Blog – Page 321

The Olive Branch, 1/13/16

January 13, 2016 By Mount Olive Church Leave a Comment

Accent on Worship

“I Don’t Want You to Be Uninformed”

In these upcoming three green Sundays after Epiphany we have a brief run through First Corinthians as our second reading. Beginning with this Sunday, we hear from chapters 12 and 13 before Transfigura-tion on February 7.

These are remarkable words from a remarkable letter. Paul begins a discussion of spiritual gifts in chapter 12, with this explanation: “Concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.” In spite of that, I’m not sure we are becoming informed as he hopes. Too often we read these sections, as in the next Sundays, separately, out of context from the others.

When we read them together (and I encourage you to do this before Sunday) we see a thread of truth we don’t talk about as we could: the Spirit’s gifts are for the good of all. So this Sunday Paul says, “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Next Sunday, he claims we all belong to each other and care for each other, an inseparable body in Christ that we did not make. Then on Jan. 31, his hymn to Christly love is a powerful description of how we live together in that body.

We each are given gifts of the Spirit for the common good. We all belong to each other in one, inseparable body, where all are different and important. Sacrificial, Christly love, the highest of all spiritual gifts, and one given to all, shapes the life in this body. This is what Paul needs us and all believers to be informed about.

Most days we live into this life relatively well as the people of God at Mount Olive. But in the broader Church, among such different and diverse ways of speaking Christ’s name in the world, such a sense of the common good, our oneness in Christ, and the love that binds us, seems rarer and rarer.

Sometimes I think we’d do well as the Church to keep our mouths closed and read more of the Scriptures. It’s sad that 2,000 years after this first was sent to believers, our broader witness as Christ’s Church in this world shows us to still be uninformed, and unwilling to learn.
Perhaps our gift here at Mount Olive can be to show by our actions and life in the world this word of Paul, so that at least those who encounter us as examples of Christians might see that we are, in fact, informed as to the center of the heart of Christ, and so informed, are living in that heart. For the good of all the world’s people.

In Christ,

– Joseph

Sunday Readings

January 17, 2016: 2nd Sunday after Epiphany
Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm 36:5-10
I Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2:1-11

January 24, 2016: 3rd Sunday after Epiphany
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19
I Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21

The Presentation of Our Lord
Tuesday, February 2
Holy Eucharist at 7:00 pm
All are welcome!

Thursday Evening Study on the Book of Daniel

“Singing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land” is the title of the current Thursday Bible Study, exploring the book of Daniel. Written in a time of national tribulation and set in another such time, the book explores how God’s faithful live faithful lives in a threatening world. As always, the study begins with a light supper at 6, followed by the study. All are welcome!

Book Discussion Group

Mount Olive’s Book Discussion Group meets on the second Saturday of each month, at 10:00 a.m. in the West Assembly Area at church. All readers are welcome! For the February 13 meeting, they will read God’s Hotel, by Victoria Sweet. For March 12 they will read In the Garden of Beasts, by Erik Larson.

Desk Needed!

The German family that Mount Olive has helped to bring to Minneapolis for a short-term work/study period would like a small desk to use. If you have a desk that you could lend them until the end of July, please contact Lora Dundek with the dimensions (lhdundek@usfamily.net). We have a desk chair already. Thanks.

Transitions Support Group

All are welcome at the Transitions Support Group. If you’re looking for new ideas or encouragement to meet the challenges or uncertainties that are before you, please consider joining us on January 13, 2016.

This is an opportunity to share in fellowship, prayer, and discussion with others in the Mount Olive community.

Transitions Support Group meets on Wednesday, January 13 from 6- 7 pm at Mount Olive in the lower level Youth Room, and will be facilitated by Cathy Bosworth and Amy Cotter.

For more information, please contact Cathy 612-708-1144, marcat8447@yahoo.com or Amy 612-710-1811, agate651@gmail.com.

Sunday’s Adult Forum: January 17

“Panhandling and Other Dilemmas,” presented by Mount Olive Coordinator of Neighborhood Outreach and Ministry, Anna Scott.

TRUST’s Annual Martin Luther King Celebration
Sunday, January 17, 5:00 pm, Living Spirit United Methodist Church, 4501 Bloomington Avenue South

Join us for fellowship and music. Featuring the voice of Libby Turner, Ann Jensen, and Leon Patterson, reflecting on their journey to Selma for the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March. TRUST Youth will provide music and lead the service.

A soup and sandwich supper will follow the service, and a freewill offering will be received.

Mark Your Calendars

Sunday, January 31, 4:00 p.m.
“A Winter Tapestry” From Age to Age Choral Ensemble

Mount Olive Music & Fine Arts is pleased to welcome From Age to Age choral ensemble for the first time on their concert series. From Age to Age brings a program that will warm your heart as you listen to an eclectic mixture of repertoire representing all musical eras, and the standard of excellence that resounds the mission of our ensemble.

A reception follows the concert in the church’s Chapel Lounge.

Help Wanted for Our Saviour’s Meals

It’s sign-up time for serving at Our Saviour’s Shelter!

Mount Olive serves on the second Sunday of every month. If you have served before you know how rewarding it is to meet the residents and to have dinner with them. There is a 2016 calendar where you can put your name down for the month that is best for you.

More hands are always welcome!

Altar Flowers

The sign up chart for weekly altar flowers has been posted in its usual spot next to the church office. If you would like to sign up to provide flowers for worship to commemorate a special day, in memory of a loved one, in honor of a special event, or simply to help beautify our church for worship, please sign up on the chart for the date you want, and be sure to include your designation. The cost of the altar flowers this year is $50 per Sunday for two bouquets. If you wish to provide only one of the bouquets, simply sign on only one of the two lines provided for each Sunday. The cost for one bouquet is $25.

Please use one of the envelopes provided at the chart for your payment.

Reconciling in Christ Annual Service

The 2016 RIC Festival Service, “Diversity Thru Inclusivity,” will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2016, 4:30 PM, at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church (4150 Dupont Ave. N, Minneapolis, MN 55412). Pastor Robin Provis will serve as presider for this service, and Pastor Kelly Chatman will preach.

A soup supper will follow the service, and a freewill offering will be received. This event is sponsored by the Twin Cities Chapter of ReconcilingWorks.

Confronting Racism: A Holy Yearning

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton and William B. Horne, an ELCA member from Clearwater, Fla., will continue their conversation on racism – a violation of God’s intention for humanity – in another live webcast Jan. 14, 2016, at 8 p.m. (CST). Eaton and Horne will be joined by other ELCA members who bring various perspectives on the U.S. criminal justice system. As with the previous webcast, this one will be grounded by two commitments. One is this church’s proclamation of Christ and the confidence this good news brings to set us free from the captivity of racism. The second is this church’s enduring commitment to address the complexity of racism and end discrimination.

Mount Olive will host this webinar broadcast in the Chapel Lounge starting at 8:00 pm on Thursday, Jan. 14, immediately following Thursday Bible Study. We will gather in the West Assembly Area beginning at 7:30 pm. We will watch together and have a discussion with other churches and neighbors.

Tending the Family of God

Sometimes when people are no longer present with us at worship on Sunday morning it is because they have moved or have moved on. For example, our vicar completes her year with us, or someone moves to another part of the country or another part of the world. Often, when that happens, we send them on their way from our liturgy with a rite of farewell and Godspeed.

Are there ways we can do that whenever anyone leaves, regardless of the circumstance, so that they know they have been important in our life together and that we will always carry them in our hearts?

News from the Neighborhood
Anna Scott

Let me introduce …

CLUES Comunidades Latinas Unidos En Servicio (Latin Communities United in Service).

CLUES is one of the organizations that Mount Olive supports for its local mission work and support of our neighborhood. This organization sits right across Lake Street, with another two offices in St. Paul. They diligently serve the Latino population in a variety of ways. Their programs focus on: health and wellbeing, economic vitality, education, and cultural and civic engagement. As their website says, living out their mission involves family, community strength, respect, collaboration, and accountability.

Thank you for helping support this vital and vibrant partner in the neighborhood!

CLUES

Who we are: CLUES (Spanish for: Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio) is a linguistically and culturally relevant resource and service nonprofit organization that was founded in 1981 by Latinos for Latinos. Our programs and services connect families to resources, skills, institutions, and systems and create an environment for people to be engaged and empowered.

Who we serve: Our services focus on the Latino family, yet our experience and capabilities enable us to serve individuals and families from all walks of life including new immigrants and low-income families who dream of a better future.

Our mission: To advance the capacity of Latino families to be healthy, prosperous and engaged in their communities.

Our vision: A thriving multicultural community enriched with confident and strong Latino families who contribute their voice, skills, entrepreneurial spirit, and cultural richness.

Listen for Change

The Trinity Institute National Theological Conference presents “Listen for a Change – Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice” on January 21-23, 2016.

Hosted at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, this event is free, but registration is requested. For more information or to register go to: www.centralmpls.org and click on Events & News.

Headed to Kenya!

Coming up on January 25 – Feb 6, Josh and I and a crew of 4 other friends will be headed to Kenya to hike Mount Kenya and hopefully do a safari in Tanzania.

It’s a dream come true for me, as I’ve longed to climb Kilimanjaro for many years, but this trek will suffice! Josh used to fly planes for Airserv, an NGO fleet that worked with the likes of Doctors Without Borders and ARC. He lived in Congo, Uganda, and Chad, but spent time in Kenya and many other countries on the fascinating continent. I’m looking forward to learning, enjoying, seeing incredible things, and having a lot of fun! See you when we get back (and please pray for safety for us. Last time I did something like this I ended up with a broken elbow).

– Anna

Coming Events of Interest

• Sat., Jan, 16, 7:30 pm: We Shall Overcome: a concert by Cantus and the Minnesota Boychoir (celebrating the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Excelsior, MN.

• Sat., Jan 16, Noon, 2, 4, and 6 pm: Scandinavian Lutefisk and Meatball Dinner. First Lutheran Church, Columbia Heights, MN.

• Mon., Jan 18, beginning at 9:30 am: MLK Jr. Day (lectures, worship lunch and panel discussion) Luther Seminary, St. Paul.

• Sat., Jan 30, 7 pm: Luther College Symphony Orchestra concert, Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater, MN.

• Mon., Feb. 1, 7:00 pm – Luther College Nordic Choir concert. University Lutheran Church of Hope, Minneapolis.

The Olive Branch, 1/6/16

January 8, 2016 By Mount Olive Church Leave a Comment

Accent on Worship

“When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had
seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had
stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.”

I love to think about the Magi going on their quest to find the baby Jesus, following a star in the sky. This star showed them the way. And once it stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. I wonder what made them so joyful. Did they know their journey was almost complete? Were they excited to meet the infant Jesus and present him with gifts? Or could it be that they had some sense of what this birth meant? That suddenly everything had changed?

We, too, need light to s how us the way. Sometimes it’s real light, like a flashlight that illumines the way to the outhouse, or a candle that lights up the house after the power has gone out. But we
also need light from people in our lives who help us understand, who teach us new ways of thinking, and who enable us to make sense of our experience.

During my college physics classes, I would often have “lightbulb moments.” They were those times when suddenly everything made sense, when my math worked out, when a professor said something to me actually made sense. Be on the lookout for these “lightbulb moments” in your life, too. They don’t happen all the time, but when they do, they’re worth celebrating.

May the light of Christ fill you with joy during this season of Epiphany!

– Vicar Anna Helgen

Sunday Readings

January 10, 2016: Baptism of Our Lord
Isaiah 43:1-7
Psalm 29
Acts 8:14-17
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
______________________

January 17, 2016: 2nd Sunday after Epiphany
Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm 36:5-10
I Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2:1-11

Transitions Support Group
All are welcome at the Transitions Support Group. If you’re looking for new ideas or encouragement to meet the challenges or uncertainties that are before you, please consider joining us on January 13, 2016.

This is an opportunity to share in fellowship, prayer, and discussion with others in the Mount Olive
community.

Transitions Support Group meets on Wednesday, January 13 from 6- 7 pm at Mount Olive in the lower level Youth Room, and will be facilitated by Cathy Bosworth and Amy Cotter. For more information, please contact Cathy 612-708-1144, marcat8447@yahoo.com or Amy 612-710-1811,
agate651@gmail.com.

Thank you, thank you!
Many thanks to the people of Mount Olive for the generous Christmas gifts we received, and for all your kindness and support throughout the year! You are Christ to us in so many ways, and we are deeply grateful for you in our lives.

Blessings and peace to you all in this new year in God’s care!

– The staff of Mount Olive: David Cherwien, Joseph Crippen,
Anna Helgen, Cha Posz, William Pratley, and Anna Scott.

Thursday Evening Study Returns Jan. 7
Starting January 7, the Thursday evening study will begin meeting again in the Chapel Lounge from
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. “Singing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land” is the title, with the group exploring the book of Daniel.

Written in a time of national tribulation and set in another such time, the book explores how God’s faithful live faithful lives in a threatening world.

As always, there will be a light supper preceding the study each week.

Book Discussion Group
Mount Olive’s Book Discussion Group meets on the second Saturday of each month, at 10:00
a.m. in the West Assembly Area at church. All readers are welcome!

For the January 9 meeting, they will read Grand Opening, by Jon Hassler, and for February 13, they will read God’s Hotel, by Victoria Sweet.

Desk Needed!

New Opportunity for Ministry

The Congregational Life Committee is looking for people who would be willing to assist members who have difficulty or are more cautious walking from the south parking lot to church.

For more information, contact Sandra Pranschke at spranschke@gmail.com, or 612-859-5448.

Winter Gear Drive Continues

Neighborhood Ministries is receiving donations of winter gear for children and adults. New or gently used items can be donated in the box near the coat room. There is designated space for coats in
the coat rack. Items will be given away at the Community Meal throughout the winter or brought to the Central Lutheran Free Store.

Thank you!

TRUST’s Annual Martin Luther King Celebration
Sunday, January 17, 5:00 pm, Living Spirit United Methodist Church,
4501 Bloomington Avenue South
Join us for fellowship and music. Featuring the voice of Libby Turner, Ann Jensen, and Leon Patterson reflecting on their journey to Selma for the 50th anniversary of the Selma to
Montgomery March. TRUST Youth will provide music and lead the service.

A soup and sandwich supper will follow the service, and a freewill offering will be received.

Confronting Racism: A Holy Yearning

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton and William B. Horne, an ELCA member from Clearwater, Fla., will continue their conversation on racism – a violation of God’s intention for
humanity – in another live webcast Jan. 14, 2016, at 8 p.m. (CST). Eaton and Horne will be joined by other ELCA members who bring various perspectives on the U.S. criminal justice system. As with the previous webcast, this one will be grounded by two commitments. One is this church’s
proclamation of Christ and the confidence this good news brings to set us free from the captivity of racism. The second is this church’s enduring commitment to address the complexity of racism and end discrimination.

Sunday’s Adult Forum: January 10
“Islam and Christianity,” presented by John Matthews

John Matthews is pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Apple Valley. John is a graduate of Concordia College (Moorhead, MN), Luther Seminary (St. Paul, MN), and did post-graduate study at the International Center for Holocaust Education at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. For ten years, he has been an adjunct professor of religion at Augsburg College’s Rochester Campus and has been very active in interfaith dialogue, especially Jewish-Christian, Native American, and Christian-Muslim.

In November 2015, John was recognized by the Islamic Resource Group of Minnesota with their “Building Bridges” Award, for his interfaith activity. He is the author of Anxious Souls Will Ask: The Christ-Centered Spirituality of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Eerdmans, 2005) and Bonhoeffer: A Brief Overview of the Life and Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Lutheran University Press, 2011).

John presented on Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Mount Olive’s 2014-2015 forums.

Help Wanted for Our Saviour’s Meals

It’s sign-up time for serving at Our Saviour’s Shelter! Mount Olive serves on the second Sunday of every month.

If you have served before you know how rewarding it is to meet the residents and to have dinner with them. There is a 2016 calendar where you can put your name down for the month that is best for you.
More hands are always welcome!

Altar Flowers

The cost of the altar flowers this year is $50 per Sunday for two bouquets. If you wish to provide only one of the bouquets, simply sign on only one of the two lines provided for each Sunday. The cost for one bouquet is $25. Use the envelopes provided below the chart.

News from the Neighborhood
Anna Scott

Neighborhood Ministries Direct Care Report

One of the ministries we offer at Mount Olive is Direct Care in which, through generous funding from the congregation, we can assist our neighbors and friends with needs like a bus card, a laundry voucher, or help paying rent, utilities, or other emergencies.

This year we helped with:
RENT: 49 people with a total of $ 3,716.53
UTILITIES: 24 people with a total of $ 1,322.96
EMERGENCY: 39 people with a total of $ 1,951.77
GAVE: 83 Bus Cards and 86 Laundry Vouchers

Diaper Depot Report

Mount Olive hosts a Diaper Depot open to anyone who needs it as a way to lift a small piece of financial burden from parents. It is open Tues. 4:30-6:30 and Thurs. 1:30 – 3:30 downstairs by the Youth room. It’s a lovely place to see families, meet neighbors, and oogle at cute kiddos! The Depot
offers a bit of rest, a place to talk, extra supplies, and some savings to our friends.

“The Diaper Depot has lifted some financial burden from my family. I am very blessed to get discounted diapers.” – client

This year we:
– Helped 350 families who came to the depot (187 of those clients were new – the word keeps spreading!)
-Sold 1,908 packs of diapers

THANK YOU for your continued support of these ministries! As Hilda, one of our neighbors who received assistance said, “Keep it up. You really are helping out here.”

Mark Your Calendars
Sunday, January 31, 2016, 4:00 p.m.
“A Winter Tapestry” – From Age to Age Choral Ensemble
Mount Olive Music & Fine Arts is pleased to welcome From Age to Age choral ensemble for
the first time on their concert series. From Age to Age brings a program that will warm your
heart as you listen to an eclectic mixture of repertoire representing all musical eras, and the standard of excellence that resounds the mission of our ensemble.

A reception follows the concert in the church’s Chapel Lounge. This event is free and open to the public; a free-will offering will be received to support the Music and Fine Arts program.

Coming Events of Interest
– Sat., Jan, 16, 7:30 pm: We Shall Overcome: a concert by Cantus and the Minnesota
Boychoir (celebrating the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mount Calvary
Lutheran Church, Excelsior, MN.

– Sat., Jan 16, Noon, 2, 4, and 6 pm: Scandinavian Lutefisk and Meatball Dinner. First
Lutheran Church, Columbia Heights, MN.

– Mon., Jan 18, beginning at 9:30 am: MLK Jr. Day (lectures, worship lunch and panel
discussion) Luther Seminary, St. Paul.

– Sat., Jan 30, 7 pm: Luther College Symphony Orchestra concert, Trinity Lutheran
Church, Stillwater, MN.

– Mon., Feb. 1, 7:00 pm – Luther College Nordic Choir concert. University Lutheran
Church of Hope, Minneapolis.

Know, See, Act

January 3, 2016 By moadmin Leave a Comment

Because Christ the Son has made the Father’s heart known to us, we can’t pretend we don’t know, or see, or don’t need to act with God’s heart in the world anymore.

Pr. Joseph G. Crippen
The Second Sunday of Christmas
texts: John 1:10-18; Ephesians 1:3-14; Jeremiah 31:7-14

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

It’s a convenient lie we tell ourselves, that it’s hard to discern God’s will.

When people do great evil in God’s name, we know that’s not what God wants. When the Church acts in ways of cruelty or rigidity, when Christians spout racism and hatred as if it is of Christ, we’re outraged, and we know, this is not God’s will.

But when it comes to our lives, we sometimes act as if what God wants, what God dreams for this world, what God hopes for from us is a mystery. How can we know God’s will? It’s complicated, hard to discern. Life is complicated, too. So, sometimes, we say, that’s just the way it always will be. This is convenient, because we don’t have to understand anything we don’t want to, or see in any way we aren’t used to seeing, or do anything we’re uncomfortable doing.

Today John exposes our lie. John proclaims the unknowable, unfathomable Triune God who made all things is now known to us. Of course it’s impossible for us to grasp the fullness of the God. But John says everything we need to know, everything that is in God’s heart for us and for this world is now evident to us, known.

“No one has ever seen God,” he says. “It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.”

So we have no more excuses. We can’t justify our ignorance, our narrow vision, or our inactivity on the grounds that we aren’t sure what God wants. Because the Son of God has become one of us and taken on our body and has shown us God’s heart. Told us everything. Lived for us everything we need to know. If we want to know the truth of God’s heart, we look to Jesus.

And now we know the heart of God, we can’t pretend otherwise.

The Son of God said peacemakers are blessed, and God’s heart is that we pray for our enemies, love them. We can no longer play with the idea of justified war or condone violent response of any kind and say it’s what God wants. When someone strikes us, we are to turn our cheek. Non-violent resistance isn’t passive and isn’t cowardly, it’s Christ’s way, and therefore God’s way. Now that we know this, we can’t pretend we don’t.

The Son of God said God’s full law is done when we love God with our everything and love our neighbor as ourselves. We can no longer pretend we don’t have to love certain people, or that we aren’t sure how God wants us to act towards some. We can’t say some aren’t our neighbors, because the One who knows God’s heart opened “neighbor” to mean all people, even those we disagree with, even those who aren’t like us. Now that we know love is the center of what God wants from us, we can’t pretend we don’t.

Knowing God’s heart for the world means we are called to see the world through God’s heart. We can’t pretend otherwise.

We can’t see things the way we’ve always seen them, and now knowing that they are destructive and broken, pretend that we don’t see that. Seeing through the heart of God means seeing the evils of systems that oppress while making others like us rich, not lying and saying, “it’s more complicated than that”. Seeing with God’s heart means seeing things that are going to make us uncomfortable.

The Son of God also said that if we look at those who are hungry, or thirsty, or sick, and those who are imprisoned, or naked, or strangers, we are seeing God. Seeing with God’s heart means seeing that those whom the world calls the least are where God is, and if we want to be with God, where we’ll be.

Now that we know the heart of God, we can’t pretend not to see the world with the same heart.

And knowing and seeing don’t matter if we won’t act with the heart of God. We can’t pretend otherwise.

If we won’t be peacemakers in our personal lives and in our public discourse and in how we encourage our leaders. If we won’t pray for those who hate us and are our enemies. If we won’t change systems that make life impossible for so many, even if that means loss for us. If we won’t care for Jesus’ least and lost, those who are God for us.

As long as we claim ignorance of God’s will for us and the world, we don’t have to see differently. As long as we don’t have to see as God sees, we can sit idly by while the world falls apart. But now that we know, now that we see, we can’t pretend we can do nothing.

But there is deep Good News in John’s claim, too: the Son of God has not only made God known to us. Through the Son we receive power to become children of God ourselves.

Hear that again: John says the Son makes the heart of God known to us, and gives us the power to become children of God.

Paul says this in Ephesians, too: we’ve been adopted into God’s life as children and heirs, born in the Spirit of God. So we’re close to the Father’s heart, too. Listen to Paul: “With all wisdom and insight, God has made known to us the mystery of God’s will, . . . a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him.” Because we are children and heirs, we know what was once mystery, we know God’s heart is to draw all things into the life of God.

Better yet, in the power of the Spirit we receive all the grace of being God’s children and heirs, we receive all God’s strength and courage, the ability and will we need to know, and see, and do what God’s heart wants for this world.

Jeremiah today reveals the fullness of God’s plan, when God’s heart’s desire comes to full fruit in this world.

The world will be a watered garden, young women will rejoice in the dance, young and old will be merry. God will turn the world’s mourning into joy, give gladness instead of sorrow, and all people will be satisfied with the bounty of the Lord.

That’s what will happen when God gathers all things together in Christ. That’s the heart of God for the people of this world.

Now we know. Now we can see. Now we can act. It’s no mystery anymore, thanks be to God. And as children of God, we now also get to be a part of unfolding the heart of God to the rest of world. What greater joy could there be?

In the name of Jesus. Amen

Any Other Name

January 1, 2016 By moadmin Leave a Comment

In the names given to this Child – Jesus, Emmanuel – we find all we need for new life and refreshed spirits as we begin a new year in God’s care and love.

Pr. Joseph G. Crippen
The feast of the Name of Jesus
texts: Luke 2:15-21; Psalm 8; Galatians 4:4-7

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

There’s some confusion (maybe only in my mind) about why we’re celebrating Eucharist today.

For much of the world, today is New Year’s Day. It’s likely the tradition of worshipping at Mount Olive on January 1st was originally a New Year’s celebration. Many German Lutheran congregations in America have long standing New Year’s worship traditions, either Eve or Day.

Today is also the feast of the Name of Jesus. Our liturgy is focused on that, not necessarily New Year’s. This is eight days after Jesus’ birth, the day of his circumcision and naming under Jewish law, as Luke said. For centuries Lutherans and Anglicans called today the feast of the Circumcision and the Name of Jesus. For some reason, in the late 1970s in both traditions the title was shortened (no pun intended) to simply “the Name of Jesus.”

It’s no coincidence there’s a Church feast on the first of January, either. From at least the 7th century today has been a Church holiday. Probably because from the second century BC onward the Romans had a major pagan New Year’s festival on this day, and the Church is always fond of transforming such things rather than banning them. We did it for Christmas, after all.

So are you here because it’s New Year’s Day and you want to begin the new year at worship, asking God’s blessing on the year to come? Or are you deeply inspired and moved by the story of Jesus’ circumcision and naming and must be at worship to celebrate that? Or do you desperately need another festival of Christ even though it’s only been eight days since Christmas?

Maybe we can eat our cake and have it, too. We can take the sanitized title for this day and consider why we might want to celebrate the name given this child, and in so doing might also find grace to carry with us into a new year on this planet.

But we have to deal with one other little confusion. This child was actually given two names.

The feast is called “the name of Jesus,” and Jesus is the name we know best.

Both Mary and Joseph are told to call him this, and Joseph is given the explanation: because he will “save his people from their sins.” The name means, “God saves.”

It’s a good name, but we might have missed the depth of what it means. We talk about Jesus “saving us from our sins” often simply as a transaction, a forgiveness. We won’t be punished for what we’ve done wrong before God. This is good, and it’s our gift.

But this child called “God saves,” the one who will save us from our sins, had a deeper hope for that role. In his teaching and death and resurrection he tried to do more than forgive us. He tried to truly save us from our sins, that is, get us out of the path that was leading us away from God.

The word “save” in Greek also means “heal,” and it is this that gives us life as we begin a new year.

Yes we begin with this grace: all we have done in the past year, anything ill-done, anything sinful, we can lay before God and seek forgiveness. On this New Year’s Day, that’s abiding good news, that any regrets and confession we have, we leave the Lord’s Table clean and ready for a new year of life.

But it is that new year of life that our Lord named Jesus is truly interested in. He would save us from our sins to come as well. By entering our hearts and lives, leading us down his path of self-giving love, healing us our sinful nature, our broken habits. Jesus, “God saves,” wants to walk with us in this new year and truly bring us life, free us, heal us. That has a lot more potential to transform us in the next twelve months than any list of resolutions we might make.

But remember, this child was given another name, too.

Maybe “given” is saying too much. The Gospels don’t record anyone ever actually calling him this name.

It’s only in Matthew’s comment to the birth story that we find it. The angel tells Joseph to call the child Jesus, and Matthew says all this fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy of a child born who is called “Emmanuel.” Which, Matthew kindly translates, means “God is with us.”

Even if no one called Jesus that in his lifetime, at the end of Matthew’s Gospel Jesus promises that it is a true name: “I will be with you always, to the end of the age,” he says. This child brings God to live with us, in person, in the flesh, and in his resurrection and ascension, he is now able to do that.

This name is as important to us as the other.

God is with us.

There is nothing more we need or want to know as we begin a new year than God is with us. In our world of fear and hatred, where seemingly unsolvable problems arise every day, where we grow old and die, where our loved ones suffer and we can’t help, where there’s uncertainty everywhere, the only thing that gives us hope and life is knowing God is with us, knowing we walk our days and sleep our nights in the certain embrace of God’s arms.

We can’t expect this new year won’t involve pain for us or for the world or for those we love. But we know we will never be alone, whatever happens next. Because our God is with us in this child who became a man, who was God embodied in our own flesh.

This might be the point when we echo our psalmist: “what are we, that you should care for us this much, honor us this much?”

And Paul gives us our answer: we are adopted children of God, heirs to this child who is Jesus – God saves – and Emmanuel – God is with us – and who is our Savior. We have the Spirit of God given us as children of our heavenly Father, and we can turn to God in prayer always, because of this child who has brought us into the life of the Triune God forever.

So celebrate the Name – both of them – that this child and Lord bears. In them we have all the life and grace we need. And celebrate the beginning of a new year, hoping for peaceful and quiet times, resolving to live better lives, more faithful lives. In Jesus, our Emmanuel, we will have all the strength and healing grace we need to live such new lives, and be better than we were last year.

It might be a little confusing to articulate exactly why we’re here today. But it’s good that we are. Because so is our God, who saves us, who is with us. And as always, our lives won’t ever be the same.

In the name of Jesus. Amen

Clothing of Discipleship

December 27, 2015 By moadmin Leave a Comment

We all want to be model disciples, but we are broken people. Our clothing of discipleship is broken, too. It’s ripped. Torn. Frayed. Sometimes there are big holes. But relationships are the only way we can live, and as we practice community, we grow.

Vicar Anna Helgen
First Sunday of Christmas, year C
texts: Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 2:41-52

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.

We all have stories of getting lost or searching for someone who is lost. A child roams off at Disney World to find Minnie Mouse. A confused man with Alzheimer’s wanders out of his home at night. A teenager makes a wrong turn and ends up in a neighborhood he’s never seen before. We know what it’s like to be lost. Or to worry about someone who is lost.

In my family, we tell a story about a time when I got lost, or, I should say, when I got lost according to my mother. My mom was talking on the phone with a friend while I played by her. I was content and happy, but after awhile I wandered off. My mom didn’t follow me because those were the days when phones were on cords and you were stuck to phone. She could still hear me playing, but wasn’t sure where I was. Well, after a few minutes, she got off the phone and then went to find me to put me down for my nap. But I was nowhere to be found! Panic took over. She searched high and low in all my favorite hiding places–under the beds, in my closet, in the pantry, but she still couldn’t find me. It was as if I’d been snatched into thin air. After a frantic phone call to the police, she found me: curled up in a ball, nestled beneath a huge collection of stuffed animals at the end of my bed, taking my nap. Just where she wanted me to be. I, of course, was totally oblivious to her search, her phone call to the police, and her feelings. After finding me, her fear and panic subsided. Everything went back to how it should be.

Mary went through something similar when she couldn’t find Jesus after they left the Passover Festival. She searched for three days for her son. Three days! Imagine the agony, the panic, and the terror of not being able to find your child for that amount of time. It’s awful to think about, and yet we can understand what it would feel like because it’s an experience we know.

I wonder how Mary spoke when she scolded Jesus and what sort of response she was looking for. “Child, why have you treated us like this?”

Did she shout?
Did she whisper?
Did she beg for an answer?

We’ll never know how these words left her mouth, and that’s okay, because this story invites multiple interpretations. And all of them speak truth. Mary acts out of love, but her love is wrapped in anger, fear, and desperation. When Jesus finally responds, it’s clear that he is oblivious to the situation and his mother’s feelings. I’d love for him to be more sensitive, but he didn’t think he was lost! I like to think of him here as a young boy who got caught up with something that interested him, like a bookworm getting lost in a book for hours without realizing how much time has passed. It makes sense that Jesus would end up in the temple, among teachers, talking their talk. He’s a natural! And they are his people. And yet for Mary, this was quite a different situation. Most parents learn to distance themselves as their children grow into their own and find their identity. Jesus challenges the status quo so things are bound to get complicated! Family dynamics are real even for the Son of God!

And they’re real for us, too. This story speaks to our human experience in the world and the range of emotions that accompany our life together as we live in relationship. To be in relationship with another person is messy, especially when it involves families–those people whom we are supposed to love, those people to whom we are forever linked.

I find myself reflecting on family relationships after the holidays. I often go into these times of year hoping that everything will go fine, that there won’t be any major disruptions. And then something happens and I find out I’m wrong. I have high expectations, and forget about all the baggage that we each bring with us to holiday celebrations. People disagree. Feelings get hurt. We say things we regret. We forget that there are consequences for our actions. Healed wounds are exposed again, and new ones form. Being with family is stressful! Sometimes I want to use Mary’s line, “Why have you treated me like this?!” And others, no doubt, have wanted to use it on me.

Our relationships with others extend beyond our families though and into our work life, our school life, the places we live, and the places we spend time. These relationships also need tending. Relationships with colleagues, coworkers, and managers. With friends and neighbors. With teachers and social workers. With grocery store check-out clerks, mail carriers, baristas, and those people we encounter on a regular basis. It’s not an easy job, tending relationships. We get into conflicts over differing opinions, we’re rude when we don’t mean to be, we make mistakes that affect others. We set unreasonable expectations. To live in community, as God intends for us to live, takes time and patience and presence.

Paul paints a beautiful picture of what it looks like to live in community with others. He makes it sound so simple: “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…Bear with one another…Forgive each other…Clothe yourselves with love. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Be thankful.” The image of clothing is helpful, but more often than not, I find that I forget to put on my compassion sweater. Or when I do put it on, I discover it is tattered. My pants of patience are ill-fitting. And my meekness turtleneck is lost somewhere at the bottom of the laundry basket. We all want to be model disciples, we strive for it, but we are broken people. Our clothing of discipleship is broken, too. It’s ripped. Torn. Frayed. Sometimes there are big holes.

The reality is that relationships are the only way we can live, and as we live with one another in relationship, as we practice community, we grow. We grow in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. We learn more about one another, about ourselves, about the quirks and idiosyncrasies of those we interact with daily, and thus we learn better ways to live in relationship with others. Like Mary, we treasure these experiences and realizations about ourselves and those whom we love, because they help us in our journey together. They teach us how to not just live in community, but how to thrive. How to give up ourselves for others. How to find ourselves when others do the same for us.

Most of all, we grow in our capacity for grace. Jesus grows in divine and human favor, and we too grow in our understanding of God’s grace. We learn to trust the rough edges of relationships. We know when to rip out the seams and to start again. We find ways to patch the holes and practice forgiveness. And over time, we come to better embody God’s grace in our lives. We learn to wear it as clothing.

As the holiday parties come to a close and as the decorations get packed up, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Trust that God works through you and those around you. And next time you put on your compassion sweater and your pants of patience, don’t worry so much about the wrinkles.

Amen.