107 Concord Road, Wayland Massachusetts 01778

Making peace must start within ourselves and in our family. Each of us, members of the ______________________ family, commit ourselves as best we can to become nonviolent and peaceable people:

1. To Respect Self and Others

To respect myself, to affirm others and to avoid uncaring criticism, hateful words, physical attacks and self-destructive behavior.

2. To Communicate Better

To share my feelings honestly, to look for safe ways to express my anger and to work at solving problems peacefully.

3. To Listen

To listen carefully to one another, especially those who disagree with me and to consider other’s feelings and needs rather than insist on having my own way.

4. To Forgive

To apologize and make amends when I have hurt another, to forgive others and to keep from holding grudges.

5. To Respect Nature

To treat the environment and all living things, including our pets, with respect and care.

6. To Play Creatively

To select entertainment and toys that support our family’s values and to avoid entertainment that makes violence look exciting, funny or acceptable.

7. To Be Courageous

To challenge violence in all its forms whenever I encounter it, whether at home, at school, at work, or in the community and to stand with others who are treated unfairly.

This is our pledge. These are our goals. We will check ourselves on what we have pledged once a month on ___________________ for the next twelve months so that we can help each other become more peaceable people.

Pledging family members sign below:

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Congregation Or Atid and Peace Lutheran Church have completed another wonderful week of hosting. Over 60 volunteers participated from our congregations and our support congregations, Temple Shir Tikva, Memorial Congregational Church, and St John Evangelical Lutheran Church. We also received support from Little Dove Early Childhood Center and Girl Scout Troop 77171.

The volunteers did such a wonderful job this week keeping the church clean. Peace is used by several different organizations during the week, and the extra effort was greatly appreciated. The families also did an outstanding job with household chores which lightened the load on the volunteers.

We will be hosting for two weeks in March, from March 3-17. We encourage all volunteers to join our online community so that everyone can receive updates on the families.

Thank you again for making this incredible week possible.

Kim Canning, Peace
Cindy Fenichel, Or Atid
Kim Ho, Peace

http://www.familypromisemetrowest.org/index.html

Sunday, November 25 on the liturgical calendar is Christ the King Sunday. All commemorations, recognitions, holy days and festivals flow into this day which proclaims the reign of Christ over all things. We shall celebrate that and offer  our thanks for the heritage of our faith by affirming our places in the Christian Church through our involvement as members of Peace. If you have not done so already, please return your estimate of giving cards. We’ll collect nonperishables for the Wayland Food Pantry.

A potluck brunch follows the service on Sunday. Bring anything you care to share with the rest of us.  There will be craft projects for the children.

Thanks to everyone who attended the Wayland Thanksgiving service at Temple Shir Tikvah.  Kim Ho did her usual fine job of telling about Family Promise. As you know, her reports are always personal, heart-felt, clear and inviting. Folks from the Islamic Center including the president, indicated their community’s intention to be involved with Family Promise. New volunteers will probably come from the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit as well, following Kim’s presentation.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ ⁴⁰And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’   Matthew 25:37ff 

As we approach the last day of the church year, the Sunday of Christ the King, the passage above comes to mind. We have just finished our annual Florence House party.

As Corinne Fryhle welcomed the mothers and their children in the parking lot of our church Sunday at noon, I thought of how important these few hours are in the life of our congregation. Here were some of the most vulnerable and weakest people in our society—homeless teenage mothers and their young children (some just months old) from Worcester—dressed up in their best clothes, arriving for a party at our church. We were throwing a party for them.  

The Florence House party is just a gesture of Christian love, but sometimes that’s all that’s needed to keep hope alive in other people and keep faith alive in you and me. We have been able to organize this event for a number of years because Christian hospitality is alive in the hearts of some of the leaders of our church. As your pastor I am always proud of you after this event, and others like it.  The Family Promise weeks always make me feel the same way.

As you reflect on your involvement in the church I invite you to think of it as something you do for others, even for strangers. This is a Christian spiritual thought, not a consumer thought, and as such it might sound a little strange to our ears.  I hear people talk about going to church as something they do—or choose not to do—for themselves.  But if they find a church community in which they can serve others—a church like Peace—they will probably find there a church that satisfies at least some of their spiritual needs.

Kim Canning

education coordinator for 10 years at Peace Lutheran Church, Wayland, Massachusetts

 Sunday, September 30, 2012

in grateful appreciation of your gracious hospitality,

respectful communications, informed teaching,

and loving concern for all the members and friends of

Peace Lutheran Church.