PICNIC ON RALLY DAY!

Hello everyone - we will be having our annual church picnic this year on Rally Day - September 7th after the 2nd church service (11:00 am).  You will be provided hamburgers, hot dogs, tableware and beverages.

 

PLEASE BRING:
BAKED BEANS OR VEGGIE TRAY IF YOUR LAST NAME BEGINS A-L.

IF YOUR LAST NAME BEGINS M-Z, PLEASE BRING EITHER FRUIT TRAY OR COOKIES.

Pastor's Weekly Message

Dear Friends in Christ,

As Christians we believe that God speaks to us in many and various ways.  In fact, Martin Luther was fond of saying that our God is a "chatty" God who has a lot to say to us--if we are listening.  Inevitably, sometimes the Lord says things that we don't want to hear--things that make us uncomfortable because they don't fit our expectations....

This is what happened to Peter and the other disciples in our gospel lesson for this coming Sunday.  When Jesus told them that the Son of Man would be betrayed, killed, and would rise again on the third day, it must have scared them out of their wits!  How could someone as good and as powerful as Jesus suffer such a terrible fate?!  They just didn't get why he would have to suffer....  And so Jesus tried to explain to the disciples that they will find their lives in losing them (Matthew 16:21-28).  In the lesson from Romans, Paul also speaks about this kind of sacrificial love when he urges us to associate with the lowly and not to repay evil with evil (Romans 12:9-21).

Prayer of the Day

O God, we thank you for your Son, who chose the path of suffering for the sake of the world.  Humble us by his example, point us to the path of obedience, and give us strength to follow your commands, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen

Announcements

• NOTE:  This Sunday, August 31, we will hold only ONE WORSHIP SERVICE at 10:30 am.  Beginning Sunday, September 7, our worship times will move back to 8:30 and 11 am.
• Sunday, September 7 is Rally Day at Shepherd of the Valley!  Lots of fun activities are planned for the kickoff of Sunday School, and there will be exciting things happening in worship, too!
• Sunday School for all ages begins Sept. 14.  The kids begin at 9:45, and the adult class will begin at 10 am.  The kids and their teachers will be using a new curriculum, Seasons of the Spirit, which focuses on the same Scripture lessons that are used in worship each week.  The adult class will begin the year with a seven-week course entitled "Opening the Book of Faith:  Lutheran Insights for Bible Study."  This is part of an exciting five-year initiative of the ELCA designed to promote greater familiarity with the Bible!

Prayer concerns:

Bob McFall--prayers for healing;
Les Peterson—prayers for healing and strength;
Carol and Henry Streed and family at the loss of their daughter, Barbara—prayers for God's peace and comfort;
Holly Haydamack—prayers for healing and diagnosis;
Dolores Austin, home from the hospital—prayers of thanksgiving and prayers for continued healing;
Jacob Tabor, prayers for continued healing;
Prayers of thanksgiving at the birth of Chanel, baby daughter of Prosper and Rosata, who was born Monday evening, August 4th;
Julie Zetterberg and family—prayers for God's comfort and peace following the death of her father, Maurice Labrousse;
Charlotte Harris—prayers for healing and strength for Charlotte, Ken and family;
Christine Edgar—prayers for God's wisdom, strength and peace as she deals with a difficult situation;
Ron Farnsworth—Prayers for healing and strength and for successful treatment;
Rachel Flath—Prayers for continued healing and strength;
Ann Smith—continued prayers for healing;

…Prayers for strength and guidance for all who are caring for loved ones.

…Prayers for strength and guidance for all who are unemployed.

Pastor's Weekly Message

Dear Friends in Christ,


In our gospel lesson for this coming Sunday, Jesus declares that the church will be built on the rock of Peter's bold confession of faith. God's word of reconciliation and mercy are keys to the church's mission. In the lesson from Romans (12:1-8), Paul urges us to not be conformed to this world, but to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, using our individual gifts to build up the body of Christ. From the Lord's house we go forth to offer our spiritual worship through word and deed.

Prayer of the Day

O God, with all your faithful followers of every age, we praise you, the rock of our life. Be our strong foundation and form us into the body of your Son, that we may gladly minister to all the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen

Announcements



· NOTE: Sunday, August 31, we will hold only ONE WORSHIP SERVICE at 10:30 am. Beginning Sunday, September 7, our worship times will move back to 8:30 and 11 am.

· Sunday, September 7 is Rally Day at Shepherd of the Valley! Lots of fun activities are planned for the kickoff of Sunday School, and there will be exciting things happening in worship, too!

· Sunday School for all ages begins Sept. 14. The kids begin at 9:45, and the adult class will begin at 10 am. The kids and their teachers will be using a new curriculum, Seasons of the Spirit, which focuses on the same Scripture lessons that are used in worship each week. The adult class will begin the year with a seven-week course entitled "Opening the Book of Faith: Lutheran Insights for Bible Study." This is part of an exciting five-year initiative of the ELCA designed to promote greater familiarity with the Bible!



Prayer concerns:


Les Peterson—prayers for healing and strength as he deals with ongoing heart problems and faces foot surgery in the near future;

Carol and Henry Streed and family at the loss of their daughter, Barbara—prayers for God's peace and comfort;

Holly Haydamack, having seizures of unknown origin—prayers for healing and diagnosis;

Dolores Austin, home from the hospital—prayers of thanksgiving and prayers for continued healing;

Jacob Tabor, prayers for continued healing;

Prayers of thanksgiving at the birth of Chanel, baby daughter of Prosper and Rosata, who was born Monday evening, August 4th;

Julie Zetterberg and family—prayers for God's comfort and peace following the death of her father, Maurice Labrousse;

Charlotte Harris, in rehab—prayers for healing and strength for Charlotte, Ken and family;

Christine Edgar—prayers for God's wisdom, strength and peace as she deals with a difficult situation;

Ron Farnsworth, diagnosed with prostate cancer—Prayers for healing and strength and for successful treatment;

Rachel Flath,—Prayers for continued healing and strength;

Bob McFall—prayers that he may find relief from pain;

Ann Smith— continued prayers for healing;


…Prayers for strength and guidance for all who are caring for loved ones.



…Prayers for strength and guidance for all who are unemployed.

Spread the Good News!

Dear SOV Church Family,

I just experienced something very exciting: I listened to part of last Sunday's worship service on my computer! You can do this, too! In fact, by logging onto SOV's website, Aggie Wagemann and the McDonald family were able to "have church" in their home, which helped them feel connected, even though they couldn't be with us physically on Sunday!

You can "have church" at home, too! Just go to http://www.sovlutheran.com/ and click where it says "podcast." (The suggestion of downloading Firefox really does help speed things up!)

[Ed note: You can also find our podcast in iTunes. Just search for Shepherd Beaverton inside the iTunes store.]

What fun! And whom should we thank for all this fun? Why, our beloved SOV "techies," of course: Bob McFall, Tom Barnes, James Graham, Joe Hoffbeck, Arden Tarum, Terry Wagemann, and Aaron Zahrowski.

Have fun sharing the Good News with your friends!



Blessings,

Pastor Michelle

Pastor's Weekly Message

Dear Friends in Christ,

In our gospel lesson for this coming Sunday, Jesus teaches the disciples that strictly observing laws and religious rituals does not necessarily make one righteous.  Each person must be right with God in his or her heart.  The proof of this lies in the way one lives:  The things we do and say reveal a great deal about the state of our hearts!  Jesus makes it very clear that those who do all the "rite" things in worship may be neglecting the weightier matters of the law.  He calls on us to examine how we treat our neighbors:  What do we say to them and about them?  Do our actions help them, or do our actions hurt them?  As followers of the One who gave his life for us and for the whole human family, we are called to be signs of comfort, healing and justice to those in need. 

Prayer of the Day

God of all peoples, your arms reach out to embrace all those who call upon you.  Teach us as disciples of your Son to love the world with compassion and constancy, that your name may be known throughout the earth, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen

· Don't forget to stop by the rummage sale, open to the public Friday and Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm.  Bring your friends!   Come early to avoid the worst of the heat!
 

Prayer concerns:

Carol and Henry Streed and family at the loss of their daughter, Barbara—prayers for God's peace and comfort;

Holly Haydamack, having seizures of unknown origin—prayers for healing and diagnosis;

Dolores Austin, home from the hospital—prayers of thanksgiving and prayers for continued healing;

Jacob Tabor, prayers for continued healing;

Prayers of thanksgiving at the birth of Chanel, baby daughter of Prosper and Rosata, who was born Monday evening, August 4th;

Julie Zetterberg and family—prayers for God's comfort and peace following the death of her father, Maurice Labrousse;

Charlotte Harris, in rehab—prayers for healing and strength for Charlotte, Ken and family;

Christine Edgar—prayers for God's wisdom, strength and peace as she deals with a difficult situation;

Ron Farnsworth, diagnosed with prostate cancer—Prayers for healing and strength and for successful treatment;

Rachel Flath,—Prayers for continued healing and strength;

Bob McFall—prayers that he may find relief from pain;

Ann Smith— continued prayers for healing;

…Prayers for strength and guidance for all who are caring for loved ones.

…Prayers for strength and guidance for all who are unemployed.

Is God Calling You?

Dear Friends in Christ,

We know that our Lord had a special place in his heart for children, and so do most of us at SOV!  It's time to translate our faith and love into action:  SOV's kids need a few more Sunday School teachers to share their love of God with them.  The more teachers we have, the easier the time commitment will be.  In addition, the kids will thrive knowing that so many adults in their church family care about them.

This would be a team-teaching situation, so no one has to worry about working alone.  If you're inexperienced as a teacher, don't worry:  There are others who can help you.  Besides, the most important thing is sharing your love of God and your love of the kids.

So, think about it:  Is God calling you to give some of your time to God's littlest ones—even just a few hours on a Sunday morning?  As a former Sunday School teacher myself, I guarantee that if you try this for a few weeks, you will be blessed in ways you never imagined!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Michelle

Pastor's weekly message

Dear Friends in Christ,

With the prospect of a leadership transition for SOV on the horizon, our Scripture lessons for this coming Sunday take on special significance.  As we seek God's presence and guidance, we need to remember that God is  most present where we least expect to find God.  God does not conform to our human expectations!  Elijah finds the presence of God not in earthquake, wind, or fire, but in the sound of sheer silence (I Kings 19:9-18).  When the disciples face a great storm on the sea, they cry out with fear.  Jesus speaks to them:  "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid" (Matthew 14:22-33).  Amid the storms of life, we gather to seek the calm presence of Christ that soothes our fears.  In comforting words of scripture and in the refreshing bread and cup of the eucharist, God grants us peace and sends us forth to be a sign of God's presence to others.

Prayer of the Day

O God our defender, storms rage around and within us and cause us to be afraid.  Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and daughters from fear, and preserve us in the faith of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen

Announcements:

·Summer Bible Study, Wednesdays at 7 pm, August 6th and 13th:  This summer we are taking a long, hard look at the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapters 5-7.  The heart of Jesus' teaching is more relevant than ever in a world of turmoil.  How should we as Christians and as a Church respond to the challenge of his words?  Join us on Wednesday evenings for some powerful  and provocative discussion and study.  The group will be facilitated by Kevin Cope and will meet this week at the home of Neil and Dolores Austin.      

Prayer concerns:

Dolores Austin—prayers for healing and for a good outcome as she undergoes testing;

Prayers of thanksgiving for Jacob Tabor's successful surgery and prayers for his continued healing;

Prayers of thanksgiving at the birth of Chanel, baby daughter of Prosper and Rosata, who was born Monday evening, August 4th;

Prayers of thanksgiving for the healing that has come to David Allison;

Julie Zetterberg and family—prayers for God's comfort and peace following the death of her father, Maurice Labrousse;

Darlene Anderson—prayers for healing after two falls (She is bruised and sore.);

Charlotte Harris—prayers for healing and strength for Charlotte, Ken and family;

Christine Edgar—prayers for God's wisdom, strength and peace as she deals with a difficult situation;

Ron Farnsworth—Prayers for healing and strength and for successful treatment;

Rachel Flath—Prayers for continued healing and strength;

Bob McFall—prayers that he may find relief from pain;

George and Evelyn Selzer and family, as they grieve the death of George's grandson and daughter-in-law—prayers for God's peace and comfort;

Ann Smith— continued prayers for healing;

…Prayers for strength and guidance for all who are caring for loved ones.

…Prayers for strength and guidance for all who are unemployed.