Accent on Worship

     We’re at the gate.

     It’s a week of high drama.  We’re going to be together a lot, again rehearsing the steps that bring us to the next gate:  the fulfillment of the baptismal promise of new and everlasting life.

     In a normal schedule, our weekly Sunday liturgies are a time to recharge the faith batteries so that we can go back to our lives and contexts carrying out what we’ve learned and live the values we have professed.  Not as easy as it sounds.  We’re here for one morning, then go about our work/play for the remaining 6 ½ days.  Easy to forget.

     Holy Week is our time to almost reverse that pattern.  We should spend a half day out “in the world” and the rest here.  This could be our super battery charge that needs to last us not only 6 ½ days, but forever.  It’s reigniting our trust in the promise that we won’t need to fear the worst of fears: death itself.

     The week’s journey is a reminder that this is no simple endeavor.  It does mean death.  Following Christ means going through things we’d probably rather not do, and we’d consider joining Peter in saying, “Who?”  Death is indeed a reality, as is pain, suffering and sometimes terrifying reality of decision making.  (To follow, or . . . not).

     We have liturgies every day during Holy Week.  Monday through Wednesday at noon, a prayer service is offered.  (Even if you’re not there, we’re praying for you).  At the center of the day – a trek here puts prayer at the core of the day, the core of daily life.

     Thursday is the family meal – and we make an effort to bring as many here who might otherwise have difficulty getting to an evening service.

     Friday noon is a most dramatic and powerful prayer service – Stations of the Cross – with its improvised organ interpretations of each station and hymn stanza.  The room gradually fills with smoke as the story builds to its climax – the death on the cross.  During that service, the organ goes silent until the Easter proclamation.

     Friday evening we return – for the liturgy of the adoration of the cross, and the powerful reproaches from the cross: “Oh my people, what have you done to me?”

     Saturday, of course, is the high drama of the Easter Vigil – the stories told of God’s saving grace  in the starkness of the darkened room – with our re-commitment of our baptismal vows,  and the explosion of praise at the Easter proclamation.  After this, we gather socially to celebrate with champagne and food!  Why not? We have something exciting to celebrate!

     Then … we come back Sunday for more!  All with a feeling of happy tired.  If all that doesn’t re-charge us, what will?

     See you.  Again, and again, and again, and again.  How about eight days in a row?  Maybe your friends and co-workers you’re with all week will do as the Exodus story wonders in Thursdays readings when you say “Gotta go”:  they might ask “why” do you do this?    Ah…..There’s the chance to explain.

– Cantor David Cherwien

Sunday Readings

March 24, 2013 – Sunday of the Passion
Isaiah 50:4-9a + Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11 + Luke 22:14—23:56

March 31, 2013 – Resurrection of Our Lord
Isaiah 65:17-25 + Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
I Corinthians 15:19-26 + Luke 24:1-12

Paschal Garden

     Members of the Worship Committee will be on hand for one more Sunday, March 24 (Palm Sunday) between the liturgies, to receive your donations to purchase Easter flowers for this year’s Paschal Garden.

Holy Week Worship Schedule

Sunday, March 24: Sunday of the Passion
 Holy Eucharist at 8:00 and 10:45 am

Monday, March 25: Monday in Holy Week
 Daily Prayer at 12:00 noon, in the side chapel of the nave, near the columbarium

Tuesday, March 26: Tuesday in Holy Week
 Daily Prayer at 12:00 noon, in the side chapel of the nave, near the columbarium

Wednesday, March 27: Wednesday in Holy Week
 Daily Prayer at 12:00 noon, in the side chapel of the nave, near the columbarium

Thursday, March 28: Maundy Thursday
 Holy Eucharist at 7:00 pm

Friday, March 29: Good Friday
 Stations of the Cross at 12:00 noon
 Adoration of the Cross at 7:00 pm

Saturday, March 30: Holy Saturday
 Lumen Christi: The Easter Vigil, at 8:30 pm, followed by a festive reception

Sunday, March 31: Resurrection of Our Lord
 Festival Holy Eucharist at 8:00 and 10:45 am

Need A Ride During Holy Week?     

We know that several in our community find it difficult to travel to church for evening liturgies for a variety of reasons. We’d like to help! If you need a ride to Maundy Thursday Eucharist (7:00 p.m.) or any other liturgies of Holy Week, just let us know and we will find a ride for you. Simply call the church office (612-827-5919) or Warren Peterson (952-935-9262). Also, if you are willing to offer a ride to someone who needs one, please call the church office.

Semi-annual Congregation Meeting to be Held Sunday, April 28

     The Vestry has announced the date of the April semi-annual congregation meeting to be Sunday, Apr. 28, after the second liturgy.  Among the items on the agenda will be election of officers and directors, whose terms will begin on July 1.  Any wishing to suggest names to the nominating committee for the positions of president, vice-president, secretary, and directors of congregational life, evangelism, or neighborhood ministries are encouraged to contact Adam Krueger, congregational president.

     Also on the agenda are several constitutional and bylaw amendments presented to the congregation by the Vestry, attached to this Olive Branch as a separate document.  The first page, the constitutional amendments, is a second hearing of amendments presented and approved at the October semi-annual meeting.  Should these be approved again, with at least a 2/3 majority of those present and voting, they will be formally ratified.  The second pages are bylaw amendments which only need the one hearing and vote at this meeting.  Included in these amendments are bylaws establishing a business and finance committee, directed by the treasurer, and some corrective edits to several directors’ bylaws.

March is Minnesota FoodShare Month!

     It’s not too late to donate cash or groceries to the local food shelf during Minnesota FoodShare month in March. A donation of money more than doubles the amount of food available to food shelves, because food shelves can purchase food at discounted prices.  If you choose to give in this way, make your check payable to Mount Olive and write Food Shelf on the memo line. If you prefer to donation non-perishable groceries, they may be brought to the cart in the coat room.

Music & Fine Arts Event Date Revision

     The Uptown Brass Quintet will appear in concert at Mount Olive on April 21, 4:00 p.m. (not April 14, as previously published!).

     These brass virtuosos are all members of the Minnesota Orchestra and will present an exciting concert of gorgeous brass sonorities featuring great music ranging from Bach to Piazolla.

Book Discussion Group

     For the April 13 meeting the Book Discussion group will discuss In the Company of the Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant.  For the May 11 meeting we will discuss Children of God by Mary Doria Russell.  This is the sequel to her novel The Sparrow which we read earlier.

Night on the Street

     On Friday night April 19, Peter Crippen and Eric Manuel and their mothers, along with members of Trust Youth group and more than 400 other teens from 30 Twin Cities congregations, have committed to spend the night in a church parking lot near downtown Minneapolis to learn about youth  homelessness. Together they will learn what life is like for teens on the street.

• How do homeless teens make it from day to day?
• What resources are available to them?
• What can be done to help those who have no place to call home?

     For that evening, they will stand in a soup line for dinner and spend the night sleeping outside in cardboard boxes.

     They are doing this not only to increase awareness of youth homelessness, but also to raise money to help in efforts to end the problem. Participants been asked to raise enough funds to provide one week’s worth of safe and supportive services for a homeless youth. That’s $140.00 for seven days!

     If you are able to help us meet that goal, please see Peter or Eric on Sunday  morning, or drop off a check in the church office, payable to Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, with “Night on the Street” in the memo line.  

     All donations to A Night on the Street will go to Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, a faith-based nonprofit housing organization. The event has corporate sponsors, so every dollar we raise will go directly to serving the youth!

Visioning

     At Mount Olive we have just completed a successful multi-year Capital Campaign, Pastor Crippen is well into his third year as our pastor and has a strong sense of who and where we are, and our Neighborhood Ministry Coordinator, Donna Neste, has announced her retirement in 2014.  This is the time to discern God’s vision for our shared ministry in this neighborhood and the world.  Listed here are opportunities for you to gather as community so the heart and soul of Mount Olive can discern what God would have us do in this place at this time.

     To Pray and Gather for 3 congregational meetings this spring:  We ask each member to pray for this process over the next few months and participate in three congregational meetings to build community around our vision process.  Come together after the second liturgy on April 7 and May 5 and the only liturgy on June 2.  A light lunch will be served.

• On April 7 we will create a time-line of our history in this place with the neighborhood.  We need the memory of those who have been here many years as well as the questions and insights of those who have become members more recently.
• On May 5 we will identify our core values that will help us determine how to move forward in the process.
• On June 2 we will hear a report from our community observers and community interviewers and then actively brainstorm ideas about God’s vision for our future as God’s people in this place.

     To Listen and Observe:  We need members to go to pre-determined locations around the church’s neighborhood in groups of three to observe what they see and hear and then meet in someone’s home and pray together.  We call these members  Community Observers because they will not speak to others, just observe.  We are asking them to commit to 2-3 visits as a group between April 14 and May 12.  The purpose is to simply observe and pray, to let your eyes and heart be open, not judge or find a solution.  We need 90 volunteers (30 groups of 3)!

     To Listen and Interview:  We need members to interview identified community leaders about what they see in and hope for the neighborhoods around Mount Olive.  We call these members Community      
Interviewers and are asking them to commit to 2 visits between April 14 and May 12.  Sample interview questions will be provided.  The purpose is to understand what is being offered and what gifts and challenges they see.  We need 25 volunteers!

     On April 14 there will be training for all Community Interviewers and Community Observers after 2nd service from 12:30 to 1:30 pm.  A light lunch will be served.

     Sign-up sheets for all of these activities are at the church office with a more detailed job description.  Or please talk with any member of the vision team.

     There are also copies of the neighborhood report that we commissioned the Precept Group to do for us around the church and parish house (narthex, reception areas, chapel lounge, office) or ask a team member.  It shows faith preference, diversity, issues they care about, income level and more about the people who live within a two mile radius of the church.

     It is exciting to think about being deliberate in seeking what God has planned for Mount Olive, her people, and our neighborhoods.  Won’t you be a part of discovering what that might be and how it could look for our life together? Plan now to join us!

– Team members: Andrew Andersen, Judy Hinck, Adam Krueger, Connie Marty, Peter Tressel, Carol Austermann;  Staff members: Pastor Crippen, David Cherwien, Donna Neste.

Mount Olive Friendly Phone Call Ministry

     A new congregational ministry at Mount Olive is about to begin, developed by the Congregational Life and Neighborhood Ministries Committees. The ministry is intended to help the congregation keep in closer contact with members who have difficulty getting to church or who are living alone.

     We are in process of identifying people who might like to receive a call on occasion and those who would act as callers. If you are a person who would enjoy receiving a regular phone call and would enjoy staying in touch with a member of the congregation, or if you would like to be a caller, I’d like to hear from you.

     To participate, please call Sue Ellen Zagrabelny at 763-420-8377 or you may contact her by email at skatzny@yahoo.com.

Accent on Worship

A Reason to Worship

     There is a group on Facebook for ELCA clergy, and as much as I’d like to participate, I can’t read a single post and its comments without getting so frustrated I leave the post.  Typically people post questions of theology or practice, and seek responses or conversation with other ELCA clergy, which sounds good in theory.  But in practice, there’s always someone who gets sarcastic or snotty in their comments and dismissive of the one who posted, or commonly, of leadership in the ELCA.  It’s very tiresome.

     In the last week or so, someone posted a question about the liturgy of adoration of the cross, and wondered how people in the readers’ congregations did this, did they kneel, prostrate themselves, touch or kiss the cross, none of the above, or what?  It was a good question, and I almost posted an answer that at Mount Olive all of these things can be seen at our Good Friday liturgy when I saw that someone else posted just about the same thing.  I didn’t need to be redundant.

     Then I looked down the list of comments and saw: “I don’t care for such ‘man-made’ things,” a commenter who went on to mock even the conversation.  And there it was.  A posting dismissing what is valuable to the spiritual life of other Christians, even other Lutherans.  One can almost set one’s clock by such regularity.  In this case it was the dismissal of another congregation’s worship life based on some sense that the commenter had a “pure” worship, untainted by any human choice.  Of course, that can’t exist.  All our worship is human-made, though focused on God.

     But I thought of this as we consider on Sunday Mary of Bethany and her anointing of Jesus with perfume the value of which was the equivalent of nearly ten month’s wages for a daily laborer.  In John’s account Sunday, Judas complains that this could have been sold and the money given to the poor.  (Matthew and Mark both say “the disciples” complained.)  Mary is mocked for her act of devotion to her Lord, when in fact she may be the only one who’s paying attention to what’s about to happen.  This is on the verge of Holy Week, and Jesus has been foreshadowing his suffering and death, and the male disciples seem blithely unaware most times.  Mary, having just received her brother back alive from Jesus, decides to do an utterly extravagant and foolish thing.  She anoints Jesus with precious perfume, worth far too much.  But she does this because she is focused on Jesus, because he is her Lord, because she can sense something awful is about to happen, and because when you have the Lord with you, you worship him.

     We could learn from these disciples’ negative example when we consider other people and their worship.  Certainly our worship priorities and what we do at Mount Olive are easily mocked in some circles.  But how often do we do the same, criticizing others for their way of devotion?  Perhaps all Christians would do well to be silent when a Mary worships the Lord in a way we don’t understand or appreciate, and trust that perhaps she knows what to do when the Lord is near.

     At any rate, that’s where the Spirit seems to be leading me.  To remember that when we have the Lord with us all we can do is worship.  And to remember that others might express that worship in ways different from mine, and have different priorities.  But to rejoice that worship is happening all the same.  And perhaps the Spirit could help me, and us, find a little of Mary’s joyful extravagance as we consider worshipping the God who in Jesus has given us life and grace.

+ In Jesus’ name,
Joseph

Paschal Garden

     Members of the Worship Committee will be on hand this Sunday and next, March 17 and 24, between the liturgies, to receive your donations to purchase Easter flowers for this year’s Paschal Garden.

Sunday Readings

March 17, 2013 – Fifth Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 43:16-21 + Psalm 126
Philippians 3:4b-14 + John 12:1-8

March 24, 2013 – Sunday of the Passion
Isaiah 50:4-9a + Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11 + Luke 22:14—23:56

Midweek Lenten Worship
Wednesdays in Lent
Noon – Holy Eucharist
7:00 pm – Evening Prayer

This Sunday’s Adult Forum

     Sunday, March 17 – “Symbolism in Bach’s Mass in b minor,” presented by Art Halbardier.

Semi-annual Congregation Meeting to be Held Sunday, April 28

     The Vestry has announced the date of the April semi-annual congregation meeting to be Sunday, Apr. 28, after the second liturgy.  Among the items on the agenda will be election of officers and directors, whose terms will begin on July 1.  Any wishing to suggest names to the nominating committee for the positions of president, vice-president, secretary, and directors of congregational life, evangelism, or neighborhood ministries are encouraged to contact Adam Krueger, congregational president.

     Also on the agenda are several constitutional and bylaw amendments presented to the congregation by the Vestry, which were attached to this issue of The Olive Branch as a separate document in the weekly email.  The first page, the constitutional amendments, is a second hearing of amendments presented and approved at the October semi-annual meeting.  Should these be approved again, with at least a 2/3 majority of those present and voting, they will be formally ratified.  The second pages are bylaw amendments which only need the one hearing and vote at this meeting.  Included in these amendments are bylaws establishing a business and finance committee, directed by the treasurer, and some corrective edits to several directors’ bylaws.

Dusting and Polishing Day

     The Altar Guild will host a chancel-cleaning event Saturday, March 16 (tomorrow!), from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Bring your favorite duster and polishing rags, and help prepare our worship space for Holy Week and Easter. Questions? Contact Beth Gaede: bethgaede [at] comcast [dot] com.

Words for the Pilgrimage

Wednesdays in Lent: February 20, 27, March 6, 13, 20
• Noon – Holy Eucharist, followed by a soup and bread luncheon
• 6:00 p.m. – Soup, Bread, and Table Talk
• 7:00 p.m. – Evening Prayer

“Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”  Hebrews 12:1b-2a

     Christian believers have long likened our life of faith to a journey, a pilgrimage through this world.  On our Wednesdays this Lent we will explore words from an ancient sermon written to “the Hebrews.” These are words which use the same image, that of pilgrimage, and which provide guidance, direction, hope, and encouragement for this pilgrimage of life, as well as warnings and exhortations.  The book of Hebrews will be our companion on our journey, not a tour guide, but a fellow-traveler with us as we seek to live faithfully in this world as disciples.

     At noon, the preaching will be at the Eucharist; in the evening it will be during the soup supper, with conversation to follow.

Music & Fine Arts Event Date Revision

     Please note that the Uptown Brass will appear in concert at Mount Olive on April 21, 4:00 p.m. (not April 14, as previously published!).

     These five world-renowned brass virtuosos are all members of the Minnesota Orchestra and will present an exciting concert of gorgeous brass sonorities featuring great music ranging from Bach to Piazolla.

Book Discussion Group

     For the April 13 meeting the Book Discussion group will discuss In the Company of the Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant.  For the May 11 meeting we will discuss Children of God by Mary Doria Russell.  This is the sequel to her novel, The Sparrow, which we read earlier.

From the Vision Leadership Team

     A member of Mount Olive recently asked about our current “visioning” process after reading about it in The Olive Branch.  He said the very concept got him thinking about visions and wondering if there might be people in the congregation or known by members who see visions today.  It wouldn’t be surprising if there were.  There is a strong and long history in both Christian and Jewish tradition of God giving visions to select individuals in particular ways that edified and strengthened the Church.  Consider the prophet, Isaiah, or Hildegard von Bingen, a twelfth century Benedictine nun.

     “Isaiah, Mighty Seer of Old” is a powerful hymn to Isaiah’s vision of the throne room of God that continues to inspire Christians of all ages with its imagery and majesty.  Likewise the writings of Saint Hildegard have seen a remarkable rise in popularity in recent decades as people find themes in her visions that speak to many modern concerns: bringing science, art, and theology together; social justice and the duty of seeing that every person has opportunity to use their God-given talents; nature as God’s creation entrusted to our care to be used for our benefit but not to be mangled or destroyed.

     If there are people with even a hint of such vision in our midst, it is crucial to include what they “see” in Mount Olive’s visioning process.  The challenge, of course, is to engage them and provide opportunities to share their vision.  We may not know who they are or even whether they are.  They could be quite average or they might appear rather strange.  They may be heavily involved in parish life or somewhere on the fringes.  They may not even know themselves that God wants to use them in this way.

     We trust that God has a plan for Mount Olive and has important work for us do.  So we have committed to seek out opportunities for our people to catch and share their vision for what our ministries might look like.  We want each and every member to be involved in the process, allowing God to speak to us through prayer, Word, and Sacrament, observations of life in our neighborhoods, interviews with community leaders, and three focused congregational meetings.  Each of these will offer an opportunity for God-given visions to be shared, heard, and nurtured. Watch The Olive Branch in coming weeks for ways in which God might use you to reveal his vision for Mount Olive.

March is Minnesota FoodShare Month!

     It’s not too late to donate cash or groceries to the local food shelf during Minnesota FoodShare month in March. Minnesota Fooshare is the largest annual statewide food drive, mobilizing over 2,500 congregations, businesses, schools and civic organizations.   The Minnesota Council of Churches is just one of the sponsors of this annual event, which has a rich 31-year tradition celebrating the generosity of Minnesotans.  Hunger, however, is another fact of life in Minnesota.  According to Second Harvest, 100 million meals a year are missed by the citizens of this state.  Minnesota FoodShare serves 300 food shelves that in turn serve individuals and families in need of food.  The goal this year is $1 million in donated gifts.  A donation of money more than doubles the amount of food available to food shelves, because food shelves can purchase food at discounted prices.  If you choose to give in this way, make your check payable to Mount Olive and write Food Shelf on the memo line. If you prefer to donation non-perishable groceries, they may be brought to the cart in the coat room.

Have You Noticed?
Capital Campaign Tithe Display

     The current display in the Display case next to the Coat Room (between the church narthex and parish house) currently features information of an the last chapter of  Mount Olive’s most recent Capital Campaign, begun in 2007.  This effort, in which members and friends of the congregation raised over $1.1 million, made the renovated and welcoming spaces of the parish house, office spaces, and kitchens possible without incurring additional debt.  But in true Mount Olive fashion, the congregation chose to also set aside a tithe of the capital funds for use outside our walls.

     With $111,000 to share, it was decided to fund a few larger projects and multiple smaller projects and people and organizations were invited to submit requests to be reviewed by a team comprised of people from the Neighborhood Ministries and Mission committees as well as members from the congregation at-large.  The goal was to fund capital projects that embodied the ideals of the congregation and might also provide opportunities for future partnership with funded organizations.  Knowing that not all requests could be funded the application and review process was also seen as an opportunity to expand our knowledge of organizations serving God’s people both locally and internationally.

     The display case highlights the organizations that received funding as well as their response to your generosity.  A quick summary of the work these gifts enabled:

• Aliveness Project-a local agency serving persons living with HIV/AIDS is in the process of relocating and our gift was matched 100% to move them closer to the reality of occupying and furnishing these new spaces.

• Alliance Housing develops, owns and operates affordable housing in south Minneapolis.  Our gift will help furnish the apartments slated for East 26th and 17th Ave S.

• Bethania Kids is a long-time favorite mission of the congregation to the children of India.  Your funds to them are enabling them to open a new childcare center in the state of Orissa to provide medical and educational support and benefit to the people of this region.

• Common Hope, a mission to the people of Guatemala, received a grant to launch a new initiative that would assist families of young children provide the literacy skills necessary to succeed in school by providing training and children’s books.

• Division of Indian Work, Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches serves the social needs of urban American Indians while honoring their cultural traditions.  The funds they received enables them to update their computer lab used by young people to increase their technology and job skills.

• Lutheran Summer Music program received funds that allowed them to upgrade their again technology and broaden their reach to the youth of the church and also acquire a complete Bach Cantata collection that will serve not only as a resource to their ongoing work with youth, but also be available for loan to congregations unable to purchase music of this caliber of their own.

• Lutheran Social Services-seed funding to help build the Center for Changing Lives on Park Avenue.  This multi-function facility provides space for worship, meeting, and serving the needs of those who come to LSS for help.

• Minnesota without Poverty was granted funds to improve the Art Shoppe, a venture MOLC has been involved with from the start that enables artists to market their creations and realize an income from their work.  Funds will be used to make their store (in the Global Market near the church) more accessible for the artists and patrons alike.

• Our Saviour’s Community Services is another long-time partner with MOLC.  Their English Learning Center was in need of some new tables and updated materials to continue to be effective in helping adult immigrants and refugees gain fluency and increased independence and your gifts made that possible.

• St Paul Partners is a non-profit based in St Paul that enables the people of Tanzania to have universal access to safe water and health education.  Funds provided from the Capital Campaign Tithe have been dedicated to the construction of a new well in the Iringa Region of Tanzania.

     So on behalf of the countless lives touched by your generosity and compassion, in the moment and in the future, thank you.  Stop by the display case to read more about each of these projects as well as to hear from those who have benefited directly from this extraordinary effort.  To God alone be glory!

Liturgical Servers: Important Notice about Albs

     Acolytes, sacristans, assisting ministers, anyone who wears an alb, please check your alb’s condition.  Easter is coming and these garments need to be clean and wax-free, so let me know if yours is not.  If you are wearing alb #19, please let me know, because it needs to be replaced.

– Carol Austermann

National Lutheran Choir to Present Bach’s Mass in B Minor
Thursday, March 21, 2013 – 7:00pm
Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis

     Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B minor (BWV 232) stands as one of the landmark creations in music history. The work was among the last composed by Bach before his death in 1750. The Mass was never performed in its totality during Bach’s lifetime and it disappeared for much of the 18th century. Felix Mendelssohn, among others, was responsible for a revived interest in Bach’s work and so there were a number of performances of the entire Mass in the early 19th century.

     Soloists Susan Palo Cherwien (soprano), Susan Druck (alto), Matthew Anderson (tenor), Paul Max Tipton (baritone) and many of the region’s finest orchestra musicians will accompany us for this one-night-only performance.

     For ticket information, call 612-722-2301 or visit their website: www.nlca.com.  Don’t miss it!

Accent on Worship

Ambassadors of Grace

     One of the most important facets of the Christian life is the transformation of how we see the world around us in Christ.  How we see each other, what we literally see when we look at our neighbor, impacts how we react to the world around us.

     This week in II Corinthians Paul writes, “we regard no one from a human point of view.”  The phrase, “human point of view” comes from the Greek phrase kata sarka, which literally means, “with the flesh.”

     Paul explains to his readers in Corinth that we once knew Christ from a human point of view.  We knew Christ in the form of flesh and bone, we knew him as a carpenter and the son of Mary and Joseph. But now we see Jesus in a different way.   We now see Jesus as Messiah and Lord and as three in one God.  We see Jesus through the eyes of faith given to us by the Holy Spirit.  And if this Christian faith that we hold transforms the way we see Jesus, Paul says it equally transforms the way we see the world around us.

     In other words, in Christ we see people from an entirely new perspective that is outside the flesh, outside of our clothing styles, and outside of our jobs and social status and other identifiable markers.  More than just outward appearance, in Christ we begin to see people not as sinful creatures but as a forgiven and loved people whom Christ desperately and urgently seeks to reconcile.

     Paul then poses a question for us.  What if we became ambassadors of this love that we’ve received?  What if we became ambassadors of reconciliation and love instead of judges of the flesh?

     Too often Christianity is known for judgment of the outside world.  But when we realize we’ve lived in the flesh as the prodigal son did, who spent recklessly to our own detriment, and realize we’ve been embraced by the prodigal father, who recklessly gave us grace, then how can we but look on our neighbors with the same compassion that we were once given?

     Therefore, let us not act as judge of sin, but as ambassadors of the grace we have received in Christ Jesus!

– Vicar Neal Cannon

Sunday Readings

March 10, 2013 – Fourth Sunday in Lent
Joshua 5:9-12 + Psalm 32
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 + Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

March 17, 2013 – Fifth Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 43:16-21 + Psalm 126
Philippians 3:4b-14 + John 12:1-8

Midweek Lenten Worship
Wednesdays in Lent
Noon – Holy Eucharist
7:00 pm – Evening Prayer

This Sunday’s Adult Forum

     Sunday, March 10 – “The Exodus,” part 2 of a 2-part series, led by Dr. Earl Schwartz.

Dusting and Polishing Day

     The Altar Guild will host a chancel-cleaning event next Saturday, March 16, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Bring your favorite duster and polishing rags, and help prepare our worship space for Holy Week and Easter. Questions? Contact Beth Gaede: bethgaede [at] comcast [dot] com.

Lenten Bible Study: Practice Faith

     There are two weeks left of this six-week Bible study led by Vicar Neal Cannon on Thursday nights from 6-7 pm. It meets in the Chapel Lounge and a light supper is served. All are welcome!

March 14 – Sharing the Gospel
March 21 – Serving our Neighbor

Book Discussion Group

     For the March 9 meeting (tomorrow), the Book Discussion group will read Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie. For the April 13 meeting they will discuss In the Company of the Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant.  Looking ahead, in May we will discuss Children of God, by Mary Doria Russell.  This is the sequel to her novel The Sparrow which we read earlier.

Words for the Pilgrimage

Wednesdays in Lent:
February 20, 27, March 6, 13, 20

• Noon – Holy Eucharist, followed by a soup and bread luncheon

• 6:00 p.m. – Soup, Bread, and Table Talk

• 7:00 p.m. – Evening Prayer

“Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”  Hebrews 12:1b-2a

     Christian believers have long likened our life of faith to a journey, a pilgrimage through this world.  On our Wednesdays this Lent we will explore words from an ancient sermon written to “the Hebrews.” These are words which use the same image, that of pilgrimage, and which provide guidance, direction, hope, and encouragement for this pilgrimage of life, as well as warnings and exhortations.  The book of Hebrews will be our companion on our journey, not a tour guide, but a fellow-traveler with us as we seek to live faithfully in this world as disciples.

     At noon, the preaching will be at the Eucharist; in the evening it will be during the soup supper, with conversation to follow.

Vespers at Holy Trinity

     Tomorrow evening, March 9, at 5:00 p.m., members and friends of Mount Olive have a unique opportunity to attend Great Vespers at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, 956 Forest Street, St. Paul. Holy Trinity is the home parish of Cha Posz, administrative assistant at Mount Olive, and family.
    
     Father Jonathan Proctor, rector of Holy Trinity, will be available after the liturgy to answer questions we may have and perhaps show us the church’s beautiful icons by Nicholas Papas. We will meet in the back of the sanctuary at 4:45 p.m. If you would like to attend, but would need a ride, please contact Susan Cherwien at scherwien@aol.com or 952-920-9568. A sign-up sheet was posted to get a general idea of how many people will attend, but signing up is not required for attendance. Feel free to come even if you didn’t sign up.

     Directions to Holy Trinity: I94 to 35E North; exit Maryland Ave.; go EAST 1.3 mi. to Forest St.; RIGHT on Forest 1/2 mile; Holy Trinity is on lefthand side at the corner of Forest and Case.

The National Lutheran Choir to Present Bach’s Mass in B Minor

Thursday, March 21, 2013 – 7:00pm
Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN

     Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B minor (BWV 232) stands as one of the landmark creations in music history. The work was among the last composed by Bach before his death in 1750. Bach’s setting of the Mass was unusual for composers at the time. The Mass was never performed in its totality during Bach’s lifetime and it disappeared for much of the 18th century. Felix Mendelssohn, among others, was responsible for a revived interest in Bach’s work and so there were a number of performances of the entire Mass in the early 19th century.

     Soloists Susan Palo Cherwien (soprano), Susan Druck (alto), Matthew Anderson (tenor), Paul Max Tipton (baritone) and many of the region’s finest orchestra musicians will accompany us for this one-night-only performance.

     For ticket information, call 612-722-2301 or visit their website: www.nlca.com.  Don’t miss it!

Church Library News 

    Awaiting your perusal is a new display of Lenten books in our church library, including:

•         Portraits of the Christ (messages for Lent and Easter), by John C. McCollister, editor
•         The Scandal of Lent (themes for Lenten preaching in the Gospel of John), by Robert Kysar
•         Take Up Your Cross (program resources for Lent and Easter), compiled by Mark Sedio 
• The Day Before Easter, by W.A. Poovey
•         Gospel Dramas (12 plays for worship in Lent and other seasons), by Dean Nadasd
•         The Crosses of Lent (sermon books, Lenten studies for Ash Wednesday to Easter), by Dale A.    Meyer and Hubert F. Beck
•         The Second Season (Lent, Easter and the Ascension), by Wayne Seffen
•         The Splendor of Easter (compiled and edited by Floyd Thatcher)
•         A Cross to Glory (Lenten sermons), by Alton F. Wedel
•         A Book of Easter (with daily devotions by Paul M. Lindberg
•         A Time of Hope (family, celebrations and activities for Lent and Easter), compiled by 4 editors and an illustrator.

     You are likely aware of the non-profit organization “Little Free Library” which was organized in 2009 and has grown tremendously since then.  About 6,000 Little Free Libraries are in the U.S. with about 600 being added each month. They have sprung up all over Minnesota and you may even have one in your neighborhood.  The goal is to promote literacy, the love of reading and free book exchanges that help provide communities connection and communication everywhere.  Literacy is a gateway to improve learning and broadening children’s understanding of the world.  If you haven’t seen a Little Free Library, don’t look for something large, however, they do come in various sizes and shapes but a typical one may only be 19″ x 23″ x 16″.  Find locations online at littlefreelibrary.org.

     The Little Free Library movement is also associated with two other worthy non-profit organizations — Hooked on Books ( the 8th annual event was held locally at Chanhassen High School in February) and the Books for Africa, helping to coordinate all efforts to extend literacy and good books overseas.

     I would like to close with a marvelous quote from the Spring 2013 Friends of the Hennepin County Library newsletter, (although the author was not identified) but it goes like this:
“A library is more than a brick and mortar building filled with delicious books.  It is also a community of people who live to invest in our youth, who read for knowledge and fun, and who are ready to include anyone who walks through the door.”

– Leanna Kloempken

Music & Fine Arts Event Date Revision

Please note that the Uptown Brass will appear in concert at Mount Olive on April 21, 4:00 p.m. (not April 14, as previously published!).

     This group of five world renowned brass virtuosos are all members of the Minnesota Orchestra and will present an exciting concert of gorgeous brass sonorities featuring great music ranging from Bach to Piazolla.

Every Church A Peace Church 

     The March  Bimonthly Potluck Supper meeting will be on Monday, March 11, 6:30 p.m. at St. Luke Presbyterian Church, 3121 Groveland School Road in Minnetonka. The program begins around 7 pm and will feature Tom White on “The Economics of Militarism: Financial and Spiritual Bankruptcy.”

     Tom White is a member of Veterans for Peace and  Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers. He will explore how our “Spirituality”  must be a key component of our vigorous opposition to the obscene disparity between  military spending and all other domestic and humanitarian needs.  Tom is a 1957 graduate of St. John’s University in Economics and served as a management consultant after a successful corporate career.  He was an International Election Observer in El Salvador in 2000 and 2004.

Accent on Worship

     “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come buy and eat!” writes Isaiah, showing us the gracious God that we all love.   Paul writes of a harsh judgmental God who felled twenty-three thousand in a single day for sexual immorality and destroyed others by serpents for putting God to the test . God is like the good cop in the Isaiah reading for the first lesson and the bad cop in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians for the second lesson.

     Lutheran theology tends to lean toward the God of grace and love, whereas a number of other Christian denominations hold on to the harsh side of God.  Which is correct?  Which denomination has the truth?

     To me, God is within everything created and within all that created matter is a built in system of morality, because the eternally just and good Creator is a part of it.  It is therefore against the nature of all that is created to do wrong.  We were created to do the right thing.  When we turn away from God and morality, there are built in consequences for us, because sin is unnatural.

     Another way in which I think of God  and in which God is often portrayed is like a parent.  That kind of thinking was just a concept to me until I had my own child.  Never in my life had I experienced such selfless love toward another human being.  If we are parents, our children have certainly seen both sides of us!  Although very few parents would kill their children and that is why many theologians disassociate the brutal actions of the Old Testament from God, parents may deal harshly with their children in order to protect them from future bad judgment and actions that just may kill them.  Sometimes something really harsh has to happen to us in order for God to get our attention.  And like a good parent, Our Lord will give us every chance in the book to turn our lives around, which is the God that Jesus desires to portray in Sunday’s Gospel in the Parable of the Fig Tree.

– Donna Pususta Neste

Midweek Lenten Worship
Wednesdays in Lent
Noon – Holy Eucharist
7:00 pm – Evening Prayer

Upcoming Adult Forums

     Sunday, March 3 – “The Exodus,” part 1 of a 2-part series, led by Dr. Earl Schwartz.

     Sunday, March 10 – “The Exodus,” part 2 of a 2-part series, led by Dr. Earl Schwartz.

Dusting and Polishing Day

     The Altar Guild will host a chancel-cleaning event on Saturday, March 16, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Bring your favorite duster and polishing rags, and help prepare our worship space for Holy Week and Easter. Questions? Contact Beth Gaede: bethgaede [at] comcast [dot] com.

Lenten Bible Study: Practice Faith

     Christian faith practices are widely accepted, but not broadly understood outside of a moral/ethical understanding.  But what is the Biblical root of these practices?  Why are these things so important that they are mentioned over, and over, and over again in the Bible? What have Christians done in the past and what can we do now to keep these practices alive in our lives?

     Come to this six-week Bible study led by Vicar Neal Cannon on Thursday nights from 6-7 pm, starting February 14. It meets in the Chapel Lounge and a light supper is served.

February 14 – Hospitality and Welcome
February 21 – Tithing and Generosity
February 28 – Prayer
March 7 – Celebration and Sabbath
March 14 – Sharing the Gospel
March 21 – Serving our Neighbor

Words for the Pilgrimage

Wednesdays in Lent: February 20, 27, March 6, 13, 20

• Noon – Holy Eucharist, followed by a soup and bread luncheon
• 6:00 p.m. – Soup, Bread, and Table Talk
• 7:00 p.m. – Evening Prayer

“Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”  Hebrews 12:1b-2a

     Christian believers have long likened our life of faith to a journey, a pilgrimage through this world.  On our Wednesdays this Lent we will explore words from an ancient sermon written to “the Hebrews.” These are words which use the same image, that of pilgrimage, and which provide guidance, direction, hope, and encouragement for this pilgrimage of life, as well as warnings and exhortations.  The book of Hebrews will be our companion on our journey, not a tour guide, but a fellow-traveler with us as we seek to live faithfully in this world as disciples.

     At noon, the preaching will be at the Eucharist; in the evening it will be during the soup supper, with conversation to follow.

Book Discussion Group

     For the March 9 meeting, the Book Discussion group will read Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie. For the April 13 meeting they will discuss In the Company of the Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant.  Looking ahead, in May we will discuss Children of God by Mary Doria Russell.  This is the sequel to her novel The Sparrow which we read earlier.

In Search of Missing Tablecloths

     Mount Olive is missing 4 long, cream-colored tablecloths (regularly used for funeral luncheons). If you have borrowed them, or if you brought them home to launder after an event, please return them as soon as possible, as they are needed here. They may be returned to the upstairs kitchenette. Thanks!

Theology on Tap

     Have you ever wanted to get to know the people sitting next to you in the pews a little better?  Do you enjoy a good beer while sharing stories with friends?  Then come to Theology on Tap!

     Theology on Tap is a new group at Mount Olive that meets once a month at local bars/restaurants to enjoy a good beverage (beer/wine/soda?  It’s up to you!), good food, and good conversation.  Each month we’ll also dive into a dialogue about faith and life (no preparation or book reading required, only your personal knowledge and insight) as we explore Christianity in the 21st century.  Contact Vicar Neal Cannon (vicar@mountolivechurch.org, 612-827-5919 x12) if you would like to join us for Theology on Tap!

March Event Details

Who: Anyone 21+ is welcome to join
Where: Chatterbox Pub, 2800 Cleveland Ave S., St. Paul, MN
When: Tuesday March 5, 7:30-9:00pm
Discussion Topic: Violence and Christianity in the 21st Century
         #gundebate #justwar #turntheothercheek
Facebook Page & Group: Mount Olive Theology on Tap.  ) “Like” the page to get updates on Theology on Tap)
Contact: Vicar Neal Cannon (vicar@mountolivechurch.org)

Vespers at Holy Trinity

     On Saturday, March 9, 2013, at 5:00 p.m., members and friends of Mount Olive have a unique opportunity to attend Great Vespers at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, 956 Forest Street, St. Paul. Holy Trinity is the home parish of Cha Posz, administrative assistant at Mount Olive, and family. After the service, there is a small, once-monthly potluck supper, to which we are invited as guests. Father Jonathan Proctor, rector of Holy Trinity, will be available after the liturgy to answer questions we may have and perhaps show us the church’s beautiful icons by Nicholas Papas. We will meet in the back of the sanctuary at 4:45 p.m. If you would like to attend, but would need a ride, please contact Susan Cherwien at scherwien@aol.com or 952-920-9568. A sign-up sheet will be posted in the chapel lounge until Sunday, March 3, in order to get a general idea of how many people will attend, but signing up is not required for attendance.

     Directions to Holy Trinity: I94 to 35E North; exit Maryland Ave.; go EAST 1.3 mi. to Forest St.; RIGHT on Forest 1/2 mile; Holy Trinity is on lefthand side at the corner of Forest and Case.

Greetings from Mount Olive Neighborhood Ministries

     This Sunday, March 2, after both Eucharists, the greeters will distribute the winter issue of the Mount Olive Neighborhood Ministries newsletter. If you are not at church this weekend, copies are available in the church office.

The National Lutheran Choir to Present Bach’s Mass in B Minor

Thursday, March 21, 2013 – 7:00pm
Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN

     Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B minor (BWV 232) stands as one of the landmark creations in music history. The work was among the last composed by Bach before his death in 1750. Bach’s setting of the Mass was unusual for composers at the time. The Mass was never performed in its totality during Bach’s lifetime and it disappeared for much of the 18th century. Felix Mendelssohn, among others, was responsible for a revived interest in Bach’s work and so there were a number of performances of the entire Mass in the early 19th century.

     Soloists Susan Palo Cherwien (soprano), Susan Druck (alto), Matthew Anderson (tenor), Paul Max Tipton (baritone) and many of the region’s finest orchestra musicians will accompany us for this one-night-only performance.

     For ticket information, call 612-722-2301 or visit their website: www.nlca.com.  Don’t miss it!

The Prodigal Son: An Art Exhibit from the Collection of Jerry Evenrud

     Jerry Evenrud began his collection of Prodigal Son works in 1983. A visual narrative depicting scenes and themes from the biblical parable about God’s love and forgiveness, it now includes hundreds of items from artists around the world, representing six centuries: paintings, etchings, sculptures, woodcuts, tapestries, and more.

     From Feb. 13-April 28, the exhibit is at The Basilica of St. Mary (Hennepin Ave. at N. 16th St in Minneapolis), and is open on Saturdays, Sundays, and other times by appointment.  For specific times and other information, visit www.mary.org.

Accent on Worship

Your Choice

     When greeting someone upon seeing them, how do you do it?  Do you smile and with a full-voice say, “Hi! Great to see you” or do you mumble? The degree of how much you mean it is perceived through body language and the tone of voice offered.  With mere tone of voice you can communicate something more credibly than the words actually spoken.  “Hello” mumbled with a low voice could evoke a “Really?”  Most of the time we’re honest with our greetings and our “And also with you” or our corporate declaration “I renounce them!” is very heart-felt.

     Roman Catholics have a phrase:  “Full and conscious participation” when it comes to liturgy.  Spoken responses and corporate song may involve a deliberate choice to “enter in” – using full voice:  body, mind and soul!

     I’ve heard congregations sing as though they’re embarrassed to sing.  Indeed it’s possible: the voice is one of those things – a deep part of us we can’t really change (although we can learn to use it better) – and to sing in public can be very frightening, exposing a deep part of who we are.  But this is precisely its value!  We don’t offer to God just surface things!  If we sing out of this fear, a kind of half singing becomes the norm.  Yet when many sing out, this fear is removed, and it’s easier to join in.

     To sing out does take a choice for those who can.  We decide to breathe in,  and push a good amount of sound out!  When we all do that and sing out, no one sticks out, and we don’t really run the embarrassing risk of an unintentional solo because we’re all there for each other.

     That being said, this can be difficult for some, for reasons that we can’t know.  Maybe their vocal chords just don’t work right, or perhaps even emotionally they come to this liturgy unable to sing.  In that case, the rest of us need to step in and sing for them too.

     When sung notes approach the higher side, it’s especially important to sing them out more (rather than pulling back) – it helps the neighbor feel confident to do the same, and everyone feels empowered by each other.  When we all do it, young voices, older voices, middle-age voices, trained voices,  un-trained voices – all of our voices combine to create the best and unique blend possible.   One of my favorite moments here is when we sing the Bach setting of “Lord Thee I Love” – everyone sings their part full voice – even those who think they don’t have a very good voice can sing out without fear!

     So in our liturgy (no matter how many people are there) when we greet God and each other in spoken responses and especially song, how will you choose to do it?

     May God grant us courage, and if anything is to be silent in worship,  let it be our judgments.

– Cantor Cherwien

Midweek Lenten Worship
Wednesdays in Lent
Noon – Holy Eucharist
7:00 pm – Evening Prayer

2013 Lenten Devotional Booklets Now Available

     Return to God: A Lenten Journey Into Wilderness, To Jerusalem, written for the Mount Olive community by Susan Cherwien, is now available at church. Pick one up for use in your Lenten journey this year. They are in the narthex and Chapel Lounge at church.

     The devotional is also available online in a daily blog at www.journeyintolent.blogspot.com. If you are an online reader, bookmark the page!

Upcoming Adult Forums

     Sunday, February 24 – “The Art of Lectio Divinia,” presented by Sister Carol Rennie OSB and Sam Rahberg from the Benedictine Center.

     Sunday, March 3 – “The Exodus,” part 1 of a 2-part series, led by Dr. Earl Schwartz.

Church Clean Up – Mark Your Calendars!

     The next church clean-up day will be held on Saturday, February 23, (tomorrow!) from 8:30 am – 2:30 pm. Plan to come and pitch in – many hands make light work!

This Sunday’s Adult Forum: The Art of Lectio Divina

     Lectio Divina is one of the great treasures in the tradition of Christian of prayer.  Translated “Divine Reading”, it is a prayerful reading of the Scriptures we believe to be divinely inspired and a way of letting the Spirit form us to the likeness of Christ.  Join Sister Carol Rennie OSB and Sam Rahberg to explore and practice how to sustain a relationship with God, through the text, over time. Materials will be provided.

     Sam Rahberg is the Director of the Benedictine Center and a spiritual director. Sam has experience in parish education and administration and holds a master’s degree in theology from Saint John’s University, Collegeville.

     S. Carol Rennie OSB is former prioress of St. Paul’s Monastery and a member of the Benedictine Center’s spiritual direction team. She is a teacher of teachers, an experienced retreat leader, and has a special interest in group spiritual direction.

Lenten Bible Study: Practice Faith

     Christian faith practices are widely accepted, but not broadly understood outside of a moral/ethical understanding.  But what is the Biblical root of these practices?  Why are these things so important that they are mentioned over, and over, and over again in the Bible? What have Christians done in the past and what can we do now to keep these practices alive in our lives?

     Come to this six-week Bible study led by Vicar Neal Cannon on Thursday nights from 6-7 pm, starting February 14. It meets in the Chapel Lounge and a light supper is served.

February 14 – Hospitality and Welcome
February 21 – Tithing and Generosity
February 28 – Prayer
March 7 – Celebration and Sabbath
March 14 – Sharing the Gospel
March 21 – Serving our Neighbor

Words for the Pilgrimage

Wednesdays in Lent: February 20, 27, March 6, 13, 20

• Noon – Holy Eucharist, followed by a soup and bread luncheon
• 6:00 p.m. – Soup, Bread, and Table Talk
• 7:00 p.m. – Evening Prayer

“Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”  Hebrews 12:1b-2a

     Christian believers have long likened our life of faith to a journey, a pilgrimage through this world.  On our Wednesdays this Lent we will explore words from an ancient sermon written to “the Hebrews.” These are words which use the same image, that of pilgrimage, and which provide guidance, direction, hope, and encouragement for this pilgrimage of life, as well as warnings and exhortations.  The book of Hebrews will be our companion on our journey, not a tour guide, but a fellow-traveler with us as we seek to live faithfully in this world as disciples.

     At noon, the preaching will be at the Eucharist; in the evening it will be during the soup supper, with conversation to follow.

Book Discussion Group

     For the March 9 meeting, the Book Discussion group will read Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie. For the April 13 meeting they will discuss In the Company of the Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant.  Looking ahead, in May we will discuss Children of God, by Mary Doria Russell.  This is the sequel to her novel The Sparrow which we read earlier.

Visioning

     For the past month a Vision Task Force comprised of Andrew Andersen, David Cherwien, Pastor Crippen, Judy Hinck, Adam Krueger, Connie Marty, Peter Tressel, and Donna Neste have begun to develop a process that will allow the congregation to discern God’s vision for Mount Olive Lutheran Church and our shared ministry to our neighborhood and the world.  A number of events have converged that make this an ideal time to undertake such a process: We have just completed a (quite successful) 5-year campaign and building renovation, Pastor Crippen is well into his third year as our pastor and has a stronger sense of who and where we are, and Donna Neste’s retirement as our Neighborhood Ministry Coordinator will occur in the spring of 2014.

     Through a study of God’s word, prayer, visits around the neighborhood, interviews with community leaders, together we will work to match information gained with congregational interests and assets.  A series of three congregational meetings will occur this spring and summer to build community around our history, our values, and God’s vision for our future as his people in this place.  The task force will compile the information provided and present the findings and proposal for next steps to the October Semi-Annual meeting of the congregation.

     How can you be involved in this important work?  Following are some of the needs already identified.

• Pray for this important effort and faithful discernment of God’s will; specific requests will be posted from time to time, but you can begin now to lift up the process that Christ’s church and God’s people are served by it.

• Commit to study God’s word; specific “vision passages” of scripture and others will be provided as a guide.

• Get involved; volunteers will be needed for the following; contact any member of the Task Force or the church office:

 Augment the Task Force (especially those who are gifted in strategic thinking)—needed now through October;
 Triads of people to visit, observe, and pray about what they see in our neighborhood—commit to 2-3 visits as a group over a 2 week period;

 People to interview identified community leaders about what they see in and hope for the neighborhoods around Mount Olive—commit 2 to 3 visits over a 2-3 week period; sample interview questions will be provided;

 People to help provide childcare at the three congregational meetings;

 People to provide refreshments at the three congregational meetings;

 People to provide transportation to/from the three congregational meetings

 Engage with and encourage other members to join you in these activities to help discern God’s vision for us and shape the direction of our journey in the coming years.

It is exciting to think about being deliberate in seeking what God has planned for Mount Olive, her people, and our neighborhoods.  Won’t you be a part of discovering what that is and how it could look for our life together?

Taste of Ethiopia Thanks

     A big thank you to all who cooked, decorated, worked in the kitchen, cleaned up, and were joyful participants in “Taste of Ethiopia.”  It was an educational, meaningful, and enjoyable event.  We have sent our thanks to Dinku Bato and his family.  We wish him the best in his studies and research, and we will keep the Ethiopian / Oromo churches, both near and far, in our prayers.

     Some people asked for more information on the spice berbere that was used in many of the dishes.  This spice can be found in bulk at the Wedge Co-op, the Seward Co-op, and at many of the local Ethiopian grocery stores in the Phillips and Seward neighborhoods or near the Snelling /University Avenue intersection in St. Paul.  A description of berbere can be found at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berbere.

In Search of Missing Tablecloths

     Mount Olive is missing 4 long, cream-colored tablecloths (regularly used for funeral luncheons). If you have borrowed them, or if you brought them home to launder after an event, please return them as soon as possible. They may be returned to the upstairs kitchenette. Thanks!

Theology on Tap    

Have you ever wanted to get to know the people sitting next to you in the pews a little better?  Do you enjoy a good beer while sharing stories with friends?  Then come to Theology on Tap!

     Theology on Tap is a new group at Mount Olive that meets once a month at local bars/restaurants to enjoy a good beverage (beer/wine/soda?  It’s up to you!), good food, and good conversation.  Each month we’ll also dive into a dialogue about faith and life (no preparation or book reading required, only your personal knowledge and insight) as we explore Christianity in the 21st century.  Contact Vicar Neal Cannon (vicar@mountolivechurch.org, 612-827-5919 x12) if you would like to join us for Theology on Tap!

March Event Details
Who: Anyone 21+ is welcome to join
Where: Chatterbox Pub
              2800 Cleveland Ave S., St. Paul, MN
When: Tuesday March 5, 7:30-9:00pm
Discussion Topic: Violence and Christianity in the 21st Century
         #gundebate #justwar #turntheothercheek
Facebook Page & Group: Mount Olive Theology on Tap.  (“Like” the page to get updates on Theology on Tap)
Contact: Vicar Neal Cannon (vicar@mountolivechurch.org)