June 17, 2025 – Journeys with Jesus
Lessons for June 23:
o Isaiah 65:1-9
o Psalm 22:19-28
o Galatians 3:23-29
o Luke 8:26-39
Summer time when the living is easy.
I hope you are having a great start to your summer and have some fun trips planned. We have several of our youth attending camp at Oak Glen this summer; thanks in part to your scholarship help. I know they will enjoy their time. Connie and I are planning some local excursions, LA opera, Redlands bowl, the beach, a Padres game, visits to our grandchildren.
My major trip will be to Tanzania on July 21. Ombeni and I will be traveling to be a part of his sister-in-law’s retirement from ministry. Along with the celebration at her church, there will be visits to Ombeni’s home village, Dar es Salaam, National Parks, including a sarfarri to the Serengeti. My sister Marcia will be coming as well, bringing regards from Gustavus Adolfus University where she is a professor.
Traveling the world, even traveling in the LA area has become more interesting of late.
My sister for example is heading out this week to Brazil to attend a wedding with her son, Isaac. The wedding is for his wife’s, Steph’s brother. It should be a joyous occasion. I understand they will be going all out. Unfortunately, Steph does not feel comfortable traveling out of the country because of the uncertainty of her return. She graduated last month with her Phd In Economics from Harvard on a student visa and hears stories about complications at our border.
Hopefully all of your travels will go well. When you are not traveling the world, our summer worship services will be following the Journeys of Jesus in Luke.
The first place we will stop in is in the region of the Gerasenes. This is not an area which would be first on the Jewish travel guide. It is a non-Jewish area and the particular place where Jesus lands is near a graveyard with pigs gazing nearby. Added to that the welcoming committee is a demon possessed man who lives among the tombs, running around naked, unable to be chained up.
He greets Jesus by shouting at him, begging Jesus not to torment him.
Jesus shows us he is willing to step foot in the most difficult, tragic places. No one is beyond his grace. Through our support of the ELCA, we send brave persons who minister to the troubled places in our world.
Jesus casts man’s demons into the swine herd nearby, who rush down the steep hill into the lake and drown. What a scene!
The townspeople who have tried for years to deal with the crazy man in their midst are surprisingly ungrateful. He sits clothed in his right mind, after all those years. Yet, their focus in on the lose of pigs. They ask Jesus to leave.
The man who was healed wants to leave with Jesus, but Jesus urges him instead to declare how much the Lord has done for him in his home town. He does just that.
The world is a fascinating place, full of variety. Jesus shows us how to embrace the future with a sense of adventure. We hope that sense of adventure for the High School our graduates we recognized a couple weeks and Alec who will be recognized this Sunday, the 29th . He graduated from San Francisco State University.
May we be open to the transformations that Jesus bring to people and witness to how Faith can change our own outlook on life.
Prayer: Jesus, our brother, you cross every boundary to seek us out. You enter into places of chaos, in our world and in our lives. May we sit at your feet, clothed in our right and righteous minds, ready to be sent out to proclaim your marvelous deeds.
Grace and Peace, Pastor John
THANKS TO YOUR RESPONSE TO Special Appeals – Camps and Tanzania
We do want to offer you another unique opportunity. Ombeni Mkanza and I are traveling to Tanzania July 21, for the retirement celebration of his sister-in-law. She was the first female Lutheran pastor in Tanzania. We would like to bring some suitcases of clothes to distribute in Benny’s childhood village and funds to support his sister-in-law’s church in the transition. If you would like to contribute financially, please indicate that on your envelope or check. Clothes can be brought to the pantry.
Thanks for your support of the church throughout the year and for more recent support of camperships. We should be able to support all the youth going to camp.
UPCOMING REMINDERS
Pastor Bunge will be in the office Thursday and Friday next week, June 26 & 27; then back to his regular schedule on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Confirmation Classes will take time off for the summer.
The Choir’s last Sunday was Sunday the 8th. During the summer we would like to
start up a bell choir. Let Irm know of your interest, via this email or sign up on the
sheet in the bell choir area at church.
Meditation – Will take off for the summer and continue again September 4.
PANTRY -2nd & 4th Saturday; from 8 to 10:00. The pantry shelves are nearly
empty. Feeding America, our food provider, is short on food donations so it
impacts our pantry. We have been having to go to regular grocery stores
for food for distribution. We need rice, soup, canned fruit, canned meat
(chicken or tuna) and, of course, always cereal. Any donations to the
church designated “Pantry” are used to make food purchases for the
pantry. Thanks for your support.
WATERCOLOR PAINTING CLASS by our OWN MASTER WATERCOLORIST, HOLLY
We are taking a break until August.
QUILTING – Emily Smith’s Group (909.255.2452) has started anew and has
completed 4 quilts for the San Bernardino Wellness Center and six for Lutheran
World Relief. They presented quilts for our graduating High School Seniors – Benet and Rachel.
CONGREGATIONAL DIRECTORIES – The final edits have been added. Current
directory is dated June 16, 2025. We will send them out via email.
Thanks to Debi Hitter for taking the pictures and to Connie for the updates and
updating the pictures on the Narthex Bulletin Board.
PRAISE
• Kyle Hadley continues his solid recovery after eye surgery.
• Robyn Blue’s grandniece Lainey came through difficult surgery and is
recovering after the removal of a tumor on her spine, near her heart.
• Eloise Johnson was with us with grandson, Benet, for his graduation
recognition.
PRAYERS
• The family of erwin would appreciate your prayers. He passed away in his sleep on May 30th. His funeral is planned for 10:30 am July 5th.
• The family of Cynthia Eason are planning the funeral for her at 11 am June 21. She has not been able to attend Faith for some time but her daughter Karen Parker, does come on occasion.
• Ned Morgan is recovering here in Yucaipa. When able, he will be moving to Fremont to be closer to his family.
• Judy Martin has several health issues and is not able to return to church.
Thanks for your prayers, cards and visits by Carol.
• Cesar Guevara’s brother, Marco, and Kim’s mother, Carol, in Canada and their children.
• Jeanne Koening’s seizures and her pancreas are concerns. Jessica’s leukemia is being treated at City of Hope. Nice to have Joe in church.
• Bonnie Strack appreciates continued prayers for her son Brendan Simms, who has suffered from a series of strokes.
• Joy Kirby – preschool director’s pregnancy is going well as
• Jennifer’s breast cancer treatments are proceeding as well.
22 GAME DAY RESUMES – BINGO
Thanks for remembering us for your Bingo donations; anything, also candy!
Thanks to Holly, Karen and Pat for donations.29 CELEBRATION HONORING ALEC BLUE, graduation from San Francisco State University. Thanks to Bonnie Mills for providing the cake.
Congregational Potluck – sign up in Narthex
6 WELCA
13 Summer Party
20 BINGO
27 POTLUCK
PRAYER CARDS – Thanks for sending out cards to remember family and friends.
Thanks to Emily, our newest artist. She has created some beautifully unique cards by transferring the color of leaves onto paper. We will put them out in early Fall. Along with beautifully created sunflowers and autumn fields by Linda Drom.
Thanks again to the Summer beach/birds/flowers/sunsets creations by Kim, Barbara, Karen, Connie, Holly and Linda.
Thanks to all you have given shoes for Soles 4 Souls.
The box is still in the Narthex for continued donations. 
