Mount Olive Lutheran Church

The Olive Branch, 4/1/15

By

Accent on Worship
After the Sabbath
     Mark and Matthew begin their accounts of Jesus’ resurrection saying it was after the Sabbath was over that the women went to the tomb. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection were all affected by the Sabbath. He was executed on Friday, before Sabbath began, and needed to be off the cross and buried before sundown. When he rose from the dead, the Sabbath was over. In the Sabbath rest of his death the whole universe was changed. The change was so profound the Church moved our observance of Sabbath to Sunday, to coincide with the beginning of resurrection life for the world in Christ.
     This Sunday when we celebrate the Sabbath we will celebrate once more that world-shifting morning when the women realized they hadn’t begun to imagine what God would do with death or who this Jesus really was. We are so eager for this Good News, we will keep Vigil in the dark of night on Saturday, when, as then, the Jewish Sabbath is already over. We will watch and wait for the coming of God’s Light into the world once again.
Our Sabbath is always a little Easter; this weekend it’s the real deal. Every year I look forward to sharing in the worship of the Great Three Days with you, my sisters and brothers. I am so ready for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and our grace from the Triune God we will share together in those liturgies. I am so ready for the explosive delight of our Easter morning Eucharist. 
     Then I will take a Sabbath rest of my own. The idea of sabbatical for pastors, that we take time away from our call for rest and re-creation and reflection, is a great gift for those who receive it. I am looking forward to this time and am deeply grateful for your gift of this to me. But I will miss you all so much in this time away. That’s what I want to say in this last Olive Branch article before I go. I will be glad for a rest from the duties of my call, from work. I’m chomping at the bit to get at the writing and thinking and reading I’m planning to do on preaching during this time. My family is looking forward to a little more time with me. The only part of this that I am not happy about is that I will be away from you, my sisters and brothers, for what seems a long time.
     All will be well with you, I’m sure of that. God will be with you, as always. Rev. Hausman will be a good pastor to you, and all the other leaders and staff are their usual tremendous selves. I will be well, too. I will just miss you. I will miss worshipping with you before almighty God. I will miss the grace you all are in my life in more ways than I can ever enumerate.
     That’s probably a good thing, and a good reason for pastors to take sabbatical break. I don’t need to be reminded how important our life together is for my walk of faith and my ministry. But perhaps it’s good for me, and for you all, nonetheless, to have this time apart so that when we are together again, in God’s good will, we are re-energized for more years of Spirited ministry together as Christ in this place.
     Then, in a nice coincidence, we will see together what happens “after the Sabbath.” When my Sabbath is over, we will come together again on our walk of faith, and journey in the resurrection life of Christ as pastor and people. Until then, we trust our lives into the hands of the Triune God, in whom none of God’s children are ever apart.
     But now, let’s walk with Christ Jesus and each other through these great days of God’s love for the world, that we might know and be filled once more with the life of Christ.
In Jesus’ name,
– Joseph
Triduum and Easter at Mount Olive
Maundy Thursday, April 2: 
Holy Eucharist at Noon; 
Holy Eucharist, with the Washing of Feet, 7 p.m.
Good Friday, April 3: 
Stations of the Cross at Noon; 
Adoration of the Cross at 7 pm
Holy Saturday, April 4: 
Great Vigil of Easter at 8:30 pm,n followed by a festive reception
The Resurrection of Our Lord, Sunday, April 5: 
Festival Eucharist at 8 & 10:45 am
Easter Brunch at 9:30 am
Sunday Readings
April 5, 2015: Resurrection of Our Lord
Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18
 
April 12, 2015: Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133
I John 1:1—2:2
John 20:19-31
There will be no Adult Forum
on Easter Day, April 5.
Classes resume on April 12.
End-of-life decisions: The Conversation Continues!
Saturday, April 18, 10:00 am – Noon
Chapel Lounge
     Kathy Thurston and Heather Halen will facilitate this session.  
     We anticipate doing a step-by-step review of the Honoring Choices Health Care Advance Directive; thinking about how, when, where you have the conversation, and how you choose an agent. 
     Additional questions and concerns are being solicited from the February 7 End-of-Life Planning participants.     
 
     Refreshments will be provided.
     If you have questions, or would like to participate, please contact Marilyn Gebauer at 612-306 -8872, or by email to gebauevm@bitstream.net, or call the church office at 612-827-5919.
Book Discussion Group Update

For the April 11 meeting, the group will read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain; and for May 9, The Boat of Longing, by O. E. Rølvaag. 
Can You Help? 

     Mount Olive’s Congregational Care Committee wants to help what has been a “naturally occurring experience” become more inclusive and available to all of its members. The goal is to increase awareness and responsiveness to needs such as:
• A new baby in the family. (A few starter meals can ease the adjustment.)
• A spouse suddenly alone. (A meal, coffee or lunch out, and/or companionship can ease the loneliness.)
• An unexpected illness in the family. (Meals to drop off or share can provide a needed break for caregivers.)
• The loss of job and income. (Meals, a listening ear, and supportive conversation may help lessen feelings of discouragement.)
• A single person experiencing a significant life change. (Help with meals, transportation, etc. can support continued independence.)
     How will this work? The hope is to develop a list of people who would be willing to bring a meal, take someone out for lunch, and to participate in the sharing of food and conversation. Think about it! The opportunities are wide open.  
     Can you help? Please call or email Marilyn Gebauer (phone: 612-306-8872, email: gebauevm@bitstream.net).
Night On the Street

     Need a Tax Deduction for next year? Donate to Night On the Street!  On Friday, April 17, TRUST Youth will once again participate in raising awareness and funds to help alleviate youth homelessness. Sponsored by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, hundreds of youth from around the Twin Cities will participate in an overnight in the parking lot of Plymouth Congregational Church near Downtown Minneapolis. The youth (and chaperones) will get their own cardboard box to sleep in for the night, have a soup line meal, and learn from former homeless youth and those that help them what can be done to help.
     Donations (which are tax deductible!) from Night On the Street go to help fund the interim housing facilities run by Beacon Interfaith. If you would like to help make a difference, you can make a tax deductible donation through April 16. Please make checks payable to “Night On the Street.” You can give your tax deductible donation to Julie or Eric Manuel or leave it in the church office. If you have any questions, please contact Julie or Eric Manuel.
 
Proofreader Needed!

     Ethiopian Pastor and Luther Seminary student Dinku Bato is almost finished with his dissertation and needs a proof-reader before his oral defense.  Dinku Bato helped lead the “Taste of Ethiopia” activities at Mount Olive three years ago and has maintained a relationship with us.
     He is asking whether someone from Mount Olive would be willing to help proofread his dissertation–or even a part of it.  He would need the proofreading finished by April 4.  His total dissertation is 220 pages but someone could agree to tackle a section and help him reach the finish line.  If you are interested, please contact Dinku Bato directly at dbato001@luthersem.edu
Benefit for Our Saviour’s Community Services

     Caritas Vocal Ensemble will present a concert on behalf of Our Saviour’s Community Services on Sunday, April 19, at 3 pm. It will be held at Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church, 2020 W. Lake of the Isles Pkwy. in Minneapolis. Admission is free, though donations are gratefully accepted to support the work of OSCS—ending homelessness and educating immigrants. Light refresh-ments provided. Please come and bring your friends!
     Caritas Vocal Ensemble is a non-profit choral group with a special mission: to share their music with the community for the purpose of raising money and awareness for people in need. You’ll experience a concert of exquisite a cappella chamber music from virtually every genre—madrigals and folk tunes, sacred, pop, and international. Great for all ages!
Through two distinct programs—Our Saviour’s Housing and the English Learning Center—OSCS provides dignified shelter and housing for those without a home and free English classes to immigrants and refugees.
Getting to Know Our Neighbors: Celebrating Easter
“Easter is bigger than Christmas here,” our taxi driver in Belize told us. Latin America is a largely Catholic portion of the world, and their cultural celebrations reflect that religious tie. Semana Santa (Holy Week) is typically the biggest celebration of the year. In Peru, Ayacucho is the city renowned for its Semana Santa festival. I was there during Pascua (Easter) 2013 to witness the swarming streets mixed with devoted followers and fun-seekers alike. It’s a giant, holy party. There was a running of the bulls, a live action walk through the Stations of the Cross, giant firework towers, endless parades of each Parish through the central plaza, and much more. The event culminated in a city-wide all-night vigil in the plaza with fireworks showering sparks over the crowd throughout the night, until just at dawn an enormous paso, (float) in glittering silver and light depicting the risen Christ emerges from the Cathedral carried on the shoulders of hundreds of men. The crowd follows around the plaza in contemplation and celebration. It is truly a powerful experience to be wrapped in the full expression of Semana Santa in a place so far away, but sharing in the same Christian tradition.    
 – Anna Kingman
 
Faith and Creation

     Join Luther Seminary for the 2015 Rutlen Lecture, a bi-annual lecture series focused on faith and creation. This year’s lecture, “Creation, Sin and Sacrament in the Anthropocene,” will be given by Larry Rasmussen, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics at Union Seminary.
     The planet faces massive changes brought on by human beings. These likely include a new geological epoch, the “Anthropocene,” that challenges long-established ways of life. The base points of Christian faith are challenged as well, from first things to last. This Rutlen Lecture probes the meaning of creation, sin and sacrament for a new epoch.
     Congregational leaders are invited to “Integrating Green in Congregations” at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21. A $10 buffet dinner will be available prior to the lecture at 7 p.m. that evening. After the lecture, Rasmussen will hold a book signing for “Earth-honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key.” He will also preach in chapel on April 22 at 11 a.m. All events take place in the Olson Campus Center at Luther Seminary.
     To find out more about Luther’s lecture series and to RSVP for the dinner, please visit Luther’s website: www.luthersem.edu/lectures/faithandcreation.
Transitions Support Group

     All are welcome to visit the Transitions Support Group meetings if you’ve been hoping to find new ideas or encouragement to meet the challenges or uncertainties that are before you. This is an opportunity to share in fellowship, prayer and discussion with others in the Mount Olive community.  
     The next session meets on Wednesday, April 15, from 6:00 – 7:00 pm at Mount Olive in the lower level Youth Room, and will be facilitated by Amy Cotter and Cathy Bosworth.     
     If you have questions, please contact Cathy at 612-708-1144 or marcat8447@yahoo.com.
 
A Note of Thanks

     A heartfelt THANK YOU to the following people who participated in the pre-Easter special altar cleaning sponsored by the Mount Olive Altar Guild: Bonnie McLellan, Beth Gaede, Beth Hering, Peggy Hoeft, Jo Ellen Kloehn, Mary Dorrow, Gene Janssen, Katherine Hanson, Steve Pranschke, Jan Crosby, Matt Crosby and Eunice Hafemeister. We had a lively, enjoyable morning working side by side to accomplish our goal. 
     Thanks also to Altar Guild members Tim Lindholm and Timm Schnabel for polishing all the of the chancel and altar woodwork on March 7th. It was an ambitious project and well done!
National Lutheran Choir to Presents Gretchaninoff’s Passion Week

     The National Lutheran Choir brings Alexander Gretchaninoff’s glorious Passion Week to the majestic Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis and Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester. 
     Each year, Christians around the world remember and re-experience the seven days leading up to Easter Sunday through worship and music. Gretchaninoff developed his Passion Week, a magnificent representation of 13 sacred musical settings, for this ‘Great and Holy Week.’  Join us for a transcendent journey of the soul that you won’t soon forget. 
Thursday, April 30, 2015 – 8pm
Basilica of Saint Mary (88 N 17th St., Minneapolis, MN 55403)
Saturday, May 2, 2015 – 7pm
Zumbro Lutheran Church (624 3rd Ave. SW, Rochester, MN 55902) 
Tickets: $25 Adult – $23 Senior – $10 Students aged 17 and under FREE. For tickets or more information, call (888) 747-4589 or visit www.NLCA.com
 
Koester Presentations Now Available Online

     The lectures from the Adult Forum series presented by Dr. Craig Koester are now on YouTube! 
First lecture: https://youtu.be/gA-tRFB1FKk
Second: https://youtu.be/vxBgAjuhi3I
Third:  https://youtu.be/ni_sqpJQLok
Fourth: http://youtu.be/NefjHa0DWdo

The Olive Branch, 4/1/15

By

Accent on Worship
After the Sabbath
     Mark and Matthew begin their accounts of Jesus’ resurrection saying it was after the Sabbath was over that the women went to the tomb. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection were all affected by the Sabbath. He was executed on Friday, before Sabbath began, and needed to be off the cross and buried before sundown. When he rose from the dead, the Sabbath was over. In the Sabbath rest of his death the whole universe was changed. The change was so profound the Church moved our observance of Sabbath to Sunday, to coincide with the beginning of resurrection life for the world in Christ.
     This Sunday when we celebrate the Sabbath we will celebrate once more that world-shifting morning when the women realized they hadn’t begun to imagine what God would do with death or who this Jesus really was. We are so eager for this Good News, we will keep Vigil in the dark of night on Saturday, when, as then, the Jewish Sabbath is already over. We will watch and wait for the coming of God’s Light into the world once again.
Our Sabbath is always a little Easter; this weekend it’s the real deal. Every year I look forward to sharing in the worship of the Great Three Days with you, my sisters and brothers. I am so ready for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and our grace from the Triune God we will share together in those liturgies. I am so ready for the explosive delight of our Easter morning Eucharist. 
     Then I will take a Sabbath rest of my own. The idea of sabbatical for pastors, that we take time away from our call for rest and re-creation and reflection, is a great gift for those who receive it. I am looking forward to this time and am deeply grateful for your gift of this to me. But I will miss you all so much in this time away. That’s what I want to say in this last Olive Branch article before I go. I will be glad for a rest from the duties of my call, from work. I’m chomping at the bit to get at the writing and thinking and reading I’m planning to do on preaching during this time. My family is looking forward to a little more time with me. The only part of this that I am not happy about is that I will be away from you, my sisters and brothers, for what seems a long time.
     All will be well with you, I’m sure of that. God will be with you, as always. Rev. Hausman will be a good pastor to you, and all the other leaders and staff are their usual tremendous selves. I will be well, too. I will just miss you. I will miss worshipping with you before almighty God. I will miss the grace you all are in my life in more ways than I can ever enumerate.
     That’s probably a good thing, and a good reason for pastors to take sabbatical break. I don’t need to be reminded how important our life together is for my walk of faith and my ministry. But perhaps it’s good for me, and for you all, nonetheless, to have this time apart so that when we are together again, in God’s good will, we are re-energized for more years of Spirited ministry together as Christ in this place.
     Then, in a nice coincidence, we will see together what happens “after the Sabbath.” When my Sabbath is over, we will come together again on our walk of faith, and journey in the resurrection life of Christ as pastor and people. Until then, we trust our lives into the hands of the Triune God, in whom none of God’s children are ever apart.
     But now, let’s walk with Christ Jesus and each other through these great days of God’s love for the world, that we might know and be filled once more with the life of Christ.
In Jesus’ name,
– Joseph
Triduum and Easter at Mount Olive
Maundy Thursday, April 2: 
Holy Eucharist at Noon; 
Holy Eucharist, with the Washing of Feet, 7 p.m.
Good Friday, April 3: 
Stations of the Cross at Noon; 
Adoration of the Cross at 7 pm
Holy Saturday, April 4: 
Great Vigil of Easter at 8:30 pm,n followed by a festive reception
The Resurrection of Our Lord, Sunday, April 5: 
Festival Eucharist at 8 & 10:45 am
Easter Brunch at 9:30 am
Sunday Readings
April 5, 2015: Resurrection of Our Lord
Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18
 
April 12, 2015: Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133
I John 1:1—2:2
John 20:19-31
There will be no Adult Forum
on Easter Day, April 5.
Classes resume on April 12.
End-of-life decisions: The Conversation Continues!
Saturday, April 18, 10:00 am – Noon
Chapel Lounge
     Kathy Thurston and Heather Halen will facilitate this session.  
     We anticipate doing a step-by-step review of the Honoring Choices Health Care Advance Directive; thinking about how, when, where you have the conversation, and how you choose an agent. 
     Additional questions and concerns are being solicited from the February 7 End-of-Life Planning participants.     
 
     Refreshments will be provided.
     If you have questions, or would like to participate, please contact Marilyn Gebauer at 612-306 -8872, or by email to gebauevm@bitstream.net, or call the church office at 612-827-5919.
Book Discussion Group Update

For the April 11 meeting, the group will read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain; and for May 9, The Boat of Longing, by O. E. Rølvaag. 
Can You Help? 

     Mount Olive’s Congregational Care Committee wants to help what has been a “naturally occurring experience” become more inclusive and available to all of its members. The goal is to increase awareness and responsiveness to needs such as:
• A new baby in the family. (A few starter meals can ease the adjustment.)
• A spouse suddenly alone. (A meal, coffee or lunch out, and/or companionship can ease the loneliness.)
• An unexpected illness in the family. (Meals to drop off or share can provide a needed break for caregivers.)
• The loss of job and income. (Meals, a listening ear, and supportive conversation may help lessen feelings of discouragement.)
• A single person experiencing a significant life change. (Help with meals, transportation, etc. can support continued independence.)
     How will this work? The hope is to develop a list of people who would be willing to bring a meal, take someone out for lunch, and to participate in the sharing of food and conversation. Think about it! The opportunities are wide open.  
     Can you help? Please call or email Marilyn Gebauer (phone: 612-306-8872, email: gebauevm@bitstream.net).
Night On the Street

     Need a Tax Deduction for next year? Donate to Night On the Street!  On Friday, April 17, TRUST Youth will once again participate in raising awareness and funds to help alleviate youth homelessness. Sponsored by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, hundreds of youth from around the Twin Cities will participate in an overnight in the parking lot of Plymouth Congregational Church near Downtown Minneapolis. The youth (and chaperones) will get their own cardboard box to sleep in for the night, have a soup line meal, and learn from former homeless youth and those that help them what can be done to help.
     Donations (which are tax deductible!) from Night On the Street go to help fund the interim housing facilities run by Beacon Interfaith. If you would like to help make a difference, you can make a tax deductible donation through April 16. Please make checks payable to “Night On the Street.” You can give your tax deductible donation to Julie or Eric Manuel or leave it in the church office. If you have any questions, please contact Julie or Eric Manuel.
 
Proofreader Needed!

     Ethiopian Pastor and Luther Seminary student Dinku Bato is almost finished with his dissertation and needs a proof-reader before his oral defense.  Dinku Bato helped lead the “Taste of Ethiopia” activities at Mount Olive three years ago and has maintained a relationship with us.
     He is asking whether someone from Mount Olive would be willing to help proofread his dissertation–or even a part of it.  He would need the proofreading finished by April 4.  His total dissertation is 220 pages but someone could agree to tackle a section and help him reach the finish line.  If you are interested, please contact Dinku Bato directly at dbato001@luthersem.edu
Benefit for Our Saviour’s Community Services

     Caritas Vocal Ensemble will present a concert on behalf of Our Saviour’s Community Services on Sunday, April 19, at 3 pm. It will be held at Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church, 2020 W. Lake of the Isles Pkwy. in Minneapolis. Admission is free, though donations are gratefully accepted to support the work of OSCS—ending homelessness and educating immigrants. Light refresh-ments provided. Please come and bring your friends!
     Caritas Vocal Ensemble is a non-profit choral group with a special mission: to share their music with the community for the purpose of raising money and awareness for people in need. You’ll experience a concert of exquisite a cappella chamber music from virtually every genre—madrigals and folk tunes, sacred, pop, and international. Great for all ages!
Through two distinct programs—Our Saviour’s Housing and the English Learning Center—OSCS provides dignified shelter and housing for those without a home and free English classes to immigrants and refugees.
Getting to Know Our Neighbors: Celebrating Easter
“Easter is bigger than Christmas here,” our taxi driver in Belize told us. Latin America is a largely Catholic portion of the world, and their cultural celebrations reflect that religious tie. Semana Santa (Holy Week) is typically the biggest celebration of the year. In Peru, Ayacucho is the city renowned for its Semana Santa festival. I was there during Pascua (Easter) 2013 to witness the swarming streets mixed with devoted followers and fun-seekers alike. It’s a giant, holy party. There was a running of the bulls, a live action walk through the Stations of the Cross, giant firework towers, endless parades of each Parish through the central plaza, and much more. The event culminated in a city-wide all-night vigil in the plaza with fireworks showering sparks over the crowd throughout the night, until just at dawn an enormous paso, (float) in glittering silver and light depicting the risen Christ emerges from the Cathedral carried on the shoulders of hundreds of men. The crowd follows around the plaza in contemplation and celebration. It is truly a powerful experience to be wrapped in the full expression of Semana Santa in a place so far away, but sharing in the same Christian tradition.    
 – Anna Kingman
 
Faith and Creation

     Join Luther Seminary for the 2015 Rutlen Lecture, a bi-annual lecture series focused on faith and creation. This year’s lecture, “Creation, Sin and Sacrament in the Anthropocene,” will be given by Larry Rasmussen, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics at Union Seminary.
     The planet faces massive changes brought on by human beings. These likely include a new geological epoch, the “Anthropocene,” that challenges long-established ways of life. The base points of Christian faith are challenged as well, from first things to last. This Rutlen Lecture probes the meaning of creation, sin and sacrament for a new epoch.
     Congregational leaders are invited to “Integrating Green in Congregations” at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21. A $10 buffet dinner will be available prior to the lecture at 7 p.m. that evening. After the lecture, Rasmussen will hold a book signing for “Earth-honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key.” He will also preach in chapel on April 22 at 11 a.m. All events take place in the Olson Campus Center at Luther Seminary.
     To find out more about Luther’s lecture series and to RSVP for the dinner, please visit Luther’s website: www.luthersem.edu/lectures/faithandcreation.
Transitions Support Group

     All are welcome to visit the Transitions Support Group meetings if you’ve been hoping to find new ideas or encouragement to meet the challenges or uncertainties that are before you. This is an opportunity to share in fellowship, prayer and discussion with others in the Mount Olive community.  
     The next session meets on Wednesday, April 15, from 6:00 – 7:00 pm at Mount Olive in the lower level Youth Room, and will be facilitated by Amy Cotter and Cathy Bosworth.     
     If you have questions, please contact Cathy at 612-708-1144 or marcat8447@yahoo.com.
 
A Note of Thanks

     A heartfelt THANK YOU to the following people who participated in the pre-Easter special altar cleaning sponsored by the Mount Olive Altar Guild: Bonnie McLellan, Beth Gaede, Beth Hering, Peggy Hoeft, Jo Ellen Kloehn, Mary Dorrow, Gene Janssen, Katherine Hanson, Steve Pranschke, Jan Crosby, Matt Crosby and Eunice Hafemeister. We had a lively, enjoyable morning working side by side to accomplish our goal. 
     Thanks also to Altar Guild members Tim Lindholm and Timm Schnabel for polishing all the of the chancel and altar woodwork on March 7th. It was an ambitious project and well done!
National Lutheran Choir to Presents Gretchaninoff’s Passion Week

     The National Lutheran Choir brings Alexander Gretchaninoff’s glorious Passion Week to the majestic Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis and Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester. 
     Each year, Christians around the world remember and re-experience the seven days leading up to Easter Sunday through worship and music. Gretchaninoff developed his Passion Week, a magnificent representation of 13 sacred musical settings, for this ‘Great and Holy Week.’  Join us for a transcendent journey of the soul that you won’t soon forget. 
Thursday, April 30, 2015 – 8pm
Basilica of Saint Mary (88 N 17th St., Minneapolis, MN 55403)
Saturday, May 2, 2015 – 7pm
Zumbro Lutheran Church (624 3rd Ave. SW, Rochester, MN 55902) 
Tickets: $25 Adult – $23 Senior – $10 Students aged 17 and under FREE. For tickets or more information, call (888) 747-4589 or visit www.NLCA.com
 
Koester Presentations Now Available Online

     The lectures from the Adult Forum series presented by Dr. Craig Koester are now on YouTube! 
First lecture: https://youtu.be/gA-tRFB1FKk
Second: https://youtu.be/vxBgAjuhi3I
Third:  https://youtu.be/ni_sqpJQLok
Fourth: http://youtu.be/NefjHa0DWdo

The Olive Branch,. 3/25/15

By

Accent on Worship

     Where would I have been standing on that day when the palm branches and shouts of adoration both raised in to the air? Would I have been along the path to spread out my cloak or run to my neighbor’s house to pass along the news that the Savior was in our midst? Would I have even noticed or stopped long enough in my day to pay attention?  Palm Sunday presents a quandary of wonder about our nature as Christians. There was celebration and joy at the hope in the form of a man that humbly rode a donkey through town – this was the time that was desperately needed.  How did people know that this was cause for some ruckus, to bust out the alabaster perfume and the home team foam fingers to cheer this wandering prophet in to home plate? Would I have known then? Would I know now? And where would I be on Friday?

     Palm Sunday is a shining piece to the Easter story because it reminds us of ourselves as both the faithful and the faith-less and just how precariously we sway between them. Even Peter the rock took his waving palm branch and hid it behind his back when pressed. It makes me ask myself all the questions that the world asks all the time, but I’m not as inclined to overtly answer like, “Is Jesus the Savior? Yes? Are you willing to scream and yell and wave things around? Are you willing to speak up to claim him or speak out when he is wrongly accused?” This weekend pushes us to evaluate the answer to those questions, just as our broken, human Christian ancestors were presented with their options that Sunday and Friday long ago.

     It would be nice to think that we know more now than people did back then, but that doesn’t show to be the case or maybe we wouldn’t still be struggling with the same difficulties and battles as we were back then. No, still human, still sinners, still working on it. What we do have though is the rest of the story, a redemption story that shows us what those choices lead to. There is hope and encouragement that God gave us the outcomes so that we could choose our answers to the questions. Come and wave that palm like a Brazilian soccer fan on Sunday, but keep it in the air on Monday, and the next day, and the next…

– Anna Kingman

Holy Week at Mount Olive

Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday – Sunday, March 29: Holy Eucharist, 8 & 10:45 am

Monday-Wednesday of Holy Week – March 30-April 1: Daily Prayer at Noon, in the side chapel of the nave

Maundy Thursday, April 2: Holy Eucharist at Noon; Holy Eucharist, with the Washing of Feet, 7 p.m.

Good Friday, April 3: Stations of the Cross at Noon; Adoration of the Cross at 7 pm

Holy Saturday, April 4: Great Vigil of Easter at 8:30 pm, followed by a festive reception

The Resurrection of Our Lord, Sunday, April 5: Festival Eucharist at 8 & 10:45 am
Easter Brunch at 9:30 am

Sunday Readings

March 29, 2015: Sunday of the Passion
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 14:1—15:47

April 4, 2015: Resurrection of Our Lord
Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18

There will be no Adult Forum
on Palm Sunday, March 29, 
or on Easter Day, April 4.

Paschal Garden

     Volunteers will be on hand for one more Sunday (Palm Sunday, March 29) before, between, and following the liturgies to receive your donations to purchase Easter flowers for this year’s Paschal Garden.

March is Minnesota FoodShare Month!

     Donate cash or groceries to the local food shelf during Minnesota FoodShare month in March!
     A donation of money more than doubles the amount of food available to food shelves, because food shelves can purchase food at discounted prices.  If you choose to give in this way, make your check payable to Mount Olive and write Food Shelf on the memo line. If you prefer to donate non-perishable groceries, they may be brought to the grocery cart in the coat room.

Can You Help? 

     Mount Olive’s Congregational Care Committee wants to help what has been a “naturally occurring experience” become more inclusive and available to all of its members. The goal is to increase awareness and responsiveness to needs such as:

• A new baby in the family. (A few starter meals can ease the adjustment.)
• A spouse suddenly alone. (A meal, coffee or lunch out, and/or companionship can ease the loneliness.)
• An unexpected illness in the family. (Meals to drop off or share can provide a needed break for caregivers.)
• The loss of job and income. (Meals, a listening ear, and supportive conversation may help lessen feelings of discouragement.)
• A single person experiencing a significant life change. (Help with meals, transportation, etc. can support continued independence.)

     How will this work? The hope is to develop a list of people who would be willing to bring a meal, take someone out for lunch, and to participate in the sharing of food and conversation. Think about it! The opportunities are wide open.

     Can you help? Please call or email Marilyn Gebauer (phone: 612-306-8872, email: gebauevm@bitstream.net).

Book Discussion Group Update

For the April 11 meeting, the group will read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain; and for May 9, The Boat of Longing, by O. E. Rølvaag.

TRUST Young Adult Grief Group

     Are you a young adult who has you experienced a significant loss?  Connect with other young adults who’ve lost someone due to death, in a supportive group environment. A 4-week support group is meeting at Allina Health, 1055 Westgate Drive, Suite 100 in St. Paul, MN. Food is provided and there is no cost to attend,  but the leaders of this group request that participants R.S.V.P. so they know how many to expect.

The group will meet on  Wednesdays, April 15 – May 6, 2015, from 4:00 – 5:30 pm

RSVP/questions may be addressed to:  Michele Dettloff at 612-262-7596 or Michele.Dettloff@Allina.com

Night On the Street

     Need a Tax Deduction for next year? Donate to Night On the Street!  On Friday, April 17, TRUST Youth will once again participate in raising awareness and funds to help alleviate youth homelessness. Sponsored by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, hundreds of youth from around the Twin Cities will participate in an overnight in the parking lot of Plymouth Congregational Church near Downtown Minneapolis. The youth (and chaperones) will get their own cardboard box to sleep in for the night, have a soup line meal, and learn from former homeless youth and those that help them what can be done to help.

     Donations (which are tax deductible!) from Night On the Street go to help fund the interim housing facilities run by Beacon Interfaith. If you would like to help make a difference, you can make a tax deductible donation through April 16. Please make checks payable to “Night On the Street.” You can give your tax deductible donation to Julie or Eric Manuel or leave it in the church office. If you have any questions, please contact Julie or Eric Manuel.

Proofreader Needed!

     Ethiopian Pastor and Luther Seminary student Dinku Bato is almost finished with his dissertation and needs a proof-reader before his oral defense.  Dinku Bato helped lead the “Taste of Ethiopia” activities at Mount Olive three years ago and has maintained a relationship with us.

     He is asking whether someone from Mount Olive would be willing to help proofread his dissertation–or even a part of it.  He would need the proofreading finished by April 4.  His total dissertation is 220 pages but someone could agree to tackle a section and help him reach the finish line.  If you are interested, please contact Dinku Bato directly at dbato001@luthersem.edu

Benefit for Our Saviour’s Community Services

     Caritas Vocal Ensemble will present a concert on behalf of Our Saviour’s Community Services on Sunday, April 19, at 3 pm. It will be held at Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church, 2020 W. Lake of the Isles Pkwy. in Minneapolis. Admission is free, though donations are gratefully accepted to support the work of OSCS—ending homelessness and educating immigrants. Light refresh-ments provided. Please come and bring your friends!

     Caritas Vocal Ensemble is a non-profit choral group with a special mission: to share their music with the community for the purpose of raising money and awareness for people in need. You’ll experience a concert of exquisite a capella chamber music from virtually every genre—madrigals and folk tunes, sacred, pop, and international. Great for all ages!

Through two distinct programs—Our Saviour’s Housing and the English Learning Center—OSCS provides dignified shelter and housing for those without a home and free English classes to immigrants and refugees.

May Day Parade:  Sunday, May 3, 2015

     The May Day Parade and Festival has become a joyous annual rite of spring. More than 2,000 participants, along with amazing puppets and floats, parade down Bloomington Avenue telling a story and creating a moving theatrical performance. Thousands more line the streets to watch the parade and participate in day-long activities. Following the parade, a pageant and tree of life ceremony in Powderhorn Park ushers in the renewal of a new spring season.

     For more information or to get involved check the HOBT website: http://hobt.org/mayday/

Selma Anniversary Rally at the Capitol

     On March 8, a few of us from Mount Olive with some friends participated in a rally commemorating the 50th anniversary of the rally lean by Martin Luther King in Selma.  This rally wasn’t simply a celebration, but it was also to support the Black/All Lives Matter campaign, and bring an end to discrimination.  We were surrounded by people who also had the desire to bring an end to discrimination and intolerance.  After a few speeches at the State Capitol, we walked from to Central Presbyterian Church, singing “We Shall Overcome” as we entered.

      Once we entered into the church, we got seated near the back of the pews.  We joined hands with one another and sang together.  We heard several great speeches from several wonderful speakers.  Many of them had great stories to share.  The speech that had the biggest effect on me was from Dr. Rev. Barbara Holmes, a woman who actually was at the original Selma rally.  This anniversary rally was very safe.  However, I started to cry, thinking of how people were hurt and injured at the original rally.  Holmes also asked those who were at the 1965 rally to stand up.  We think about all the harm and pain those at the rally faced, but 50 years later, it is remembered, but we saw them seemingly healed physically.

     We may have made much progress, but there is still much work to be done.  However, we shall overcome, and, as we sang at the rally, we shall not be moved.

– Robin Rayfield

Opportunities to BE involved

Check out the information located in front of the main office for more details.

     Needed: Food donation deliverer! Is anyone available and willing to take a load of food to CES at 1900 11th Ave. S.? A drop-off time can be arranged and helping hands to load. Please let Anna K. know.

Give the Gift of Independence

     You can help Meals on Wheels by volunteering to deliver meals in your neighborhood once a week or once a month.  It only takes about an hour to bring a hot meal and a warm greeting to homebound individuals who cannot prepare meals on their own.

     Please consider donating your lunch hour and give the gift of independence.

     Interested? Contact TRUST Meals on Wheels at 612-822-6040.

Transitions Support Group

     All are welcome to visit the Transitions Support Group meetings if you’ve been hoping to find new ideas or encouragement to meet the challenges or uncertainties that are before you. This is an opportunity to share in fellowship, prayer and discussion with others in the Mount Olive community.

     The next session meets on Wednesday, April 15, from 6:00 – 7:00 pm at Mount Olive in the lower level Youth Room, and will be facilitated by Amy Cotter and Cathy Bosworth.    
     If you have questions, please contact Cathy at 612-708-1144 or marcat8447@yahoo.com.

Action Alert

     Sign up now to visit Guatemala and our Common Hope partners. One or two groups will be going. Pick your dates and get in on the action. Leave your name at the office, sign a yellow info sheet or contact Judy Hinck either by email to judyhinck@gmail.com or by calling 612-824-4918. Teams will be set by Easter.

Koester Presentations Now Available Online

     The first of the four lectures from the Adult Forum series presented by Dr. Craig Koester is now on YouTube! It can be viewed at:  https://youtu.be/gA-tRFB1FKk.

Stay tuned for links to the other three presentations.

 National Lutheran Choir to Presents Gretchaninoff’s Passion Week

     The National Lutheran Choir brings Alexander Gretchaninoff’s glorious Passion Week to the majestic Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis and Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester.
     Each year, Christians around the world remember and re-experience the seven days leading up to Easter Sunday through worship and music. Gretchaninoff developed his Passion Week, a magnificent representation of 13 sacred musical settings, for this ‘Great and Holy Week.’  Join us for a transcendent journey of the soul that you won’t soon forget.

Thursday, April 30, 2015 – 8pm
Basilica of Saint Mary (88 N 17th St., Minneapolis, MN 55403)

Saturday, May 2, 2015 – 7pm
Zumbro Lutheran Church (624 3rd Ave. SW, Rochester, MN 55902)

Tickets: $25 Adult – $23 Senior – $10 Students aged 17 and under FREE. For tickets or more information, call (888) 747-4589 or visit www.NLCA.com

The Olive Branch,. 3/25/15

By

Accent on Worship

     Where would I have been standing on that day when the palm branches and shouts of adoration both raised in to the air? Would I have been along the path to spread out my cloak or run to my neighbor’s house to pass along the news that the Savior was in our midst? Would I have even noticed or stopped long enough in my day to pay attention?  Palm Sunday presents a quandary of wonder about our nature as Christians. There was celebration and joy at the hope in the form of a man that humbly rode a donkey through town – this was the time that was desperately needed.  How did people know that this was cause for some ruckus, to bust out the alabaster perfume and the home team foam fingers to cheer this wandering prophet in to home plate? Would I have known then? Would I know now? And where would I be on Friday?

     Palm Sunday is a shining piece to the Easter story because it reminds us of ourselves as both the faithful and the faith-less and just how precariously we sway between them. Even Peter the rock took his waving palm branch and hid it behind his back when pressed. It makes me ask myself all the questions that the world asks all the time, but I’m not as inclined to overtly answer like, “Is Jesus the Savior? Yes? Are you willing to scream and yell and wave things around? Are you willing to speak up to claim him or speak out when he is wrongly accused?” This weekend pushes us to evaluate the answer to those questions, just as our broken, human Christian ancestors were presented with their options that Sunday and Friday long ago.

     It would be nice to think that we know more now than people did back then, but that doesn’t show to be the case or maybe we wouldn’t still be struggling with the same difficulties and battles as we were back then. No, still human, still sinners, still working on it. What we do have though is the rest of the story, a redemption story that shows us what those choices lead to. There is hope and encouragement that God gave us the outcomes so that we could choose our answers to the questions. Come and wave that palm like a Brazilian soccer fan on Sunday, but keep it in the air on Monday, and the next day, and the next…

– Anna Kingman

Holy Week at Mount Olive

Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday – Sunday, March 29: Holy Eucharist, 8 & 10:45 am

Monday-Wednesday of Holy Week – March 30-April 1: Daily Prayer at Noon, in the side chapel of the nave

Maundy Thursday, April 2: Holy Eucharist at Noon; Holy Eucharist, with the Washing of Feet, 7 p.m.

Good Friday, April 3: Stations of the Cross at Noon; Adoration of the Cross at 7 pm

Holy Saturday, April 4: Great Vigil of Easter at 8:30 pm, followed by a festive reception

The Resurrection of Our Lord, Sunday, April 5: Festival Eucharist at 8 & 10:45 am
Easter Brunch at 9:30 am

Sunday Readings

March 29, 2015: Sunday of the Passion
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 14:1—15:47

April 4, 2015: Resurrection of Our Lord
Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Acts 10:34-43
John 20:1-18

There will be no Adult Forum
on Palm Sunday, March 29, 
or on Easter Day, April 4.

Paschal Garden

     Volunteers will be on hand for one more Sunday (Palm Sunday, March 29) before, between, and following the liturgies to receive your donations to purchase Easter flowers for this year’s Paschal Garden.

March is Minnesota FoodShare Month!

     Donate cash or groceries to the local food shelf during Minnesota FoodShare month in March!
     A donation of money more than doubles the amount of food available to food shelves, because food shelves can purchase food at discounted prices.  If you choose to give in this way, make your check payable to Mount Olive and write Food Shelf on the memo line. If you prefer to donate non-perishable groceries, they may be brought to the grocery cart in the coat room.

Can You Help? 

     Mount Olive’s Congregational Care Committee wants to help what has been a “naturally occurring experience” become more inclusive and available to all of its members. The goal is to increase awareness and responsiveness to needs such as:

• A new baby in the family. (A few starter meals can ease the adjustment.)
• A spouse suddenly alone. (A meal, coffee or lunch out, and/or companionship can ease the loneliness.)
• An unexpected illness in the family. (Meals to drop off or share can provide a needed break for caregivers.)
• The loss of job and income. (Meals, a listening ear, and supportive conversation may help lessen feelings of discouragement.)
• A single person experiencing a significant life change. (Help with meals, transportation, etc. can support continued independence.)

     How will this work? The hope is to develop a list of people who would be willing to bring a meal, take someone out for lunch, and to participate in the sharing of food and conversation. Think about it! The opportunities are wide open.

     Can you help? Please call or email Marilyn Gebauer (phone: 612-306-8872, email: gebauevm@bitstream.net).

Book Discussion Group Update

For the April 11 meeting, the group will read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain; and for May 9, The Boat of Longing, by O. E. Rølvaag.

TRUST Young Adult Grief Group

     Are you a young adult who has you experienced a significant loss?  Connect with other young adults who’ve lost someone due to death, in a supportive group environment. A 4-week support group is meeting at Allina Health, 1055 Westgate Drive, Suite 100 in St. Paul, MN. Food is provided and there is no cost to attend,  but the leaders of this group request that participants R.S.V.P. so they know how many to expect.

The group will meet on  Wednesdays, April 15 – May 6, 2015, from 4:00 – 5:30 pm

RSVP/questions may be addressed to:  Michele Dettloff at 612-262-7596 or Michele.Dettloff@Allina.com

Night On the Street

     Need a Tax Deduction for next year? Donate to Night On the Street!  On Friday, April 17, TRUST Youth will once again participate in raising awareness and funds to help alleviate youth homelessness. Sponsored by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, hundreds of youth from around the Twin Cities will participate in an overnight in the parking lot of Plymouth Congregational Church near Downtown Minneapolis. The youth (and chaperones) will get their own cardboard box to sleep in for the night, have a soup line meal, and learn from former homeless youth and those that help them what can be done to help.

     Donations (which are tax deductible!) from Night On the Street go to help fund the interim housing facilities run by Beacon Interfaith. If you would like to help make a difference, you can make a tax deductible donation through April 16. Please make checks payable to “Night On the Street.” You can give your tax deductible donation to Julie or Eric Manuel or leave it in the church office. If you have any questions, please contact Julie or Eric Manuel.

Proofreader Needed!

     Ethiopian Pastor and Luther Seminary student Dinku Bato is almost finished with his dissertation and needs a proof-reader before his oral defense.  Dinku Bato helped lead the “Taste of Ethiopia” activities at Mount Olive three years ago and has maintained a relationship with us.

     He is asking whether someone from Mount Olive would be willing to help proofread his dissertation–or even a part of it.  He would need the proofreading finished by April 4.  His total dissertation is 220 pages but someone could agree to tackle a section and help him reach the finish line.  If you are interested, please contact Dinku Bato directly at dbato001@luthersem.edu

Benefit for Our Saviour’s Community Services

     Caritas Vocal Ensemble will present a concert on behalf of Our Saviour’s Community Services on Sunday, April 19, at 3 pm. It will be held at Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church, 2020 W. Lake of the Isles Pkwy. in Minneapolis. Admission is free, though donations are gratefully accepted to support the work of OSCS—ending homelessness and educating immigrants. Light refresh-ments provided. Please come and bring your friends!

     Caritas Vocal Ensemble is a non-profit choral group with a special mission: to share their music with the community for the purpose of raising money and awareness for people in need. You’ll experience a concert of exquisite a capella chamber music from virtually every genre—madrigals and folk tunes, sacred, pop, and international. Great for all ages!

Through two distinct programs—Our Saviour’s Housing and the English Learning Center—OSCS provides dignified shelter and housing for those without a home and free English classes to immigrants and refugees.

May Day Parade:  Sunday, May 3, 2015

     The May Day Parade and Festival has become a joyous annual rite of spring. More than 2,000 participants, along with amazing puppets and floats, parade down Bloomington Avenue telling a story and creating a moving theatrical performance. Thousands more line the streets to watch the parade and participate in day-long activities. Following the parade, a pageant and tree of life ceremony in Powderhorn Park ushers in the renewal of a new spring season.

     For more information or to get involved check the HOBT website: http://hobt.org/mayday/

Selma Anniversary Rally at the Capitol

     On March 8, a few of us from Mount Olive with some friends participated in a rally commemorating the 50th anniversary of the rally lean by Martin Luther King in Selma.  This rally wasn’t simply a celebration, but it was also to support the Black/All Lives Matter campaign, and bring an end to discrimination.  We were surrounded by people who also had the desire to bring an end to discrimination and intolerance.  After a few speeches at the State Capitol, we walked from to Central Presbyterian Church, singing “We Shall Overcome” as we entered.

      Once we entered into the church, we got seated near the back of the pews.  We joined hands with one another and sang together.  We heard several great speeches from several wonderful speakers.  Many of them had great stories to share.  The speech that had the biggest effect on me was from Dr. Rev. Barbara Holmes, a woman who actually was at the original Selma rally.  This anniversary rally was very safe.  However, I started to cry, thinking of how people were hurt and injured at the original rally.  Holmes also asked those who were at the 1965 rally to stand up.  We think about all the harm and pain those at the rally faced, but 50 years later, it is remembered, but we saw them seemingly healed physically.

     We may have made much progress, but there is still much work to be done.  However, we shall overcome, and, as we sang at the rally, we shall not be moved.

– Robin Rayfield

Opportunities to BE involved

Check out the information located in front of the main office for more details.

     Needed: Food donation deliverer! Is anyone available and willing to take a load of food to CES at 1900 11th Ave. S.? A drop-off time can be arranged and helping hands to load. Please let Anna K. know.

Give the Gift of Independence

     You can help Meals on Wheels by volunteering to deliver meals in your neighborhood once a week or once a month.  It only takes about an hour to bring a hot meal and a warm greeting to homebound individuals who cannot prepare meals on their own.

     Please consider donating your lunch hour and give the gift of independence.

     Interested? Contact TRUST Meals on Wheels at 612-822-6040.

Transitions Support Group

     All are welcome to visit the Transitions Support Group meetings if you’ve been hoping to find new ideas or encouragement to meet the challenges or uncertainties that are before you. This is an opportunity to share in fellowship, prayer and discussion with others in the Mount Olive community.

     The next session meets on Wednesday, April 15, from 6:00 – 7:00 pm at Mount Olive in the lower level Youth Room, and will be facilitated by Amy Cotter and Cathy Bosworth.    
     If you have questions, please contact Cathy at 612-708-1144 or marcat8447@yahoo.com.

Action Alert

     Sign up now to visit Guatemala and our Common Hope partners. One or two groups will be going. Pick your dates and get in on the action. Leave your name at the office, sign a yellow info sheet or contact Judy Hinck either by email to judyhinck@gmail.com or by calling 612-824-4918. Teams will be set by Easter.

Koester Presentations Now Available Online

     The first of the four lectures from the Adult Forum series presented by Dr. Craig Koester is now on YouTube! It can be viewed at:  https://youtu.be/gA-tRFB1FKk.

Stay tuned for links to the other three presentations.

 National Lutheran Choir to Presents Gretchaninoff’s Passion Week

     The National Lutheran Choir brings Alexander Gretchaninoff’s glorious Passion Week to the majestic Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis and Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester.
     Each year, Christians around the world remember and re-experience the seven days leading up to Easter Sunday through worship and music. Gretchaninoff developed his Passion Week, a magnificent representation of 13 sacred musical settings, for this ‘Great and Holy Week.’  Join us for a transcendent journey of the soul that you won’t soon forget.

Thursday, April 30, 2015 – 8pm
Basilica of Saint Mary (88 N 17th St., Minneapolis, MN 55403)

Saturday, May 2, 2015 – 7pm
Zumbro Lutheran Church (624 3rd Ave. SW, Rochester, MN 55902)

Tickets: $25 Adult – $23 Senior – $10 Students aged 17 and under FREE. For tickets or more information, call (888) 747-4589 or visit www.NLCA.com

The Olive Branch, 3/18/15

By

Accent on Worship

      Toward the end of winter, I always yearn for renewal, and this year is no exception. Learning and changing takes a lot of energy, and winter demands enough as it is, just to stay warm! The infusion of spring we have had this week has been very welcome, indeed. I have been soaking in the longer days and warmer temperatures, reveling in the freedom of leaving my coat at home. Our cats sense it, too, and beg for a chance to be outside anytime we are close to the door.

     And as I walked around our yard this week, I saw them . . . buds coming out on every branch of the tree we planted last summer! Nothing symbolizes the coming of spring like buds, and this proof that our new tree had made it through its first winter somehow seemed to carry extra promise. The grain that fell to the ground and died is now bearing fruit. The world is being renewed, before our very eyes!

The process of rebirth that we witness every spring is a tangible reminder of the faithfulness of God. The weariness and grief and suffering and death of Jesus was followed by resurrection, and new life. Our own experiences of weariness and grief and suffering and death are always followed by resurrection, and new life. And as I have passed the midpoint of my time with you—the hump, if you will—I have been filled with gratitude for the Mount Olive community, and with energy for the remaining months of my internship.

     The miracle of spring is that trees and bushes and flowers don’t simply come back the way they were before winter stripped them of last year’s green. God’s promise is not just life, but abundant life, one that bears fruit! The bushes grow bigger, the trees more full with leaves, and seeds burst into new life wherever they are planted. Spring is coming! What fruit are you preparing to bear?

– Vicar Meagan McLaughlin

Sunday Readings

March 22, 2015: Fifth Sunday in Lent
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalm 51:1-12
Hebrews 5:5-10
John 12:20-33

March 29, 2015: Sunday of the Passion
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 14:1—15:47

Sunday’s Adult Forum: March 1-22, 2015:
Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Craig Koester, on the book of Revelation.

Can You Help? 

     Mount Olive’s Congregational Care Committee wants to help what has been a “naturally occurring experience” become more inclusive and available to all of its members. The goal is to increase awareness and responsiveness to needs such as:

• A new baby in the family. (A few starter meals can ease the adjustment.)
• A spouse suddenly alone. (A meal, coffee or lunch out, and/or companionship can ease the loneliness.)
• An unexpected illness in the family. (Meals to drop off or share can provide a needed break for caregivers.)
• The loss of job and income. (Meals, a listening ear, and supportive conversation may help lessen feelings of discouragement.)
• A single person experiencing a significant life change. (Help with meals, transportation, etc. can support continued independence.)

     How will this work? The hope is to develop a list of people who would be willing to bring a meal, take someone out for lunch, and to participate in the sharing of food and conversation. Think about it! The opportunities are wide open.

     Can you help? Please call or email Marilyn Gebauer (phone: 612-306-8872, email: gebauevm@bitstream.net).

Book Discussion Group Update

For the April 11 meeting, the group will read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain; and for May 9, The Boat of Longing, by O. E. Rølvaag.

Paschal Garden

     Volunteers will be on hand for the next two Sundays (March 22 and 29) before, between, and following the liturgies to receive your donations to purchase Easter flowers for this year’s Paschal Garden.

Midweek Lenten Worship, Wednesdays during Lent
Holy Eucharist, at noon
Evening Prayer at 7 pm

Final Vestry Listening to be Held This Sunday

     Vestry Listening sessions conclude this Sunday, March 22. This is an opportunity for the congregation to discuss the Vision Expression statements introduced earlier this month.

     This week’s focus will be on Education.  Following both the first and second liturgies, Education Committee Director, John Holtmeier, will be available in the East Assembly room to hear your ideas on the work of his committee.

     Grab your coffee and join the small group to talk. Each session will last 30-45 minutes, and you may move in and out as you wish.

March is Minnesota FoodShare Month!

     Donate cash or groceries to the local food shelf during Minnesota FoodShare month in March!

     A donation of money more than doubles the amount of food available to food shelves, because food shelves can purchase food at discounted prices.  If you choose to give in this way, make your check payable to Mount Olive and write Food Shelf on the memo line. If you prefer to donate non-perishable groceries, they may be brought to the grocery cart in the coat room.

Chancel Cleaning Day

     The Mount Olive Altar Guild invites interested persons to participate in the chancel cleaning to prepare for the Easter season. The cleaning will take place on Saturday, March 28, from 9 am – noon. If you would like to help, please contact Steve Pranschke at 612-803-0915 or by email to hspranschke@gmail.com.

     Your helping hands are truly appreciated.  I find it is enjoyable to work alongside one another in preparing our worship space at such a special time. Thanks!

– Steve Pranschke

Holy Week at Mount Olive

Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday, Sunday, March 29
Holy Eucharist, 8 & 10:45 am

Monday-Wednesday of Holy Week, March 30-April 1
Daily Prayer at Noon, in the side chapel of the nave

Maundy Thursday, April 2
Holy Eucharist at Noon
Holy Eucharist, with the Washing of Feet, 7:00 p.m.

Good Friday, April 3
Stations of the Cross at Noon
Adoration of the Cross at 7 pm

Holy Saturday, April 4
Great Vigil of Easter, 8:30 pm, followed by a festive reception

The Resurrection of Our Lord, Sunday, April 5
Festival Eucharist at 8 & 10:45 am
Easter Brunch at 9:30 am

Night On the Street

     Night On the Street (NOTS) is coming right up! On Friday, April 17, TRUST Youth will once again participate in helping raise awareness and funds to help alleviate youth homelessness. Sponsored by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, hundreds of youth from around the Twin Cities will participate in an overnight in the parking lot of Plymouth Congregational Church near Downtown Minneapolis. The youth (and chaperones) will get their own cardboard box to sleep in for the night, have a soup line meal, and learn from former homeless youth and those that help them what can be done to help.

     Donations from Night On the Street go to help fund the interim housing facilities run by Beacon Interfaith. If you would like to help make a difference, you can make a tax deductible donation through April 16. Please make checks payable to “Night On the Street.” You can give your tax deductible donation to Julie or Eric Manuel or leave it in the church office. If you have any questions, please contact Julie or Eric Manuel.

Sabbatical Information: Interim Pastor to Serve

     During Pr. Crippen’s sabbatical (April 6 through July 15), The Rev. Robert Hausman will serve as full-time interim.  He will be covering the normal duties of our pastor, and also supervise Vicar McLaughlin’s next months.  Rev. Hausman was ordained in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in 1965, holds a master’s and a doctorate from the University of Chicago, and has taught at both the seminary and undergraduate levels.  He most recently served 25 years as pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection (ELCA) in Roseville.  He has two sons and five grandchildren.  

     When asked about what to include in this biographical sketch, he mentioned his ordination, and then added: “God has called me to tasks both in academia and in parish ministry.  I love the church.  I kind of think that is enough.”    

     He will begin among us on Tuesday, Apr. 7, with his first Sunday being Apr. 12.

News From the Neighborhood
Anna Kingman

Better Halves Workshop

     Register for the Better Halves Workshop! This Saturday, March 21, 9:00- 11:30 am at Mount Olive. This is a financial enrichment workshop for ANY couple that wants to practice talking about money well with their partner.  *Childcare and donuts will be in supply!

     Register at: brighpeakfinancial.com/betterhalves Promo code: mountolive15.

Opportunities to BE Involved

     Check out the information located in front of the main office for more details.

     Needed: Food donation deliverer! Is anyone available and willing to take a load of food to CES at 1900 11th Ave. S.? A drop-off time can be arranged and helping hands to load. Please let Anna K. know.

Spanish phrase:

     Part of sharing in community is understanding one another through language, culture, or experience. As we explore our community and get to know our neighbors, let’s continue with some helpful language lessons:

English: “How can I help you?”
Spanish: “Como le puedo ayudar?” (Coh-mow lay pooh-ay-doh eye-u-dar)

Review: “Do you live in this neighborhood?”
Spanish: “‘Usted vive en este barrio?” (Oo-sted vee-vay ehn es-tay bah-ree-oh)

Mark Your Calendars for the May Day Parade:  Sunday, May 3, 2015!

     The May Day Parade and Festival is produced by In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre. Since 1975, Heart of the Beast has invited the entire community to participate by brainstorming, organizing, sculpting, sewing, building, painting, and joining in the parade and festival as actors, singers, dancers, musicians, and attendees.

     The May Day Parade and Festival has become a joyous annual rite of spring. More than 2,000 participants, along with amazing puppets and floats, parade down Bloomington Avenue telling a story and creating a moving theatrical performance. Thousands more line the streets to watch the parade and participate in day-long activities. Following the parade, a pageant and tree of life ceremony in Powderhorn Park ushers in the renewal of a new spring season.

     For more information or to get involved check the HOBT website: http://hobt.org/mayday/

Who We Are, Where We Are Map
     Have you “pinned” yourself yet? If not, please do so by letting us know where you live, using the map hanging in the East Assembly room. Instructions are posted by the map – please contribute your pin!

Meeting Our Somali Neighbors Over Rice and Bananas
     This winter, a small group of Mount Olive members met to talk about culture—who we are as individuals, and how we welcome those different from us. We shared experiences that took us out of our comfort zone. Four of us visited Karmel Square Mall with new Somali friends, Abdi and Osman. We looked in shops, saw the Mosque entrance, and went to Abdi and Osman’s preferred coffee shop for sambosa and Somali tea and conversation. We discovered that Osman practices Islam, Abdi does not. They explained the importance of having a male in our group, since we were meeting Somali men. We learned about each other.

     To continue our friendship, we joined Abdi and Osman at Hamdi Somali Restaurant for lunch. We washed hands in nearby sinks, and got our tea from the dispenser on the wall. Osman and Abdi ordered one of everything on the menu, including chicken, and the best fish I’ve had in a restaurant. We had two goat dishes, one roasted and one steamed. Our guides taught us to eat green bananas with rice–wonderful! And then, spaghetti. Yes, spaghetti. Who knew Somalia had spaghetti?

     The conversation was as wonderful as the food. Abdi came to the US in the 1980’s to go to college, before the wars, and lived in Washington DC. Osman and his wife came to Texas as refugees in the 1990’s through the Lutheran Church, and moved to Minnesota, where all eight of their children were born. His children love American food, especially burgers, but Osman eats Somali fare at Hamdi, nearly daily. Two of Osman’s children attend St. Olaf College in Northfield! By sharing food with Osman and Abdi, we were able to share things like how we define success and what cultures we relate to. We discovered that Osman and Abdi disagree about wearing a hijab, and that both of them identify as Minnesotan.

     This experience showed me that we really are more similar than different.

– Julie Manuel

Action Alert

     Sign up now to visit Guatemala and our Common Hope partners. One or two groups will be going. Pick your dates and get in on the action. Leave your name at the office, sign a yellow info sheet or contact Judy Hinck either by email to judyhinck@gmail.com or by calling 612-824-4918. Teams will be set by Easter.

How’s our giving going?

     Our committee’s letter last November outlined some of the reasons our president, Lora Dundek, described our 2015 budget as “challenging,” requiring increased giving totaling some 7%. Among those reasons: increased health-care premiums, paying an interim pastor during Pastor
Crippen’s sabbatical (which starts after Easter), and increasing our support for the work of the ELCA (churchwide and synod) from 3% to 4%—the level at which we continue to fund Missions and Neighborhood Ministries.

     With the first two months of the year behind us, how are we doing? We got off to a strong start, with January giving up 25% from the same month a year earlier. Giving in February showed a more modest 4% over the previous February. Giving for the two months was 14% over the same period a year earlier.

     But it’s still early in the year. Let’s be cautiously optimistic that our giving will remain strong throughout the year. Our treasurer, Kat Campbell-Johnson, reminded the Vestry that January giving was 108% of that month’s expenditures, while February giving was only 81% of that month’s expenses. For now we’re not needing to use our line of credit at the bank, thanks in part to members’ gifts to last year’s campaign (some members are continuing to give), which fully funded our restrictive accounts and left us with a modest but important reserve fund.

     Let’s also keep that word “challenging” in mind as we consider and make our gifts in the months
ahead.

– Donn McLellan, Director of Stewardship

MOUNT OLIVE LUTHERAN CHURCH
3045 Chicago Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55407

Map and Directions >

612-827-5919
welcome@mountolivechurch.org


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