Mount Olive Lutheran Church

The Olive Branch, 4/8/15

By

Accent on Worship  

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton’s 2015 Easter Message

     The gospel of Mark ends abruptly. The women came to the tomb to care for the body of their friend and Lord. They expected death. Seeing the stone rolled away, they entered the tomb – they entered into death. They didn’t find Jesus. Instead, they saw a young man who told them not to be amazed, that Jesus had risen. This same stranger told them to tell the disciples and then head to Galilee.

     Is it any wonder that terror and amazement seized them?

We are on the other side of the first Easter. We have grown used to the story of the resurrection. The Good News brings hope and comfort. It brings freedom and joy. But I don’t think it causes terror and amazement. Maybe we are missing something.          

     The Greek word for amazement, “ekstasis,” literally means, “change of place.” And that is what has happened to us and to all of creation because of the resurrection.

     Before Easter, we stood in a place of sin and death. After Easter, we stand in a place of forgiveness and life. Everything is changed. We are not the same. The world is not the same. The deadly, but familiar way of the world can no longer be counted on.

     This new reality of forgiveness, life, and salvation is and should be unsettling.  Terror and amazement, indeed!

     The world is turned upside down. It might look the same, but we are standing in a different place. Christ is risen. We are risen. Alleluia!

Sunday Readings

April 12, 2015: Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133
I John 1:1—2:2
John 20:19-31

April 19, 2015: Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 3:12-19
Psalm 4
I John 3:1-7
Luke 24:36b-48

Sunday’s Adult Forum : April 12, 9:30 am

 “Dietrich Bonhoeffer: On the 70th Anniversary of His Death,” presented by John Matthews, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, and author of Bonhoeffer: A Brief Overview of the Life and Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Semi-Annual Congregation Meeting to be Held April 26

     The Semi-annual Congregational meeting of Mount Olive congregation will be held after second liturgy on Sunday, April 26.

     On the agenda is the election of Vestry Officers. The slate of candidates recommended by the Vestry for election are:

• President, Lora Dundek (1-year term)
• Secretary, Peggy Hoeft (1-year term)
• Vice President, Tom Graves (1-year term)
• Treasurer, Tim Lindholm (1-year term)
• Education Director, Steve Manuel (3-year term)
• Property Director, Art Halbardier (3-year term)
• Youth Director, Amy Thompson (3-year term)

Nominations for the Vestry may also be offered from the floor.

Other items of business are:
• Ministry Fair/Update on Vision process
• Mount Olive Foundation Presentation

All voting members of Mount Olive are encouraged to attend.

Encounters with Jesus: Bible Study on Thursday Evenings Starting April 16

     The second Thursday Bible study series of this year begins on Thursday, April 16, and runs for five weeks in the Chapel Lounge from 6:00-7:30 pm. The final session will end with Worship for the Feast of the Ascension.

     Vicar McLaughlin will lead a study focusing on five stories of encounters with Jesus from the New Testament. In addition to discussing the context and background, we will use the Ignatian meditation form, Praying with Imagination, as a way of entering into the stories.

     As usual, there will be a light supper when we begin. (The first meal is covered, and a sign-up sheet will passed around for the remaining weeks.)

     All are welcome to this study opportunity!

For Your Information 

• Continue the Conversation (about end of life decision making) workshop is scheduled for April 18, 10 am – noon at Mount Olive.  You can register at the table in the reception area.  You will see “sticky notes” with questions on the poster. If one or more states a question or concern you have, attach it to a 3 x 5 card along with your name for your registration for the event and put it in the bowl. Your family/friends are welcome; we just need to know how many people to plan for.

• Can you Help?  As noted previously in The Olive Branch, your Congregational Care Committee continues to “grow” this list of caring folks.  If you would like to be included, your name can be added now.  Those of you who have signed on have not been forgotten.  This is a developing program; more to come!  

Book Discussion Group Update

For the April 11 meeting, the group will read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain; and for May 9, The Boat of Longing, by O. E. Rølvaag. This group meets at 10 am on the second Saturday of the month, in west assembly area.

We Have a Team Racing!

     On Saturday, May 2, Mount Olive will have a team participating in the Amazing gRace. What is that? Who is the team? How can we cheer and support?

     The Amazing gRace is sponsored by the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, one of Mount Olive’s Global Mission partners. The LVC “unites volunteers with financial supporters, nonprofit organizations, and ministries to work for peace with justice across the nation.”  You might remember learning about LVC at our 2014 Taste of New Orleans.

     The Amazing gRace combines brain-twisting challenges, service work, community outreach, and social justice education. Teams of two people compete against each other to solve a number of challenges spread out across the city. For instance, they might make their way to a food shelf and shelve food as quickly as possible or they might need to locate an historical social justice site. Who knows what challenges this year’s race will bring?

     Our team is Anna Dundek and Eric Bell. Anna and Eric are up for the challenge and need your support!

     Did we get you interested? Watch for more info in the coming weeks!

Koester Presentations Now Available Online

     The lectures on the book of Revelation from the recent Adult Forum series presented by Dr. Craig Koester are now on YouTube!

     First lecture: https://youtu.be/gA-tRFB1FKk
     Second: https://youtu.be/vxBgAjuhi3I
     Third:  https://youtu.be/ni_sqpJQLok
     Fourth: http://youtu.be/NefjHa0DWdo

Easter Paschal Garden Contributors

Thanks to the following persons who donated flowers to beautify our church for the celebration of Easter: Joe & Elizabeth Beissel; Marlene & Jim Sorenson; Christina Harrison; Tom Graves & Ginny Agresti; Mary Rose Watson, Judy & Walt Hinck; Art and Elaine Halbardier, in memory of Susan Cheshire; Louis & Kay Krohnfeldt; Steve & Sandra Pranschke; Leanna Kloempken; Robert Gotwalt; Bruce & Linda Wagner; Larry Duncan; Dennis Bidwell & Eric Zander; Evelyn Royce; Melba Smrcka; Katherine Hanson; Cathy Bosworth & Marty Hamlin; Carol Austermann; Ken Siess; Ann Bruggeman; Tim & Samantha Pipkorn; Judy Graves; Adam Krueger & Thomas Fenner, in memory of Alfred Krueger; Donn & Bonnie McLellan; Mike Edwins, in memory of Steve Edwins; David & Susan Cherwien, in honor of their parents; Rob & Lynn Ruff family; Beth & Neil Hering, in honor of their parents; Allan & Margaret Bostelmann, in honor of Lucy Hulme; Brenda Bartz; Walter & Marian Cherwien; George & Marlys Oelfke; Bill & Nan Wilson; Carol Martinson; Annette Roth; Leila Froehlich; George Ferguson; Paul & Melissa Stone, in memory of John W. Sears; Allen & Lora Dundek, in memory of loved ones; Al Bipes; Janet Moede; Don Johnson; Tom Olsen, in memory of Harry & Gen Olsen and in memory of Jim & Grace Tomson; Joseph & Mary Crippen; John, Audrey, and Eleanor Crippen; Don Luther & Heather Halen; Beverly Shupe; Kathy Thurston & Dwight Penas; Andrew Andersen; Dan & Julia Adams; and Larry & Janet Crosby.

Night On the Street

     On Friday, April 17, TRUST Youth will once again participate in raising awareness and funds to help alleviate youth homelessness. Sponsored by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, hundreds of youth from around the Twin Cities will participate in an overnight in the parking lot of Plymouth Congregational Church near downtown Minneapolis. The youth (and chaperones) will get their own cardboard box to sleep in for the night, have a soup line meal, and learn from former homeless youth and those that help them what can be done to help.

     Donations (which are tax deductible!) from Night on the Street go to help fund the interim housing facilities run by Beacon Interfaith. You can make a tax deductible donation to this effort through April 16. Please make checks payable to “Night On the Street” and give your donation to Julie or Eric Manuel or leave it in the church office. If you have any questions, please contact Julie or Eric Manuel.

Benefit for Our Saviour’s Community Services

     Caritas Vocal Ensemble will present a concert on behalf of Our Saviour’s Community Services on Sunday, April 19, at 3 pm. It will be held at Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church, 2020 W. Lake of the Isles Pkwy. in Minneapolis. Admission is free, though donations are gratefully accepted to support the work of OSCS—ending homelessness and educating immigrants. Light refresh-ments provided. Please come and bring your friends!

Easter Weekend Videos on YouTube

     Thanks to Paul Nixdorf, who captured a couple of brief but wonderful moments at the liturgies this past weekend – one from Easter Vigil, and one from Easter Day.  Click the links below to see them (if you haven’t already seen them on Facebook).

Easter Vigil: http://youtu.be/qVYJktNXBv0
Easter Gospel Procession:  http://youtu.be/tNLS36bCLiY

News From the Neighborhood
Anna Kingman

     In an effort to share about the relationships being built through our interaction in the neighborhood, we will hear from the people who find support, relief, and help through Mount Olive.

Profiles: The Crisis Fund
     I’ve been able to share some stories recently about the people that come to Mount Olive in need of some assistance, whether that is spiritual, material, financial, or all those things. You’ve heard about Rodney, Istarlin, Bradford, and Hilda, to name a few. These are neighbors of Mount Olive who have found themselves being tossed in the waves by the trials in their lives and they need some help to feel solid ground beneath their feet.  

     So often I get to have conversations with people not only about their struggles, but also about their hope. Their effort alone is evidence to the spark of hope that lingers through trials. Because of the generosity of those that give to Mount Olive, we are able to help meet their needs in a small financial way, without the red tape and strings attached that many other organizations have. The Crisis Fund budget is about being a means of grace and hope on the corner of Chicago Ave. It’s not a perfect solution, but for many whose stories I’ve shared, it’s the blessing they need and God provides through you. From those who have received those gifts, thank you for supporting that ministry in so many ways – in food donations, hygiene supplies, your gifts, prayers, words, and actions in caring for our neighbors.

Mark Your Calendars for the May Day Parade, Sunday, May 3, Noon

   (Mount Olive friends who would like to march in the parade should meet at the corner of Bloomington Ave. & 28th St. at Noon!)

     The May Day Parade and Festival has become a joyous annual rite of spring. More than 2,000 participants, along with amazing puppets and floats, parade down Bloomington Avenue telling a story and creating a moving theatrical performance. Thousands more line the streets to watch the parade and participate in day-long activities. Following the parade, a pageant and tree of life ceremony in Powderhorn Park ushers in the renewal of a new spring season. For more information or to get involved check the HOBT website: http://hobt.org/mayday/

Opportunities to BE Involved

Summer ACTS is Coming Up

     Summer ACTS (Adults and Children Teaming to Serve) will take place at Mount Olive for four weeks, June 21 – July 16, from 10 am-2 pm (Monday through Thursday).

     Kids ages 9-14 will learn about service and responsibility by holding a summer job while participating in fun, meaningful projects.

     We will need mentors to work and play alongside them. Please start to consider if this is an option for you and your family to be involved for two days during one or all of the weeks!

     More info and sign-up information is coming soon.

     Questions? Contact Anna at Neighborhood@mountolivechurch.org

Can You Help a Neighbor in Need?

     The Community University Healthcare Center is looking  for someone to help a single, disabled woman clean and organize her home near Lake Nokomis. Commitment could be spread out between 2-3 hours over 2-3 days. If you might be interested, please call or contact Anna, 612-827-5919,   Neighborhood@mountolivechurch.org

National Lutheran Choir to Presents Gretchaninoff’s Passion Week

     The National Lutheran Choir brings Alexander Gretchaninoff’s glorious Passion Week to the majestic Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis and Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester.

Thursday, April 30, 2015 – 8pm
Basilica of Saint Mary (88 N 17th St., Minneapolis, MN 55403)

Saturday, May 2, 2015 – 7pm
Zumbro Lutheran Church (624 3rd Ave. SW, Rochester, MN 55902)

Tickets: $25 Adult – $23 Senior – $10 Students aged 17 and under FREE. For tickets or more information, call (888) 747-4589 or visit www.nlca.com

Transitions Support Group

     All are welcome to visit the Transitions Support Group meetings if you’ve been hoping to find new ideas or encouragement to meet the challenges or uncertainties that are before you. This is an opportunity to share in fellowship, prayer, and discussion with others in the Mount Olive community.
     The next session meets on Wednesday, April 15, from 6:00 – 7:00 pm at Mount Olive in the lower level Youth Room, and will be facilitated by Amy Cotter and Cathy Bosworth.    

     If you have questions, please contact Cathy at 612-708-1144 or marcat8447@yahoo.com.

Faith and Creation

     Join Luther Seminary for the 2015 Rutlen Lecture, a bi-annual lecture series focused on faith and creation. This year’s lecture, “Creation, Sin and Sacrament in the Anthropocene,” will be given by Larry Rasmussen, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics at Union Seminary.

     The planet faces massive changes brought on by human beings. These likely include a new geological epoch, the “Anthropocene,” that challenges long-established ways of life. The base points of Christian faith are challenged as well, from first things to last. This Rutlen Lecture probes the meaning of creation, sin and sacrament for a new epoch.

     Congregational leaders are invited to “Integrating Green in Congregations” at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21. A $10 buffet dinner will be available prior to the lecture at 7 p.m. that evening. After the lecture, Rasmussen will hold a book signing for “Earth-honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key.” He will also preach in chapel on April 22 at 11 a.m. All events take place in the Olson Campus Center at Luther Seminary.

     To find out more about Luther’s lecture series and to RSVP for the dinner, please visit: www.luthersem.edu/lectures/faithandcreation.

Palm Plants Free for the Taking!

     Would you like to have one of the palm plants from our Holy Week liturgies last week? Help yourself! They are in the East Assembly Room, and are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

About Those Green Cards

     You may have noticed the new ticket-sized green cards that peek up from behind the visitor cards in the pews. They’re a response to what some have called the “empty plate problem”—collection plates with little in them as they’re passed through, say, the seventh row and not close to full when they reach the back of the nave. Stated more positively, the cards—now used in many congregations—are intended to give the growing number of worshipers who give electronically or write fewer, larger checks a way of sensing their participation in the offering when it is presented in the liturgy.

     As it says on the card: “When the offering is gathered, you may use this card to represent your gifts through Simply Giving® or another form of direct deposit or early gifts that fulfill your intended giving for a month, quarter, or other period.”

     Use of the green cards should represent actual giving, but how a person may choose to use them is flexible. If, for example, my Simply Giving transaction is set up to take place on the twelfth day of each month, can I use a green card every Sunday of the month? Do whatever to you feel is appropriate.

     To enroll in Simply Giving or another form of direct deposit, contact the church office (612-827-5919 or welcome@mountolivechurch.org).

     Is this a “push” to get more of us to give electronically? No. It’s simply recognizing that the ways we make financial transactions in our society are changing and that more and more of us are opting for electronic ways to use money. We now have thirty-one households using Simply Giving.

     Because the cards are at the ends of the pews, take one as you’re entering the pew if you intend to sit near the middle of the pew. Don’t write your name or gift amount on the card; they get recycled back to the pews.

     We hope the cards will help all of us, individually and as a worshiping community, sense more fully our participation in the offering.

– Stewardship Committee  

Known

By

The risen Christ knows you by name, knows about death, knows how to give life, and draws you into the love of the Triune God forever: you don’t need to know much when such a God knows us and loves you.

Pr. Joseph G. Crippen
   The Resurrection of Our Lord, year B
   text:  John 20:1-18

Sisters and brothers in Christ, grace to you, and peace in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen

He called her “Mary.”

That’s when she knew. She knew her world had changed again.

Before he spoke, there was so much she didn’t know anymore. She didn’t know the tomb was going to be open. She didn’t know why his body wasn’t where she saw it buried. She didn’t know how she would live without this person of God who knew her, loved her, had given her her true self.

In the devastating hours since Friday afternoon, Mary Magdalene was overwhelmed by what she no longer knew. It was like those terrifying days before she met him, those days of her possession, when she didn’t know who she was, couldn’t control her thoughts, wasn’t able to live or function. When there were so many other voices in her head there was no room for her voice anymore.

That day when she first heard his voice, when it called to the depths of her soul and found her, the real her, called her back to herself, sent away the voices, drew her out into her life: that day was the beginning of life. That was birthday. Friday’s unspeakable horror destroyed everything. Now she was back to knowing nothing, standing by an empty grave, because the one who knew her, the one who brought God to her, was murdered.

Then he said, “Mary.” That unknown man in the garden spoke, and she knew. And once again she was born.

Listen: our hearts are not far from Mary’s.

We long to be known for who we are, really known, really loved. We often have competing voices inside us that devalue us, challenge us, confuse us, even if we wouldn’t go so far as naming it possession. At our core we desire to have someone call us to our true selves. We dread not being known and loved; we fear it might not be possible if our truths were known.

Sometimes we have sensed that God knows us, loves us. We have found ourselves in God’s love. Sometimes others have told us of this, they have known us on behalf of God, they have been God’s loving presence to us. Sometimes we have known what it is to be known by God, and it was new life.

There are other times, though. When we face our internal pain, our fears, our worries. When we deal with shame and what we’ve failed. Times when death seems far more powerful a reality than God to us. We have dark nights of the soul when we doubt God could love us, we fear God is absent and is not coming back. When we know nothing about anything, but that we are alone.

Maybe this is a comfort: “Not knowing” seems to be the normal for disciples of Jesus.

Before the cross, the disciples constantly don’t know. To hear John today, nobody knows anything after Jesus dies, either. Twice today Mary says she doesn’t know where Jesus’ body is. John and Peter run to the tomb, and all they know is it’s empty, grave cloths lying where his body was. They don’t know about the resurrection. Later this evening, Thomas doesn’t know Jesus is risen because he didn’t see him himself.

There’s so much we don’t know, too, about life, about death.  There is so much we don’t understand, about ourselves, about the world, about others, so much beyond our control. So we are afraid. We lock up parts of our hearts as surely as the two disciples ran back and locked themselves into their upper room.

There’s so much we don’t know about God, especially when we’re struggling in darkness. So we are afraid. What if we aren’t good enough? What if God has abandoned us? What if death really is the end? We go to those places in our hearts where there is pain and death and sadness and we stand there, like Mary at the tomb, wondering what’s next.

As we stand with them, locked away, or looking at the tomb, we come here to listen to God’s Word today and we hear a voice speak.

We hear a voice that is familiar to us, a voice that comes through the locked doors of our hearts, and to our side at the gravestones of our lives. We hear the voice of Christ here, risen from the dead, and calling us by name. Knowing us.

We don’t know many things, and we fear them all. But Christ has faced them all – suffering, betrayal, sadness, abandonment, pain, death – and knows them intimately. And this morning we are told once again that none of them, none, have any power over Christ, the one who knows you, who calls you by name.

Listen . . . listen: nothing, nothing, can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Not life, not death. Not the present, not the future. Nothing.

So we don’t need to be afraid anymore. This day is birthday for us, today we come to life.

But Christ Jesus says another thing: this life, this knowing, is his to give, not ours to control.

Mary wants to hold on to him, I’m sure hug him, hold his hand, and probably in her mind she thinks, “this time I won’t let him go.” But he says, “Don’t hold on to me.” He needs to go places, do things. Christ needs to ascend to the Father. He needs to go to meet other disciples, in locked rooms, on lonely roads leading out of town, on sandy lakeside beaches. The Christ knows others, has others to reach, others to love.

Peter learned this too. “I truly understand that God shows no partiality,” he says in an Easter sermon today. Despite what Peter thought he knew, Christ Jesus is reaching out to all people, not just those first chosen. Even Gentiles are welcomed into the love of the risen Christ. No partiality. Christ knows all who need to be found.

We can’t hold on to Christ Jesus as if we own this life, as if we own God. We can’t cling as if we can control when we sense the presence of the Triune God or not. We have to learn to trust, like Mary and Peter, that we, too, are known, and loved. Christ will come to us again, always. But we don’t control wherever else our God is going to know and love people.

He called her “Mary.” 

That’s when she knew. So it is for us this Easter morning, as Christ calls us by name.  We meet the risen Christ in this place, hearing God’s Word alive in our midst, meeting our Lord in this meal of life, seeing all these who are also known by Christ, who embody God’s loving grace and presence for us, who call us by name.

Most days we don’t know much else. But we are known by the Triune God and loved forever, with a love that is going to bring life out of death for all the people of this world.

That’s really all we need to know. Ever.

In the name of Jesus.  Amen

Known

By

The risen Christ knows you by name, knows about death, knows how to give life, and draws you into the love of the Triune God forever: you don’t need to know much when such a God knows us and loves you.

Pr. Joseph G. Crippen
   The Resurrection of Our Lord, year B
   text:  John 20:1-18

Sisters and brothers in Christ, grace to you, and peace in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen

He called her “Mary.”

That’s when she knew. She knew her world had changed again.

Before he spoke, there was so much she didn’t know anymore. She didn’t know the tomb was going to be open. She didn’t know why his body wasn’t where she saw it buried. She didn’t know how she would live without this person of God who knew her, loved her, had given her her true self.

In the devastating hours since Friday afternoon, Mary Magdalene was overwhelmed by what she no longer knew. It was like those terrifying days before she met him, those days of her possession, when she didn’t know who she was, couldn’t control her thoughts, wasn’t able to live or function. When there were so many other voices in her head there was no room for her voice anymore.

That day when she first heard his voice, when it called to the depths of her soul and found her, the real her, called her back to herself, sent away the voices, drew her out into her life: that day was the beginning of life. That was birthday. Friday’s unspeakable horror destroyed everything. Now she was back to knowing nothing, standing by an empty grave, because the one who knew her, the one who brought God to her, was murdered.

Then he said, “Mary.” That unknown man in the garden spoke, and she knew. And once again she was born.

Listen: our hearts are not far from Mary’s.

We long to be known for who we are, really known, really loved. We often have competing voices inside us that devalue us, challenge us, confuse us, even if we wouldn’t go so far as naming it possession. At our core we desire to have someone call us to our true selves. We dread not being known and loved; we fear it might not be possible if our truths were known.

Sometimes we have sensed that God knows us, loves us. We have found ourselves in God’s love. Sometimes others have told us of this, they have known us on behalf of God, they have been God’s loving presence to us. Sometimes we have known what it is to be known by God, and it was new life.

There are other times, though. When we face our internal pain, our fears, our worries. When we deal with shame and what we’ve failed. Times when death seems far more powerful a reality than God to us. We have dark nights of the soul when we doubt God could love us, we fear God is absent and is not coming back. When we know nothing about anything, but that we are alone.

Maybe this is a comfort: “Not knowing” seems to be the normal for disciples of Jesus.

Before the cross, the disciples constantly don’t know. To hear John today, nobody knows anything after Jesus dies, either. Twice today Mary says she doesn’t know where Jesus’ body is. John and Peter run to the tomb, and all they know is it’s empty, grave cloths lying where his body was. They don’t know about the resurrection. Later this evening, Thomas doesn’t know Jesus is risen because he didn’t see him himself.

There’s so much we don’t know, too, about life, about death.  There is so much we don’t understand, about ourselves, about the world, about others, so much beyond our control. So we are afraid. We lock up parts of our hearts as surely as the two disciples ran back and locked themselves into their upper room.

There’s so much we don’t know about God, especially when we’re struggling in darkness. So we are afraid. What if we aren’t good enough? What if God has abandoned us? What if death really is the end? We go to those places in our hearts where there is pain and death and sadness and we stand there, like Mary at the tomb, wondering what’s next.

As we stand with them, locked away, or looking at the tomb, we come here to listen to God’s Word today and we hear a voice speak.

We hear a voice that is familiar to us, a voice that comes through the locked doors of our hearts, and to our side at the gravestones of our lives. We hear the voice of Christ here, risen from the dead, and calling us by name. Knowing us.

We don’t know many things, and we fear them all. But Christ has faced them all – suffering, betrayal, sadness, abandonment, pain, death – and knows them intimately. And this morning we are told once again that none of them, none, have any power over Christ, the one who knows you, who calls you by name.

Listen . . . listen: nothing, nothing, can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Not life, not death. Not the present, not the future. Nothing.

So we don’t need to be afraid anymore. This day is birthday for us, today we come to life.

But Christ Jesus says another thing: this life, this knowing, is his to give, not ours to control.

Mary wants to hold on to him, I’m sure hug him, hold his hand, and probably in her mind she thinks, “this time I won’t let him go.” But he says, “Don’t hold on to me.” He needs to go places, do things. Christ needs to ascend to the Father. He needs to go to meet other disciples, in locked rooms, on lonely roads leading out of town, on sandy lakeside beaches. The Christ knows others, has others to reach, others to love.

Peter learned this too. “I truly understand that God shows no partiality,” he says in an Easter sermon today. Despite what Peter thought he knew, Christ Jesus is reaching out to all people, not just those first chosen. Even Gentiles are welcomed into the love of the risen Christ. No partiality. Christ knows all who need to be found.

We can’t hold on to Christ Jesus as if we own this life, as if we own God. We can’t cling as if we can control when we sense the presence of the Triune God or not. We have to learn to trust, like Mary and Peter, that we, too, are known, and loved. Christ will come to us again, always. But we don’t control wherever else our God is going to know and love people.

He called her “Mary.” 

That’s when she knew. So it is for us this Easter morning, as Christ calls us by name.  We meet the risen Christ in this place, hearing God’s Word alive in our midst, meeting our Lord in this meal of life, seeing all these who are also known by Christ, who embody God’s loving grace and presence for us, who call us by name.

Most days we don’t know much else. But we are known by the Triune God and loved forever, with a love that is going to bring life out of death for all the people of this world.

That’s really all we need to know. Ever.

In the name of Jesus.  Amen

The Olive Branch, 4/1/15

By

Accent on Worship
After the Sabbath
     Mark and Matthew begin their accounts of Jesus’ resurrection saying it was after the Sabbath was over that the women went to the tomb. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection were all affected by the Sabbath. He was executed on Friday, before Sabbath began, and needed to be off the cross and buried before sundown. When he rose from the dead, the Sabbath was over. In the Sabbath rest of his death the whole universe was changed. The change was so profound the Church moved our observance of Sabbath to Sunday, to coincide with the beginning of resurrection life for the world in Christ.
     This Sunday when we celebrate the Sabbath we will celebrate once more that world-shifting morning when the women realized they hadn’t begun to imagine what God would do with death or who this Jesus really was. We are so eager for this Good News, we will keep Vigil in the dark of night on Saturday, when, as then, the Jewish Sabbath is already over. We will watch and wait for the coming of God’s Light into the world once again.
Our Sabbath is always a little Easter; this weekend it’s the real deal. Every year I look forward to sharing in the worship of the Great Three Days with you, my sisters and brothers. I am so ready for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and our grace from the Triune God we will share together in those liturgies. I am so ready for the explosive delight of our Easter morning Eucharist. 
     Then I will take a Sabbath rest of my own. The idea of sabbatical for pastors, that we take time away from our call for rest and re-creation and reflection, is a great gift for those who receive it. I am looking forward to this time and am deeply grateful for your gift of this to me. But I will miss you all so much in this time away. That’s what I want to say in this last Olive Branch article before I go. I will be glad for a rest from the duties of my call, from work. I’m chomping at the bit to get at the writing and thinking and reading I’m planning to do on preaching during this time. My family is looking forward to a little more time with me. The only part of this that I am not happy about is that I will be away from you, my sisters and brothers, for what seems a long time.
     All will be well with you, I’m sure of that. God will be with you, as always. Rev. Hausman will be a good pastor to you, and all the other leaders and staff are their usual tremendous selves. I will be well, too. I will just miss you. I will miss worshipping with you before almighty God. I will miss the grace you all are in my life in more ways than I can ever enumerate.
     That’s probably a good thing, and a good reason for pastors to take sabbatical break. I don’t need to be reminded how important our life together is for my walk of faith and my ministry. But perhaps it’s good for me, and for you all, nonetheless, to have this time apart so that when we are together again, in God’s good will, we are re-energized for more years of Spirited ministry together as Christ in this place.
     Then, in a nice coincidence, we will see together what happens “after the Sabbath.” When my Sabbath is over, we will come together again on our walk of faith, and journey in the resurrection life of Christ as pastor and people. Until then, we trust our lives into the hands of the Triune God, in whom none of God’s children are ever apart.
     But now, let’s walk with Christ Jesus and each other through these great days of God’s love for the world, that we might know and be filled once more with the life of Christ.
In Jesus’ name,
– Joseph
Triduum and Easter at Mount Olive
Maundy Thursday, April 2: 
Holy Eucharist at Noon; 
Holy Eucharist, with the Washing of Feet, 7 p.m.
Good Friday, April 3: 
Stations of the Cross at Noon; 
Adoration of the Cross at 7 pm
Holy Saturday, April 4: 
Great Vigil of Easter at 8:30 pm,n followed by a festive reception
The Resurrection of Our Lord, Sunday, April 5: 
Festival Eucharist at 8 & 10:45 am
Easter Brunch at 9:30 am
Sunday Readings
April 5, 2015: Resurrection of Our Lord
Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18
 
April 12, 2015: Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133
I John 1:1—2:2
John 20:19-31
There will be no Adult Forum
on Easter Day, April 5.
Classes resume on April 12.
End-of-life decisions: The Conversation Continues!
Saturday, April 18, 10:00 am – Noon
Chapel Lounge
     Kathy Thurston and Heather Halen will facilitate this session.  
     We anticipate doing a step-by-step review of the Honoring Choices Health Care Advance Directive; thinking about how, when, where you have the conversation, and how you choose an agent. 
     Additional questions and concerns are being solicited from the February 7 End-of-Life Planning participants.     
 
     Refreshments will be provided.
     If you have questions, or would like to participate, please contact Marilyn Gebauer at 612-306 -8872, or by email to gebauevm@bitstream.net, or call the church office at 612-827-5919.
Book Discussion Group Update

For the April 11 meeting, the group will read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain; and for May 9, The Boat of Longing, by O. E. Rølvaag. 
Can You Help? 

     Mount Olive’s Congregational Care Committee wants to help what has been a “naturally occurring experience” become more inclusive and available to all of its members. The goal is to increase awareness and responsiveness to needs such as:
• A new baby in the family. (A few starter meals can ease the adjustment.)
• A spouse suddenly alone. (A meal, coffee or lunch out, and/or companionship can ease the loneliness.)
• An unexpected illness in the family. (Meals to drop off or share can provide a needed break for caregivers.)
• The loss of job and income. (Meals, a listening ear, and supportive conversation may help lessen feelings of discouragement.)
• A single person experiencing a significant life change. (Help with meals, transportation, etc. can support continued independence.)
     How will this work? The hope is to develop a list of people who would be willing to bring a meal, take someone out for lunch, and to participate in the sharing of food and conversation. Think about it! The opportunities are wide open.  
     Can you help? Please call or email Marilyn Gebauer (phone: 612-306-8872, email: gebauevm@bitstream.net).
Night On the Street

     Need a Tax Deduction for next year? Donate to Night On the Street!  On Friday, April 17, TRUST Youth will once again participate in raising awareness and funds to help alleviate youth homelessness. Sponsored by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, hundreds of youth from around the Twin Cities will participate in an overnight in the parking lot of Plymouth Congregational Church near Downtown Minneapolis. The youth (and chaperones) will get their own cardboard box to sleep in for the night, have a soup line meal, and learn from former homeless youth and those that help them what can be done to help.
     Donations (which are tax deductible!) from Night On the Street go to help fund the interim housing facilities run by Beacon Interfaith. If you would like to help make a difference, you can make a tax deductible donation through April 16. Please make checks payable to “Night On the Street.” You can give your tax deductible donation to Julie or Eric Manuel or leave it in the church office. If you have any questions, please contact Julie or Eric Manuel.
 
Proofreader Needed!

     Ethiopian Pastor and Luther Seminary student Dinku Bato is almost finished with his dissertation and needs a proof-reader before his oral defense.  Dinku Bato helped lead the “Taste of Ethiopia” activities at Mount Olive three years ago and has maintained a relationship with us.
     He is asking whether someone from Mount Olive would be willing to help proofread his dissertation–or even a part of it.  He would need the proofreading finished by April 4.  His total dissertation is 220 pages but someone could agree to tackle a section and help him reach the finish line.  If you are interested, please contact Dinku Bato directly at dbato001@luthersem.edu
Benefit for Our Saviour’s Community Services

     Caritas Vocal Ensemble will present a concert on behalf of Our Saviour’s Community Services on Sunday, April 19, at 3 pm. It will be held at Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church, 2020 W. Lake of the Isles Pkwy. in Minneapolis. Admission is free, though donations are gratefully accepted to support the work of OSCS—ending homelessness and educating immigrants. Light refresh-ments provided. Please come and bring your friends!
     Caritas Vocal Ensemble is a non-profit choral group with a special mission: to share their music with the community for the purpose of raising money and awareness for people in need. You’ll experience a concert of exquisite a cappella chamber music from virtually every genre—madrigals and folk tunes, sacred, pop, and international. Great for all ages!
Through two distinct programs—Our Saviour’s Housing and the English Learning Center—OSCS provides dignified shelter and housing for those without a home and free English classes to immigrants and refugees.
Getting to Know Our Neighbors: Celebrating Easter
“Easter is bigger than Christmas here,” our taxi driver in Belize told us. Latin America is a largely Catholic portion of the world, and their cultural celebrations reflect that religious tie. Semana Santa (Holy Week) is typically the biggest celebration of the year. In Peru, Ayacucho is the city renowned for its Semana Santa festival. I was there during Pascua (Easter) 2013 to witness the swarming streets mixed with devoted followers and fun-seekers alike. It’s a giant, holy party. There was a running of the bulls, a live action walk through the Stations of the Cross, giant firework towers, endless parades of each Parish through the central plaza, and much more. The event culminated in a city-wide all-night vigil in the plaza with fireworks showering sparks over the crowd throughout the night, until just at dawn an enormous paso, (float) in glittering silver and light depicting the risen Christ emerges from the Cathedral carried on the shoulders of hundreds of men. The crowd follows around the plaza in contemplation and celebration. It is truly a powerful experience to be wrapped in the full expression of Semana Santa in a place so far away, but sharing in the same Christian tradition.    
 – Anna Kingman
 
Faith and Creation

     Join Luther Seminary for the 2015 Rutlen Lecture, a bi-annual lecture series focused on faith and creation. This year’s lecture, “Creation, Sin and Sacrament in the Anthropocene,” will be given by Larry Rasmussen, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics at Union Seminary.
     The planet faces massive changes brought on by human beings. These likely include a new geological epoch, the “Anthropocene,” that challenges long-established ways of life. The base points of Christian faith are challenged as well, from first things to last. This Rutlen Lecture probes the meaning of creation, sin and sacrament for a new epoch.
     Congregational leaders are invited to “Integrating Green in Congregations” at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21. A $10 buffet dinner will be available prior to the lecture at 7 p.m. that evening. After the lecture, Rasmussen will hold a book signing for “Earth-honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key.” He will also preach in chapel on April 22 at 11 a.m. All events take place in the Olson Campus Center at Luther Seminary.
     To find out more about Luther’s lecture series and to RSVP for the dinner, please visit Luther’s website: www.luthersem.edu/lectures/faithandcreation.
Transitions Support Group

     All are welcome to visit the Transitions Support Group meetings if you’ve been hoping to find new ideas or encouragement to meet the challenges or uncertainties that are before you. This is an opportunity to share in fellowship, prayer and discussion with others in the Mount Olive community.  
     The next session meets on Wednesday, April 15, from 6:00 – 7:00 pm at Mount Olive in the lower level Youth Room, and will be facilitated by Amy Cotter and Cathy Bosworth.     
     If you have questions, please contact Cathy at 612-708-1144 or marcat8447@yahoo.com.
 
A Note of Thanks

     A heartfelt THANK YOU to the following people who participated in the pre-Easter special altar cleaning sponsored by the Mount Olive Altar Guild: Bonnie McLellan, Beth Gaede, Beth Hering, Peggy Hoeft, Jo Ellen Kloehn, Mary Dorrow, Gene Janssen, Katherine Hanson, Steve Pranschke, Jan Crosby, Matt Crosby and Eunice Hafemeister. We had a lively, enjoyable morning working side by side to accomplish our goal. 
     Thanks also to Altar Guild members Tim Lindholm and Timm Schnabel for polishing all the of the chancel and altar woodwork on March 7th. It was an ambitious project and well done!
National Lutheran Choir to Presents Gretchaninoff’s Passion Week

     The National Lutheran Choir brings Alexander Gretchaninoff’s glorious Passion Week to the majestic Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis and Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester. 
     Each year, Christians around the world remember and re-experience the seven days leading up to Easter Sunday through worship and music. Gretchaninoff developed his Passion Week, a magnificent representation of 13 sacred musical settings, for this ‘Great and Holy Week.’  Join us for a transcendent journey of the soul that you won’t soon forget. 
Thursday, April 30, 2015 – 8pm
Basilica of Saint Mary (88 N 17th St., Minneapolis, MN 55403)
Saturday, May 2, 2015 – 7pm
Zumbro Lutheran Church (624 3rd Ave. SW, Rochester, MN 55902) 
Tickets: $25 Adult – $23 Senior – $10 Students aged 17 and under FREE. For tickets or more information, call (888) 747-4589 or visit www.NLCA.com
 
Koester Presentations Now Available Online

     The lectures from the Adult Forum series presented by Dr. Craig Koester are now on YouTube! 
First lecture: https://youtu.be/gA-tRFB1FKk
Second: https://youtu.be/vxBgAjuhi3I
Third:  https://youtu.be/ni_sqpJQLok
Fourth: http://youtu.be/NefjHa0DWdo

The Olive Branch, 4/1/15

By

Accent on Worship
After the Sabbath
     Mark and Matthew begin their accounts of Jesus’ resurrection saying it was after the Sabbath was over that the women went to the tomb. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection were all affected by the Sabbath. He was executed on Friday, before Sabbath began, and needed to be off the cross and buried before sundown. When he rose from the dead, the Sabbath was over. In the Sabbath rest of his death the whole universe was changed. The change was so profound the Church moved our observance of Sabbath to Sunday, to coincide with the beginning of resurrection life for the world in Christ.
     This Sunday when we celebrate the Sabbath we will celebrate once more that world-shifting morning when the women realized they hadn’t begun to imagine what God would do with death or who this Jesus really was. We are so eager for this Good News, we will keep Vigil in the dark of night on Saturday, when, as then, the Jewish Sabbath is already over. We will watch and wait for the coming of God’s Light into the world once again.
Our Sabbath is always a little Easter; this weekend it’s the real deal. Every year I look forward to sharing in the worship of the Great Three Days with you, my sisters and brothers. I am so ready for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and our grace from the Triune God we will share together in those liturgies. I am so ready for the explosive delight of our Easter morning Eucharist. 
     Then I will take a Sabbath rest of my own. The idea of sabbatical for pastors, that we take time away from our call for rest and re-creation and reflection, is a great gift for those who receive it. I am looking forward to this time and am deeply grateful for your gift of this to me. But I will miss you all so much in this time away. That’s what I want to say in this last Olive Branch article before I go. I will be glad for a rest from the duties of my call, from work. I’m chomping at the bit to get at the writing and thinking and reading I’m planning to do on preaching during this time. My family is looking forward to a little more time with me. The only part of this that I am not happy about is that I will be away from you, my sisters and brothers, for what seems a long time.
     All will be well with you, I’m sure of that. God will be with you, as always. Rev. Hausman will be a good pastor to you, and all the other leaders and staff are their usual tremendous selves. I will be well, too. I will just miss you. I will miss worshipping with you before almighty God. I will miss the grace you all are in my life in more ways than I can ever enumerate.
     That’s probably a good thing, and a good reason for pastors to take sabbatical break. I don’t need to be reminded how important our life together is for my walk of faith and my ministry. But perhaps it’s good for me, and for you all, nonetheless, to have this time apart so that when we are together again, in God’s good will, we are re-energized for more years of Spirited ministry together as Christ in this place.
     Then, in a nice coincidence, we will see together what happens “after the Sabbath.” When my Sabbath is over, we will come together again on our walk of faith, and journey in the resurrection life of Christ as pastor and people. Until then, we trust our lives into the hands of the Triune God, in whom none of God’s children are ever apart.
     But now, let’s walk with Christ Jesus and each other through these great days of God’s love for the world, that we might know and be filled once more with the life of Christ.
In Jesus’ name,
– Joseph
Triduum and Easter at Mount Olive
Maundy Thursday, April 2: 
Holy Eucharist at Noon; 
Holy Eucharist, with the Washing of Feet, 7 p.m.
Good Friday, April 3: 
Stations of the Cross at Noon; 
Adoration of the Cross at 7 pm
Holy Saturday, April 4: 
Great Vigil of Easter at 8:30 pm,n followed by a festive reception
The Resurrection of Our Lord, Sunday, April 5: 
Festival Eucharist at 8 & 10:45 am
Easter Brunch at 9:30 am
Sunday Readings
April 5, 2015: Resurrection of Our Lord
Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18
 
April 12, 2015: Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133
I John 1:1—2:2
John 20:19-31
There will be no Adult Forum
on Easter Day, April 5.
Classes resume on April 12.
End-of-life decisions: The Conversation Continues!
Saturday, April 18, 10:00 am – Noon
Chapel Lounge
     Kathy Thurston and Heather Halen will facilitate this session.  
     We anticipate doing a step-by-step review of the Honoring Choices Health Care Advance Directive; thinking about how, when, where you have the conversation, and how you choose an agent. 
     Additional questions and concerns are being solicited from the February 7 End-of-Life Planning participants.     
 
     Refreshments will be provided.
     If you have questions, or would like to participate, please contact Marilyn Gebauer at 612-306 -8872, or by email to gebauevm@bitstream.net, or call the church office at 612-827-5919.
Book Discussion Group Update

For the April 11 meeting, the group will read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain; and for May 9, The Boat of Longing, by O. E. Rølvaag. 
Can You Help? 

     Mount Olive’s Congregational Care Committee wants to help what has been a “naturally occurring experience” become more inclusive and available to all of its members. The goal is to increase awareness and responsiveness to needs such as:
• A new baby in the family. (A few starter meals can ease the adjustment.)
• A spouse suddenly alone. (A meal, coffee or lunch out, and/or companionship can ease the loneliness.)
• An unexpected illness in the family. (Meals to drop off or share can provide a needed break for caregivers.)
• The loss of job and income. (Meals, a listening ear, and supportive conversation may help lessen feelings of discouragement.)
• A single person experiencing a significant life change. (Help with meals, transportation, etc. can support continued independence.)
     How will this work? The hope is to develop a list of people who would be willing to bring a meal, take someone out for lunch, and to participate in the sharing of food and conversation. Think about it! The opportunities are wide open.  
     Can you help? Please call or email Marilyn Gebauer (phone: 612-306-8872, email: gebauevm@bitstream.net).
Night On the Street

     Need a Tax Deduction for next year? Donate to Night On the Street!  On Friday, April 17, TRUST Youth will once again participate in raising awareness and funds to help alleviate youth homelessness. Sponsored by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, hundreds of youth from around the Twin Cities will participate in an overnight in the parking lot of Plymouth Congregational Church near Downtown Minneapolis. The youth (and chaperones) will get their own cardboard box to sleep in for the night, have a soup line meal, and learn from former homeless youth and those that help them what can be done to help.
     Donations (which are tax deductible!) from Night On the Street go to help fund the interim housing facilities run by Beacon Interfaith. If you would like to help make a difference, you can make a tax deductible donation through April 16. Please make checks payable to “Night On the Street.” You can give your tax deductible donation to Julie or Eric Manuel or leave it in the church office. If you have any questions, please contact Julie or Eric Manuel.
 
Proofreader Needed!

     Ethiopian Pastor and Luther Seminary student Dinku Bato is almost finished with his dissertation and needs a proof-reader before his oral defense.  Dinku Bato helped lead the “Taste of Ethiopia” activities at Mount Olive three years ago and has maintained a relationship with us.
     He is asking whether someone from Mount Olive would be willing to help proofread his dissertation–or even a part of it.  He would need the proofreading finished by April 4.  His total dissertation is 220 pages but someone could agree to tackle a section and help him reach the finish line.  If you are interested, please contact Dinku Bato directly at dbato001@luthersem.edu
Benefit for Our Saviour’s Community Services

     Caritas Vocal Ensemble will present a concert on behalf of Our Saviour’s Community Services on Sunday, April 19, at 3 pm. It will be held at Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church, 2020 W. Lake of the Isles Pkwy. in Minneapolis. Admission is free, though donations are gratefully accepted to support the work of OSCS—ending homelessness and educating immigrants. Light refresh-ments provided. Please come and bring your friends!
     Caritas Vocal Ensemble is a non-profit choral group with a special mission: to share their music with the community for the purpose of raising money and awareness for people in need. You’ll experience a concert of exquisite a cappella chamber music from virtually every genre—madrigals and folk tunes, sacred, pop, and international. Great for all ages!
Through two distinct programs—Our Saviour’s Housing and the English Learning Center—OSCS provides dignified shelter and housing for those without a home and free English classes to immigrants and refugees.
Getting to Know Our Neighbors: Celebrating Easter
“Easter is bigger than Christmas here,” our taxi driver in Belize told us. Latin America is a largely Catholic portion of the world, and their cultural celebrations reflect that religious tie. Semana Santa (Holy Week) is typically the biggest celebration of the year. In Peru, Ayacucho is the city renowned for its Semana Santa festival. I was there during Pascua (Easter) 2013 to witness the swarming streets mixed with devoted followers and fun-seekers alike. It’s a giant, holy party. There was a running of the bulls, a live action walk through the Stations of the Cross, giant firework towers, endless parades of each Parish through the central plaza, and much more. The event culminated in a city-wide all-night vigil in the plaza with fireworks showering sparks over the crowd throughout the night, until just at dawn an enormous paso, (float) in glittering silver and light depicting the risen Christ emerges from the Cathedral carried on the shoulders of hundreds of men. The crowd follows around the plaza in contemplation and celebration. It is truly a powerful experience to be wrapped in the full expression of Semana Santa in a place so far away, but sharing in the same Christian tradition.    
 – Anna Kingman
 
Faith and Creation

     Join Luther Seminary for the 2015 Rutlen Lecture, a bi-annual lecture series focused on faith and creation. This year’s lecture, “Creation, Sin and Sacrament in the Anthropocene,” will be given by Larry Rasmussen, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics at Union Seminary.
     The planet faces massive changes brought on by human beings. These likely include a new geological epoch, the “Anthropocene,” that challenges long-established ways of life. The base points of Christian faith are challenged as well, from first things to last. This Rutlen Lecture probes the meaning of creation, sin and sacrament for a new epoch.
     Congregational leaders are invited to “Integrating Green in Congregations” at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21. A $10 buffet dinner will be available prior to the lecture at 7 p.m. that evening. After the lecture, Rasmussen will hold a book signing for “Earth-honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key.” He will also preach in chapel on April 22 at 11 a.m. All events take place in the Olson Campus Center at Luther Seminary.
     To find out more about Luther’s lecture series and to RSVP for the dinner, please visit Luther’s website: www.luthersem.edu/lectures/faithandcreation.
Transitions Support Group

     All are welcome to visit the Transitions Support Group meetings if you’ve been hoping to find new ideas or encouragement to meet the challenges or uncertainties that are before you. This is an opportunity to share in fellowship, prayer and discussion with others in the Mount Olive community.  
     The next session meets on Wednesday, April 15, from 6:00 – 7:00 pm at Mount Olive in the lower level Youth Room, and will be facilitated by Amy Cotter and Cathy Bosworth.     
     If you have questions, please contact Cathy at 612-708-1144 or marcat8447@yahoo.com.
 
A Note of Thanks

     A heartfelt THANK YOU to the following people who participated in the pre-Easter special altar cleaning sponsored by the Mount Olive Altar Guild: Bonnie McLellan, Beth Gaede, Beth Hering, Peggy Hoeft, Jo Ellen Kloehn, Mary Dorrow, Gene Janssen, Katherine Hanson, Steve Pranschke, Jan Crosby, Matt Crosby and Eunice Hafemeister. We had a lively, enjoyable morning working side by side to accomplish our goal. 
     Thanks also to Altar Guild members Tim Lindholm and Timm Schnabel for polishing all the of the chancel and altar woodwork on March 7th. It was an ambitious project and well done!
National Lutheran Choir to Presents Gretchaninoff’s Passion Week

     The National Lutheran Choir brings Alexander Gretchaninoff’s glorious Passion Week to the majestic Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis and Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester. 
     Each year, Christians around the world remember and re-experience the seven days leading up to Easter Sunday through worship and music. Gretchaninoff developed his Passion Week, a magnificent representation of 13 sacred musical settings, for this ‘Great and Holy Week.’  Join us for a transcendent journey of the soul that you won’t soon forget. 
Thursday, April 30, 2015 – 8pm
Basilica of Saint Mary (88 N 17th St., Minneapolis, MN 55403)
Saturday, May 2, 2015 – 7pm
Zumbro Lutheran Church (624 3rd Ave. SW, Rochester, MN 55902) 
Tickets: $25 Adult – $23 Senior – $10 Students aged 17 and under FREE. For tickets or more information, call (888) 747-4589 or visit www.NLCA.com
 
Koester Presentations Now Available Online

     The lectures from the Adult Forum series presented by Dr. Craig Koester are now on YouTube! 
First lecture: https://youtu.be/gA-tRFB1FKk
Second: https://youtu.be/vxBgAjuhi3I
Third:  https://youtu.be/ni_sqpJQLok
Fourth: http://youtu.be/NefjHa0DWdo

MOUNT OLIVE LUTHERAN CHURCH
3045 Chicago Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55407

Map and Directions >

612-827-5919
welcome@mountolivechurch.org


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