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Archives for November 2014

Living in Hope

November 30, 2014 By moadmin

Advent calls us to live in hope that God is with us today, to trust that the kingdom of God is at hand.  So we stay awake, and keep watching for signs of God’s coming and presence in our lives and in the world.

Vicar Meagan McLaughlin
   First Sunday of Advent
   Texts: Isaiah 64:1-9, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37

Grace and peace to you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

I can still feel the anticipation that filled me as a child when Thanksgiving came, and I knew Christmas was “just around the corner.” When we were expecting company, I would watch from the couch in our living room, because it had a great view of the street and I would be able to see the guests arriving. I spent the entire month of December, figuratively speaking, leaning over the back of the couch, trying to make the time go faster! I was desperately curious about all the details of the parties being planned—what food would be served, when my cousins would come in from out of town, what service we would attend at church, what Santa would bring me, and could I please, please, please go along when my dad went to pick up my grandmother and great aunts? Every minute seemed like an hour, hours like days, days like weeks.  Christmas was all I could think about, and at the same time it felt like it would never get there. Advent is a time to follow what Jesus calls us to do in Mark—stay awake, keep watch, and I certainly had that down, even if I was more focused on parties and presents than the birth of Jesus!

Time has changed since then, or perhaps, it is my perception that has changed. Now rather than being painfully slow, the month of December flies by so quickly that I hardly have time to realize that it’s Advent before suddenly here it is—Christmas Eve. Being who I am, I am always prepared, at least in one sense. The presents are bought and wrapped, the tree trimmed, food for the family meal prepared. But spiritually and emotionally, I am always taken by surprise when Christmas comes. I spend more time on my to do list and less time leaning over the back of the couch, and as the years go by I find myself yearning for the time I spent as a child simply anticipating.

Our effort to be present and wait during Advent is certainly not helped when we have to walk past several aisles of Christmas decorations in the store in order to get to the Halloween costumes in mid-October, all the while listening to Deck the Halls and Frosty the Snowman piped through the sound system. Everything around us seems to call us to a flurry of activity . . . . buy, bake, order, send, and hurry up because time is running out! And of course, it is important to do the things necessary to get ready to welcome and celebrate with family and friends. But in the midst of all of this activity, on top of the regular daily life that continues, it is easy to forget that Advent is about waiting, and it is particularly easy to forget what we are waiting for.

So, what are we waiting for? The obvious answer is that Advent is a season of waiting for Christmas, Jesus’ birth. But it is so much more than the birth of a baby that we await. God, in all God’s fullness—the God who, as Isaiah described, makes the mountains quake, the God who Mark tells us has the power to make the sun dark and the stars fall, the God of all creation—came to live with us in the messiness of life in the person of Jesus. We remember not just the historical event of Jesus’ birth, but the reality of God’s presence and work in us and in the world, here and now. Advent is a time to remember that God is with us today, a time to live in hope.

When we look at the world, it can sometimes be really challenging to have hope. All we need to do is read the headlines to see evidence of pain, suffering, and evil in the world. This week in Ferguson, Missouri, and cities all over the country, we see fear, anger, even rage in the wake of the grand jury decision to exonerate Police Officer Darren Wilson of Michael Brown’s death. Just a mile down the road from here, thousands of people rallied for hours on Tuesday night, calling for justice. If we listen, we hear stories of those who live in fear, who have experienced the daily threat of discrimination, who can’t ever forget that they are treated differently in countless ways because of the color of their skin. If we listen, we hear stories of those who commit themselves to protecting others, often putting themselves at risk, and know daily the reality that they or someone they love may not come home. Setting aside guilt or innocence, right or wrong, justified or unjustified, in these events the damage and grief of centuries of systemic racism has been brought fully to the surface. We are all impacted, in one way or another. It is overwhelming, and it is hard not to turn away, to minimize the pain. Today, on the first Sunday of Advent, we take a few minutes to hear these voices, and ask the question of how we can have hope, and see God at work, in the midst of it all.

The pain of this world is not new. In the verses before our passage from Mark, Jesus describes war, betrayal, murder, destruction. And he encourages his followers, promising that nothing is too much for God to overcome. With the psalmist, we can bring the brokenness of our communities, and our own pain and brokenness, to God, and cry out—“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, shine forth. Stir up your might, and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.”

The miracle of the hope we have in Advent is that we are waiting on a God who has never turned away from our pain. As Christians today, whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, whatever challenges we face, we await the birth of Jesus knowing the rest of the story—Jesus lived, taught, challenged, loved, forgave, healed, called. And Jesus died—and rose again. Death was not the last word then, and it is not the last word today. Jesus transformed people’s lives, and we are invited to put ourselves completely in God’s hands, like clay ready to be formed by the potter, willing to be changed, to be made new.

In Advent, we are called to live in hope that God is with us today, to trust that the kingdom of God is at hand. Waiting, anticipating, living in hope don’t easily find their way onto our “to do lists,” but in this moment, for this season, it is the most important thing for us to do. We don’t know the day or the hour when the kingdom of God will be fully accomplished, but we can keep watch, and if we do, we will see glimpses of it. We can see God at work in the world in the way people love and care for each other, in voices courageously speaking truths that are hard to hear, in the beauty of creation. And we can call out like a watchperson—Hey, look, there it is, God is here, did you see it?—so those around us will also know that we have great reason for hope. We are called to witness to God’s presence by being the hands and feet of God in the world ourselves, by showing God’s love and care for others and calling for justice where it is due, so others can see God at work through us. And most of all, we can put our trust in God, who sends Jesus to show us that we are never alone.

I plan to spend a lot of time leaning over the back of the couch this Advent, anticipating God’s coming into the world anew. I invite you to join me, so we can support each other in our commitment to take seriously the call to keep watch for the presence of God in our midst. We don’t know the day or the hour, but there is plenty of room on the couch, and it has a great view.

Filed Under: sermon

The Olive Branch, 11/26/14

November 26, 2014 By moadmin

Accent on Worship

     I have a daily journal. It asks one different question a day. I am now on my second year of this journal, and it is rewarding to see my answers from the previous year. Through the pages of this journal I can see snapshots of where I was, my frame of mind, and how I viewed my life.  I will share with you that a year ago I was not doing incredibly well.  Even through so many things were going well, there was a sense of frustration and impatience wrapped up in the difficulty of job searching and feeling inadequate. Many of my friends were also experiencing this, and what I continued to see is that we were aware of, but not experiencing, the peace that comes with trusting God’s plan for our lives.  We were quite sure that we were just victims of a tough economy and had to simply keep trying.

     Now with many days past and a winding trail of defeats and victories behind me, I smiled when the other night my journal asked the question, “what is your dream job?” What an amazing feeling of gratitude to write down, “I have my dream job!” after such a time of questioning and exasperation. Each day I share in the generosity and goodwill of this congregation towards their neighbors and community. I meet with people in their need, speak with them, and provide some small piece of relief with a blessing that is carried out the door and to God knows where in their life. Finding myself in such a different place this year has allowed me to reflect on the twisting path that brought me to right now, and see God’s presence that was simply molding my life like clay.    
     
     We cannot know what is ahead, but we can see what is behind us and reflect. As we enter into Advent, where much of the purpose is to be prepared for what is to come, let us also acknowledge the path that brings us to this day. Where is there evidence of God’s faithfulness through the impatience, the struggles, the doubting, and also in the joys and triumphs? What will your daily journal say in a year from now when it asks, “what is God working on in your life?”      

– Anna Kingman  

Sunday Readings

November 30, 2014: First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
I Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37
______________________

December 7, 2014: Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 40:1-11
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
2 Peter 3:8-15a
Mark 1:1-8

This Sunday’s Adult Forum: November 30:

 “An Advent Invitation to Spiritual Practice,” presented by Vicar Meagan McLaughlin.

Thanksgiving Day Eucharist
(Tomorrow!) Thursday, Nov. 27, 10:00 a.m.

    Help support our food shelves!

     Bring non-perishable food items to help re-stock local food shelves. Monetary donations are especially welcome!  Each dollar spent by Second Harvest can obtain approximately 7 pounds of food. The average retail cost of a pound of food is $2.41. At retail price, the same 7 pounds of food would cost approximately $17. In other words, $1 spent = $17 in retail value.

     The entire offering received at the Eucharist on Thanksgiving Day will be given to Sabathani Community Center and Community Emergency Services.

Advent Procession Service
This Sunday, November 30, 4:00 pm

     As the year turns toward its darkest point, the Church also gathers in hope for the coming of the Light of the world.

     In this Advent service of prayer and Word, song, and incense, Mount Olive’s Cantorei lead worshippers into this season of preparation and anticipation. Come, and wait, and see.
     Advent Procession is sponsored by Mount Olive Music & Fine Arts.

Seniors’ Advent Luncheon to be Held This Wednesday, December 3

     Attention seniors!

     Have you received your invitation to the annual Advent Luncheon?  If you are age 65 or older and haven’t received an invitation, you’re invited, too! (It just means we don’t have your birth date.) Please call the church office and we will add you to the list of our senior members, and to the list of those who plan to come to this fun annual event.

Book Discussion Group’s Upcoming Reads

     For their meeting on December 13, the Book Discussion group will read Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. For the meeting on January 17, (postponed one week because of the Conference on Liturgy) they will read, The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield.

The Book of Esther: Thursday Evening Bible Study Continues

     Vicar McLaughlin is currently leading a study on the Book of Esther, exploring the historical context and many issues raised in this book, including justice, violence, power and privilege, the role of women, the presence of God, and what it means to be called “for such a time as this.”

       This study meets in the Chapel Lounge on Thursday evenings, beginning with a light supper at 6:00 pm.

     This Bible study runs through December 18.There will be no study on Thanks-giving.

Annual Conference on Liturgy: “Common Ground: Hearing the Word Through the Lectionary”
Friday–Saturday, January 9-10, 2015

     Each Sunday at Eucharist, Christians of many different traditions gather to be fed by Word and Sacrament and share the same readings from Scripture. In the Revised Common Lectionary there is a visible sign of the unity of the Church for those who know they encounter the same Word of God each week with their sisters and brothers in many places.

     This year at Mount Olive’s annual Conference on Liturgy we will explore the richness of this shared, “common” tradition, consider the ways that the use of a common lectionary can bless the life of the parish, and ask questions of its place in the present and future life of the churches who use it.

     The keynote speaker this year is Dr. Gail Ramshaw; workshop presenters will be Pastor Joseph Crippen, The Rev. John Setterlund, and Dr. Paul Westermeyer.

     Registration fee for Mount Olive members is $35/person.

Capital Campaign Update

     We have surpassed the $90,000 dollar amount raised toward fully funding our designated accounts and creating a cash reserve to assist us during the “ups and downs” of revenue from offerings.  Thanks to those of you who have pledged and/or donated.   If you have not already done so, please consider a gift or a pledge before the end of the year, when we will wrap up this campaign.   Please note – pledges received in 2014 can continue to be paid in 2015.

Weekly Centering Prayer begins December 3

     Centering prayer, a silent acknowledging of the presence of the Divine, begins December 3, at 6:15 p.m. in the library. Format will begin with a short reading from the Psalms, followed by 20 minutes of silence. We will end with a few moments to come together for a closing prayer.

     New to the process?  Look for brochures in the rack by the glass display case to get a more detailed description.

     Plan on joining us on Wednesday evenings during Advent for Centering Prayer, December 3, 10, and 17.

Staff Christmas Gifts

     The six people who work at Mount Olive serve us and God in many and exciting ways.   At a recent congregational meeting I stated that it feels as though Mount Olive is “humming on all cylinders” right now, and that is due in large part to our capable and faithful Pastor Joseph,  Vicar Meagan, Cantor David, Neighborhood Ministries Coordinator Anna, Administrative Assistant Cha and Sexton William.  Every year we provide a special Christmas gift for them, and we want to remind you of that opportunity again.  Please submit your monetary gifts to the church office or in the offering plate.  Checks should have “Staff Christmas Gift” noted on the memo line.   The congregation has been very generous in the past, and I thank you in advance for your gifts this year.

– Lora Dundek, Vestry President

National Lutheran Choir Christmas Festival Concerts:

“The Hopes and Fears of All the Years”
Fri., December 12, 2014 – (4:30 pm & 8 pm) and Sat.,  December 13, 2014 – 8pm
Basilica of Saint Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis

     Immerse yourself in the beauty and majesty of the Basilica of Saint Mary for the National Lutheran Choir’s signature Christmas Festival Concert. During this busy season of parties, shopping and rushing around, take time to reflect upon the true meaning of Christmas through sacred song, poetry and readings.

     Tickets: $28 Adult, $25 Senior, $10 Student, age 17 and under FREE. For tickets or more information call (888) 747-4589, or visit www.nlca.com

Getting to Know You

     Part of sharing in community is understanding one another through language, culture, or experience. As we explore our community and get to know our neighbors, let’s start with some helpful language lessons. English: Happy Thanksgiving  Spanish: Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias (Fey-leez Dee-ah day ax-see-ohn day grah-see-ahs)

     Go out and be fearlessly friendly folks!

La Natividad

     Here is a wonderful neighborhood participation opportunity to witness the nativity story come alive in our own neighborhood! In the Heart of the Beast Theater, along with St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, will present LA NATIVIDAD – a bilingual telling of the Christmas story. Audience members move with the puppet actors and process with Maria and Jose as they seek shelter. The show moves from Lake Street to St. Paul’s for the Nativity and celebration with music and food.

     This event takes place December 11,13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, at 6:30pm, starting at Heart of the Beast theater (1500 E. Lake St.)

     Individual and group tickets are available online at hobt.org.

     Flyers with additional information are available at church.

A Note of Thanks

     A big thank you to the following people who participated in the altar/chancel cleaning activity this past Saturday: Altar Guild members – Peggy Hoeft, Beth Gaede, Elisabeth Hunt, Bonnie McLellan, Mary Dorow, Lynn Ruff, Timm Lindholm, and Steve Pranschke; and to congregational volunteers – Gene Janssen, Janet and Matt Crosby, Eunice Hafemeister, and Arthur Pranschke.

     Many hands did indeed make light work. Plus, we had an enjoyable conversation during the coffee break. Thank you all.

– Steve Pranschke

Mount Olive Christmas Cards

     There are still some of the Mount Olive Christmas cards available for sale this year. The cards cost $2.50 each if you buy 5 or less.  If you buy 6 or more they are $1.75 each. The cards are available in the church office and will be available Sunday mornings.  Please contact Paul Nixdorf or Andrew Andersen with any questions.

Filed Under: Olive Branch

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MOUNT OLIVE LUTHERAN CHURCH
3045 Chicago Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55407

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