Happy Birthday to Our August Celebrants!

We’re excited to celebrate the birthdays of our wonderful members born this August. May your birthday be filled with joy, laughter, and cherished moments!

Here is the list of those celebrating their birthdays in August:

6 - Rod Day

7 - Marlene Drew

13 - Sara Hartviksen

13 - Pastor Vida Jaugelis

15 - Carolyn Rude

15 - Ljerka Haughn

25 - Frank Paul

27- Eric Weber

28 - Ursula Adler

Madeleine L’Engle is perhaps best recognized as the author of A Wrinkle in Time, the enduring milestone work of fantasy fiction that won the 1963 John Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s literature, but she she also was a poet.  One reviewer characterizes her poetry this way: 

It is startling to encounter words that so quickly, easily puncture the day to day patterns that trouble us – whether riding public transport or hopping on social media: “too tired to look with love, too tired to look at Love, at you, in every person.” Her honesty strips bare what phrases like “compassion fatigue” cover up. It is tempting to think that new technology or novel new realities are to blame – but for words like these, written decades ago.

Here is an excerpt from Madeleine L’Engle’s 1969 poem, “Lines Scribbled on an Envelope while Riding the 104 Broadway Bus”:

There is too much pain
I cannot understand
I cannot pray…

Here I am
and the ugly man with beery breath beside me reminds
me that it is not my prayers that waken your
concern, my Lord;
my prayers, my intercessions are not to ask for your love
for all your lost and lonely ones,
your sick and sinning souls,
but mine, my love, my acceptance of your love.
Your love for the woman sticking her umbrella and her
expensive
parcels into my ribs and snarling, “Why don’t you watch
where you’re going?”
Your love for the long-haired, gum-chewing boy who
shoves the old lady aside to grab a seat,
Your love for me, too, too tired to look with love,
too tired to look at Love, at you, in every person on the
bus.
Expand my love, Lord, so I can help to bear the pain,
help your love move my love into the tired prostitute with
false eyelashes and bunioned feet,
the corrupt policeman with his hand open for graft,
the addict, the derelict, the woman in the mink coat and
discontented mouth,
the high school girl with heavy books and frightened eyes.

Help me through these scandalous particulars
to understand
your love.

Help me to pray.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Photo by Mitchell Johnson on Unsplash

With thanks to the good folks at SALT for sharing Madeleine L'Engle's poem. 

This summer, we realized that the 'Elder Wisdom Reflections' book is not in the slots with the Canadian Lutheran magazines across from the office 

We love that the book is being read and if anyone happens to have borrowed it, we kindly ask that you return it to its original place. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do we know about God?"

A hand shot up in the air. "He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy.

"Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked.

"You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven... "