Pastors Corner
One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. (Ps. 27.4)
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. (Ps. 84)
As we continue our way through “wedding season” during these summer months, I’m reminded of how many times I hear comments from wedding guests remarking about the beauty of our sanctuary. While worship and devotion to God can happen in the humblest of settings, we have received a splendid worship space from an earlier generation of First Lutheran members. In recent years, improvements have been made to the chancel floor, the lighting and the acoustics. Now, one again, enhancements are underway.
When Duane Hulbert offered his Chopin recital in March as the beginning of a Piano Fund, I would never have imagined we would reach our goal in four brief months. Through the generosity of many, including the gift of a vintage 1907 Steinway from a member of the community, and a tip from our former organist, Mike Reiter, we were able to purchase a 20-yr-old seven-foot Steinway from a recently-retired piano teacher in Redmond. The piano arrived on July 20th and was put to immediate use at our “Listen Live at Lunch” recital on the 22nd and at the Hulbert-Meuel wedding two days later. The former sanctuary piano has been relocated to our chapel. We now have two fine pianos for our worship services and musical events. We give thanks for all the gifts which have made these worship instruments possible. The Sherman Clay (chapel) piano was in memory of Phyllis Pejsa’s first husband, Darrel Carlson. It has been a wonderful gift through its 22 years in our midst and has helped us gain a reputation both as a congregation with a fine worship life and a desirable concert site.
Toward the end of August, the hardwood floor in the chancel will be extended to the first row of pews. A generous gift of one of our members has made this possible. Once again, as in 2002, this improvement will enhance the visual and acoustical appeal of our sanctuary. As money permits, replacement of the tattered red carpet in the center aisle and along the side aisles is planned. It is also hoped that a matching runner will be feasible in the chapel.
In my experience, First Lutheran has been able to offer a good balance between spending internally and providing benevolence gifts to a host of local and international agencies. We will continue that pattern, so well represented by the $128,698 we gave away through our 125th Anniversary Fund and the nearly $300,000 we pledged toward our “Building First in Faith” capital campaign in 2008. A final payment of our $150,000 Thrivent loan was made the week of July 26th. Your remaining gifts to “Building First in Faith” will be used for our capital campaign tithe, our “Listen Live at Lunch” series, and other Evangelism and Outreach projects as determined by the Church Council in the weeks and months ahead.
I give thanks with you to our gracious and generous God who has inspired such plentiful generosity in our midst. How beautiful indeed it is!
Grace and peace,
Philip Nesvig, pastor