Month: May 2020

Good morning church,

Today I meditated on a passage from Luke 19 where the character Zacchaus says, “Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” How many of you have heard that story in church or in Sunday school? It features a man who was rich, not very well-liked in the community, and collaborating with the Roman occupiers. He was met with hatred. After he makes this statement, which was not in any way forced on him, Jesus proclaims that “today salvation has come to your house.” It is one of the great stories found in the gospel of Luke. Most Bible stories are told in several of the gospels, but not this one. Two things I find worth noting and meaningful for all of us:  Number one, “salvation” is not a purely religious thing. In this case, it was about a man doing right in his community and people making peace with him. Number two, most people have an innate sense of what is right and wrong, and when they come to the proverbial fork in their road, they know exactly what to do, just like this guy. He had an awareness that he could and should help the “less fortunate” in his community. He also knew deep inside that he had cheated on some people. It was time to make up. In the past, salvation has often been portrayed as a thing between you and God, or you and Jesus, but the truth is much more complex. In the same way, as the cross is a meeting of a vertical and a horizontal beam, salvation is about both our relationship with the power that created the universe and our fellow people. Jesus’ teachings are very consistent in that both aspects of life belong together. The greatest commandment is not simply about loving God, but also about loving your neighbor.

Which brings me to the wonderful community food drive put together by our local churches for the last three days of May (May 29/30/31). Attached is the flier that we are all using. If you have a color printer at home, it will be easy for you to print and share it with some of your neighbors. I will also ask Lisa to leave a box with copies outside of the church under the roofed entrance where people can get them. They will be ready for tomorrow’s food drive and after that. The intent behind this major initiative is, of course, to give all of our local food pantries a big boost as demand for food has increased exponentially. More people are out of work. More people are in need. But we also want to increase the pool of donors and the pool of people showing goodwill in the community. People of faith are often at the forefront of charity because it is built into the teachings of all meaningful religions that I’m aware of. Giving is part of living your faith or ‘salvation’ (see above). The times and locations for drop off are all listed in this flier. Most churches are open all three days from 7 in the morning until 7 at night, including ours.  If you can help us on any of those three days with a few trips to the church to bring the food into the fellowship hall, please contact the church.  Thank you all!  (By the way, as you will see on the flier, monetary donations to the food banks are just as welcome…)

In the attached picture, please meet Evelyn K., one of our homebound members with her daughter Pam and two more generations of girls. Evelyn joined our church a number of years ago along with her daughter, son, and daughter-in-law. As for so many people, aging has not been easy. I met her as an energetic retiree who was always full of spirit and joy. She lived with her husband  Bill K. Sr. in Lansdale. A few years later they had to leave the house where they had lived for probably half a century and had raised four children and move to a care facility.  Evelyn was developing dementia and she was no longer safe at home. The decision was incredibly difficult for her husband and children but it was the right one. She and Bill Sr. moved, and Evelyn’s health and memory continued to decline, even with great care. She was recently diagnosed with COVID 19. And here is what’s difficult for me when I hear these stories and pray for people like Evelyn. I am not sure what is worse for her, being afflicted with THE VIRUS or the social distancing from her family whom she still recognizes at this point. I really can’t tell you which is worse, but frankly, I am leaning toward social distancing as the tougher of the two for Evelyn. I know it’s a struggle for a number of families with aging parents. So far, her symptoms are not that bad. I ask you to please keep not only Evelyn and Bill Sr. but their extended family in your prayers.  It is not an easy time for them.  And if you are one of the other families affected in a similar way, may God bless you today!

I would like to promote the beginning of our online Children’s Hour with Mrs. B., every Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. The Children Hour will start on June 7. We encourage our families with young children to take advantage of this interactive program and to tell your neighbors with children about it.    

Also, please don’t forget the Red Cross Blood Drive on June 8. Specific precautions are being taken and have been described in recent emails. For more questions, reach Diana at

Drive Details: Date: June 8^th, Times:  2 – 7 PM; Contact the church for more information.

TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, PLEASE GO TO WWW.REDCROSS.ORG, ENTER SPONSOR CODE St. Peters North Wales or CLICK ON

Today is the birthday of Riley G. Happy birthday, Riley!!! 

Today is also the Baptism day of Austin H. Happy Baptism Day!

As always, be blessed and be safe! Pastor Andreas Wagner

Good morning dear church,

I hope you enjoy the attached image of the flower as much as I do. The flowers grow in my front yard and I am just super thankful that the deer don’t like them, because the deer decide what’s growing and not growing around here. These are bearded Irises, and some of the colors they come in are truly breathtaking. These flowers also bring us much better news than CNN, Fox News or NBC. They tell us of a creator who appreciates beauty. I am sure the creative process was helped along by breeders playing with colors, but I don’t see that as a contradiction. They can only with what they were given. Also, it speaks of a creator who teaches us resilience. And boy, can we use that right now!

I was happy to see a full panel of participants for our Adult Forum with Sue Z. from the Interfaith Housing Alliance yesterday morning. Did you know that affluent Montgomery County has more than 300 homeless people? It is baffling to me that communities of faith have to step in to help with the shortage of shelters and homes in a county like ours, but that’s what inspired the establishment of the Interfaith Housing Alliance 30 years ago. I believe that the First Presbyterian Church in Ambler was the moving force behind it. Credit to whom credit is due!  We had been planning to house three homeless families in our Christian Education wing in the month of June. That won’t happen now, but the session yesterday gave everybody a better understanding of what this ministry is about. We are also strongly working together with our other local churches for the end-of-May community wide food drive. If you can help out as a volunteer on any of these days (May 29/30/31), please contact Robin A.    

Last week I introduced you to our Red Cross Blood Drive coordinator Diana S. Here is what Diana Sundar writes:

St. Peter’s is proud to be able to sponsor our next blood drive with the American Red Cross on June 8^th from 2 PM to 7 PM, during these trying times.   An estimated 38 percent of Americans are eligible to give blood or platelets, but of those, less than 10 percent actually donate each year. If you are healthy and eligible, please come out to donate. Most donations take about an hour, so book your appointment, roll up your sleeve and become a part of the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross and St. Peter’s Lutheran Evangelical Church.

I realize that this time is going to be a bit different for all of us and I’m sure you are thinking about this as well.  I want to share with you what we are putting in place and hope that you will give this your serious consideration.   First, I wanted to let  you know that blood donations are now more than ever, very needed,  as few blood drives are being held.  Next, I feel that we can safely carry out a drive in our Fellowship Hall which has not been used lately and is cleaner than it has ever been!  Additionally we are putting the following into practice: 

• Masks will be required to be worn by both the donors as well as the Red Cross personnel
• Gloves and masks will be used by the Red Cross team at all times
• Distancing will be required.  Once checked in people may need to wait in their cars until they receive a text saying their ready for them
• No guests allowed and walk ins will not be accepted – Appointments only
• Use Rapid Pass

Drive Details: Date: June 8^th, Times:  2 – 7 PM; Your Contact: Diana Sundar,  email me at:  secretary@stpetersnorthwales.org.

TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, PLEASE GO TO WWW.REDCROSS.ORG, ENTER SPONSOR CODE St. Peters North Wales.

On Saturday, I conducted my first funeral service under COVID conditions, with masked family members, masked children, a masked funeral director and a masked pastor.  It was a strange experience, but I am glad that it all came together in a dignified manner. We said goodbye to Lois G., a wonderful lady and a member of St. Peter’s for more than 20 years. I have attached her eulogy and I think you will appreciate a few things that you may not have known about her. These days many people emphasize the term “Celebration of Life” instead of the more dour sounding “Funeral”. I don’t have a problem with any of the terms, but a eulogy as I practice it, is almost always a celebration of someone’s life. And there was much to be celebrated about her 87 years on earth!

Today is the birthday of Mason C. Mason, have a wonderful birthday!!! 

Today are also the Baptism days of Phoenix W. and Catalina B. Happy Baptism Day!

A funny story aside:  when I baptized Phoenix  six years ago, he was already two years old. He thought the Baptism candle was really cool, and blew it out right away.

I said to him: “Phoenix, whenever you blow out your own candle, God is going to light it again.” Still true!  

Be blessed and be safe!

Pastor Andreas Wagner

Lois G. Eulogy: Dear family of Lois,

Let me begin where I am sure your mother and grandmother wouldn’t mind me beginning: The Swan. In Celtic culture, the swan was a symbol of song and dance. Swans also stood for love, happiness, positive energy, purity and music. Some even believed that swans had healing power. I know that Lois adored swans, had artwork that depicted them, was intrigued by this animal and its significance in Celtic culture. They could be feisty, Lois told me at one point. But mostly I think the swan, which is depicted on the gravestone that will eventually adorn this site, speaks of who your mother and grandmother truly was: love, happiness, positive energy, purity and music.  I think we could check all those boxes easily; and even in times when her happiness was clouded by depression, pain or worry, it was always there underneath the clouds – happiness and positive energy.  And it would always come with the remark, “I am so lucky. I have a wonderful family. I have wonderful children.”   

Lois Rae Lutz was born in 1932, the third of four girls born to her parents near Easton, PA.  By all accounts, she grew up in a loving, close-knit Evangelical pastor’s family that provided plenty of love, warmth, and nurture, bringing out the very best in her. The mores were stricter in those days, with few worldly pleasures allowed in her pious home, but that would ease soon enough once she married a Lutheran minister.  Lois graduated from Easton High School in 1950 and went on to Moravian College, obtaining a degree in English, which she would put to good use later in life. But first, she met her love, a young, tall, dashing fellow, six months her junior, whom she must have met at school. She had more time to check him out on the college-bound bus that dropped him off at Muhlenberg College and her at Moravian; well, she liked what she saw and heard. They got married in September 1954 and had a loving marriage that spanned 65 years until Fred passed a year ago. In the relationship she was the soprano, he was the bass; she was the heart, he was the head; she was the anchor at home, he served in the community. Later those roles would get relaxed and mixed up, except one remained: she always was the soprano and he always was the bass. They both benefited from each other, but perhaps we can say now that Fred benefited more. Over 65 years, it was a relationship spiced with love and respect, and they were just so lucky to share so many of the same interests and passions, such as music, art, theatre; and, oh yes, the church, and faith, and ministry, and an interest in social justice. They were both separately wonderful and inseparable. And over the years they enriched several churches and community choirs. They inspired many others to go and attend the famous Bach Festival in Bethlehem. I was told from an unnamed source that Johann Sebastian will meet them in person at the pearly gates!

I had the privilege of getting to know both of them when I came to St. Peter’s 13 years ago. They were never anything short of supportive and encouraging. I am glad that Lois in later years found her own space professionally, apart from the all-consuming role of pastor’s wife in the earlier days. She was finally able to put her considerable gift for language, her innate intelligence and her sense of style to good use.  She worked for many years as a Senior Copy Editor and Associate Managing Editor for the Division of Parish Services of the Lutheran Church in America. She also worked as a free-lance copy editor for many church publishing houses, working with many prominent theologians. Lois was a champion of women’s rights and was known for her fierce pride in her Welsh heritage.

Throughout her life she was used to manage money wisely and make due with little. Having grown up during the Great Depression, she knew from her own mother what it was like to feed and support a family on a shoestring budget. That was an ability that came in handy in her own days as a young mom with many responsibilities and limited funds. What a joy it was that later, after she was able to find fulfilling work and contribute to the household, they were able to travel, many times to Canada, many times returning home with another piece of art, or two. And how busy she was sometimes with all the little thoughtful things she did, including her beautiful letters and Christmas cards! 

Throughout her life, Lois was a fount of love and kindness. One of her more memorable lines was: “I would advise you to be kind to each other.” Lois Rae G. lived a wonderful life and a life full of wonder. She was blessed with three amazing children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. And no, she did not ask me to put that line in her obituary, but then I am sure that is exactly what she would want me to say. Because that’s how she felt.

In recent years her health declined and she lost her soulmate Frederic, which was very hard for her. She missed him terribly. Lois hung on for about eight months without him and then took her last breath on May 8 in the midst of a pandemic that made it almost impossible to see any of her loved ones. Covid 19 would not kill her, but maybe the distance from her family pushed her over the edge.  As sad as that sounds, we need not to be overwhelmed. It’s important we remember that she lived a wonderful life, lived it to the fullest, and was spared further decline and suffering under not so great conditions. Today we give thanks for her life, for who she was and what she meant to us, and we gladly lay her to rest next to her beloved husband. May the Lord who created, redeemed and freed us, raise them both to new life in that mystical world that is beyond our imagination, where the swans roam and Passion flowers grow, where the Bach Choir sings cantata after cantata and the creative expression of word and visual art has no bounds. That is heaven.

Be blessed, Lois!

Child of God, Daughter of the Heavenly Father, be blessed forever! Amen.

Good morning Church,

Yes, this is already the 10^th Sunday of the Quarantine, can you believe it? We have been providing virtual services since March 15. We have probably gotten better at it, but it still feels like a very, very long time without the comforts of human contact and worship as we know it. We are trying to make the best of it. As was my niece, who took her wedding during the pandemic as an opportunity to poke a little fun at the whole situation. See their wedding picture in hazmat suits! You’ve got to keep your humor… I added another picture, which shows their faces in another comical scene, baby bump against beer bump…  My niece wrote that she was actually touched by all the creative ways in which people chose to participate in this tiny wedding. Her husband’s work colleagues showed up and lined up at a safe distance with pipes from work (a manufacturing plant). All week long she received little packages, cards and letters. Those gestures, usually minor things in a “big” wedding, have become so much more meaningful, she writes.  But the highlight was that she received a What’s App congratulations note from her “Opa,” my father, which is a certified miracle!

This Sunday we will feature many of our deacons in the recorded church service. In addition to the musicians already mentioned yesterday, we have a contribution from Abby C. (postlude). She did a beautiful job! The service also includes a tribute to all the people who were remembered in the bulletin memorials for March, April and May (prelude). Check it out. It will be posted no later than 9:00 a.m. on our website and Facebook page.

At 11. a.m. this morning we invite you to join our Virtual Adult Forum with people from the Interfaith Housing Alliance. 

Here is the invitation:   

Today is the birthday of Kevin D., another one of my former confirmation students. Happy birthday, Kevin!

We thank you so very much for your ongoing support and your contributions. You can use the church envelopes and send them in or you can use the online giving option below, which is also featured on our website. THANK YOU!

Be safe and be well,

Pastor Andreas Wagner

Good morning people,

Today my little niece Nina is getting married in Germany. By little I mean: 5 foot 7 and 35 years old. She had planned a small wedding from the very beginning, but little did she know that it would get THIS small. My sister told me that they are allowed to have nine people gathered for the dinner “reception” afterwards, and they decided not to increase the party. They could have increased the numbers somewhat, but how much fun is it to sit apart? Weddings in the time of the Coronavirus are not exactly dream weddings; they throw us back to the most important meaning of this public ritual: two people vowing to be faithful to one another until “death do us part.”  That’s the core of it and the rest is dressing, very nice dressing, very exciting and enjoyable dressing, but not “essential” as they would say these days. (Hey, I remember stories of people getting married in the garage during less prosperous times…) I wish her and her husband Jonathan well from afar. Nina grew up in Ewersbach, one of the villages where members of our travel group stayed in 2012.  These days she lives in the northern town of Einbeck where she works in agro-biology, developing seeds and stuff like that. The small town of Einbeck also happens to be the birthplace of a man you may have heard of before: Henry (Heinrich) Melchior Muhlenberg, the father of American Lutheranism. Small world!

At St. Peter’s we have only one wedding still on our calendar for this year. Elizabeth D. was supposed to get married in the month of June, but that has been postponed until August 22. We still hope it can take place. Elizabeth was one of my confirmation students a few years back and she has gone through some very rough years and dark moments in her life. I have often prayed for her. She is now on much better footing, living in Florida, working hard and planning to marry her soulmate Dominic V. here in Pennsylvania in August.  Back in April, she sent me this note: “Also my parents have been forwarding me the emails you’ve been sending with prayers and encouraging words about the world’s current situation and I would love to receive those emails myself. If you could please include I’m in what you send out I would greatly appreciate it during these tough times. Much love from Florida, Elizabeth D.”

Please, let us pray for Elizabeth. She has had a rough journey finding herself and dealing with difficult stuff. Those things have the a tendency to revisit us from time to time, and I think it would mean a lot to her if the church family where she was raised prayed for her at this time.

Earlier this week, I shared that supremely hopeful quote from 14th-century mystic Julian of Norwich. “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” Episcopal scholar Bruce Epperly wrote about her: “Scholars believe that unnamed mystic Julian, whose name came from her cathedral home, lived through three plagues and may have lost her husband and children to the dreaded Black Death. Despite the tragedy and loss she experienced, Julian affirmed that God will redeem all things, all sin will be forgiven, and everyone will find wholeness in God’s everlasting realm…”  (I continue to try to keep our lock-down in perspective.)  Anita B. wrote me about her take on Julian of Norwich this Monday: “When I was diagnosed with GCA and started researching the disease I also happened to discover Julian of Norwich while reading my favorite study book – Devotional Classics. It took a bit of soul searching to admit fear of the probability that, though I may go into remission there is probably no stopping the progression that will continue to build scar tissue in my arteries, some of which are inoperable.  I realized there are things in life that are inevitable and if we are to continue living for as long as we’re alive we need faith. I found great comfort in Julian’s deep faith and her quote at a time when all I could do was resign myself to my new reality. It is also what comes to mind as we travel this strange and troubling pandemic journey. “

Here is the official obituary for Lois G. Later this morning I will conduct a graveside service with family members at Union Cemetery in Flourtown. Again, if you would like to send a card, please contact the church.

“Lois Lutz G., 87 passed away May 2020, at Springhouse Estates in Ambler. She was the beloved Wife of the late Rev. Frederic B. G. and treasured Mother to Lisa R. (James) J., Kirsten G. (John) F., and Ethan F. (Shelley) G.; sister of Sally C. of Fort Collins, Colorado, and the late MaryJane W. and Martha S. Also survived by 4 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren, and 12 nieces and nephews. Mrs. G. was a graduate of Moravian College for Women. She worked for many years as a Senior Copy Editor and Associate Managing Editor for the Division of Parish Services of the Lutheran Church in America. She also worked as a free-lance copy editor for many church publishing houses, working with many prominent theologians. Lois was a champion of women’s rights and was known for her fierce pride in her Welsh heritage as well as her beautiful soprano voice. She sang in local choirs as well as the church choirs at Zion Lutheran Church in Flourtown, PA, and at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in North Wales. A memorial service will be held at a later time. Interment at Union Cemetery in Whitemarsh is private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Moravian College Scholarship Fund.”

This Sunday we will feature many of our deacons in the recorded church service: Brooke A., Sharon B., Bethany C., Maryann L., Peg M., Judy J. will all participate. You will also get some musical specials with Roy S., Liz A., Jenn G., Mia W., Brendon S., and Cindy L. As always, the service will be posted on our website and Facebook page on Sunday morning, no later than 9:00 a.m.     

On Sunday at 11:00 a.m. we invite you for a special virtual Adult Forum featuring the work of the Interfaith Housing Alliance, which was initiated by First Presbyterian Church in Ambler a number of years ago.  As the name suggests, the agency works across denominations and religious lines to help with persisting housing and homelessness problems in  Montgomery County. Because it can be so difficult to find housing for homeless families in our rich county, churches and synagogues have taken turns welcoming families for a month at a time in their houses of worship.  We were planning to do just that in the month of June, but something called COVID 19 has altered the landscape radically.  Our Social Ministry Team decided however, to use this time and inform our people about the work of this organization. You can participate in this session via Zoom. Here is the invitation:   

Our graduation students are all facing very interesting scenarios this June and you could say they will have an “UNFORGETTABLE” graduation, something that they can tell their children and  grandchildren about, “the year we graduated virtually”. We would like to honor all of them on Sunday, June 14. That includes graduation from all kinds of schools: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Vocational School… Please send us pictures by May 31. That will give us plenty of time to make sure we really have EVERYONE’S Picture included in our tribute presentation. Please send them directly to Jennifer Bodolus (dfm@stpetersnorthwales.org) and copy in Lisa Miller (secretary.stpetersnporthwales@gmail.com).

Be safe and be well!Pastor Andreas Wagner

Dear church community,

About a year ago in what seems now like a radically different time, I traveled to Europe for a short trip. I wanted to explore some places in Belgium and Holland for a future church tour, and also see my family and especially my aging dad in Germany. It was a very nice solo trip with stops in Maastricht, Bruges, Ghent, Delft, Gouda and Utrecht.  At St. Peter’s we have done two large scale European travel tours, each with more than 30 people, and I was setting my sights on Tour number 3.  The first of these international church trips was in 2012, when we traveled with our Bell Choir, visiting places in southern Germany and Switzerland and closing out the tour in the little villages where I grew up in central Germany, everybody staying with the locals because there are simply no hotels there.  You can imagine (or not) how much work it was to plan for the logistics of moving a bell choir to Europe and finding suitable places to stay and suitable places to play that could also supply the kinds of tables you need for the instruments. (I made numerous phone calls to explain the exact measurements we needed.) Charlene B. organized much of that tedious stuff and I figured out the tour and where to stay and all that. We had so much fun, and I still remember the little children in the church in Lauffen, Switzerland (near the Rhine falls), checking out the bells and wanting to ring them after church. I have a subsequent newspaper article (Reporter) that featured the trip and showed one of those pictures. I remember almost killing some of our travelers when we went on a little hiking excursion in my home area, walking through the woods to a cabin where my locals had prepared food, lots of food, drink, and a wood fire with sizzling sausages on the grit. A small brass band greeted the exhausted hikers as a surprise. I remember Mag M. almost killing me when we climbed the steep road to Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. (I hope she has forgiven me by now.) The people in my hometown talked about the visit of the bell choir for a long time and probably still do. It was exactly the kind of thing that makes travel meaningful. We met people and we shared our gifts and stories and came home richer for it. We also shared our faith and the music of our faith. I will tell you another time about the second trip in 2018, as well as last year’s excursion. A year ago I was planning Tour number 3 for the summer of 2021, but that is totally out of the question now. Perhaps we can do it a year later.  I sure hope so! (I have some interesting places in mind.)

Yesterday, we had a conference video call with our local North Wales churches, and it looks like we have a full plate of participants for our community-wide food drive on the last weekend of May. On board are St. Rose, St. Peter’s, Sanctuary, Gwynedd Friends, and Messiah.  We will collect food for our local food banks on all three days of May 29-31, with big bins situated at the various church drop-off places. We will provide the people in our various communities with fliers that they can share with neighbors. The goal is to involve our neighbors in this community-wide food drive.  All those churches will be open for drop-off on all three days, probably from 7:00 a.m until 7:00 p.m.  As we prepare for this drive, we are looking for a total of six volunteers, two each per day on May 29, 30 and 31. We will ask each volunteer to check on the food donation bins every two hours, empty the bins, and move the donations into the Fellowship Hall.  One volunteer would check the bins at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 1:00 p.m.   The second volunteer would do the same at 3, 5, and 7 p.m.  If you would like to help, please contact Robin Alderfer at alderfer@aol.com. Also, if you have large (really large) storage bins with a lid that are currently not in use, please let her know.  And we will ask people to drop off large cardboard boxes at our next food drive on Wednesday.  Those boxes will get moved to the Fellowship Hall and the food donations will be transferred to those boxes.

On Sunday at 11:00 a.m. we invite you for a special virtual Adult Forum featuring the work of the Interfaith Housing Alliance, which was initiated by First Presbyterian Church in Ambler a number of years ago.  As the name suggests, the agency works across denominations and religious lines to help with persisting housing and homelessness problems in  Montgomery County. Because it can be so difficult to find housing for homeless families in our rich county, churches and synagogues have taken turns welcoming families for a month at a time in their houses of worship.  We were planning to do just that in the month of June, but something called COVID 19 has altered the landscape radically.  Our Social Ministry Team decided however, to use this time and inform our people about the work of this organization. You can participate in this session via Zoom. Here is the invitation:   

St. Peter’s North Wales is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Adult Forum – Inter-Faith Housing Alliance
Time: May 17, 2020 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Our graduation students are all facing very interesting scenarios this June and you could say they will have an “UNFORGETTABLE” graduation, something that they can tell their children and  grandchildren about, “the year we graduated virtually”. We would like to honor all of them on Sunday, June 14. That includes graduation from all kinds of schools: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Vocational School… Please send us pictures by May 31. That will give us plenty of time to make sure we really have EVERYONE’S Picture included in our tribute presentation. Please send them directly to Jennifer Bodolus (dfm@stpetersnorthwales.org) and copy in Lisa Miller (secretary.stpetersnporthwales@gmail.com).

Council and I are working on a plan for re-opening when that time comes. Expect a pastoral letter and copy of a church-plan for reopening. There are so many things to consider, it isn’t funny!!!  You will get that letter (as if you hadn’t had enough letters from me already!) within the next two weeks, which will also include an invitation to a survey among our people with all kinds of questions that give us a better picture where you are, what you need and how ready or not ready you are to come to church again when the re-opening phase begins.           

Be safe and be well! Pastor Andreas Wagner  

Good morning, church!

I want to thank you first and foremost for your continued faithfulness during these times. Your faith and care for others is expressed every week as people drop off food for our local food bank and I get messages from Lisa, such as “Another truck 2/3 full!!!  👍🏻❤️”  That was yesterday when we switched to Wednesday drives for the first time. It expresses itself in your willingness to send out cards and messages of encouragement to people. I am often the recipient of the appreciation notes, but it is really meant for you. Helen N. started her new cancer treatment yesterday and she wrote me this note earlier this morning: “I had my first treatment yesterday and things went as well as could be expected… Also, I have been overwhelmed and humbled by all the cards and prayers coming from my church family. I was hoping you might pass along my thanks to them.” Your continued faithfulness expresses itself in the willingness of so many to do something and our ability as a church to carry out meaningful ministry during these times. Yesterday, we launched our Prayer Ministry Group, meeting via Zoom for the first time. We have a starter group of eight people and it is always a joy for me to introduce folks to each other who have actually been part of the church for some time. The truth is we don’t all know each other and therefore you will see me featuring people from our congregation every week. It is my hope that we get to know one another BETTER, even as we are kept apart for a prolonged time!

This open-ended quarantine naturally encourages us to be creative and think outside of the box. We won’t be able to have a Vacation Bible School this year, that’s for sure. But families and parents with young children need help and relief more than ever. I know that because I have talked to a number of our parents and some of them are really getting stressed out. Day in and day out they work and tend to their children, without day care, without grandparents “taking them,” without their normal support system. So, starting on June 10, our Family Ministry will offer a once-a-week Children Hour with Mrs. Bodolus, and that will take place throughout the summer. It will be on Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. It is of course conducted via video conference (Zoom). It will be open to everyone. You can tell neighborhood parents about it. It may be a small way to give our parents some relief. Mrs. B. has been able to have well-attended youth group gatherings via zoom on Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. This works only because these kids have actually spent time together, have been in conformation together; some of them were in Puerto Rico together for our Mission Trip last year. It only works because she is reaching out to them on a continuous basis. Thank you, Jenn! That level of continued connection is not always the case in churches at this time, as you can imagine. We are lucky and I hope we can continue to engage our young people and maybe even have some outdoor activities for the older youths this summer. At least, that’s my hope.

In recent weeks we studied Paul’s letter to the Philippians, written from prison, which begins with these words: “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you…”  (Phil 1:3) I can relate to that. I feel grateful for all of you in my prayers, seeing the level of care and support in our congregation. I pray for you from my five-star luxury prison at home, complete with pool table in the basement, which is now dry by the way and the hot water is running again too, thanks to the plumber who came yesterday. I have often wondered how Paul’s distance from his church families influenced his ministry, and it seems that in some cases it intensified the bond between them. I can see now why.  

Our graduation students are all facing very interesting scenarios this June and you could say they will have an “UNFORGETTABLE” graduation, something that they can tell their children and grandchildren about, “the year we graduated virtually”. We would like to honor all of them on Sunday, June 14. That includes graduation from all kinds of schools: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Vocational School… Please send us pictures by May 31. That will give us plenty of time to make sure we really have EVERYONE’S Picture included in our tribute presentation. Please send them directly to Jennifer Bodolus (dfm@stpetersnorthwales.org) and copy in Lisa Miller (secretary.stpetersnporthwales@gmail.com).

Council and I are working on a plan for re-opening when that time comes. Expect a pastoral letter and copy of a church-plan for reopening. There are so many things to consider, it isn’t funny!!!  You will get that letter (as if you hadn’t had enough letters from me already!) within the next two weeks, which will also include an invitation to a survey among our people with all kinds of questions that give us a better picture where you are, what you need and how ready or not ready you are to come to church again when the re-opening phase begins.           

Today is the birthday of Bill R. He is only around 95 years young, something like that.

Happy birthday, Bill!

Be safe and be well! Pastor Andreas Wagner

Good morning church,

I am a little bit behind in my work for the week. That is because yesterday afternoon our water heater, just seven years old, decided to burst at the seams and spill 50+ gallons of water on our basement floor, which thankfully is still just concrete. It took me a couple of hours to collect the water, beach towel style, and carry tub after tub upstairs to dump it outside. The water heater was still under warranty and will be replaced free of charge, but the mess is ours and the big powerful fans set up by a remediation company have been humming all night. I can hear them as I type. This must be the 6th or 7th water incident we have had in our house since 2005, and we have asked ourselves at times whether there is a curse on such things in this place…  Is there? Or is it just bad workmanship, design, and material? I let you decide, and no more about that. Don’t get me started…

I read and prayed over a passage from Isaiah this morning that most of you are well familiar with: “A voice of one calling ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our Lord.’” (Isaiah 40:3) Of course, you have heard those words before. You heard them likely sometime in the month of December during advent because this text reappears in the gospels in connection with John the Baptist and has become part of the spiritual language of the pre-Christmas season. I remember being introduced to the later chapters of the Book of Isaiah in my first year of college/seminary and being intrigued by the hopeful images that abound between chapters 40 and 66. They still are very meaningful to me, including this mysterious call to pave a way for God through the wilderness, our wilderness. What is your wilderness these days? I assume there are all kinds of wilderness scenarios during this quarantine time, from people who are overwhelmed to people who are bored, from people who are deeply worried about their financial situation to people who can wait it out in a safe place. Yet, despite our vastly different personal situations, there still is a sense that we are in this together.  Nobody is not affected in some way. And the experience of this “wilderness time” may yet provide an opportunity for us to rediscover ourselves in more important ways. Just look at how often new beginnings in the Bible begin in the wilderness. Even creation started in chaos! So please, let us pray that we the people will be found listening when God is trying to create something new among us. That’s one of my constant prayers during this time.         

In our staff meeting yesterday we were able to do some worship planning, which we hadn’t done in some time, going as we were from week to week in this brave new world. We decided to feature different groups from within our church in our church service recordings. We also decided to offer a virtual communion once a month. I do not want to do it every week, as I consider it a “crutch,” something that will help us through these times but not quite the same as Holy Communion in a church setting with the whole community around you. I hope it was meaningful to many of you to do this past Sunday. I am including in my emails the themes for upcoming Sundays and events now. May 17, we will feature our deacons in various roles in the church service. They are normally very involved in worship and have been on the sidelines since mid-March. I think they miss being an active part of worship.  

Today is the first day of our Wednesday Food Drives. Remember, we changed it from Fridays to Wednesdays because Manna on Main Street is closed every other Friday for cleaning now. You can bring your bags with food donations to church between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. today and place them on Lisa’s pick-up truck.

Tomorrow’s Bible Study will be about the second chapter of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. You can find the material in the attachment. These Zoom Bible studies are absolutely open to everyone. Feel free to join us tomorrow at noon.  Here is the invitation…

On Saturday at 11:30 a.m. there will be a graveside service for our dear friend and long-time church and choir member Lois G. As so many services these days, it will be a small family group gathering at Union Cemetery to give tribute to a great and gracious lady. If you knew Lois well, you may send a card to her daughter Kirsten Fullerton. She will pass it on to the other Geehr children. Contact the church for the address.

Today are the birthdays of Mark B. and Matt P. Happy birthday, chaps!

Be blessed and be well! Pastor Andreas Wagner

Good morning church,

It’s been ”March in May” temperature-wise, but toward the weekend it will feel more summer-like, and we can FINALLY get out the T-shirts and shorts for good! Man, I haven’t felt this cold in the month of May since I left Germany. When I grew up we used to go on family outdoor trips on May 1, a national holiday, and all I remember are lots of cold and wet outings that sent us back home. This has been déjà vu!  

I would like to apologize for a glitch in the beautiful Mother’s Day presentation. Six or more pictures were inadvertently left out, lost in the communications between here and Texas. They have since been added and the show has been re-posted on our website. We hope you enjoy this show one more time with all the moms included. Technically I am one of the “victims,” since my wife was left out too if that is a small consolation to those of you who were affected. It was a difficult week. Lisa put this together from a road-trip to a relative in the last stages of life, and she did a marvelous job, but somehow those few pictures were missed, and we still don’t know exactly why.             

This morning I would like to highlight one of the moms who were included in the picture show. Meet Diana S., one of our choir and long time St. Peter’s members. She is married to Sundar who grew up in southern India where it is hot, hot, hot, all the time. I wonder how Sundar reacted to the recent cold spells? (“Diana, let’s move to Arizona!”)  (I say, “Diana, please don’t!”) They raised two wonderful daughters at our church. Shamala is married and lives in Philadelphia and Karina works as a pharmacist in Wisconsin, the state where Diana grew up in a family of German and Italian descent. I remember meeting Diana’s mom in church and talking in German to her. She is now in a Nursing Home, isolated like so many elderly people, and unable to maintain a full conversation. Those are some of the sad realities people are coping with, both the elderly and their children. Diana is in charge of one of the little but important things that we do at St. Peter’s, and she does it quietly, efficiently, and mostly behind the scenes. She is our Red Cross Blood Drive Coordinator. We do have a Blood Drive scheduled for Monday, June 8. Of course, these are different times and the organization is putting in lots of safety precautionary measures, such as: masks (required by both donors and staff);  distancing; people may need to wait in their cars until they receive a text saying they are ready for them; no guests allowed and walk-ins will not be accepted – appointments only. Blood Drive volunteers are considered “essential workers” during this COVID-19 Pandemic time. We left this Blood Drive on our schedule for two reasons: 1) blood donations are needed as ever or more than ever and donors are probably harder to come by and 2) we believe that the American Red Cross is an organization that can safely carry out a donor drive in our Fellowship Hall, which is by the way cleaner than it has ever been and hasn’t been used in months now. So, Diana will reach out to folks, and as always, she is one of the first volunteers to donate blood. Thank you, Diana!

Please don’t forget that we have switched our Food Drive to Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. because Manna on Main Street is closed every other Friday now for special cleaning. On Thursday people from our Social Ministry Team will participate in a zoom call to determine the strategy for a community-wide Food Drive on the last weekend of May. Several churches are involved, but we also want to reach and involve our non-religious neighbors. Also, this coming Sunday we will offer an Adult Forum via Zoom at 11:00 a.m. It will feature a conversation with Sue Zomberg from the Interfaith Housing Alliance. While it is extremely unlikely at this point that we will house anyone in the month of June as originally planned, the issue of homelessness in Montgomery County and the response of the various faith communities is something we will get involved in. Needless to say, the Adult Forum session is open to all and the Zoom Invitation will come later this week.    

I spoke to Bernie and Martha yesterday and thanked them for organizing Sunday’s Mother’s Day Drive-through. Bernie said one of the most touching moments was when a family with an adult daughter, who was intellectually disabled, stopped by. She got such a kick out of seeing Santa in his full glory. It made her day and it also made Bernie’s day. In addition to many parishioners, we had a few people who saw the action and just decided to drive by, which was nice.       

• Tuesday noon: Staff Meeting
• Wednesday, Prayer Ministry Meeting, 6:00 p.m. (Z)
• Thursday, Bible Study, 12:00 noon (Z)
• Thursday, Community Food Drive Planning Meeting, 1:30 p.m. (Z),  
• Saturday: Graveside Service for Lois Geehr, 11:30 a.m. (Flourtown)
• Sunday: Adult Forum with Interfaith Housing Alliance, 11:00 a.m. (Z)

Today are the birthdays of Bill B., Cate H., and George W. Happy birthday y’all !!!

Be safe and be well!

Pastor Andreas Wagner

Dear church,

Yesterday morning I went out shopping for the first time in a long time. We didn’t have, you know, Mother’s Day flowers – can’t have that!!! Over these last ten weeks, we have tried to be patient and go out as little as possible. After all, we have a severely immuno-compromised teenager at home who is just back on his feet again. So, we ordered food deliveries every two weeks, which were, of course, a bit spotty. Sometimes you can’t get what you need. Sometimes they don’t have deliveries available. Julia said 3:00 a.m. is the best time to get a delivery scheduled. So yesterday morning, I ventured out for the first time with mask and gloves and visited the local Trader Joe’s at English Village, joining a growing line of early shoppers, six feet apart, all masked, gloved, and well behaved. Staff there does a good job educating people, explaining how it works these days. One of them went around with sanitation wipes, not “handing” them out but offering them via extension pole. I looked all around me and I thought, “What movie am I in now?” This looks bizarre! Had anyone showed me a picture of this scene three months ago, I certainly would have identified it as a scene from a science fiction movie. But it’s the times we are in right now. Sometimes it can feel a bit depressing. And then this saying came to mind:       

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”  

It’s a quote not from any of our leaders, media pundits, or infectious disease experts. It’s a quote from Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century saint and mystic, whose real birth name we don’t even know. She was named after the church where she served, enclosed in an anchor hold built against the side of St. Julian’s Church in Norwich, England. That was after Julian had received  revelations from God, sixteen visions that she called “showings.”  To this day we have no idea what her name was. She never signed any of her writings. The anchor-hold had a window into the church that allowed Julian to attend Mass and another window so she could counsel and pray over people who came to visit her. Such anchor-holds were found all over 13th- and 14th-century Europe. Why might Julian of Norwich have something to say to us six hundred years later, as we wrestle with this pandemic, as we struggle as individuals, families, church, and society? Because what she said here was not borne out of lazy optimism but out of deep faith. Mary Earle, an Episcopal scholar, and priest describes it like this:

“Julian lived at a time of vast social, [religious,] and political upheaval, incessant wars, and sweeping epidemics. Norwich, with a population of around 25,000 by 1330… was struck viciously by the plague known as the Black Death. At its peak in the late 1340s in England, it killed approximately three-fourths of the population of Norwich. A young girl at this time, Julian was certainly affected in untold ways by this devastation. When the plague returned, she was about nineteen…”And now read this quote again: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” (Description of Julian of Norwich courtesy of Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations)

Special thanks are in order for Martha and Bernie H. who were at the drive-through yesterday and also responsible for this beautiful Mother’s Day gift. Some of the ‘Forget-me-Not’ seeds are already in the new flower bed in front of our house. They also invited this weird fat man from up north who was totally out of season, but that’s what a pandemic does to you! Enjoy him while you can (see picture). This may have been a historic Mother’s Day appearance!

Charlene ‘s granddaughter in Connecticut, smart like her grandma, is already figuring out how to repurpose those masks once this pandemic is over. You have to think ahead, you know…  I think she deserves a patent for that idea! (see picture). 

We had a nice virtual new member orientation on Saturday with eight adult participants.  I will introduce them to you via this medium as time goes on, and at some point we will actually be able to welcome them IN-PERSON in church, for a blessing and St. Peter’s style welcome, believe it or not.  They are: Bryan A.; Polly and Tim B.; Ashley D. with Kevin (husband), Dominic and baby Charles; Wayne S.; Mike V. with Gwen S. and baby Meredith.   

This week we have a number of meetings and events planned again.  Z is for Zoom, for remember that Jesus said, “In my Father’s House there are many zooms.” (John 14)   

• Tuesday noon: Staff Meeting
• Wednesday, Prayer Ministry Meeting, 6:00 p.m. (Z)
• Thursday, Bible Study, 12:00 noon (Z)
• Saturday: Graveside Service for Lois Geehr, 11:30 a.m. (Flourtown)
• Sunday: Adult Forum with Interfaith Housing Alliance, 11:00 a.m. (Z)
• Meeting about Community Food Drive, Day and Time TBD (Z)

Today are the birthdays of Stephanie D. and Nicole R. Happy birthday!!!

Be safe and be well! Pastor Andreas Wagner

Good morning church,

And happy Mother’s Day! Today’s church service will include some extras.  You will see our beautiful Mother’s Day picture show as the prelude. You will see the belated blessing of our Paschal Candle, donated by the Duffy family. And there will be a Holy Communion part to this service. In order to participate, please find some bread in your house, set it on a nice plate. Find some wine or grape juice or if you don’t have either, use simple water and put it in a cup before you.  As the communion elements are consecrated in the service, consider the bread and wine before you consecrated. We are doing our first virtual Holy Communion today, out of pure necessity.    

DO NOT FORGET THE MOTHER’S DAY DRIVE THROUGH AT CHURCH FROM 11AM – 12 NOON!

The Mother’s Day gift is not just for the moms among us. It is for everyone, as we remember the special women in our lives who birthed and/or raised us. The seeds can be put into soil somewhere around your home; they will turn into beautiful flowers. The bag comes with seeds, a marker, and a nice little sign that you can stick in the ground to remember your mother or grandmother. As we did on Palm Sunday, we ask that you enter the drive-through from the upper Parking Lot (2^nd Street) and exit on the lower Parking Lot (Montgomery Ave). There will also be an opportunity to drop off your church offering. I ALSO HEARD THAT THERE IS SOMEONE SPECIAL IN THE PARKING LOT AT THAT TIME FOR OUR YOUNGEST CHILDREN, SOMEONE YOU WOULDN’T EXPECT… YOU NEED TO CHECK IT OUT, KIDS!

Finally, I would like to thank all who helped with the recording of the service, which will be posted on our Website and Facebook page at 9:00 a.m. They are highlighted in the service script below: the Clark family, the Brenfleck family, the Bodolus family, Bernie and Martha H., as well as our recorded musicians, Roy and Kirsten, Liz, Gretchen, and Lili S. Thank you all! Please don’t forget to support your church during these times, either by sending in your offering via envelope or by using the online-giving button below. We sincerely thank you!