The Olive Branch - January 23, 2008
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Accent on Worship
Picture this: You are a 4th century Christian. You probably don’t know how to read or write. You are drawn to the power of the local Christian assembly’s Sunday Eucharist, celebrated by the bishop, one of the great leaders of the community. You attend, listening intently to scriptures that are read, trying to understand the will of God for your life, and for the fledgling church, and you pray for the emperor, for freedom from evil spirits and pain. You eat and drink bread and wine that have become the Body and Blood of Christ and you leave to continue your day’s work, rewarded daily with the gifts of basic food and shelter, and nightly with deep, well-earned sleep, in a relatively warm and dry place.
But your days are not punctuated with the drama of stories of the life of Jesus, with a plan that makes all time his time, that makes time holy. You are fascinated by the life of Jesus. You know that you can get a little closer to what it was like to be beside him as he preached or as he healed or as he walked on water by going on pilgrimage to his homeland. And you do so – if you are rich. In fact, Constantine, the emperor for whom you pray, is building great basilicas at every spot he can identify as a place where an important event in Jesus’ life took place. Readings from scripture happen at these sites, telling what was thought to have happened there on the date that it was supposed it happened.
This is the birth of the church year, and the groundwork is set for the first lectionary.
One of the important days that was marked was February 2, known by Lutherans as the Presentation of Our Lord, and sometimes by other Christians as the Purification of Saint Mary the Virgin, Candlemas, and the Meeting of Christ with Simeon.
At Mount Olive we honor the deep tradition of this day by lighting candles and blessing them, by attending to the ancient stories set out for this day by the early church, and by gathering as the assembly of the baptized around Jesus Body and Blood given for our eternal light.
Do not neglect to attend our liturgy on the Presentation of Our Lord, Saturday, February 2, at 7 p.m. On this day, as on every day marking Jesus’ life in our midst, we stand with Christians across the millennia in the light of Christ.
– Pastor Heisley
Important February Dates to Note
Sunday, Feb. 3: Taste of Nigeria
Tuesday, Feb. 5: Shrove Tuesday -Youth-sponsored Pancake Supper at 6 pm. (Bring your palm branches from last Palm Sunday anytime between now and then! A basket to receive them is in the narthex).
Wednesday, Feb. 6: Ash Wednesday - Holy Eucharist, with the Imposition of Ashes at Noon and 7 pm.
Sunday, Feb. 10: MFA Event: Music for Trumpet and Piano, 4 pm – Timothy Lovelace, piano and
Charles Lazarus, trumpet.
Evening Prayer /
Organ Vespers
Mark Spitzack, Organist
~ A service of silence, chant, scripture, prayer, choral music, and hymnody ~
Sunday, January 27, 2008, 4:00 p.m.
Boe Memorial Chapel, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
The service will be broadcast live at : http://www.stolaf.edu/multimedia
(But please note: current technology does not allow for the transmission of the smell of incense).
Taste of Nigeria
The Missions Committee will host Taste of Nigeria on Sunday, February 3. Plan to attend worship services, education hour and a banquet celebrating Nigerian culture, music and food and learn more about the missions in Nigeria.
Church Library News
Last Call -- remaining Christmas and Book Nook items will be for sale in the Library, at half price, for one more week.
Wish List -- does anyone have a 12" table-top American globe (in good condition only) they would be willing to donate for use in our Library? If so, please speak to Leanna Kloempken. Thank you!
Stewardship News
The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
Thank you! Living in God’s delight, we can rejoice with gratitude for blessings shared. In and around its celebration of Christ’s coming, the friends and members of Mount Olive once again rose to the challenge of a “13th month” of financial stewardship with great results. The generosity of this faith community overcame the anticipated 2007 operating budget shortfall to end the year with a positive cash balance of about $5,700! This balance reduces the cumulative net cash shortfall for operations.
As we continue to grow in God’s love, may we continue to reflect that love in lives of faithfulness, lives of gratitude, and lives of absolute freedom in the living Christ.
A Note of Thanks
Mount Olive’s chancel, nave, and narthex were again beautifully decorated for the Christmas season. This was done through the efforts of many: those who brought in and placed the trees, those who participated in “Hanging the Greens” on December 16, and the special crew who hung the lights and chrismons on the trees on December 20. Many also gathered at the end of the Christmas season to remove the trees and greens and clean up afterwards. We are grateful for your efforts and wish to thank all who gave of their time and energy so willingly.
February Book Discussion
For it’s meeting on February 9, the Book Discussion Group will read The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. All who would like to discuss this book are welcome to attend, beginning at 10:00 am, in the Chapel Lounge.
Adult Forums
While the next Adult Forum brochure will be delayed by a week, there will nevertheless be two offerings each Sunday. This week, February 27, Dennis Bidwell from the Mount Olive Foundation will offer the first of a practical 2- part series on Estate Planning.
January Book Discussion
Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group will meet this Saturday, January 19. This monthly meeting was postponed due to the annual Conference on Liturgy held this past weekend. This month, they will discuss Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. All readers welcome!
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