Accent on Worship

Running the Race

     “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).

     In the 1991 World Championships, Derek Redmond and the British team won gold in the 4×400 meter relay. At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Derek posted the fastest time of the first round in the 400 meters and went on to win his quarter-final. That all changed, however, in the semi-final.

     When Derek rounded the back-straight, 250 meters from the finish line, he tore his hamstring and fell to the ground in pain. Medics rushed over to him, but Derek stood up and began to limp around the track in order to finish the race.  As Derek fought through the pain and disappointment to complete the race, a man emerged from the crowd and joined him on the track: the man was his father. Jim Redmond refused security’s insistence to leave the track and instead held his son up and walked alongside him, supporting him until they finished the race together.

     The Triune God does the same for us. This Sunday, we will celebrate the festival of St. Peter and St. Paul, as is our custom at Mount Olive when a festival falls on a Sunday in the green season. From Paul’s second letter to Timothy, we will hear the promise that as we run the race of following Christ where the Spirit leads us and as we fight the good fight of loving in Jesus’ name, we are not alone. The Triune God is with us, standing by us, strengthen-ing us, and speaking through us so that we might proclaim the gospel in word and deed. As the security guards could not hold back Jim Redmond from his son, nothing can separate us from God’s love for us in Jesus Christ.

     In this race, we are not promised that we will be saved from pain, be named as the winner, or receive the standing ovation that welcomed Derek as he crossed the finish line. Instead, we like Paul, like Peter, and like our Lord Jesus Christ will be poured out as a libation in order to reveal the love of God (2 Tim. 4:6). We are, however, promised with absolute certainty that just as was done for Peter, for Paul, and for all the saints, the Triune God will stand by us and give us strength to run the race that is the Christian faith so that through us, the gospel might be fully proclaimed.

     So run on, dear Saints; we do not race alone.

– Vicar Emily Beckering

Sunday Readings

June 29, 2014: Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Acts 12:1-11
Psalm 87:1-3, 5-7
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
John 21:15-19
___________________

July 6, 2014: 4th Sunday after Pentecost (Lect. 14A)
Zechariah 9:9-12
Psalm 145:8-14
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Olive Branch Summer Publication Schedule

     During the summer months, The Olive Branch is published every other week.

     The next Olive Branch will be published on Wednesday, July 9.  Information for that issue is due in to the church office by Tuesday, July 8.

Transitions Support Group Continues

     Participants in the recent 4 -week life transitions support group have decided to continue meeting but on a less regular basis.  They invite others who would like an opportunity to discuss concerns and receive support to join them.

     The next meeting is on Wednesday, July 16, at 6:30 in the Youth Room. Amy Cotter and Cathy Bosworth will act as facilitators.  If you have questions, please call Cathy at 612-708-1144 or email her at marcat8447@yahoo.com.

School Supplies Drive

     Though summer has just begun, for the Neighborhood Ministries Committee it means  that it’s time to look forward to the beginning of school!

     Neighborhood Ministries is collecting school supplies for about 100 neighborhood children. These supplies will be distributed at the August 2 Community Meal. While this is an item in our budget, generous contributions from the Mount Olive community will help to provide as many supplies as possible.

     A Neighborhood Ministries Committee member will be on hand during coffee hour on Sundays, July 13, 20, and 27 to receive your donations.

     Thanks for offering your support to this vital neighborhood ministry!

The Bargain Box

     Saturday, August 2 will be a busy day at Mount Olive! We will be helping to get neighborhood children ready for school year with Bargain Box fitting children with new school clothes and distributing school supplies during the Community Meal. We are looking for donations of cash, gently used children’s clothes (no adult clothes, please), school supplies, and backpacks.

     If you have time to help with the meal, or assist with clothing or school supplies, please plan to come to the August Community Meals!

     Please note: Neighborhood Ministries is looking for backpacks, new and gently-used, to distribute at the August Community Meal. We want children to be ready for school! Stay tuned for more information.

– Neighborhood Ministries Committee

Food and Personal Items Needed!

      Now that school is out for the summer, many children who receive free or reduced-price lunches at school will often go hungry.  Please keep up or increase your monetary and food contributions during the summer months.  You may use your blue envelopes and designate “food shelf” as the recipient.  Food contributions may be placed in the shopping cart in the coat room.

      In our summer travels, let’s remember that the complimentary toiletries provided by hotels and motels are ideal for homeless people who have little space for such items. Most of the time, we are charged for these items as a part of the payment for accommodations.  Please bring your unused toiletries to the designated basket in the coat room.

     Know that your donations help provide basic needs, as Christ would have us do.

Book Discussion Group’s Upcoming Reads

     For their meeting July 12, the Book Discussion group will read, All Over but the Shoutin’, by Rick Bragg; and for the August 9 meeting, All the King’s Men (restored edition), by Robert Penn Warren.

Neighborhood Ministries Coordinator Position Description Now Available

     The position description for the Coordinator of Neighborhood Ministries and Outreach has been completed and is available by contacting the church office or on the Mount Olive website.
     
     Congregational members who are interested and meet the qualifications are encouraged to apply for the position.  Thanks to the search committee for working hard on this step.  The next step will be to screen applicants and host interviews.  We hope to have a new Coordinator in place by the end of September.

     Committee members are  Kathy Thurston and Sue Ellen Zagrabelny (Neighborhood Ministries Committee), Cynthia Prosek and Neil Hering (Visioning Lead Committee), George Ferguson and Gretchen Campbell-Johnson (at-large), Pastor Crippen, Vicar Beckering, and Lora Dundek (ex-officio).

Every Church a Peace Church July Meeting

     The ECAPC July potluck supper meeting will be held on   Monday, July 21, 6:30 p.m., at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church, 29th St. & 32nd Ave. S., Minneapolis. (612-724-3643, www.saintalbertthegreat.org.)

     The program for the July meeting will be a presentation and discussion led by John Keller, Executive Director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM). His presentation will be “Immigration Reform:  A Christian Response.”

     John Keller has been the Executive Director ILCM since 2005; prior to that he had been a staff attorney at ILCM for six years.  In 2007, Keller was named Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyers, and he received the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits 2007 Advocacy Award on behalf of ILCM for work he led in response to immigration raids in 2006.

     All interested are cordially invited to attend – and to bring friends!

Mount Olive T-Shirts

     Gail Nielsen will sell Mount Olive t-shirts for the next two Sundays, following the morning liturgy.

     The shirts are $7 each and are available in a variety of colors (almost all of the liturgical colors! Pick one for your favorite season of the church year!)

     Stop and see Gail on Sunday and get your very own!

Summer A.C.T.S. Thanks

     Many thanks to all who have volunteered so far with the Neighborhood Ministries Summer A.C.T.S. program! You have made a difference!

     We could still use one more volunteer on Tuesday and Thursday, July 8 and 10. If you can spare a little time for this very worthwhile project, please call Connie Toavs at church (612-827-5919).

    The last day of  Summer A.C.T.S. will be July 18.

Accent on Worship

Gratitude

Sunday’s activities here every week don’t just happen. It’s astounding how many are involved in plans, preparations, implementation, etc. Everything from planning each service, preparing, proofing and printing the bulletin, cleaning, scheduling the worship leaders for each service, Altar Guild’s preparations, Sacristan setting up and arranging the space, vestments made ready, coffee hosts preparing food, adult education planned and presented, the Godly Play leaders trained, and parents communicated with – the list can go on and on, and no doubt someone is thinking “Hey what about what I do?” We need to thank God for all of this.

     And of course, there are the musicians to add to that list. Most of the time, music the choir sings began its learning process several weeks prior. We began learning last Sunday’s music on April 30.

     I am feeling gratitude for the group of people who sing in the choir. They make a special trip in every week, and spend close to two hours in rehearsal preparing for what they contribute to our liturgy.

     Many of them also are very involved in other committees and volunteer work at church and some weeks are here many days of the week. In addition to its weekly schedule of Wednesday rehearsals and Sunday
participation, this year the choir had many “extra-curricular” events in which they gladly participated: several wedding liturgies, a City-wide Hymn Festival at Central Lutheran, four Music and Fine Arts events (two procession services, the Conference on Liturgy Hymn Festival, and two full-days for Bach Tage. During Holy Week we joke about putting cots in the choir room.

     Another group for whom I’m feeling special gratitude is those who prepare food for so many events. Receptions, meals, breakfasts – it’s a huge amount of work preparing the food, and the less-fun-to-do clean-up afterwards. On one day this past month one crew prepared and cleaned up a breakfast, community meal, and a wedding reception – all in one day!

     I hope you join me in thanking God for all that they, and everyone who helps implement what we do on Sundays.

     Why do we do all of this? We do it because God means that much to us. God’s loving grace evokes a desire to “go out of our way” and add inconvenience to our schedules, so that we, too, can share our sense of gratitude, praise, and sense of Grace as God’s people in this place.

     Indeed: “Thanks be to God!”

– Cantor David Cherwien

Sunday Readings

June 15, 2014: The Holy Trinity
Genesis 1:1—2:4a
Psalm 8
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Matthew 28:16-20
___________________

June 22, 2014: 2nd Sunday after Pentecost (Lect. 12A)
Jeremiah 20:7-13
Psalm 69:7-10 [11-15] 16-18
Romans 6:1b-11
Matthew 10:24-39

Mount Olive Church Picnic June 22

     Mount Olive will have a Church Picnic this year on Sunday, June 22, from 3:00-7:00 p.m.  John and Patsy Holtmeier welcome all to their (spacious!) backyard at 601 Drillane Road in Hopkins.

     Games and hilarity for kids and adults will be held from 3:00-5:00 p.m., including a Bean Bag Tournament, Zip Line Run, lawn games, and more.  A potluck picnic will begin around 5:00 p.m., and the day will close with a hymn sing on the lawn.  All are invited!  Sign-up sheets for attendance, food preparation, set up, etc. will be at church for one more Sunday, June 15.

     In the event of rain on the 22nd, a modified picnic will be held that day in the Undercroft from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Olive Branch Summer Publication Schedule

     During the summer months, The Olive Branch is published every other week.

     The next Olive Branch will be published on Wednesday, June 25.  Information for that issue is due in to the church office by Tuesday, June 24.

Vicar learns New Role

     Al Bipes, director of the Worship Committee, has been working with Vicar Beckering to learn and be able to do the duties of sacristan at one of our regular Sunday Eucharists.  Sunday, June 15, they will switch roles, with Al taking the role of Eucharistic Minister and Vicar Beckering serving as sacristan.  The hope is that this could be a new piece of training for our vicars going forward, near the end of their year with us, to better understand all the preparation and work needed for our liturgy to flow smoothly.  It is also the hope that through this learning, our vicars can leave here with some tools they can use to help members of their congregations take ownership and responsibility for preparing and leading worship themselves, and help them develop and train strong lay leadership in worship, especially in places where it has not previously been a practice.

Transitions Support Group Continues

     Members who found the recent 4 week life transitions support group helpful have decided to continue meeting but on a less regular basis.  They invite others who would like an opportunity to discuss concerns and receive support to join them.

     The next meeting is on Wednesday, July 16, at 6:30 in the Youth Room. Amy Cotter and Cathy Bosworth will act as facilitators.  If you have questions, please call Cathy at 612-708-1144 or email marcat8447@yahoo.com.

New Vicar Assigned

     Mount Olive has received our assignment for next year’s vicar, the seminary intern who will serve with us.  Her name is Meagan McLaughlin, and she and her wife Karen live in south Minneapolis.  She grew up in Edina, and has worked as a school teacher and in social outreach at the Basilica, among other things.  She is a student at United Seminary, but taking her Lutheran core classes at Luther Seminary and seeking ordination in the ELCA.  Vicar Beckering’s last Sunday among us will be August 17, and Vicar McLaughlin will begin the next week.  When she arrives, much more in the way of introduction will be forthcoming.

Book Discussion Group’s Upcoming Reads

For their meeting on June 14, the book discussion group will read, The Orphan Master’s Son, by Adam Johnson; and for the meeting on July 12, they will read, All Over but the Shoutin’, by Rick Bragg.

Sign Up Now for Summer A.C.T.S. ! (Adults, Children Teaming to Serve)  June 16 – July 17

Thank you to those who have signed up to participate in Summer A.C.T.S.   Twenty youth are signed up and ready to begin work next week.  Sixteen adults and three teenagers have signed up for shifts but there is still room for a few more.  The most urgent needs are Monday and Wednesday, June 16 and l8; Tuesday and Thursday June 24 and 26; Monday and Wednesday June 30 and July 2; Tuesday and Thursday July 1 and 3; and Tuesday and Thursday July 8 and 10.  Please call Connie at the church (612-827-5919) or e mail her at connietoavs@comcast.net if you can help.

Getting to Know You …

John Wall:  Born in Virginia, Minnesota, baptized at Zion Lutheran (Suomi Synod), confirmed in the Presbyterian Church, confirmed (again) at Gethsemane Lutheran Church, I left for Gustavus to earn a degree in church music. Shortly before graduating, I was confirmed (3rd time) in the Episcopal Church, and married my first wife in Christ Chapel. After a year at Seabury-Western Episcopal Seminary, Evanston, we moved to the Cities where I began service as choir director /organist from Redeemer Lutheran in Minneapolis, Good Samaritan Methodist and St. Stephen’s Episcopal in Edina, St. Luke’s Roman Catholic and Edgcumbe Presbyterian in St. Paul, to Emerson UCC in Richfield and elsewhere. In the 1990’s I also worked for Gould and Schultz Pipe Organs. In 1988 my wife Carol Anne and I married at St. Clement’s Episcopal, St. Paul. We live in St. Paul with our two Chinese daughters, Sarah, 15, and Rachel, 12, each baptized at an Easter Vigil at St. Mary’s Episcopal, St. Paul. Carol Anne works at Securian and as adjunct writing professor at Metropolitan State. My love of psalmody and the Benedictine Rule brought me to this year’s Conference on Liturgy and my first Sunday morning at Mount Olive – I just keep coming back. Having ended 50 years on the organ bench, composing music and working on liturgy, God put me in a pew among you. My spiritual aliveness comes also from service to my fellow addicts now at the international level on the Literature Committee, so from liturgy to literature I am filled with gratitude.

The Bargain Box

     Saturday, August 2 will be a busy day at Mount Olive! We will be helping to get neighborhood children ready for school year with Bargain Box fitting children with new school clothes and distributing school supplies during the Community Meal. We are looking for donations of cash, gently used children’s clothes (no adult clothes, please), school supplies, and backpacks.

     If you have time to help with the meal, or assist with clothing or school supplies, please plan to come to the August Community Meals!

Please note: Neighborhood Ministries is looking for backpacks, new and gently-used, to distribute at the August Community Meal. We want children to be ready for school! Stay tuned for more information.

– Neighborhood Ministries Committee

Food and Personal Items Needed!

      Now that school is out for the summer, many children who receive free or reduced-price lunches at school will often go hungry.  Please keep up or increase your monetary and food contributions during the summer months.  You may use your blue envelopes and designate “food shelf” as the recipient.  Food contributions may be placed in the shopping cart in the coat room.

      In our summer travels, let’s remember that the complimentary toiletries provided by hotels and motels are ideal for homeless people who have little space for such items. Most of the time, we are charged for these items as a part of the payment for accommodations.  Please bring your unused toiletries to the designated basket in the coat room.

     Know that your donations help provide basic needs, as Christ would have us do.

Calling All Graduates!

     On Sunday, June 22, we will recognize and remember in prayer those who are graduating this spring … but we need to know who you are! If you are graduating from high school, college, or graduate school (or if your family member is), please call the church office with your name and the name of the school, so that your name can be included in the prayers for that day.
 
     We would love to celebrate your achievement with you!

Our Advantage

     Forty days after the confusion, amazement, and joy of Easter Sunday, the disciples were once more in a situation of sadness.  Jesus had just left them again, ascending to the Father.  They must have longed for more than just those forty days with their beloved and now risen Lord.

     But it was a need.  Even before his crucifixion, the evangelist John tells us, Jesus told the disciples he would be leaving them, but not orphaning them (John 14:18), the Gospel reading we heard last Sunday.  Later John says Jesus said this: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).  Jesus says it is better for them that he return to the Father, that it is to their advantage.

     This is what the Church celebrates Thursday, as will Mount Olive at a 7:00 p.m. Eucharist.  There are so many times that it seems it would have been better for Jesus to have stayed here, so we could see him in the flesh, as the disciples did.  But we remember Jesus’ ascension precisely because we need Jesus’ ascension.  We need the risen Son of God to return to the Godhead, to sit at the right hand of the Father, so he can keep his promise to be with us always (Matthew 28:20) and send the Holy Spirit to transform us, as at Pentecost.

     When the Son is no longer bound by human time and history, but is able to be fully within the song and work of the Triune God who transcends time and history, then Father, Son and Holy Spirit can be with us always.  Were Jesus the risen Christ to have remained here on earth, bound in time 2,000 years ago, how could he be present to all believers at all times?

How could he truly be found in the Meal of his body and blood?  More to the point, how could we continue his work as he hoped, and as he invited us?

     Far from being a farewell, Jesus’ ascension completes the journey of the Son to come to us, show us how to love and live, and invite us back into the dance and song of God, to join earth and heaven together once more.  So let us celebrate!

– Joseph

Sunday Readings 

June 1, 2014: Seventh Sunday of Easter
  Acts 1:6-14
 Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
I Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
John 17:1-11
___________________
June 8, 2014: Day of Pentecost 
Acts 2:1-21
 Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
I Corinthians 12:3b-13
John 20:19-23
 

The Ascension of Our Lord
Thursday, May 29
Holy Eucharist at 7:00 p.m.
A light reception will follow.

Capital Campaign Corner

     As of May 25, 2014, we have received cash or pledges equal to $73,620, which represents 40% of our goal of $182,000.

     The purpose of this campaign is to fully fund our restricted accounts and to establish a rainy day fund equal to two months of basic operating expenses.
  
     This will help us through the inevitable ups and downs of cash flow.  You may bring or mail your pledge card or donation to the church office, or simply put it in the offering plate on Sunday morning.  

     Please prayerfully consider a pledge or donation.

Bach Tage Events
May 31-June 1, 2014

Saturday, May 31, 4 pm – Bach Recital for Organ, David Cherwien, organist

Sunday, June 1 – Vespers with Bach Cantata 172, Erschallet, ihr Lieder
     All are invited – bring a friend!

Mount Olive Church Picnic June 22

     Mount Olive will have a Church Picnic this year on Sunday, June 22, from 3:00-7:00 p.m.  John and Patsy Holtmeier welcome all to their (spacious!) backyard at 601 Drillane Road in Hopkins.

     Games and hilarity for kids and adults will be held from 3:00-5:00 p.m., including a Bean Bag Tournament, Zip Line Run, lawn games, and more.  A potluck picnic will begin around 5:00 p.m., and the day will close with a hymn sing on the lawn.  All are invited!  Sign-up sheets for attendance, food prepara-tion, set up, etc. will be at church before and after the liturgy on June 1, 8, and 15.

     In the event of rain on the 22nd, a modified picnic will be held that day in the Undercroft from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Life Transitions Support Group

     Have you wished for a familiar place where you could find some reassurance, share your story, discover a simple skill or two that could help in those moments when you feel overwhelmed by life’s changes?
     Cathy Bosworth and Amy Cotter are facilitating a 4-week structured support group on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm, in the Youth Room.  Each week a brief educational component will be offered with time for you to share personally in a confidential, supportive setting.  Vicar Emily Beckering will offer guidance on the Lament Psalms, which we will use as a vehicle for prayer and healing.

Olive Branch Summer Publication Schedule

     During the summer months, The Olive Branch is published every other week.
This is the last weekly issue until after Labor Day.

     The next Olive Branch will be published on Wednesday, June 11.  Information for that issue is due in to the church office by Tuesday, June 10.

Book Discussion Group’s Upcoming Reads

For their meeting on June 14, the book discussion group will read, The Orphan Master’s Son, by Adam Johnson; and for the meeting on July 12, they will read, All Over but the Shoutin’, by Rick Bragg.

CoAM Mailing List

     TRUST is an interfaith coalition of south Minneapolis congregations serving families, youth, and seniors since 1970. Mount Olive is a part of this coalition!   Cooperative Adult Ministries (CoAM is a part of TRUST) which serves the needs and interests of seniors.  If you are interested in seeing what CoAM has to offer you, call their office and ask to be placed in their mailing list (612) 721-5786.

Coming Soon!    Summer A.C.T.S. (Adults, Children Teaming to Serve)  June 16 – July 17

     Mount Olive Neighborhood Ministries Summer Program this year is an opportunity for adults and youth from the congregation and community to work together on service projects in and for the community while building relationships, understanding critical social issues and learning from each other.  We need adult volunteers to make this program work!

     There will be two Teams of adults and youth.  Team 1 will work Mondays and Wednesdays; Team 2 will work Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Sessions will normally run from 10AM to 1:30 PM and include a light lunch. Adults can volunteer to work on a team with youth for any length of time – whatever fits into your schedule and most peaks your interest.

     Check out the activities and dates and sign up on the charts in the fellowship area.

From the Church Library

     Parents of young children will want to check out the display of 14 new DVDs for children in our library.  They are on display near the window for the next couple of weeks and then will be moved to the spinning media rack, where other DVDs are also available for check-out.

• Veggie Tales: God Made You Special
• Veggie Tales: Heroes of the Bible – 3 Stories in One (David and Goliath, Esther, and Daniel in the Lion’s Den)
• Veggie Tales: Heroes of the Bible – 3 Great Stories (Moses, Miriam, and Joseph)
• Veggie Tales: King George and the Ducky, and ‘Twas the Night Before Easter
• Veggie Tales: Duke and the Great Pie War  (a Lesson in Loving Your Family)
• Veggie Tales: Dave and the Giant Pickle (a Lesson in Self-Esteem)
• Veggie Tales: The League of Incredible Vegetables (a Lesson in Handling Fear)
• Veggie Tales: Larry Boy and the Rumor Weed (a Lesson in the Power of Words)
• Veggie Tales: King George and the Ducky (a Lesson about Selfishness)
• Veggie Tales: Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry’s Big River Rescue  (a Lesson in Helping Others)
• Veggie Tales: Big Stories for Little People (Little Ones Can Do Big Things Too!)
• Veggie Tales Live!  Sing Yourself Silly, featuring 18 live silly songs
• Veggie Tales: Sing a silly song, includes 20 hand-picked Silly Songs
• Gigi’s Big Break – Sheila Walsh’s Gigi, God’s Little Princess (a Lesson About Honesty and Loving Siblings)

     Just a reminder that along with one liturgy on Sundays during the summer months, the library’s Open Hours have also changed.  The library will be open and staffed 1/2 hour before the liturgy (9:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m.) and again 1/2 hour after the liturgy is over.

     Books for Africa is a non-profit organization which began 25 years ago with a mission of ending the book famine in Africa. They have collected and shipped 30 million books to students in 49 countries. This organization is still very active today.  An article in the April 26, 2014, Star Tribune detailed the organiza-tion’s walk from Taylor’s Falls to St. Paul, ending at the State Capitol steps. This was a fundraising effort to help send some 22,000 books to Somalia – a worthy project, indeed!  For further information or to support this effort, go to www.booksforafrica.org.

        The Mount Olive library ministry strives to teach children “the joy of books, fostering early literacy, and the inspiration that knowing Jesus is in their lives at all times, and is there for all ages as well.”
    Happy Summer Reading!
– Leanna Kloempken

Calling All Graduates!

     On Sunday, June 22, we will recognize and remember in prayer those who are graduating this spring … but we need to know who you are! If you are graduating from high school, college, or graduate school (or if your family member is), please call the church office with your name and the name of the school, so that your name can be included in the prayers.

     We would love to celebrate your achievement with you!

Coming Soon

Thursday, May 29: The Ascension of Our Lord – Holy Eucharist at 7:00 pm, followed by a light reception.

Saturday, May 31 – Bach Tage: Organ recital by David Cherwien at 4:00 pm

Sunday, June 1 – Bach Cantata Vespers, 4:00 pm.

Saturday, June 7 – Vigil of Pentecost, 7:00 pm

Sunday, June 8 – Day of Pentecost, Holy Eucharist with Celebration of
Confirmation at 9:30 am

Accent on Worship

The Witness of Paul
     In the first reading for this Sunday, Paul speaks to a crowd in Athens who has never heard of the God of Israel or what this God of all creation has done for them through Jesus Christ.

We need not travel to the other side of the world in order to encounter others who have not heard the good news. None of us would be hard-pressed to think of someone in our own lives who struggles to or has no desire to believe: a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker, a family member.

     We, like Paul, may find ourselves distressed that they do not share the same joy of knowing the love, forgiveness, and hope in the promises of the Triune God. We may also find ourselves, however, caught between the command that our Lord gives us to witness, and the fear of alienating others as we ourselves have witnessed happen time and time again in the name of Christ. We may also hesitate since we are keenly aware that we carry with us all of the positive and negative experiences that that person has ever had with another Christian. How then, and when, are we to share our faith? How are we to care for those in our lives who do not believe?

     The Apostle Paul gives us a very helpful model. He takes the time to observe and listen to the Athenians in order to understand their perspectives. Paul could not have referenced the altar with the inscription, “To an Unknown God” had he not taken the time to know his neighbors. He then starts his witness on the basis of common ground: how they understand the sacred. Although he speaks the truth about Jesus Christ, he does so by placing Christ in the Athenians’ own frame of reference.  

     Similarly, we are encouraged by Peter in this Sunday’s epistle: “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence” (1Pet. 3:15-16). The witness of Paul and Peter both is that we are to share the good news of Christ when it is requested of us and we are to do it with gentleness and respect for our neighbor’s own experiences and perspectives. Debate does not win hearts, only the truth spoken in love. All that we can do is share how God’s love has reached our own hearts, and then listen with our families, friends, and neighbors for how God has encountered them.

     What we do not get to hear from the lectionary’s reading of Acts is how the Athenians respond to Paul’s witness: some scoffed, others said, “We will hear you again about this,” but some of them joined him and became believers. The same will be true of our own witness, but the promise of this passage is that God is not far from each one of us. The Triune God was with the Athenians before Paul arrived and after he left. Whether or not they experience the joy of knowing it, those in our families, in our offices, and in our neighborhoods who do not yet believe are held—now and forever—by the One in whom we all live, and move, and have our being.

– Vicar Emily Beckering

Sunday Readings

May 25, 2014: Sixth Sunday of Easter
  Acts 17:22-31
 Psalm 66:8-20
I Peter 3:13-22
John 14:15-21
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June 1, 2014: Seventh Sunday of Easter
  Acts 1:6-14
 Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
I Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
John 17:1-11
 

Summer worship Schedule begins this Sunday, May 25. 
One Eucharist, at 9:30 a.m., followed by coffee and fellowship

This Week’s Adult Forum 

May 25:   Bread for the World Offering of Letters

The Ascension of Our Lord
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Holy Eucharist at 7:00 p.m.
A light reception will follow

1 Thessalonians Bible Study

     The final Thursday Bible study series before summer began on Thursday, May 8, and runs for six Thursdays through June 12.

     Meeting in the Chapel Lounge from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Vicar Emily Beckering will lead a study of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians.

     There will be a light supper when we begin.  If you are interested in providing the supper for our first study, please notify Vicar Beckering. All are welcome!

Mount Olive Church Picnic June 22

     Mount Olive will have a Church Picnic this year on Sunday, June 22, from 3:00-7:00 p.m.  John and Patsy Holtmeier welcome all to their (spacious!) backyard at 601 Drillane Road in Hopkins.

     Games and hilarity for kids and adults will be held from 3:00-5:00 p.m., including a Bean Bag Tournament, Zip Line Run, lawn games, and more.  A potluck picnic will begin around 5:00 p.m., and the day will close with a hymn sing on the lawn.  All are invited!  Sign-up sheets for attendance, food preparation, set up, etc. will be held at church before and after the liturgy on June 1, 8, and 15.

     In the event of rain on the 22nd, a modified picnic will be held that day in the Undercroft from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Book Discussion Group News
For the June 14 meeting, the book discussion group will read, The Orphan Master’s Son, by Adam Johnson; and for the meeting on July 12, they will read, All Over but the Shoutin’, by Rick Bragg.

Register Now for Bach Tage!
May 31-June 1, 2014

     It’s not too late to register for the 8th annual Bach Tage!

     Visit Mount Olive’s homepage and click on the brochure download, or pick up a brochure at church and register soon!

A Note of Thanks

     Marilyn & Victor Gebauer would like to share this note of thanks, which they recently received regarding their friend, Larry Foster. Larry was recently on our prayer list and is now removed from that list:

“We are very appreciative of all the prayers that have been offered for Larry.  Since he has stabilized in the last little time and appears to be holding his own, perhaps you could extend our thanks to those who prayed for him.  Our heartfelt thanks to all who have had him in their prayers.  It has meant a great deal to both of us to think that people across the country who do not even know him would be willing to talk to God about his situation and pray for mercy and healing. What a blessing this has been.”

Life Transitions Support Group

     Caregiver? Chronic Illness?  Loss of home?  Loss of loved one?

     We each encounter a variety of losses throughout our lives.  Have you wished for a familiar place where you could find some reassurance, share your story, discover a simple skill or two that could help in those moments when you feel overwhelmed?

     Cathy Bosworth and Amy Cotter will serve as facilitators for a 4-week structured support group on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm, in the Youth Room.  Each week a brief educational component will be offered with time for you to share personally in a confidential, supportive setting.  Vicar Emily Beckering will offer guidance on the Lament Psalms, which we will use as a vehicle for prayer and healing.

Coming Soon!    Summer A.C.T.S. (Adults, Children Teaming to Serve)  June 16 – July 17

     Mount Olive Neighborhood Ministries Summer Program this year will be an opportunity for adults and youth from the congregation and community to work together on service projects in and for the community while building relationships, understanding critical social issues and learning from each other.

     There will be 2 Teams of adults and youth.  Team 1 will work Mondays and Wednesdays; Team 2 will work Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Sessions will normally run from 10AM to 1:30 PM and include a light lunch. Adults can volunteer to work on a team with youth for any length of time – whatever fits into your schedule and most peaks your interest. Here is a summary of each week’s activities:

June 16 and 18 or June 17 and 19: Help the Hungry – Globally and Locally

     Adults and youth will work together one day at Feed My Starving Children in Coon Rapids and one day at CES – Community Emergency Services at 19th and Franklin. At Feed My Starving Children, the team will hand pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children around the world while learning about worldwide hunger. At CES,  teams assist in meeting needs in  this community.

June 23 and 24 or June 25 and 26: Help a Neighborhood Build Pride in Community/Learn Neighborhood Activism Skills
     Adults and youth will divide into small teams to walk an assigned area of Ventura Village, identifying and documenting graffiti then completing the process preparing mailings to private owners and reporting graffiti found on public property to the County’s Sentencing to Serve program. Each team will also walk part of Franklin Avenue, picking up trash and recycling.

June 30 and July 2 or July 1 and 3: Help and Learn from Senior Citizens in the Community, Learn about Services to Seniors   (Two options this week )
     Option One – Adults and youth will work on arts and crafts projects together with senior citizens at the Sabathani Senior Center at 310 East 38th Street.
     Option Two –Adults and youth will work as volunteers with NIP (Neighborhood Improvement Program) Seniors Program and will be assigned to help a senior citizen in the community with yard upkeep. This might include weeding, mowing, raking, watering or other outside projects.

July 7 and 9 or July 8 and 10: Learn and Practice Skills to Respond to Medical Emergencies at Home and in the Community 
     Adults and youth will learn and practice skills in responding to medical emergencies that may require CPR, infant CPR or the use of an AED.  A Certified instructor will teach the American Red Cross Friends and Family Course. Minneapolis Fire Department Risk Prevention team will address fire risks, fire prevention and provide other fire-related information.

July 14 and 16 or July 15 and 17: Experience Turning Scrap into Creative Expression, Landfill into Learning, Waste in Art 
     Adults and youth will work together here at the church with an artist from Art Start, Inc. to create art and useful items for our undercroft, particularly for use during the community meals.  This will be a unique opportunity to work with an art professional.

Friday, July 18th – The Grand Finale! 
     All participants are invited to join in a celebration of the summer’s activities, share a noon meal and be present for the unveiling of the art work completed by the teams and the artist.
     Adult volunteers can sign up on poster boards available beginning this Sunday or by calling Connie Toavs, Interim Coordinator of Neighborhood Ministries. There is space for at least 4 adults each day.  We need a daily “kitchen manager” to assist youth workers in serving a cold lunch. Some drivers will be needed to pick up youth in South Mpls. who have no transportation to the church or to drive to work sites. Children, grandchildren or friends of the congregation, ages 10-14, are also welcome to join the youth workers and earn a small weekly stipend.

Questions? Call Connie Toavs at church, 612-827-5919.