, as well as Jason’s parents, Dan and Linda Clark. We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the coming days."

We will feature some music from The Nelons over the next several days and you are encouraged to keep this family, and all who suffer unexpected, tragic loss, in your prayers. We are never promised tomorrow and so we must live each day as faithful followers of Jesus. And, when that day comes when we are called home, may Jesus be able to say to each of us, ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘When Grandpa Sang Amazing Grace’, by The Nelons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcCYOOUahgg
*******************
UPDATE August 1, 2024

In Times of Sorrow
May you see God's light on the path ahead
When the road you walk is dark.
May you always hear,
Even in your hour of sorrow,
The gentle singing of the lark.
When times are hard may hardness
Never turn your heart to stone,
May you always remember
when the shadows fall,
You do not walk alone.

- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/condolence-loss-sympathy-prayers

Three members of an Atlanta gospel group, The Nelons, died in a fatal plane crash near Gillette, Wyoming, on Friday, July 26, 2024. The beloved gospel music family were on their way to the Gaither Homecoming Cruise in Alaska. The individuals who were killed in the crash were Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber and Nathan Kistler, and their assistant, Melodi Hodges. The pilot, Larry Haynie, and his wife, Melissa, were also among those who lost their lives.

Statement from Autumn, their daughter. “As many of you have heard by now, my father and mother, Jason and Kelly Nelon Clark, along with my sister, Amber and brother-in-law, Nathan, as well as our dear friends Melodi Hodges, Larry and Melissa Haynie were involved in a tragic plane crash on Friday," “Thank you for the prayers that have been extended already to me, my husband, Jamie, and our soon-to-be-born baby boy, as well as Jason’s parents, Dan and Linda Clark. We appreciate your continued prayers, love and support as we navigate the coming days."

We will feature some music from The Nelons over the next several days and you are encouraged to keep this family, and all who suffer unexpected, tragic loss, in your prayers. We are never promised tomorrow and so we must live each day as faithful followers of Jesus. And, when that day comes when we are called home, may Jesus be able to say to each of us, ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Scars in Heaven’, by The Nelons’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLgQDW_3gBI
********************
For the month of July, we will celebrate our home here in Canada. We are reminded that we can, and should, love many things about our country and the people in it. At the same time, we can be aware that during our history we have done damage to many people, cultures, and the very land itself during the last 157 years, and longer. Both can be true. We have the most beautiful scenery, lakes, mountains, trees, meadows skies, and streams as anywhere in the world. The seasons and the colours are gifts from God to our eyes. And yet not everyone experiences Canada in the same wonderful way. Life is hard and unfair for many, cruel for others, and not worth living for too many. Perhaps during this month of celebration, those of us who are a little better off, who have had better breaks in life can maybe consider how we can offer a hand up to those for whom Canada has not been the land of promise it has been for so many of the rest of us.

For the month of July we will feature writings and quotes from famous Canadians and music from Canadian artists. We have wonderful gifts to share. We are blessed. Thank You God for our home on native land!--LC

UPDATE July 31, 2024

“Canada will be a strong country when Canadians of all provinces feel at home in all parts of the country, and when they feel that all Canada belongs to them.”

Pierre Trudeau

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Song for the Mira’, by Anne Murray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoR3SiIqBmI
******************
UPDATE July 30, 2024

“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world.”

Jack Layton

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Northwest Passage’, by Stan Rogers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKF2uPx-d50
******************
UPDATE July 29, 2024

“Doing all we can to combat climate change comes with numerous benefits, from reducing pollution and associated health care costs to strengthening and diversifying the economy by shifting to renewable energy, among other measures.”

David Suzuki

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Will Always Be Right There’, by Bryan Adams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3zZEvLhqec
******************
UPDATE July 28, 2024

“Man can now fly in the air like a bird, swim under the ocean like a fish, he can burrow into the ground like a mole. Now if only he could walk the earth like a man, this would be paradise.”

Tommy Douglas

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God Bless the Child’, by Shania Twain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm4LSgFv2VY
******************|
UPDATE July 27, 2024

“The music field was the first to break down racial barriers, because in order to play together, you have to love the people you are playing with, and if you have any racial inhibitions, you wouldn't be able to do that.”

Oscar Peterson

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Georgia On My Mind’, by Oscar Peterson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tY_RE7tWzM
******************
UPDATE July 26, 2024

“I am a huge believer in giving back and helping out in the community and the world. Think globally, act locally I suppose. I believe that the measure of a person's life is the affect they have on others.”

Steve Nash

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘My Nova Scotia Home’, by Hank Snow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o096e_RiI0
*****************
UPDATE July 25, 2024

“There's beauty everywhere. There are amazing things happening everywhere, you just have to be able to open your eyes and witness it. Some days, that's harder than others.”

Sarah McLachlan

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Daughters of Newfoundland’, by The Ennis Sisters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnP7LwWwaps
*****************
UPDATE July 24, 2024

“I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given to participate in that work as a representative of my country, Canada, whose people have, I think, shown their devotion to peace.”

Lester B. Pearson

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘California Dreamin’’, by Diana Krall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U8XWyHaGkI
*****************
UPDATE July 23, 2024

“Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It's about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others' success, and then standing back and letting them shine. “

Chris Hadfield

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Home’, by Michael Buble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbSOLBMUvIE
******************
UPDATE July 22, 2024

“My heroes in real life are definitely my mom for being true to herself, for having a foot in both worlds, for being so very polite - Canadian and also such a traditional Greek woman. I would sum it up this way: the life lesson she would say is be polite while you're breaking the rules.”

Nia Vardalos

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Prayer’, by Celine Dion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLsUb_mJWmI
******************
UPDATE July 21, 2024

“I believe that never was a country better adapted to produce a great race of women than this Canada of ours, nor a race of women better adapted to make a great country.”

Emily Murphy, women’s rights activist, jurist, and author

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Farewell to Nova Scotia’, by Knackers Yard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkLgGSG7PF8
******************
UPDATE July 20, 2024

“Privilege isn’t about what you’ve gone through; it’s about what you haven’t had to go through. And right now, we are in a time that is calling on us to learn the stories that we don’t know.

Janaya Khan

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Wood River’, by Connie Kaldor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYS_1TPAnPk
*****************
UPDATE July 19, 2024

“We need to move towards a truly just and equitable society by... making sure that every Canadian - whether they're living in long-term care or they're working part-time or they're students or they're Black or they're Indigenous - whatever their circumstances, can live in dignity and security.”

Annamie Paul

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Bird on a Wire’, by kd lang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvhD1cORBrU
*******************
UPDATE July 18, 2024

“Through these ongoing activities and possibly in the future, a Canadian will go live and work on the International Space Station and we will continue to make Canadians proud of our achievements in space.”

Marc Garneau

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Emily Remembers’, by Shirley Eikhard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPUo5jTSUfQ
*****************
UPDATE July 17, 2024

“The purpose of a woman’s life is just the same as the purpose of a man’s life: that she may make the best possible contribution to the generation in which she is living.”

Louise McKinney, provincial politician and women’s rights activist, first woman sworn into the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and the first woman elected to a legislature in Canada

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Try a Little Kindness’, by Jann Arden with the Doane Uschool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GzLHgdz4ag
****************
UPDATE July 16, 2024

“I've learned what it truly means to be Canadian and in turn I've been inspired to make a difference in the world, however small it's been.”

Clara Hughes

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘B Minor’, by Leahy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yN0IPO91d4
**************************
UPDATE July 15, 2024

“If there's a pro-Canadian, or someone who's a real proud Canadian, I am. Nobody in Canada would want a united Canada more than me.”

Terry Fox

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Rise Again’, Raylene Rankin and the Rankin Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6typt9LJUXo
***************
UPDATE July 14, 2024

“Since the summer days of my Canadian childhood, I have loved to canoe across the dark mirror of northern lakes, paddling with an inside flick of the blade, leaving a trail of twisting whirlpools in my wake.”

Rory MacLean

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Dante’s Prayer’, by Loreena McKennitt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUHvj1cxOs0
***************
UPDATE July 13, 2024

“People ask me, ‘Are you proud of the fact that you were Canada’s first woman prime minister?’ I respond, ‘Yes, but I’d be prouder still to say I was Canada’s tenth woman prime minister.’”

Kim Campbell, Canada’s first and only female Prime Minister

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free’, by Salome Bey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YQoxdHuuvY
***************
UPDATE July 12, 2024

“We owe the Aboriginal peoples a debt that is four centuries old. It is their turn to become full partners in developing an even greater Canada. And the reconciliation required may be less a matter of legal texts than of attitudes of the heart.”

Romeo LeBlanc, former Governor General of Canada

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Blackbird (sung in Mi’kmaq)’, by Emma Stevens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99-LoEkAA3w
*****************
UPDATE July 11, 2024

“I think reconciliation with indigenous people remains the biggest social justice issue facing the country, because we don’t do a good job of acknowledging the contributions native people have made. This is not just a country of immigrants.”

Wab Kinew, politician and broadcaster

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Canada, My Canada’, by Liona Boyd ft various artists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpCt8-vBgrM
*****************
UPDATE July 10, 2024

“Even before you’ve earned it, treat yourself and your career with the level of respect that you hope to one day deserve.”

Catherine O’Hara, actress

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Summer Wages’, by Ian & Sylvia Tyson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HaddgwNqhY
******************
UPDATE July 9, 2024

"The woman is the foundation on which nations are built. She is the heart of her nation. If that heart is weak, the people are weak. If her heart is strong and her mind is clear, then the nation is strong and knows its purpose. The woman is the center of everything."

Art Solomon, Ojibway Elder

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Cherokee Morning Song’, by Robbie Robertson & The Red Road Ensemble ft Rita Coolidge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQTYmWTnrSY
*****************
UPDATE July 8, 2024

"Bullying, jealousy, hate, greed, lies, arrogance, searing self-absorption, destructive 'power over' mentalities are wasteful pursuits and causes the human heart to fall to the ground. It is beyond healing, beyond human conscience when women fight with each other. We are Mother Earth's heartbeat, it is our responsibility to bring peace, harmony and balance back to the world. This will not happen if we continue to find fault with ourselves and perpetuate it on our sisters."

Shannon Thunderbird, Tsimshian singer and storyteller

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Georgia’, by Jackie Richardson ft Peter Appleyard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8ObplHsxa4
******************
UPDATE July 7, 2024

"I remember my first solo (in the CF-18 Hornet). There I was taxiing out to the end of the runway thinking to myself, 'Can you imagine this, look at me driving this $35 million jet!'"

Major Deanna Brasseur, one of the first two women in the world trained to fly jet fighter aircraft in combat

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Four Strong Winds’, by Neil Young ft Willie Nelson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIQu_MVZcas
********************
UPDATE July 6, 2024

"I do not want to be the angel of any home; I want for myself what I want for other women, absolute equality. After that is secured, then men and women can take turns at being angels.""

Agnes Macphail, first woman member of Parliament in Canada

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Working Man’, by Rita MacNeil ft Men of the Deeps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe2hEm1xsa8
*********************
UPDATE July 5, 2024

"It's great going up and looking at the earth, but all I could think of was getting back and having a glass of cold skim milk."

Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman in space

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Christian Island’ (Georgian Bay), by Gordon Lightfoot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP3n_U7G2CY
*******************
UPDATE July 4, 2024

"I see a peaceful world in which we have finally come to terms with the reality that our survival depends on abandoning conflict, working for peace, sharing what we have and living within our ecological means."

Elizabeth May, environmentalist

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Circle Game’, by Joni Mitchell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9VoLCO-d6U
********************
UPDATE July 3, 2024

"The people do not exist for the sake of art, to give the painter fame or the picture a market. On the contrary, art exists for the sake of the people, to refresh the weary, to console the sad, to increase man's joy of living and his sympathies with all the world."

Madge Young Clement, singer and first president of The Brandon Art Club

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Snowbird’, by Anne Murray ft Jann Arden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFKmqmYcRLM
*****************

UPDATE July 2, 2024

"The root of the word 'society' is 'friendship' and 'companionship'. This concept is the basis of the Kaienerekowa, the Great Law of Peace, the Constitution of the Five Nations Iroquois Confederacy. The Great Law is a way of life that was given to us as we saw it. It's how we are to relate to the universe, which is the way that I have tried to live."

Kahn-Tineta Horn, Mohawk activist

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Dreamcatcher’, by Morgan Toney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy6lrOgW0Hs
*******************
UPDATE July 1, 2024

Prayer for Canada
(inspired by Psalm 72)

“He shall have dominion from sea to sea….” Psalm 72:8

O Lord,
we gather together in your presence on this Canada Day.
We read of your “dominion” in Psalm 72,
and claim this promise—that your will would prevail in this land.
We pray for the movement of your Holy Spirit across this nation
and for the work of your church in every city and village.

O Lord, make us mindful of your generosity,
and glad to do your will.
Bless our land with honest industry, truthful education,
and an honourable way of life.
Save us from violence, discord, and confusion;
from pride, arrogance, and from every evil course of action.
Make us, who come from many different backgrounds and countries,
a united people – one in purpose and vision.
Give our government a spirit of wisdom and compassion
that there may justice and peace in our land.
When times are prosperous, lead us to thanksgiving,
and when times are troubled, lead us to a deepening trust in you.

All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~ adapted from a prayer on the website of Trinity Anglican Church in Barrie, Ontario. http://www.trinitybarrie.ca/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘O Canada (A Prelude and Anthem)’, by Revv 52
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7_ZUBjuTi4
*******************
June is Pride Month and Indigenous History Month. The month of June offers us two themes to focus our minds and hearts. It is Pride Month where we consider how the church has too often excluded our 2SLGBTQIA+ siblings. Also, it is Indigenous History Month where we consider our learning and further our journey of reconciliation with our Indigenous siblings here on Turtle Island. We want to observe and celebrate both of these important observations so we will alternate daily from one focus to the other with resources and music from each of these diverse communities. We will offer suggestions of books, movies, documentaries, and podcasts that you can use to begin or continue your own personal journey as well as the journey of the church. Some resources may prove more difficult to watch or read than others, but you are encouraged to find a place to start. We as individuals and in the church have not always conducted ourselves with the grace and welcome we might have liked if we had been in the shoes of others. But, in the immortal words of the late Dr. Maya Angelou, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”—LC

UDATE June 30, 2024

Cure for Love (Documentary)
Written by: Christina Willings
Directed by: Francine Pelletier & Christina Willings
Produced by: Christina Willings & Bonnie Thompson
2008; Running Time: 59 Min

From the National Film Board Website
Cure for Love is a full-length documentary about a controversial evangelical movement that purports to convert gay people into heterosexuals. The film brings us inside this unusual Christian subculture and follows the lives of several young people whose homosexuality is at odds with their religious beliefs.

This documentary is available for you to watch for from the NFB website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/cure_for_love/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Wonder of the Cross’, by Vicky Beeching
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z6ajASbM0A
*********************
UPDATE June 29, 2024

Spirit Doctors (Documentary)
Written & Directed by: Marie Burke
Produced by: Bonnie Thompson
2005; Running Time 40 Min

From the National Film Board Website
This short documentary journeys into the spiritual world of traditional Indigenous medicine, a world inhabited by Dr. Mary Louie (a spiritual leader of the Syilx or Okanagan Nation), and her husband Ed Louie. With a lifetime of experience in the ways of spirituality, they are committed to practices that keep them accountable to the spirit world, their people, and Mother Earth. When one of the crew members get sick while shooting, his subsequent care is recorded for the purposes of this film.

This documentary is available for you to watch for from the NFB website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/spirit_doctors/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Into the Light’, by Susan Aglukark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyRab7EIwGk
*********************
UPDATE June 28, 2024

Love, Scott (Documentary)
Written & Directed by: Laura Marie Wayne
Story Consultant: Scott Jones
Music: Sigur Ros
2018; Running Time: 1 Hr 15 Min

From the National Film Board Website
While walking on the street one night in a small town in Canada, Scott Jones, a gay musician, is attacked and paralyzed from the waist down; what follows is a brave and fragile journey of healing and the transformation of a young man’s life. From the first raw moments in the hospital to a disquieting trip back to the place he was attacked, Scott is constantly faced with the choice of losing himself in waves of grief or embracing love over fear. Filmed over three years by Scott’s close friend, Love, Scott is an intimate and visually evocative window into queer experience, set against a stunning score by Sigur Rós.

This documentary is available for you to watch for from the NFB website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/love_scott/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Break Our Hearts’, by Vicky Beeching
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zGQL-O9aew
*******************
UPDATE June 27, 2024

Crazywater (Documentary)
Written & Directed by Dennis Allen
Produced by: Selwyn Jacob
2013; Running Time 56 Min

From the National Film Board Website
This feature-length documentary from Inuvialuit filmmaker Dennis Allen is an emotional and revealing exploration of addiction among Indigenous people in Canada.

After years of struggle and shame, 5 Indigenous Canadians bravely come forward with their stories of substance abuse, presenting the sensitive topic of alcoholism in an honest and forthright manner. Alex, Paula, Desirae, Stephen, and Dennis himself maintain a deep and devoted commitment to their traditional culture to achieve long-term sobriety. Through their voices, this insightful doc offers an inspirational beacon of hope for others.

THIS WORK DEALS WITH MATURE SUBJECT MATTER. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

This documentary is available for you to watch for from the NFB website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/crazywater/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ko’jua’, by Morgan Toney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnpvxx0xyMU
********************
UPDATE June 26, 2024

The Ice King (Documentary)
Written & Directed by: James Erskine
Produced by: New Black Films
2018; Running Time: 1 Hr 30 Min

From IMDB
The Ice King is the searing documentary of a lost cultural icon, a story of art, sport, sexuality, and rebellion. Including incredible unseen footage of some of his most remarkable performances and with access to Curry's letters, archive interviews, and interviews with his family, friends and collaborators, this is a portrait of the man who turned ice-skating from a dated sport into an exalted art form. Watch any figure skating and it falls into two possible camps: before and after John Curry. From what was a macho, technical sport whose judges punished deviation blossomed - through John Curry's stubborn beauty - ice-dancing. This was no Holiday on Ice, but a new artistic medium. After winning gold at the Winter Olympics for a rebelliously balletic routine, Curry saw the world's stages sheeted with ice. Audiences and reviewers alike were enthralled by his genius. But Curry's story is about more than skating. On the night of the final, Curry became the first openly gay Olympian at a time when homosexuality was barely legal. From bullying and prejudice, to relief in the gay underworld, to his untimely death from AIDS, Curry's story dovetails with the experiences of a generation. Tortured by demons, Curry was forever on the run. Never owning a home, he lived on the favours of those who loved him. The only place he found true freedom was the ice. This is the story of a man whose body was a battleground. From love affairs, to violence in sex clubs, to its 'unmanly' elegance on the ice, every act was rebellion. John Curry was no activist, but an artist expressing his authentic self - yet in a world where his existence was taboo, his life was unavoidably political.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpCIF6X6AWw

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Never Lost’, by Ray Boltz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn9I6DDLJ1o
*********************
UPDATE June 25, 2024

Our Maternal Home (Documentary)
2023; Running Time: 27 Min
Written & Directed by: Janine Windolph
Produced by: Chehala Leonard & Jon Montes

From the National Film Board Website
Filmmaker and educator Janine Windolph ventures from Saskatchewan to Quebec with her two teens and younger sister, tracing their familial origins to the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi. Against the scenic backdrop of these Traditional Lands, Elders offer newfound interdependence and hands-on learning, transforming this humble visit into a sensory-filled expression of reclamation and resilience. Our Maternal Home lovingly establishes a heart-centred form of resistance to confront and heal from the generational impacts of cultural disconnection, making space for what comes next.

This documentary is available for you to watch for from the NFB website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/our-maternal-home/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Want to Rise’, by Emma Stevens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5cbSh5Ru7s
*****************
UPDATE June 24, 2024

Emergence: Out of the Shadows (Documentary)
Directed by: Vinay Giridhar
2021; Running Time: 1 Hr
TVO Docs

From IMDB
For Kayden, Jag, and Amar, awakening to and expressing their sexuality within conservative South Asian families was a lonely and terrifying experience. Denial, shame and despair haunted their youths, even threatening their lives. Yet, they've emerged. In the gripping feature documentary Emergence: Out of the Shadows, the disparate journeys of Kayden, Jag and Amar candidly converge around a shared sense of compassion and healing as they bravely convey their often heart-wrenching stories. Confronted with tradition and taboo in their Punjabi Sikh cultures, resisting silence, Jag's parents and Amar's mother choose love over rejection, offering courage and inspiration to individuals and communities struggling with acceptance. Tender, thoughtful and teary, Emergence: Out of the Shadows asserts a potent and transformative voice in support of marginalized queer youth and their families.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxye-3OVN9c

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Unknown’, by Chely Wright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6fu8C9SmNg
*****************
UPDATE June 23, 2024

Our Home on Native Land-Burrard Inlet (Documentary)
CPAC Production
Produced by: Ed Watson
2008; Running Time 1 Hr

From CPAC:
CPAC’s Ed Watson provides an in-depth look at one of this country's wealthiest First Nations Reserves, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, commonly known as Burrard Inlet, in British Columbia.

Located on the outskirts of Vancouver, this community has been very successful in developing up-scale condominiums and building prestigious golf courses that have become profitable sources of revenue for the reserve.

Prosperity has also brought its share of problems to Burrard Inlet, but the community is determined to solve them in their own traditional ways.

Ed also speaks with residents about day-to-day life on the reserve. Among those interviewed are Justin George (a councillor), Leah George-Wilson (the chief of the Tseil-Waututh Nation), and Andrew Van Eden (a community justice co-ordinator).

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pmnJjsk7jQ&t=

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘We Shall Remain (It Wasn’t Taken Away)’, by Kaolin Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jYnPr065-4
******************
UPDATE June 22, 2024

No Ordinary Man (Documentary)
Written by: Amos Mac & Aisling Chin-Yee
Directed by: Aisling Chin-Yee & Chase Joynt
TVO Docs
2020; Running Time: 1 Hr 18 Min

From YouTube
This film explores the life of American Jazz musician Billy Tipton, whose story was framed as an ambitious woman passing as a man in pursuit of a music career. Tipton's story is re-imagined and performed by trans artists as they collectively paint a portrait of an unlikely hero.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crPsU8jwQfc

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Tomorrow is a Long Time’, by Chely Wright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHjZEBbCRgk
*****************
UPDATE June 21, 2024

Our Home on Native Land-Cumberland House (Documentary)
CPAC Production
Produced by: Ed Watson
2008; Running Time 30Min

From the CPAC website:
CPAC’s Ed Watson visits Cumberland House Cree Nation (CHCN), a Cree reserve located north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. CHCN was once the largest in-land trading post in Canada.

Ed speaks with residents about day-to-day life in their community, including concerns about education and job availability.

He also interviews community leaders about steps taken to improve quality of life on the reserve. Among those interviewed are Celia Dechambault (the principal of Nisto Awasisak Memorial School), Chief Walter Sewap (CHCN), Hazel Harris (a community health worker), and Andy McKay (the mayor of Cumberland Village).

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aA4vG7zU_w

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Gentle Warrior’, by Kaolin Johnson ft Devon Paul and Thunder Herney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkUxIFw5vOg
*******************
UPDATE June 20, 2024

Makers: Women Who Make America--
Billie Jean King-A Tennis Legend's Journey to Social Change (Documentary)
PBS, Kunhardt Film Foundation
2013; Running Time: 48 Min

From YouTube
Billie Jean King recalls discovering tennis at the age of 11, how she paid for her first racket, and why she instantly fell in love with the sport after her first lesson. King discusses how she used tennis as a platform for her life’s work to fight for equal rights, her role in the birth of professional women’s tennis in 1971, the importance of Title IX, and explains why she decided to play Bobby Riggs in 1973’s Battle of the Sexes - “It wasn’t about tennis, it was about history and social change.”

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LENIJW93XAI

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Cowboy Take Me Away’, by Cameron Hawthorn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij_7lgVPaWA
**************
UPDATE June 19, 2024

Our Home on Native Land-Pauingassi (Documentary)
CPAC Production
Produced by: Jonathan Craven
2008; Running Time 1 Hr

From CPAC
CPAC’s Jonathan Craven visits Pauingassi, a First Nations reserve located 300 kilometres north of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Jonathan speaks with Pauingassi residents about key issues affecting quality of life on the reserve, such as poverty, alcohol abuse, and alcohol-related violence.

He also interviews leaders in the Pauingassi community about steps being taken to improve these conditions, including Eric Kennedy (a supervisor at Southeast Child and Family Services), David Phillips (a member of the defence council for the Pauingassi court docket), Louis Young (the Pauingassi health director), and Jim Leonard (the principal of Omiishosh Memorial School).

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0SOx29D6vE

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Cheslatta’, by Cheryl Bear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfuZiikEYkY
***********************
UPDATE June 18, 2024

You’ll Be Straight: The Underside of Conversion Therapies (Documentary)
Directed by: Caroline Benarrosh
Production: Tohubohu for France Télévisions
2020; Running Time: 52 Min

Accepting one’s homosexuality for an American today ought to be simple? And yet, it is not so straightforward!

700,000 young people in the United States have already undergone so-called conversion therapies, intended to "cure" their homosexuality. Run by religious or pseudo-scientific communities, these therapies promise to fix a supposedly "deviant sexual orientation" and to change a person’s inner identity.

Through social, familial and religious pressure, Mathew, Jordan and Lucas all signed up for these therapies and went through hell: Isolation, sequestration, humiliation, food deprivation, physical and psychological violence.

Today, a political combat is underway to halt these therapies and to acknowledge the victims. This is likely to be a long process, given that such practices are still allowed in 41 states and have the backing of the Trump administration.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q71p4AvUBhI

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Georgia’, by Katie Pruitt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqWtfkcUuoQ
**************
UPDATE June 17, 2024

Our Home on Native Land-Wikwemikong (Documentary)
CPAC Production
Produced by: Jonathan Craven
2008; Running Time 1 Hr

From YouTube
A special one-hour documentary on the First Nations Reserve of Wikwemikong. Located on Manitoulin Island in Georgian Bay in Ontario, Wikwemikong is one of Canada's largest reserves with a population of over 7,000. Many in the community are scarred from the legacy of residential schools, and unemployment and drug abuse are high, but there is a concerted effort made within the community to improve their lives.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ell3X6Afn3U

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Road to the Reservation’, by Cheryl Bear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQCiY-E3VUM
************************
UPDATE June 16, 2024

Rupert Everett’s Shades of Gay (Documentary)
Directed by: Michael Waldman
Narrated & Hosted by: Rupert Everett
2017; Running Time: 46 Min

From YouTube
Fifty years after the decriminalization of homosexuality in Great Britain, actor Rupert Everett examines the evolution of both the gay community and public opinion toward gay people.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RASRL0wwJ0

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘All My Life’, by Brooke Eden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv2QMboZ_Lc
**************
UPDATE June 15, 2024

Broken Treaties (Documentary)
Oregon Experience, Oregon Public Broadcasting
Produced & Written by Eric Cain
Narrated by Art Alexander
2017; Running Time: 1 Hr

From YouTube:
For thousands of years, more than 60 Native American tribes lived in Oregon's diverse environmental regions. At least 18 languages were spoken across hundreds of villages. This civilizational fabric became unraveled in just a few short decades upon contact with white settlers in the 19th century.

In this "Oregon Experience" documentary, Native Oregonians reflect on what has been lost since and what's next for their tribes.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHq6ncJJ35w

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Broken Walls’, by Jonathan Maracle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mIBck7ZCl0
******************
UPDATE June 14, 2024

Call Me Troy (Documentary)
Directed by: Scott Bloom  
2007; Running Time: 100 min.

From YouTube
Profiling the life and times of one of the gay community's most visible and tenacious advocates for change, Rev. Troy Perry, Call Me Troy is a truly inspirational story about a remarkable and dynamic individual whose activism was decades ahead of its time.

Rev. Perry is perhaps best known as the founder of the Metropolitan Community Church - the first church to recognize the spiritual needs of the gay community - but his "firsts" don't stop there. He was the first openly gay person to serve on the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations. In 1969, Perry performed the first public same-sex wedding in the U.S., and in 1970 he filed the first-ever lawsuit seeking legal recognition for same-gender marriages. From presidential advisor to outspoken advocate, Perry has been on the front lines leading the charge for equal rights and protections for gay men and lesbians the world over as well as providing a place for all people, gay and straight, to worship side by side. This film celebrates his life and his legacy.

(Caution: Adult content warning. Viewer discretion advised.)

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eCaJ-xs3Xo&rco=1

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Hometown’, by Brandon Stansell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE-PiUdtttQ
******************
UPDATE June 13, 2024

O Siem (Documentary)
Written & Directed by: Gillian Darling
Produced by: George Johnson
1996; Running Time 53 Min

From the National Film Board website:
This documentary offers an engrossing portrait of Gene Harry, devoted husband, father, and foster father. He's also a Church Minister, champion dragon boat racer, long-boat canoe paddler, and Eagle Spirit Dancer in the traditional Salish Long House. In short, he's remarkable. And when he speaks, people listen. Discover why with this up-close look at the humble, yet charismatic, First Nations spiritual healer.

This documentary is available for you to watch for from the NFB website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/osiem/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Time Traveler’, by Lyla June ft Desirae Harp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulK_GE9XjO8
*********************
UPDATE June 12, 2024

Devout and Out: Susan (Documentary)
CBC ShortDocs
Directed by: Thirza Cuthand
Co-Produced by: Alex Josselyn-Hamilton
2018; Running Time: 21 Min

From YouTube
Susan navigates her identity as a queer Mohawk minister as she finds herself nominated for the position of Moderator of The United Church of Canada. Susan lives on a fine line between cultures and expressions. She is Kanien'kehá:ka (also known as Mohawk).  She is a United Church minister at the Grand River United Church.  Despite balancing these diverse identities, Susan radiates peace and thoughtfulness. She is living out a new expression of faith in the somber face of the church’s abusive history toward Indigenous and queer individuals.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dL4umRd0K8

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Loving Her’, by Katie Pruitt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md20eWBsRYo
****************

UPDATE June 11, 2024

Dancing Around the Table: Part Two (Documentary)
Directed by: Maurice Bulbulian
Executive Producer: Raymond Gauthie
1987; Running Time: 50 Min

From the National Film Board website:
Dancing Around the Table: Part Two charts the battle to enshrine Indigenous rights in the Canadian Constitution, capturing a key moment in Canada’s history from the perspective of Indigenous negotiators. The 1985 conference, chaired by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, was the fourth and final meeting to determine an amendment to Indigenous rights as defined in the Constitution. The provincial premiers again refuse to reach an agreement with the First Nations, Metis and Inuit leaders, even though the majority of Canadians supported the inclusion of Indigenous rights to self-government.

Director Bulbulian captures the pride and determination of Indigenous leaders and community members who refuse to back down on this historic opportunity to enshrine their rights, and the arrogance of the First Ministers who are fighting to keep power within the federal and provincial governments. The film takes us to Indigenous communities, where ceremony and traditional practices affirm the connection to the earth and its animals, and are the source of the strength and resilience shown by the Indigenous people around the table.

This documentary is available for you to watch for from the NFB website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/dancing_around_the_table_part_two/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Residential School Song (Indian Boarding School Song)’, by Cheryl Bear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoVERQn0YV0
******************
UPDATE June 10, 2024

Devout and Out: Cormac (Documentary)
CBC ShortDocs
Written & Directed by: D.W. Waterson
Co-Produced by: Alex Josselyn-Hamilton
2018; running Time 19 Min

From YouTube:
Cormac left evangelical Christianity after coming out as queer. Now, as an Anglican youth minister, they’re trying to create a different script for young, queer Christians.  Cormac is a queer, trans, non-binary youth minister who works at an Anglican church in Toronto. Cormac is creating a new narrative for queer people by setting an example of how religious organizations can reduce the trauma that young people experience when they come out to their communities.

Over the course of this documentary, we see the impact that a positive queer role model can have on youth and the strength of character it takes to create a safe space within a place that felt so hostile in the past.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1JaYxAfAPk

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Outlaw Love’, by Brooke Eden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLhnY8NSrfU
*****************
UPDATE June 9, 2024

Dancing Around the Table: Part One (Documentary)
Directed by: Maurice Bulbulian
Executive Producer: Raymond Gauthie
1987; Running Time: 57 Min

From the National Film Board website:
Dancing Around the Table: Part One provides a fascinating look at the crucial role Indigenous people played in shaping the Canadian Constitution. The 1984 Federal Provincial Conference of First Ministers on Aboriginal Constitutional Matters was a tumultuous and antagonistic process that pitted Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and the First Ministers—who refused to include Indigenous inherent rights to self-government in the Constitution—against First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders, who would not back down from this historic opportunity to enshrine Indigenous rights.

In a now infamous exchange, Kwakwaka’wakw lawyer and lead negotiator Bill Wilson states that he has two children who want to become lawyers and prime minister. When he says that they are Indigenous women, the male audience bursts into laughter, and Trudeau replies, “Tell them I’ll stick around until they’re ready.” Over 30 years later, Bill Wilson’s daughter, Jody Wilson-Raybould, became Canada’s first Indigenous minister of justice and attorney general in the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The conference was Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s last constitutional meeting before he resigned and the process was handed over to his successor, Brian Mulroney.

This documentary is available for you to watch for from the NFB website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/dancing_around_the_table_1/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Water is Life’, by Lyla June ft Oliver Enjady
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfX0tTrSRG0
******************

UPDATE June 8, 2024

Pray the Gay Away? Breaking News
Our America Episode with Lisa Ling
2012; Running Time: 46 Min

From YouTube
Is it possible to use prayer and therapy to "pray the gay away"? Revisit the groundbreaking episode on this topic, along with an exclusive new interview with the leader of Exodus International, Alan Chambers, who credits this show with changing his mind. (Original Air Date: August 21, 2012)

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JILH0bWiWc

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Dear Insecurity’, by Brandy Clark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9MY-FFis2E
*****************
UPDATE June 7, 2024

We Will Be Free-Aboriginal Peoples in Canada (Documentary)
2011; Running Time 1 Hr
Directed by: Max F. Meis
Written by: Max F Meis, Larry Morrissette, Ferdinand Carriere

From YouTube
The indigenous people in Canada are survivors. Survivors of a long history of oppression. Their culture and language were once questioned by the new 'owners' of their world. This documentary is looking for the sources of suffering within the indigenous population of Winnipeg in Canada. Their stories tell about a long battle for the right to simply exist and about a machinery that was designed to erase their people from planet earth. Many generations of indigenous people have suffered this cultural genocide enforced by the canadian government. What we see today is the aftermath of this history of colonization and the first steps to pick up the pieces and heal. There is a long journey ahead but a start is made.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXT2JXe8mnA

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Eagle Song’, by Red Shadow Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwYa14fk8lE
***************
UPDATE June 6, 2024

Take Me to Prom
CBC Short Docs
Directed & Produced by: Andrew Moir
2019; Running Time: 20 Min

Revisit this iconic adolescent milestone through interviews with LGBTQ people ranging in age from 17 to 88. Featuring intimate, charming interviews with queer Canadians ranging in age 17 to 88, Take Me To Prom invites audiences to revisit this iconic adolescent milestone.

Meet Alf, a quiet wallflower with a secret crush. Fontaine only remembers the details of his date’s dress. Marcy skipped her prom for a wild escapade. Alphonso staged a liberating protest with his friends. Marc bravely went to court so he could take his boyfriend to prom. Carmen’s traumatic prom marked the beginning of her inspiring transformation. And Caroline’s story captures the complex reality faced by queer youth today.

Vivid set design, re-enactments and archival footage transport audiences across 70 years of teenage heartbreak and rebellion — all while telling a story of social change over seven decades. 

(Caution: Occasional strong language. Viewer discretion advised.)

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR4fcsx_U6k

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘You and Me on the Rock’, by Brandi Carlile ft Catherine Carlile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLrXLjWGmi8
*****************
UPDATE June 5, 2024

Standing Alone (Documentary)
1982; Running Time: 57 Min
Directed by: Colin Low
Produced by: Tom Daly
National Film Board

From the National Film Board website:
Pete Standing Alone of the Kainai Nation was more at home in the White man's culture than his own as a young man. However, confronted with the realization that his children knew very little about their origins, he became determined to pass down to them the customs and traditions of his ancestors. This hour-long film is the powerful biographical study of a twenty-five-year span in Pete's life, from his early days as an oil-rig roughneck, rodeo rider and cowboy, to the present as an Indigenous man concerned with preserving his Nation's spiritual heritage in the face of an energy-oriented industrial age.

This documentary is available for you to watch for from the NFB website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/standing_alone/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Remember Me’, by Fawn Wood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-UKIhCQ-C4
*******************
UPDATE June 4, 2024

Devout and Out: Pip
CBC ShortDocs
Directed by: Alex Josselyn-Hamilton
2018; Running Time: 25 Min

From YouTube:
After going through conversion therapy, marrying a woman and having children, Pip came out as gay. He’s now an Anglican priest who’s breaking new ground with queer-focused services at his church.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U1TqvREtAQ

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Back Pew’, by Lily Rose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXlL4Bk9VjE
********************
UPDATE June 3, 2024

These Are My People…(Documentary)
Directed by: Roy Daniels, Willie Dunn, Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell, & Barbara Wilson
1969; Running Time: 13 Min
National Film Board

From the National Film Board website:
Released in 1969, These Are My People… was the first NFB film made entirely by an Indigenous crew. It was co-directed by Roy Daniels, Willie Dunn, Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell and Barbara Wilson—members of the Indian Film Crew (IFC), an all-Indigenous unit established in 1968 as part of Challenge for Change, a broader organizational initiative to use media to effect social change. One of the first Canadian documentaries to foreground an Indigenous perspective on the history of Indigenous–settler relations, it features Standing Arrow and Tom Porter, from the Kanien’kéhaka (Mohawk) community of Akwesasne, who discuss longhouse religion, culture, government and the impacts of settler arrival on their way of life.

This documentary is available for you to watch for from the NFB website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/these_are_my_people/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘One World (We Are One)’, by Taboo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHhbeRJudY4
******************
UPDATE June 2, 2024

Challenging Tradition: LGBT Clergy in the Church of England
2017; Running Time: 30 Min
Produced by: Florence Browne

From YouTube:
The Church of England’s interpretation of the Bible is far from accepting of non-heterosexual relationships. “I had an internal battle,” says Michael, a gay priest, “because the way I still felt in my heart of hearts, at the core of my being, was that it wasn't wrong.” Another priest, Andrew, feels that he has been discriminated against after marrying a male partner: “I’m on a blacklist, basically.” By speaking out, the Church’s own ranks are leading the struggle for change.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh5b_nApxJk

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘What Mattered Most’, by Ty Herndon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSnGDePzppE
****************
UPDATE June 1, 2024

Trick or Treaty? (Documentary)
Directed & Written by: Alanis Obomsawin
2014; Running Time: 1 Hr 24 Min
National Film Board

From the National Film Board website:
Covering a vast swath of northern Ontario, Treaty No. 9 reflects the often contradictory interpretations of treaties between First Nations and the Crown. To the Canadian government, this treaty represents a surrendering of Indigenous sovereignty, while the descendants of the Cree signatories contend its original purpose to share the land and its resources has been misunderstood and not upheld. Enlightening as it is entertaining, Trick or Treaty? succinctly and powerfully portrays one community’s attempts to enforce their treaty rights and protect their lands, while also revealing the complexities of contemporary treaty agreements. Trick or Treaty? made history as the first film by an Indigenous filmmaker to be part of the Masters section at TIFF when it screened there in 2014.

This documentary is available for you to watch for from the NFB website at the following link:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/trick_or_treaty/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘All Nations Rise’, by Lyla June
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr2VLI8jKww
*******************
UPDATE May 31, 2024

Come to the edge of creation. Come look out to the silent darkness. Open your spirit and let your voice be heard. I am here, your voice will say, I am part of it all. And once you claim your spiritual ground, suddenly fields of stars will fill the darkness: the campfires of your ancestors, still burning bright. Yes, we know, they will answer, for we followed the signs of your love, until they brought us to you.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Plan for Me’, by Zach Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ELwaho1WWI
*********************
UPDATE May 30, 2024

We are not weak, but strong, in the love of Spirit. We are not anxious, but confident, in the future we create with Spirit. We are not overwhelmed, but organized around the wisdom of Spirit. We are not timid, but bold in the justice of Spirit. We are not passive, but active in the service of Spirit. We are not finished, but only beginning, to see the vision of Spirit.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God Who Listens’, by Chris Tomlin & Thomas Rhett
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RSC34jQuoU
********************
UPDATE May 29, 2024

Celebrate the small stuff, the minor victories, the score one for the good guys moments that feel like they are helping you to breathe again. The big issues may still elude us, they may still be a work in progress. But never walk past the modest but clear signs that Spirit is at work in your life. The wildflower is as beautiful as the redwood.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Abide’, by Aaron Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA-Wi4fdcVE
*************************
UPDATE May 28, 2024

Let love your anthem be, the constant refrain heard in all your words and actions, the music you make to heal the world. We are each part of a choir, a global choir, ringing right around the whole of Mother Earth, all life singing together, every squawk and squeak, every bellow and chirp, part of the sound of love that sings forever in the heart of creation.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Hurt People (Love Will Heal Our Hearts)’, by Sidewalk Prophets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8Ij1vjyf24
***********************
UPDATE May 27, 2024

When I get angry at the way the world is going, I try to turn that energy toward doing something about it. The more frustrated I feel, the more I search for ways to have an impact. At my time of life, it may not be as big of an impact as others can make, but it is a contribution. Every time we volunteer, donate, or show up: we change the balance of hope.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Let the Nations be Glad’, by Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7stE0C1oST8
*******************
UPDATE May 26, 2024

There is a balance to be kept in times of adversity. It is between confidence and common sense. We need to be confident in what is guiding us. We need to trust and have the courage of our convictions. At the same time, we need the common sense of having our doubts and the ability to share our concerns. We need the freedom to be different. We need the balance of diversity.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Still Waters (Psalm 23)’, by Leanna Crawford
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1IaQvgPsfA
***********************
UPDATE May 25, 2024

Christian Prayer for Peace

Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be known as the Children of God.

But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from those who take away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well.

Give to everyone who begs from you, and of those who take away your goods, do not ask for them again.

And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-for-peace

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Psalm 19’, by Jess Ray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCmGsqtnSEs
*****************
UPDATE May 24, 2024

Prayer for a World Where Hope Seems Dim

Dear God, the world seems so dark and foreboding.

Where are the signs of hope?

What are you calling us to do?

Wars, uprisings, displacements, hunger, poverty, and disease continue to claim victims by the millions around the world each year.

Our ears do not want to hear their stories and our eyes do not want to see their plight because the suffering and destruction is so massive and cruel.

In our hearts and minds there is a desire to help somehow, but the crisis seem so overwhelming that we shake our heads in dismay and we wonder what the point is for us even to attempt to be witnesses for healing and hope in this hellish morass.

We beg with the song writer to open our eyes that we may see glimpses of truth you have for us.

Help us to follow the path of Jesus, the Suffering Servant. Give us the courage to be willing to walk the path of depression and pain with the victims of injustice here at home as well as abroad.

Help us to seek ways to light candles of hope, however small, through our words, our deeds, and our prayers, to encourage our sisters and brothers to hold onto the faith in spite of the pain and suffering they are facing.

And help those of us who are among the fortunate ones, who have enough bread to eat, good health, and who live in relative peace, to open our heart to learn from our sisters and brothers who are living lives of grace and forgiveness in the horrid circumstances which surround them. O God, help us to light one candle rather than to curse the darkness.

We pray this in the name of Jesus, who knows what being a light in this dark world is all about.
- Larry Kehler, Mennonite Central Committee, Canada, 2009
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-for-peace

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Morning Song’, by Jess Ray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3GEKAM6CcI
*********************
UPDATE May 23, 2024

A Prayer for Peace
We are moulded, each one of us,
in the image of God,
and within our souls there is a fingerprint
none can erase.
We pray for those who have no regard
for anyone but self,
who put no value on human life.
For nations and individuals who abuse and kill.
We are not called to be judge or jury,
but we are called to be agents of change,
and if the butterfly that flaps its wings
should be our attitude to others
then so be it, Lord,
and may the hurricane this generates
somewhere within the world
reach into the hearts and souls of those
for whom we pray, and reveal to them
how precious are those
for whom they have no love,
and how precious are they
who now bring tears to the eyes of God.
- John Birch
As found on: https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_peace.htm
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/prayers-for-peace

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘What If’, by Jess Ray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfvlIbfb9-w
**********************
UPDATE May 22, 2024

Give Me Strength
Dear Oh God, I ask not for easier tasks.
I ask for stronger aptitudes and greater talents
to meet any tasks which may come my way.

Help me to help others
so that their lives may be made easier and happier.
Strengthen my confidence in my fellow men
in spite of what they may do or say.

Give me strength to live according to the Golden Rule,
enthusiasm to inspire those around me,
sympathy to help lighten the burdens of those who suffer,
and a spirit of joy and gladness to share with others.
-attributed to Harry Bullis, former chairman of General Mills
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/strength

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ninety-One’, by Jess Ray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0rhAAI4988
***********************

UPDATE May 21, 2024

 For Strength and Wisdom

Thank You, Lord, for being there for me and allowing me to cry out to you in my times of need. It is amazing to me that the Lord of the Universe would take time to listen to me and to care about what I say.

God, there are things happening around me right now that I do not understand. Some of these thinks make me feel weak, helpless, and afraid.

Even in the midst of this, I know that you are the Lord.

I know that the situation is in Your hand, and I trust You.

I beseech you for strength and for wisdom that I would be able to endure his situation and be able to handle it in a way that would bring glory to Your name.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/strength

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Lilies and Sparrows’, by Jess Ray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw8757d5lfg
*******************
UPDATE May 20, 2024

Your Loving Support
God, oh God, it is you I seek.
And, with your constant loving support
I will even try to seek you in lost causes,
those dark and forgotten places that I can't imagine you present.
And yet you are there.
Help me to be there too,
seeking, finding, proclaiming your goodness
even as the day darkens
and my spirit draws back to my false safety of self.
Fill me with wonder of your goodness,
replacing my self doubt with confidence
in you and your sure and steady help.
- Author Unknown
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/strength

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Nothing’, by Jeremy Rosado
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oduxNoHoWtI
********************
UPDATE May 19, 2024

THIS GRACE THAT SCORCHES US
A Blessing for Pentecost Day

Here’s one thing
you must understand
about this blessing:
it is not
for you alone.

It is stubborn
about this.
Do not even try
to lay hold of it
if you are by yourself,
thinking you can carry it
on your own.

To bear this blessing,
you must first take yourself
to a place where everyone
does not look like you
or think like you,
a place where they do not
believe precisely as you believe,
where their thoughts
and ideas and gestures
are not exact echoes
of your own.

Bring your sorrow.
Bring your grief.
Bring your fear.
Bring your weariness,
your pain,
your disgust at how broken
the world is,
how fractured,
how fragmented
by its fighting,
its wars,
its hungers,
its penchant for power,
its ceaseless repetition
of the history it refuses
to rise above.

I will not tell you
this blessing will fix all that.

But in the place
where you have gathered,
wait.
Watch.
Listen.
Lay aside your inability
to be surprised,
your resistance to what you
do not understand.

See then whether this blessing
turns to flame on your tongue,
sets you to speaking
what you cannot fathom

or opens your ear
to a language
beyond your imagining
that comes as a knowing
in your bones,
a clarity
in your heart
that tells you

this is the reason
we were made:
for this ache
that finally opens us,

for this struggle,
this grace
that scorches us
toward one another
and into
the blazing day.                  

—Jan Richardson
From Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.|
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Halleluyah’, by Anshe Emet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEUTaBXFKDQ
*******************
UPDATE May 18, 2024

May What I Do Flow From Me Like a River
I believe in all that has never yet been spoken.
I want to free what awaits within me
So that what no one has dared to wish for
May for once spring clear
Without my contriving.
If this is arrogant, God, forgive me,
But this is what I need to say.
May what I do flow from me like a river,
No forcing and no holding back,
The way it is with children.
Then in these swelling and ebbing currents,
These deepening tides moving out, returning,
I will sing you as no one ever has,
Streaming through widening channels
Into the open sea.

- Rainer Maria Rilke
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/strength

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Heaven Are You Listening?’, by Kalsey Kulyk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01knHhQRlEc
*******************
UPDATE May 17, 2024

Nostalgia
Here is a little thought that floated in on a gentle breeze:
nostalgia can be spiritual band-aids.
These small flashbacks to the familiar
and the comforting can do any of us good
when our nerves are jangled.
And right now,
there is a lot of jangling going on.
So take a break into memories of a calmer season.
Let your nostalgia soothe the cuts and scrapes of life in our time.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘More Than This’, by CeCe Winans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm8KyYFKf2I
*****************

UPDATE May 16, 2024

The Mother Within Us All
There is a mother within us all,
a mother remembered,
a mother discovered,
a mother surprisingly ourselves.
We are all capable of a love so strong
that it can be described as loving with a mother’s passion.
Let us celebrate that passion
by honoring the many mothers whose life-changing love
has blessed us beyond measure.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God and God Alone’, by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64R6BZK7tm8
*****************
UPDATE May 15, 2024

Enough
Our goal is that everyone has enough.
Not more.
Not all.
But enough,
enough for living beings to share,
enough for life to thrive.
Spirit has given us an Earth where doing that
is more than possible.
All we need to do
is recover from our addiction to privilege.
Simple and sustainable:
the path forward is broad and inclusive.
Let us walk it together.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Lord and Friend’, by CeCe Winans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig9QNLiVDEE
*****************
UPDATE May 14, 2024

The Choice
Sometimes we have to choose.
So often in life it comes down to that:
we have to make a choice.
The crossroads is where our spirituality is lived out,
where it shapes the world in which we live.
When you find yourself standing in the place of decision,
make sure you are standing next to the Spirit.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

‘3:16’, by Anne Wilson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LobSQBqW22w
****************
UPDATE May 13, 2024

Creation Prayer
God our Father,
you created the world and sent your own Son to live among us,
made of the same stuff, breathing the same air,
marveling at sunrise and sunset just as we do.

Help us to participate in the life around and within us as your life,
as you living in us and we living in you and in each other.

God of love and life, restore us to your peace,
renew us through your power and teach us to love all that you have created and to care for the earth as your gift and our home.

- The Earth Community: In Christ through the Integrity of Creation
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/creation-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Cross’, by Anne Wilson & Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39UafwUH4Gg
****************
UPDATE May 12, 2024

a blessing for Mother's Day
Bless all the moms—
those who have carried us
in their bodies,
and in their hearts,
and in their minds,
and all those who have mothered us
in some form or fashion.

The ones who answer our calls
no matter the time of day,
or absurd the request.
Those who remind us
that we are loved, loved, loved
no matter what.
We thank them and honor them all.

Those we can hug today,
and those who are now gone
and those now distant from us.

And bless all those too
for whom mothering is
complicated, difficult,
heartbreaking, or incomplete.

Do what only you can do, God:
Bless and heal.
Restore. Rebuild.
Pour love over everything
these hearts have touched.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘When My Mama Prays’, by Corrina Grant Gill & Vince Gill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akodSdB9daM&list=RDakodSdB9daM&start_radio=1
***********

UPDATE May 11, 2024

God Bless the World
Mighty God, Father of all,
Compassionate God, Mother of all,
Bless every person I met,
every face I have seen,
every voice I have heard,
especially those most dear;
bless every city, town and
street that I have known,
bless every sight I have seen,
every sound I have heard,
every object I have touched.
In some mysterious way these have all fashioned my life:
all that I am,
I have received.
Great God, bless the world.

-John J. Morris, S.J.
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/creation-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Somebody’s Child’, by Blessing Offor & Dolly Parton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytmDNu-QWC8
******************

UPDATE May 10, 2024

The Earth is the Lord's

This we know: the earth does not belong to us.
The earth is the Lord’s and so are all its people.

This we know: we did not weave the web of life.
The earth is the Lord’s and so is all that breathes on it.

This we know: we are called to till and work the earth.
The earth is the Lord’s and so are all who work the land.

This we know: that we are called to take care of creation.
The earth is the Lord’s yet we have polluted and abused it.

This we know: that whatever befalls the earth, Befalls the sons and daughters of the earth
This we know: that the earth is the Lord’s. And so we will serve Him in it.

Amen.
-Bishop Eric Pike
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/creation-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘All Things New’, by Elaine Hagenberg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGNU0Wz2ors
*******************

UPDATE May 9, 2024

May 5th was the national day of awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, also known as Red Dress Day. As we move toward a more just and reconciling relationship with our Indigenous siblings, we remain committed to becoming more aware, and bringing more awareness to the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People.

Creator God, we come to you with humility, courage, respect, and honesty as we seek to right the wrongs done to Indigenous women and girls, and to members of the 2-Spirit-plus community, the First Nations, Inuit and Métis people of Turtle Island.

We seek truth.  We listen to the stories of family and friends who have lost a beloved grandmother, mother, daughter, auntie, sister, cousin, friend.  Help us to face this difficult truth and to make much needed change.

We seek love.  We pray for all who lives have been impacted by this trauma of death and disappearance.

We seek honesty.  May those with information about these murdered and missing women and girls have courage to come forward.

We seek wisdom.  May our leaders and police continue to lead and search with speed and compassion, love, and concern.

We pray for healing.  May those impacted by these murders and disappearances, as well as those who face bigotry and violence, continue to hold their loved ones in care and love.  May our hurting nation seek to offer support, generosity, and love to all affected by these tragic losses.  May we seek to listen to stories, to look at photos, and to offer our resolve.

We ask for courage.  For all families and friends who offer testimony, stories, tears, and anger.  For those who continue to search.   For the First Nations, Inuit and Métis people of Turtle Island who fear for the women and girls of their communities.  For our nation as we face the ugly truth before us.  For the Christian Churches of Canada to be people who follow the example of Jesus by welcoming all and offering peace, love, and friendship always.

We seek to be welcoming.  For all people, regardless of their race, culture, orientation, beliefs, or any other category we place one another into, may we be kind, friendly, accepting of differences, and loving to all your peoples.

Creator God, you are present within us and all around us.  Bring about a change in our collective hearts that transforms fear into hope, apathy into genuine concern, tragedy into a transformed society.  Help us to hold Indigenous women and girls, and all easily exploited and ignored people, in our care.

Be with us, Creator God, as we do the difficult work of righting the wrongs done.  Give us courage, give us honesty, make us humble, open our hearts to love more fully.

AMEN.
--Reprinted from the Eastern Synod website

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women’, by Antone George & the West Shore Canoe Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KMYi-2BMsI
*******************
UPDATE May 8, 2024

Watch for the Signs
One of the spiritual lessons I enjoyed most as a child
was learning to read the signs.
It is a little like tracking.
You need to be alert.
You need to watch for context.
But the signs are there.
Signs of the presence of the sacred.
They can be seen throughout the natural world.
They can be seen in our daily lives.
They are road markers on the holy journey.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Come Alive’, by Lauren Daigle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XfYmkWYdQ4
*******************
UPDATE May 7, 2024

The Wisdom is Within Us
They knew it long ago,
those who went through times of struggle,
those who faced profound change
-- our ancestors.
They knew how important it was to stand together.
To help one another.
To keep the common good sacred.
They had the courage of love.
We are their children.
Their wisdom is within us.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘How Can I Keep From Singing?’, by Shenandoah Christian Music Camp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw-ycev482k
*************************
UPDATE May 6, 2024

Show Me and Let Me See
Show me my blind spots, Spirit,
show me what I fail to see.
Let me look reality in the eye.
Let me see the truth,
even if the truth is difficult for me.
I do not want to live in delusions or denial.
I want to be a meaningful partner in the work of change.
So open my eyes to see as you see:
the broad vision of hope
where possibilities are revealed
like lights going on in the night.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God Be With You’, by Oasis Chorale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEzBtaiUZNI
********************
UPDATE May 5, 2024

a blessing for your (actual human) body

Blessed is the body
that offers soft hugs on hard days.
Whose curves fit our pets
and our kids and our partners.

Whose hands hold another
alongside hospital beds and
in nursing homes and at the altar
and on the first day of school.

Whose breasts nurse and legs run
to chase littles and whose toes
balance us on the earth.
Whose wrinkles tell stories
of laughs and tears and worries.

Blessed are these imperfect,
fragile bodies.
This flesh and bone.

These cells that sometimes duplicate
for no reason whatsoever.
This skin that is stitched together
with scars and stretch marks and fine lines.

Blessed is the body
because it is a home.
Not just for us,
but for those who love us.
And sometimes you just need to
stand in front of the mirror
and take off all your clothes,
and remember that this body,
your body, is God’s home address.

p.s. That last line is inspired by Barbara Brown Taylor, who always says it best.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Sweetest Gift (A Mother’s Smile)’, by Trio (Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, & Linda Ronstadt)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWEQDyrbphE
******************
UPDATE May 4, 2024

Here are some quotes by blogger, author, speaker, and theologian, Rachel Held Evans who passed away unexpectedly five years ago on May 4, 2019 at the tender age of 37. She left behind a husband, two very young children, a sister, parents, and a world full of people who read her words and realized that despite what they heard from so many fundamentalist Christians, there really was a place at God’s table for everyone and that God loves everyone exactly as they are. Her legacy is huge and far-reaching. She is missed.—LC

“Dignified or not, believable or not, ours is a God perpetually on bended knee, doing everything it takes to convince stubborn and petulant children that they are seen and loved. It is no more beneath God to speak to us using poetry, proverb, letters, and legend than it is for a mother to read storybooks to her daughter at bedtime. This is who God is. This is what God does.”
― Rachel Held Evans, Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again

“Baptism reminds us that there’s no ladder to holiness to climb, no self-improvement plan to follow. It’s just death and resurrection, over and over again, day after day, as God reaches down into our deepest graves and with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead wrests us from our pride, our apathy, our fear, our prejudice, our anger, our hurt, and our despair.”
― Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church

“But the gospel doesn’t need a coalition devoted to keeping the wrong people out. It needs a family of sinners, saved by grace, committed to tearing down the walls, throwing open the doors, and shouting, “Welcome! There’s bread and wine. Come eat with us and talk.” This isn’t a kingdom for the worthy; it’s a kingdom for the hungry.”
― Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church

“The truth is, you can bend Scripture to say just about anything you want it to say. You can bend it until it breaks. For those who count the Bible as sacred, interpretation is not a matter of whether to pick and choose, but how to pick and choose. We’re all selective. We all wrestle with how to interpret and apply the Bible to our lives. We all go to the text looking for something, and we all have a tendency to find it. So the question we have to ask ourselves is this: are we reading with the prejudice of love, with Christ as our model, or are we reading with the prejudices of judgment and power, self-interest and greed? Are we seeking to enslave or liberate, burden or set free?”
― Rachel Held Evans, Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
 
‘Hold on to Me’, by Lauren Daigle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBl2rPMP49Q
***************
UPDATE May 3, 2024

Here are some quotes by blogger, author, speaker, and theologian, Rachel Held Evans who passed away unexpectedly five years ago on May 4, 2019 at the tender age of 37. She left behind a husband, two very young children, a sister, parents, and a world full of people who read her words and realized that despite what they heard from so many fundamentalist Christians, there really was a place at God’s table for everyone and that God loves everyone exactly as they are. Her legacy is huge and far-reaching. She is missed.—LC

“But there is a difference between curing and healing, and I believe the church is called to the slow and difficult work of healing. We are called to enter into one another’s pain, anoint it as holy, and stick around no matter the outcome.”
― Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church

“What I love about the ministry of Jesus is that he identified the poor as blessed and the rich as needy...and then he went and ministered to them both. This, I think, is the difference between charity and justice. Justice means moving beyond the dichotomy between those who need and those who supply and confronting the frightening and beautiful reality that we desperately need one another.”
― Rachel Held Evans, A Year of Biblical Womanhood

“We could not become like God, so God became like us. God showed us how to heal instead of kill, how to mend instead of destroy, how to love instead of hate, how to live instead of long for more. When we nailed God to a tree, God forgave. And when we buried God in the ground, Got got up.”
― Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church

“Two thousand years later, John’s call remains a wilderness call, a cry from the margins. Because we religious types are really good at building walls and retreating to temples. We’re good at making mountains out of our ideologies, obstructions out of our theologies, and hills out of our screwed-up notions of who’s in and who’s out, who’s worthy and who’s unworthy. We’re good at getting in the way. Perhaps we’re afraid that if we move, God might use people and methods we don’t approve of, that rules will be broken and theologies questioned. Perhaps we’re afraid that if we get out of the way, this grace thing might get out of hand. Well, guess what? It already has. Grace got out of hand the moment the God of the universe hung on a Roman cross and with outstretched hands looked out upon those who had hung him there and declared, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
― Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Be Still and Know’, by CeCe Winans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_OaCHslVVY
********************
UPDATE May 2, 2024

Not Giving Up
I am not ready to give up on hope,
no matter the evidence to the contrary.
I am not ready to give up on peace,
even as wars rage.
I am not going to give up on hope
because I am not going to give up on people.
Even a few people can make a great difference –
if they do not give up on the Spirit who will never give up on them.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Abide in Me’, by Diana Trout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tcO-INylGs
*************
UPDATE May 1, 2024

Grateful, Thankful
I am grateful to you, Spirit,
for your gift of life.
Every morning I open my eyes is another gift of time,
that most precious of substances,
poured out for me to claim in any way I wish.
I walk in gratitude, Spirit,
knowing you are forever beside me,
ever watchful, ever loving.
I am thankful that your breath
and my breath
are the same.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Let Go and Let God’, by Elaina Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IpkAikjsMo
*******************
UPDATE April 30, 2024

A blessing for everything we cannot buy

God, I am told to invest in myself.
You’re worth it.
I should find myself
in the market that owns me.

If you check my billing statements,
I am a monthly subscription
for white noise and sleep stories
and chewable melatonin.

I am a standing grocery order
for dark roast fair-trade beans
and dry, full-bodied Spanish reds.

On a customer-service report somewhere
read aloud in an
air-conditioned boardroom
I represent the value of unlimited
digital access to The New York Times
and Wordle. Mostly Wordle.

But, Lord, this is not the creation story
of gardens and mud made flesh,
and life breathed into
one-click ordering.

Unmake me.
Unmake me.
Unmake me.

Put me to sleep.
Steal another rib
and let me awake to all things
astonishingly unnamed and unknown
by the world I made
in affordable monthly installments.
—Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Like the Sparrow’, by Elaina Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS114lOa7CQ
******************
UPDATE April 29, 2024

for keeping your heart soft when everything is broken

Blessed are you who see it all now.
The terrible,
beautiful truth that our world,
our lives seem irreparably broken.

And you can’t unsee it.
The hungry kid.
The exhausted mom.
The woman who wonders
if any of this is worth it.
The loneliness and despair.

Blessed are you
who glimpse reality
and don’t turn away.
This kind of seeing
comes at a steep cost,
and it is a cost you
may not have paid intentionally,
but here you are.
Seeing things clearly.

Blessed are you who have worked hard
to keep your heart soft.
You who live with courage,
fixing what is in your reach,
praying about what is not,
and loving, still.

May you experience deeper capacity
and glimpses of hope,
as you continue to see the world as it is.
Terrible. Beautiful. Fragile.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Still Kind’, by Diana Trout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_BUrGWTdKA
***************
UPDATE April 28, 2024

Today’s Earth Week Resource

We close out our focus on Earth Week, but our work to help save our creation is ongoing. We can do something each and every day to make a difference. Think. Pray. Act. It’s up to all of us!

Living the Change: Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future
Running Time: 1 Hr 26 Min

From YouTube
Living the Change is a free feature-length documentary that explores solutions to the global crises we face today – solutions any one of us can be part of – through the inspiring stories of people pioneering change in their own lives and in their communities in order to live in a sustainable and regenerative way.

Directors Jordan Osmond and Antoinette Wilson have brought together stories from their travels, along with interviews with experts able to explain how we come to be where we are today. From forest gardens to composting toilets, community supported agriculture to timebanking, Living the Change offers ways we can rethink our approach to how we live.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq9sg397ee8

As an added bonus, Pastor Laura recommended the documentary 500 Days in the Wild. It is an independent documentary film project which follows filmmaker Dianne Whelan's 6-year journey on all 24,000 km of the land and water trails of the Trans Canada Trail, weaving together a total experience of adventure, personal reflections, stunning wildlife and landscapes. It is available at the following link, but it is available for purchase or rent only. Running Time: 2Hr 4 min. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do82w1J4v3g

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Earth Day Every Day (Celebrate)’ by John Denver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGnWuwAJ6bM
*******************
UPDATE April 27, 2024

Today’s Earth Week Resource

Our Planet-Our Business
Running Time 38 Min

The global business community can be a powerful force to drive action for nature - find out why we are confident that change is possible. Our Planet: Our Business, a new film for business inspired by the Netflix series Our Planet, is available to watch now.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdWQJq2OkJs

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Love Song to the Earth’, by Various Artists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSnOXbaXzfM
*********************
UPDATE April 26, 2024

Today’s Earth Week Resource

Our Planet Netflix Series
Experience our planet's natural beauty and examine how climate change impacts all living creatures in this ambitious documentary of spectacular scope.
Each episode has a running time of about 48 minutes.

This documentary series is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following links:

Episode 1-One Planet
In this episode: Witness the planet's breathtaking diversity -- from seabirds carpet-bombing the ocean to wildebeests eluding the wild dogs of the Serengeti.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfO-3Oir-qM&list=PLydZ2Hrp_gPS1DRwFcowNTRNR1B9QbPm3

Episode 2-Frozen Worlds
In this episode: On the unforgiving frontier of climate change, polar bears, walruses, seals and penguins find their icy Edens in peril.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTQ3Ko9ZKg8&list=PLydZ2Hrp_gPS1DRwFcowNTRNR1B9QbPm3&index=2

Episode 3-Jungles
In this episode:  Jungles and rainforests are home to an incredible variety of species like preening birds, intelligent orangutans and remarkably ambitious ants.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um2Q9aUecy0&list=PLydZ2Hrp_gPS1DRwFcowNTRNR1B9QbPm3&index=3

Episode 4-Coastal Seas
In this episode:  From fearsome sharks to lowly urchins, 90 percent of marine creatures live in coastal waters. Protecting these habitats is a battle humanity must win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9PeYPHdpNo&list=PLydZ2Hrp_gPS1DRwFcowNTRNR1B9QbPm3&index=4

Episode 5-From Deserts to Grasslands
In this episode:  Cameras follow desert elephants seeking sustenance, bison roaming North American grasslands and caterpillars living the good life underground.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmtXC_n6X6Q&list=PLydZ2Hrp_gPS1DRwFcowNTRNR1B9QbPm3&index=5

Episode 6-High Seas
In this episode:  Venture into the deep, dark and desolate oceans that are home to an abundance of beautiful -- and downright strange -- creatures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FqwhW0B3tY&list=PLydZ2Hrp_gPS1DRwFcowNTRNR1B9QbPm3&index=6

Episode 7-Fresh Water
In this episode:  The need for fresh water is as strong as ever. However, the supply is becoming increasingly unpredictable for all manner of species.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2DU85qLfJQ&list=PLydZ2Hrp_gPS1DRwFcowNTRNR1B9QbPm3&index=7

Episode 8-Forests
In this episode:  Examine the fragile interdependence that exists between forests' wide variety of residents, including bald eagles, hunting dogs and Siberian tigers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkaxUblCGz0&list=PLydZ2Hrp_gPS1DRwFcowNTRNR1B9QbPm3&index=8

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Creation Hymn’, by Matt Boswell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpqCsX_vJDE
*****************
UPDATE April 25, 2024

Today’s Earth Week Resource

Earth: The Inside Story
2014; Running Time: 57 Min
Written by: Doug Prose
Narrated by: Dan Nachtrab
Produced by: Earth Images Foundation

From the PBS website:
Trace the geologic story of our home planet, beginning with its formation four-and-a-half-billion years ago and continuing with its evolution to the present.  Shot in top geologic hot spots on all seven continents, interspersed with footage of earthquakes and volcanoes from Nepal to Antarctica, this film features a diverse group of leading geologists who reveal the latest thinking about how the Earth works, from the core to the crust and up into the atmosphere.  Earth: The Inside Story contrasts Earth’s geology with that of other planets in our solar system, dramatically underscoring how unique our planet is, and delves into the unpredictable sequence of geologic and cosmic events that happened before we humans made our appearance on Earth just a few million years ago.  Leading up to modern times, the film lends scientific perspective to a question people have been asking in light of recent news coverage of major earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and extreme weather: Are Earth’s natural systems undergoing a period of intense upheaval?

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy4dth1N224

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘For the Beauty of the Earth’, by Audrey Assad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asU005-nnDI
********************
UPDATE April 24, 2024

Today’s Earth Week Resource

Greta's Story: The Schoolgirl Who Went on Strike to Save the Planet
By Valentina Camerini
Illustrated by Veronica Carratello
Translated by Moreno Giovannoni
Published by: Aladdin
2021
Ages: 8-12

From Simon and Schuster
The inspiring true story of a Greta Thunberg, a young eco-activist whose persistence sparked a global movement.

You are never too young to make a difference.

Ever since she learned about climate change, Greta Thunberg couldn’t understand why politicians weren’t treating it as an emergency. In August 2018, temperatures in Sweden reached record highs, fires raged across the country, and fifteen-year-old Greta decided to stop waiting for political leaders to take action. Instead of going to school on Friday, she made a sign and went on strike in front of Stockholm’s parliament building.

Greta’s solo protest grew into the global Fridays for Future—or School Strike 4 Climate—movement, which millions have now joined. She has spoken at multiple international climate summits, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and was chosen as Time’s 2019 Person of the Year. This timely, unofficial biography is her story, but also that of many others around the world willing to fight against the indifference of the powerful for a better future.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Creation Calls’, by Brian Doerksen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28sqs5H5hao
*****************
UPDATE April 23, 2024

Today’s Earth Week Resource

How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time (Book)
By Will McCallum
Published by: Penguin Books
2019

From Bookshop.org
An accessible guide to the changes we can all make--small and large--to rid our lives of disposable plastic and clean up the world's oceans

How to Give Up Plastic is a straightforward guide to eliminating plastic from your life. Going room by room through your home and workplace, Greenpeace activist Will McCallum teaches you how to spot disposable plastic items and find plastic-free, sustainable alternatives to each one. From carrying a reusable straw, to catching microfibers when you wash your clothes, to throwing plastic-free parties, you'll learn new and intuitive ways to reduce plastic waste. And by arming you with a wealth of facts about global plastic consumption and anecdotes from activists fighting plastic around the world, you'll also learn how to advocate to businesses and leaders in your community and across the country to commit to eliminating disposable plastics for good.

It takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to fully biodegrade, and there are around 12.7 million tons of plastic entering the ocean each year. At our current pace, in the year 2050 there could be more plastic in the oceans than fish, by weight. These are alarming figures, but plastic pollution is an environmental crisis with a solution we can all contribute to.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Trees We’ll Never See’, by Amy Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYzGMsBwU8c
********************
UPDATE April 22, 2024

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Today’s Earth Week Resource

Michael Moore Presents: Planet of the Humans
A Film by Jeff Gibbs
2019

Michael Moore presents a film by Jeff Gibbs, Planet of the Humans, a documentary that dares to say what no one else will — that we are losing the battle to stop climate change on planet earth because we are following leaders who have taken us down the wrong road — selling out the green movement to wealthy interests and corporate America. This film is the wake-up call to the reality we are afraid to face: that in the midst of a human-caused extinction event, the environmental movement’s answer is to push for techno-fixes and band-aids. It's too little, too late.

Removed from the debate is the only thing that MIGHT save us: getting a grip on our out-of-control human presence and consumption. Why is this not THE issue? Because that would be bad for profits, bad for business. Have we environmentalists fallen for illusions, “green” illusions, that are anything but green, because we’re scared that this is the end—and we’ve pinned all our hopes on biomass, wind turbines, and electric cars?

No amount of batteries are going to save us, warns director Jeff Gibbs (lifelong environmentalist and co-producer of “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Bowling for Columbine"). This urgent, must-see movie, a full-frontal assault on our sacred cows, is guaranteed to generate anger, debate, and, hopefully, a willingness to see our survival in a new way—before it’s too late.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk11vI-7czE

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Keepers of the Earth-Yes We Are (Song for the Environment’, by Centuple Resource Centre & SEFAAI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyeXIO8s1UU
*************************
UPDATE April 21, 2024

As we begin Earth Week, we will focus on how we can be better stewards on the earth we have been gifted with by our Creator. We can all do something to help save our planet from ourselves, be it large or small. What can you do? Act. Learn. Pray. --ED

Today’s Earth Week Resource

Earth is a 2007 nature documentary film which depicts the diversity of wild habitats and creatures across the planet. The film begins in the Arctic in January of one year and moves southward, concluding in Antarctica in the December of the same year. Along the way, it features the journeys made by three particular species—the polar bear, African bush elephant and humpback whale—to highlight the threats to their survival in the face of rapid environmental change. A companion piece to the 2006 BBC/Discovery television series Planet Earth, the film uses many of the same sequences, though most are edited differently, and features previously unseen footage. Earth was co-directed by Alastair Fothergill, the executive producer of the television series, and Mark Linfield, the producer of Planet Earth's "From Pole to Pole" and "Seasonal Forests" episodes. It was co-produced by BBC Natural History Unit and Greenlight Media, with Discovery providing some of the funding. In North America, the film was released by Disneynature, the first film under Disney's recently formed nature film label. The same organisations collaborated on Fothergill's previous film, Deep Blue (2003), itself a companion to his 2001 television series on the natural history of the world's oceans.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQoMqthZehI

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Mother Earth’, by Karliene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caIo1UGSDgw
****************
UPDATE April 20, 2024

If Not For You
How barren my land would be,
if not for you, Spirit of life.
You are clouds gathering on the mesas,
wind racing across seas of grass,
rivers dancing down the mountains.
You are moonlight.
You are breath.
You are what calls me on and keeps me going.
How full you make my life, Spirit,
how abundant the land you let me call home.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Where Can I Go-Psalm 139’, by Ellie Holcomb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUjhyYXZ3wA
****************
UPDATE April 19, 2024

Here Is Hope
Tossed like leaves in the wind,
we feel our own fragility with every headline we read.
We do not know why this is the time into which we were born,
but we are not here by accident.
Beneath the gathering clouds we make our witness –
a torch held high for others to see.
Here, it says to all without exception,
here is a light that will not be lost.
Here is hope. Here is the ark of our dreams.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Lift My Eyes-Psalm 121’, by Ellie Holcomb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KjpfRFylPo
**********************
UPDATE April 18, 2024

Who Do You Trust?
Who do you trust?
That’s an important question these days.
You may have a short list.
You may have a long list.
But whoever else you trust,
please remember to add yourself to the list.
Trust your own experience,
your intuition,
your wisdom,
your relationship with Spirit.
You have not come this far
without learning what is important.
That is why I trust you.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘All of My Days-Psalm 23’, by Ellie Holcomb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGzJxSS2W8Y
*****************
UPDATE April 17, 2024

I Am A Work In Progress
Patience in what I need to do.
Courage in what I need to be.
Peace in what I need to become.
Hope in what I need to believe.
I am a work in progress, Spirit,
a veteran learner who longs to grow.
Please help me embody the qualities
I need to follow my path to you.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
 
‘Wait for You-Psalm 130’, by Ellie Holcomb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCJAHT96R9s
********************
UPDATE April 16, 2024

One In Heart And Many In Mind
We are one in heart and many in mind.
Spiritual unity is possible
when people do not have to agree with one another
to love one another.
Our kindness, compassion and support
come from the heart as we live together in peace.
At the same time, our ideas, visions and opinions
may vary widely as we continue our creative work together
for the common good.
We are one in heart and many in mind.
--Bishop Steven Charleston 

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘All We Ask’, by Shofar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUpuU8vwHvw
**********************
UPDATE April 15, 2024

A blessing to take what you need
The feeder is empty again
and no one is claiming that
the birds are greedy
for taking what they pleased.

Look at how the fat, pink flowers
are weighing the end of each branch,
sucking nutrients into each velvet petal.
How selfish.

Nature hungers,
takes and needs.
God, why can’t I?

Blessed are we,
learning to take what we need.
Sleeping past our alarms.
Reaching for another helping.
Staying a little longer
when the evening is unwinding.

Blessed are we,
ignoring the rising anxiety
that our needs are somehow silly
because we’ve survived this long
without the pleasures
of this wanting.

God,
let these needs be the good sign
of the greening of my life.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ancient Words’, by Michael W. Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9rk7v2L3hc
*******************
UPDATE April 14, 2024

Generosity
Generosity is a unique kind of spiritual energy.
It has a life of its own.
A generous act can be like fireworks exploding in a night sky,
beautiful, ephemeral, or it can last a lifetime,
a relationship of love.
Generosity is a gift that blesses the giver
just as it blesses the receiver.
It is an expression of our common heart,
a gift given for what we share.
Generosity is who we are
when who we are is suddenly seen.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘In the Stillness’, by The Many
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knaEnlvPu3U
***************
UPDATE April 13, 2024

Drawn Together, Held Together
Sometimes,
when I am keeping company with the moon,
awake and thinking in the dark,
I drift into thinking of you
(whoever you are, wherever you are)
and how we are drawn together,
held together, by words,
words we share in this community every day.
The power of the word is still strong.
In you. In me.
The beauty and authority of the words we release.
Still able to call forth the best in us.
Still willing to speak the words that must be spoken.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Rise Up’, by The Many
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pb1aI1PePY
***************
UPDATE April 12, 2024

They Say Struggle Makes Us Stronger
They say struggle makes us stronger,
and sure I believe it is so,
for I have known many quiet heroes,
champions of the struggle called life,
who have taught me the common courage within us all,
the strength of a heart that will not surrender its hope,
the depth of a human soul unafraid,
the enduring goodness that is always there just before us,
a promise made and a promise kept.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Hold Me Saviour’, by Keith & Kristyn Getty, Skye Peterson, Sandra McCracken
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Ps_p7tjxc
****************
UPDATE April 11, 2024

A Blessing for When You Don’t Feel Fulfilled Anymore
God, I will wake up today and move,
numbly,
into each new hour.

I will fill my lungs with the air
of an undone, unfinished,
never-before-seen day,
entirely certain of how I will feel
when it ends:
tired.
bored.
unchanged.

God, even my best efforts—
my sacrificial love, my diligent work—
don’t stir up anything
like the rush of accomplishment.
Whatever felt like meaning
isn’t meaningful anymore.
At least not today.

One minute, I want to change everything.
And the next I want to crawl back into bed.|
(But, if I’m honest, how much of my actual
day-to-day life could I change,
even if I wanted to?)

Lord, this is the simplest prayer:
make it matter again.
Color my grayscale vision
with every shade of meaning.
Blues and purples and lilacs for purpose.
Reds and pinks for every kind of love.
Yellows for insights and ideas that sparkle.

And if once-cherished dreams need to fade,
let them fade.

Let me not imagine
that each one of my plans
must glue my future together.

Surprise me.
(I regret saying that already.)
But let me come alive to the wonder
of this day.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God Walks the Dark Hills’, by Iris DeMent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0t38AyrqBM
******************
UPDATE April 10, 2024

A Blessing for Learning to Delight Again
Blessed are you, the pragmatic.
You who have run the math and know what adds up…
and what doesn’t.
You have set it all down.
You who don’t hope or dream or plan anymore because… what’s the point?

But blessed are you, learning to live here.
Your world has shrunk.
Pain or grief or fear has sucked up
every bit of oxygen from the room
and every ounce of delight has been squeezed from your hands.

But blessed are we,
who discover that even in the smallness,
our attention might compress even more.

We who pull out a magnifying glass
to discover... to notice... to taste... to smell…
the small joys and simple pleasures that make a life worth living.

You who wear the fancy blouse
because it makes you feel nice,
long after you thought your body was worth decorating.
You who eat the over-the-top meal because that is what today can afford.

you who make the memory and plan the trip and who snap a picture because we know that this one, wild, precious life might cost us everything… so why not make it not just bearable, but beautiful.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Leaning on the Everlasting Arms’, by Iris DeMent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1r-aTbaA-c
****************
UPDATE April 9, 2024

For living without control
God, I come to you as I am.
It is all I have, really.
And the next one I’m conscious of
will be the same.
I can feel the way I move,
moment to moment,
without the comfort of “solutions.”

It seems wild to me now
how I imagined any
once-and-for-all cure for this,
or a master plan to ensure
things will work out.
But, truth be told,
that’s always been
my secret hope.

So, Lord, let’s try again.
I’m begging for a new plan.
I want a plan that is an “unplan.”
I must keep moving and planning,
trying and changing,
knitting my days together even
as they unravel.
So can we do this together?

Remind me to pray: come Lord
and quiet the worry.
I step, and you steady me.
I give, and you keep my hands open.
I act, and you fortify me with courage
to try and try and try again.

This life is uncertain, Lord,
but your love is not.
You tell the story of my life
regardless of how little I know
about how it ends, except to say,
you were there since the beginning
and you appear on every page.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Let the Mystery Be’, by Iris DeMent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlaoR5m4L80
**************
UPDATE April 8, 2024

Your Soul Rises
Like a still pool of water,
nestled beneath bending trees,
your soul rests in a timeless world,
at peace within itself.
Like a mother lion,
alert and ever watching,
your soul rises to meet its challenges,
protecting young hope from any danger.
Like a clear voice singing,
singing through the night,
your soul brings love to all who hear,
a healing sound across still waters.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God is God’, by Joan Baez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ_Ktz73WMY
*******************
UPDATE April 7, 2024

An Easter Blessing
So, Jesus, wasn’t that illegal
for you to break the seal
the Roman guards put there?
Bursting the bonds of death itself
to come again, larger than life?
And was it wise to present yourself
first to the women,
so lowly in social standing their word meant nothing in court?

And why did you keep appearing suddenly
to the huddled believers
behind locked doors for
fear of their enemies,
scared out of their wits to hear you say,
“Peace be with you!”?

And isn’t it the case that they were
never the same again,
these ordinary people
who had been so cowed,
receiving your Holy Spirit,
emboldened to begin the work you
set in motion,
speaking life and health and peace
to all who would listen?

This is what our newborn church
looks like: Blessed.
Blessed in our fear and inadequacy.
Blessed by your faith in us.
Blessed that we received,
by your own hand, the gift of hope—
the beginning of the end of sin
and of death.

We follow you as best we can
along that downward path
with all the humility we can manage.
You came back to us.

Alleluia.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
--Kate Bowler

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Precious Love’, by Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLZeYx9sZS0
******************
UPDATE April 6, 2024

We Are Not Afraid
We are not afraid,
even if we have every reason to be.
Yes, our eyes are open.
Yes, we are aware of the realities around us,
the hard realities,
but even if the daily news tries to press the hope out of us,
still we are not afraid.
Why?
Because we know every living thing
is under the watchful eye of love.
Every prayer,
ever said, by anyone,
is heard and received.
Every life, ever lived,
is redeemed by a power
far greater than even imagination can contain.
So, no, we are not afraid.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Above All’, by Michael W. Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdhIz3SKAp8
**********************
UPDATE April 5, 2024

Collateral Renewal
You have heard of collateral damage.
Now hear of collateral renewal.
Every time we act in kindness,
in mercy, in love:
the impact of our actions radiates out
to touch many more lives
than the ones in our immediate vicinity.
Others we do not know will be affected.
The reverberations of our compassion
will circle the world.
Collateral renewal –
healing rippling out, never ending.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Hello God’, by Dolly Parton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvgHfqXHS-8
*****************
UPDATE April 3, 2024

Across Still Waters
Like a still pool of water,
nestled beneath bending trees,
your soul rests in a timeless world,
at peace within itself.
Like a mother lion,
alert and ever watching,
your soul rises to meet its challenges,
protecting young hope from any danger.
Like a clear voice singing,
singing through the night,
your soul brings love to all who hear,
a healing sound across still waters.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Completely Known, Completely Loved’, by Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVuTMug1XqI
*********************
UPDATE April 2, 2024

We Are a Celebration
Hear laughter sound from distant mountains.
Hear the shout of joy rising from the valley.
Dawn has broken on fields of flowers,
sending clouds flying like kites in a clear sky.
This is a sign from heaven,
a promise made to all living things:
life is not random,
but intentional.
Life is not an end,
but a transformation.
Life is not only now,
but forever.
We are a celebration
with every breath we take.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Hallelujah (Easter Version)’, by Kelley Mooney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWwl3DS2dh4
********************
UPDATE April 1, 2024

When Your Life Turns
How quickly life turns.
One minute you are in a place of peace.
The next minute you are facing a struggle.
The truth is,
we cannot change that pendulum.
We can only live it.
But we can live it with hope,
with dignity,
and with support.
The next time your life turns on a dime,
let it turn first to the Spirit,
the steady source of help
in an ever-changing world.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Via Dolorosa’, by Sandi Patty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYbJINxRz6o
******************
UPDATE March 31, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Anne Murray-Life & Times (Documentary)
CBC Production
Produced & Directed by: Sharon Bartlet & Maria LeRose
Written by: Helen Slinger
Narrated by: Jerry Thompson
1996; Running Time: 47 Min

From Wikipedia
Morna Anne Murray CC ONS (born 1945) is a Canadian singer of pop, country, and adult contemporary music, who has sold over 55 million album copies worldwide during her over 40-year career. Murray has won four Grammys including the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1979.

Murray was the first Canadian female solo singer to reach No. 1 on the U.S. charts and also the first to earn a Gold record for one of her signature songs, "Snowbird" (1970). She is often cited as one of the female Canadian artists who paved the way for other international Canadian success stories such as k.d. lang, Céline Dion, and Shania Twain. Murray is well known for her Grammy Award-winning 1978 number-one hit (in several countries) "You Needed Me", and is the first woman and the first Canadian to win Album of the Year at the 1984 Country Music Association Awards for her Gold-plus 1983 album A Little Good News.

Besides four Grammys, Murray has received a record 24 Juno Awards, three American Music Awards, three Country Music Association Awards, and three Canadian Country Music Association Awards. She has been inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, the Juno Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame. She is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Walkway of Stars in Nashville and has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles and on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto.

In 2011, Billboard ranked her 10th on their list of the 50 Biggest Adult Contemporary Artists Ever.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCAfI0fkHy4

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Let There Be Love’, by Anne Murray ft Dawn Langstroth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=310V18GzrtY
********************
UPDATE March 30, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Dottie Rambo ‘More Than the Music’ (Documentary)
2002; Running Time: 1 Hr 11 Min
Produced by: Stephen Yake
Narrated by: Charlie Daniels

From Wikipedia
Dottie Rambo (1934–2008) was an American gospel singer and songwriter. She was a Grammy winning solo artist and multiple Dove award-winning artist. Along with ex-husband Buck and daughter Reba, she formed the award-winning southern Gospel group, The Rambos. She wrote more than 2,500 songs, including her most notable, "The Holy Hills of Heaven Call Me", "He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need", "We Shall Behold Him", and "I Go To the Rock".

As a songwriter, Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley, Carol Channing, Sandi Patty, Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Rhonda Vincent, Vestal Goodman, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Solomon Burke, and George Jones are among those who have recorded her songs. Her songs have appeared in movies such as Undertow. It's very common to find hymnals that include Dottie's compositions. The Gaither Homecoming series have featured/covered dozens of her songs; moreover, she has appeared in five of the Gaither Homecoming video and TV series.

In 1991 Dottie was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall Of Fame, 1997 The Southern Gospel Music Hall Of Fame. The Christian Country Music Association's “Songwriter of The Century”. In 2006 she was inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame with Lily Tomlin presenting her the honor. In 2007 Barbara Mandrell presented Dottie her induction into the Nashville Songwriter Association's Hall of Fame (she was the 10th female ever to be inducted). In 2008 she was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

In 2000, Rambo was awarded the ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award. Her music is known for its poetic lyrics and cross genre reaching melodies often dealing with themes such as heaven, Christian sacrifice, hurts, and the born-again Christian experience.

On May 11, 2008, while on her tour bus heading to Texas for a Mother's Day concert, Rambo's tour bus crashed, killing her instantly. The crash took place in Mt. Vernon, Missouri. The other 6 passengers survived with injuries, including her manager Larry Ferguson and his family.

A tribute album in honor of Dottie's songwriting will be released in 2021. The album will feature artists of various genres singing their favorite Rambo composition. Rambo's longtime manager Larry Ferguson is co-producer of the project.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8IbMjnA_MU

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Will Glory in the Cross’, by Dottie Rambo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw9_wUugYgA
******************
UPDATE March 29, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

The Fanny Crosby Story (Documentary)
2017; Running Time: 45 Min
Director: Stephen H. Plitt
Starring: Cassandra Husband, Kathy Shane, Anthony Kim

From YouTube
This is the amazing biography of the blind hymn writer, Fanny Crosby. As the writer of more than 10,000 hymns, all penned after the age of 40, she is credited with authoring more verse than any human in history. The tragic mistreatment by a charlatan masquerading as a doctor blinded Fanny shortly after birth. Nevertheless, she learned to function as a sighted child except for her inability to read. She was an extraordinary child filled with joy and mischief! At her grandmother's knee, she began to demonstrate an exceptional memory, and memorized several complete books of the Bible, including Ruth and Proverbs. She left home at age 15 to begin her formal education. One of the most notable pupils of the New York Institute for Special Education, Fanny was also the first woman to address the US Congress. Fulfilling the roles of wife, mother, friend, teacher, nurse to the sick during the cholera epidemic, humanitarian to the poor and disenfranchised, and friend of presidents — Fanny Crosby was an exceptional woman by any standard. And her legacy lives on through the thousands of hymns that are still sung today.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceP4fZTVUYA

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross’, by Alison Krauss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlCSVIfsllU
*************
UPDATE March 28, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

American Women of Achievement—Emily Dickinson (Documentary)
Wolfington Media LLC Production
1995; Running Time: 27 Min

From Wikipedia
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (1830 – 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, into a prominent family with strong ties to its community. After studying at the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth, she briefly attended the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family's home in Amherst. Evidence suggests that Dickinson lived much of her life in isolation. Considered an eccentric by locals, she developed a penchant for white clothing and was known for her reluctance to greet guests or, later in life, even to leave her bedroom. Dickinson never married, and most of her friendships were based entirely upon correspondence.

Although Dickinson was a prolific writer, her only publications during her lifetime were 10 of her nearly 1,800 poems and one letter. The poems published then were usually edited significantly to fit conventional poetic rules. Her poems were unique for her era; they contain short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation. Many of her poems deal with themes of death and immortality, two recurring topics in letters to her friends, and also explore aesthetics, society, nature, and spirituality.

Although Dickinson's acquaintances were most likely aware of her writing, it was not until after she died in 1886—when Lavinia, Dickinson's younger sister, discovered her cache of poems—that her work became public. The first published collection of her poetry was made in 1890 by her personal acquaintances Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd, though they heavily edited the content. A complete collection of her poetry first became available in 1955 when scholar Thomas H. Johnson published The Poems of Emily Dickinson. In 1998, The New York Times reported on a study in which infrared technology revealed that much of Dickinson's work had been deliberately censored to exclude the name "Susan". At least eleven of Dickinson's poems were dedicated to her sister-in-law Susan Huntington Gilbert Dickinson, and all the dedications were later obliterated, presumably by Todd. This censorship serves to obscure the nature of Emily and Susan's relationship, which many scholars have interpreted as romantic.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri1oPRnzEZ4

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Just A Closer Walk With Thee/Take My Hand Lord Jesus’, by Anne Murray ft Tommy West
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evG6mLukuw4
*******************
UPDATE March 27, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

American Women of Achievement—Helen Keller (Documentary)
Wolfington Media LLC Production
1995; Running Time: 26 Min

From Wikipedia
Helen Adams Keller (1880–1968) was an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer. Born in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, she lost her sight and her hearing after a bout of illness when she was 19 months old. She then communicated primarily using home signs until the age of seven, when she met her first teacher and life-long companion Anne Sullivan. Sullivan taught Keller language, including reading and writing. After an education at both specialist and mainstream schools, Keller attended Radcliffe College of Harvard University and became the first deaf/blind person in the United States to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Keller was also a prolific author, writing 14 books and hundreds of speeches and essays on topics ranging from animals to Mahatma Gandhi. Keller campaigned for those with disabilities, for women's suffrage, labor rights, and world peace. In 1909, she joined the Socialist Party of America (SPA). She was a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Keller's autobiography, The Story of My Life (1903), publicized her education and life with Sullivan. It was adapted as a play by William Gibson, and this was also adapted as a film under the same title, The Miracle Worker. Her birthplace has been designated and preserved as a National Historic Landmark. Since 1954 it has been operated as a house museum and sponsors an annual "Helen Keller Day".

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTmpcSaRpss

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Song of Bernadette’, by Anne Murray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhTHNEztLT8
*****************
UPDATE March 26, 2024

We are deviating from our focus on Women’s History Month to focus our thoughts and prayers on the disaster in Baltimore, Maryland that happened overnight. A cargo ship ran into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, bringing the entire bridge down into the bay. Lives have been lost. People will be grieving. A city and community will be in shock. The Rev. Emily M. D. Scott, pastor at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Baltimore and Pastor/Church Planter at Dreams and Visions wrote this post of Facebook earlier today.  Let us all join our prayers with those closest to this disaster that God would be present in the midst of the chaos and journey with those most affected through the aftermath.--LC

Pastor Emily writes:
“Baltimore is in shock this morning, waking up to the news of the collapse of the Key Bridge after a cargo ship lost power and hit it early this morning.

Our hearts go out those all those impacted. I'm praying this morning for those driving on the bridge, and for the crew, and that as many lives can be saved as possible. I'm praying for the rescue workers who are out there doing everything they can. 

These events can sometimes make us feel uneasy -- that something that felt so solid and reliable is suddenly gone. It can make us wonder what else in our lives might be less solid than it appears? And we may be worried about what this means for commerce and jobs in our area in the future.

Whatever you're feeling this morning, it makes sense. Here is a prayer to pray that might be helpful:

Loving God, we are joined with the trials and sufferings of all. Be with those who are impacted by the collapse of the Key bridge. Protect those in the path of danger. Open pathways for rescue. Provide assistance to those who need help. Be with those who are frightened, waiting, or grieving. Let your love be known through those who work to bring order in chaos. Help us to shoulder the burden of suffering, and make us bearers of the hope that is your healing gift in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.”
-Adapted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Peace’, by We the Kingdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW6xcmqfiY4
*******************
UPDATE March 25, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

American Women of Achievement—Clara Barton (Documentary)
Wolfington Media LLC Production
1995; Running Time: 27 Min

From Wikipedia
Clarissa Harlowe Barton (1821–1912) was an American nurse who founded the American Red Cross. She was a hospital nurse in the American Civil War, a teacher, and a patent clerk. Since nursing education was not then very formalized and she did not attend nursing school, she provided self-taught nursing care. Barton is noteworthy for doing humanitarian work and civil rights advocacy at a time before women had the right to vote. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1973.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIg5qUbks2o

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Other Side’, by Anne Murray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMME-W0qCoA
*******************
UPDATE March 24, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

American Women of Achievement—Susan B. Anthony (Documentary)
Wolfington Media LLC Production
1995; Running Time: 27 Min

From Biography.com
Who Was Susan B. Anthony?
Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906) was an American writer, lecturer, and abolitionist who was a leading figure in the women’s voting rights movement. Raised in a Quaker household, Anthony went on to work as a teacher. She later partnered with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and would eventually lead the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The work of Anthony and other suffragists eventually lead to the passage of the 19th Amendment, granting all women the right to vote, in 1920, which 14 years after her death.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PIWr17uwIk

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Think He Is’, by Rita Springer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4n-pX95ZKc
**************
UPDATE March 23, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Celebrating Carol: The Gift of Laughter—Carol Burnett (Documentary)
Directed by: Jeff Peisch
Written by: Emily Simon
2023; Running Time: 45 Min
Shout Studios

From Youtube
Shout! Factory TV proudly presents Celebrating Carol: The Gift Of Laughter, an exclusive special honoring Carol Burnett’s comedy career. Originally airing as a pre-show to NBC’s “Carol Burnett 90th Birthday Special,” this interview features the comedy legend discussing her favorite moments from her storied career. Cited as one of the best TV shows of all time by TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly, TIME, Rolling Stone, and others, “The Carol Burnett Show” is among the originators of the sketch comedy format.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uCD1ay7KlM

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Shepherd’, by CeCe Winans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWknnFaVi1Y
*******************
UPDATE March 22, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Joni Mitchell A Life Story: Woman of Heart and Mind (Documentary)
Written & Directed by: Susan Lacy.
2003; Running Time: 1 Hr 32 Min

From YouTube
Joni Mitchell A Life Story: Woman of Heart and Mind review: One of the great talents of her or anyone else's generation gets the royal treatment with this superb documentary. It's all here (via interviews, including conversations past and present with Mitchell herself, photos, generous helpings of concert footage, and more): her Saskatchewan childhood, her lovers, her painting, her reunion with the daughter she had left behind at age 19... and, of course, her music, the songs, recordings, and performances, so intensely personal yet so universally accessible, that comprise one of the most extraordinarily original and significant (if not always wildly popular) bodies of work any artist has ever produced. Even true fanatics are likely to find revelations here; the rest of us can simply rejoice in the life and artistry of Joni Mitchell. --Sam Graham

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5AzNDO-V2k

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Both Sides Now’, by Joni Mitchell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxiluPSmAF8
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UPDATE March 21, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Josephine Baker: The Story of an Awakening (Documentary)
Produced by: Juliette Cazanave
Narrated by: Akiya Henry
2018; Running Time: 52 Min

From YouTube
In the 1920’s, Josephine Baker, a chorus girl from segregated America becomes an international superstar in Paris. Her "savage" dance brings modernity to the Europe of the Roaring Twenties. But over the years, on every trip "back home", she faces racism and segregation. This film tells the story of her political awakening.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nHUh_yjLaA

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘People Get Ready’, by Eva Cassidy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzLd2MDAHK8
******************
UPDATE March 20, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Betty Ford: The Real Deal (Documentary)
2009; Running Time: 57 Min
PBS Newshour Production

From YouTube
Family, friends, historians and Betty Ford herself reflect on her life as a political spouse; an accidental and outspoken first lady; breast cancer survivor; and feminist pro-choice Republican in Betty Ford: The Real Deal, a one-hour biography which aired in March 2009 on PBS.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc_KY9-5Qzs

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Water is Wide’, by Eva Cassidy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTTkvWsY-e4
*****************
UPDATE March 19, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Mary Pickford Life & Times (Documentary)
Hosted by Ann-Marie MacDonald
Produced, Directed, & Written by Jill Offman
Narrated by Nicky Guadagni
CBC Productions
1998; Running Time: 45 Min

From Canada’s Walk of Fame Website:
Mary was born Gladys Louise Smith on April 8th, 1892 in Toronto, Ontario. Her father, John Charles Smith, died suddenly from an accidental blow to the head, leaving her mother, Charlotte, without income, savings and alone with three young children. In order to make ends meet, the family took boarders into their University Avenue home. One of the borders was a theatre stage manager who suggested that Charlotte could put her children on the stage for added income. At age 15, the young Smith set off for New York and approached the famed producer, David Belasco. Against all odds, Gladys got her break on Broadway, and Belasco changed her name to Mary Pickford.

She began working in “flickers” between stage shows and in 1908, signed a movie studio contract that catapulted her to Hollywood stardom. She reigned for 23 years as the undisputed queen of the screen. Canada’s “Baby Gladys,” as one playbill named her back in Toronto, had become the most famous woman in the world. By 1916, Mary’s weekly “wages” topped the average family annual income of the day. Pickford always remembered her roots and humble beginnings. Her chosen name, Pickford, came from her mother’s ancestors so she always felt close to family. She was active in philanthropy, contributing to charities such as the Motion Picture and Television Fund, which she helped found.

Mary was awarded two Oscars during her life: the first was in 1929 for her role in the film Coquette. Her second was a Lifetime Achievement Award she received at the 1976 Oscars, also when she made her last public appearance. Pickford was the first Canadian to win an Oscar. She was also the second to win best actress and the first for a role in a film with sound. She was one of the founding members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcEZWCMeA3U

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Over the Rainbow’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rd8VktT8xY
*******************
UPDATE March 18, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Dolly Parton: From Rags to Rhinestones (Documentary)
2020; Running Time: 1 Hr
Written & Directed by Finlay Bald
Entertain Me Productions

From IMDB:
Dolly Parton is one of the most iconic singer-songwriters of all time - having won numerous prestigious awards for her emotional writing that strikes at the very heart of what it is to be human. From the bright lights of recording contracts in Nashville to topping the music charts, from acting in movies to appearances across the world in sold-out arena tours - Dolly has certainly come a long way and it hasn't always been an easy ride. From her humble beginnings - one of 12 children living in a shack in Tennessee - Dolly has not only conquered the Country music scene but made her mark on the entertainment industry.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQL5BwkaKAc

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Eagle When She Flies’, by Dolly Parton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb1Rufxem_4
*****************
UPDATE March 17, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

The Famous Five and The Persons Case (Did You Know Short Doc)
2014; Running Time: 6:00 Min
CPAC

From YouTube:
They've been called visionaries, feminists, trailblazers and Canadian heroes- Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby and Nellie McClung changed the Canadian political landscape forever. They fought to be recognized as persons under the law. On October 18th, 1929, after an arduous legal and political battle the British Privy Council recognized women as persons under the British North America Act.

This short documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if_pyx5dm9Y

Heritage Minutes-Emily Murphy
Running Time: 1 Min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njAO38Og1-k

Heritage Minutes-Nellie McClung
Running Time: 1 Min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdbG6EIHrbs

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Come Jesus Come’, by CeCe Winans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9NjB38sDvQ
*****************
UPDATE March 16, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Malala Yousafzai addresses United Nations Youth Assembly (Speech)
2013; Running Time: 18 Min
United Nations Video

From YouTube
United Nations, New York, 12 July 2013 - Education activist Malala Yousafzai marks her 16th birthday, on Friday, 12 July 2013 at the United Nations by giving her first high-level public appearance and statement on the importance of education.

Malala became a public figure when she was shot by the Taliban while travelling to school last year in Pakistan -- targeted because of her committed campaigning for the right of all girls to an education. Flown to the United Kingdom to recover, she is now back at school and continues to advocate for every child's right to education.

In support of the UN Secretary-General's Global Education First Initiative (GEFI), on 12 July -- declared as "Malala Day" -- the President of the UN General Assembly and the UN Special Envoy for Global Education with the support of A World at School initiative are organizing the UN Youth Assembly, where more than 500 young leaders from around the world will convene to accelerate the goal of getting all children, especially girls, in school and learning by 2015.

This speech is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rNhZu3ttIU

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘One Woman’, by Various Artists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldyvIcVR9JI
*******************
UPDATE March 15, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Eva Cassidy may be the best singer you’ve never heard of. She has achieved more success since her untimely death from cancer at 33 years of age than she did in her years of performing as a singer and musician. Most of the songs she sang were ‘cover songs’, songs made famous by other artists. Eva’s gift was putting her own imprint on each and every song she covered. She sang nearly every genre of music, refusing to be boxed into one style. Simply put, she sang what moved her and made each song her own. Give her music a listen and see if you don’t agree.--LC

The Musical Story Of Eva Cassidy - Nightline Profile 2001 (Documentary)
2001; Running Time: 18 Min

The story of Eva Cassidy's music career, originally broadcast on ABC's Nightline in 2001. She's considered by many to be one of the best vocalist and arrangers of her generation.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKowGakjJQI

and

Eva Cassidy - One Night That Changed Everything (Documentary)
2021; Running Time: 50 Min

25 years ago, a little known singer, Eva Cassidy, and her producer scraped together enough money to record a gig and self-produce an album. This is the story of one night – 3rd January 1996 - at a jazz club in Georgetown, Washington D.C., a set of recordings that almost never happened, and the extraordinary success that followed told by her band members who played with her that night. No one could have imagined that the audio and video recordings from that night would prove to be the foundation of her unparalleled posthumous worldwide success.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEqzTlZdfSo

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Imagine’, by Eva Cassidy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGnfqRR509M
********************
UPDATE March 14, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Ms Represented
2021; 4 Episodes at approx. 30 Min each
Hosted by: Annabel Crabb
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

From the TVO Website:
Australia was the first independent nation in the world where women could both vote and run for Parliament. But it took a long time for women to actually be elected, and once elected, they were expected to fit into a system that was already there. This is the story of the struggle of women to be heard, to be respected, and to prosper in Australia's federal ParliamentAustralia was the first independent nation in the world where women could both vote and run for Parliament. But it took a long time for women to actually be elected, and once elected, they were expected to fit into a system that was already there. This is the story of the struggle of women to be heard, to be respected, and to prosper in Australia's federal Parliament

This series is available for you to watch for free on TVO:
https://www.tvo.org/programs/ms-represented

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Mercy’, by Rachel Platten
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKdmJhOeoTg
***************
UPDATE March 13, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

RBG (Documentary)
2018; Running Time: 1 Hr 40 Min
Directed by: Betsy West, Julie Cohen
Produced by: Betsy West, Julie Cohen
Magnolia Pictures

From the CBC Website:
An exploration of the life and career of United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and how her legal legacy has propelled the battle for gender equality.

From Wikipedia
RBG is a 2018 American documentary film focusing on the life and career of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States after Sandra Day O'Connor. After premiering at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the film was released in the United States on May 4, 2018. The film was directed and produced by Betsy West and Julie Cohen.

This documentary is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/  but you will need to set up a free account.
https://gem.cbc.ca/rbg?autoplay=1

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘How Beautiful’, by Twila Paris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lstrUWHt4-k
*****************
UPDATE March 12, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Dr. Sally Ride—A Woman Space Pioneer (Documentary)
1995; Running Time: 44 Min
Narrated by Natalie Alexander
Written & Produced by Elliott H. Halimoff, PhD, & Scott Stillman
Global Science Productions

From YouTube
This documentary profiles the life and experiences of Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space aboard the Space Shuttle STS-7 in June 1983. It was the pioneering work of Dr. Ride that served as a model for women of all ages that the sky's the limit to achieving their dreams in their own professions.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVcckmqxgFY

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘This is My Father’s World’, by Amy Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5rZx-iogyg
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UPDATE March 11, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Behind the Veil: Nuns (Documentary)
Directed by: Margaret Wescott
1984; Running Time: 2 Hr 10 Min
Producer: Signe Johansson
Narrated by: Gloria Demers
National Film Board of Canada

From the NFB website:
This feature documentary records the turbulent history and remarkable achievements of women in religion, from pre-Christian Celtic communities to the radical sisters of the 1980s. The history of nuns mirrors that of all women - in what we are taught about the past, women are almost invisible. Although today's one million nuns outnumber priests two to one, they still struggle to be heard by the all-male Roman Catholic hierarchy from which they are excluded. In Behind the Veil: Nuns, contemporary nuns speak candidly of their lives, their challenges, and their predecessors.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on the National Film Board website:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/behind_veil_nuns/

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Miserere et Parce (Have mercy, and spare Thy people, O Lord) Lenten Hymn’, by Sisters of Aquinas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri44YG_0dXU
******************
UPDATE March 10, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (Documentary)
2022; Running Time: 1 Hr 53 Min
Directed by Rita Coburn
American Masters; PBS

From the PBS Website:
American Masters – Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands explores the life, career, art and legacy of the African American contralto and civil rights pioneer in her own words using archival interview recordings. Marian Anderson’s singing and speaking voice are heard throughout the documentary, providing new understanding of the woman behind the music.

Best known for her concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, Anderson christened the Washington, D.C., landmark as a place of protest after she was discriminated against on the basis of a “whites only” concert policy at the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Constitution Hall. She garnered interracial support from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the NAACP, Howard University and other leaders and defied the conscience of her time by performing for an integrated audience of over 75,000. The concert reached millions of radio listeners around the world and became an inspiration to the growing civil rights movement, inspiring a 10-year-old Martin Luther King, Jr., to later publish a winning oratorical citing the experience.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlk-x2gkglk

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands’, by Marian Anderson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m49NK-xUUk
******************
UPDATE March 9, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

And We Knew How to Dance: Women in World War I (Documentary)
Directed by: Maureen Judge
Produced by: Silva Basmajian
Executive Producer: Dennis Murphy, John Taylor
1993; Running Time: 55 min
National Film Board of Canada

From the NFB Website:
This feature documentary profiles 12 Canadian women who entered the male-dominated world of munitions factories and farm labour during World War I. In 1994, aged 86 to 101, these women recall their wartime work experiences and the ways in which their commitment and determination helped lead the way to postwar social changes for women.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on the National Film Board website:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/and_we_knew_how_to_dance/

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Wayfaring Stranger’, by Eva Cassidy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1McUJ5T_IQo
**************
UPDATE March 8, 2024

On this International Women’s Day, we share a video from 1965 about one of the most remarkable women of the 20th century. Many women who came after Eleanor Roosevelt claim her as an influence and a role model. She was ahead of her time and she paved the way for so many who came after her. Women today owe a great debt to the life and legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt. Happy International Women’s Day to all of the Phenomenal Women out there!

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

The Eleanor Roosevelt Story (Documentary)
1965; Running Time: 1 Hr 30 Min
Director: Richard Kaplan
Distributed by: Monogram Pictures
Produced by: Sidney Glazier

From YouTube
Richard Kaplan documents the life of one of America's most influential first ladies. Orphaned at age 10, Eleanor Roosevelt marries her fifth cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in 1905. His election in 1932 allows Eleanor to step up to national prominence, battling for civil rights and visiting troops during World War II. After her husband's death, Roosevelt continued to advocate for human rights at the U.N., proving herself one of America's great humanitarians.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVHHIG-WWTw

‘Phenomenal Woman’, by Amy Sky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkdfdC__EvA
******************
UPDATE March 7, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Under the Willow Tree: Pioneer Chinese Women in Canada (Documentary)
Directed by: Dora Nipp
Executive Producer: Ginny Stikeman
Produced by: Margaret Wong
1997; Running Time: 51 Min
National Film Board of Canada

From the NFB Website:
A rich and little-known part of Canadian history unfolds through the stories of the first Chinese women to come to Canada and of subsequent generations of Chinese Canadian women. It is an amazing tale of courageous women who left behind their families, knowing they would never see them again and of girls who were shipped off to the New World to marry men they had never met. These are the women who fought against the many forms of racism they faced in Canada while, at the same time, challenging sexism within their own communities. By passing on language, culture, and values to their children, these women defined what it means to be Chinese Canadian. Beautiful old photographs from family albums, the recollections of seven women who grew up in Canada in the first half of the 20th century, and the memories of narrator and director, Dora Nipp, whose grandfather came to Canada in 1881 to build the railway, create a remarkable story of stunning impact.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on the National Film Board website:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/under-the-willow-tree-pioneer-chinese-women/

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘If I Could See What the Angels See’, by Amy Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_3NXD4cKJY
*****************
UPDATE March 6, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Prairie Women (Documentary)
Directed by: Barbara Evans
Executive Producers: Tom Radford, Graydon McCrea
Produced by: Caryl Brandt
1986; Running Time: 45 Min
National Film Board of Canada

From the NFB Website:
This film illustrates the struggles of Canadian prairies women to achieve a more just and humane society within the farm movement and at large. During the early 1900s, women on the prairies looked for ways to overcome their isolation. Out of the resulting farm women's organizations grew a group of women possessing remarkable intellectual abilities, social and cultural awareness, and advanced worldviews.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on the National Film Board website:
https://www.nfb.ca/film/prairie_women/

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Thy Word’, by Amy Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6LC8cu03Ig
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UPDATE March 5, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

Joan of Arc (TV Movie)
Written by: Michael Alexander Miller, Ronald Parker
Directed by: Christian Duguay
Starring: Leelee Sobieski, Chad Willett, Peter O'Toole, Jacqueline Bisset, Powers Boothe, Neil Patrick Harris, Maximilian Schell, Maury Chaykin, Olympia Dukakis, Jonathan Hyde, Robert Loggia, Peter Strauss, Shirley MacLaine
1999; Running Time: 2Hr 20 Min

From Wikipedia
Joan of Arc is a 1999 Canadian two-part television miniseries about the 15th-century Catholic saint of the same name. The miniseries stars Leelee Sobieski as Saint Joan. A joint production of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Alliance Atlantis Communications, it was shown internationally in 1999.

This TV Movie is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewl6aIfwpg4

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Joan of Arc’, by Jennifer Warnes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmd_H1lTW8Q
****************

UPDATE March 4, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

The Women Behind Project Mercury (Documentary)
2018; Running Time: 55 Min
Executive Procucer: Diana Sole Walko
Scriptwriter: Diana Sole Walko
Narrated by Kevin Dorsey

From YouTube
"Outlier: the story of Katherine Johnson" maps the trajectory of this African American girl-wonder whose mathematical genius catapulted astronauts into space. From America's first attempt at manned space flights to the Space Shuttle program, Johnson was an integral part of NASA. Includes an interview with Johnson, whose life was profiled in the movie "Hidden Figures."

From Films Media Group
In mathematical terms, an outlier is a data point that differs greatly from other observations. It is an apt description for a person, too, that is outside the norms. This film is a one-hour documentary about the trajectory of an African-American girl wonder whose mathematical genius would catapult astronauts into space. Born in 1918, Johnson graduated high school at the age of 14, college at 18, and went on to a career with NASA where she broke race and gender barriers. Johnson not only succeeded in a white, male-dominated field, she excelled. From America’s first attempt at manned space flights to the Shuttle program, Johnson was an integral part of the mission. The documentary includes an interview with Johnson herself, as well as interviews with NASA’s chief historian, a curator at the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum, and an interview with Margot Shetterly, the author of the book Hidden Figures. Johnson’s life was one of three profiled in the Hollywood film of the same name.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvsHjWVgqcY

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Window in the Wall’, by Olivia Newton-John & Chloe Lattanzi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmW-wumdBV4
********************
UPDATE March 3, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

The Legacy of a Canadian Chief Justice (Interview)
An Interview with Former Chief Justice of Canada, Beverley McLachlin
2019; Running Time: 30 Min
TVO Today

From YouTube
Beverley McLachlin, former chief justice of Canada, joins Steve Paikin to talk about her memoir, "Truth Be Told: My Journey Through Life and the Law," within which she reflects on her life, from her childhood in Alberta to her Supreme Court career.

This interview is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwVRQEhUKTA

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘This is Me’, by Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BYPZ2NDDd4
*******************
UPDATE March 2, 2024

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

World In Action, Women on the March (Documentary)
National Film Board of Canada
1958; Running Time: 58 Min
Directed by: Douglas Tunstell
Executive Producer: Nicholas Balla
Narrated by: Pierre Berton

From the NFB Website
This feature film in two parts is an exploration of the women’s suffrage movement. Spearheaded by women like Emmeline Pankhurst, founder of the Women's Social and Political Union, the Suffragettes realized they would have to become radical and militant if the movement was going to be effective. There followed many demonstrations, and imprisonments until the women’s vote was finally granted, in 1918 (Britain) and 1919 (Canada, except Quebec.)

From YouTube
Documentary film that uses motion pictures and photographs to outline the development of women's rights internationally.  Part 1 covers the suffragette movement from the turn of the century.  Feminist leaders such as Emmeline Pankhurst, Nellie McClung, and Anna Howard Shaw are highlighted.  Shots include:  women going to jail for the cause; men and women protesting for the vote; and women at work on the home front and enlisting for overseas service during World War I.  Part 2 traces the advancement of women since attaining the vote.  Shots include:  women supporting prohibition; women running for office; women at work in a variety of occupations; and women having an increased role in World War II. 

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx3B8HRmAVU

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘You Say’, by Lauren Daigle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIaT8Jl2zpI
*********************
UPDATE March 1, 2024

March is Women’s History Month and for the next four weeks we will offer daily resources that shine a spotlight on the role, the struggle, and the importance of women through history. We will offer links to movies, documentaries, books, and music that illustrate the accomplishments of women as well as their strength and resilience.—ED

Today’s Women’s History Month Resource

A League of Their Own-The Documentary (Documentary)
Directed by: Mary Wilson
Produced by: Kim Wilson & Kelly Candaele.
1987; Running Time: 27 Min

From YouTube
Director Penny Marshall saw this All American Girls Professional Baseball League documentary and was inspired to make a movie version of the story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The documentary was directed by Mary Wilson and produced by Kim Wilson and Kelly Candaele. Kelly's mother, Helen, and his Aunt Margaret both played in the Girls Professional Baseball League and are featured in the documentary. Kelly and Kim are also credited with creating the story for the A League of Their Own movie starring Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Rosie O'Donnell, and Madonna.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxQg1j0D70k

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Am Woman’, by Helen Reddy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rptW7zOPX2E
****************
UPDATE February 29, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Black Life: Untold Stories
Black Life: Untold Stories illuminates the struggles and triumphs of Black people in Canada while celebrating the contributions of both famous and lesser-known Black Canadians. Epic in scope, Black Life is an eight-part series that spans more than 400 years with an eye toward contemporary issues, culture, politics, music, art and sports. Viewer discretions is advised.

This documentary series is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/ but you will need to set up a free account.

You can watch the entire series here:
https://gem.cbc.ca/black-life-untold-stories?autoplay=1

Episode 1-Haven But Not Heaven
Running Time 44 Min

An unflinching examination of slavery in Canada that dispels the myth of Canada as a safe haven for Black people. Slavery was the norm in Canada for centuries. The first recorded enslaved person in Canada was a little boy who was given the name Olivier Le Jeune, whose sale was recorded in 1628.

This episode examines the history of slavery, which dispels the myth of Canada as a utopia for Black people. But amid the tragedies, there are also instances of hope and resilience, including the remarkable account of the Blackburns, a couple who escaped enslavement and persecution in the U.S. and unwittingly put Upper Canada's new slavery laws to the test for the first time. The principle established in their landmark case remains foundational to Canadian extradition law to this day. This is just one episode in an eight-part series.

Warning: This episode contains disturbing depictions of abuse endured by enslaved Black people. Viewer discretions is advised.

Episode 2-Revolution Remix
Running Time 44 Min

Two era-defining Black empowerment events in 1960s Montreal are explored, including the Sir George Williams Affair.

Episode 3-Northern Beats
Running Time 44 Min

Pioneers of Canadian hip-hop tell the story of the music, featuring interviews with Maestro Fresh Wes and Michie Mee.

Episode 4-MIgrations
Running Time 44 Min

Black migrants share intimate and personal stories of trying to create a home in Canada.

Episode 5-Creation Insists
Running Time 44 Min

A look at the work of six Black Canadian artists including Austin Clarke and Sylvia Hamilton

Episode 6-More Than a Game
Running Time 44 Min

A chronicle of the lives of Black Canadian athletes that delves into their rise, and the challenges they faced.

Episode 7-Justice Denied
Running Time: 44 Min

Scholars and activists analyze historic criminalization of Black Canadians, and the effect on policing.

Episode 8-Claiming Space
Running Time: 44 Min

A lyrical journey through the growth of Black communities, and their resistance to systemic displacement.

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, by The Spelman College Glee Club
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRF9FOPgLpw
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UPDATE February 28, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Soul of the Game (TV Movie)
Directed by: Kevin Rodney Sullivan
Produced by: Robert Papazian
Written by: Gary Hoffman (story); David Himmelstein (teleplay)
Starring: Blair Underwood, Delroy Lindo, Mykelti Williamson, Edward Herrmann, R. Lee Ermey
1996; Running Time: 1Hr 35 Min

Soul of the Game is a 1996 made-for-television movie about Negro league baseball.
It stars Blair Underwood as Jackie Robinson, Delroy Lindo as Satchel Paige and Mykelti Williamson as Josh Gibson. The film depicts Paige and Gibson as the pitching and hitting stars, respectively, of the Negro Leagues in the period immediately following World War II. Robinson is an up-and-coming player on Paige's team, the Kansas City Monarchs.

This movie is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiDULxPh0hU

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘When the Saints Go Marching in’, by BB King
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHCGNf7KaVQ
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UPDATE February 27, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Deeply Rooted: A black family's history as 7th-generation Canadians (Documentary)
CBC Short Docs
2022; Running Time: 23 Min
Written & Directed by: Cazhhmere

Filmmaker Cazhhmere is a 7th-generation black Canadian. Despite this deep history, she’s constantly asked to explain where she’s from—even though the answer is always “Canada.”

Cazhhmere is a proud Canadian. Her ancestors were among the first black settlers to come to Canada — her family has spent hundreds of years weaving itself into the fabric of our nation. Despite this deep history, Cazhhmere is constantly questioned about where she is originally from.  Deeply Rooted was born out a conversation she’s had hundreds of times:

Q: Where are you from?  A: Canada.
Q: No, I mean, where are you from? A: Canada.
Q: Well, where are your parents from? A: Canada.
Q: But where are your grandparents or great-grandparents from? A: Canada.

In Deeply Rooted, Cazhhmere sets out to change your perception of what a multi-generational Canadian family looks like. She delves into the story of the Downey/Collins family, which includes fighting in WWI and WWII, standing on an Olympic podium, appearing on the silver screen and breaking through barriers in Canadian politics.

Through interviews with her family members, she shares her family’s rich history and shows an overall sense of unity that is seldom seen in black families in today's media landscape. In a country that is widely known for being a "global melting pot," our nation can easily forget that not every person of colour is a newcomer to Canada.

Q: How can you be black, and be from Canada?
A: This is how.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCg1t3mdWwM

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Hymn to Freedom’, by Oliver Jones, Dave Young, & Dione Taylor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTAzDaAOtmI
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UPDATE February 26, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Hitsville-The Making of Motown
2019; Running Time: 1 Hr 52 Min
Directed by: Benjamin Turner, Gabe Turner

A look at the birth of Motown in Detroit in 1958 until its relocation to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. Featuring rare performances, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage offer insight into the history and cultural impact of Motown Records.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjwkgD0p5lE

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘His Eye Is on the Sparrow’, by Gladys Knight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuGLXhX0k5I
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UPDATE February 25, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

The Queen of Basketball
Directed by: Ben Proudfoot
2021; Running Time: 22 Min
Production Company: Breakwater Studios

From YouTube
As a child growing up in rural Mississippi, Lusia “Lucy” Harris often stayed up past her bedtime watching her favorite N.B.A. players, dreaming of one day playing on the same courts. Reaching 6 feet 3 inches by the time she was in high school, Harris was often called “long and tall and that’s all” by her classmates — but she knew her height would be an asset on the court. And she wasn’t just tall enough to play the game. She was a rare talent who would go on to be a three-time national college champion and an Olympic silver medalist, making her a national sensation by the time she finished her college career.

For an electrifying young basketball player on the national stage, success often comes with a lucrative professional contract and brand deals — but Harris’s moment came in the 1970s, decades before the W.N.B.A. was founded, when few opportunities were available to female athletes interested in pursuing a professional career. In Ben Proudfoot's "The Queen of Basketball," Harris tells the story of what happens when an unstoppable talent runs out of games to win.

Lusia Harris, the pioneering athlete who became a basketball phenomenon in the 1970s, made history as the first woman to score a basket in the Olympics and was one of the first two women inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — died on Jan. 18, 2022 in Mississippi. She was 66.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPFkcoTfr7g

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Take Me to the Water’, by Nina Simone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If6i59NUfkk
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UPDATE February 24, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Once Upon a Black Halifax (Documentary)
2020; Running Time 19 Min
Produced & Directed by: George Akintokun

From YouTube
Once Upon A Black Halifax captures the history of the black community in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It talks about what it was like as they struggled to gain acceptance in the society at that time.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCFsRcOZT7A

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘We Shall Not Be Moved’, by Mavis Staples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcDpmzQh3YU
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UPDATE February 23, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Stamped from the Beginning (Documentary)
Directed by: Roger Ross Williams
Written by: David Teague
Produced by: Roger Ross Williams, David Teague, Alisa Payne
Production company: One Story Up
2023: Running Time 85 Min

From the Toronto International Film Festival Website
Inspired by the book of the same name by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Oscar-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams’ Stamped From the Beginning explores the history of anti-Black ideas in a way that helps us grapple with present-day racism.

In his book Stamped From the Beginning: the Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi explored the history of anti-Black racist ideas and their impact on the United States. Oscar-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams takes inspiration from Kendi’s work to explore those themes with an array of powerful film techniques. Music and visual sampling are injected to create vivid storytelling with a hip hop sensibility.

As the director of television series such as The 1619 Project and High on the Hog, Williams has steeped himself in Black American history. He’s also proven himself fluent in pop culture with films such as Life, Animated and Love to Love You, Donna Summer. This new work shows him marshalling all of his talents at the peak of his power.

The documentary is grounded in scholarship featuring on camera commentary by Kendi and Angela Davis (who figures prominently in the book). In addition to their contributions, Williams makes a deliberate choice to feature Black women intellectuals who don’t always show up as the usual suspects in documentary history.

But the film never feels like a lecture. Instead, these brilliant minds bring the past alive through the stories of historical figures who took radical stands against racism. They include poet Phyllis Wheatley, memoirist Harriet Jacobs, and journalist Ida B. Wells. There is a lively discussion of the whitewashed legacies of Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln; and what's wrong with white savior narratives.

Stamped From the Beginning makes the past come alive in a way that’s vital in order to grapple with the present.

This film is available for you to watch on Netflix

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Hold On’, by DEM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfvLZjofEXA
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UPDATE February 22, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Descendant (Documentary)
Directed by: Margaret Brown
Written by: Margaret Brown, Dr. Kern Jackson
Produced by: Margaret Brown, Kyle Martin, Essie Chambers
Production Companies: Participant; Night Tide Production; Take One Five Entertainment
2022; Running Time: 109 minutes

From Wikipedia
The wreckage of the Clotilda was found in 2019 in the Mobile River of Alabama, and the film explores the community of Africatown and the descendants of some of the last known enslaved Africans that were brought to the United States aboard her 40 years after slave trading had already been deemed a capital offense.

After the wreckage of the Clotilda was discovered, director Margaret Brown spent four years with the residents of Africatown examining how the discovery impacted the lives of descendants of the last known slaves brought to the US. Brown also produced the film alongside Kyle Martin and Essie Chambers for Participant and Take One Five Entertainment. The film premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, after which it was picked up by Higher Ground Productions and Netflix for theatrical and streaming distribution. It continued on the festival circuit at the SXSW (South by Southwest) Festival as a Festival Favorite. The film was released to select theaters and on Netflix on October 21, 2022.

This film is available for you to watch on Netflix

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Lord Don’t Move the Mountain’, by Mahalia Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jusAnLIFE3k
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UPDATE February 21, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Kareem Minority of One (Documentary)
2015; Running Time 1 Hr 30 Min
HBO Sports
Written by Aaron Cohen
Produced by Mike Tollin, Rick Bernstein, & Deborah Morales

From IMDB
Award-winning documentary. An intimate and rare look into the life and career of one of basketball's most celebrated athletes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pNwHfhKcdg

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Down by the Riverside’, by Mahalia Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiwb67-TMd0
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UPDATE February 20, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Searching for Augusta Savage (Documentary)
American Masters Shorts; PBS
2024; Running Time: 22 Min
Directed and Written by: Charlotte Mangin & Sandra Rattley
Produced by: Mariana Surillo
Narrated by: Jeffreen Hayes & Lorraine Toussaint

From YouTube
Augusta Savage was the first person in the U.S. to open a gallery dedicated to African American art. A Harlem Renaissance sculptor and art educator, she was also one of the first Black women art activists of her time and fought for the inclusion of Black artists in the mainstream canon. Art historian Jeffreen M. Hayes, Ph.D. explores Savage's legacy, and why her artwork has been largely erased.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMuK47mZkMc

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Brand New Day’, by Ruthie Foster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE3YDQNO_cs
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UPDATE February 19, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

The Barber of Little Rock (Documentary)
2023; Running Time: 35 Min
Directed by: Christine Turner
Produced by: John Hoffman, Christine Turner, Christina Avalos

From Wikipedia and YouTube
The documentary film tells the story of Arlo Washington, an African American barber in Little Rock, Arkansas who founded a nonprofit community bank to try to lessen the racial wealth gap. John Hoffman and Christine Turner’s short film follows Washington as he helps members of his community escape the hazards of banking while Black. "The Barber of Little Rock" is nominated for Best Documentary Short at the 96th Academy Awards.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1amOPUn49aM

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Imagine’, by Keb’ Mo’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98PnqkH8GRI
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UPDATE February 18, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Bill Russell: Legend (Documentary)
2023; Running Time: 3 Hr 20 min (Incl Pt 1 & Pt 2)
Directed by: Sam Pollard
Dark Horse Indie; High Five Productions

From IMDB
This two-part documentary features interviews and personal archives from the life and career of NBA legend Bill Russell. As the Boston Celtics' star defender and a civil rights leader, Bill finds himself playing defense beyond the hardwood amid segregation and competition. Between fierce opponents and injustice all around, Bill helps the Celtics cement their dynasty. A historic role change puts Bill in a position of power.

This film is available for you to watch on Netflix

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I’ll Be Your Water’, by Keb’ Mo’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTiSMkXPwtY
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UPDATE February 17, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Pride and Perseverance: The Story of the Negro Leagues (Documentary)
2014; Running Time: 50 Min
Narrated by: Dave Winfield
Written by: Jeff Scott
MLB Productions

From Letterboxd
The history of the Negro Leagues is often a forgotten part of baseball history. Despite its popularity and wealth of talent, the era was not well documented. Pride and Perseverance sheds light on this period and shows how it laid the groundwork for today’s African-American players in Major League Baseball. With rarely seen footage from the 1920s through 1950s, these extraordinary stories illustrate the birth of the Negro Leagues and depict both the struggles endured and milestones achieved by its players. The film also highlights Negro League innovations that helped shape modern day baseball, such as the Leagues’ usage of portable light towers to enable games to be played after dusk for the first time ever.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvROnTC_7CU

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Hand It Over’, by Keb’ Mo’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKvUK_jrZOk
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UPDATE February 16, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Reconstruction-The Second Civil War (Documentary)
2022; Running Time: 2 Hr 40 Min
Film By: Elizabeth Deane and Dion Graham

From PBS
PBS’s Reconstruction: The Second Civil War is one of the few useful documentaries for those teaching the Reconstruction era. In addition to the common narrative of President Andrew Johnson’s battle with the Radical Republicans in Congress — most notable Thaddeus Stevens, who is featured prominently in the film — the documentary also uses the stories of several other lesser-known Americans to tell the tale of Reconstruction from different perspectives.

Through the voices of several historians, including Eric Foner, and dramatic re-enactments by actors, Reconstruction follows the stories of Kate Stone, whose family owned a large cotton plantation and enslaved over 150 people before the war; Marshall Twitchell, a former Union soldier who becomes a Freedmen’s Bureau agent in one of the most violent corner’s of Louisiana; John Roy Lynch, a former slave who became a U.S. congressman for the state of Mississippi; Frances Butler, the daughter of a Georgia plantation owner; and, most compellingly, Tunis Campbell, a Black abolitionist who builds an independent colony for freedmen and women in Georgia’s Sea Islands before being elected to Georgia’s state senate.

While the documentary leaves out many other important Reconstruction era stories and suffers from its attempt at providing “balance” (note the two narratives of former slaves are “balanced” by two narratives of former slave owners), by constructing the time period from the perspectives of ordinary citizens it paints a much more expansive and comprehensive picture than most textbook accounts.

This video may not be suitable for everyone. Viewer discretion advised.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btV1ovf560g

Remember you are loved and you are missed
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Lord Remember Me’, by Ruthie Foster ft The Blind Boys of Alabama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dx8jcLjUQA
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UPDATE February 15, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Pullman and the Railroad Rebellion (Documentary)
2023; Running Time: 57 min
Chicago Stories
Written & Produced by: Rachel Pikelny

From Chicago Stories
Railroad titan George Pullman’s name was once synonymous with luxury. His sleeping cars changed how some Americans rode the rails. But when his success didn’t trickle down to the people who built, operated, and staffed his cars, a rebellion ensued. While the first major strike ultimately failed, a group of Black workers later found success through organizing, paving the way for a Black middle class and a civil rights movement that forever changed the course of American history.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-kxAUwLktM

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Amazing Grace’, by Jessye Norman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5jZe32DEYI
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UPDATE February 14, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Roberto Clemente: A Video Tribute (Documentary)
Running Time: 51 Min
Narrated by Hector Elizondo
Written by Ouisie Shapiro
MLB Production

From YouTube
Documentary from 1993 on the life and times of the great Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente and his immeasurable impact on the game of baseball and to millions around the world.

You can watch this documentary for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnyDAZl7lpk

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Jesus is Love’, by Lionel Richie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0hptluApcE
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UPDATE February 13, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Wilma (1975) TV Movie
Starring Shirley Jo Finney, Cicely Tyson, and Denzel Washington
Running Time: 1Hr 40Min
Written & Directed By Bud Greenspan

From YouTube
At the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, an amazing athlete, Wilma Rudolph (played by Shirley Jo Finney), became the first woman to win three consecutive gold medals. But the most amazing part of this true story is that Wilma was stricken in her youth with crippling polio, a disease she conquered to become one of America's greatest female athletes. The story begins with Wilma's childhood in rural Tennessee when her parents learn of does everything in her power to bolster Wilma's self-confidence and help her overcome the handicap. her determination pays off as Wilma grows in strength, speed and agility. Eventually, her tremendous courage and astounding athletic ability bring Wilma to her greatest triumph at the Olympics Games.

You can watch this movie for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R98SBEiQ2c

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘So Help Me God’, by Ray Charles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrbymllgF_E
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UPDATE February 12, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

The Skin We're In (Documentary)
Running Time 44 Min; 2016
Directed by: Charles Officer

An urgent exploration of race relations, this documentary from acclaimed director Charles Officer follows award-winning journalist and activist Desmond Cole as he pulls back the curtain on racism in Canada, inviting all Canadians to understand the experience of being in his skin. Cole won a National Magazine Award for his impactful and incisive Toronto Life cover story about carding and racial profiling. Now, in Officer’s starkly honest doc, he journeys across North America, exploring what it’s really like to be Black in the 21st century.

“Cole’s journey is not just toward discovery, but toward the unveiling of a desperate, hidden truth: the truth about the skin he’s in. And the Canada we thought we knew.” – CBC.ca

You can also read Desmond Cole’s book, ‘The Skin We're In--A Year of Black Resistance and Power’
From Penguin Random House:
“A bracing, provocative, and perspective-shifting book from one of Canada's most celebrated and uncompromising writers, Desmond Cole. ‘The Skin We're In’ will spark a national conversation, influence policy, and inspire activists. In his 2015 cover story for Toronto Life magazine, Desmond Cole exposed the racist actions of the Toronto police force, detailing the dozens of times he had been stopped and interrogated under the controversial practice of carding. The story quickly came to national prominence, shaking the country to its core and catapulting its author into the public sphere. Cole used his newfound profile to draw insistent, unyielding attention to the injustices faced by Black Canadians on a daily basis.

This documentary is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/  but you will need to set up a free account.
https://gem.cbc.ca/firsthand?autoplay=1

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Never Gonna Break My Faith’, by Jackie Richardson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USAtmLvqeys
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UPDATE February 11, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Good Trouble (Documentary)
2020; Running Time: 96 Min
Directed by: Dawn Porter
Produced by: Laura Michalchyshyn, Dawn Porter, Erika Alexander, Ben Arnon

From Wikipedia
John Lewis: Good Trouble is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Dawn Porter about the life of civil rights activist and United States congressman John Lewis. John Lewis: Good Trouble premiered at the Circle Cinema Theater in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 19, 2020. The date and place were chosen to commemorate Juneteenth, the celebration of the emancipation of slaves in the United States, and to protest against a Donald Trump presidential re-election campaign rally planned in Tulsa for the same day; the rally was rescheduled for the following day after widespread criticism. The film was originally scheduled to premiere in April 2020 at the Tribeca Film Festival, before the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This documentary is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/  but you will need to set up a free account.
https://gem.cbc.ca/john-lewis-good-trouble

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody’, by Howard Gospel Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-EVRMk5Zow
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UPDATE February 10, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Willie (Documentary)
Running Time: 91 Min; 2019
Directed by: Laurence Mathieu-Leger
Don Kee Productions

From williedoc.com
Willie O'Ree changed hockey forever on Jan. 18, 1958.  In the midst of America's tumultuous fight to end Jim Crow and the birth of the civil rights movement, Willie - the descendant of escaped slaves - became the first black player to skate in a National Hockey League game. 

He was blind in one eye – an extraordinary secret that only his sister knew.  He played 45 games in the NHL and then 22 years of minor league hockey. Later, Willie sold cars, managed fast food restaurants, and worked security at a hotel.  When he was asked to become the NHL's diversity ambassador in 1994, he was 60 years old.  He took the job, and he has never stopped.

Now, 60 years after Willie broke the NHL's color barrier, a grassroots movement is working to get him into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Will he also break this barrier? "Willie" provides historical context and depth to O'Ree's incredible journey.  The film is a testament to the resilience and determination of a man empowered by his family's legacy, and the people he has inspired along the way.

His work is not done.

This documentary is free for you to watch at CBC Gem https://gem.cbc.ca/  but you will need to set up a free account.

https://gem.cbc.ca/willie

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Heaven Help Us All’, by Ray Charles ft Gladys Knight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6UVVaoiDMg
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UPDATE February 9, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Arthur Ashe: More Than a Champion (Documentary)
BBC; 2015
Running Time: 1 Hr
Written by: Kevin Willmott

From YouTube
2015 marks the 40th anniversary of tennis legend Arthur Ashe lifting the Wimbledon men's singles title.

From boyhood in segregated America to becoming one of the world's opinion-formers, Ashe's story is told poignantly by his brother Johnnie, along with friends Stan Smith and Donald Dell, and rivals like Ilie Nastase. This is far more than a just a story of how a man conquered the world of tennis. Ashe's life spans America's Civil Rights struggle, the ending of South Africa's system of apartheid and his creation of an awareness of the disease that would eventually kill him: AIDS. Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe and Andy Murray all explain Arthur's legacy and their own personal debt to the man.

It is not surprising that when Nelson Mandela was finally released from prison, one of the first people he asked to meet was Arthur Ashe.

This documentary is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX09hjb4XYA

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Highway to Heaven’, by The Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYVMHMT4os
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UPDATE February 8, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Journey To Canadian Justice-Stanley G. Grizzle (Documentary)
Directed by Roger McTair; Running Time: 47 Min
Produced by Karen King-Chigbo
National Film Board of Canada Production

This film focuses on Stanley Grizzle, Canada’s first black Citizenship Court Judge. Stanley George Sinclair Grizzle (1918–2016) CM, O. Ont was a Canadian citizenship judge, soldier, political candidate and civil rights and labour union activist. He died in November 2016 at the age of 97.

This film is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDG2t6BG-Ww

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Just a Little Talk With Jesus’, by the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9bB7OoO4II
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UPDATE February 7, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Seeking Salvation-A History of the Black Church in Canada (Documentary)
Directed by Phillip Daniels, 2004, Running Time: 1hr 30min

From YouTube:
“Spanning four centuries on a joyful voyage of music and heritage, Seeking Salvation traces the history of the Black Church and considers its future in a changing society.”

This film is available for you to watch for free on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81OFeofdksw

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Let Us the Cheer the Weary Traveller’, by the Nathaniel Dett Chorale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlLPu2Sr1ZU
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UPDATE February 6, 2024

Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human (Book)
By Cole Arthur Riley
2024; Convergent Books

From goodreads.com
A collection of prayer, poetry, and spiritual practice centering the Black interior world, from the New York Times bestselling author of This Here Flesh and creator of Black Liturgies

For years, Cole Arthur Riley was desperate for a spirituality she could trust. Amid ongoing national racial violence, the isolation of the pandemic, and a surge of anti-Black rhetoric in many Christian spaces, she began dreaming of a more human, more liberating expression of faith. She went on to create Black Liturgies, a digital project that connects spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black memory, and the Black body.

In this book, she brings together new prayers, letters, poems, meditation questions, breath practices, scriptures, and the writings of Black literary ancestors to offer forty-three liturgies that can be practiced individually or as a community. Inviting readers to reflect on their shared experiences of wonder, rest, rage, and repair, and creating rituals for holidays like Lent and Juneteenth, Arthur Riley writes with a poet’s touch and a sensitivity that has made her one of the most important spiritual voices at work today.

For anyone healing from communities that were more violent than loving; for anyone who has escaped the trauma of white Christian nationalism, religious homophobia, or transphobia; for anyone asking what it means to be human in a world of both beauty and terror, Black Liturgies is a work of healing and empowerment, and a vision for what might be.

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Wade in the Water’, by the Staple Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDp1v2YgseM
********************
UPDATE February 5, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Quincy-A Life Beyond Measure
2018; Running Time 2 Hr 4 Min
TriBeCa Productions; Quincy Jones Productions
Directed by: Alan Hicks; Rashida Jones
Written by: Alan Hicks; Rashida Jones
Produced by: Paula DuPré Pesmen
Starring: Quincy Jones

From Netflix
Quincy is a 2018 American documentary film about the life of American record producer, singer and film producer Quincy Jones. The film was co-written and co-directed by Alan Hicks and Rashida Jones and produced by Paula DuPré Pesmen. The film details his career as follows: "Over 2,900 songs recorded; over 300 albums recorded; 51 film and television scores; over 1,000 original compositions; 79 Grammy nominations; 27 Grammy awards; 1 of 18 EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony); Thriller the bestselling album of all time; We Are the World the bestselling single of all time; $63 million raised for famine relief in Africa; and 7 children."

This film is available for you to watch on Netflix

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God Is Trying to Tell You Something’, from The Color Purple (1985), music by Quincy Jones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEv_d6zAYHk
*****************
UPDATE February 4, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Robin Roberts Presents ‘Mahalia’ (TV Movie)
2021; Running Time: 85 min
Front Street Pictures; StarScape Entertainment
Written by; Bettina Gilois, Todd Kreidler
Directed by: Kenny Leon
Starring: Danielle Brooks

From IMDB
The story of the New Orleans-born crooner who began singing at an early age and went on to become one of the most revered gospel figures in U.S. history, melding her music with the civil rights movement.

This film is available for you to watch on Netflix

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Precious Lord, Take My Hand’, by Mahalia Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as1rsZenwNc
*****************
UPDATE February 3, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

We Are the Change We Seek: The Speeches of Barack Obama (Book)
By Joy-Ann Reid & E.J. Dionne Jr.
2017;  Bloomsbury USA

From goodreads.com
A collection of Barack Obama's greatest speeches selected and introduced by columnist E.J. Dionne and MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid.

We Are the Change We Seek is a collection of Barack Obama's 26 greatest addresses: beginning with his 2002 speech opposing the Iraq War and closing with his final speech before the United Nations in September 2016. As president, Obama's words had the power to move the country, and often the world, as few presidents before him. Whether acting as Commander in Chief or Consoler in Chief, Obama adopted a unique rhetorical style that could simultaneously speak to the national mood and change the course of public events. Obama's eloquence, both written and spoken, propelled him to national prominence and ultimately made it possible for the son of a Kenyan man and a white woman from Kansas to become the first black president of the United States.

These speeches span Obama's career--from his time in state government through to the end of his tenure as president--and the issues most important to our time: war, inequality, race relations, gun violence and human rights. The book opens with an essay placing Obama's oratorical contributions within the flow of American history by E.J. Dionne Jr., columnist and author of Why The Right Went Wrong, and Joy Reid, the host of AM Joy on MSNBC and author of Fracture.

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Freedom Highway’, by The Staple Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7_b_jyRVRc
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UPDATE February 2, 2024

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Rustin (Film)
2023; Running Time: 106 min
Higher Ground, Bold Choices
Directed by: George C. Wolfe
Screenplay by: Julian Breece, Dustin Lance Black
Story by: Julian Breece
Produced by: Bruce Cohen, Tonia Davis, George C. Wolfe
Starring: Colman Domingo, Chris Rock, Jeffrey Wright, Audra McDonald

From Wikipedia
Rustin is a 2023 American biographical drama film about the life of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company Higher Ground, the film stars Colman Domingo in the title role, alongside Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, CCH Pounder, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Johnny Ramey, Michael Potts, Jeffrey Wright, and Audra McDonald. It is based on the true story of Rustin, who helped Martin Luther King Jr. and others organize the 1963 March on Washington.

The film tells the story of the charismatic, gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Despite incredible odds, he managed to organize the March on Washington in 1963. This event is considered one of the high points of the civil rights movement in the United States. Over 200,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. and called for an end to racial discrimination in the USA. Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the event.

This film is available for you to watch on Netflix

Remember you are loved and you are missed.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Oh Freedom’, by The Golden Gospel Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veiJLhXdwn8
*******************
UPDATE February 1, 2024

February is Black History Month. It is hard to know how those of us who are not people of colour should mark the importance of this yearly observance. One way is by educating ourselves and increasing our awareness of the issues faced by our siblings who are of African descent. We can read, we can take advantage of documentary films, and we can listen to the lived experiences of people of colour in our churches, in our communities, in our lives.

This year, in order to aid in our collective and individual learning experience, we will feature each day a book, movie, documentary, feature film, podcast, speaker, or a person in public life. We may also share some writings of prominent people of colour who lift up the Black experience, struggles, and successes. We will post a brief description of each day’s featured item and encourage you to choose somewhere to begin your own education about black history. If you have any suggestions of books, movies, or persons if interest that you think should be passed along, please send them to lorre.calder@sympatico.ca. At the end of the month, these resources will be compiled into a document which will available for you to access at any time.

Today’s Black History Month Resource

Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America (Book)
By Joy-Ann Reid
2024; Mariner Books

From goodreads.com
The host of MSNBC’s  The ReidOut  and  New York Times  bestselling author of  The Man Who Sold America  traces the extraordinary lives and legacy of civil rights icons Medgar and Myrlie Evers, situating Medgar Evers’s assassination as a catalyzing moment in American history. Myrlie Louise Beasley met Medgar Evers on her first day of college. They fell in love at first sight, married just one year later, and Myrlie left school to focus on their growing family. Medgar became the field secretary for the Mississippi branch of the NAACP, charged with beating back the most intractable and violent resistance to black voting rights in the country. Myrlie served as Medgar’s secretary and confidant, working hand in hand with him as they struggled against public accommodations and school segregation, lynching, violence, and sheer despair within their state’s “black belt.” They fought to desegregate the intractable University of Mississippi, organized picket lines and boycotts, despite repeated terroristic threats, including the 1962 firebombing of their home, where they lived with their three young children. On June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers became the highest profile victim of Klan-related assassination of a black civil rights leader at that time; gunned down in the couple’s driveway in Jackson. In the wake of his tragic death, Myrlie carried on their civil rights legacy; writing a book about Medgar’s fight, trying to win a congressional seat, and becoming a leader of the NAACP in her own right. In this groundbreaking and thrilling account of two heroes of the civil rights movement, Joy-Ann Reid uses Medgar and Myrlie’s relationship as a lens through which to explore the on-the-ground work that went into winning basic rights for Black Americans, and the repercussions that still resonate today.

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

’A Change is Gonna Come’, by Sam Cooke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4
************

UPDATE January 31, 2024

A Blessing For Not Your Best Self
(From Have A Beautiful, Terrible Day!)

God, I can’t tell
which person
I will be today:
kind and loving,
turn-the-other-cheek and I’ll-be-right-here,
soft but strong.
I will keep no record of wrongs.

I might be someone else entirely:
brittle and judgmental,
I’m-taking-my-share and
you-deal-with-it-alone,
hard but weak.
I will keep every record, dammit.

I am an accountant in this world
that does not give me what I’m owed.

God, these multiple selves, you know
(of course you know) are parts of a whole.

You send the love I have to give.
You grieve the pain that
causes me to withhold.
You send your spirit every day
not to stitch us back together
but to heal every tender part
from the inside out.

So, in the meantime,
bless this generous self,
bless this breakable self,
bless these many parts and
make them whole.
--Kate Bowler
https://katebowler.com/books/have-a-beautiful-terrible-day/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Heaven High’, by Paul Bell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e39FJ9ypr-k
*************

UPDATE January 30, 2024

The Key is Hope
So many people struggling in their own lives,
so many caught in events that sweep them away,
so many left alone in the night.
Against this reality we come,
armored with nothing more than our faith.
Our intention is to dare the fear around us
and set as many captives free as we can.
The key is hope.
To be seen unafraid in a time of fear
is to open a door in the human heart
that can never be closed.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Beautiful and Brave’, by Paul Bell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjjF5zGgz44
*****************
UPDATE January 29, 2024

The Ability to Listen
In the beginning,
before a word was spoken,
creation began with a single thought.
In the ancient creation stories of Turtle Island,
the idea comes before the word.
The light first went on in the mind of the Spirit
before it illuminated the rest of reality.
Therefore, critical thinking,
the use of the mind –
the ability to listen, study and learn—
is a sacred gift
and should be used well and often.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘The Unbelievable’, by Sean Rodriguez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp0RMY1PfMA
******************

UPDATE January 28, 2024

For those of us who have been around for more than a couple of decades, this time of year is a difficult and dark period in our collective remembrance. Specifically your attention is drawn to the disasters that befell those who sought to explore the expanse of outer space. It is also a time of renewed willingness to find joy through tragedy, life, through loss, and hope through defeat. The tragedies of Apollo 1 (January 27, 1967), Challenger (January 28, 1986) and Columbia (February 1, 2003) all happened six days apart across the span of thirty-six years. Each one of these incidents, on their own, with such a tragic loss of life, could have ended the exploration of space altogether, being a price higher than we were willing to pay. But, our human eagerness and need to ‘see what else there is to see’ pushed us to learn from each of these disasters, to fix the flaws and faults that caused them, and to return to our exploration of space with renewed purpose. Each time the space programme returned to the launch pad following tragedy, they carried on the legacy of those who were lost in such a public way, as well as those who perished along the journey in unseen training accidents and whose names we might never have heard of. We forged on, and we continue to do so, thus honouring their lives and their sacrifice. 

May God bless the crews of Apollo 1 (Virgil I. ‘Gus’ Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee), Challenger STS-51 (Francis R. "Dick" Scobee; Judith A. Resnik, Ronald E. McNair, Michael J. Smith,  Christa McAuliffe, Ellison Onizuka, and Gregory Jarvis), and Columbia STS-107 (Rick Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David M. Brown, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Ramon), as well as all who died in the field of space exploration. Take a moment to say a prayer for those they left behind, and prayer of thanks for the lives they so willingly gave seeking new horizons.

‘Flying for Me’, by John Denver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7FiPaEPbMI
*****************
UPDATE January 27, 2024

Coping With Pain
Of one thing I am certain:
we all experience pain in our lives.
Physical pain.
Emotional pain.
We live with old memories that are painful.
We cope with the pain of grief and loss.
We have no magic to make pain go away,
but we can comfort and care for one another when it arises.
We can hold one another until it subsides:
may your pain be soothed by the Spirit
and may you be comforted by a love
that knows how hurt feels.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘While We Sleep Tonight’, by Paul Bell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwD0yaIvGn4
*******************
We regret that due to illness, the daily postings from St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Cambridge were unavailable this past week. They have now been added and we apologize for any inconvenience.--LC

UPDATE January 26, 2024

What Hope Looks Like
We need you now.
We need your wisdom.
We need your vision.
Your experience.
Your common sense.
We know you have already given
much of your time and talent.
You have been more than generous.
We do not ask for more.
We only ask for your witness.
Your presence.
Your visibility.
Help us show the world what hope looks like.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Bring It All’, by Paul Bell ft Cathy Burton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xehfUxHASzs
**********************
UPDATE January 25, 2024

Our Spiritual Family
We have a spiritual family.
It is a family that stretches around the world,
connecting us to people we may never meet in person,
but with whom we maintain a global partnership
grounded in love.
Our family exists in both sacred time
and chronological time.
It includes our ancestors who dwell
in both our past and our future.
Our family includes all creatures great and small
with whom we live in kinship.
We are a spiritual family,
ever growing,
always welcoming.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God is For Us (Romans 8:31)’, by CityAlight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pmCn81PKC4
*******************
UPDATE January 24, 2024

Why Not Start There?
Sometimes love is a distant star.
With some people, with those people,
it is just not going to happen.
Not now.
Not with things the way they are.
Talking about loving those people
or trusting them is like wishing on a star.
Ok. I understand.
So… what if we start somewhere
closer to home?
Like civility.
Like prayer.
Like a shared witness to nonviolence.
Why not start there
and see where it takes us?
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘How Great Thou Art (Until That Day)’, by Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Hillary Scott, TAYA & Friends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSfTnv9NvV8
*******************
UPDATE January 23, 2024

When the Time Comes
When the time comes,
and it always comes,
for our hope to be tested,
we will be ready.
This is not our first spiritual rodeo.
Many of us are veterans
of the holy struggle for peace,
justice, and human dignity.
We did not just acquire our beliefs.
We earned them through hard days
and long nights.
We are experienced.
We are united.
We are ready,
when the time comes.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘All Things for My Good’, by Jaime Jamgochian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdo5jOEomYs
*****************

UPDATE January 22, 2024

I Have Poured Out My Life
I have poured out my life in prayer.
I have poured out my life in love.
I have no restraints now,
now that the days are only brief reminders
of an endless story.
I will pour myself out completely,
joyfully, giving all that I have
and all that I am
to the chorus of hope
that fills the air.
My life will be a celebration,
poured out,
a stream of living water running to the sea.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Our Father’, by Jaime Jamgochian & Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w6rn7xKTi4
******************
UPDATE January 21, 2024

The Seeds of Peace
I would like to ask you to join me
in doing something.
I want to try to project
peace into our world.
I know some people might say
we are trying to bend a spiritual spoon
with our minds, but I believe
we can impact the social climate
of our community if we focus
on peace rather than anger.
And even if we don’t succeed
in calming the world around us,
at least we will have tried.
Visualize this:
I want to cast peace before us today
as if peace were seeds,
millions of seeds,
being thrown forward
by millions of people,
thrown into the field of days to come,
falling to the earth,
rooting peace into our lives.
In this way, this spiritual way,
anger and violence will be overcome
by the focused intention of our hearts.
Peace will be strengthened,
for it needs strengthening
if it is to withstand the worst
that evil can devise.
Together, we can cast our shared hope forward,
like seeds that will one day grow
to nourish us all.
Today I will be focusing all of the spiritual energy I have
on a single vision:
peace for every heart that will embrace it.
Peace like seeds,
falling to earth as new life
to give hope to the battered world.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Loved and Not Alone’, by Jaime Jamgochian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d-3sBnMOwc
*********************
UPDATE January 20, 2024

Can We Work Together
Can we work together,
even if we do not agree with one another?
Answering that question
may be one of the most important things
we do in this century.
The spiritual response is clear:
yes, we can cooperate for the common good
while working out our differences.
We can agree to disagree.
Peace and reconciliation
seem a lot more possible
when conformity is not a prerequisite.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘To Know You’, by Jonathan Ogden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbVVIIqzuBc
****************
UPDATE January 19, 2024

The Secret to Having a Spiritual Life
What is the secret to having a spiritual life?
There are lots of answers,
but here is one of mine:
keep going.
When you get surprised on the road of life,
don’t let it stop you,
don’t let it trick you
into thinking your journey is over.
Remember,
not even death can stop you.
So seek the healing you need and
abide with those who need you:
but spiritually, keep going.
You have a destination to find,
a meeting with someone
you have searched for your whole life.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Day After Day, Jesus Reigns’, by CityAlight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGo_lNJ6yj4
**************
UPDATE January 18, 2024

Belief
I believe.
What a joyful and liberating
thing to say. I believe.
We each have the right
to fill in the blank
on what we believe,
but I think the fact that we do believe
is remarkable in itself.
So many people in our time
have lost the capacity to believe
in something greater than themselves.
They have known too many disappointments.
Like water in the desert,
belief is precious and life restoring.
Let us share it with as many as we can.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Journey’, by Maryanne J. George ft Mitch Wong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAApjtqClLU
******************
UPDATE January 17, 2024

Bonded to the Spirit
The strength of the Spirit
is round about you,
encircling you with the power of love.
You need not be afraid,
for the Spirit will be with you,
through all seasons,
through all situations,
the presence of love
will not depart from you.
You are sealed into a living relationship with the holy,
bonded to hope as though it was your heartbeat.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘God Can Use a Broken Man’, by Jason Crabb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUKi212RpiA
******************
UPDATE January 16, 2024

Right Next Door
Right next door to you,
only a step away,
are the gardens of paradise,
a land of soft rain and sea air.
Your reality and this world exist side by side.
You can pass between them
through a doorway of the heart.
You can step across.
To find help and healing.
To find peace.
To find the source of love.
Right next door,
only a step away –
any time you pray, every time you ask.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Not My Home’, by Maryanne J. George
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYVfcTwsPLY
*******************
UPDATE January 15, 2024

“Then I got into Memphis and some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out, what would happen to me, from some of our sick white brothers. Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop, and I don’t mind.

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will, and He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. I’ve looked over and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land!

So I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!”

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., April 3, 1968
(The last speech of his life)

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Up To the Mountain’, by Charlean Carmon ft Michiko Hill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4H-eHpMWhk
*******************
UPDATE January 14, 2024

Start With the Positive
The elders say a good morning prayer
is to recite four things in your life
for which you are grateful.
Not only does this allow you
to give thanks for what you have,
it encourages you to consider your blessings
before you encounter your problems.
It sets the spiritual tone for the day,
beginning with gratefulness,
awareness and confidence.
Even on the hardest days,
you start with the positive.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘I Know Who Holds Tomorrow’, by Alison Krauss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZN8w-Tkmk8
********************
UPDATE January 13, 2024

Unbreakable Partnership
We are not hopeful
because we are denying reality.
The world looks as grim to us
as it does to anyone paying attention today.
We know how difficult it will be
to turn this reality around.
We have no unicorn visions
about the risks and the price
of peace and justice.
And yet, we are certain
about the outcome.
Not by wishful thinking,
but by an unbreakable partnership
with the source of hope itself,
the eternal Spirit of renewal.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘An Irish Blessing (May the Road Rise to Meet You)’, by Celtic Thunder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mtR9qoISPU
****************
UPDATE January 12, 2024

Right Next Door
Right next door to you,
only a step away,
are the gardens of paradise,
a land of soft rain and sea air.
Your reality and this world
exist side by side.
You can pass between them
through a doorway of the heart.
You can step across.
To find help and healing.
To find peace.
To find the source of love.
Right next door,
only a step away –
any time you pray,
every time you ask.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Remind Me, Dear Lord’, by The Cox Family & Alison Krauss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdT5BK-eqVY
******************
UPDATE January 11, 2024

Step Back, Fear
Step back, fear,
for you have no dominion here.
Through the love of the Spirit,
I long ago drew a circle of peace
around my heart,
around my mind,
around my life.
Wherever I am,
you have no power.
Wherever I go,
you cannot follow.
I am free of you, fear,
and thanks to the Spirit,
I always will be.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Jesus, Hold My Hand’, by Alison Krauss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd_bBOBumYE
********************
UPDATE January 10, 2024

Listen
Listen.
I hear a beautiful sound.
It is the sound of millions of people
awakening to hope in their future.
Each day, around the world,
hopeful people are waking up
to the vision of peace.
Peace among nations.
Peace among religions.
Peace among us all. 
Like a bell, hope is ringing.
It is ringing to awaken
a new community.
Listen.
What a beautiful sound.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘A Living Prayer’, by Allison Krauss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKpy15xBW4w
*****************
UPDATE January 9, 2024

The Time Has Come
The time has come for wars to cease.
For prejudice to be replaced by respect.
For violence to fade away.
The time has come for awareness to grow
and love to expand.
For people to work together.
For the hungry to be fed.
For a global awareness to shift
the vision of the world.
The time has come
for all of these blessings and more.
Let us proclaim it.
Let us live into it.
The time has come for the renewal of creation.
--Bishop Steven Charleston

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Bless God’, by Brooke Ligertwood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw3t9o-PSkI
***********************
UPDATE January 8, 2024

A Blessing When You Need A Little Motivation To Change
I am rummaging through this day
In search of evidence
That tomorrow could be different

As many times as I wake up
Determined to bend the future
With each effort and expectation,
My conviction dissipates
By day’s end.

Lord we are given so few chances
To direct the courses of our lives.
So, with what little is in my control
Could you help me try?

Let me know the satisfaction of sleep
Exhausted by my effort.

Walk me to the edge of comfort
And keep me there long enough
To reach for something more.

Rescue me from familiar self-hatred.
(You’ll never do it. You can’t do it)

Refine my ambition into honest goals.

Quiet my mind when
it is already certain
that nothing could possibly
be different.

And rekindle a tenderness
in my uncertain heart
for my own small
moments of courage
as I peak my head out
from this hiding place.

And all the comfort—
From this familiarity
To announce ‘I’M READY’
If only to myself.
--Kate Bowler
https://katebowler.com/books-by-kate-bowler/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Children of the Heavenly Father’, by Oasis Chorale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2XpVEKGCvE
******************
UPDATE January 7, 2023

Blessing of the Magi

There is no reversing
this road.
The path that bore you here
goes in one direction only,
every step drawing you
down a way
by which you will not
return.

You thought arrival
was everything,
that your entire journey
ended with kneeling
in the place
you had spent all
to find.

When you laid down
your gift,
release came with such ease,
your treasure tumbling
from your hands
in awe and
benediction.

Now the knowledge
of your leaving
comes like a stone laid
over your heart,
the familiar path closed
and not even the solace
of a star
to guide your way.

You will set out in fear.
You will set out in dream.

But you will set out

by that other road
that lies in shadow
and in dark.

We cannot show you
the route that will
take you home;
that way is yours
and will be found
in the walking.

But we tell you,
you will wonder
at how the light you thought
you had left behind
goes with you,
spilling from
your empty hands,
shimmering beneath
your homeward feet,
illuminating the road
with every step
you take.
—Jan Richardson
http://janrichardson.com/bookcircleofgrace

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Behold’, by Phil Wickham & Anne Wilson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CP08HOcWGY
***************
UPDATE January 6, 2024

For Those Who Have Far to Travel
An Epiphany Blessing

If you could see
the journey whole,
you might never
undertake it,
might never dare
the first step
that propels you
from the place
you have known
toward the place
you know not.

Call it
one of the mercies
of the road:
that we see it
only by stages
as it opens
before us,
as it comes into
our keeping,
step by
single step.

There is nothing
for it
but to go,
and by our going
take the vows
the pilgrim takes:

to be faithful to
the next step;
to rely on more
than the map;
to heed the signposts
of intuition and dream;
to follow the star
that only you
will recognize;

to keep an open eye
for the wonders that
attend the path;
to press on
beyond distractions,
beyond fatigue,
beyond what would
tempt you
from the way.

There are vows
that only you
will know:
the secret promises
for your particular path
and the new ones
you will need to make
when the road
is revealed
by turns
you could not
have foreseen.

Keep them, break them,
make them again;
each promise becomes
part of the path,
each choice creates
the road
that will take you
to the place
where at last
you will kneel

to offer the gift
most needed—
the gift that only you
can give—
before turning to go
home by
another way.
—Jan Richardson
http://janrichardson.com/bookcircleofgrace

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Take Us Home by Another Way’, by Christopher Grundy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOw7kqKEcFA
***********************
UPDATE January 5, 2024

Praise for the Ordinariness of Christmas
God of Goodness,
We give you praise for the ordinariness of Christmas -
that the day comes the same as any other day.
We give you praise that there is no sign in the heavens, and no bright star but the light of your presence in the ordinary birth of the child.
We give you praise that unobtrusively you are in the center of human affairs, involved in the struggle of life, and sharing human experience.
We give you praise that out of compassion you take our part, and open to us a new way of life. We pray that this day we shall be able to see its true glory.
- Caryl Micklem, Contemporary Prayers for Public Worship
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/advent-and-christmas-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Night of Silence/Silent Night’, by Luther College Nordic Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hy9j_mHjUw
***************
UPDATE January 4, 2024

Keeping Christmas
Are you willing...
To forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you?
To ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world?
To put your rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance and your changes to do a little more than your duty in the foreground?
To see that men and women are just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy?
To own up to the fact that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give to life?
To close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness?
Are you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing..
To stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children?
To remember the weakness and loneliness of people growing old?
To stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask yourself whether you love them enough?
To bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts?
To try to understand what those who live in the same home with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you?
To trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you?
To make a grave for your ugly thoughts, and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open?
Are you willing to do those things, even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing…
To believe that love is the strongest thing in the world, stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death - and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem two thousand years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love?

Then you keep Christmas.
And if you can keep it for a day, why not always?
But you can never keep it alone.
- Henry Van Dyke
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/advent-and-christmas-prayers

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Jesus the Light of the World’, by The Gleniffer Singers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zHgEEWuUe0
**************
UPDATE January 3, 2024

Where the Map Begins
This is not
any map you know.
Forget longitude.
Forget latitude.
Do not think
of distances
or of plotting
the most direct route.
Astrolabe, sextant, compass:
these will not help you here.

This is the map
that begins with a star.
This is the chart
that starts with fire,
with blazing,
with an ancient light
that has outlasted
generations, empires,
cultures, wars.

Look starward once,
then look away.
Close your eyes
and see how the map
begins to blossom
behind your lids,
how it constellates,
its lines stretching out
from where you stand.

You cannot see it all,
cannot divine the way
it will turn and spiral,
cannot perceive how
the road you walk
will lead you finally inside,
through the labyrinth
of your own heart
and belly
and lungs.

But step out
and you will know
what the wise who traveled
this path before you
knew:
the treasure in this map
is buried not at journey’s end
but at its beginning.
—Jan Richardson
http://janrichardson.com/bookcircleofgrace

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Wandering Pilgrim’, by Twila Paris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4EjKS9f-Js
****************
January 2, 2024

A Blessing For Your Best Life Now
My world is spinning on the axis
of a single thought:
I should be living my best life now.

Lord, other people are living
their effortless, joyful,
perfect lives.

Why aren’t I?

When I scroll social media,
I see grinning faces teaching me,
selling me, convincing me
down to every atom
of my not sufficiently moisturized skin
that I should be more.

I could heal myself,
budget myself,
shop myself whole.
I am a project ready to be completed.
I am an unfinished checklist.

But that much is true.
I am incomplete.
And you never promised us
a finished life.
So pry my eyes from the
Christmas card versions
of other people’s lives.
God, give me satisfaction
in the trying.
Give me joy in
the never-quite-there.
Grant me peace in my unsettled heart
for my wild mediocrity.

Help me smile back at the truth
that no one,
not one, knows perfection but you.
And you already looked at this
messy creation
at the beginning of time
and pronounced it pretty darn good.
--Kate Bowler
https://katebowler.com/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Rise Up Shepherd’, by the Ennis Sisters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJDyz1pHCpw
*******************
UPDATE January 1, 2024

A New Year’s Blessing for realists.

As you enter this new year, as you pack away the Christmas decorations and get out your stretchy pants,
as you face the onslaught of false promises offered you through new disciplines and elimination diets,
as you grasp for control of yourself and your life and this chaotic world -

May you remember that there is no resolution that, if kept, will make you more worthy of love.

There is no resolution that, if kept, will make life less uncertain and allow you to control your aging parents and your teenage children and the way other people act. 

So this year (as every year),

May you just skip the part where you resolve to be better do better and look better this time.

Instead, may you give yourself the gift of really, really low expectations. Not out of resignation, but out of generosity.

May you expect so little of yourself that you can be super proud of the smallest of accomplishments.

May you expect so little of the people in your life that you actually notice and cherish every small, lovely thing about them.

May you expect so little of the service industry that you notice more of what you do get and less of what you don't and then just tip really well anyhow.

May you expect to get so little out of 2024 that you can celebrate every single thing it offers you, however small.

Because you deserve joy and not disappointment.

So, I wish you a Happy as possible New Year.

Love, Nadia.
(Yearly reminder: there is no resolution that, if kept, will make you more worthy of love.)
--by Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber
https://thecorners.substack.com/

Remember you are loved and you are missed!
Stay safe, and keep in touch.
Blessings and peace to you all,
The Leadership Team of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

‘Christ is Born’, by The Carpenters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjvwcFJg6Og
************************

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