Accent on Worship

The Holy Trinity

     In this Sunday’s readings for The Holy Trinity, we are given a vision in the lessons, the Gospel and the Psalm of a cosmic Creator God, and the story of God’s creation in spirit and matter.  Wisdom, a spiritual entity, is personified in Proverbs as a feminine being, a companion to the Creator from the beginning. Psalm 8 is a tribute to the Creator for the majesty of the universe, the material world.  Paul writes in his letter to the Romans about suffering, which is done in the physical body and the powerful spiritual force of hope.  Jesus, who will soon physically depart from his disciples, tells them of how he will continue to be with them in the Spirit who will guild them and communicate with them in this world.

     The life force that resonates through all that is living originates with the spiritual force of God’s love.  “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us,” writes Paul.
     We are called by the life and love of Jesus to manifest God’s love in the material world, in which we live. We love by being physically present to those in need.  When our sisters and brothers are suffering, we are called to suffer through the sacrificial giving of our material (matter) and ourselves (spirit).  And, “that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,” writes Paul.

     We have been created to live in love, trust, kindness, and hope with God and one another.  And we do this in the spirit and the flesh.  For this reason Wisdom is portrayed as “rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.”

– Donna Neste

Sunday Readings

May 26, 2013 – The Holy Trinity
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 + Psalm 8
Romans 5:1-5 + John 16:12-15

June 2, 2013 – Time after Pentecost: Sunday 9
I Kings 8:22-23, 41-43 + Psalm 96:1-9
Galatians 1:1-12 + Luke 7:1-10

Summer Worship Schedule Begins This Weekend!

     Beginning this Sunday, May 26, and running through Sunday, September 1, Mount Olive celebrates one Sunday Eucharist at 9:30 a.m.  

Olive Branch Summer Publication

     Please note that during the months of June, July, and August, The Olive Branch is published every other week.  Weekly publication resumes after Labor Day.

Attention Graduates!
     If you are a regular worshipper (member or friend of the congregation) and will be graduating from high school, college, or a graduate school this spring, please let us know as soon as possible. We want to be sure all graduates are included in our upcoming graduate recognition.

     Simply call the church office (612-827-5919), or drop an email (welcome@mountolivechurch.org).

Hebrews Study on Thursday Evenings

     Meeting in the Chapel Lounge from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Pr. Crippen is currently leading a study of the book of Hebrews, an early Christian sermon preserved in the New Testament.  As usual, there will be a light supper when we begin.  All are welcome to this study opportunity!

Summer Jobs After School

     The Summer Jobs After School Program is in need of one more volunteer.  If you would like to hang out with three or four cool kids to supervise jobs and an art project once a week for up to two hours for six weeks, call Donna at church, 612-827-5919.  Summer Jobs After School will run from the first week in July through mid-August.  It’s a lot of fun!

Book Discussion Group

     Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at church. For the June 8 meeting, they will discuss The Calligrapher’s Daughter, by Eugenia Kim. For July 13, they will read The Violent Bear It Away, by Flannery O’Connor.  And advance notification (because of its length) that for August 10 we will discuss Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Adult Forum June 9

     Jessinia Ruff, daughter of Mark and Lisa, is a recent high school graduate. She will be traveling to the Dominican Republic with SCORE International for an 8 month-long trip to study Spanish and participate in local ministry. Following the liturgy on June 9, she will talk more about the organization, the work she’ll be doing there, and how you can support her.

A Letter of Thanks

Dear Friends at Mount Olive—

     It is my pleasure to forward to you a letter I recently received on behalf of Mt. Olive from our Bethania partners in India.  You may recall that some months ago Bethania received a $5,000 grant out of the Capital Campaign tithe to help fund the start of a new mission project for children in the State of Odisha in India.  Thanks in no small part to that “seed money”, the work in this remote and largely unchurched part of India has successfully begun.

      You may also be interested to know that the author of the letter was Godfrey Immanuel Rajkumar.  Godfrey was one of the two visitors from Bethania who were at Mount Olive two years ago.  As the Odisha project has taken shape, Godfrey has been one of the key leaders in getting this project off the ground.
      Let me finally add a personal word of thanks for the grant that was awarded.  As some of you know, Mount Olive was one of the original supporters of Bethania going back to 1987.  The faithful support over the years has been much appreciated as Bethania continues to spread the “Good News” to some of India’s neediest children.
     God bless you and all the good people at Mount Olive!

– Gene Hennig

Remember the Hungry and Homeless

     Now that the end of the school year is at hand, our thoughts turn to vacations.  In your travels, please remember to save unused complimentary toiletries for homeless persons.  These, as well as trial size toiletries that can be purchased, are ideal because of their small size. Please bring your donations to the coat room at Mount Olive.

     Also, as you may know, food needs are even greater in the summer months when children are not in school receiving free lunches.  Please keep this in mind when making your food donations.  CES (Community Emergency Services) has a food shelf to which we contribute.  For our guidance, they have listed some needed items as follows: Chili, Sugar, Beef Stew, Salt, Canned Beets, Cooking Oil, Pudding Cups, Jello Cups, Coffee/Tea, Toilet Paper, Cocoa, Mac and Microwaveable Cups.

     Your usual generous response will do much to help provide for hungry children. Thank you!

“Procession” arrives at Mount Olive

     Thanks to a generous gift by the Mount Olive Foundation, John August Swanson’s magnificent painting “Procession” has come to Mount Olive.  It is hanging in the Chapel Lounge, though that placement may change.  “Procession” is a beautiful, complex painting of a massive, celebratory liturgical procession, with portrayals of biblical stories throughout, banners and musical instruments and singing people.  The artist says this about the painting: “It is not my desire that the complexity and intricacy of this work confuse or confound, but that it illuminate and inspire.  We are invited to join together in the procession to help each other see in ways we have never seen before, to help each other see again what we have forgotten, to see something familiar in a new way, in a new light, from a different perspective.  The great procession is a celebration of life and faith where the rich and poor march in unison; the strong carry the weak, and the weak humble the proud; those who know the dance teach those who are just learning; and a child lifts high the banner for all to follow in joy, in peace, in love.  This is the reality, the spirit I want to make real in this work.”  This painting celebrates a life of worship and praise of God to which Mount Olive aspires.

     Swanson painted “Procession” in 1980, and created a signed, serigraph edition of 250 in 2007; Mount Olive’s is number 180 in the series.  For more information and reflections by the artist, see his website description of this work: http://www.johnaugustswanson.com/default.cfm/PID=1.2.21.

     Thanks are due to the Mount Olive foundation for this gift, and to Paul Nixdorf and Brian Jacobs for their assistance in procuring it and having it framed.

Church Library News

     We are pleased to invite you into our library to see and browse in the newest display of books.  Included are three books given in memory of someone and almost a dozen books that have been donated by one of our congregation’s members.  There are also some nice additions to our children’s book section.
     Memorial Books:
• WHAT A SON NEEDS FROM HIS DAD (How a Man Prepares His Sons for Life) by Michael A. O’Donnell, Ph.D., given in memory of Warren Bartz
• GOD’S ANSWERS TO LIFE’S DIFFICULT QUESTIONS (Living With Purpose series) by Rick Warren, given in memory of Bill Laack
• MY HEART’S CRY — Longing for More of Jesus by Anne Graham Lotz, given in memory of Vernette Schroeder

    Donated Books:
• THE HIDDEN GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, Annotated and Explained by Ron Miller,  given to our library by David Ludwig
• THE RIVER OF GOD (a New History of Christian Origins) by Gregory J. Riley, given by David Ludwig
• THE UNVARNISHED NEW TESTAMENT, A New Translation from the Original Greek Translation by Andy Gaus,  given by  David Ludwig
• THE JOURNEYS OF ST. PAUL (Bible Wisdom for Today) by James Harpur, given by David Ludwig.
• CAREGIVING FOR YOUR LOVED ONES by Mary Vaughn Armstrong, given by Adam Krueger
• WISDOM ABOUT WAR AND NON-VIOLENCE (30 Thoughts to Discuss and Ponder) with Lowell Erdahl and Duane Kamrath, given by Al Bostelmann
• ONLY ANGELS CAN WING IT (The Rest of Us Have to Practice) by Liz Curtis Higgs, given by Hans Tisberger
• MARTIN LUTHER — A PENGUIN LIFE by Martin Marty, given by Mary Dorow.
• MY REAL FAMILY (a Child’s Book About living in a Step Family) by Doris Sanford, given by Leanna Kloempken

More New Books:
• TRAVELING LIGHT (Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear), by Max Lucado
• REDEMPTION, RETURN, and TUESDAY MORNING (3 separate books about the Victim of the September 11, 2001 Terrorism Attack), the first two by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley and the last in the series is written by Karen Kingsbury alone.
• GOD’S BEAUTIFUL HEAVEN, by Julie Cadalbert
• HELP WANTED (Devotions for Job Seekers), by Aaron M. Basko
• ALWAYS THERE (Reflections for Mom’s on God’s Presence), by Susan Wallace
• 3 Special Children’s books in the Helping Hand Books series, written by Sarah, Duchess of York — EMILY’S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, MICHAEL AND HIS NEW BABY BROTHER, and MATTHEW AND THE BULLIES.

     Also, remember that with the coming of the summer church schedule, our church library’s hours will change to being open 45 minutes after each Sunday’s liturgy.

     I’ll close with this quote from Archibald MacLeish:  “What is more important in a library than anything else — than everything else — is the fact that it exists!

– Leanna Kloempken

Accent on Worship

Profound Witnesses

     I have heard a lot of chatter around how delightful it is to see our younger worshippers singing the Gospel Acclamation “Be not Afraid” with such vigor!  Indeed, it’s a great way to greet the Gospel for all of us and to see them singing with reckless abandon is delightful.  We all smile.

     I have two thoughts about this subject.

     Firstly,  it reminds me of the importance of “the Ordinary” – those songs in the liturgy that we sing week after week,  or put in a different way,  the songs that we “ordinarily sing” for a season.  This past Easter season that included the Kyrie, This is the Feast, Gospel Acclamation “Be Not Afraid”,  The Great Thanksgiving from ELW setting 3,  and “Christ Our Passover.”  Seven weeks in a row really helps these songs go deep into the soul and memory.  The children connecting with one of them reminds us that we are all absorbing these perhaps more than we are aware.  Hopefully, we could now sing them from memory.  This includes the longer canticles like “This is the Feast” as much as the short songs like “Be Not Afraid”.

     Once while serving as guest organist somewhere, a young person (maybe 6 or 7 years old) wandered into the balcony where I was playing, and sang the entire setting of “Gloria” from memory, with full voice!  It’s a hard canticle – without a refrain or even repeated theme, a tricky rhythm, and lots of words!  (from LBW setting 1).  I was amazed and went home and set out to teach the children in my church all those songs of the ordinary, AND we needed to quit changing the setting of the liturgy each week which we did for variety.  We realized we could achieve variety in other ways.  All of our singing improved because of that – the children helped us see what we all needed.

     Secondly, watching the children sing with such joy and free from inhibition teaches us something very important.  What do the children see US doing?  HOW we are entering into the liturgy is what will communicate what we believe.  They’re watching and likely with the same delight we have seeing them enter into “Be Not Afraid” with full body, mind and soul!  That’s enticing for them to join in, too.

     It’s something I’ve said before:  people see what we believe through HOW we are doing what we do in liturgy.  Does God mean something to us?  We can do all kinds of “styles,” tricks, or gimmicks to entice people, but our actions will say more.
 
     It’s just something to be aware of.  Are we being profound witnesses?

– Cantor David Cherwien

This Sunday is the Day of Pentecost!
Wear Red!

New Members to Be Received This Sunday, May 19

If you are interested in becoming a member of Mount Olive this spring, please contact Pastor Crippen (pastor@mountolivechurch.org), or Andrew Andersen, Director of Evangelism (andrewstpaul@gmail.com)

Sunday Readings

May 19, 2013 – Day of Pentecost
Acts 2:1-21 + Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Romans 8:14-17 + John 14:8-27

May 26, 2013 – The Holy Trinity
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 + Psalm 8
Romans 5:1-5 + John 16:12-15

Spring “Greetings”

     The spring issue of the Neighborhood Ministries newsletter, Greetings from Mount Olive Neighborhood Ministries, has been published and will be distributed at the end of both liturgies this Sunday, May 19.

Hebrews Study on Thursday Evenings

     Class resumes this week! Meeting in the Chapel Lounge from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Pr. Crippen is currently leading a study of the book of Hebrews, an early Christian sermon preserved in the New Testament.  As usual, there will be a light supper when we begin.  All are welcome to this study opportunity!

Summer Jobs After School

     The Summer Jobs After School Program is in need of one more volunteer.  If you would like to hang out with three or four cool kids to supervise jobs and an art project once a week for up to two hours for six weeks, call Donna at church, 612-827-5919.  Summer Jobs After School will run from the first week in July through mid-August.  It’s a lot of fun!

Summer Worship Schedule Begins Soon!

     Beginning Memorial Day weekend and running through Labor Day weekend, Mount Olive celebrates one Sunday Eucharist, at 9:30 a.m.  This year, the first Sunday of Summer Schedule is Sunday, May 26.

Book Discussion Group

     Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at church. For the June 8 meeting, they will discuss The Calligrapher’s Daughter, by Eugenia Kim. For July 13, they will read The Violent Bear It Away, by Flannery O’Connor.  And advance notification (because of its length) that for August 10 we will discuss Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

A Thousand Voices in the Park

     A Community Sing will be held this Saturday, May 18, 5:30 pm at Powderhorn Park – rain or shine! All songs will be led by Bret Hesla and Mary Preus, with Jose Antonio Machado. A $5 per person donation is requested. Everyone is welcome!
For additional information, visit www.mnsings.com.

Attention Graduates!

     If you are a regular worshipper (member or friend of the congregation) and will be graduating from high school, college, or a graduate school this spring, please let us know as soon as possible. We want to be sure all graduates are included in our upcoming graduate recognition.

     Simply call the church office (612-827-5919), or drop an email (welcome@mountolivechurch.org).

Many Thanks for a Successful School Year in Way to Goals Tutoring

     It has been a successful school year in Way to Goals Tutoring.  We will complete our season in the last week of May.  There are so many volunteers I wish to thank.  Many thanks first to our wonderful and dedicated volunteer tutors who gave their all to thirteen students from October through May: Yvette Berard, Diane Brown, Peter Bunge, Neal Cannon, Joe Kane, Celia Marshall, Catherine Pususta, Christine Skogen, and Amy Thompson.

     We had very few blank spots on our sign-up sheet for snacks this year, due to the generous donations of treats for our snack and activity time in Way to Goals.  Many thanks also to the faithful snack donators.  They were very much appreciated and so several who contributed numerous times: Naomi Peterson (5 times), Judy Graves   (4 times), Amy Thomson (3 times), Gail Neilsen (2 times), Dennis Bidwell & Eric Zander, Andrew Andersen, and Margaret Bostelmann.

     Margaret Bostelmann also did a game night during our activity time, which was fun and much appreciated.  If you have an idea about a fun thing to do or make and would like to share it with us next year, please let me know.

– Donna Neste

Olive Branch Summer Publication

     Please note that during the months of June, July, and August, The Olive Branch is published every other week.  Weekly publication resumes after Labor Day.

A Note from Pr. Crippen

     There is a lot of joy bubbling up around many members and friends of Mount Olive given the votes of last Thursday and Monday, and the signing on Tuesday by the governor of the Freedom to Marry bill.  We rejoice that all our members, and brothers and sisters around the whole state, now share equality under the law, something Americans cherish but don’t always achieve.

     There will be a lovely impact of this law at Mount Olive, in that some couples will be looking to seek God’s blessing on their marriage here now that they also can enjoy legal married status.  Other couples already are legally married and have had Christian weddings, others have had Christian weddings here and will seek legal marriage to accompany their God-blessed vows, so there will likely be a variety of ways in the next months that the people Mount Olive will be invited to support one another and rejoice with one another.  There is so much cause for celebration.

     It has come up in conversation that some wonder what will change at Mount Olive as a result of this vote.  The answer is, not much, apart from our ability to provide legal witness to all marriages.  Some years ago the Vestry voted to give the pastor of Mount Olive prerogative to decide whether or not to hold weddings or services of blessing for both same gender and different gender couples.  In the summer of 2011, however, the Vestry approved guidelines presented by the Worship Committee regarding weddings which made it clear that our policy at Mount Olive was that our guidelines for planning and having weddings applied to both same gender and different gender couples.  So for nearly two years we’ve been officially operating with this understanding, which was based on a much longer standing pastoral practice.  We have believed God’s blessing on such commitments transcended any decisions the state might make.  Still, it brings great joy that the state now recognizes the equality that many Christians and other people of faith have already believed existed, and even more joy that all couples will enjoy legal protection and benefits to their life-long commitments.

     So this is a time for thanksgiving, and I’m aware that some are already talking about how Mount Olive might celebrate this watershed historical moment with some kind of party.  That seems meet and right for us to do, since we do enjoy celebrating here.  For now, we give thanks to God for this moment and this grace which now reaches so many people.

In Christ,

Joseph

Adult Forum June 9

     Jessinia Ruff, daughter of Mark and Lisa, is a recent high school graduate. She will be traveling to the Dominican Republic with SCORE International for an 8 month-long trip to study Spanish and participate in local ministry. Following the liturgy on June 9, she will talk more about the organization, the work she’ll be doing there, and how you can support her.

Accent on Worship

You’ll Do Fine

     I don’t recall the exact circumstances, but one of my classmates in seminary arrived on his internship and the supervisor immediately left for a couple weeks’ vacation.  Apparently he’d been pretty over-worked and stressed and was looking for relief.  It wasn’t the best of ideas, nor was it terribly faithful to the idea of an internship.  Still, I do remember the first time my supervising pastor took vacation time and left me alone to cover all pastoral care needs and anything else that might come up in his absence.  I was a little nervous about the whole idea.

On the other hand, it was what I was there to do.  I don’t believe he used these exact words, but in leaving the parish to my pastoral care, my supervisor was essentially saying, “you’re ready for this, you’ve been trained for this.  You’ll do fine.”

     The ascension of Christ and his return to the Father seems very much the same to me.  Neither the first disciples nor we ourselves are fully prepared for the plan of Jesus to entrust us with the ministry of the Gospel.  It seems like an enormous burden, and one for which we are ill-prepared.  But the ascension of our Lord actually is central to the whole plan of his coming.

     From the beginning of creation, God intended humanity to care for this planet, to bear God’s image in this place, and as we are told again and again in Scripture, to love God and each other and live in the grace and joy of the creation.  That humanity did not prove up to the job, instead seeking self-centered and destructive ways of dealing with the creation and for other people, moved God to act in this world to bring us back to the original plan.  The incarnation of the Son of God among us was not intended as the Triune God’s way of taking charge of the whole enterprise.  It was a full plan of salvation, an ending to the way of death by God’s taking on death and breaking it.  But in the fullness of the plan, God has always wanted us, the people of God, to go back to what we were made to do, care for this creation, for each other, and live in love toward God and neighbor.  It is what we are saved to do.

     Now, in ascending to the Father, the Son of God says to us in effect, “you’ll do fine.”  Best of all, we are not left alone to our task.  We are given constant promises that the Holy Spirit will be with us to guide us and shape us, to help us witness to God’s love in Jesus for the whole world, and to begin to find our true calling as God’s caretakers and stewards of this creation and of God’s people.  But the ascension shows us that God in fact does trust us to live our calling and be Christ to the world.

     Come celebrate this feast on Thursday night, and let us rejoice in the trust God has in us that we can do this calling which is now given us, and all the baptized children of God.

– Joseph

The Ascension of Our Lord
Thursday, May 9, 2013
(tomorrow evening!)
Holy Eucharist at 7:00 p.m.
Reception to follow.

Mother’s Day Recital
This Sunday, May 12, 9:30 a.m.
All are invited!

Sunday Readings

May 12, 2013 – Seventh Sunday of Easter
Acts 16:16-34 + Psalm 97
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 + John 17:20-26

May 19, 2013 – Day of Pentecost
Acts 2:1-21 + Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Romans 8:14-17 + John 14:8-27

New Members to Be Received on Sunday, May 19, Day of Pentecost

If you are interested in becoming a member of Mount Olive this spring, please contact Pastor Crippen (pastor@mountolivechurch.org), or Andrew Andersen, Director of Evangelism (andrewstpaul@gmail.com)

Hebrews Study on Thursday Evenings

     Meeting in the Chapel Lounge from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Pr. Crippen is currently leading a study of the book of Hebrews, an early Christian sermon preserved in the New Testament.  As usual, there will be a light supper when we begin.  All are welcome to this study opportunity! Note: There is no class this Thursday, May 9, due to the Ascension liturgy.

Summer Jobs After School

     The Summer Jobs After School Program is in need of one more volunteer.  If you would like to hang out with three or four cool kids to supervise jobs and an art project once a week for up to two hours for six weeks, call Donna at church, 612-827-5919.  Summer Jobs After School will run from the first week in July through mid-August.  It’s a lot of fun!

Summer Worship Schedule Begins Soon!

     Beginning Memorial Day weekend and running through Labor Day weekend, Mount Olive celebrates one Sunday Eucharist, at 9:30 a.m.  This year, the first Sunday of Summer Schedule is Sunday, May 26.

Book Discussion Group

     Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at church. For the May 11 meeting, they will discuss Children of God, by Mary Doria Russell, which is the sequel to her book, The Sparrow.  And for the June 8 meeting, they will discuss The Calligrapher’s Daughter, by Eugenia Kim.

Vigil of Pentecost
Saturday, May 18. 2013
7:00 p.m.

A Thousand Voices in the Park

     A Community Sing will be held on Saturday, May 18, 5:30 pm at Powderhorn Park – rain or shine! All songs will be led by Bret Hesla and Mary Preus, with Jose Antonio Machado. A $5 per person donation is requested. Everyone is welcome!

For additional information, visit www.mnsings.com.

A Time For Bach

The Seventh Annual BachTage at Mount Olive

     An original idea put forward in 2006 by Cantor Cherwien and Kathy Romey of the University of Minnesota has become a fixture of each June at Mount Olive.

     A generous grant from The Mount Olive Lutheran Church Foundation and support from Music and Fine Arts helped move the idea to reality. Their continued support have allowed BachTage to become a vital ministry to musicians and musical leaders near and far.      

     June 8 and 9, 2013, are the dates for this year’s BachTage. Frequent participants from past years mark their calendar as soon as the date is announced. Perhaps this is the year for you to consider being part of this unique event?

     Participants study and rehearse a cantata and other selections by Bach under the leadership of Kathy Romey, whose gifts in teaching and musicianship combined with sense of humor and gracious spirit these sessions a delight rather than work.

     This year, the theme of BachTage is music for Advent. Bach’s Cantata 36 and a chorus from Cantata 123 have been selected. The cantatas are presented during Evening Prayer on Sunday afternoon, with an excellent orchestra and soloists.

     A special feature of this year’s BachTage is a Saturday afternoon, June 8, concert of Bach Masterworks for Harpsichord and Strings, presented by Tami Morse, Marc Levine, and Tulio Rondón.

     A little work is required of participants; they need to learn the music in advance so rehearsal time is not wasted on teaching the notes. Coming prepared makes rehearsal time much more valuable and exciting for all.

     Of course, the Saturday afternoon and Sunday Evening Prayer are for the public; let others know about these two special events.

      BachTage brochures are available in various spots around the church; the brochure includes the registration form. Take one for yourself, or pass it to a friend who may be interested. Registration is going on right now; scores will be mailed in early May to allow time for learning.

Every Church A Peace Church

     The next regular bimonthly potluck supper meeting will be on Monday, May 13, 6:30 p.m. at Macalester Plymouth United Church (1658 Lincoln Ave., in St. Paul, 651-698-8871, www.macalester-plymouth.org).

     The program will begin at about 7 pm and will feature the presentation of “The Ground Truth,” a very moving documentary film followed by an open discussion.

     “The Ground Truth” stunned filmgoers at the 2006 Sundance and Nantucket Film Festivals.      Hailed as “powerful” and “quietly unflinching,” Patricia Foulkrod’s searing documentary feature includes exclusive footage that will stir audiences. The filmmaker’s subjects are patriotic young Americans – ordinary men and women who heeded the call for military service in Iraq – as they experience recruitment and training, combat, homecoming, and the struggle to reintegrate with families and communities. The terrible conflict in Iraq, depicted with ferocious honesty in the film, is a prelude for the even more challenging battles fought by the soldiers returning home – with personal demons, an uncomprehending public, and an indifferent government. As these battles take shape, each soldier becomes a new kind of hero, bearing witness and giving support to other veterans, and learning to fearlessly wield the most powerful weapon of all – the truth.

Accent on Worship

Praise

     Praise is not always easy to come by.  Some people are stingy in how and when they give praise.  For these people, you really have to do something special and unique in their eyes to earn that pat on the back or those words of encouragement.  Taking out the garbage or cleaning your room doesn’t get recognized because those are the things you are supposed to do and you don’t get praise for the everyday or the mundane.

     When one’s life lacks praise, one can feel underappreciated and taken for granted.  For example, resentment often builds up in a relationship when one person does all the work and the other sits around watching TV and eating Cheetos.  In essence, when the ordinary doesn’t get noticed or appreciated we take for granted the people who make those things happen.

     And I wonder if that’s not the essence of Psalm 148, that we should remember to praise God for all the little miracles in our lives that take place every day.  Thirteen times the psalmist encourages all things to praise God, the creator of our world, for all that God has done.  “Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.” In essence, the psalmist says that every created thing in the world owes its existence to God and for that alone God is worthy of our praise.

     But this psalm moves beyond a thank you letter of praise for our existence.  This psalm praises God for being God.  This psalm exhorts us to praise the Name of God itself.  “Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted.”  In this sense, praise is not predicated on an action that that is done for us; rather the psalmist gives praise to God because God simply is great.

     Praising God in this way helps us to value the daily miracle of our lives but it also teaches us to value existence itself.  In the same way that we value God for being God, what if we valued people for being people?  What if we said we inherently value people before they did anything for us, without condition to their actions toward us?

     Learning to praise God for all created things helps us to appreciate the daily miracle of sun, life, and breath; for our very creation.  Going a step further, praising the name of God is praising God’s very existence.  Similarly, perhaps today we can praise and give thanks for all the everyday things people do; for the mail carrier bringing us our mail, for a loved one doing the dishes, for waiter who serves us our meal.  But more than that, perhaps this song of praise can remind us that we should generously love and value all people just for being people.

     Praise the Lord all you Minnesotans! Praise the Lord!

– Vicar Neal Cannon

Sunday Readings

May 5, 2013 – Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 16:9-15 + Psalm 67
Revelation 21:10, 22—22:5 + John 5:1-9

May 12, 2013 – Seventh Sunday of Easter
Acts 16:16-34 + Psalm 97
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 + John 17:20-26

New Members to Be Received on Sunday, May 19, Day of Pentecost

If you are interested in becoming a member of Mount Olive, please contact Pastor Crippen (pastor@mountolivechurch.org), or Andrew Andersen, Director of Evangelism (andrewstpaul@gmail.com)

The Ascension of Our Lord
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Holy Eucharist at 7:00 p.m.

This Sunday’s Adult Forum

     May 5 – “Luther and the Hungry Poor,” presented by Dr. Samuel Torvend. Dr. Torvend teaches courses in the history of early, medieval and reformation Christianity as well as historical courses on the reform of social welfare, Christian responses to local and global hunger, Christian art and architecture, and Christian rituals at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.

Hebrews Study on Thursday Evenings

     Postponed twice due to bad weather, the third Thursday Bible study series of this year began last Thursday, April 25, and will run for five more weeks on Thursday evenings.  Meeting in the Chapel Lounge from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Pr. Crippen will be leading a study of the book of Hebrews, an early Christian sermon preserved in the New Testament.  As usual, there will be a light supper when we begin.  All are welcome to this study opportunity!

May Day, May Day!

     The May Day Parade will take place in our neighborhood this Sunday.  We would like to have a large number of folks from Mount Olive come to watch the parade as a group, making our presence in the community known in this way.  The plan is to leave from Mount Olive after the Congregation Visioning Meeting (lunch will be served there) this Sunday, May 5, either walking or by car, to view the parade together from between 31st and 33rd on Bloomington Ave. We will meet in the West Hospitality area after the congregation Visioning meeting. Rides may be arranged for those who need them. If you have a Mount Olive shirt, or other item with the Mount Olive logo, please be sure to wear it.  You may also want to bring a lawn chair. Let’s have a good turnout for a fun time, taking part in a neighborhood activity.

Summer Jobs After School

     The Summer Jobs After School Program is in need of one more volunteer.  If you would like to hang out with three or four cool kids to supervise jobs and an art project once a week for up to two hours for six weeks, call Donna at church, 612-827-5919.  Jobs After School will run from the first week in July through mid-August.  It’s a lot of fun!

Can You Help?

     The Vision Team is in need of a couple people who enjoy data entry and could help compile the results of the Community Observer and Community Interview forms.  The only requirements are a modest typing skill and familiarity with and access to email and Microsoft Word (or compatible) software.  If interested and you could spend a couple of hours doing this, please let the Church office know.  Thank you and God bless!

Summer Worship Schedule Begins Soon!

     Beginning Memorial Day weekend and running through Labor Day weekend, Mount Olive celebrates one Sunday Eucharist, at 9:30 a.m.  This year, the first Sunday of Summer Schedule is Sunday, May 26.

Book Discussion Group

     Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at church. For the May 11 meeting, they will discuss Children of God, by Mary Doria Russell, which is the sequel to her book The Sparrow.  And for the June 8 meeting, they will discuss The Calligrapher’s Daughter, by Eugenia Kim.

Visioning Update

     I heard at this week’s Vision Leadership meeting that one of our members asked why we didn’t have an Olive Branch article last week.  It’s exciting that people have visioning on the mind even without prompting.  It’s thrilling to sense an eagerness for “better vision”.  We don’t have plans to write Vision articles every week, but we do hope and pray that you are always open to and looking for ways in which God is leading us forward.  And if you have some ideas  (dare we say vision) for how God is at work among us in this effort, please let us know.

     This Sunday, May 5, the Leadership Team is hosting another Congregational event with the focus on “values”.  Self-aware people are aware of their values, the things that are important to them, the essence of what they believe in.  The same is true of congregations. Values come in all shapes and sizes – love, calmness, personal growth, making a difference, courage, honesty, confidence, friendship, win-win, determination, resourcefulness, adventure, caring – the list goes on and on as we will see Sunday.

     Once our values are recognized and celebrated, they become the code that guides our decisions – our work and choices become aligned with OUR values and not those of pop culture or trends.  By examining our core values we will gain valuable understanding of who we are and what makes us tick – a very important aspect of our growth and development into what God would have us be and do for God.

     Detailing our values is not easy, but it is beneficial.  Our values say what is important to us, what matters. When we know what our values are, decisions become easier and our vision more clear– we just follow the values we identified.  They move us toward opportunities rather than away from challenges.  They move us ever forward without disregarding or forgetting where we are or have been.  They become the signposts, the beacons, marking the way God has chosen for us.

Please join us this Sunday after the second liturgy to explore and identify those values that define Mount Olive and her people and are the hallmarks of what God is doing and will do with and through us.  All are welcome.  A light lunch will be served and we plan to have you on your way before 2:00 for those who are attending the May Day festivities in Powderhorn Park afterwards.

– Adam Krueger

Church Library News

      I am writing this during National Library Week (April 14-20) and it seems like a good time to remind you to make use of your church library often.  One of the current displays in our library features these informational and inspiring books:

    Through Many Windows, by Arthur Gordon
    The Innermost Room, by Eileen Mitson
    The Irrational Season, by Madeleine L’Engle
    By Way of Response (Journeys in Faith) by Martin E. Marty
    Raspberry Kingdom, by Renee Hermann
    Beyond Feminism, (The Woman of Faith in Action) by Marilyn Brown Oden
    The Divine Yes, by E. Stanley Jones
    Ha! Ha! Among the Trumpets (Messages by a Master Literary Craftsman Presenting New Insights into Scripture) by Martin H. Franzmann
     I’m Human, Thank God! (a book to enjoy) by Robert McMillan
    My Body, My Life, by Daniel R. Ellingsen and Darcy D. Jensen
    Love Is An Everyday Thing, by Colleen Townsend Evans
    Stillmeadow Album and My Own Cape Cod, both by Gladys Taber

     There are always new members and visitors to Mount Olive who might not know where the Library is and when it is open on Sunday morning. Our library is located at the end of the north corridor, past the church staff offices, and it can also be reached by the two passageways from the East Assembly (or coffee hour) room, if you might find that more convenient.  Also the library is open and volunteer-staffed on Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 10:45 a.m. or at other specific times by request left with the church office or by calling me.

      I will close this article with a quote from a beloved author: “No man can be called friendless who has God and the companionship of good books.”      – Elizabeth Barrett Browning

– Leanna Kloempken

A Time For Bach

The Seventh Annual BachTage at Mount Olive

     An original idea put forward in 2006 by Cantor Cherwien and Kathy Romey of the University of Minnesota has become a fixture of each June at Mount Olive.

     A generous grant from The Mount Olive Lutheran Church Foundation and support from Music and Fine Arts helped move the idea to reality. Their continued support have allowed BachTage to become a vital ministry to musicians and musical leaders near and far. June 8 and 9, 2013, are the dates for this year’s BachTage. Frequent participants from past years mark their calendar as soon as the date is announced. Perhaps this is the year for you to consider being part of this unique event?

     Participants study and rehearse a cantata and other selections by Bach under the leadership of Kathy Romey, whose gifts in teaching and musicianship combined with sense of humor and gracious spirit these sessions a delight rather than work.

     This year, the theme of BachTage is music for Advent. Bach’s Cantata 36 and a chorus from Cantata 123 have been selected. The cantatas are presented during Evening Prayer on Sunday afternoon, with an excellent orchestra and soloists.

     A special feature of this year’s BachTage is a Saturday afternoon, June 8, concert of Bach Masterworks for Harpsichord and Strings, presented by Tami Morse, Marc Levine, and Tulio Rondón.

     A little work is required of participants; they need to learn the music in advance so rehearsal time is not wasted on teaching the notes. Coming prepared makes rehearsal time much more valuable and exciting for all.

     Of course, the Saturday afternoon and Sunday Evening Prayer are for the public; let others know about these two special events.

      BachTage brochures are available in various spots around the church; the brochure includes the registration form. Take one for yourself, or pass it to a friend who may be interested. Registration is going on right now; scores will be mailed in early May to allow time for learning.

Theology on Tap

     Theology on Tap is a Mount Olive group that meets once a month at local bars/restaurants to enjoy a good beverage and dialogue about faith and life (no preparation or book reading required, only your personal knowledge and insight).  If you would like to join us or have questions about Theology on Tap, contact Vicar Neal Cannon (vicar@mountolivechurch.org, 612-827-5919 x12).

May Event Details
Who: Anyone 21+ is welcome to join
Where: Stella’s Fish Cafe – 1400 W Lake St.,  Minneapolis (God willing, we’ll be on their rooftop
   patio… not getting snowed on!)
When: Thursday May 23, 7:30-9:00pm
Discussion Topic: “Poverty, Wealth, and Money in the Church”
Facebook Page & Group: Mount Olive Theology on Tap.  (“Like” the Page to get updates on Theology on Tap)

National Lutheran Choir Hymn Festival
“Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today, Forever”

     This hymn festival is the final concert of the 2012-13 season and will be held this weekend, May 3 and May 5. Concert repertoire will include: “Nada Te Turbe,” by Jake Runestad (Winner of the 2013 Raabe Prize for Excellence in Sacred Composition), “The Spheres (Kyrie),” by Ola Gjeilo and Paul D. Weber’s “With High Delight” WORLD PREMIERE [Commissioned by the National Lutheran Choir and William Raabe].  The program will also include congregational hymn singing and reflections read by  Susan Palo Cherwien.  National Lutheran Choir’s Artistic Director, David Cherwien, will be the organist for this event.

     Tickets available at the door.

Friday, May 3, 2013 – 7:00pm
Normandale Lutheran Church
6100 Normandale Road, Edina

Sunday, May 5, 2013 – 4:00pm
Trinity Lutheran Church
115 North 4th Street, Stillwater, MN

Our Saviour’s Housing Thanks Volunteers

     The following message was received from Colleen O’Connor Toberman, who is the Volunteer Coordinator for Our Savior’s Housing:

         “Our residents have helped us create a new video to say thanks for the wonderful meals you bring to them.  Check it out here: http://bit.ly/Z4ecUE and then please pass it along to others who have volunteered.  I guarantee it will bring a smile to your face.”

     To this word of thanks, we add a special thanks to Rod and Connie Olson for coordinating and carrying out this valued service.
 

Accent on Worship

The Fifth Sunday of Easter

     A new commandment, a whole new direction and a new Jerusalem, all of which came about because of the Resurrection of Our Lord.

     In the book Field of Compassion, author Judy Cannato puts forth her scholarly insight about God’s love.  She writes, “God creates in order to give God’s self away in love.  All that creation has ever been invited to do is accept this gift of love.” She writes that all love comes from God, that we cannot love until we are loved and by this love we love others because, we are nothing more than conduits of divine love.

     The depth of God’s divine love became flesh in Jesus.  In the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday in Easter, Jesus gives his apostles a new commandment. He says, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” God’s love triumphs in Christ’s resurrection, and his followers are commanded to continue to bring the triumphant love of Jesus into the world.

     In the First Reading for Sunday, the apostle Peter brings a broader understanding of God’s love to the Jews in Jerusalem who criticized him for going to the uncircumcised with the message of the resurrection and the grace of God.  However, Peter’s vision of God’s inclusiveness wins them over and sends the early church in a whole new direction. The followers of Jesus would thereafter preach God’s grace and love through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior to all.

     In the Second Reading, John gives us a vision of what is to come because of the resurrection of Jesus who is “making all things new.”   Jesus will return from heaven to a new earth in a new Jerusalem in all her splendor. “Death will be no more.”  Jesus is the beginning and the end.  He came as the enfleshed expression of God’s eternal love and completes his journey in the New Jerusalem.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

– Donna Neste  

Sunday Readings

April 28, 2013 – Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 11:1-18 + Psalm 148
Revelation 21:1-6 + John 13:31-35

May 5, 2013 – Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 16:9-15 + Psalm 67
Revelation 21:10, 22—22:5 + John 5:1-9

Hebrews Study on Thursday Evenings

     Postponed twice due to bad weather, the third Thursday Bible study series of this year will finally begin this Thursday, April 25, and will run for five more weeks on Thursday evenings.  Meeting in the Chapel Lounge from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Pr. Crippen will be leading a study of the book of Hebrews, an early Christian sermon preserved in the New Testament.  As usual, there will be a light supper when we begin.  All are welcome to this study opportunity!

The Ascension of Our Lord
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Holy Eucharist at 7:00 p.m.

Semi-annual Congregation Meeting to be Held This 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.

Book Discussion Group

     Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at church. For the May 11 meeting, they will discuss Children of God, by Mary Doria Russell, which is the sequel to her book The Sparrow.  And for the June 8 meeting, they will discuss The Calligrapher’s Daughter, by Eugenia Kim.

New Members to Be Received on Day of Pentecost, May 19

If you are interested in becoming a member of Mount Olive this spring, please contact Pastor Crippen (pastor@mountolivechurch.org), or Andrew Andersen, Director of Evangelism (andrewstpaul@gmail.com)

May Day, May Day!

     Far from being an emergency, this is a call for you to enjoy watching the May Day Parade.  We would like to have a large number of folks from Mount Olive to watch the parade as a group, making our presence in the community known in this way.  The plan is to leave from Mount Olive after the Congregation Visioning Meeting (lunch will be served there) on Sunday, May 5, either walking or by car, to view the parade together from between 31st and 33rd on Bloomington Ave. Rides may be arranged for those who need them. If you have a Mount Olive shirt, or other item with the Mount Olive logo, please be sure to wear it.  You may also want to bring a lawn chair. Let’s have a good turnout for a fun time, taking part in a neighborhood activity.

Prayer Shawl Retreat to be Held April 27

     This Saturday, April 27, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Mount Olive’s Prayer Shawl group will join the group from Our Savior’s Lutheran Church for a joint Prayer Shawl Retreat at Our Saviour’s (2315 Chicago Ave. S.).

        This retreat is for anyone interested in needle arts, prayer and the neighborhood.  It will be a day of prayerful work, fellowship, and reflecting on the neighborhood community of our churches.  There is no cost for this retreat and participants are welcome to join us for all or part of the day.

     The morning will include an opening prayer, sharing stories, and prayerful work. The afternoon will include a walking meditation and neighborhood experience, prayerful work, and closing prayer.
     For a full agenda and additional information, please contact Cynthia Prosek, 612-860-7228, or by email to cynthprosek@msn.com.