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
___________________
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.

Accent on Worship 

    It’s no secret that very recently close to 50 of us from Mount Olive attended the dedicatory events for a new organ built by Lynn Dobson at Merton College in Oxford England.  It’s a wonderful installation and the organ fits the choir and liturgy there like a glove.  We attended several liturgies and the dedicatory recital.

     Refreshed in my experience is the appreciation for the Anglican tradition for Psalm singing.  Four-part chant sung by the choir,  often accompanied by the organ, is extremely expressive of the text.  At Merton College, the dynamic contrast and the musical setting is chosen to reflect the meaning and mood of the words.  One can’t help but notice the words, and it was always clear through listening if what was being expressed were words of comfort, or shaking our fists at God as the Psalms often do.    It was obvious that they always approached the Psalms thoughtfully and thoroughly prepared – fully aware of the meaning of these ancient prayers which are still sung by the people of God today.

     In liturgies here at Mount Olive, the practice is a bit different.  Our vocal participation is important, and so most of the time the entire assembly sings all of the verses in some form or another.  On occasion an antiphon is sung – by all, or perhaps by the choir.  Some times we sing the verses to a unison chant line – either from the ELW (pages 337-378),  a version of a Gregorian psalm tone,  or a tone composed by your Cantor (me).  Sometimes we sing Anglican four-part chant settings as we did last Sunday for Psalm 23.

     One thing can (and should) be the same between what we do here and what one can hear in England and most Anglican liturgies:  thoughtful expression. The British choirs get the luxury of the rehearsal to determine which
words are the important ones, and which syllables will receive more weight for meaningful expression.

     As a congregation we don’t have a rehearsal, but we do have the opportunity to notice what we are singing and we can reflect the meaning in how we are singing these texts.  Are we singing of comfort (“the Lord leads me beside still waters” –Ps. 23 from last week)?  Or are we singing something stronger:  (“Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag and my stronghold” – Ps. 31 for this Sunday)?  Our voices can reflect each differently, or at the minimum, we can simply be aware of the differences.

     So here is the invitation:  notice the words.  Ask that famous question, “What does this mean?” and do not be afraid to reflect that meaning in your singing.  It renders the invitation contagious.

– Cantor David Cherwien

Sunday Readings

May 18, 2014: Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 7:55-60
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
I Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14
___________________

May 25, 2014: Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 17:22-31
Psalm 66:8-20
I Peter 3:13-22
John 14:15-21
 

This Week’s Adult Forum 

May 18:   “The Filioque in the Nicene Creed,” presented by Pastor Crippen

Guest Choir This Sunday

This Sunday, May 18, Mount Olive is pleased to welcome the Youth Choir of All Saints Lutheran Church in  Minnetonka,  and their director Jim Hild, for the 10:45 Eucharist.  They are on a mini-tour, experiencing liturgy in different contexts. Their music will be integrated into the liturgy this Sunday.

1 Thessalonians Bible Study

     The final Thursday Bible study series before summer began on Thursday, May 8, and will continue 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!

The Ascension of Our Lord
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Holy Eucharist
7:00 p.m.

New Members to be Received This Sunday!

     New members will be received at Mount Olive on May 18, 2014, at the 10:45 a.m. liturgy.  A welcome brunch will follow the liturgy. All are invited to attend!

Rolling Out a Word of Thanks

     Thank you to everyone who donated money and toilet paper to Community Emergency Services during the Children and Family sponsored coffee hour on Sunday, May 4.  We raised $200.00 and collected 200 rolls of toilet paper.

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.

Adult Education Offerings Through May

May 18 – The “Filioque in the Nicene Creed, presented by Pastor Crippen
May 25 – Bread for the World Campaign of Letters

Attention Needleworkers!

     Do you have UFOs in your closet? Most needleworkers have at least one unfinished object lurking somewhere in the house.

     Some of the prayer shawl makers have decided to rid themselves of the guilt and clutter of some of their projects. We will meet at Mount Olive on Monday, May 19 from 9 am to 3 pm to complete, or at least get a good start on completing some of those projects. We can work on our own and also help each other.

     Bring a bag lunch and your crocheting, knitting, quilting, cross stitch, needlepoint – whatever project you have – and see if you can get one done!

Sign Up to Bring Tutoring Snacks

     Check out the snack sign-up sheet for Way to Goals Tutoring in the lower level.  Snacks for approximately 25 youth and tutors are needed on Tuesday evenings through May 27.  Your help is very much appreciated!

Life Transitions Support Group to Begin This Evening

     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?

       Beginning May 14, join us for a four-week structured support group at Mount Olive.  Cathy Bosworth and Amy Cotter will serve as facilitators for this group on Wednesday evenings.  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.  The group will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Youth Room.

     If you are interested in attending, or have questions, please contact Marilyn Gebauer (612-306-8872, email gebauevm@bitstream.net) or call the church office.

Sign Up for Altar Flowers  

     All members and friends of Mount Olive are invited to donate flowers for our Sunday liturgies.
     The cost per week is $50. You may sign up for either the full cost (both bouquets) by writing your name and the occasion on both lines on the chart, or for half the cost, (just one of the two bouquets), by writing the information on just one  of the two lines provided.

     The sign-up chart is on the wall to the left of the door to the church office, near the elevator and restrooms.

     Questions? Contact Naomi Peterson (612-824-2228), or talk to Cha Posz, Mount Olive’s administrative assistant.

Capital Campaign Corner

Pledges or gifts to date:  $58,000.
Percent of $182,000 Goal:  32%
Number of households making pledges/donations to date:  38

     Remember to submit your pledge or gift to the office or place it in the offering plate during Sunday morning worship.   Your gift will support a variety of ministries through designated funds, and help us build a cash reserve for “rainy days.”

Getting to Know You …

     Get better acquainted with our Interim Neighborhood Ministries coordinator, Connie Toavs, after liturgy on Sunday, May 25.  (Remember that we have only one liturgy at 9:30 that day.)

     Connie will share information about her past experiences in social justice and her current work with Mount Olive. Treats will be served.

Coming Soon! Summer A.C.T.S. 
(Adults, Children Teaming to Serve)

     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 the community while building relationships and learning from each other.

     The program will run four half-days a week, June 16 through July 18  (10 am to 1:30 pm, including a light lunch).   Youth ages 10 to 14 can work for five weeks, two half-days a week on either Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays and earn $30/week.  Adults can volunteer to work on a team with youth for any length of time – whatever fits into your schedule.  Each week we will focus on a different community project – food needs, neighborhood activism, needs of Seniors in the community, health and fire safety needs at home and in the community, and the use of items that would otherwise end up in landfills to create art for our undercroft. The project will culminate on July 18 with a celebration meal and an unveiling of the art projects for all A.C.T.S. participants.
 
     Do you have a child, grandchild or friend who would like to work this summer, earn a little cash, and learn about service at the same time?  Would you like to take two half-days off work and be a part of the action?  Are you available this summer and looking for a way to serve?

     Check The Olive Branch next week for a brief description of each week’s activity and information on how to sign up to be a part of A.C.T.S.

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

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

     All are invited to register for the 8th annual Bach Tage! Singers and Bach enthusiasts from around the Midwest gather to learn, hear, sing, and present the music of J.S. Bach. This year, Kathy Romey will lead trumpets, timpani, strings, soloists, and choir for the exhuberant Cantata 172, Erschallet, ihr lieder.

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

Foundation’s Gift Sets New Record

     Last month, Mount Olive Lutheran Church Foundation presented its annual gift to the Church.  As in recent years, the $29,902.54 sum is the largest in the Foundation’s history.  Having studied the Vestry’s nearly $49,000 in funding requests,  the Foundation’s Board of Directors recommended that its gift be apportioned as follows:

Conference on Liturgy $3,500.00
Bach Tage $4,000.00
Scholar in Residence $1,500.00
Accounting Software $2,500.00
Vault Shelving $500.00
Video Equipment $3,425.00
Jobs After School $2,000.00
Diaper Depot $2,500.00
Property Needs $9,977.54

TOTAL $29,904.54

     Over its history, the Foundation now has given over $305,000 to the church.  Your gifts, during and after your lifetime, will enable the Mount Olive Foundation to support our church even more significantly in the future.  To learn more about providing for the Foundation through a will provision, retirement account designation or other gift options, please contact Keith Bartz at (612) 823-3572 or by email to albsinmpls@yahoo.com, or speak with another Foundation board member:  Dixie Berg, Michael Edwins, Elaine Halbardier, Reid Peterson, Mark Ruff or Doug and Pat Spaulding.

Sheep with a Shepherd

     Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Sunday of the Good Shepherd.  Each year the readings for this Sunday focus on the shepherding care of the Triune God for us, and the Gospel readings are three different parts of John 10, the chapter where Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd.  Each year we sing Psalm 23, the beloved psalm of trust in the LORD God our Shepherd.  We love this image of the Good Shepherd.

     But do we really want to be called sheep?  We’ve all heard sermons and Sunday school classes which told us that sheep are dirty, stupid, impulsive, smelly.  They don’t mind, can be easily misled, and aren’t capable of taking care of themselves.  Is this really a description we want to embrace for ourselves?  It’s kind of offensive.

     Isn’t it awfully passive as well?  We don’t need to take responsibility for ourselves because, well, we’re sheep.  We can’t help it.  If we are seeking faithful discipleship, which I think we are, it’s hard to see how the metaphor of a sheep helps us at all.

     Maybe it doesn’t in that part of our lives of faith.  Maybe it has nothing to say about the way of discipleship and growth.  But maybe that’s not the point.  There are lots of places and ways Jesus and the writers of the New Testament call us to faithful discipleship, active growth and responsibility, to lives of love and service.  There is much to which we are called that is beyond a sheep metaphor.  Because no image can fully convey what we want to say.

     What the sheep image does is really simple: it reminds us that ultimately we are not in control, of our lives or of the world, but that we are in the care of a Good Shepherd who is capable of taking care of us, and who loves us enough to die for us. “Sheep” doesn’t have to be our only self-image, and in fact it shouldn’t be.

     Maybe we love the Sunday of the Good Shepherd because sometimes we are lost, afraid, we think we’re not very smart, we worry about a lot of things, and we can’t always find ways to care for ourselves.  Not always, no.  But sometimes.  And in those times it’s very good news to know that we have a Good Shepherd who loves us, guides us in right paths, feeds us, walks with us in dark valleys, and leads us to life eternal.

     A very good thing indeed.

Joseph

Sunday Readings

May 11, 2014: Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 2:42-47
Psalm 23
I Peter 2:19-25
John 10:1-10
___________________

May 18, 2014: Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 7:55-60
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
I Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14

This Week’s Adult Forum 

May 11:  Mother’s Day Recital, presented by the youth of Mount Olive.

1 Thessalonians Bible Study

     The final Thursday Bible study series before summer begins on Thursday, May 8 (tomorrow!), 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!

The Ascension of Our Lord
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Holy Eucharist
7:00 p.m.

Meals on Wheels

     Thanks to the following Mount Olive volunteers who delivered Meals on Wheels for TRUST during the first quarter of 2014: Gary Flatgard, Art & Elaine Halbardier, and Bob Lee.

New Members to be Received May 18

     New members will be received at Mount Olive on May 18, 2014, at the 10:45 a.m. liturgy.  A welcome brunch will follow the liturgy.

     If you are not a member and are interested in becoming more fully involved in the life of the parish, we invite you to let us know of your interest.  You may call the church office to begin the process. If you prefer, you may contact our Evangelism Director, Andrew Andersen, at andrewstpaul@gmail.com, or you may contact Pastor Crippen by calling the church office (612-827-5919) or via e-mail at pastor@mountolivechurch.org

Supper for Study Needed!

     We are still in need of a volunteer to provide the supper for the first session of Bible study together on 1 Thessalonians tomorrow, May 8. A very light meal is all that is needed. If you plan to attend the Bible study tomorrow evening and would be able to bring this first supper, please contact Vicar
Beckering. Thank you!

Action for Health in the Americas (AHA)—EPES—Karen Anderson

  It isn’t often that we at Mount Olive get to be a part of improving health on two continents as once. That’s what we are doing with our mission support for AHA/EPES and ELCA missionary Karen Anderson as they take popular education for health to scale, sharing what was learned in Chile with community health care workers from Kenya. In February EPES hosted the fifth international health training course, training workers from over 15 countries.

  In 2012, we met Karen Anderson and she spoke to us about her work in training community health workers in the heart of Santiago, Chile.  She began her work 30 years ago as an ELCA missionary. She soon realized that health care needed to be locally based, not just internationally supported. She began training women to conduct health visits throughout the community.  The model was so successful that her organization was asked to train others.

  How is Mount Olive involved? We are involved in our regular mission budget in two ways.

  First, beginning this year, we are directly sponsoring Karen Anderson as one of the two ELCA missionaries we support. (The other is Phillip Knutson in South Africa.)

  The work is carried out by EPES (Educacion Popular En Salud, translated to Popular Education for Health).  The funding arm for EPES in the United States is AHA—Action for Health in the Americas.  EPES/AHA has been designated one of the seven budgeted mission projects that we support.

  Mission giving at Mount Olive is wonderfully and beautifully complicated—we give 4% of our total annual budget for global missions. In addition we forward your “blue envelope” contributions directly to the missions you have designated, above and beyond the budgeted amount. It is exciting to be a part of a committee and congregation that so thoughtfully participates in the global Christian community.

Attention Needleworkers!

     Do you have UFOs in your closet? Most needleworkers have at least one unfinished object lurking somewhere in the house.

     Some of the prayer shawl makers have decided to rid themselves of the guilt and clutter of some of their projects. We will meet at Mount Olive on Monday, May 19 from 9 am to 3 pm to complete, or at least get a good start on completing some of those projects. We can work on our own and also help each other.

     Bring a bag lunch and your crocheting, knitting, quilting, cross stitch, needlepoint – whatever project you have – and see if you can get one done!

A Note of Thanks

     I wish to thank all who have helped me during my knee surgery and recovery; those who have prayed for me and also those who have helped me in hands-on sorts of ways. God bless you!
Mount Olive is truly a care-giving congregation!

-Carol Austermann

Sign Up to Bring Tutoring Snacks

     Check out the snack sign-up sheet for Way to Goals Tutoring in the lower level.  Snacks for approximately 25 youth and tutors are needed on Tuesday evenings through May 27.  Your help is very much appreciated!

Life Transitions Support Group to Begin May 14

     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?

       Beginning May 14, join us for a four-week structured support group at Mount Olive.  Cathy Bosworth and Amy Cotter will serve as facilitators for this group on Wednesday evenings.  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.  The group will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Youth Room.

     If you are interested in attending, or have questions, please contact Marilyn Gebauer (612-306-8872, email gebauevm@bitstream.net) or call the church office.

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

     All are invited to register for the 8th annual Bach Tage! Singers and Bach enthusiasts from around the Midwest gather to learn, hear, sing, and present the music of J.S. Bach. This year, Kathy Romey will lead trumpets, timpani, strings, soloists, and choir for the exhuberant Cantata 172, Erschallet, ihr lieder.

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

Spring Grounds Clean Up

     Grab your rakes and gardening gloves and join us this Saturday, May 10, for the spring clean-up of the grounds of the church.  We will clean up garden beds and get them ready for new mulch, pick up trash, and get the lawns ready for summer.  Coffee will be available starting at 8:30 am and we will work until around Noon.

     Come when you can and stay as long as your schedule permits.  Please bring your garden hand tools, rakes, shovels, and whatever other gardening tools you might find helpful.

An Update From Jessinia

Hello Mount Olive! I am currently back in Minnesota. Thank you for all of your prayers. I have been serving and learning in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic with SCORE International for the past 8 months. If there is one word that would sum up my time it is ‘growing’. This is also quite fitting for the time of year. Thank you for holding on to winter a bit longer so I am now able to see the trees budding and tulips poking out of the dirt. Like springtime, this past year has been a time of growth in my life.

     I was poured into by the teachers and missionaries in the Dominican Republic. Tuesday through Friday I attended Spanish and Bible classes. I can now say I am bilingual and close to fluent. I can also say that my faith has grown deeper, my roots growing deeper into the Word of God. I had classes such as apologetics, soteriology, Old Testament history, Genesis, 1&2 Peter and many others. I know who I am in Christ and what that means for my life now.

     On Mondays I traveled to the nearby village of San Jose where a missionary family has planted a church, clinic and school. I have seen their ministry grow as they now are planting another church in a different village. While there, I worked with the preschool. The teacher, Evelyn, is the first and only college graduate in the village and came back after school to start this preschool. Two other girls and I worked with Evelyn to help plan activities as well as establish a schedule and a disciplining system. We worked closely with another missionary who has a teaching background, and she helped us guide Evelyn to create an effective place of learning for these children. Evelyn will now help train another woman to start a new preschool in the village where the new church plant will be happening soon. It was (again) a growing experience to work with Evelyn and the preschool students.      This has been a wonderful experience for me. I have fallen in love with the Dominican culture, the Spanish language and missionary work. I will be returning to the Dominican Republic on May 27th to do a 2 month internship with the child sponsorship program. This program takes all of the children in the two orphanages and the feeding/after-school center and allows them to be supported financially by Americans. I will work alongside Adrienne, an American missionary and director of child sponsorship, to help her with whatever she needs. Most likely that will look like translating letters from sponsors, taking pictures of the kids, updating their stories, and working on the website. I will be living in Quisqueya in the living quarters of the feeding/after-school center named Emanuel House.

     I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to live in the DR for a little while longer and work in a different part of the country. Thank you to those who have kept me in their prayers. Here are some specific prayer requests: For the town of Quisqueya and those I may come into contact with there. For the children I am working with, that they may each have sponsors to support them financially and spiritually. For my Spanish to continue to improve through translating and conversations. For the relationships I am building there; that they may encourage and build me up and vice versa. For the continued growth of my faith and reliance on God for my strength. That the light of Christ will shine through me.

Blessings,
Jessinia Ruff 
(daughter of Mark and Lisa)

TRUST News

CoAM Life Enrichment Series
  CoAM (Cooperative Adult Ministry) offers a Life Enrichment Series for Lifelong Learning, providing learning and social opportunities for adults in the South Minneapolis area. The current series is on Mondays (through May 19), from 9:30-11:50 am at Bethel Lutheran Church, 17th Ave. and 42nd St.).  Brochures about the series are available on the table in the church office.

TRUST Annual Plant Sale & Swap 
This Saturday, May 10, 8:00 am – Noon, Bethlehem Lutheran Church parking lot (4100 Lyndale Ave. S.)
• Swap your plants for new ones – bring in by 10:00 am & receive a discount on new plants (not available for Pletscher’s plants);
• Buy homegrown perennials, annuals,  and groundcover;
• Get advice from Master Gardeners;
• Raise money for TRUST’s programs.

Questions or want to donate plants? Call TRUST at 612-827-6159.