The Olive Branch, October 4, 2010

Accent on Worship

In the 1990s there were several books published on how to live joyfully or, put simply, how to be happy. Oprah Winfrey had a number of spiritual gurus on her program giving the same message. Every author and person claiming to be an expert in the area of how to live a full life listed gratitude as one of the components. "Live in gratitude," they would advise.
Everything that Jesus taught had a practical element. He knew that when we live in the presence of God, we live in joy. The Gospel for Ordinary Time 28 is the story of the healing of the ten lepers one of whom (the Samaritan) came back to prostrate himself at Jesus' feet and give thanks. Jesus told him that his faith had made him well.
We need faith in order to live in gratitude. In this Gospel reading we are witnesses to the faith of the Samaritan leper, as acknowledged by Jesus. We can be grateful to our friends and family for all that they do for us, but to live in gratitude is a different thing. To live in this way is thanking God everyday for all that we have. If we thank God upon awakening for giving us another day of life, the beauty of God's creation, our health, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the people in our lives who love us, we begin to appreciate all that we have been given. This way of life can help us through some very hard times, because gratitude grows out of faith and faith continues to build our gratitude, which brings us joy in the midst of whatever is going on in our lives.
I would like to imagine that the Samaritan leper went on to live his life with deep contentment and joy far greater than the other nine who didn't return to give thanks.
- Donna Neste



Sunday’s Adult Forum

October 10: Dr. Lori Brandt Hale’s presentation about the life and thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (see complete information elsewhere in this issue of The Olive Branch.)



The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi
Monday, October 4, 2010 – 7:00 pm
Blessing of Animals
Bring your friends (2-legged, 4-legged, and no-legged!) for this annual service of blessing of pets, held in the Nave…tonight!



Pastor Joseph Crippen to be Installed on October 17

The celebratory Eucharist with Rite of Installation will be at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, October 17. There will also be Morning Prayer at 8:00 a.m.
Following the liturgy, all are invited to attend a celebration luncheon to honor and welcome the Crippen family. Those preparing the meal need to know how many are coming, and ask that you let us know if you are planning to come, so that they know how much food to prepare. Reservation cards were mailed to all Mount Olive members and friends last week, and they are also available at church in the narthex. If you are planning to come, return a reservation card, or call or email the church office by October 10 to let us know. Everyone is welcome!



A Note of Thanks

Dear Friends,
Thank you for the farewell brunch, gifts, and the many cards. I have been reading a few at a time savoring your love, care, and thoughtfulness, then I get another tissue. Our journey together has been eventful and spirit- filled, I sense the Spirit of God mightily as I read each card.
Your thankful former servant,
Hollie Holt-Woehl



Chicago Avenue Construction

Chicago Avenue (in front of the church) will be closed for approximately one more week as the Minneapolis Public Works Dept. removes the existing asphalt on the street and replaces it with new pavement. Chicago Ave. is posted “NO PARKING,” and during this time we ask that all from Mount Olive park in the church parking lot across 31st Ave. until the project is complete.
There are two parking spaces and a ramp behind the church which can be used to drop off or pick up those with accessibility needs during this time.



Pastoral Care in the Post-Interim Interim

During these weeks before Pastor Crippen begins his ministry among us on October 11, please know that pastoral care is available to all who need it. If you are in need of a pastor, please call Rev. Art Halbardier at 763-639-7701, or Rev. Rob Ruff at 651-983-9622.



Book Discussion Group
For their meeting this Saturday, October 9, the Book Discussion group will read, The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen. And for their meeting on November 13, they will read, The Red and the Black, by Stendhal.
The Book Discussion Group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 am in the Chapel Lounge. All readers are welcome!



Dr. Hale to Speak on Bonhoeffer

As we approach the U.S. election day, we should reflect on how Christians, whose Lord is Jesus Christ, manage their affairs in the civic state. Are “Church” and “State” really separate? Should they be? These are long-rehearsed questions within the Lutheran tradition.
On October 3 and 10, Dr. Lori Brandt Hale of Augsburg College will speak about the life and thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A young and brilliant Lutheran theologian in Germany during the rise of Hitler and the Nazi state, Bonhoeffer struggled with his loyalties to Christ (which he believed required a commitment to nonviolence) and his profound concern over the spread of Nazi terror. He eventually forsook nonviolence to participate in a conspiracy toward the assassination of Adolph Hitler. He was discovered and eventually executed by the Nazis for his involvement in that conspiracy. And he is now honored in the Lutheran calendar as a martyr for Christ for giving his life in defense of the defenseless.
But how did his theology develop? Who was this German pastor and theologian – now one of the most controversial of those considered martyrs?
Dr. Hale will address these and other questions in her two presentations in the Adult Forum, a task for which she is eminently qualified. Dr. Hale is associate professor of religion at Augsburg College, having completed her Ph.D. dissertation on Bonhoeffer at the University of Virginia. She is also the chair-elect of the English Section of the International Bonhoeffer Society.



Creation Care Group

Lutherans have long been concerned with stewardship issues. More and more of us are redefining stewardship to include creation care. Indeed, the rise of the local interfaith group Congregations Caring for Creation (http://www.ccc.nonprofitoffice.com/) illustrates the powerful ways that people of faith can respond to cological degradation, climate change, and environmental inequities. W
With this in mind, it seems appropriate for our congregation to begin to explore the possibility of establishing a Creation Care group here at Mount Olive. Please join us for a discussion in the Undercroft at 9:30 a.m. on October 10, 2010 to look into the possibilities of starting such a group. If you are interested, but unable to attend, contact Michael
Lansing at lansing@augsburg.edu with your ideas. Thanks!



Volunteer Tutors Still Needed for Way to Goals Tutoring

Additional tutors are needed for Way to Goals Tutoring! If YOU can find it in your heart to take on the rewarding volunteer task of helping a child with homework (for an hour each Tuesday evening at 7 pm, October-May), please call Donna Neste at church and she will give you all the details and answer any questions about the program that you may have.



Sign Up, Sign Up for Coffee!

Mount Olive is currently in need of hosts for coffee hour after each liturgy on Sunday mornings. A sign up sheet is available at church – if you don’t see it when you are here on Sundays, ask someone! Or call the church office to sign up!



Dusting Off Our Name Tags
Beginning on October 17 and for at least a few weeks thereafter, the Worship Committee asks all regular worshipers to consider wearing their name tags on Sunday mornings, so that the Crippen family can begin to learn our names and faces.
Until then, please be sure you have a name tag in the narthex. If you don’t have one or cannot find yours, please call the church office and we will make one for you.