PINNACLE
Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole
WHY PRAY?
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Quarterly Newsletter I VolUME no 12 SUMMER 2021
pg.4
+
Weight
and
Lightness
pg.9
+ praying for
peace pg.10
+
unanswered
prayers pg.13
to be a c o m m u n i ty, Rooted in Christ, reaching out in love
Table of Contents Volume NO 12 I summer 2021
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PINNACLE w h y w e p r ay
The Holy Spirit is always at work in both the individual and the body of Christ as God draws, guides, and energizes us for God’s kingdom. Nothing makes us more aligned to the will of God than prayer. It is in prayer that one finds meaning to life and a reason for hope and joy. Within this summer addition of the Pinnacle, several people from PCJH and friends of PCJH have reflected on different shapes and forms of prayer, all of which are life-giving. The most important realization for us is that God wishes us to be present to him, to express our love and to pour out our hearts as his beloved children. May this Pinnacle be an invitation to draw closer into an intimate relationship with our Lord. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” u I Thessalonians 5: 16-18.
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08
Healing Prayer
why pray?
~ Re v. Tamara Mitchell
10
praying for peace
~ Mary Kay Turner
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Weight and Lightness
~ Katsey Long
~ Kenny Hadden
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perseverance AND faithfulness
~ Ryan Allen
unanswered prayers
~ Brian Bultima
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get to know us
2
why we pray
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JULY
JUNE 6~ 9~ th
th
13 ~ th
calendar @pcjh.org/events
AUGUST
SMALL GROUPS
Last Take-Out Wednesday's 5-6pm to resume in the fall Curbside pick-up or scheduled home delivery Small Group Facilitator Training @ 11:45am-2:30pm
13 15 16 ~
Multi-Church Youth Lagoon Amusement Park THRU & Camping Trip th th
th
Transition Sunday
DISCIPLESHIP
FELLOWSHIP
MINISTRY
th
4~ 5~ 19 ~ th
th
Small Groups Summer Session begins PCJH Office Closed
THRU .
~22
~19
th
Youth Service Week
22 ~
ND
nd
th
THRU .
Small Group Summer Celebration!
Youth Service Week
25 ~ th
Youth Rafting Trip
ongoing Events, details > pcjh.org/events/ <
16 ~ th
20 ~ 21 ~ th
ST
Father Ubald Memorial Service 5:30pm @ PCJH Father's Day! JOY Summer Camp Begins
youth & young adult Contact Liz Collins (lcollins@pcjh.org)
30 ~ TH
30 ~ 31
29th Little Lambs Preschool Begins
ST
All-Church
Camping Trip 21 ~ st
THRU .
~24
Youth Service Week
27 ~ TH
Bach Recital @ PCJH
th
@ Colter Bay Group Site
*Serving second term
pcjh.org
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Pinnacle
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why
~ Rev. Tamara Mitchell
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why we pray
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pray?
“If we struggle with prayer, then I think we are on the right track. All of us have questions: is God listening? Does God care?"
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o st e v e r y b o d y p r a y s .
We see families praying at meals, or actors giving thanks when they receive an award. Athletes will pray before or after competitions. Even bakers pray to the “baking gods” (see “Great British Baking Show”). Some pray to Allah, others to Mary or the saints, others to Jesus, others to God of Abraham, others to the “Universe”, or others to thin air. Some pray all the time, others rarely. Some pray on their knees, others before they fall asleep in their beds. Yet, ask any regular churchgoer if they thought prayer was important to their faith, most everyone would say a resounding, “yes!” Statistically, almost all American adults (94%) have prayed at least once in the last three months. Regardless of how or when or to whom one prays, it is important to note that prayer is part of the human condition, even if we do not recognize it as such. As Christians, we believe we were created by God and for God. God placed in us the gift of dependency and desiring God in our lives. In God’s great wisdom and sovereignty, God instilled a “Godshaped vacuum” which only He can fill. That is who we are in our core. The tragedy of sin is that it moved us from dependency to independency from God. The result is a broken relationship with the very One who gives us life. As disciples, we pray as a central means for uniting with God. As Thomas Merton, an American Trappist monk wrote, “Prayer is an expression of who we are...We are a living incompleteness. We are a gap, an emptiness that calls for fulfillment.” �
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Yet surprisingly enough, many people struggle with prayer. We struggle with what to pray for. We are not sure how to pray, or how often to pray. We forget to pray throughout the day, until maybe at mealtime. Admittedly, our satisfaction from prayer is not always stellar. We get confused about the efficacy of prayer. We do not understand how prayer is answered or why prayers are not answered the way we thought they should be. Our modern skepticism colors our true faith about prayer, especially when it comes to important things like world poverty, nuclear war threats, or natural disasters. If we struggle with prayer, then I think we are on the right track. All of us have questions: is God listening? Does God care? Why pray if God already knows my situation? How can God feel so close and yet so far? Will my prayer change anything? I am comforted by the fact that even the disciples needed help with prayer. “Teach us to pray” may be one of the most beautiful requests ever asked of Jesus. I have come to realize that while prayer may be our hearts’ longing, it also does not come very easily. Like anything else that is worthwhile, prayer requires attention and discipline, practice, and growth. I am still learning about
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why we pray
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prayer and how prayer shapes me into who God wants me to be. First, prayer is about entering a relationship. Every relationship needs conversation and interaction for it to grow and thrive. Our relationship with God is no different. Prayer is establishing a relationship with someone and that someone is Jesus Christ. Jesus wants a relationship with us, longs to hear from us and to listen to us. As well, he invites us into a deep friendship, a closeness, and a companionship of love. I love what Julian of Norwich says, “prayer fastens the soul to God.” The image of prayer is not about offering a “to do” list for God to handle. It is more about how we can fasten ourselves to Christ – how we can enter a dynamic, authentic, loving relationship with the living God. It is astounding to know that in a mo-
“ Prayer is establishing a relation that someone is Jesus Christ. with us, longs to hear from us
ment’s time, we are speaking directly with God! Like any relationship, prayer is never just one-sided. I know we often think that it is our choice to pray or not - that prayer is us coming to God. However, the more I learn about prayer, the more I see in prayer, I am responding to God who is seeking me, inviting me, welcoming me into his presence. Prayer teaches me to be more aware of God’s nearness and activity. Just like any other important relationship we have with loved ones; prayer helps me become familiar with God and allows God to become familiar with me. Psalm 139 says, “O Lord, you have searched me, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise. You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down. You are familiar with all my ways.” Second, prayer makes a difference whether we can see it or not. As Philip Yancy writes, prayer gives us access to a greater power. We see prayer as our strongest weapon against invisible forces. We believe Paul ’s words: “for our struggle is not against f lesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” I often hear people say, “well, I guess all we can do is pray,” as if it is the last recourse. Are we taking seriously enough the power of prayer? Throughout all of scripture, prayer is the linchpin for God’s redemption. Moses’ prayers led the people from Egypt. Esther’s prayers saved her people from genocide. Daniel ’s prayers kept him safe in the lion’s den. Jesus regularly took time to pray. At the most difficult time in his life, from Gethsemane to Calgary, he seemed to be in constant communication with the Father. Prayer is the way in which the light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot put it out. I believe in the power of prayer. I have seen prayer
nship with someone and Jesus wants a relationship and to listen to us.."
work in ways that are so mysterious, so incredible, and mind boggling that all I can say is “that is of God.” Not all my prayers have been answered to my liking. But that does not mean that prayer is ineffective. Rather, the unanswered prayers have helped me grow and practice my dependency on Christ which is the best place to be. Lastly prayer grows us. We often approach prayer with us at the center of the attention. It can quickly become all about us, our needs, our health, our wants, and our desires. Or it can be about someone else’s needs, desires, or health. Granted, prayer should be about these things. In fact, the scriptures teach us, “do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phil. 4:6). Our prayer requests matter to him because we matter to him. As I previously said, prayer matters. Prayer does more than address our outer circumstances and situations. Prayer is meant to grow us inwardly – to help us align our will with the Lord’s. In praying, we become vulnerable and transparent to the Lord. Our values and fears, our hopes and loves get put on display before God. And then, in prayer, in the moments of encounter with this awesome God, will we then shut up and allow Him to speak? Will we surrender it all to him? What will happen if we quiet our busy minds racing to get through our long agenda for God and listen to him? What would happen if we spent more than 5 minutes in prayer? Maybe we would hear him call our name, or feel his forgiveness, or comfort our pain, or strengthen our anxiety. Do we dare open ourselves to the life-giving touch of God and be willing to be transformed into Christ’s image? Prayer is dangerous. If we want to stay the same, do not pray earnestly or sincerely. Yet if we want to know the power and presence of God each and every day, then join the community of saints in prayer. Let us pray as Jesus taught us to pray. ✝ REV. Tamara Mitchell grew up as a Presbyterian and as a young adult, was active in Young Life where she grew in her faith and love for God. She is excited to call Jackson her home, as PCJH associate pastor.
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S
This was not a command for a few, but a command for o many of us either don’t believe THAT God heals today; or that healing prayer is relegated to all. This same command is for you, it is for me, it is for every a few “special ” holy people who have that gift and not Christian. I would bet the reason we don’t see more people healed me, the ordinary church attending, Bible reading Christian. There is no such thing as an ordinary Christian. If we are fol- today is because, we don’t believe and we don’t pray. Scripture lowers of Christ, have been born again in Him, an adopted son tells us to lay hands on the sick. That is our part. God’s part is to heal them. So many peoor daughter of the King of ple tell me they are afraid Kings, we are extraordinary. to pray for someone to be We don’t know our identity healed because what if they and act like orphans instead aren’t healed? Healing is alof sons or daughters. ways up to God, praying is I have worked for the always up to us. No prayer, past 12 years with Fr. Ubald I guarantee, no healing. God Rugirangoga, a Catholic priest is in charge. It doesn’t need from Rwanda, genocide survito be a long prayer. It can be vor, and a person of note who a simple action of placing a has brought miracles and healhand on someone and askings to thousands of people ing the Lord, in the name of around the world through Jesus, please heal this perhis prayers. He would say, son. There’s no magic for“it is not me, it is Jesus who mula or specific prayer. It’s heals.” He was very clear what flows from your heart about this truth. He did and from a place of love for have an extraordinary gift God and love for the perof healing prayer. But what son in front of you. It’s very I know about Fr. Ubald is simple. So don’t be afraid to that he faithfully prayed for pray for healing. Healing people to be healed. He had can be physical, spiritual, total confidence in Jesus’ emotional, intellectual, reability and willingness to lationships, and more. Takheal. He never doubted ing time to pray with someGod’s nature to heal and There’s no magic formula one and them feeling loved love. Ubald did question by you is healing. why someone was healed or specific prayer... One of our greatest and others were not; but he blocks to healing is unfornever questioned the nature giveness. Ask if the person of God. One of the reasons needs to forgive someone? so many people were healed We may be harboring resentthrough Fr. Ubald’s prayers, was because he constantly prayed for people. He probably ment and unforgiveness towards a person or situation. Make a prayed for more people than anyone I know. Odds are if you decision to forgive and then pray for healing. Father Ubald prayed faithfully for over a year with people don’t pray for someone they won’t be healed. But if you do pray for someone there is a chance they will be healed. So he before he heard of anyone being healed. After a year people returned to say they were healed. After five years of praying would faithfully pray constantly. with people he received a word of knowledge gift of what God In the great commission: And as you go, preach, saying, “the kingdom of God is at was healing when he prayed. Most of us pray once or twice hand.” Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out and don’t see results so we quit. That is just what the enemy wants us to do. Quit. demons, Freely you have received, freely give ~ Matthew 10:7-8 So many families, and individuals, are broken and hurting today. They are searching for hope, and a gospel Katsy LONG is retired as a clinical social with power. We have a gospel of power. Healing is one of the worker and now works in Real estate. greatest tools of evangelization. People need healing and She currently works with a gifted team of transformation, not more information. They need an encounter individuals for the Center for Peace Ministries with Jesus and we have Jesus to bring them. ✝ Foundation to continue Fr. Ubald's vision.
Healing Prayer
~ Katsey Long
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why we pray
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Weight
and
Lightness
Sing a bit of your favorite song, and tell me your heart doesn’t stir!
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any in our church family remember Barbara VanGenderen’s warm smile and lovely soprano voice. Shortly after I began as music director, Barbara retired from singing with the choir, though she still came to sit in the sanctuary with Larry during rehearsals and sing along. Even when her dementia was advanced enough to make daily tasks difficult, Barbara continued to sing the old hymns with ease. This phenomenon is common and well-documented, and it is not isolated to memory-related illnesses or the elderly. In our most trying moments, when words fail us and our normal faculties are stymied, music hits a nerve and awakens our soul. Through music, thoughts and emotions f low freely. I sang Amazing Grace at the funeral of my college roommate after he died of cancer, just three weeks before our graduation. His battle lasted about 7 years, and I had as much time as I could have hoped for to process what was happening, both on my own and with him. I hadn’t cried throughout that whole time. Why should I? His illness simply highlighted the preciousness of every moment we had together, and helped make our relationship one of the most impactful of my life. I was thankful for him, cancer and all. Looking back, it was a heavy, philosophical thankfulness. Even so, I confidently agreed to sing at the funeral in celebration of my friend. And what did I do in that chapel, in front of nearly a thousand people? I sobbed through most of the song. When my voice first cracked, it opened the flood gates, and the whole congregation sobbed with me. We sobbed for his life, and for his death, and for his family. We sobbed for ourselves. As the familiar chords rang in the background, I said more to God and to my friend through my wailing than even those beautiful and sacred lyrics could have communicated. When the service ended and we walked out into the quad, there was a clarity to the air and a holiness and lightness to the day that I had not experienced in a long time. In that chapel, in the catharsis of tears and melody and memory, God met us where we were, and assured us he had us in his hand. Prayer is about more than talking to God. Prayer can be listening to God, or yearning for God, fearing God or shaking your fist at God… in the end, our God just wants us to come to him. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus tells his followers, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Even after years of being obliged to pray publicly, I am still reticent to pray aloud. What could I say to the one who knows my thoughts before they reach my lips? What dare I ask of the one before whom every knee will bow? The weight of words is oppressive. Instead, I prefer to sing.
~ Kenny Hadden
Sometimes I sing joyfully, with gratitude or humor. Sometimes I sing with sorrow, or despair, or even anger. I sing with words and without words, sometimes tenderly and sometimes with all the power I can muster. I sing sacred songs and secular songs, modern and ancient, rock and folk and classical. I sing it all to God. Only singing feels honest. Words become so fraught, with too much substance and not enough meaning. My lofty thoughts do not impress God. God wants my heart. Of course I am aware that music is more central to my self-expression than it might be for others. Pastors Ben and Tammy (both music lovers, I will add) touch my heart and connect me to God through their words. Others pray through silence, or through service to others, or in other ways. But I believe that music is unique. In the constant rhythm of the breath and the heartbeat, through the singsong of the mother’s voice in her child’s ear, God teaches us to pray. In the gurgle of the brook and the chirping of the birds and the rush of the wind, God teaches us to pray. Sing a bit of your favorite old song, and tell me your heart doesn’t stir! All of creation sings of the glory of God! As we join in that song, weary and burdened as it may sometimes be, God meets us, and gives us rest. ✝
kenny hadden is the former Worship Director for PCJH. He lives in Bend, OR with his wife and two sons.
pcjh.org
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“To pray fo and to bring re
praying for
peace
~ Mary Kay Turner
A
s Catholic and Protestant friends, we know the things that unite us as Christians far outweigh our distinctives. One of our shared commitments is the centrality of prayer in our lives. We believe the unceasing communion with God through prayer to be a means of God’s grace and central to our daily need to submit ourselves to his will. We also believe that prayer is the place that we join the desires of our hearts with God’s. Julian of Norwich said, “The whole reason why we pray is to be united into the vision and
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why we pray
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contemplation of God to whom we pray.” For more than twenty years we have labored together and with many others for “the peace of Jerusalem.” This has been both inspiring and daunting work, but would be impossible for us without perpetual prayers for peace. To pray for peace requires an understanding of what peace is, and how central it is to the heart of God. The word itself is our translation of the Hebrew word shalom. Shalom is the wholeness and unity present in God’s good creation described in Genesis. God made us to be in right
or peace is to pray for the Holy Spirit to move among us reconciliation and wholeness in places that are broken."
The Jordan River is both a cause of conflict and tension as well as a potential source of regional cooperation. Pilgrims travel to be baptized in the Jordan where Jesus was baptized.
relationship with him and with each other, and to enjoy and steward the beauty of his creation. The fracturing of God’s shalom is what we call the Fall, but God’s eternal desire is to rescue us and restore the unity of Creation. The vision of God is that all things would be reconciled to him. To pray for peace is to pray for the Holy Spirit to move among us and to bring reconciliation and wholeness in places that are broken. It is to pray for heaven to be continually breaking in to our fallen world. To ask that God’s “kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” To cry
desperately that our fractured world—lives, relationships, systems of power—be repaired. To plead that justice tempered by mercy be done. These are among the things we are praying for when we pray for peace. And as we pray for peace in the world around us we open ourselves up to being changed from within. We are prompted to repent of our complicity in conflict and systems of injustice, of our failure to love our neighbors as ourselves, of the judgments bound up in our hearts, of our disregard of the command to love our enemies. It is to embrace God’s unconditional love and mercy. His perpetual mercy and desire to heal and restore. Prayer transforms us and transforms the world around us. As Eugene Peterson said, “A changed world begins with us … and a changed us begins when we pray.” But to pray for peace means we also have to work for peace. The Psalmist tells us to “seek peace and pursue it.” We make our own feeble attempt to work for peace and justice in the Holy Land, to advocate for freedom, security and honored dignity for all Palestinians and all Israelis. To do this work requires a belief that we are giving flesh to God’s heart for shalom. And in it we are prompted forward by the words of St. Augustine: "Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you." It’s not only the people of the Middle East who need prayers for peace. We Americans need them too, nationally and locally. We need God’s peace in our families and our homes. We need it in our hearts (how can we be peacemakers if we ourselves are not at peace?). To pray for peace is easy. To prayerfully work for peace is much harder. And yet they are inseparable. May we each with humility and courage seek to be a people who both pray and work for peace. May we be people who let our desires for healing in our world drive us to prayer and let our prayers drive us to be agents of reconciliation. ✝
Mary Kay Turner got involved in Middle East Peace, founding the Holy Land Christian Society to help the Christians in Israel and Palestine. Standing withTodd Deatherage Co-Founder of Telos at the Sea of Galilee.
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perseverance
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AND
his is m y p e r s o n a l st o r y o f perseverance and faithfulness. Back in 2009 I was at a crossroads in my life. I was working at a local golf course in our valley as an assistant golf professional. At the same time my wife was a school teacher and had summers off during our busy season. Also at this same time she became pregnant with our first child. I felt I needed to make a decision about what I wanted to do for a job because having the opposite schedule of my wife was not exactly what we had in mind. I was also open to a career change at the time and was considering going back to school to become a teacher. However at that point in time, we did not have any money set aside for me to go back to school since we had just finished building our affordable house in Melody and were about to have a newborn. This is where God works in mysterious ways and brings people into your life for a reason. Even before that, in 2005, I had a unique opportunity to be a private chauffeur for an older couple that lived in Jackson during summer. Every Saturday and Sunday evening I would drive them to dinner and back home. I did this for 12 summers until they decided to leave the valley to live full time elsewhere. In 2010, I was talking to them one night about jobs and what I wanted to do and I mentioned going back to school to be a teacher. About 3 weeks later we were riding down the road and the Mrs. asked me a question: “What are you going to do?” This was not a “what are you going to do for dinner” question. She meant in life. I told her I was not sure. This is where my life changed—she told me that I was going to go back to school and she was going to pay for it! Simple as that. I told her that I could RYAN ALLEN moved to Jackson in 2003. He is married to his wife, Buffy, and they have 3 kids: Charlie, Henry, and Annie. Ryan is actively involved in our community as a teacher, coach, and elder for PCJH.
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why we pray
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SUMME R 2 0 2 1
faithfulness
~ Ryan Allen
not accept that offer—it was too much! She was persistent however. I went home that night and told my wife what had happened. She couldn’t believe it. She told me that it is an unbelievable offer. Up to this point I had been praying to God to show me a sign and this was it! The next night I went back to drive and accepted the offer. Then it was time to put the work in. I started an online teaching program to become an upper education science teacher to match my bachelors degree in biology. I graduated from the program with a masters degree, and it was time to try to get a job in our school district. I started working at the middle school as a special education paraprofessional. It would allow me to get in the school district to get my feet wet and to get to know the school system. Long story short, during that school year 3 different science jobs opened up and I applied for all three of them. I was told no all three times. I started to wonder if this was really what I was supposed to do, but this is where trusting in God’s plan really came into play for me. During my time as a paraprofessional, I was working with kids with special needs. I really enjoyed it, and it was rewarding. So after striking out on science jobs, I decided to go back to school again to become a special education teacher. I went back to the couple that I drove for and asked if they would be willing to pay for me to go back to school again. They said yes! This time I went back to school to get a masters in special education. That spring I applied for a special education job that opened up and was told no again. I thought God might be trying to tell me something, but I gave it one more shot. At the end of that school year another position opened and I got the job! I have been working at the schools for 8 years now. I get to make a difference in kids' lives everyday. I also get time to spend with my wife and 3 kids. I truly feel blessed to get to do what I do on an everyday basis and feel my prayers were answered. ✝
unanswered
prayers
~ Brian Bultima
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here’s the persistent half-truth about God not giving us more than we can handle. Though I probably would have outwardly rejected this idea as a young adult, more of this half-truth seeped into my thought life than I might have cared to admit. During my upbringing in a conservative, Christian home in the States, I mostly felt insulated from life’s major troubles. If I held onto my faith, God would spare me from any real tragedy or major heartbreak. Like so many who grow up in the States, I indulged the belief that life’s trajectory was always on the up and up. I felt mostly in control of my destiny with God there to accompany me if I encountered any real speed-bumps. After all, how could a God who promised to be my fortress and deliverer ever really allow bad things to befall me? Then 2020 happened. In 2017, my wife and I took a major leap to leave Jackson and move to Peru to work for her family’s travel companies. Going into 2020, we had reasons to be optimistic and believe that our immediate future was on the up and up. We had rapidly grown the two businesses. Our siblings and parents were healthy. And we had managed to find a great church community and group of friends in Lima. But then it all unraveled almost overnight. COVID-19 hit Peru like a missile. With almost no forewarning on March 16, Peru went into lock-down and all travel was halted. The frenetic pace of Lima came to a screeching halt. In the hours leading to lock-down, we scrambled to get back to Lima from Lake Titicaca to prepare to weather the storm in our apartment. Simultaneously, my father-in-law contracted a respiratory virus and was immediately hospitalized. Within a week, he was unconscious and on a ventilator. What followed were some truly dark weeks and months with Lima’s strict lock-down, and it soon became clear that my father-in-law would not recover. Before his passing on April 24th, various friends and friends of family passed from COVID. Our businesses quickly became insolvent and we were forced to lay off nearly all staff. Our world was being rocked by a cascade of heartbreak and difficulty, and it simply didn’t square with the notion
about God sparing us from more than we could handle. What does this have to do with prayer? Well, in those weeks and months, my prayer life was transformed. Any pretenses I tried bringing to God while pouring out my heart quickly went out the window. I stopped with the niceties in my prayers and stopped trying to put a happy face on life’s disappointments and tragedies. Sometimes I would just sit in silence for 30 minutes in the mornings unable to really form any words or thoughts. A few times, I either just asked God an endless series of interrogating questions or yelled at him about the ‘fairness’ of all of this. During those five months, I went through bouts of doubting God, questioning God, or just ignoring him when it was too much. The rawness of Lamentations and Job – which had previously seemed too dark or depressing – had resonance overnight. By dwelling in those books, I saw how God never spurned the directness and questions of Job and Jeremiah. Rather than leaning further into the half-truth of God sparing us from more than we can handle, I (re)learned that God can handle more than we often care or choose to turn over to him. In fact, there never is a limit. Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28-30 literally invite us to bring our burdens to him—an invitation that continues to bring me great comfort. Though 2020 continued to put us through the meat grinder until arriving back in Jackson in October, the disappearance of the illusion that God spares us from overwhelming heartbreak made my conversations with God less formulaic. I have stopped minimizing my grief or pretending that God will always work it out with a nice tidy bow around it. Instead, like Psalm 27 expresses, we can be in the middle of loss and disorientation but still maintain hope that we ‘will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ ✝ BRIAN BULTIMA originally came out to Jackson Hole in 2006 to serve with ACMNP. Along with his wife Sandra, he has called Jackson home since 2009 and lived in Lima, Peru from 2017 - 2020.
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PCJ h B i r t h d ay s / a n n i v e r s a r i e s
JUNE
JULY
august
01 Larry Huhn Alex Maher June Nystrom Danny Weber
01 Blake & Donna Clark (33)
01 Alex & Macye Maher (20)
03
Duane and Nancy Schneider (45) 05
Pam Mettler
06 Daniel Primich 07 Paul Boillot Linda Walker 08 Steve Poole 09 Jeff and Sarah Hanson (37) 12
Jeff Crabtree
Scott & Diane McGee (17) 13
Ponteir Sackrey
16
Bob & Deb Kopp (43) Ken & Bobbie Thomasma (65)
18 Tina Edwards
David &Eunice Conine (55 ) Merrill & Nanette Ritter (59) 19 Ted Kimmel 22
Robert Carr
Bob & Annabelle Lerch (64) 23 Ed Brenegar 25 Buffy Allen 26 Judy Swann
Jim & Sally Byrne (61) 27 Bob & Bonnie Lewis (41)
Tom & Jan Segerstrom (29) 28 Gregg Ward
Jeff & Lana Crabtree (41) Ray & Meg Womack (46) 29
Matt & Julie Faupel (19)
Lance & Christine Windey (26) 02
Zach Padilla
03 Melissa Snider 06 Mary Walton 08
Jane Lavino Mike & Carol Marshall (54) 09 Stan & Becky Zaist (38)
04
12 Amy Boillot
John & Joanie Shipman (35) 14 Cathy Wikoff 15 Mary Halpin Jay Kemmerer 17 Steve Weber
Ron Miller
05 Bob Lewis Dan Matzke 06
Jeff Huot
Ken & Cathy Blount (27) Alan & Nancy Brumsted (44) Brian & Maddy Remlinger (16)
11 Jan Benz Steve Iobst
07
Mel Orchard
08
Paul & Jean Bruun (12)
09
Eric VanGenderen
Ed & Jane Lavino (35) 10
Ed Cheramy
Will & Laura Soltau (8)
18 Stan Steiner
11 Ben Pascal
19 Becky Zaist
12
20 Annie Mueller 21 Irene Lund Suzanne VanHatten Steve Fralin Julie Whitlock
Joanie Shipman Nancy Stockhouse
Dan & Julie Matzke (49)
Tom & Becky Jordan (53)
15 Julie Winthers 17 Dave Dunlap Claudia Gillette Ray Womack
Jeff & Cindy Dahlin (31) 22 Stan Pugmire Sharon Fralin 23 Ed Scott
Ted & Becky Kimmel (33)
Bill & Karen Fox (36) Jim & Jessica Miller (8) 19
Sue Unruh
20 Randy Reed Jim Stockhouse
24 Lana Crabtree
23 Karen Terra
25 Katie Robertson
24
29 Alan Lund Gaylyn Frantz
Mel & Brandie Orchard (26) 30 Kay Brockermeyer Jim Hamilton
Jack & Jan Larimer (55) 31 Jennifer Wolf
Jason & Melissa Snider (12)
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Bill Blackwell
Bill & Kenlyn Long (41)
26 Bonnie Lewis
28 Chas Baki
why we pray
Jeff & Julie Huot (47)
Bill & Eileen Blackwell (56)
27 Paul & Terri Hayden (18)
14
02 Vickie Jones William Schoen Bobbi Thomasma
25
Marcia Taylor
Mack & Katie Mendenhall (14) 26 Joy Steiner 27 Michael Schrotz 29 Larry Jorgenson
Warren & Martha VanGenderen (62) 30 Kenlyn Long Sue Myers 31 Ken & Caroline Taylor (53)
SUMME R 2 0 2 1
Pastoral Staff Rev. Ben Pascal Senior Pastor
bpascal@pcjh.org x 101
Rev. Tammy Mitchell Associate Pastor
tmitchell@pcjh.org x 104
Office Staff Cindy Dahlin cdahlin@pcjh.org Church Administrator x109 Ally Kiefer Communications Coordinator
akiefer@pcjh.org x102
Program Staff Laura Huckin huckin@silverstar.net Worship & Music Coordinator x123 Amanda Lack Little Lambs Director
alack@pcjh.org x111
Dylan Wade Children’s Ministry Coordinator
dwade@pcjh.org x103
Liz Collins lcollins@pcjh.org Youth & Young Adult Ministry Coordinator x124 Heather Martin hmartin@pcjh.org Director's Assistant to JOY and Little Lambs Ruling Elders
Clerk of Session: Ken Blount
Class of 2021
2022
2023
Steve Iobst Buildings & Grounds
Laura Soltau* Mission
Josh Ziolkowski Young Adult Ministry
Cathy Ward Worship
Ryan Allen Children’s Ministry
Julia Stanley Adult Ministry
Wes Lucas Stewardship
Susan Conner Congregational Life
Alan Lund Personnel
Barb Andrews* Youth Ministry
John Scott Finance
Patty McDonald Assimilation & Nomination
Youth Elders : Clara McGee & Ben Blount Teaching Elders: Rev. Ben Pascal & Rev. Tamara Mitchell
Deacons Class of 2021 Jen Baki* Erin Rosenberg* Jim Byrne Brad Herman Joy Steiner Lori Dodd Ed Scott
Class of 2022 Bill Klyn* Dorothy Neckels Catherine Wade Sierra Fulton
*Serving second term
Class of 2023 Michael Schrotz* George Scarlett* Abby Smerklo Ponteir Sackery
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get to know US
josh Ziolkowski / young adult elder Josh Ziolkowski is from Northern Wisconsin, where he attended Baptist, Evangelical Free and non-affiliated churches along with his family of 2 loving parents and 6 siblings. His family's involvement in ministry went beyond weekly church attendance and Josh spent many years serving alongside his family at Fort Wilderness Ministries. Being drawn to the horsemanship program at this camp inspired him to pursue a career in horse training, and this morphed into leading horseback rides seasonally at guest ranches from 2010-2017, ending up in Jackson. Being introduced to PCJH that summer, Josh felt called to stay and build into the local community. The culmination of this was accepting the nomination and being elected to the role of Ruling Elder this January. In HIS words If you had told my 20-year-old self that I would be an elder at PCJH, I would have been very confused, since none of that had been in my "plan,” despite that the past decade or so has been instrumental in building my trust in Christ. Many times during those years my next steps were obscured and my path forward unsure. These seasons in life have taught me that the time is now, and God has brought me to this moment with a plan. The pandemic has only underscored this sense of purpose. I am convicted each day by the words from the Book of Esther: “for such a time as this.” Such a time is this: accept an elder role; for such a time as this: fight for racial justice; for such a time is: be still and know that our God is in control.
yvonne henze / key volunteer Yvonne has been in the Jackson area since 1972. She served three summers as a Seasonal Ranger in Grand Teton N.P. Back in Northern Illinois she taught learning disabled and emotionally disturbed children for 26 years. She spent her free time restoring prairies, leading naturalist hikes, and volunteering for the International Crane Foundation. She retired in 1992 and moved out here permanently to her dream home, a log cabin in Buffalo Valley. Yvonne has four children: Janice of Winneconni, Wisconsin, Mark of Knoxville, Tennessee, Martha in San Diego, and Tim in Omaha, Nebraska. In her words My father was a topographer for the U.S.G.S. so I moved every three months. Besides my parents and my dog, my church was my source of support. I visited the Tetons in 1971 and fell in love with this beautiful valley. When I first saw the Tetons in 1971, I said "My Lord lives here." Until retirement, I spent every summer out here camping, hiking and backpacking. Every morning I give thanks for two things: I am thankful that I get to live in this marvelous place and I am thankful to have found PCJH, the church I love so much. Back in Illinois I taught Sunday School for 15 years. Here at PCJH I have served three terms as a Deacon, 15 years as a helper on Wednesday nights, and about 10 years on the Mission Committee. I am still doing part of the church recycling. To worship The Lord in the company of other worshipers is my greatest joy in life.
patty Mcdonald / elder Patty currently serves as Assimilation and Nominating Elder. Originally from Michigan, she spent much of her childhood in England and Switzerland before falling in love with the West. After college she worked as a newspaper reporter at the Jackson Hole Guide and a backcountry ranger in Grand Teton National Park, then moved back east for a 25 year career in politics before returning to Jackson and marrying her husband Jeff in PCJH’s chapel. She loves hiking, dancing, and travelling. In her wordS I grew up Catholic before I joined National Presbyterian Church in Washington DC and later PCJH, and faith has always been part of my life. But when former PCJH pastor Paul Hayden approached me about becoming an elder, I said I was sure that there were many others more worthy and faithful. He laughed and said we all fall short of being sufficiently worthy and faithful. To my joy, I have found that serving on Session has helped me feel ever closer to Jesus. One of the duties of the Assimilation and Nominating Team is to nominate elders and deacons. If you have ever thought about one of these roles, but are nervous that you too might not be worthy, I urge you to talk to Pastors Ben and Tammy, and pray for discernment. If the Lord is calling you, He will let you know and will be at your side to strengthen your faithfulness, and to love and guide you as you seek to serve our church family.
pcjh.org
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Pinnacle
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Address Service Requested Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Permit # 189 Jackson, WY 83002
S P iRiT
1251 South Park Loop Road, P.O. Box 7530, Jackson, WY 83002 I pcjh.org I 307 - 734 - 0388
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