Accent on Worship

     While I’m sure it is not unusual to see the new Vicar aimlessly walking the halls looking lost and confused, your newest Vicar, Neal Cannon (that’s me), will have a little extra of that this year.  That’s because not only am I orienting myself to a new call, church, and people, but I am also adjusting myself to a new marriage and home!  Soon after I began at Mount Olive (August 26), I moved into a new duplex (September 1), and will soon be  married to my beautiful fiancée, Mary (September 8).  This process has been a whirlwind of activity and change, but I have been blessed by God with amazing friends, welcoming neighbors, and the Holy Spirit who has guided me along the way.

     I was born just outside of Crystal Lake, Illinois, four minutes after my identical twin brother Paul (who is also a pastor, now serving his first call in Crystal Lake at the church where we were baptized!), to my mother Julie, a nurse, and father Charles, an airline pilot.  I have one older sister, Susie, and one younger sister, Marybeth.  Together, we moved from Crystal Lake to Cincinnati, Ohio, where I developed my life-long love of the Cincinnati Bengals, my favorite professional football team.  Our stay in Cincinnati was not long, however, and our family moved to Park City, Utah when I was in the third grade, where we remained through high school.

     After high school, I attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD where I received my undergraduate degree in Business Communications.  During each college summer I worked at Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry in northern Minnesota as a counselor, BWCA canoe guide (where I learned to love the outdoors), and on program staff.  After college, I felt a call towards youth ministry and began work as the middle school youth director at Roseville Lutheran Church, where I have worked for the past six years.  While I loved my job there, I began to feel another tug in my life towards seminary and pastoral ministry.  That tug led me to Luther Seminary in St. Paul, where I dived in to theological and pastoral learning these past two years.

Through it all, I have come to love Lutheran tradition, theology, and people.  I am excited to land at Mount Olive Lutheran Church where I will learn from you and with you about this great God of ours, and his Son Jesus Christ.  Praise be to God!

– Vicar Neal Cannon

This Week in Adult Education

     This Sunday, September 9, Pastor Crippen will present part 1 of a 2-part series on “An Introduction to the Book of James.”

New Olive Branch Publication Schedule 

     Beginning with this issue, The Olive Branch schedule returns to weekly publication. The publication date of the weekly newsletter is moving from Mondays to Fridays.  The result will be that members will receive news of the congregation and other information just prior to Sunday’s liturgies and fellowship, which is more timely, and copies of the newsletter may also be given to visitors at worship and still be fresh information that morning.

Name Change and Request for Helpers

     The Worship Committee recognizes the valuable service the greeters are performing during our worship services, and most of you realize it goes far beyond greeting folks at the door.  Greeters arrive at least thirty minutes prior to the services, ensure bulletins and other informational brochures are available to the worshipers.  As well, they ensure doors are unlocked, lights and fans turned on, and windows opened or closed.  They may also be asked to perform some minor duties for the other worship assistants, depending on the logistics of the service.  They keep track of and record the numbers in attendance. They are also responsible for the offering collection, the procession of the gifts to the altar, as well as coordinating the flow of traffic to the eucharist table.  At the end of the service, they see that the offering is transferred quickly to the safe and conclude their duties by tidying the pews in the nave.  They also often field questions of newcomers, and now and again may have to respond to minor emergencies.  In other words, the greeters are much more than people who just greet at the door.  They are ushers, gracious hosts, ambassadors.  Therefore, it was decided in the most recent Worship Committee meeting that there will be a name change in the servant roster from “Greeter” to “Usher.”

     With all of that in mind, we are always looking for new ushers, especially those who can serve with flexibility for both services, as well as evening services.  Those who serve in the evening would be asked to learn how to close the building, therefore adding some additional duties, similar to the previous “Building Keeper” position.  This commitment is available for new and current ushers.  If you are interested in learning the building keeper duties of the ushers and have a flexible schedule that allows you to serve in the evening, please let Brian Jacobs know.

Book Discussion Group

     Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. For the September 8 meeting they will read The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. For the October 13 meeting they will read Remarkable Creatures, by Tracy Chevalier. All readers welcome!

Olivites in the News

     This month’s edition of Metro Lutheran features an article about Susan Cherwien, written by former Mount Olive member, Mike Sherer.

     (While you’re looking at the newspaper, be sure to check out who was “Caught Reading Metro Lutheran” – you’ll see some familiar faces!)

Prayer Shawl Ministry

     Do you knit or crochet?  Yes?  Then mark Sunday, September 23 on your calendar because you are needed at the next meeting of the Mount Olive Prayer Shawl Ministry group.   We will meet at 9:30 AM.
     Don’t know how to knit or crochet?  No problem.  We can teach you!    So grab a cup of coffee and join the meeting to learn more about this rewarding ministry.

     If you need additional information or have any questions about this project, contact Peggy Hoeft (peggyrf70@gmail.com).

A Word of Thanks 

     Many thanks to Marcella Daehn, Beth Gaede, Peggy Hoeft,  Tim Lindholm and T.J. Schnabel, Bonnie McClellan, and Sandra and Steve Pranschke, who contributed nearly 20 people-hours to clean our chancel, transepts, and narthex, and polish the brass candelabra and fittings. Our worship space positively glows!

October 2 is Drawing Near

     Tuesday October 2, is the first day of Way to Goals Tutoring for this year, and I am looking for a few good men and women to be a positive force in a child’s life by becoming a volunteer tutor.  If you have a heart for children this is the job for you!  This is a once a week commitment on Tuesday evenings from 7:00-8:30 p.m.  You will spend one hour with your student and the last half an hour enjoying a snack and fun activity, or just visiting with the other students and tutors.  The youth are in second through sixth grade.  The season goes from the first Tuesday in October through the last Tuesday in May.  We do not meet when the Minneapolis Public Schools are off and a few other Tuesday evenings. If you would like more information or you are interested in volunteering please give me a call at church, 612-827-5919.

– Donna Neste

Attention All Worship Assistants!

     The new schedule for September-December is now posted on the church website. Please check it soon to find out when you are scheduled: https://www.mountolivechurch.org/worship_servants.html
(click on the red box labeled, “View Current Servant Schedule”).

Every Church a Peace Church September Potluck Supper Meeting

When:   Monday, September 10, 6:30 pm
Where:  Living Table United Church of Christ, 4001 38th Ave. S.; Minneapolis 55406
            612-729-7556;   http://www.spiritucc.org
Who:  You and … someone from your church … or another church? …Your own pastor? …
            interested friend, neighbor or relative?
Why:  Support, networking, delicious food, and an outstanding program!

The program for this month is a presentation and discussion led by Michael Bayly entitled, “Justice, Peace, and the Minnesota Marriage Amendment: Understanding and speaking about the proposed constitutional ban on same-sex civil marriage from a justice and peace perspective.”
     For more Information, please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MnECAPC/message/157  or send your questions via email to: ecapctc@yahoo.com.

Thank You

     Thank you to all those new volunteers who helped with the Community Meal this past Labor Day weekend (and a continual thank you to those who come faithfully on those special Saturdays.)
– Mount Olive Neighborhood Ministries Committee

Rachel Crippen blog from Austria
     Some folks have asked the Crippens about how Rachel Crippen’s youth exchange year in Austria is going.  The easiest way to find out is have her tell you, since she’s blogging about her experience online, and including lots of photographs.  Go to www.rcrippen.blogspot.com and it’s all there.  Past entries are listed on the sidebar, and people can leave comments if they wish, or even “subscribe,” which means getting e-mail notices whenever she makes new entries.  Pastor Crippen and his family are grateful for all the kind thoughts and all the prayers people are offering as she has this great experience.

Wear Your Nametags!

     As a way to help Vicar Neal become familiar with our names, it would be very hospitable if we could all consider wearing our nametags on Sundays for the next several weeks. If you don’t have a nametag, or if yours has been lost or misplaced, please contact the church office for a new one.

Church Library News

     I am pleased to finally be able to share some news of progress regarding the inclusion of a DVD collection for adults in our library. All summer we awaited the arrival of an ordered media spinner rack and finally accepted a substitute so that we could enter the fall season with something to use to display our newly processed DVD collection.
     So can now announce the following acquisitions in this beginning DVD collection:

• WALKING THE BIBLE — a journey by land through the five books of Moses
• THE QUEST FOR NOAH’S ARK
• JESUS — HIS BIRTH AND MINISTRY (Reader’s Digest Series — Great People of the Bible)
• JESUS — HIS FINAL DAYS AND RESURRECTION
• THE APOSTLE PAUL
• ABRAHAM, SARAH, ISAAC, JACOB AND JOSEPH
• MARY OF NAZARETH
• THE GIFT OF JABEZ
• EARTH FROM ABOVE SERIES — EARTH — Part I
• EARTH FROM ABOVE SERIES — EARTH — Part II
• EARTH FROM ABOVE SERIES — SEAS AND OCEANS — Part I and II
• EARTH FROM ABOVE SERIES — Water
• EARTH FROM ABOVE SERIES — Biodiversity
• SECRETS OF THE OCEAN REALMS SERIES — Encounters of the Deep
• SECRETS OF THE OCEAN REALMS SERIES — Nature’s Amazing Events
• SECRETS OF THE OCEAN REALMS SERIES — Nature’s Incredible Designs
• JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME SERIES — Europe and The Middle East
• JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME SERIES – Africa and Asia
• JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME SERIES – Australia to the Americas
• ADVENTURES IN SEARCH OF THE PAST (Reader’s Digest Series) — Mysteries of the Americas — Vanished Civilizations
• ADVENTURES IN SEARCH OF THE PAST — Mysteries of Europe and the Mediteranean — Myths and Legends
• ADVENTURES IN SEARCH OF THE PAST — Mysteries of the Orient — Ancient Journeys
• JOY TO THE WORLD — featuring The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra
• BRETHREN — by White Knuckle Media
• NBC NEWS PRESENTS — THE GREATEST GENERATION with Tom Brokaw
• THE GREATEST GENERATION SPEAKS with Tom Brokaw (also D-Day, a Leap into History)
• THE GREATEST GENERATION with Tom Brokaw  (Memories of World War II)
• AMERICA — THE STORY OF US
• Disc I — Rebels, Revolution, Westward Division
• Disc II — Civil War, Heartland Cities, Boom Bonus
• Disc III — Bust, World War II, Superpower, Millenium
• NEVER STOP SINGING — A Celebration of Minnesota’s Choral Legacy
• A ST. OLAF CHRISTMAS IN NORWAY
• CHRISTMAS AT ST. OLAF — 2007 (Where Peace and Love and Hope Abide)
• JACK HANNA’S ANIMAL ADVENTURES — On Safari with Jack; Little Seen Africa; Africa on the Edge; Safari Through the Masai Mara; Phinda, Land of Adventure; and Jack’s Camp

     We hope that soon we will begin to acquire DVDs for children as well as update our collection of children’s books.  I would welcome a volunteer (or more) to assist in this process, especially if you have an association as an elementary or special education teacher or would have other expertise with children’s literature to share.  Please contact me at my home or in the Library many Sundays.

     Kudos to Target Corporation and The Minneapolis Star Tribune for presenting “A Family Reading Adventure” this Saturday, September 8, at the Hyland Lake Park Reserve. Details have been in the Star Tribune newspaper the past two weeks and we hope many families will have an opportunity to take part in this special event.

     We close with two appropos quotations —  “Libraries Change Lives” and “In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends” by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

– Leanna Kloempken

Accent on Worship 

Bread for Eucharist

     We’ve just finished a month in John’s Gospel, the sixth chapter, where every week at Eucharist we’ve heard Jesus call himself the Bread of Life, and offer himself to us as food for our lives.  Now we’re moving back into Mark’s Gospel for our Gospel readings, but it seems appropriate to continue our conversation about the kind of bread we use at Eucharist here at Mount Olive.

     As you know, we’ve been using loaves of bread for our Eucharist here since Lent, and this was a trial, to determine if this is something that might enrich our worship, to determine what logistical issues would need addressing, and to determine if this is something we might wish to continue.  We began the trial using many different recipes during Lent, hoping to find one which seemed to work well.  Then in the Easter season we took one recipe which seemed the best for our use, and used it each week, with a couple bakers from the congregation providing the bread.  Finally, this summer we had about 15 different bakers providing the bread, mostly from the one recipe.  We also asked for feedback from the congregation, which many provided, and when asked to put it in writing, most did.  The Worship Committee and I read all the written feedback carefully, and at several meetings shared other feedback we’d heard as well.

     This has been a good thing to do.  Many people have responded positively to the use of loaves instead of wafers, and there have been some who have indicated clearly their preference for wafers.  I particularly was pleased with how many people took the opportunity to offer to bake our bread, another chance for people to contribute to our worship life, and how eager people were to do it.  Using one loaf for each liturgy deepened our sense of the one Body into which we are baptized, and the richer symbol of each of us eating from one loaf was a powerful reminder to many who responded.

     So the question is, where to go from here?  After listening to the discussion at the Worship Committee, and the feedback from the congregation, several things are worth noting: first, this has been a good addition to our liturgy for many, and the presence of a loaf of bread as the way we eat of the Lord’s meal has been a blessing.  Second, there is a rich and appreciated tradition of receiving the Lord’s meal here at Mount Olive using wafers of bread which is worthy of keeping a part of our life.  Third, and perhaps most important, it must be said that this has been a generous conversation no matter what people’s thoughts were.  People were able to express their opinions and their perceptions while at the same time understanding that they had sisters and brothers here who might not see it the same way, and I find that a great blessing in our life together and a gift from God for how we have any kind of conversation with one another.

     It seems clear to me that at this point in our life we are both ready for the use of loaves at Eucharist and also desirous of retaining our consistent way of receiving the bread that has fed so many for so long here at Mount Olive.  So we will do both.  For the time from Advent through Holy Trinity (and also festivals which occur outside that time) we will use loaves of bread, and for the season of Pentecost we will use wafers.  This will roughly divide the year in two.  That means that this Sunday, Sept. 2, we’ll return to wafers.  Apart from returning to loaves in Advent, we’ll have loaves on All Saints’ Sunday and Christ the King.  One of our learnings was that there are several logistical questions we still need to solve to help the Altar Guild and the sacristans and me as we work together to serve with loaves, and we’ll take what we’ve learned and sort that out before All Saints’.  In fact, the majority of concerns raised in this whole conversation related to logistical and procedural questions, and I’m hopeful that we will be able to sort most of that out.

     One thing that became apparent to me and to the committee is that this discussion opened up some very fruitful avenues of conversation about the Eucharist in general, and it is our hope that such conversation and learning will continue.  (For example, the question of “one bread, one cup” yielded some vital dialogue and discussion and also led many to wish for more opportunities like that.)  There will be several Sunday forums this fall which will center on the Eucharist and its meaning in our worship and our lives, and I invite all to come and learn together.  This gift of the Meal of Life from our Lord Jesus is something we could ponder, celebrate, discuss, cherish, and share for many lifetimes and still have wonders to know.  I hope many take advantage of the opportunity this fall to explore some of these riches together.  And thank you all for your partnership in this conversation, and in our life together.  It truly is a blessed gift of God.

– Joseph

 

Last Week of Summer Worship Schedule for 2012

     This Sunday, September 2, will be the last week of Summer Worship schedule for this year. Beginning Sunday, September 9 we resume our regular worship schedule of two Eucharists each Sunday morning, at 8:00 and 10:45 a.m.  Church School and Adult Education is held between services, beginning at 9:30 a.m. each week.

Meet the Vicar

     This Sunday, September 2, following the morning liturgy, all are invited attend the annual Labor Day forum, “Meet the Vicar.”  This will be a great opportunity for all to meet Mount Olive’s new vicar, Neal Cannon.

New Olive Branch Publication Schedule 

     Beginning with next week’s issue, The Olive Branch schedule returns to weekly publication. The publication date of the weekly newsletter is moving from Mondays to Fridays.  The result will be that members will receive news of the congregation and other information just prior to Sunday’s liturgies and fellowship, which is more timely, and copies of the newsletter may also be given to visitors at worship and still be fresh information that morning.

New Members to be Received September 23

     New members will be received on Sunday, September 23. If you are interested in becoming a member of Mount Olive, please speak with Pastor Crippen after liturgy, or call him at the church office, 612-827-5919.

Help, Help, Help!
     Our next Community Meal, free to all who come in our doors, will be held on Saturday, September 1. Some of our regular Community Meal workers will be on vacation that day. If YOU can help with the meal (prep, feeding our guests, or clean up) please call Carol Austermann at 612-722-5123.

Singers, Take Note!

     Cantorei rehearsals resume this coming Wednesday, September 5, at 7 pm.  The choir always welcomes new singers, so if you haven’t sung with the Cantorei before but are interested in giving it a try, please join us!

Accent on Worship

Pentecost 21

     “Connectedness and inter-relatedness are inter-woven throughout the entire fabric of creation,” wrote theologian and Roman Catholic priest Diarmuid O’Murchu in his book Quantum Theology. Father O’Murchu is one of a number of Christian theologians who see Jesus as wisdom incarnate, the cosmic Christ, and as the God who dwells within all of creation. The kingdom of God is within us and we continue to nourish and sustain the kingdom of God when we eat the body and drink the blood of Christ in the Eucharist.

     Jesus could be no more intimate with humankind than to become a part of our own body and blood. For this is the longing of God, the One who created interdependence to be essential for life.

     But the mystery of life comes from the Spirit. “It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless” said Jesus in the Gospel for Pentecost 21. Our Creator dwells within all that has life. Without the indwelling of the spirit, there is no life. For us the intimacy of the physical eating and drinking of the Eucharist mirrors the intimacy of the Spirit. The work of Jesus cannot be separated from the spirit of God. Both body and spirit are needed for the work and witness to the God of love in this world. The outcome of Jesus’ indwelling of our bodies and spirits gives us the privilege to become co-creators with God toward a world of compassion, justice and peace, a world where God’s creation is respected and sustained. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus’ words are hard, but what he calls us to be as his followers in the world are harder still.

– Donna Pususta Neste

Dusting and Polishing Day

     The Altar Guild is hosting a chancel-cleaning event this Saturday, August 25, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Bring your favorite duster and polishing rags, and help spiff up our worship space for the fall. Questions? Contact Beth Gaede at bethgaede [at] comcast [dot] com.

Help, Help, Help!

     Our next Community Meal, free to all who come in our doors, will be held on Saturday, September 1. Some of our regular Community Meal workers will be on vacation that day. If YOU can help with the meal (prep, feeding our guests, or clean up) please call Carol Austermann at 612-722-5123.

Regular Worship Schedule Resumes Soon

     Our summer schedule of one liturgy each Sunday will end on Labor Day weekend, September 2. Beginning the following Sunday, September 9, we will resume our regular worship schedule of two Eucharists each Sunday morning, at 8:00 and 10:45 a.m.

Vicar Cannon Arrives Sunday

     We welcome our new vicar to Mount Olive on Sunday, Aug. 26.  Neal Cannon, a student at Luther Seminary, will serve his internship at Mount Olive for this next year.  He and his fiancée Mary will be at worship Sunday, where we’ll commission his Internship Committee for the year and commit to work with him and support him as a congregation.  Neal is a graduate of Augustana College, and grew up in Illinois, Ohio, and Utah.  He worked as youth director at Roseville Lutheran Church for six years prior to entering seminary.  He and Mary will be married on Sept. 8.

     On Sunday, Sept. 2, the Internship Committee will serve the coffee, and Neal will be at the Forum where he will introduce himself and the congregation will have an opportunity to talk with him and get to know him.  Members of the Internship Committee for next year are Steve Manuel, Miriam Luebke, Ro Griesse, John Crippen, Peggy Hoeft and Warren Peterson.

Book Discussion Group
     Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. For the September 8 meeting they will read The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. For the October 13 meeting they will read Remarkable Creatures, by Tracy Chevalier. All readers welcome!

Garden Party and Picnic

     Mark your calendars now for Wednesday, August 29, the date set for the annual Mount Olive Women Garden Party and Picnic, to be held at the home of Gail Nielsen, 4248 12th Avenue South, Minneapolis, starting about 4:30 p.m.  In order to plan for enough food, please RSVP to Leanna Kloempken at 952/888-1023, or to the church office, by or before Monday, August 27.  And yes, Gail says “men are welcome too!”

New Olive Branch Publication Schedule: Fridays in the Fall

     When The Olive Branch publication schedule returns to weekly issues after Labor Day, the publication date is moving from Mondays to Fridays.  The result will be that members will receive news of the congregation and other information just prior to Sunday’s liturgies and fellowship, which is more timely, and copies of the newsletter may also be given to visitors at worship and still be fresh information that morning.

Eat Local, Eat Organic
     Community Table Cooperative is a food cooperative made up of Twin Cities farmers markets, farmers and small businesses in partnership with the Alliance for Sustainability. The vegetables are locally and organically grown.

     Community Table Cooperative is now selling shares for 16 or 8 pounds of fresh produce every Saturday for 10 weeks that is dropped off at various locations. The closest one to the church is at the Global Market. The full or half shares will be pro-rated for you, because pick-ups started on August 4.  

     If you would like to participate in this food share you are invited to sign up online at www.communitytable.coop  or www.afors.org,  or call Paris Dunning at 952-994-3746.  Also, there are two sheets of information on the Neighborhood Ministries bulletin board directly down the stairs near the elevator that you are invited to take.

     This is not only a wonderful way to eat locally and organically, but also to help support our local Hmong, Latino, and African farmers!

Accent on Worship

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

     It has been a full year.  Well, not quite.  A full year minus a few weeks.  But my time at Mount Olive as your Vicar has been full of challenges and opportunities and learning and growth.  I am thankful to you and I am thankful to God for all of it.  I am thankful for you, each of you.  Thanks to Cha, thanks to the Vestry and to Cantor Cherwein, and to William, our sexton.  Thanks, especially, to Pastor Crippen, and to my intern committee members, for their specific guidance and support during my vicarage.      I have grown in my skills and perspectives and hopes.  I am not the same person who sat in the pew on September 4, 2011.  And I suspect you are not the same congregation that I first encountered that day!  I trust that the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has been actively working in all of us.  Thinking about God active in us is a bit scary and a lot inspiring, don’t you think?  Imagine where God will bring us next!

     That same Triune God will hold all of us in grace and will and guide all of us — me, as I return to Luther Seminary for my senior year; and also you, the congregation of Mount Olive, as you welcome Vicar Neal Cannon to the Vicar’s office and ministry.  I know you will be as gracious to him as you were to me.

     Thank you, thank you, thank you.

– Vicar Erik Doughty

Sunday Readings

August 5, 2012 – Time after Pentecost, Sunday 18
Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 + Psalm 78:23-29
Ephesians 4:1-16 + John 6:16-35

August 12, 2012 – Time after Pentecost, Sunday 19
1 Kings 19:4-8 + Psalm 34:1-8
Ephesians 4:25—5:2 + John 6:35, 41-45

August 19, 2012 – Time after Pentecost, Sunday 20
Proverbs 9:1-6 + Psalm 34:9-14
Ephesians 5:15-20 + John 6:51-58

Phil Knutson Reception This Sunday

     Phil Knutson, the ELCA representative in South Africa and friend of Mount Olive, will be visiting the Twin Cities. All Mount Olive members and friends are invited to a reception for Phil Knutson at the home of Donn and Bonnie McLellan,  Sunday, August 5, 5:00 p.m.

     Mount Olive has sponsored Phil Knutson’s work in South Africa for many, many years.  He has experience working for the ELCA during the apartheid era as well as now in post-apartheid South Africa. He has been a good friend and partner to Mount Olive. Phil will share information about his work and answer questions, and we, in turn, can offer him encouragement, support, and hospitality.

     All who are interesting in attending the reception at Donn and Bonnie McClellan’s home should please RSVP to Donn and Bonnie at agathach@bitstream.net  or call 952-452-2049.

     Donn and Bonnie McLellan will send directions. It will be a very fun, very casual reception. Thank you to Donn and Bonnie for hosting.

Book Discussion Group

     Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group regularly meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. For the August 11 meeting they will read The Razor’s Edge, by W. Somerset Maugham, and for September 8, The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. All readers welcome!

Mary, Mother of Our Lord
Wednesday, August 15
Holy Eucharist, 7:00 pm
Gethsemane Episcopal Church
Minneapolis, MN

     For a number of years Mount Olive has joined with our sisters and brothers at Gethsemane Episcopal Church in downtown Minneapolis for a shared liturgy on the feast day of St. Mary, the mother of our Lord, August 15.  Every year one congregation hosts and the other provides a preacher.  This year we are at Gethsemane, Wednesday, August 15, at 7:00 p.m. for this Eucharist.

Men’s Ensemble

     Men are invited to join together to sing for the August 12 Eucharist.  There will be one rehearsal, on THURSDAY, August 9, at 7:00, for one hour.  This group will also sing several liturgical things and an anthem for men’s voices.  Cantor Cherwien will lead this ensemble.

Garden Party and Picnic

     Mark your calendars now for Wednesday, August 29, the date set for the annual Mount Olive Women Garden Party and Picnic, to be held at the home of Gail Nielsen, 4248 12th Avenue South, Minneapolis, starting about 4:30 p.m.  In order to plan for enough food, please RSVP to Leanna Kloempken at 952/888-1023, or to the church office, by or before Monday, August 27.  And yes, Gail says “men are welcome too!”

Keep the Vestry in Prayer

     The Vestry will meet on Saturday, Aug. 11, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. for conversation and discernment regarding the direction God is leading Mount Olive.  This visioning session will consider our mission and ministry in this place, and what God would have us become.  Please keep your Vestry in prayer as they do this important and exciting task!

Wingspan Uganda Project Benefit

     Peterson Toscano, a highly regarded theatrical performance activist, will perform twice to benefit Wingspan’s Uganda Project, supporting Bishop Christopher Senyonjo’s efforts to secure safety & dignity for GLBT persons in Uganda. Events are on August 9 and 10.

For more information and tickets, visit www.stpaulref.org/wingspan

Accent on Worship

Maybe It’s Not Bread We’re Talking About

     Every three years the lectionary steers us to five weeks of exploring the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel in August.  Beginning with Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand on July 29, we will spend the rest of the summer reflecting on Jesus as the Bread of Life.  These five weeks can be challenging for the preacher.  Week after week we hear Jesus call himself the Bread of Life, and after a while one wonders if there is anything new to say about that.

     For obvious reasons the Church has taken these verses as a rich description of our Eucharist, the Meal of Life.  When Jesus says on Aug. 5 that he is the “living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever,” it’s hard not to consider the gift of life we receive in his Supper.  When he speaks on Aug. 12 and 19 about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, again, how are we not to think of the gift of his Body and Blood as we share in Holy Communion?

     But what is interesting about this whole episode in John’s Gospel is the deeper question John always has about belief in Jesus and what it takes for him to draw us into faith.  John speaks of signs Jesus does, signs which are intended to lead us, the reader, the worshipper, to faith.  Just prior to recounting this miraculous feeding and its aftermath, John has told us about Jesus and the woman from Samaria.  There the sign is water, and Jesus’ claim is that he is our Living Water.  But as with the bread, it’s not really about water at all.
     So at the heart of John 6 is a probing investigation into what we need for faith.  Jesus feeds miraculously, then walks on water.  Following these two remarkable events, some of the skeptics still ask him, “What sign are you going to give us, then, so that we may see it and believe in you” (6:30).  (You mean, other than multiplying food and defying physical laws and the properties of water?)  It turns out that in John’s Gospel there are always those who see and those who do not, those who believe and those who do not, and it usually has nothing to do with whether or not Jesus has done something impressive.  In John 6 more and more desert Jesus the more he talks about who he is and what he is bringing, to the point that he asks his closest disciples if they, too, will leave him.

     So as we walk with John these five weeks, that becomes our question.  What signs do we need to see or experience to believe in Jesus and have life in his name?  What is challenging about his witness that makes some leave him, and will we also leave him?  Or will we agree with Peter who said, “Lord, where else would we go?  You have the words of eternal life” (6:68)?  By the end of the Gospel, John has Jesus telling Thomas that those who believe without seeing are the blessed ones.  That’s always been our challenge, living 2,000 years after the Son of God lived among us.

     But perhaps Jesus, and John the evangelist, too, are telling us that just because you were there doesn’t mean you’ll believe.  Maybe it truly is a blessing to believe without seeing.  Because once we believe, we actually do begin to see the healing grace of the Triune God everywhere, signs of God’s salvation, and we begin to live abundant life as promised.  Peter was right, after all: where else would we go for such abiding, eternal life?

– Joseph

Adult Forum This Sunday, July 29

     “All this is from God, who reconciled us through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.”  2 Corinthians 5:18

     Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only the union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota?

     Join the conversation on Sunday, July 29. Our guest is Tim Feiertag, Grassroots Organizing and Training Coordinator at Lutherans Concerned North America headquarters (LC/NA) in St. Paul. Tim holds a degree in Social Work from Valparaiso University and a Master of Divinity degree from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. His involvement in Lutherans Concerned includes being co-chair of the Kansas City/Lawrence Chapter, serving on the national board of directors and as Regional Director for the Central Region. In 1998, he was elected co-chair of LC/NA, a position he held until 2002.  Across time he has participated in and conducted various trainings, from I-Wheel to RIC and Building an Inclusive Church.  He comes to LC/NA and St. Paul from the Missouri Children’s Division in Kansas City where he served as a caseworker for abused and neglected children and their families.

Property Committee

     The Property Committee will meet this Sunday, July 29, at 11:00 a.m. in the Undercroft.  Those experienced in maintaining the Mount Olive facility and those who would like to become part of the property team are invited and encouraged to attend.  The meeting will be over by lunchtime.  If you have any questions, please contact me at 651 558 7979.  – – Brenda Bartz, Director of Properties

Book Discussion Group

     Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group regularly meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. For the August 11 meeting they will read The Razor’s Edge, by W. Somerset Maugham, and for September 8, The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. All readers welcome!

Contribution Statements

     Contribution statements for the first half of 2012 are available and ready to be picked up at church. Please take yours when you come to liturgy. If you would like yours mailed to you, just call the office

School Supplies Drive

     Summer’s just begun and for the Neighborhood Ministries Committee that means looking forward to the beginning of …. school!? That’s right!  

     Summer is when we start thinking about gathering school supplies for distribution to 100 neighborhood children at the August 4 community meal. While this is an item in our budget, the generous contributions we receive each year from the congregation help us to provide as many supplies as possible. Please look for a Neighborhood Ministries Committee member during coffee hour for one more Sunday – July 29 – and offer your support to this vital neighborhood ministry.

– Kathy Kruger, Neighborhood Ministries Committee member

Phil Knutson, Reception, August 5

     Phil Knutson, the ELCA representative in Southern Africa and friend of Mount Olive will be visiting the Twin Cities. All Mount Olive members and friends are invited to a reception for Phil Knutson at the home of Donn and Bonnie McLellan,  Sunday, August 5th, 5:00 p.m.

     Mount Olive has sponsored Phil Knutson’s work in Southern Africa for many, many years.  He has experience working for the ELCA during the apartheid era as well as now in post-apartheid South Africa. He has been a good friend and partner to Mount Olive. Phil will share information about his work and answer questions. And we, in turn, can offer him encouragement, support, and hospitality.

     If you are interesting in attending the reception at Donn and Bonnie McClellan’s home, please RSVP to Donn and Bonnie at agathach@bitstream.net  or call 952-452-2049.

     Donn and Bonnie McLellan will send directions. It should be a very fun, very casual reception. Thank you to Donn and Bonnie for hosting.

Mary, Mother of Our Lord
Wednesday, August 15
Holy Eucharist, 7:00 pm
Gethsemane Episcopal Church
Minneapolis, MN

The Bargain Box

     Each August, Mount Olive Neighborhood Ministries sponsors The Bargain Box, an affordable way for neighborhood families to obtain good quality clothing (new and gently used) for children of all ages to wear as they return to school in the fall. This year, the Bargain Box will be on August 4, from 8-11:30 a.m.

     You can help by donating new or gently used children’s clothes or money to purchase clothes (please include “Bargain Box” in the memo line of your gift), before August 4.

     If you have any questions about Bargain Box, please contact Irene Campbell at 651-230-3927.

August Choral Ensembles

Women’s Ensemble
Interested women are invited to come and sing for the August 4 Eucharist at 9:30 am.  There will be one rehearsal on Wednesday, August 1, at 7:00, for one hour.   The group will sing several liturgical things and an anthem for women’s voices,  conductor will be Christine Hazel.

Men’s Ensemble
Men are invited to join together to sing for the August 12 Eucharist.  There will be one rehearsal, on THURSDAY, August 9, at 7:00, for one hour.  This group will also sing several liturgical things and an anthem for men’s voices.  Cantor Cherwien will lead this ensemble.

Sierra Leone Mission Concludes

     The Missions Committee wanted to pass along the thanks of our mission partners CHECSIL in Sierra Leone for the nearly ten years of support it has received from Mount Olive as a congregation.      

     As many of you remember, Mount Olive started supporting Sierra Leone as a response to the civil war and the needs of displaced people in that country with the encouragement of Mount Olive’s Caroline Roy-Macauley. During the transition period in the country, Mount Olive has provided for children’s support as well as needed capital and environmental projects. The CHECSIL leadership sends their thanks for the many contributions that Mount Olive has made.  CHECSIL is now in transition as an organization, and this is an appropriate time for Mount Olive to transition from its yearly congregational donations.  CHECSIL still welcomes individual congregation member donations as well as your prayers, and the Missions Committee will be staying in contact with CHECSIL about its future developments.

Vestry Update, 9 July 2012

     The July 9 Mount Olive Vestry meeting was the first with the newly-elected and installed Vestry members in attendance.  Upon recommendation of the Nominating Committee, the Vestry appointed Elizabeth Beissel to fill the vacancy at secretary.  (After sitting in on the June Vestry meeting as a guest, Joe Beissel had decided that it would not be possible for him to fulfill his duties as secretary due to difficulty hearing.)

     In unfinished business, Paul Schadewald reported that the Capital Campaign Tithe committee will be meeting this week to review the approximately 40 suggestions that have been offered up by members of the congregation.

     Pastor Crippen will be working to determine a time for the Vestry members to meet and start on the visioning process.  Members who have just transitioned off of the Vestry will also be included in the retreat.
     Several committees have met in the last month, including the Public Relations Committee Task Force.  Their focus was an overview of the variety of different kinds of communications and technologies available to share information about Mount Olive not only with members of the congregation, but also with the community and around the world.

     Adam Krueger updated everyone on the status of Walker Methodist Church in regards to their needs.  In recent correspondence, Walker has indicated that they have enough donations and other monies to purchase another building and they may not need to utilize any of Mount Olive’s space.

     There will be several upcoming events to watch for.  Congregational Life will be hosting a garden tour on July 22 and will be going to three different houses.  There is a forum scheduled for Sunday, July 29 after the liturgy to discuss the marriage amendment that is on this fall’s ballot. The Bargain Box will be on August 4 to plan to share what you can with others.
     A representative from Trust met with the Vicar, the Education Director and the Youth team to explore the possibility of Mount Olive’s youth becoming a part of a larger program where they would meet once a month with youth from other faiths.  The hope is that this could also include options for further travel with a service component.

     This was Vicar Doughty’s last meeting with the Vestry.  Thanks were offered for all of his service during his internship year.

     The next Vestry meeting is scheduled for August 13, 2012.

Respectfully submitted,
Lisa Nordeen

Garden Party and Picnic

     Mark your calendars now for Wednesday, August 29, which is the date set for the annual Mount Olive Women Garden Party and Picnic, to be held at the home of Gail Nielsen, 4248 12th Avenue South, Minneapolis, starting about 4:30 p.m.  In order to plan for enough food, please RSVP to Leanna Kloempken at 952/888-1023, or to the church office, by or before Monday, August 27.  And yes, Gail says “men are welcome too!”

Church Library News

     One of the current book displays in our Louise Schroedel Memorial Library is for women and it’s about women!  Even though the weather is very hot, and you are spending alot of time inside in the air conditioning, this may be just the time for you to invest a little reading time acquainting (or re-acquainting) yourselves with books about or by the below-named famous women:

    Women of Faith: Portraits of Spirit-filled Women, by Grace Stageberg Swenson

    Rose Wilder Lane, Her Story, daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder, by Rose Wilder Lane

    The President’s Wife: Mary Todd Lincoln, by Ishbel Ross

    Bess W. Truman, by her daughter Margaret Truman

    Tramp for the Lord (sequel to The Hiding Place), by Corrie ten Boom

    Corrie Ten Boom: Her Life and Her Faith, by Carole C. Carlson

    Maria: My Own Story, by Maria von Trapp

    In the Shadow of the Rising Sun, by Judy Hyland

    Just Mahalia, Baby: The Mahalia Jackson Story, by Laurraine Goreau

    Joni: The Unforgettable Story of a Young Woman’s Struggle With Quadripalegia and Depression, by Joni Eareckson

    Joni: A Step Further, by Joni Eareckson and Steve Estes

    Grace of Monaco, an interpretive biography by Steven Englund

    The New Women’s Devotional Bible, NIV

     I hope many of you read the article in the July 12 edition of the Star Tribune, entitled “Friends Forever,” compiled by Kim Ode.  It speaks of younger days when women, in particular, devoured popular reading books, such as the Betsy Tacy book series, written by Maud Hart Lovelace about her childhood in Mankato, MN.  Others will have allegiance to such classics as the Little House books or Anne of Green Gables, perhaps unaware of how these stories will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Another favorite for many are the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis.  Check out our church library for some of these books, and other favorites that remain with us from our much-younger Sunday School days!

     Another thought along the same line is this quotation by Anthony Trollope — “The habit of reading lasts when all other pleasures fade.  It will make your hours pleasant to you as long as you live.”