Dear friends,

Although we are not able to gather in person for a little while, we are still the body of Christ for one another. We are seeking volunteers for two different initiatives to help keep our community members connected and safe during this time. The first initiative is geared toward personal communication, primarily via phone calls. The second initiative aims to help those who aren’t able to move as freely through the Cities at this time.

First: We are seeking 20-25 volunteers to make phone calls to the Mount Olive community, to “check in”, and help ward off social isolation.

Second: Because this virus is so contagious and poses particular danger to immunocompromised people and older people with preexisting health conditions, some errands that were previously a part of ordinary life are now notably riskier for some Mount Olive members. Furthermore, if a member of a family becomes ill, isolating the entire household for 14 days is imperative in hindering the spread of the virus. In order both to limit the exposure of the higher-risk portion of the community, and to help ill households self-isolate, we are looking for volunteers who would be willing to run a few extra errands per week. Would you be willing to make a grocery store or pharmacy run and then make a safe (6-ft-distance) delivery to someone in need?

Finally — are you a member of this higher-risk population, and could use some help with errands? Please let us know.

If you are interested in any of these three requests, please let us know. Email Lora Dundek, evangelism@mountolivechurch.org  if you’re willing to make phone calls. Email Katie Krueger, education@mountolivechurch.org if you’re willing to run errands, or if you could use someone to run an errand. Or call Pr. Crippen, 612-280-4593 for any of these, and he’ll pass your name along.

Dear Mount Olive Community,

There’s no avoiding one serious tragic aspect of this time of separation. We are not able to gather to express, gain strength, or powerfully feel God’s presence in the way that we usually find so deeply meaningful: singing together. This act is one of Mount Olive’s more distinct qualities and values and we miss it dearly.

During this time, it seems most appropriate to keep in touch with that aspect of our life together in whatever ways we can. Our use of recordings from past years (ironically, for “shut ins”) for our current virtual worship time seems most appropriate. Our corporate voice is heard in a strong fashion, even if we long for the day when it can be live again. I hope you consider singing along, even though this will be very different. We are grateful to David Molvik who has faithfully made these recordings over the years, and for Interim Cantor Chad Fothergill for helping format them for our current use. Who knew we would need them like this?

Also to that end, with this TWIG, I begin a series called “Cantor’s Corner,” giving us time and opportunity to learn more about these hymns we find so meaningful – especially now – and some inside sharing of what drives our treatments, or arrangements of them. I am making these available to both you at Mount Olive, and the community of the National Lutheran Choir.

I hope you find them meaningful.

Cantor David Cherwien

Here is the link to the second of the series “Cantor’s Corner.” It explores hymns that we all enjoy singing, little of their background stories, and why they can be helpful in these days of isolation. Today’s hymn is “When Peace Like a River.”

I hope you sing along – remembering that you are undoubtedly being joined by others.

The next one will come next Tuesday, on the hymn “O Sacred Head Now Wounded.”

Cantor David Cherwien

During this time of physical distancing, the Godly Play teachers wanted to offer families some additional tools to tell Bible stories at home, together, and to remind the children of their time together in Godly Play. Parents and guardians: please feel free to adapt these guidelines to whatever works for your child(ren) and family.

This material is intended to supplement, not replace, worshipping together as a family on Sundays. As such, the Godly Play team thought that Saturdays might be a good time for Godly Play-like story time, but feel free to do what timing works for your family. This is the first in a weekly series to come out on Saturdays.

Light a candle

Say: Long ago, God told us, “I am the Light of the World.” So, we light a candle together to remind us that God is always near to us.

Sing or listen to a song together.

This Little Gospel Light of Mine

Here’s a recording you might like to sing along with: This Little Gospel Light of Mine

Tell a story and talk about it together:

This week’s Gospel is the combination of the Palm Sunday and Passion stories:

Palm Sunday: Matthew 21:1-11

Passion: Matthew 26:14 – 27:66

Here are some options to adapt those stories to your own home:

After the stories, the children often hear invitations to discussion that start with, “I wonder…” After telling the stories, try asking them:

Close by saying the Lord’s prayer together (if the children are younger, perhaps the adults can say it and help the children to learn as they go on).

If you’d like, now might be a good time to craft or color some palms for the Palm Sunday liturgy out of paper or other materials you have at home (there is a multitude of craft ideas and coloring pages online). Or, you could go on a walk outside and find some branches that you could wave for your Palm Sunday procession. Notice other signs of spring and new life as you go.

If you’d like to continue preparing for Easter throughout the week, consider dying eggs, baking or decorating cookies, or making Easter decorations for your home.

We’d like to invite any who are able to make a very short video, people of all ages, to record a video of yourself shouting “Christ is risen indeed” and send it to us so we can put them all in one video for Easter morning. We may not be able to say it together in one place. But we will shout it, declare it, rejoice in it.

Record yourself wherever you like – in your house, out in nature, in your car, someplace fun (where you’re not within 6 feet of anyone else). Email it to Vicar Reading – vicar@mountolivechurch.org – and she’ll put them together into one joyous video. If there are more than one in a household, do it together, or each do one, whatever feels right. A simple video off your phone or computer will be perfect.

We still have to walk Holy Week with Jesus. But as we walk, let’s get ready to declare to the world that death has no more power, for Christ is risen indeed!