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4360 Jackson Drive—Jackson, WI 53037 262-677-2345 info@newhopeucc.com Reverend James Hill #262-573-4568

Website: www.newhopeucc.com Email: info@newhopeucc.com or rev.jim@newhopeuccc.com

The July

PORK CHOP DINNER RAFFLE It's not too early to think about a raffle basket for the New Hope UCC Pork Chop Dinner raffle!

We will be collecting full baskets again as this works very well. Not crafty? No problem. Purchase a SCRIP gift card. Gift cards in any denomination make great raffle prizes.

Any questions please contact Chelli Rettmann via cellphone 414-659-5204 or via email at chelli.rettmann@gmail.com

SCHEDULED BUILD FOR NEW HOPE

Our “build” this year will again be in Jackson,

on Georgetown Drive, right next door to where we

were last year.

The date is September 9th from 9:00 to 3:00.

If you would like to be a part of this summer mission,

please contact Karel Bretsch at

414-690-3260 or kabretsch@att.net

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

The West Bend GERMANFEST is now under

the direction of Habitat for Humanity of Wash-

ington & Dodge Counties. It will continue in the

authentic German heritage of our region and

celebrate the Habitat mission: to bring the com-

munity together with the purpose of eradicating

substandard housing. The goal is to raise

enough money during this weekend to build an

entire Habitat house!

Volunteers are needed to:

Set up, Wed. 8/23 and Thurs.8/24

Take down, Mon 8/28

Serve food and beverages

Sell souvenirs & raffle tickets

Groups can sign up to work together for a specific area or date. Individuals are needed too!

Sign up at http;//tinyurl.com/wbgfvolunteer2017

Sunday, August 27

Worship Service at 10:15 a.m.

Picnic to follow here on the church grounds

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As I’ve grown older and become much more intelligent and immensely wiser (as well as delusional), I’ve come to

appreciate that all we truly have “is the moment” - yesterday is gone and tomorrow ain’t here yet.

I remember (vaguely) Mr. Stannard teaching “Geometry Fundamental” and one of the major mathematical maxims

is that a circle consists of “an infinite number of points” - I now view life in an analogous sense—that is, our living con-

sists of an infinite number of moments. Indeed, life can change dramatically in a matter of a few seconds!

As long as I have “this moment” why not give it to Christ? Why not say—”Thanks God for the moment. What can I

still do for you? How/what do you want me to build, give, sense, provide or promote for you?”

Nature lives graciously in life sustaining moments. The deer is drawn to water daily—as we are drawn to God.

There is so much more to do before people of the World, our nation, our community and our families find both outer

and inner peace. I can’t think 10 years down the road because it’s challenging enough “to live in the moment.” Sure, I

can ask God for guidance in long-term goals but it’s today, and right here, and right now that the greatest revelations

continue to enfold and hold me.

So—in my somewhat delusional enlightenment I will wisely and intelligently—but most importantly, faithfully, learn

from the past, be positive about the future, but draw from the “stream of life” each day to live each moment for Christ.

See you at the stream, deer ones — Rev. Jim

Pastor’s Message

BUY LOCAL

Consider the amount of pollution created to get your

food from the farm to your table. Whenever possi-

ble, buy from local farmers or farmers' markets,

supporting your local economy and reducing the

amount of greenhouse gas created when products

are flown or trucked in.

CUT DOWN ON JUNK MAIL

Feel like you need to lose a few pounds? It

might be your junk mail that's weighing you down.

The average American receives 40 pounds of junk

mail each year, destroying 100 millions trees. There

are many services that can help reduce the clutter

in your mailbox, saving trees and the precious space

on your countertops.

God isn’t finished with you yet. Oh, you may think God is. You may think you’ve peaked. You may think God’s got someone else to do the job—if so, think

again.”

“Grace for the Moment” - Max Lucado

You cannot do a kindness too soon,

for you never know how soon

it will be too late.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Member News

Remember in Prayer…

Won’t you please take a moment out of your busy day to say a prayer for all our brothers and sisters who are in need of physical, spiritual or emotional healing, that they may feel God’s comfort and love?

Lyn Pappenthein on the death of her daughter,

Terilyn Monday

Troy Boesen on the death of his step father

3 Kristen Doedens & Andrew Haese

4 Anna Hill Hernandez

5 Aaron Halfmann & Kelsey Will

7 Jan Puhlmann

9 Talu Schultz

11 Linda Kranz

13 Gracelyn Weyer

15 Jo Blanchard, Aria Buettner &

Ray Smithana

16 Steve Citta

25 Rev. Jim

28 Benson Anderson & Pat Jossart

2 Lee & Jenny Bateman

9 Paul & Debbie Fait

22 Dan & Vivian Knepel

LAUGH TIME

The Twenty and the One A well-worn one-dollar bill and a similarly distressed twenty-dollar bill arrived at a Federal Reserve Bank to be retired. As they moved along the conveyor belt to be burned, they struck up a conversation. The twenty-dollar bill reminisced about its travels all over the coun-try. "I've had a pretty good life," the twenty proclaimed. "Why I've been to Las Vegas and Atlantic City , the finest restaurants in New York , performances on Broadway, and even a cruise to the Caribbe-an ." "Wow!" said the one-dollar bill. "You've really had an exciting life!" "So, tell me," says the twenty, "where have you been throughout your life-time?" The one dollar bill replies, "Oh, I've

been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Lutheran Church ." The twenty-dollar bill interrupts, "What's a church?"

Show and Tell A kindergarten teacher gave her class a "show and tell" assign-ment. Each student was instructed to bring in an object that repre-sented their religion to share with the class. The first student got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Benjamin and I am Jewish and this is a Star of David." The second student got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Mary. I'm a Catholic and this is a Rosary." The third student got in up front of the class and said, "My name is Tommy. I am Methodist, and this is a casserole."

The Best Way To Pray A priest, a minister and a guru sat discussing the best positions for prayer, while a telephone repair-man worked nearby "Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray," the priest said. "No," said the minister. "I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven." "You're both wrong," the guru said. "The most effective prayer position is lying down on the floor."

The repairman could contain him-self no longer. "Hey, fellas," he interrupted. "The best prayin' I ever did was when I was hangin' upside down from a telephone pole."

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The foolish woman

Always pulls on the push door

Thinks conspiracy

A life was over

Before plans could be conceived

Leaving emptiness

A territory

A war zone for all creatures

Who divides the cake

Word anaglyptic

Not a disease nor psychic

Just thick wallpaper1

Spring made tolerable

By magnolia and daffodils

April rests her case

Short and stubby bloom

A love hate relationship

The charming dandelion

His real name is Mark, he confessed, but everybody calls him "Rojo."

"There must be a story behind that," I invited.

"There is," he nodded with a sly grin, "but I'm not going to tell it."

He's single and living alone. He owns a washer and dryer and knows how to use them. They broke last week, how-ever, so he was at the laundromat. He didn't know any-thing about Laundry Love, but he was happy to accept our offer to cover the cost of his wash. Every little bit of savings helps.

(On Thursdays, a group of church members from Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church visits a local laundromat that serves mostly low-income customers. For two hours, the customers provide the clothes, and we provide the quar-ters, plus some cookies and other snacks. Oh, and conver-sation, the best part of all. You can visit the website at Laundry Love

As the washer did its thing, there was nothing to do but wait and talk. So, we did both. He has three grown kids scattered around North Georgia and an angry-ex whom he didn't want to talk about. Made some major mistakes ear-lier, he admits, and maybe his kids learned from them, be-cause they seem to be doing okay.

He's a mechanic, he said, though the smell of oil and gaso-line on the jeans he shoved into the washer already had told me that. Started out part-time, laid off a couple of times, but kept returning. Now he specializes in building and repairing tractors, fulltime and steady. He showed a picture of his latest baby: a 38,000 lb. farm vehicle with a.c., a stereo, and seven-foot diameter tires. He built it start to finish. He loves his work. His purchaser was more than happy.

I respected that and told him so. As a pastor, my work is never finished. I wish I could sometimes step back, wipe my hands on the side of my pants, and feel the pride of declaring, "Done!"

By the time he was folding his freshly warm-and-dry clothes (permanent grease stains still visible), our conver-sation had lasted 45 minutes. I hadn't mentioned Jesus, hadn't quoted a single Bible verse. All I gave was some listening. And honest respect. And accepted his gift of a partial box of dryer cloths, "for your other customers."

"Thanks, friend," he said as he left, "and God bless you guys."

Two loads of washing and drying: $6.50. A few minutes of listening and sincere respect: priceless. Maybe not a hu-man being completed and "done," but a pretty good night's work.

By Dr. Dave Fry

Definition: a major form of Japanese verse, written in 17 syllables divided into 3 lines of 5,

7, and 5 syllables, and employing highly evocative allusions and comparisons, often on the

subject of nature or one of the seasons. The use of juxtaposition continues to be honored

in both traditional and modern haiku.

(juxtaposition is a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters and

their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing

comparisons and contrasts.)

HAIKU (hi’ coo)

by Jan Puhlmann

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CLEANERS

Week of 7/3-7/9 Cheryl Phetteplace and Sue Lenz

Week of 7/17-7/23 Kelsey/Liz Will

COUNTERS

2 Russ Dobberpuhl

9 Bruce Endlich

16 Gary Kranz

23 Russ Dobberpuhl

30 Sue Lenz

DONATION ENTERING

2 Donna Poole

9 Donna Poole

16 Bob Bedard

23 Donna Poole

30 Bob Bedard

GREETERS

2 Jan Bargenquast & Karel Bretsch

9 John & Jo Blanchard

16 Kari & Hailey Fisher

23 Dan & Vivian Knepel

30 Larry & Lynn Koziol

SOUND TECHS

2

9 Noah Doedens

16 Andrew Haese

23 Matt Schneider

30 Brian Smiley

USHERS

*2 Chelli Rettmann, Amy Schneider, Angel Buettner, Andy Gross

9 Sheila Smiley, Aaron Halfmann

16 Steve Ingram, Kirk Krueger

23 Donna Poole, Chelli Rettmann

30 Amy Schneider, Sheila Smiley

Schedules

CREATED by Jennifer Brownell

Kid Page Anagram Answers:

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ngers

protect

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heave

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beautiful

encourag

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thousand

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friend

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invisible

"So God created humankind in God's image, in the image of God – created them! Male and female, God

created them." - Genesis 1:27

On a recent visit to New York City, I got off a red-eye from the West Coast and onto the wrong subway train. I mean, was heading in the right direction, but I had not intended to take the local, stopping at every single station.

I was worried I might be late to my commitment. But the local was not without its compensations. We were visited, for example, by a young man who performed elaborate gymnastics among the car's poles. We were treated to the beautiful music of a violinist who stopped by. And then a young woman hopped on the train, and began to sing to the accompaniment of music from a speaker she carried with her.

I was still trying to figure out if I would be on time to where I was going, so I did not join about half the captive audience in the applause that followed this performance. But then she spoke, loudly enough for everyone to hear. "I used to be lonely and sad," she smiled, "But

I have found my life's purpose and it is to bring others joy through music. I hope that you have enjoyed this song, but mostly I pray that you also find your life's purpose." Like the woman on the train, your attempts at creativity, at connection may not seem to catch everyone's eye. But re-member that you are created in God's image. That means showing up, speaking up, living out the purpose for which you were created, whatever that may be. That sleepy-eyed commuter in the corner may look distracted, but maybe she's paying attention after all.

Prayer Creator, Remind us however you can that you created each of us in your image and gave each of us a life's purpose. Amen.

About the Author: Jennifer Brownell is the Pastor of First Congregational Church of Vancouver, Washington, and the author of Swim, Ride, Run, Breathe: How I Lost a Triathlon and Caught My Breath, her inspiring memoir.

~Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

~We're called to be witnesses, not lawyers or Judges.

~Don't give God instructions, just report for duty!

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Kid’s Page

Ans

wers

on

page

5.

Draw a picture of an Angel. Then cut it out and put it where you can look at it and remember that God’s angels are watching over you!