Mount Olive Lutheran Church

Unlikely Disciples

By

Saul had spent his life persecuting Jews who believed in Jesus, and so was the unlikeliest of disciples. He experienced Jesus, and everything changed. We are all unlikely disciples in need of conversion so we can live out our faith, and through the grace of God this becomes our way of life.

Vicar Meagan McLaughlin
   The Conversion of St. Paul
   Texts: Acts 9:1-22, Psalm 67, Galatians 1:11-24, Luke 21:10-19

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

By all counts, Saul was the last person anyone would have expected to carry the news of Jesus. Of course, God has always been inclined to call unlikely people to be prophets and leaders. Look at Moses–he murdered someone and ran away, and then God called him in the burning bush to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. Esther was a young, unknown Jewish girl called to save her people from a plot to kill them. And Jesus called fishermen and tax collectors to be his disciples, not exactly people of means and authority and high reputation. But Saul. Saul, unlike Moses or Esther or the disciples, was not merely unknown or disreputable, he was far worse. He had put all of his passion and energy into seeking out, torturing, and killing the People of the Way, Jews who believed in Jesus. It kind of makes you wonder, what was God thinking, calling Saul to be a disciple?

Ananias certainly wondered, and he asked God if he was really being sent to Saul, the one who killed followers of Jesus. He must have felt that he was being sent into the lion’s den. Saul was said to have been breathing murder as he walked the road to Damascus, and Ananias was, after all, one of the troublemakers Saul was planning to arrest! It was an incredible act of grace, going to proclaim forgiveness and healing to someone who wanted to kill him.

So, why Saul? Well, why not Saul? Because here’s the thing: Saul wasn’t really evil, although he certainly did some evil things. He did not set out to fight God, or torture people for his own benefit. The truth is, in all the time before Saul’s experience on the road to Damascus, he was absolutely, passionately convinced that everything he was doing was essential to preserve the Jewish faith that he loved. Saul believed he was right, and was doing exactly what God wanted him to do, and he had no idea how wrong he was.

Saul needed conversion. He was heading the wrong way, and needed to be turned in the right direction. When Jesus came to Saul on the road to Damascus, he showed him the truth of his own sin and his need for forgiveness. Jesus changed his direction, telling him exactly where he had gone wrong, and what he needed to do next. Saul needed to follow Jesus, and just to make his point perfectly clear, Jesus struck Saul blind so he would understand that without God, he would never find his way.

We all need conversion. No matter how sure we may feel that we are on the right path, every one of us have our blind spots, and in that blindness we move away from God and hurt those around us. We serve meals to those who are hungry, and leave people in our family starving for attention and love. We treat co-workers with respect all day, and cut off the driver next to us on the way home. We come to worship on Sunday and pray for peace in our community, and ignore the web of violence, fear, and unjust treatment that is a part of daily life for so many. We really aren’t so different from Saul. We all need conversion. In the end, we are all unlikely disciples.

If conversion were as simple as making a statement of faith or belief, that would be easy. But conversion is more than that. Conversion, as Saul experienced it, is a process of seeing the truth, changing direction, and following Jesus. And, because we are human and will never be perfect, conversion is not a one-time deal. Seeing the truth, changing direction, and following Jesus needs to become a way of life, and it is not easy.

God told Ananias that Saul would learn that conversion involves suffering. Oscar Romero describes sin as sore spots that hurt when someone touches them, and tells us, “You have to treat that. You have to get rid of that. Believe in Christ. Be converted.”  We see the truth, and it hurts. But as long as we stay in our blindness, refusing to see the truth and change, we will continue on the same path Saul was on before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, hurting ourselves and others without ever realizing it.

The invitation of Jesus is a call to believe that change, even though it is hard and painful, is possible. No matter how far off the path we may fall, God can show us our sin and bring us back. God does this work through this community of faith. Hearing the word of God in scripture and preaching and music in our worship can help us see where we have gone wrong, call us to follow Jesus, and remind us of the grace and love of God. We can share the joys and struggles of our lives with one another, and learn to be humble, acknowledging that we are all human and none of us are perfect. We can practice conversion as a way of life, admitting when we have harmed someone and becoming willing to change. And, as Ananias showed us, we can be supportive of one another, offering truth, forgiveness, and grace when others struggle.

Conversion, then, is not a “way into the church.” It is a way of life that makes it possible for unlikely disciples like us to live out our faith in all areas of our lives. The faith that we share propels us into the community, calling for us to see the truth of how we have supported racism, poverty, and other forms of oppression, even if it is only by our silence. We are called to see the truth, hear the stories, and become willing to change and act so oppression ends.

As we go through our day, our faith opens our eyes to those that are too often invisible to us—the people in line with us at the grocery store, the server at the restaurant, the person checking us in at the doctor’s office. We see how easy it is to look through or past them, and offer only our frustrations and judgments, while never knowing their name. We respond to the call of our faith to treat everyone we encounter as children of God, first.

Our faith guides how we treat our parents, our siblings, our partners, our children. We open our hearts to see the truth of the ways we fall short in our relationships with the people we are closest to, and grow in our ability to love, support and forgive.

Saul’s experience on the road to Damascus changed everything for him, because it called him to act in new ways. As unlikely as it was that Saul should become a believer in Jesus, God made it possible. Our experience of Jesus should change us, too. It is not easy to see our weaknesses and acknowledge how we have hurt others, and become willing to follow God more closely, but this is what our faith is all about. We are not so different from Saul, after all. We all need conversion, so we can fulfill our call to live out our faith. The message of God’s grace, love, and forgiveness is much greater than our weaknesses, and in order to share that with the world, God uses even the unlikeliest of disciples.

Thanks be to God!

The Olive Branch, 1/21/15

By

Accent on worship

“In the presence of God. Being the presence of God.” These words expressing the vision of Mount Olive’s next years have been rolling around in my head the last few days. “In the presence of God” calls me to be aware of how God is at work all around me. Like a mantra, it washes over me, re-minding me that God is present, in the midst of phone calls, e-mails, meetings, and even Accent-article-writing. I am always “in the presence of God.”

     Saul walked the road to Damascus, and found himself in the presence of God, and he was never the same. Those Saul once persecuted were astonished at the change. Being in the pre-sence of God transformed Saul into the presence of God for those around him.

     Saul didn’t plan this. He thought he knew what he was called to do—protect the faith  he loved and cherished from anyone who would threaten it. Saul was doing just that when the presence of God over-whelmed him, and he realized he had been wrong. He let go of his own plans and beliefs, and allowed God to guide him, his physical blindness an outward sign of his need for God’s help. He became the presence of God for those around him, and was willing to go where he did not want to go, even to death.

     “Being the presence of God” is both an invitation and a challenge. And when I think about it, it raises far more questions than answers. And that scares me, because it means acknowledging my own blindness to how to live out this call. But then, I am always in the presence of God, who will show me the way. And so I ponder . . . What does it mean to be the presence of God? How can I live this out in my family? My neighborhood?  In my work at Mount Olive?

– Vicar Meagan McLaughlin

Sunday Readings

January 25, 2015: Conversion of St. Paul
Acts 9:1-22
Psalm 67
Galatians 1:11-24
Luke 21:10-19
 ______________________

February 1, 2015: 4th Sunday after Epiphany
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm 111
I Corinthians 8:1-13
Mark 1:21-28

Sunday’s Adult Forum
January 25, 2015:
Thomas Merton: A Film
On the occasion of Thomas Merton’s
100th birthday.

The Presentation of Our Lord
Monday, February 2
Holy Eucharist at 7:00 p.m.
All are welcome.

Congregation Visioning Event to be Held This Sunday

     A congregational event to unveil the work of the Visioning Lead team will be held this Sunday, January 26, after the second liturgy.   We will review the material that the committee has written and begin to plan how all of us will bring that work to life.

     By now you should have received in the mail a copy of the Visioning Team’s “expression of vision” (as well as your annual contribution statement). Please take a moment to review this important information from the Visioning Team before this event.

     A light lunch will be served, and activities to occupy the kids are being planned.  We know your time is valuable, so including lunch we’ll be here no more than an hour and a half. Please come!  We need everyone’s voices to be heard!

Granlund Exhibit at Mount Olive

     Mount Olive will host an exhibit of sculptures by the famed artist, Paul Granlund, beginning in mid-February and going through mid-April.  The exhibit is sponsored by Mount Olive Music and Fine Arts program.

     Paul Granlund wanted his sculptures to be viewed and enjoyed from all angles and even touched.  The exhibit will be on display in the Chapel Lounge and assembly areas.    We encourage members to invite guests to visit.

RIC Festival Service to be Held This Saturday, January 24, 2015, 4:00 p.m.*

     This annual service will be held at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 285 North Dale Street, St. Paul, MN 55103. Rev. Jim Erlandson will preside, and Rev. Bradley Schmeling will preach.
     A soup supper follows the service.

* please note change new service time!

Book Discussion Group’s Upcoming Reads

     For their meeting February 14, the Book Discussion Group will read Wise Blood, by Flannery O’Connor. For their meeting on March 14, they will read The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho.

Centering Prayer Continues

Wednesday evenings
at 6:15 p.m.

No more snow this winter?  

     Wishful thinking on my part?

     Our sexton, William, is doing a great job of keeping the sidewalks clear for us this winter season.  However, if we get hit with a major snow event yet this year, it would be helpful to have a list of volunteers who would be willing to lend a hand and shovel if needed.  If you feel so inclined, please call the office or email me with your name and contact number.  We’ll prepare a call down list that William can use if necessary.

     Thanks for your consideration!

– Brenda Bartz, 
Property Director

More Helping Hands Are Needed to Feed the Homeless

     Members of Mount Olive provide the evening meal at Our Saviour’s Shelter the second Sunday of every month.  This important ministry meets a real need right in our own neighborhood.  You can serve in these ways:

Food preparation – We’ll cook the meal in our kitchen Sunday afternoon.
Food transportation – We will bring the food eight blocks north to the shelter.
Serving – We’ll meet the residents as we serve the meal to them.

     You can find the sign-up sheet for 2015 in the East Assembly Room, near the Sunday coffee.  Come and be part of this chance to help.  Questions?  See Elaine Halbardier or Connie Olson.

Heaven and Earth in Little Space
A Hymn Festival with David and Susan Palo Cherwien

Sunday, January 25, 4 pm
The Lutheran Church of the Resurrection
3115 Victoria St. N., Roseville, MN

Free and open to the public – all are welcome!

An Evening with Donald Jackson

      Concordia University St. Paul invites all to a rare U.S. speaking engagement by Donald Jackson, renowned British calligrapher, illuminator, and artistic director of The Saint John’s Bible. This event will be held on Thursday, February 12, 2015, from 7:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. at Buetow Music Auditorium, Concordia University St. Paul, 1282 Concordia Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104.

     This event is free and seating will be on a first come first served basis.

Common Hope and Taste of Guatemala at Mount Olive – February 8

     What is Mount Olive’s support of Common Hope in Guatemala all about?

     We learned about this organization through Lisa and Mark Ruff and their family, and we were impressed with the focus on education and community development. We could see that we could learn much and could contribute much. Here’s an introduction for you.

     Common Hope promotes hope and opportunity in Guatemala, partnering with children, families, and communities who want to participate in a process of development to improve their lives through education, health care, and housing. Serving Guatemala since 1986.

• We EDUCATE children and help them graduate from primary and secondary school, and some continue on to college.
• We PARTNER with local schools to help them reach new standards of excellence.
• We TREAT illnesses and TEACH parents how to prevent them so that their families live healthier lives.
• We help parents BUILD houses so that their families have clean, dry, and safe places to live.

The Ghosts of Jehu: A Documentary Film

     St. Joan of Arc/WAMM Peacemakers will sponsor the viewing of The Ghosts of Jehu on Thursday, January 29, 7:00 pm, at Hospitality Hall, St. Joan of Arc Church, 4537 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis. All are invited.

     This documentary film describes the non-violent resistance by residents of a small village on Jeju Island, South Korea, to their government’s construction of a gigantic naval base on the island. The film also describes the effect the base would have on the environment and the traditional culture and livelihood of the villagers who live there. It links the resistance today to the resistance of the peasants to U.S. and South Korean military domination following World War II.

     The resistance effort has the support of many Korean and global peace and justice organizations and Christian groups, particularly the Catholic Church.

     The base also represents a major expansion of American militarism in that region, the so-called “Pivot to Asia.”

End of Life Planning: Join the Conversation

• Sunday, February 1: 9:30 am – Adult Forum on End-of-Life planning with Pr. Crippen
• Saturday, February 7: 9-Noon at Mount Olive – Kathy Thurston and Rob Ruff will present perspectives and direction on end- of -life planning including the POLST and Honoring Choices Advance Directive.

     Start the conversation and gather resources so that you can prepare or review your own Advance Directive.

     What should I know about health care directives?

• All individuals ages 18 and older should have a health care directive to appoint an agent and address basic quality of life and medical questions.
• The directive is a “living document”.  It should be updated as life circumstances change and when any of the “Five Ds” occur:  Decade; Death of a loved one; Divorce; Diagnosis; Decline.
• A health care directive is a legal document which serves as the basis for medical decision making.
• A copy of your health care directive should be shared with your agent (surrogate), family, loved ones, and health care and long term care providers.
• A health care directive can be changed as you grow older or as your life circumstances change.  Always share any changes with your health care agent, family and health care providers.  Destroy old copies that are no longer valid.

     WHO – me?  This event is open to all, including spouses, parents, adult children, caregivers and friends.  Even if immediate life changes are not evident now, they can happen surprisingly quickly.  If you wish an invitation be sent to someone who will not see the Olive Branch notifications, let the church office (612-827-5919) know.

     Registration – Not necessary, BUT if you plan to attend, a call to the church office or Marilyn Gebauer (612-306-8872) will help in planning for enough handouts and refreshments.

Bach Vespers at Mount Olive 
Sunday, February 15, 4:00 pm
Bach Vespers, with Cantata 23, Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn
Mount Olive Cantorei and Bach Ensemble; David Cherwien, Conductor

     On the Sunday before Lent, February 7, 1723, J.S. Bach was invited to perform a cantata of his own composition as part of his audition for the post of Cantor at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. Bach actually prepared two cantatas for that day, one of which will be heard in this Service of Evening Prayer, Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn.

     This event is sponsored by Mount Olive Music & Fine Arts.

Keep Us in the Loop!

     Have you moved? Are you moving? Dump your land line or get a new phone number or email address?

     Please be sure to let us know so that we can update your information and keep YOU in the loop!

News from the Neighborhood
Anna Kingman

     In effort to share in 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:  Rodney
     Some of you had the opportunity to meet Rodney last Sunday as he visited church. He’s a writer, poet, philosopher, neighbor, ex-convict, orphan, and entrepreneur. Rodney was recently released from prison and is trying to piece together his life again to reflect his positive perspective on life in its entirety. He has created a 124 page collection of writings he hopes to publish as well as encouraging greeting cards. Daily living is complicated as he battles with multiple health issues and the trials of a criminal background. He does not have access to a job, transportation, quality healthcare, or the ability to buy himself clothes.

     Rodney taught me a new word: “indefatigable,” which means persisting tirelessly. I’m impressed, challenged, and encouraged by this new friend. If you connect with his story, let me know. If you happen to have any of these items to help him make his room into a home, also let me know: a walking cane, sheets, underwear, a suit coat, home items such as garbage bags, toilet paper, towels, cookware, etc.

It’s STILL Cold!

     As long as the weather stays cold, warm clothes are still needed!

     Please continue to donate coats, hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves to the box near the coat room. They will be given away at the Community Meals as the cold weather demands.

     Thank you!

Get Involved!
Opportunities to BE involved highlight:  Selma

     Go and see the movie, Selma!

Getting to Know our Neighbors

     Part of sharing in community is understanding one another through language, culture, or experience. As we explore our community and get to know our neighbors, let’s start with some helpful language lessons.

English: ‘Welcome’
Spanish: ‘Bienvenidos’ (bee-en-ven-ee-dos)

Review: ‘How are you?’
Spanish: “Como esta” (como  es-tah)

Go out and be fearlessly friendly folks!

Without Fear?

By

Life in Christ, discipleship following the Risen Lord, removes our fear both of taking the way of the cross ourselves and of telling by our words and our deeds “what we have seen and heard.”

Pr. Joseph G. Crippen
   The Confession of St. Peter
   texts:  Acts 4:(1-7) 8-13 (9-22); Matthew 16:13-19 (20-26)

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

Jesus and the angels always say “Don’t be afraid.”  It’s not that easy.

We fear witnessing to what God has done in our lives and in the world.  We’re afraid of offending others, of risking being shut out, of being embarrassed.  We keep it to ourselves.

We fear walking the path of the cross.  We’re afraid of what it would be like to live where we didn’t always win.  What it would cost to be sacrificial in our loving.  Our culture teaches us to fear being taken advantage of, so we do.

We fear being open with those who don’t believe as we do.  We’re afraid that if we don’t fight for what we believe and defend what we say, we might lose salvation.  The Church has taken Jesus’ command to Peter, repeated a couple chapters later to all his disciples, to “bind” and “loose,” as our imperative to declare who’s in and who’s out, because we’re afraid of being out.

We should look at Simon Peter.  Something changed in him between these two confessions we heard today, something about his fear.  If we could do the same, we might see the path of discipleship much more clearly, and maybe even find courage to walk it.

There’s a huge difference between the Peter of the Gospel and the later Peter, the one in Acts.

Before the cross and resurrection, Peter confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of God.  But when Jesus described what that would mean – trial, suffering, death at the hands of the authorities – Peter rejected that path and rebuked Jesus.  That didn’t end well for Peter.  From Rock of the Church to Stumbling Block in record time.  Peter feared a path of loss and suffering, and on the night of Jesus’ betrayal, he fully turned from this path, vehemently denying his Lord.

But in Acts, after the resurrection, Peter and John stand before the very same council that condemned Jesus to death, not many weeks after those events.  Threatened and told to quit doing healings and preaching in Jesus’ name, they refuse.

In a short time, Peter has become willing to lose everything, even to die, to tell others of God’s love in Jesus, to preach the Good News.

Meeting his risen Lord transformed him.

After the resurrection, Peter met his Lord Jesus and was forgiven in a breakfast picnic and conversation on a beach in Galilee.  There he discovered three things.  First, he was forgiven and still loved forever by the one he had betrayed.  Second, he re-discovered that he loved his Lord very much.  Third, he was told if that was true, then he had lambs to feed and care for.

If you look at Peter’s life before and after, it’s what he does with his fear that changes.  His fear kept him from following, from being faithful, from being courageous.  Not anymore.  Now he knows his risen Lord and has been filled by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Know this, though: it’s not a question of our having fear or not having fear. 

Peter and John in Acts today had to have been a little terrified standing before the same council that sent Jesus to the cross.  They sound really brave, refusing to stop teaching about Jesus.  But imagine the looks they exchanged with each other as they walked out of that council chamber, relief combined with terror.  “Can you believe what we just did?”

Peter always had fear; with the Spirit’s help he just learned it didn’t have to control him.

This can be our path as well.

There will always be a part of us that is afraid.  But does fear drive our lives, control our actions, keep us from our path?

Not since we’ve met our risen Lord.  Not since we’ve eaten at his Table each week, and heard that we are loved and forgiven, loving him in return.  Not since we’ve heard our call to feed his lambs and care for his sheep, and have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This relationship of faith in Christ that is ours is stronger than our fear, so it doesn’t control us.

When we aren’t controlled by our fear, we can witness like Peter.

“Tell what we’ve seen and heard.”  That’s what they defiantly said they’d continue to do. Believers walked about with confidence in the love of God that destroys death and gives the power to live in the Spirit, and told about Jesus, his death and resurrection.  Thousands of people came to believe.

That could be us.  If our fear doesn’t control us we can tell what we’ve seen and heard, witness by our lives and our words about the love of the Triune God we have known, the forgiveness we have experienced, the life of the Spirit that fills us and changes us.  When our faith in Christ is stronger than our fear, we live lives that witness to what God is doing to save the world.

When we aren’t controlled by our fear, we can risk like Peter.

When Peter rejected Jesus’ path in today’s Gospel, he was rejecting it for himself.  You don’t follow a Messiah with the understanding that might lead to death.

Yet after the resurrection, Peter willingly took the path of Christ, the path of the cross.  The disciples were willing to risk all for the sake of sharing God’s love in Christ, life and limb, friends and family.  They must have been afraid.  But in faith they walked the path.

That could be us.  The path of the cross means we will be changed by God, to be different.  That’s frightening; the idea that the Spirit might transform us is a huge unknown.  But when our faith in Christ is stronger than our fear, we can trust the love of the Triune God to change us into something better, something like our Lord.

The path of the cross can mean we will be taken advantage of by others, even by those closest to us.  If we seek not to win but to love, not to control but to serve, we risk a lot.  But when our faith in Christ is stronger than our fear, we learn that this path of self-giving and sacrifice is empowering, life-giving.  Instead of having empty victories over people we didn’t need to defeat, we find the joy of a shared life of love and grace.
 
When we aren’t controlled by our fear, we can even be open to new things from the Spirit, like Peter.

Even after the resurrection, Peter sometimes let fear control him.  At first he wasn’t ready for Paul’s spreading of the Gospel to the Gentiles.  If he was supposed to “bind” and “loose,” he wasn’t ready to loose the requirements of circumcision and kosher foods.  Eventually his Lord helped him cope with those fears, too, and he became someone who saw God’s grace in Christ for all people, not just his own.

That could be us.  We remember that the heart of Christ, shown in Matthew 18, the very chapter when these commands are given to all the disciples, is that divine forgiveness and grace is limitless and astonishing.  Christ Jesus shows that the true keys to the kingdom are God’s breathtaking unwillingness to lose anyone, and the Church’s faithful living of such forgiving grace in the world.  When our faith in such love from God is stronger than our fear, we become people who live that love and forgiveness and insistent welcome in the world.

We’ll never fully be without fear, and that’s OK.  We belong to the Risen Christ who loves the world.

So we step forward anyway, in our fear and in our faith, remembering whose we are and what he has called us to be and do.

We step forward together as Christ’s people in the world, so that when any one of us is afraid, the others can help strengthen his knees or hold her hand.  We step forward with the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit in us, so that God’s love will calm our hearts and give us the courage to witness with our lives to the eternal love of God for this world and for all people.

We might be afraid at times, but we are in the loving hands of the Triune God, and nothing can take that from us.  So let’s step forward together and see what God will do.

In the name of Jesus.  Amen

Without Fear?

By

Life in Christ, discipleship following the Risen Lord, removes our fear both of taking the way of the cross ourselves and of telling by our words and our deeds “what we have seen and heard.”

Pr. Joseph G. Crippen
   The Confession of St. Peter
   texts:  Acts 4:(1-7) 8-13 (9-22); Matthew 16:13-19 (20-26)

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

Jesus and the angels always say “Don’t be afraid.”  It’s not that easy.

We fear witnessing to what God has done in our lives and in the world.  We’re afraid of offending others, of risking being shut out, of being embarrassed.  We keep it to ourselves.

We fear walking the path of the cross.  We’re afraid of what it would be like to live where we didn’t always win.  What it would cost to be sacrificial in our loving.  Our culture teaches us to fear being taken advantage of, so we do.

We fear being open with those who don’t believe as we do.  We’re afraid that if we don’t fight for what we believe and defend what we say, we might lose salvation.  The Church has taken Jesus’ command to Peter, repeated a couple chapters later to all his disciples, to “bind” and “loose,” as our imperative to declare who’s in and who’s out, because we’re afraid of being out.

We should look at Simon Peter.  Something changed in him between these two confessions we heard today, something about his fear.  If we could do the same, we might see the path of discipleship much more clearly, and maybe even find courage to walk it.

There’s a huge difference between the Peter of the Gospel and the later Peter, the one in Acts.

Before the cross and resurrection, Peter confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of God.  But when Jesus described what that would mean – trial, suffering, death at the hands of the authorities – Peter rejected that path and rebuked Jesus.  That didn’t end well for Peter.  From Rock of the Church to Stumbling Block in record time.  Peter feared a path of loss and suffering, and on the night of Jesus’ betrayal, he fully turned from this path, vehemently denying his Lord.

But in Acts, after the resurrection, Peter and John stand before the very same council that condemned Jesus to death, not many weeks after those events.  Threatened and told to quit doing healings and preaching in Jesus’ name, they refuse.

In a short time, Peter has become willing to lose everything, even to die, to tell others of God’s love in Jesus, to preach the Good News.

Meeting his risen Lord transformed him.

After the resurrection, Peter met his Lord Jesus and was forgiven in a breakfast picnic and conversation on a beach in Galilee.  There he discovered three things.  First, he was forgiven and still loved forever by the one he had betrayed.  Second, he re-discovered that he loved his Lord very much.  Third, he was told if that was true, then he had lambs to feed and care for.

If you look at Peter’s life before and after, it’s what he does with his fear that changes.  His fear kept him from following, from being faithful, from being courageous.  Not anymore.  Now he knows his risen Lord and has been filled by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Know this, though: it’s not a question of our having fear or not having fear. 

Peter and John in Acts today had to have been a little terrified standing before the same council that sent Jesus to the cross.  They sound really brave, refusing to stop teaching about Jesus.  But imagine the looks they exchanged with each other as they walked out of that council chamber, relief combined with terror.  “Can you believe what we just did?”

Peter always had fear; with the Spirit’s help he just learned it didn’t have to control him.

This can be our path as well.

There will always be a part of us that is afraid.  But does fear drive our lives, control our actions, keep us from our path?

Not since we’ve met our risen Lord.  Not since we’ve eaten at his Table each week, and heard that we are loved and forgiven, loving him in return.  Not since we’ve heard our call to feed his lambs and care for his sheep, and have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This relationship of faith in Christ that is ours is stronger than our fear, so it doesn’t control us.

When we aren’t controlled by our fear, we can witness like Peter.

“Tell what we’ve seen and heard.”  That’s what they defiantly said they’d continue to do. Believers walked about with confidence in the love of God that destroys death and gives the power to live in the Spirit, and told about Jesus, his death and resurrection.  Thousands of people came to believe.

That could be us.  If our fear doesn’t control us we can tell what we’ve seen and heard, witness by our lives and our words about the love of the Triune God we have known, the forgiveness we have experienced, the life of the Spirit that fills us and changes us.  When our faith in Christ is stronger than our fear, we live lives that witness to what God is doing to save the world.

When we aren’t controlled by our fear, we can risk like Peter.

When Peter rejected Jesus’ path in today’s Gospel, he was rejecting it for himself.  You don’t follow a Messiah with the understanding that might lead to death.

Yet after the resurrection, Peter willingly took the path of Christ, the path of the cross.  The disciples were willing to risk all for the sake of sharing God’s love in Christ, life and limb, friends and family.  They must have been afraid.  But in faith they walked the path.

That could be us.  The path of the cross means we will be changed by God, to be different.  That’s frightening; the idea that the Spirit might transform us is a huge unknown.  But when our faith in Christ is stronger than our fear, we can trust the love of the Triune God to change us into something better, something like our Lord.

The path of the cross can mean we will be taken advantage of by others, even by those closest to us.  If we seek not to win but to love, not to control but to serve, we risk a lot.  But when our faith in Christ is stronger than our fear, we learn that this path of self-giving and sacrifice is empowering, life-giving.  Instead of having empty victories over people we didn’t need to defeat, we find the joy of a shared life of love and grace.
 
When we aren’t controlled by our fear, we can even be open to new things from the Spirit, like Peter.

Even after the resurrection, Peter sometimes let fear control him.  At first he wasn’t ready for Paul’s spreading of the Gospel to the Gentiles.  If he was supposed to “bind” and “loose,” he wasn’t ready to loose the requirements of circumcision and kosher foods.  Eventually his Lord helped him cope with those fears, too, and he became someone who saw God’s grace in Christ for all people, not just his own.

That could be us.  We remember that the heart of Christ, shown in Matthew 18, the very chapter when these commands are given to all the disciples, is that divine forgiveness and grace is limitless and astonishing.  Christ Jesus shows that the true keys to the kingdom are God’s breathtaking unwillingness to lose anyone, and the Church’s faithful living of such forgiving grace in the world.  When our faith in such love from God is stronger than our fear, we become people who live that love and forgiveness and insistent welcome in the world.

We’ll never fully be without fear, and that’s OK.  We belong to the Risen Christ who loves the world.

So we step forward anyway, in our fear and in our faith, remembering whose we are and what he has called us to be and do.

We step forward together as Christ’s people in the world, so that when any one of us is afraid, the others can help strengthen his knees or hold her hand.  We step forward with the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit in us, so that God’s love will calm our hearts and give us the courage to witness with our lives to the eternal love of God for this world and for all people.

We might be afraid at times, but we are in the loving hands of the Triune God, and nothing can take that from us.  So let’s step forward together and see what God will do.

In the name of Jesus.  Amen

The Olive Branch, 1/14/15

By

Accent on Worship

“That they may be one”

     The week of January 18-25 is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an octave (eight days) set at this time in January for over a century.  This octave dates back to prayers for unity of a divided Church beginning in the Reformation, through Anglican and Roman Catholic emphases starting over 150 years ago.  This week is an opportunity for us to pray for what Jesus prayed in John 17, that the Church be one even as the Triune God is One.  The days that bracket this octave, the Confession of St. Peter on Jan. 18, and the Conversion of St. Paul on Jan. 25, fall on Sundays this year, so the week looms a little more prominently than in other years for us, and provides an opportunity for us to recall this important task.

     I would invite all sisters and brothers at Mount Olive to consider adding Christian unity to their prayers during these eight days.

     Our witness to the grace and love of God for the whole world made known in Jesus’ death and resurrection and lived out in the lives of the faithful is diminished by our hatred and fighting within the Body of Christ.  When we ignore or neglect or despise those with whom we disagree who are yet bound to us in Baptism, we grieve the heart of God.  Offering prayer brings our hearts in line with the heart of the Triune God, and opens our lives to the Spirit’s grace which can move the Body of Christ ever closer together.

     Here is a helpful plan for our prayer that has been suggested and is found online, which I commend to you.

January 18: pray for the Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, and other Eastern Churches
January 19: pray for the Roman Catholic and Uniate Churches
January 20: pray for the Anglican, Old Catholic, and allied churches
January 21: pray for the Lutheran, Moravian, and Methodist Churches
January 22: pray for the Congregational, Presbyterian, and Reformed Churches
January 23: pray for the Baptist, Amish, Mennonite, Hutterite, and Christian (Disciples of Christ) Churches
January 24: pray for the Pentecostal and charismatic churches
January 25: pray for the nonmainstream communities; and for theologians and councils seeking to promote Christian unity while preserving Christian truth.

     “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”  John 17:11b

In Christ,
Joseph

Sunday Readings

January 18, 2015: Confession of St. Peter
Acts 4:8-13
Psalm 18: 1-6, 16-19
I Corinthians 10:1-5
Matthew 16:13-19
 ______________________

January 25, 2015: Conversion of St. Paul
Acts 9:1-22
Psalm 67
Galatians 1:11-24
Luke 21:10-19

Sunday’s Adult Forum: January 18, 2015:

 Pastor Crippen will facilitate a discussion on the ELCA Statement, “The Use of the Means of Grace.”

Congregation Visioning Event

     A congregational event to unveil the work of the Visioning Lead team will be held on Sunday, January 26, after the second liturgy.   We will review the material that the committee has written and begin to plan how all of us will bring that work to life.

     You will receive in the mail this week a copy of the Visioning Team’s “expression of vision” (as well as your annual contribution statement). Please take a moment to review this important information from the Visioning Team before this event.

     There will be a light lunch served, and activities to occupy the kids are being planned.  We know your time is valuable, so including lunch, we’ll be here no more than an hour and a half. Please come!  We need everyone’s voices to be heard!

Book Discussion Group’s Upcoming Reads

     For their meeting on January 17 (postponed one week because of the Conference on Liturgy) , they will read The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. For the meeting on February 14, they will read Wise Blood, by Flannery O’Connor.

Centering Prayer Continues

     Centering Prayer continues in the new year, Wednesdays ,at 6:15 p.m.

     Centering Prayer is an ancient monastic tradition that brings one into the presence of God through silence. The format of the time together includes a short reading from the Psalms or other Scripture, 20 minutes of silence, and then 5 minutes to come together at the end.

     Please join us at 6:15 pm on Wednesday evenings.

     Questions? You can find a brochure describing Centering Prayer in the rack by the display case in the narthex or call Sue Ellen Zagrabelny at 612-875-7865.

Pledging Update: Mind the Gap

     In our committee’s November 6 letter to members and friends we outlined the reasons Mount Olive’s 2015 revenue and expenditure budget is some 7% higher than last year’s. By early February we’ll report how actual contributions compare with those a year ago. Meanwhile, we’ve been closely watching pledges, hoping that they will, collectively, total at least 7% higher than last year’s. We have mixed news to report. As of January 11, we’ve received 95 pledges totaling $387,843, averaging $4083 per household, some 11% above last year’s per-household figure. But that total dollar figure—only 98% of last year’s pledged total—is about $35,000 shy of the amount that would represent a 7% increase, in part because we have 13 fewer pledging households. If you’ve been intending to pledge but haven’t gotten to it, you’re not too late. We’ll have pledge cards available outside the church office the next few Sundays; or you can email your pledge to welcome@mountolivechurch.org, indicating a dollar amount and whether it’s weekly, monthly, or whatever. Together, let’s bridge that $35,000 gap!

—Donn McLellan, 
Director of Stewardship

More Helping Hands Are Needed to Feed the Homeless

     Members of Mount Olive provide the evening meal at Our Saviour’s Shelter the second Sunday of every month.  This important ministry meets a real need right in our own neighborhood.  You can serve in these ways:

Food preparation – We’ll cook the meal in our kitchen Sunday afternoon.
Food transportation – We will bring the food eight blocks north to the shelter.
Serving – We’ll meet the residents as we serve the meal to them.

     You can find the sign-up sheet for 2015 in the East Assembly Room, near the Sunday coffee.  Come and be part of this chance to help.  Questions?  See Elaine Halbardier or Connie Olson.

 An Evening with Donald Jackson

      Concordia University St. Paul invites all to a rare U.S. speaking engagement by Donald Jackson, renowned British calligrapher, illuminator, and artistic director of The Saint John’s Bible. This event will be held on Thursday, February 12, 2015, from 7:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. at Buetow Music Auditorium, Concordia University St. Paul, 1282 Concordia Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104.
     This event is free and seating will be on a first come first served basis.

     Concordia University St. Paul is honored to present An Evening with Donald Jackson.  Mr. Jackson is one of the world’s foremost Western calligraphers. As a scribe to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Mr. Jackson was responsible for the creation of official state documents. In 1985, he received the Medal of The Royal Victorian Order (MVO). Mr. Jackson is an elected Fellow and past Chairman of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators, and in 1997, was named Master of the 600-year-old Guild of Scriveners of the city of London.

     Concordia is pleased to host an exhibition of all seven volumes of the Saint John’s Bible Heritage Program on our campus during the month of February 2015, and two of the volumes (The Pentateuch and The Gospels and Acts) from August 2014 through July 2015.

Every Church a Peace Church Monthly Potluck 

Date: Monday, January 19, Time: 6:30 Potluck
Place: Hospitality Hall, St. Joan of Arc Church, 4537 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis
Topic: Martin Luther King and the Nonviolent Jesus
Speaker: Mel Reeves

     Mel Reeves has been a human rights activist for the last 30 years. He has been involved in struggles against South African Apartheid and struggles for worker’s rights, and has helped lead several efforts to get justice in some well-known cases of police brutality. He has been a long time anti-war and anti-racist activist. Most recently he worked with Occupy Homes and is the adviser to a fledgling young peoples’ alternative political party.

RIC Festival Service to be Held Saturday, January 24, 2015, 4:00 p.m.*

     This annual service will be held at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 285 North Dale Street, St. Paul, MN 55103. Rev. Jim Erlandson will preside, and Rev. Bradley Schmeling will preach. A soup supper follows the service.

* please note change new service time!

Granlund Exhibit at Mount Olive

     Mount Olive will host an exhibit of sculptures by the famed artist, Paul Granlund, beginning in mid-February and going through mid-April.  The exhibit is sponsored by Mount Olive Music and Fine Arts program.

     Paul Granlund wanted his sculptures to be viewed and enjoyed from all angles and even touched.  The exhibit will be on display in the Chapel Lounge and assembly areas.    We encourage members to invite guests to visit.

End of Life Planning: Join the Conversation

• Sunday, February 1: 9:30 am – Adult Forum on End-of-Life planning with Pr. Crippen

• Saturday, February 7: 9-Noon at Mount Olive – Kathy Thurston and Rob Ruff will present perspectives and direction on end- of -life planning including the POLST and Honoring Choices Advance Directive.

     Start the conversation and gather resources so that you can prepare or review your own Advance Directive.

     What should I know about health care directives?

• All individuals ages 18 and older should have a health care directive to appoint an agent and address basic quality of life and medical questions.

• The directive is a “living document”.  It should be updated as life circumstances change and when any of the “Five Ds” occur:  Decade; Death of a loved one; Divorce; Diagnosis; Decline.

• A health care directive is a legal document which serves as the basis for medical decision making.

• A copy of your health care directive should be shared with your agent (surrogate), family, loved ones, and health care and long term care providers.

• A health care directive can be changed as you grow older or as your life circumstances change.  Always share any changes with your health care agent, family and health care providers.  Destroy old copies that are no valid.

Saturday, Feb. 7, Presenters
*Rob Ruff – Director of Chaplaincy Services at Regions Hospital, Chaplain for Palliative Care Team; Mount Olive member

*Kathy Thurston RN PHN MA – Manager of Care Coordination and Case Management AXIS Healthcare, part of Allina Health; Mount Olive member

Oh Baby, What a Deal! 

     Target is offering an amazing coupon this week in the paper ads and online (can be sent to your phone or computer).    

     If it is at all within your means, buy $100 worth of diapers and earn a $25 gift card for yourself!
That’s quite a deal for the Diaper Depot and all gifts are tax deductible (with a receipt). We use Target brand diapers and most needed sizes are 3-6. Thank you!

Peace With Justice Forum

     All are invited to a Peace with Justice Forum on Sunday, January 18, 12:30-2:00 p.m., at Central Lutheran Church, 3rd Ave. and 12th St. in Minneapolis (next to the Minneapolis Convention Center).

     This forum will be a conversation on what the ELCA says about
Gun Violence, led by Rev. Dr. Ron Letnes and Jay Thacker.

     Come join the discussion of some biblical references to personal weapons violence, gun violence facts, and a discussion of the policy position of the NRA. Take a look at the Second Amendment, and hear some suggestions on what each person can do to decrease gun violence. There will be ample time for people to share their own thoughts, feelings and personal stories.

     Lunch is available for $7, and  validated parking is also available in the Central parking lot/ramp on the south side of the church.

     This forum series is sponsored by the Twin Cities Lutheran Peace with Justice Committee.

News from the Neighborhood
Anna Kingman

     In effort to share in 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: Bradford
     Bradford said he was just walking by Mount Olive when he thought “why not ask?”  He, his wife, and 2 kids live not far from here, but he is walking in the cold because both of his cars recently broke down and are unrepairable. This caused him to lose his temp-to-hire job down in Chaska when he didn’t have transportation. Now he is jobless and desperately trying to pay off the back-rent and January rent so that his family won’t get evicted. He admitted that this is frustrating for a 55 year-old man with young kids to be struggling in this way, but he was very hopeful that things would work out. Throughout our conversation he said that he trusts that God will make small miracles happen, as he experienced in that moment. If anyone needs help with odd jobs, painting, or shoveling, I’ve got a contact for you!

It’s STILL Cold!

     As long as the weather stays cold, warm clothes are still needed!
     Please continue to donate hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves to the box by the West Assembly area. They will continually be given away at the Community Meals as the cold weather demands.
     Thank you!

Get Involved!

Opportunities to BE involved highlight:  Diaper Depot

     The Diaper Depot served 438 families last year, adding close to 225 new families to our roster. This is a unique and important ministry in the cities that reaches far and wide. Many service centers send people our way as a resource for struggling families. Because we offer one package per child, per month, we build a continuing relationship and easy, helpful interaction.
The Diaper Depot is open Tuesdays, 4:30-6:30 pm, and Thursdays, 1:30-3:30pm. If you are able or interested in helping for a shift or learning more about it, please contact Anna at:  neighborhood@mountolivechurch.orgShe will help you to get involved!

Getting to Know our Neighbors

     Part of sharing in community is understanding one another through language, culture, or experience. As we explore our community and get to know our neighbors, let’s start with some helpful language lessons. English: “How are you?”
Spanish: “Como esta” (como  es-tah)
Review: “Nice to meet you”-“Mucho gusto.”

Go out and be fearlessly friendly folks!

No more snow this winter?  

     Wishful thinking on my part?

     Our sexton, William, is doing a great job of keeping the sidewalks clear for us this winter season.  However, if we get hit with a major snow event yet this year, it would be helpful to have a list of volunteers who would be willing to lend a hand and shovel if needed.  If you feel so inclined, please call the office or email me with your name and contact number.  We’ll prepare a call down list that William can use if necessary.

     Thanks for your consideration!

– Brenda Bartz, Property Director

MOUNT OLIVE LUTHERAN CHURCH
3045 Chicago Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55407

Map and Directions >

612-827-5919
welcome@mountolivechurch.org


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