The Olive Branch, 11/28/11

Accent on Worship

This Sunday we will meet John in the wilderness, proclaiming repentance; and Isaiah, proclaiming comfort; and we will listen to words from 2 Peter about God’s patience with us. Advent is all those things-- comfort, repentance, patience. As we sing through the night in minor key, the Daystar will come in his own time, changing the tone of our lives. He will come as a weak, world-changing baby, surprising everyone, including his zealous and perhaps slightly odd cousin John. (Locusts and honey? Hmm.) The incarnate one for whom we wait is likely to be where we do not expect him, and is not strong in the world’s way. How will you prepare to be surprised?

Advent Calendar

He will come like last leaf’s fall.
One night when the November wind
has flayed the trees to bone, and earth
wakes choking on the mould,
the soft shroud’s folding.

He will come like frost.
One morning when the shrinking earth
opens on mist, to find itself
arrested in the net
of alien, sword-set beauty.

He will come like dark.
One evening when the bursting red
December sun draws up the sheet
and penny-masks its eye to yield
the star-snowed fields of sky.

He will come, will come,
will come like crying in the night,
like blood, like breaking,
as the earth writhes to toss him free.
He will come like child.

--Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

from Literary Companion to the Lectionary, Ed. Mark Pryce, Fortress Press 2002

- Vicar Erik Doughty



Sunday Readings

December 4, 2011 – Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 40:1-11 + Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
2 Peter 3:8-15a + Mark 1:1-8

December 11, 2011 – Third Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 + Psalm 126
I Thessalonians 5:16-24 1:3-9 + John 1:6-8, 19-28



This Week’s Adult Education
Sunday, December 4

“Why Do We (at Mount Olive) Worship the Way We Do?” part 3 of a 3-part presentation
by Dwight Penas


Wednesdays During Advent
Evening Prayer - 7:00 pm
(beginning November 30)


Annual MOGAL Holiday Cookie Bake
Please join us! Everyone is welcome!

This Sunday, December 4, 2011, following the second liturgy (about 12:30 pm) in the Undercroft, all are invited to join the MOGAL group for the annual holiday cookie bake. Each year we gather for a bowl of soup for lunch and then bake a variety of holiday cookies for delivery to Mount Olive members and friends who are home bound, living in care facilities or unable to worship with us because of health circumstances.

Bring the ingredients or the prepared cookie dough for your favorite holiday cookies. We bake the cookies in the church kitchen ovens and then box the goodies for distribution. If you prefer, you may bring cookies that you have baked at home to include with those we bake at church. If you are not a baker and would like help with some of the prep, cleanup, and boxing you are welcome to join us too!!!

Please call the church office at 612-827-5919, if you plan to attend so that we can make enough soup.



Book Discussion Group

For their December 10 meeting, the Book Discussion group will discuss German Boy: A Child in War, by Wolfgang W. E. Samuel. For their meeting on January 21 (the third Saturday due to the annual Conference on Liturgy), they will discuss William Faulkner's A Light in August.



Advent Luncheon for Seniors
Wednesday, December 7, 11:30 a.m.

Have you received your invitation in the mail? If so, be sure to RSVP to the church office as soon as possible, if you haven’t already done so.

Are you age 65 or older and did not receive an invitation in the mail? This only means that the church office does not have your correct date of birth – you are invited, too! Simply call the church office to RSVP (and be sure to take that opportunity to give us your date of birth!).



Fair Trade Craft Sale

The Missions committee is hosting a Fair Trade Craft Sale. Purchase beautiful and unique Fair Trade items handmade by disadvantaged artisans in developing regions. With each purchase, you help artisans maintain steady work and a sustainable income so they can provide for their families. Jhonson Augustin from Haiti says, “This work is our tool to fight poverty. We want more orders to make money to repair and replace what we lost (in the earthquake).” Lutheran World Relief works in partnership with SERRV, a nonprofit Fair Trade organization, to bring you the LWR Handcraft Project.

The crafts will be available for purchase after both services on December 4, 11, and 18 (cash and check only). Fair trade coffee, tea, cocoa, and chocolate from Equal Exchange will also be available.

This is not a fund-raiser, just an opportunity to buy good products for a good cause.



2012 Conference on Liturgy: Liturgy Shapes

This year’s Conference on Liturgy, “Liturgy Shapes,” will be held here at Mount Olive on January 13-14, 2012 (one week later than usual). This conference will address the ways in which our liturgical practices shape our ideas about God, our ways of reading the Bible, our experiences of community, our understanding of the world, and our response to our neighbor’s needs. We are delighted to welcome The Rev. Dr. Gordon Lathrop back as our keynote speaker for this conference. Workshop sessions will be led by Senator John Marty, Pastor Joseph Crippen, and Susan Cherwien. The conference brochure is attached to this week’s Olive Branch email, and additional copies of the brochure and registration are available at church or by following the link on the homepage of Mount Olive’s website: www.mountolivechurch.org.

Cost for Mount Olive members is $35 per person.



Alternative Gift Giving

Are you looking for something different to do this year for Christmas gifts? Take part in a growing tradition by giving gifts that help those in need. The Missions Committee is promoting the idea of alternative gift giving this Christmas. For example, for $15 you can “buy” a school uniform in honor of a loved one for a student in India so that the student can attend school. We have catalogues from different charitable organizations that you can use or you can order from the organizations’ websites. Some of these organizations are:

 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(www.elca.org/goodgifts)
 Lutheran World Relief (http://lwrgifts.org)
 Heifer Project Int’l (http://www.heifer.org)
 Common Hope
(http://commonhopecatalog.myshopify.com)
 Bethania Kids (http://bethaniakids.org)



Gloria: And on Earth, Peace
National Lutheran Choir Christmas Festival

In a world troubled with strife, the angels sing the song "Gloria" announcing the birth of the one who brings what we still need today: peace. In the beautiful ambience of the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis, the Christmas Festival creates a journey - musically and for the listener and literally for the choir itself as it moves all around these spaces. All three local performances held at the Basilica of Saint Mary, 88 N 17th Street, Minneapolis, MN.

4:30 pm Friday, December 9
8:00 pm Friday, December 9
8:00 pm Saturday, December 10

For tickets, please call the National Lutheran Choir office at 612.722.2301, or visit them on the web at www.nlca.com. Tickets will also be available at the door.



Attention, Worship Assistants!

Is your server’s alb looking a bit tired? Soiled? In need of a minor repair or two? If so, Carol Austermann can help! Please give her a call if her services are needed, 612-722-5123.



Hot off the Press!

The greeters will be handing out the fall issue of "Greetings from Mount Olive Neighborhood Ministries" after both Eucharists this Sunday, December 4th.

Staying Awake

We simply don’t know how much time we have – personally or eschatologically – so we are strengthened by our God to make the most of the time we have, to live today as if that is the only day we have.

Pr. Joseph G. Crippen, First Sunday of Advent, year B; texts: Mark 13:24-27; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 (adding James 4:13-15 as well)

Sisters and brothers, grace to you, and peace in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Every once in a while I have a bad dream about preaching, usually on a Thursday or Friday. I’ll dream that I’ve slept late on a Sunday, and it’s 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. Worse yet, I haven’t written my sermon, so I’ve not only missed the first liturgy but I have no idea what I’m going to say at the second. Sometimes in this dream I have no dress clothes to wear (it’s usually that I’m missing pants, or in a less stressful version, my shoes), or I’ve left my robes somewhere else and they’re not at church. There are usually several levels of unpreparedness in these dreams, and a deep anxiety. And I always wake with relief to find out that I still have time to get ready to preach, and that I have clothes and shoes or whatever else I need to do my job. I feel the relief to the depths of my soul – I have more time.

When I was in college I had essentially the same dream, except it was about final exams, or major papers needing writing. Apparently I have an internal anxiety about preparation, about being ready. That’s why Advent is a good time for someone like me. Advent is a time of preparation, the most obvious preparation being getting ready to celebrate Christmas. But the Church has primarily used the time of Advent to remember to prepare not only to celebrate Jesus’ first coming, but to be ready for his second. These short four weeks are one of our yearly wake-up calls to remind ourselves that our time here is limited, that one day the Lord Jesus will return, or we will go to join him, that one day we will wake up and find out that it isn’t a dream, that there is no more time.

This First Sunday of Advent continues a theme we heard as the last Church Year ended, that at some point, there will be no more time to serve our God. It is that urgency Jesus is trying to convey in his teaching today: “Keep awake,” he says. Now, if only we could learn how we can stay awake, learn to do what needs to be done while we still can do it.

The hard part, of course, is not knowing the time. We don’t know how long we’re going to have to stay awake.

Advent is four weeks, Christmas is a set date – you can plan your get-togethers, your gifts. But the apostle James would remind us that even with set dates we don’t know the real time. James says in chapter 4 of his letter: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.’ Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.’ ”

James is right. And people used to take him at his word. They’d say “the Lord willing” whenever talking about future plans. But you don’t hear that much anymore. People make plans as if there are as many tomorrows as they need. I know I do.

And yet, we don’t need James, or Jesus in our Gospel today to convince us of the folly of that. Our experience will tell us that our time is uncertain.

When I was in my first parish, something happened after the First Sunday of Advent that brought this home to our whole congregation. I’ve remembered this ever since, of course. But this week I went back to find out what year it was, and to look at the sermon I preached on this Sunday back then. And I realized it was more powerfully a wake-up call than I ever remembered.

It turns out it was the First Sunday of Advent in 1993. It was November 28, and like now, we were entering Year B, so it was actually this Gospel reading. I want to quote you a couple things I preached that day 18 years ago. I said: “I have plans that reach into 1994, and I’m sure many of you do. And yet we never really realize how quickly things can change, and how soon our plans become worthless. And how unsure our length of time on this earth is.” And later I said, “Accidents happen so quickly, and change our lives permanently. And people die without warning all the time.”

The first thing I had forgotten about that sermon (and probably why I said what I said) was that in the week before Thanksgiving one of our teachers at the K-12 school in Cleveland had died suddenly, though I don’t recall the reason. And I had said in that Advent sermon that at the memorial service at the school I found myself sitting behind and a little to the left of her grieving husband and thinking how a week ago he never thought he’d be sitting here on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I’m sure he and his wife had all sorts of plans – where they would be, who was cooking, what the menu was, which family would be there. None of which they would now be doing.

The reason I went looking for this sermon, however, was Scott. He was a man in his late thirties or early forties whom I had baptized only two months earlier. He’d married one of our members, and had come to faith, and it was a joy for the whole congregation to celebrate his baptism. He was in church on this Sunday, and heard me talk about accidents happening so quickly and changing our lives permanently.

The next day he was killed in a highway accident. He was a truck driver, and his quick-thinking reaction to someone else’s careless driving saved the life of another person, but doomed his vehicle and himself. His life was going in a great direction, then . . . Now, it was then and is now a joy to me that he was in church the day before that happened, and I know that he knew he was in the hands of his Lord. But it was such a stark reminder, such a horrible blow.

As I said, I’ve always remembered Scott’s death in the first week of Advent, and it has shaped my Advent life ever since. But the second thing about this sermon that I didn’t remember until this week was that this was Advent 1993. And that I said in that sermon, “I have plans that reach into 1994, and I’m sure many of you do. And yet we never really realize how quickly things can change, and how soon our plans become worthless.”

Because I not only did not know that Scott had only a day left. Here’s what else I didn’t know on that First Sunday of Advent 1993:

Mary was pregnant. I’m sure we figured that out within a couple weeks, but at that moment we had two daughters and no idea that 1994 would bring us the gift of Rachel in July. Now she is 17 and I can’t imagine life without her, but with all our bold plans we had no idea what was ahead. A huge joy and grace were ahead – and we were oblivious.

But 1994 was also the year we found out my mother had ovarian cancer. One week after Rachel was born, she got that diagnosis. And I realized last week as I was looking at my sermon from November 28, 1993 that her cancer was already spreading throughout her body on that day and we had no idea. She had no idea. And whatever plans we had, well, they were about to change. A huge pain and struggle lay ahead – and we were oblivious.

That’s what makes life so hard. We like to plan. We need order in our life so we can cope better. But our experience is, no matter how much we plan, we never know. And all of us here have experiences like these where this powerfully comes home to us.

And then there’s this: that only deals with part of the picture, that we don’t know the hour of our dying. In Advent we also remember that we don’t know when Jesus will return, when all things here will end. And even though Isaiah and the psalmist today call eagerly for the Lord’s return – that God would come down and save us – we don’t know when that will be. And even though Jesus gives signs in texts like our Gospel today – enough signs to get some people to try to figure out the date – he also is clear: no one knows the day or the hour, not even Jesus himself.

So we’d be foolish to live as if we have all the time in the world to get ready to meet our Lord. We’d do well to be prepared, as best we can. The question is, how?

Well, it’s all about making the most of the time we do have, about doing our faithful work while we have the time to do it. It’s about living in the now, the present, as if it’s all we have. Because it is.

The first thing is that we begin to learn to live by faith. People who, like James, say “the Lord willing,” and understand that our lives are lived in God. And that’s enough. We trust that our time is in God’s good hands. So yes we plan, but always knowing that we don’t own our time, God does. And to that end, we constantly seek the presence of God.

I think this is more the sense of the psalm today – that we just want to have God with us. To spend the time we have with God, and the relationship God has established with us. To seek God in the Word, in worship, at this Table, in Christian friends. To get to know the God who loves us in Jesus.

Then our lives will be lived in the One who holds our time for us. And then when we meet our Lord, either in death or in the second coming, we will be meeting a well-known friend, a trusted Master, not a stranger.

The second thing we can do to stay awake is to stay awake – that is, to live our lives in a state of preparedness. Have our affairs in order, not just on our death bed, but now. Which raises some questions: Are there wrongs you have done that you need to make right? Are there people whose forgiveness you need to ask? Are there things you need to stop doing? Things you don’t want to be found doing when your Lord Jesus returns? Are there things you’ve felt God was calling you to do and be in this world, in your life, that you haven’t done yet? Are there things you need to bring to God for forgiveness and assurance that you are loved and blessed by God?

Then do all these things, Jesus would say. And we should prioritize. Remind ourselves of what is most important in life, and then spend time on that. Family, loved ones – these are our gifts. Our relationship with God, and God’s people around us.

And the third thing we do to stay awake is to live a life knowing we’re already a part of God’s coming kingdom. We seek God’s power and love to help us live the life of a child of God. We love and care for people as if it were their last day on earth, rather than believing we have time later. And we resolve to let Jesus’ will and love enfold us and guide us how to live. That’s what Paul’s talking about today: God will strengthen you to the end, Paul says, so that you will be blameless on the day of Jesus Christ. So we ask God for such love and grace to live in the kingdom already, even while we wait.

Jesus invites us to stay awake, be alert – and making the most of the time we have is how we do that.

The time we have could last a long time, or it could be short. But as a Christian living in God’s time, I can say this: I have today. If the Lord wills it, I’ll have tomorrow. But today I know I have. So today I’ll love and serve the God who loves me beyond death. And that’s all I need to know.

Next week, if the Lord wills it, we’ll gather together here again and continue our preparation for Christmas and our preparation of our lives. But for today, in the time we have, let’s live prepared lives in God’s time; and even more, let’s live in the joy that even though we don’t know the day or the hour, we know who it is who is coming for us.

Knowing that, it’s almost worth looking forward to, isn’t it?

In the name of Jesus. Amen

God, Thanksgiving . . . and Pie"

Thanksgiving is not about us; Thanksgiving (Eucharist) is about God's generosity to us. God blesses us so that we may give thanks to God, and God gives us the opportunity and call to bless other people with what we have been given. We do this in worship and also through gifts to the food shelf, at home, in the grocery store, and every place where we meet other people.

Vicar Erik Doughty, Day of Thanksgiving, year A; text: Deuteronomy 8:7-18

This is a sermon about God, controversy, community, Deuteronomy, thanksgiving, opportunity, and pie.

No doubt today when you sit down at table to a perfect dinner of perfect food with perfect family members who all get along perfectly, you will begin to discuss the doctrinal rightness of the Lutheran Church, compared to all the other churches out there.

No?

Okay, maybe you will have a reasoned and civil discussion about the proposed constitutional amendment to keep same-gender couples from legally marrying in Minnesota.

Not that either?

Perhaps a discussion about the Occupy Wall Street protests?

Maybe not.

Ok, maybe a REALLY contentious discussion: “Pumpkin pie is the ONLY appropriate pie for Thanksgiving dinner. Discuss.”

Nah.

You know some of these are the kind of discussion that That One Family Member (every family seems to have one) brings up. And then since you disagree but you are supposed to be on your best behavior, you butter your dinner roll in quiet rage. You grit your teeth and continue to be gracious.

Well. . . Life in community begins with meeting people where they’re at. So today, where are you at?

I did a brief, unscientific poll about this day. Here is what brought people joy on Thanksgiving:

Black Friday

Time with family

A day off

being with family

being with friends

cooking together

being surrounded by love

realizing how big family is

And here is what made people pensive on Thanksgiving:

High expectations of the day, which are not (or cannot be) met

Being away from family or loved ones

Cleaning house in preparation

expectations of perfection

making the gravy

relatives who are ill

memories of those who have died

being an “orphan”

For some, the gathering used to be larger, but now people are spread across the nation and can’t get back.

Some are living on unemployment checks, or on food stamps, or on a limited retirement income; a turkey is not in the budget this year.

For many, dealing with depression is really hard on days like today.

I do not trivialize or discount any of this. It is our reality. The problem is, it is really too easy, surrounded by our food and our family and our issues, to get the impression that Thanksgiving Day is about us.

So perhaps the most unusual part of the day will be the point when we, in the midst of it all, stop and give thanks to God for the gifts we have been given.

Our reading from Deuteronomy today reminds us of four things.

First: that all our wealth is not ours through our own effort;

Second; that all we have is gifted to us by God;

Third; our wealth is given to us not because of our faithfulness, but because of God’s;

And finally, it is given to us so that we may bless others.

Publicly acknowledging any one of those is a bit different, friends. Agreeing to all four is downright strange. I invite you to be just that strange, and to be that strange at your Thanksgiving table and elsewhere.

Every time I go to a certain grocery store in town here, I am reminded of the gifts I’m given, because the bag I carry out to my car says THANK YOU in approximately half-a-bazillion different languages. There’s an English-language Thank You. . . and there’s Swedish: Takk . There’s German. There’s Spanish. And French, and Hebrew. And some others I haven’t figured out (except that I’m pretty sure they mean “Thank you”).

But the one that really makes the connection for me is the Greek version: Eucharisto. Eucharist. It’s an ordinary expression of thanks. It’s an ordinary bag of groceries, like the groceries we give to the food shelf. But Eucharist is also an ordinary meal of bread and wine which Christ makes unusual, strange (in the best sense of the word) for our sake, making the ordinary into the extraordinary, giving his own life and grace for all who take and eat, take and drink. We have an ordinary, unusual savior, who makes us ordinary people extraordinary, unusual and blessed with his presence.

And the really strange, amazing thing is that our Holy Eucharist, our Holy Thanksgiving Meal, here at this altar, sends us right back around into our usual lives-- to our Thanksgiving meal back at home. And that Holy Thanksgiving stays with us through the extremely ordinary TSA checkpoint, through traffic, right into whatever ordinary daily life holds. It gives us strength. It lets us be graceful even without gritting our teeth. It drives us to unusual generosity, to give away blessings of food and money and time we’ve been given, that the blessing of Christ’s love and grace may go along, too. And it reminds us to give thanks at every table, in any language, for each sack of groceries and for Christ’s presence.

Let me be clear: Because you commune this morning, it will not make all your troubles go away. All the difficulties I talked about a few minutes ago? Still there. And communing will not make your boss micromanage you less. It will not get you a job if you don’t have a job. It will not make police forces and protesters see eye-to-eye. It will not solve homelessness or hunger; it will not make Thanksgiving dinner with that one relative that makes you crazy any less crazy-making. It will not prevent the anti-gay-marriage amendment from coming to the vote.

Yet our Holy Thanksgiving Eucharist meal WILL strengthen YOU for the work you have to do. This IS where Christ meets us, and feeds us. It IS where Christ sends us out into the ordinary world -- where Christ again meets us in every human face. Where people are hungry, we have the opportunity and call to feed Christ. Where people are cold, we have the opportunity and call to clothe Christ. Where people struggle, we have the opportunity and call to aid Christ. You know what the really irritating part about being Christian is? That crazy-making relative? That problematic, proposed constitutional amendment? Also opportunities to serve Christ and love the neighbor. This may mean that instead of buttering your dinner roll quietly, you speak out and say what you believe. It may mean some uncomfortable moments. It may move from the polite to the real.

Sisters and brothers, this Thanksgiving meal, the real presence of Christ for us; this real Word of grace and life, is still calling, reminding: Remember to love God and serve the neighbor. To give thanks in the grocery store and the church building. To feed hungry neighbors. To see a need and address it. Remember what we call ours is given to us so that we can bless others. Today you have opportunity to give money and food to help hungry neighbors; please, give. Today you have opportunity to join us at the Lord’s meal; please, eat and drink. Today you can take Christ’s love out into everyday life with you. You don’t have to, but you all get to. It’s unusual; it’s ordinary; it’s our opportunity and call; it’s the grace and love of Christ, and it’s yours. Please, share it.

Thank you. Thank God. (And have some pie!)

Amen.

The Olive Branch, 11/21/11

First Sunday of Advent

“O that you would tear open the heavens and come down.” How many times have we felt like the Prophet Isaiah who speaks these words in the First Reading for Advent 1? It seems to be our nature to long to be rescued. Our culture has created the superhero in comic books and on the big screen and the story line is always the same. When things are at their bleakest the hero swoops down and fixes everything. We try to live this fantasy by always seeking the quick fix, the magic bullet to every problem. I remember as a kid how we were told that science would be our salvation. Do you remember reading and hearing about the Green Revolution and how it was going to save humanity from hunger and starvation? I soon learned that science has its place, (though it had its own problems, the Green Revolution succeeded in saving millions), but the problem of hunger and many other seemingly hopeless conditions lie in the human heart. In secular terms it is often referred to as “political will.” God has blessed us with not only the know-how but with enough of everything to overcome every issue that faces us. What holds us back is our fear of failure, our fear of not enough, our fear of the other, and our lack of trust in God. Jesus is our salvation, not science, not any one leader, not any one policy, not any quick fix, not even all the wealth in the world.

Advent is a time of waiting - waiting for the Lord. I believe that Jesus will return someday, but Jesus has not yet returned and while we are waiting, we need to trust that he is with us. We need to carry the love of Jesus in our hearts and draw on it as we face the big problems that confront us. Our waiting should not be passive; it should be a time of action, a time of preparation for the Lord.

This season, when the earth turns away from the sun, is a perfect metaphor for the Advent season. It is dark. The dark season of Advent is a perfect metaphor for the condition of the world. The people of God were commissioned to step out into that great darkness and bring Christ’s light, love, and healing to this world of hurt in which we live. Not a day goes by that I don’t want Jesus to return and rescue us from this mess we have made, but we should not be thinking like “end timers” waiting to be rescued by our super-hero, Jesus. Rather, we should be bringing the return of Jesus to earth every day by doing the work of Jesus.

- Donna Pususta Neste



This Week’s Adult Education: Sunday, November 27

“Why Do We (at Mount Olive) Worship the Way We Do?” part 2 of a 3-part presentation
by Dwight Penas



Thanksgiving Day
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Holy Eucharist at 10:00 a.m.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all the blessings God has bestowed upon us. It is also a time to remember those who are less fortunate than we are. Remember those in need by bringing your offering of food or funds to the 10:00 a.m. liturgy on Thanksgiving Day.

All Thanksgiving offerings will be given to Sabathani and Community Emergency Services food shelves. Consider giving an offering of funds instead of food. A five-dollar donation can purchase more than ten dollars worth of food by the food shelves through the Emergency Food Shelf Network.



Please Note
The church offices will be closed on Friday, November 25.



Advent Luncheon for Seniors
Wednesday, December 7, 11:30 a.m.

Have you received your invitation in the mail? If so, be sure to RSVP to the church office as soon as possible, if you haven’t already done so.

Are you age 65 or older and did not receive an invitation in the mail? This only means that the church office does not have your correct date of birth – you are invited, too! Simply call the church office to RSVP (and be sure to take that opportunity to give us your date of birth!).



2012 Conference on Liturgy: Liturgy Shapes

This year’s Conference on Liturgy, “Liturgy Shapes,” will be held here at Mount Olive on January 13-14, 2012 (one week later than usual). This conference will address the ways in which our liturgical practices shape our ideas about God, our ways of reading the Bible, our experiences of community, our understanding of the world, and our response to our neighbor’s needs. We are delighted to welcome The Rev. Dr. Gordon Lathrop back as our keynote speaker for this conference. Workshop sessions will be led by Senator John Marty, Pastor Joseph Crippen, and Susan Cherwien. The conference brochure is attached to this week’s Olive Branch email, and additional copies of the brochure and registration are available at church or by following the link on the homepage of Mount Olive’s website: www.mountolivechurch.org.

Cost for Mount Olive members is $35 per person.



Vestry Update, 11-14-11

The November 14 Vestry meeting opened with a meditation and prayer lead by President Adam Krueger.

On-going business included discussion about the congregation’s portion of the Juhl estate bequest and the monies that will be distributed to both the matching fund for the Capital Campaign and the general operating fund. Mount Olive is privileged to be receiving such a generous gift. Other items, including the visioning process and the PR Committee were tabled until the December meeting.

Mount Olive has received a note from Rev. Daniel Rift, the director of the ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal thanking us for the $615 donation to ELCA Disaster Response. President Krueger also shared excerpts from an email received from a member regarding the proposed state marriage amendment which led to a discussion about the congregation’s role in such matters. The Vestry voted to support the education Vestry Update, continued process on the marriage amendment within the congregation and that we, as a Vestry, support voting no on the amendment.

While reviewing the semi-annual congregational meeting, a suggestion was made to have a pre-meeting during the Adult Forum or another convenient time the week before the meeting. For all future congregational meetings, the Vestry will host this pre-meeting to encourage discussion and questions about any items on the agenda.

Pastor Crippen continues to work on a variety of projects including a new Bible study. He will be leading a 6-8 week long study on Thursdays starting in January. Additionally, he has redesigned and expanded the confirmation class. Confirmands will meet 24 times over the next three years to cover Old Testament curriculum , the teachings of Jesus and Lutheran theology. Pastor Crippen is also planning for a Liturgical Conference workshop and seminars that he will lead on the cruise that is planned for January.

Cantor Cherwien’s activities in the past month have included celebrating a wedding, hosting Manz Tage, preparing for Reformation Sunday, All Saints Sunday and the NLC All Saints series as well as a workshop presentation. With such an influx of singers in the Cantorei he is looking forward to being able to supply copies of music to all of the members. After the first of the year look for the launch of music learning for the children as a way to engage the youth of Mount Olive in our worship.

An Advent luncheon will be hosted by Congregational Life on Wednesday December 7 at noon. All seniors in the congregation are invited to the event and will be offered rides to and from Mount Olive.

Diana Hellerman was happy to report that there are 10-11 children regularly participating in Godly Play. This is a nice increase from the past few years where there weren’t as many young children attending.

Andrew Andersen reported that the software used to edit the website is now located in-house. This will result in more timely updates to information that is posted on the site.

The Missions Committee will be hosting the fair trade craft sale the first three weekends in December. Paul Schadewald also reported that the “Taste Of” event is being tentatively scheduled for March 4th. The theme of the occasion is still being determined.

The Neighborhood Ministries committee felt the grand opening of The Art Shoppe was a great success. Eunice Hafemeister and Carol Austermann reported that initial sales have topped $800. Bread for the World was also a winner, with 38 people helping out to write letters. The board of TRUST, Inc. has given Mount Olive two seats and a few names were thrown out as possible nominees.

David Molvik reported the winter preparations to the property are completed ahead of any potential bad weather. Progress on the new sound system is going well, but it may not be finished this month.

Dennis Bidwell reported from the Stewardship Committee that $368,000 in pledges for the upcoming year have been received as of Monday, Nov. 14. Many new members have also indicated on the “Opportunities for Service” forms that they are eager to get involved at Mount Olive. All names from those forms will be passed along to Committee Directors so that volunteers can be contacted in a timely manner. Another opportunity to get involved and learn more about volunteering at Mount Olive will take place on Sunday after late services. Vestry members will be available to answer questions in regards to specific committees and all of the ways to get involved in the Mount Olive community.

Irene Campbell reports that the Youth flower sale is currently going on and that there has been a good response to that. She also reports that this year’s confirmands will each receive a Mount Olive t-shirt that the students can wear to any volunteer events that they work at Mount Olive.
The next Vestry meeting will be on December 12 at 7:00pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Lisa Nordeen
Vice President



Gloria: And on Earth, Peace
National Lutheran Choir Christmas Festival

In a world troubled with strife, the angels sing the song "Gloria" announcing the birth of the one who brings what we still need today: peace. In the beautiful ambience of the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis, the Christmas Festival creates a journey - musically and for the listener and literally for the choir itself as it moves all around these spaces. Works by Clausen, Carey, Grundal, Gjeilo, Georg Schuman, carols and music from Russia, Germany, France, Ukraine as well as African American Spirituals - an eclectic offering to touch the heart with peace.

All three local performances held at the Basilica of Saint Mary, 88 N 17th Street, Minneapolis, MN.

4:30 pm Friday, December 9
8:00 pm Friday, December 9
8:00 pm Saturday, December 10

For tickets, please call the National Lutheran Choir office at 612.722.2301, or visit them on the web at www.nlca.com. Tickets will also be available at the door.



Semi-Annual Meeting Highlights

The Semi-Annual Congregation Meeting of Mount Olive Lutheran Church was held on Sunday, October 23, 2011. There were three main topics covered at the meeting. They included proposed amendments to the Mount Olive Constitution and Bylaws, the capital campaign, and the 2012 budget.

Three amendments were proposed and included two to formalize the responsibilities of an Internship Committee to support the Vicar position in years when Mount Olive has an intern, similar to wording used for other committees of the congregation. The first amendment was to the constitution, and this was the second vote held on it, thereby amending the constitution. The second was a new bylaw. The third amendment removed the designation “MONAC” from the Neighborhood Ministries Committee bylaw to eliminate confusion that has existed about the difference between MONAC and the Neighborhood Ministries Committee. All three of these amendments carried.

Art Halbardier announced that as of September, Mount Olive Lutheran Church has paid off its mortgage on the recent renovations with a considerable savings on interest. A mortgage burning will be scheduled at some time after all funds have been collected and distributed. He also mentioned that, as of end of September, there is still a $23,000 balance remaining on the capital appeal, and the remaining portion of the congregation’s tithe needs to be designated and given. The hope is that the faithful people of Mount Olive will fulfill their pledges so that the campaign will be completed.

The final business of the day was the review of the 2011 budget and the presentation of the 2012 budget. Highlights included a year to date income of $382,821, which is behind the budgeted amount of $426,450. (Note: YTD income is $48,969 ahead of 2010 numbers for the same period). Following the presentation of the 2012 budget, the move to approve carried. The meeting closed with an update from the Mount Olive Lutheran Church Foundation and then a prayer from Pastor Crippen.

Respectfully Submitted,
Lisa Nordeen, Vice President

The King's Priorities

The parable of the sheep and the goats does not play out as we think it will. Instead, rising from the dead, our King invites us to dinner, forgives our failings and then invites us to love and feed the least of these.

Pr. Joseph G. Crippen, Christ the King (Ordinary Time, Sunday 34), year A; texts: Matthew 25:31-46; Ezekiel 34:11-24; Psalm 95:1-7; with additional reference to John 21

Sisters and brothers, grace to you, and peace in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

It all changed at that one breakfast. The seven fishermen were sitting in a small circle on the beach as the dawn’s light transformed the sky, and they were staring into the flames of a charcoal fire. Fish were cooking, but they were nervous. Seeing their Lord by the side of the lake as they brought in their boat was at once thrilling and frightening – yes, he was alive again. And yes, once more he had provided a miraculous catch of fish. But none of them, especially Peter, could easily forget their betrayal, their cowardice, their flight. At the least, they all felt the heat of humiliation and shame over their actions. At the worst, they feared the certain retribution that was coming. Now, Jesus had said nothing about it in the Upper Room those first two Sundays. But then there wasn’t much time. The question weighing so heavily on their minds was this: when would he bring up their failure? And then, what would he do with them?

But here was the confusing thing. He was offering them breakfast, and everyone knew you didn’t eat with an enemy; breaking bread was a sign and gift of friendship. This breakfast seemed like a peace offering – what else could it be? And then, he looked right at Peter and said, “Peter, do you love me?” It cut him to the heart. “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” “Then feed my lambs.”

I have been leading to this point for a number of weeks now, and have made the claim in several sermons that the risen Jesus acts differently than he suggests he will in his judgment parables. It seems like it’s time to explore that more fully, and I felt as if that meant we needed to begin with this story from John 21, a story which many years ago profoundly opened my eyes to the wondrous grace of God.

So here is my question, my sisters and brothers: do you see what happened on that Galilean beach that changed the world? The King returns alive, and unlike his warnings before his death, he doesn’t divide his children between those who were faithful and those who were not. The King went into the worst of judgment and darkness in order to seek out the lost – just as God promised in Ezekiel today – and then, risen from death said, “I love you. Come to this feast I’ve prepared for you. Oh, and my other lambs, my other children, the least of these my brothers and sisters – they need feeding, they need love. Would you do that, please?”

Because of that breakfast, I love this parable of Matthew 25 now.

Now I notice that it really isn’t about sheep and goats at all. Jesus just uses the image as a way to describe the division, a common and familiar experience of his audience, who knew what a shepherd did at night, separating the sheep from the goats. After that it’s just about his followers, some faithful, some not.

But on the beach, Jesus puts them all back together again. There is no distinction. Look at the group of seven. There are six who ran away, who failed. And then there’s John, who stayed at the cross. There are goats at this breakfast. And at least one sheep.

But all are at breakfast. And all are forgiven. And all bask in the love of their Risen Lord. And because of that breakfast, we are able to see some important things in this parable.

First, from the beginning of the parable it is assumed that all the characters in the story are loving, devoted subjects of the King. It’s not some sheep, some goats – it’s all devoted followers. Think about it – there’s no question among any of them that had they known it was their King who was being served they’d have done it. If they had known in feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, in caring for the sick and visiting the imprisoned, they were doing that to their beloved Lord, they’d have done it right away.

The difference is some did it without knowing. Others didn’t because they didn’t know. That can fairly be criticized – doubtless the King would prefer compassion and action even without knowing it is for him.

And in Ezekiel the LORD reminds us that sometimes even if we are devoted followers of God, we do actually know what we’re doing, and we still butt and shove and trample and ruin it for others. There’s a powerful promise of a Shepherd, a Messiah in Ezekiel, but also deep frustration from God, as in Matthew 25. It isn’t only that the shepherds of Israel failed the people, though they did, and God promises a new shepherd, of David’s line. But even the sheep, the members of the flock, have hurt each other, left the weak and the helpless to struggle alone.

Even more, they’ve taken all the good things and not even left viable leftovers – trampling the pasture when they’re done and fouling the water after drinking, so that those who come for second best have nothing good. This is an intentional ignoring of the hungry, the sick, the naked, the stranger, the prisoner, an intentional lack of compassion by the servants of the King. And it sounds as if it was written for the 21st century.

And if the true Shepherd is coming, whom we see in Jesus, that Shepherd will not be able to permit such destruction of the least of these.

So there is no easy moralizing here, no easy separation. No easy split of “these are good, these are bad.” In the story, apparently the King wishes that his subjects would have known, would have acted, without being told. And in Ezekiel God certainly is saddened, angered even by the willful neglect of those in need by God’s very people.

But there’s still a relationship in both places, still a King with beloved servants, and God with beloved sheep. And there’s also no denying that the point is that there are people in need whom our Lord and King still needs us to serve.

That’s the second point, that in the breakfast in Galilee we see clearly that the King’s family, “the least of these,” are still in desperate need of loving care.

Jesus only eliminates the division at that breakfast. Those who were faithful and those who were not – all are invited to breakfast.

But what he makes clear to Peter is that there are still beloved sisters and brothers, still beloved children who are not making it. There are lambs who need feeding, sheep who need care. The King is still worried about everyone, fretting that some are being left out, some are being ignored, some are even dying.

And as promised in Ezekiel, the King put himself in the place of the weak sheep, the ones butted and shoved and crushed, the ones who have all the good food taken and the leftovers trampled before they can eat or drink, and suffered all of that himself. To the point of death. And now, risen, calls us to do the same, to stand with those most in need, as if we were standing with our Lord.

The difference is, now we know. And that makes all the difference. We don’t need to worry about this parable because the hard part no longer applies. The hard part for the second group in the parable was not knowing their Lord was to be found in those “little ones,” those who struggle. And maybe that shouldn’t have mattered to them.

But either way, now we know that when we clothe the naked, we are clothing our risen Lord. We know that when we offer a drink, or a bowl of soup to someone who is starving, we are offering it to Jesus. Now we know that when we welcome the stranger with graciousness, we are welcoming our Lord, just as when we visit the imprisoned or care for the sick.

Now we know. And so we know what God needs us to do. Forgiven and loved by our risen Lord, we know that we are needed. We sing joyfully with the psalmist today our celebration of the rule and reign of God over all the world, and our reality that we are the sheep of God’s hand. But always remembering the last part of verse 7: “O, that you would hear God’s voice!”

Our love for our Lord is needed for those who are suffering from injustice, from hunger, from want. If we want to show our love, we know where it needs to go. We know that we are God's beloved sheep; now we are asked to hear God's voice, and do what is needed to be done.

That breakfast on the beach changed everything for those seven.

And just like them we’re about to eat at our Lord’s table, at our Lord’s invitation, fed by our risen Lord Jesus himself, and once again, everything will be changed. We will come together at this Table, and be fed a Meal that forgives us, declares we are no longer enemies but friends, and that calls us together as the embodied Love of our Lord. Our differences and disagreements are overcome at this Table. Our failings and fears are overcome at this Table. Our hesitance and our ignorance are overcome at this Table. When the Risen Jesus is present with us in this Meal, he offers us all this, all the love that raised him from the dead.

And then he looks at us and says, “Do you love me? Because if you do, my other brothers and sisters are hurting. Could you take care of them? It matters the world to me. It matters the world to my children.”

Friends, now we know. Our Lord is found out there, where he always is, hurting, alone, hungry and afraid. Let’s see what we can do. Now we know. God give us the grace to bring this love to the world.

In the name of Jesus. Amen

The Olive Branch, 11/14/11

Accent on Worship

Endings and Beginnings

Sometimes I wonder what it would like to be a Christian in the southern hemisphere. Christianity was born in the northern hemisphere, and until recently most Christians lived above the equator. However, in the past decades the explosive growth of Christianity tends to be south of the equator, in Africa, South America, even Asia.

We are nearing the end of the Church Year, and concurrent with that ending in the north is the advent of winter. (Or perhaps, if we’re not ready to admit that yet, the ending of autumn.) As we center our worship in November on readings which speak of the end times and the return of Christ, our King, our weather seems to reflect that shift as well. Of course, this is no accident. The Church Year evolved out of the worship life and everyday life of the Christians who lived through this weather cycle. After all, it’s likely that the early Church tied the celebration of the coming of the Light of the World with the already existing and vibrant Roman winter solstice celebrations, or other winter festivals around the world. It just made sense – the whole world was in darkness, and the promise of Jesus the Light was powerful in that context. The Advent wreath, the lighting of candles, the focus on light in the midst of the deepest darkness of the world, all of these have roots in the practices of other religions who also faced the coming of darkness and winter.

My point is that the Church Year’s schedule serves us well in the northern hemisphere, where it was developed. As autumn neared its end, it was logical to begin to think about death, and the end of the world. And even though Jesus actually did die and rise from death in the spring, it was an easy connection to celebrate the new life of resurrection in the northern springs. Meanwhile, right now it’s turning into summer down south. Christmas in Australia and South Africa happens near the longest day of the year, the day with the most light, the height of summer. I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to celebrate Christ the King in mid-May, and Advent beginning around Memorial Day.

Does it matter? I suppose we’d have to ask our southern neighbors. I know that the weather we experience as the Church Year rolls on has a significant impact on how I perceive the days, the festivals, the life of the Church. Most of my leaves are fallen, my yard is almost ready for winter, and I’ve got my driveway and sidewalk markers planted so I can clear the snow (we get a lot of drifting.) I’m ready to center my thoughts on the end of the Church Year, and the coming of our King at the end of all times. The earth is reminding me once again that all things die, all things come to an end. Of course, in the midst of that we will once again begin Advent and its promise that life also returns after death, that God comes to our pain and coldness and brings healing and warmth, God enters our darkness with the Light of Life.

I am grateful that God’s creation helps us understand and shape our worship life. It’s tremendously helpful, in my experience. I only hope our sisters and brothers to the south can find their way without such aids. But wherever we live, we are now reminded that our King and Lord is coming back, the Church Year is now calling us to be ready, and to do the work of day while there is still time, before the night comes. God bless you in that work!

- Joseph



This Week’s Adult Education

Sunday, November 20

“Why Do We (at Mount Olive) Worship the Way We Do?” part 1 of a 2-part presentation
by Dwight Penas



Youth Fundraiser

Mount Olive’s youth are selling Christmas plants again this year. A variety of poinsettias, wreaths, and arrangements will be available to order through this Sunday, November 20. Order your Christmas plants at Mount Olive and support our youth. If you have any questions about this project, call Irene Campbell, 651-230-3927.



Opportunities for Service

Plan now to attend the Opportunities for Service luncheon following the second liturgy this Sunday, November 20. Remember to complete and bring your “Opportunities for Service” forms with you, if you haven’t already returned them (extra blank forms will be available at the brunch. Mount Olive Committees and other groups will be present at the luncheon with information about their mission and ministry to aid those who aren’t sure just where God’s call to them might lie, or who would just like to know more about different opportunities for involvement. This luncheon would be a good time to complete your “Opportunities” form, as well as enjoy a warm, hearty meal, and good fellowship. The committee will to have a preliminary report on the pledging for 2012 at this meal as well.



Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 24, 2011
Holy Eucharist at 10:00 a.m.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all the blessings God has bestowed upon us. It is also a time to remember those who are less fortunate than we are. Remember those in need by bringing your offering of food or funds to the 10:00 a.m. liturgy on Thanksgiving Day.

All Thanksgiving offerings will be given to Sabathani and Community Emergency Services food shelves. Consider giving an offering of funds instead of food. A five-dollar donation can purchase more than ten dollars worth of food by the food shelves through the Emergency Food Shelf Network.



Save the Date!

Advent Luncheon for Seniors!
Wednesday, December 7
(Details coming soon!)



Liturgy to be videotaped this Sunday

During both liturgies this Sunday, November 20, you may notice Ann Sorenson and Dan West shooting footage of our worship experience. This footage is needed to replace the out-of-date portions of the video on our website. Keeping in mind Mount Olive's guidelines on photography during worship, Ann and Dan will be as discreet as possible. They and the Evangelism Committee appreciate the congregation's understanding.



Advent Procession

Sunday, November 27, 4:00 p.m.

Join in a contemplative service of lessons and carols for Advent. In the darkest time of the year, we wait. We wait for the Light to be born into our lives. Take time to set apart this season as one of preparation. Experience prayer, Word, incense, choral music, candles, hymnody, and most of all, join the procession of those who wait in darkness.



Altar Cleaning November 19

In preparation for Advent, volunteers will be cleaning the altar, the sacristies, and the chancel. The Altar Guild is organizing the work and invites all interested volunteers to help. The group will meet in the sanctuary at 9:00 a.m., this coming Saturday, November 19. Remember that the Community Meal is scheduled at noon on that day. Volunteers may want to take advantage of the meal as a break or they may want to volunteer for both events.



Give to the Max Day, November 16

Wednesday, November 16, is “Give to the Max Day,” the 24-hour annual fundraising day when people throughout Minnesota make contributions to nonprofits, schools, and community organizations. People can make donations very easily on the GiveMN.org website. The Mount Olive Lutheran Church Foundation, as well as many of Mount Olive’s local community partners, have pages on the “GiveMN.org” website and can receive donations.

Once again this year, the Mount Olive Lutheran Church Foundation has agreed to allow church members to make donations to Mount Olive during “Give to the Max Day.” Just go to the GiveMN.org website, find the Mount Olive Lutheran Church Foundation page and make a donation with your credit card. This is important: Make sure that you designate where you want your gift to go by checking “add a designation.” As examples: you can designate your donation as a general church donation, or to the Foundation, to the capital campaign, to youth, to Music and Fine Arts, to the wish list, to Missions, etc. If you do not designate your gift, your donation will go to the Foundation. Once you make a donation you will receive a receipt of your donation via e-mail. Cha will also add your donation to your contributions report, so that your contribution is recorded by Mount Olive.

Please keep in mind that there are advantages and disadvantages to making donations on “Give to the Max Day” on Wednesday, November 16. There is a 2.9% credit card processing fee that will be subtracted from your donation. This is lower than most credit card fees but higher than “Simply Giving” or writing a check to Mount Olive, as part of regular donations. The advantages are that each donation qualifies Mount Olive for additional random drawings for cash donations by GiveMN.org throughout the day. The more donations, the more chances Mount Olive has for the random drawings. Contributors get the joy of participating in a state-wide fundraising event. Because GiveMN.org is easy and convenient, it may be appropriate for additional donations beyond regular giving for those members who are interested.



Where’s the Bust?

Mount Olive’s bronze bust sculpture of Paul Manz by artist Paul Granlund is on loan to Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. Gustavus is hosting an art exhibition of the work of Paul Granlund, and they have borrowed the bust for this exhibit. It will be returned to Mount Olive in a couple of weeks.



Liturgy Shapes

This year’s Conference on Liturgy, “Liturgy Shapes,” will be held here at Mount Olive on January 13-14, 2012 (one week later than usual). This conference will address the ways in which our liturgical practices shape our ideas about God, our ways of reading the Bible, our experiences of community, our understanding of the world, and our response to our neighbor’s needs. We are delighted to welcome The Rev. Dr. Gordon Lathrop back as our keynote speaker for this conference. Workshop sessions will be led by Senator John Marty, Pastor Joseph Crippen, and Susan Cherwien. The conference brochure is attached to this week’s Olive Branch email, and additional copies of the brochure and registration are available at church or by following the link on the homepage of Mount Olive’s website: www.mountolivechurch.org.

Knowing Your Master

We are given gifts to use for the good of our master, whose love for us inspires us to make the most of the time we have, a master who enters the outer darkness to find us and give us life.

Pr. Joseph G. Crippen, Ordinary Time, Sunday 33, year A; texts: Matthew 25:14-30; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Psalm 90

Sisters and brothers, grace to you, and peace in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

There’s something that troubles me about the parable Jesus tells us today. Set in the context of two other parables in Matthew 25, this is the middle parable of the chapter. These three parables are chosen to be the Gospel readings for the three weeks which conclude the Church Year in year A, the year of Matthew. They’re parables of judgment, like some parables we had in October. Last week, if we hadn’t celebrated All Saints, we would have heard the parable of the ten bridesmaids: five wise who were prepared, and five foolish who were not. Next week we have the parable of the sheep and the goats, which is really a parable about the coming of the King, the Son of God. Today, the three slaves, the middle story.

As with all three parables, there are particular issues with the parable of the three slaves and their talents which need addressing, but as I said, there’s one thing that’s been bothering me all week. The third slave, as we all know well, did nothing with his gift, his talent; he buried it. And I’m troubled by his reason: “I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.”

Now, the first two slaves seemingly were glad to use their talents for their master’s benefit, and seem glad to report their good results. Their reward: “Enter into the joy of your master.” This relationship seems warm, trusting, gracious. Slave number three has a very different view of his master, whom he fears. The master doesn’t agree or disagree with the assessment, either. He merely casts it back at the slave, “You knew, did you, that I reaped and gathered without doing the work?” He doesn’t deny or confirm that what the slave says is true. So what are we to believe about this master? Is the third slave correct? Or are the first two?

It may occur to you that it doesn’t matter, and I suppose in the course of things, it’s just a story Jesus has created and the background details aren’t necessarily important. But if Jesus is telling this parable with the urgency I think he is, and if he’s commending the first two slaves for their faithful risk-taking in using the gifts they’ve been given, as I think he is, then the relationship of the master and the third slave is actually important for to understand.

Before we get to that, there are some things which are both similar and important in these three parables which are worth noting and might be helpful.

First, in all three parables of Matthew 25, the audience are insiders – these are not evangelism parables to tell to non-believers. We know this because the central figures of each story are insiders – trusted, beloved, important people. What happens next is always in that context. The bridesmaids are the favored friends (who else gets asked to be a bridesmaid?), the three slaves are the most trusted or they wouldn’t receive such immense wealth to care for, and in the third story which we’ll hear next week both groups belong to and love their King – they both want to do good for him, serve him.

So these parables are Jesus’ message to disciples, to those who are called as followers already. And his message is simple: In the first – be prepared, be ready, do what needs doing before I get back. In the second, today’s story – use the gifts you’ve been given, whatever they are. Take risks, and use them before I return. And in the third, next week – care for the least of these as if they are me – feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, and you do this to me. It’s elegantly simple: these are the priorities of our Lord and Savior for how we are to live as his followers in the world.

Second, what drives all three parables is a sense of time. At some point, there will be no more time to do these things. These parables are rich with urgency, with a sense of impending end-times. The bridegroom will arrive, even if it seems late. The master will come home. The Son of Man will come at the end of time. And in Matthew’s Gospel, the context simply heightens the urgency: Jesus is telling these parables right in the heart of Holy Week, just a couple days from his death.

And today Paul reminds us of the same thing, that it is daylight now, and we need to be about the work of children of light while we can, before it gets dark. And as the psalmist today reminds, “teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom,” that we will realize that there will come a time when each of us has no more time. No more time to be ready to do God’s work here. No more time to use our gifts, our talents, to share our wealth in service to God. No more time to care for others in need and so care for Jesus.

And third, all three also have pretty serious judgment at the end of each, but remember what I said about these judgment parables back in October. After Jesus’ resurrection, he acts differently than we might expect, given the judgments in these stories. We’ll get back to this third point a little later.

Now, what seems to be important about today’s parable is what is going on in the relationship of the master and the slaves.

We have two different ways of being together here – a relationship of trust and apparent affection, and a relationship of fear.

The first two slaves are really foils for the third, and they’re carbon copies – identical work, identical results, identical praise and reward. They get differing amounts, but both of them are held up as ones who use what they’ve been given to prosper the work of their master. And they seem to love serving him, risking for him. We get the impression from the master’s response that what he really wanted was that they use the gifts, not necessarily the results. That if they’d invested and failed, they’d still be praised.

Slave three buries his gift – which, we must say, was a completely appropriate thing to do with treasure in the first century. Keep it safe and stowed away. He didn’t take any risks with it – he didn’t want to incur the wrath of his master. He actually fears his master.

But he also didn’t want to do anything which might benefit his master. He resented that his work went to the good of his master. And that’s the insight we need to have here – he resents that his work is not for his own good, and therefore he resents his master and fears him.

But it’s easy to disprove his contention that his master is harsh and unfair – he entrusts enormous wealth to these three slaves. A talent was roughly 15 years wages for a laborer, perhaps 20 years. So even slave number three received hundreds of thousands of dollars to care for, in our currency. And the first one received 75-100 years’ wages – well over several lifetimes of work’s worth. These slaves were the top three, the truly trusted. And keep in mind – these are slaves. Sometimes translated servants, these are not free people. They are owned by the master. Their lives are not their own. And yet he entrusts them with immense wealth.

Secondly, the master shows generosity and grace in his giving of the wealth. He knows his slaves, and he knows their capabilities. He knows what each can handle, and gives them what they are capable of dealing with. He trusts them. That’s the kind of master we’re dealing with.

The third slave didn’t know this, or trust this. All he could see was that it wasn’t fair that he didn’t get to keep what was his. Even though none of his talent was his – it was his master’s. He’d never be able to put together that kind of money on his own. And he lived in fear of this generous master. And did nothing.

What this means for us, then, is inextricably tied to who our master is, and what our relationship to him is. And even more importantly, what we know about him.

So in our case we have Jesus as our master, facing imminent death, urging us to risk using the gifts we’ve been given, for the good of the master and the world.

We don’t have any more time than today, because the master is returning. That’s a certainty, and an urgency. That person we could help, that life we could change – we might not get a chance to do it tomorrow. We might not even have tomorrow.

And we’ve been given generous gifts of talents, wealth, abilities, to use for the sake of our Lord, each to our own level of competence. And what Jesus invites us to consider is what it would mean to live without fear of our master, to live in the joy of our master right now, and use the gifts we have right now, to make a difference. To risk, to trust, to rejoice that we’ve been trusted. And do something with what we have.

Because there’s one more thing about our master that we need to know. It’s the reason the risen Jesus ends up not acting in judgment as he seems to say he will in these parables.

Each of the three Matthew 25 parables ends, as do most of Jesus’ judgment parables, with a casting-out of the offender, with darkness and sorrow. The door is closed on the bridesmaids, the slave loses everything and is cast into the “outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” and the unfortunate followers of the King next week are sent to eternal punishment. These are horrible ways to end stories, and they’ve caused all sorts of problems.

But here’s what we know that the disciples did not when Jesus told them these stories: their Lord and master is going away, but not on a pleasure trip to a beautiful place, a junket to a tropical isle, while they are told to be ready, to use their gifts, to care for others.

Jesus is going precisely into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. He’s going outside, where the door will be slammed in his face, and he’s left in the dark with those who weren’t ready. He’s facing the eternal punishment of death.

This is what we know about our master that the third slave did not: It in fact is true what the slave said – he does reap what he did not sow, and gather what he did not plant. He reaps pain, and suffering, and death. He takes in the harvest of all our sin and evil and brokenness and takes it on himself.

The reason the risen Jesus doesn’t consign his sinful disciples to the outer darkness and the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth is because he has entered that place and destroyed it by enduring it. And there is no more outer darkness to be found.

And that’s the master who has given us gifts, and urges us to use them until he returns.

When he rises from death and meets his disciples, those who betrayed him, who ran away, who failed completely – far worse sins than any of these three stories imagine – instead of casting them out and finding new followers, Jesus forgives them. And then reissues the same call as these parables: feed my sheep, tend my lambs. Go and tell others. Offer forgiveness in my name.

The master is returning, there’s no question about that. But we have something to do while we wait for that.

That’s our call today. That we take the incredibly generous gifts and abilities God has given us and use them to bring God’s love and grace to this world, to our community, to our neighborhood. That we stop worrying about what is ours and what is God’s, and live in the joy of our master knowing that all is God’s, and all is well, and all is for the transforming of the world.

Because our master has returned from the outer darkness and the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, and one day is going to bring all into his joy. And in the meantime, while we still have time, there are sheep who need feeding, flocks who need caring, gifts which we can risk for the sake of our Lord and God.

In the name of Jesus. Amen

The Olive Branch, 11/7/11

Accent on Worship

What Volunteering at Mount Olive Means to Me

First, a brief background: I was baptized and confirmed Roman Catholic and went to both my father’s Catholic church (St. Stephen’s or St. Olaf) and my mother’s Lutheran church (Messiah Lutheran). For me, growing up, church was the hour that I needed to be doing something, somewhere else. Sitting in the back while my father was an usher, I chewed my bubble gum and waited and waited. At my mother’s church when we sat in the balcony, my mind wandered and I pondered whether I could swing from one hanging light fixture to another, just like the pirate movies I’d seen, and whether I’d still have enough momentum to make it back to the pew.

As I grew older I got excited about all the bells and smells and pageantry offered at the Catholic church, and that made it much more stimulating to be there. The Lutheran church was less animated, but still had some cool spots in the service … but not all those smells and bells!

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would find a church like Mount Olive and never, ever, did I dream I would be helping to create some of that excitement. Ringing the bell tree ir serving as Eucharistic Minister or Crucifer, or being whisked into a new role as bowl bearer at the last minute at Easter, when Pastor Crippen grabbed a large branch and proceeded to drench both the congregation and us with blessed holy water. This was another glorious, ethereal moment for me that words could never express.

The icing on the cake was that my partner Dennis had joined me on my second visit to Mount Olive at Easter; we were both so moved by our Lord and the Holy Spirit that day that we knew we have been guided home.

Volunteering is working with my friends preparing Community Meals, being able to help my friends by participating in weddings and funerals, helping with special events and fundraisers, and serving God and the church by being a worship assistant. I never thought I could experience such boundless joy and love and fulfillment in my lifetime.

All of these things are what volunteering at Mount Olive means to me.

- Eric G. Zander


Stewardship Reminders

Remember to complete your orange “Estimate of Giving” cards for 2012 and return to the church by this Sunday, Nov. 13, either in the box by the Chapel Lounge or sent to the office. Also, the Stewardship Committee would like all the “Opportunities for Service” forms, the place where you can indicate how you will serve in our shared mission at Mount Olive next year, by Sunday, Nov. 20. Finally, a reminder that there will be a wonderful lunch focusing on our opportunities for service on Sunday, Nov. 20, after the second liturgy. Committees and other groups will be present with information about their mission and ministry to aid those who aren’t sure just where God’s call to them might lie, or just would like to know more about different opportunities. This luncheon would be a good time to complete your “Opportunities” form, as well as enjoy a warm, hearty meal, and good fellowship. The committee hopes to have a preliminary report on the pledging for 2012 at this meal as well.


This Week’s Adult Education: Sunday, November 13

“Vocation For All the Saints,” part 2 of a 2-part series, presented by Vicar Erik Doughty.


Book Discussion

For their meeting on November 12, The Book Discussion Group is reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot, and for the December 15 meeting they will read German Boy: A Child in War, by Wolfgang W. E. Samuel.

This group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at church. All readers welcome!


National Lutheran Choir Open Rehearsal at Mount Olive

On Tuesday, November 8 (tomorrow!), members of the church are invited to attend a special open rehearsal to witness the "NLC experience:" participate in devotions, share some coffee and snacks with choir members and attend a short information session with NLC Board and Mount Olive member, Brenda Bartz. The 90-minute experience starts at 7:30pm.

For more information contact the National Lutheran Choir's office: 612-722-2301.


Is Our Nation Broke?

This Sunday, November 13, following the late Eucharist, the Neighborhood Ministries Committee will sponsor a light lunch and a conversation about the Federal Budget. This discussion will be led Ed Payne, a speaker with Bread for the World.

A balanced budget is important, but should it be balanced on the backs of the poor? Or are there smarter, less painful ways for this to happen? Join us for this conversation this Sunday!


Youth Fundraiser

Mount Olive’s youth are selling Christmas plants again this year. A variety of poinsettias, wreaths, and arrangements will be available to order through Sunday, November 20. Order your Christmas plants at Mount Olive and support our youth. If you have any questions about this project, call Irene Campbell, 651-230-3927.


Thanksgiving Day
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Holy Eucharist at 10:00 a.m.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all the blessings God has bestowed upon us. It is also a time to remember those who are less fortunate than we are. Remember those in need by bringing your offering of food or funds to the 10:00 a.m. liturgy on Thanksgiving Day.

All Thanksgiving offerings will be given to Sabathani and Community Emergency Services food shelves. Consider giving an offering of funds instead of food. A five-dollar donation can purchase more than ten dollars worth of food by the food shelves through the Emergency Food Shelf Network.


Save the Date!
Advent Luncheon for Seniors
Wednesday, December 7
(Details coming soon!)


Liturgy to be videotaped on November 20

During both liturgies on November 20, you may notice Ann Sorenson and Dan West shooting footage of our worship experience. This footage is needed to replace the out-of-date portions of the video on our website. Keeping in mind Mount Olive's guidelines on photography during worship, Ann and Dan will be as discreet as possible. They and the Evangelism Committee appreciate the congregation's understanding.


Foster Parents Needed!

Volunteers of America-Minnesota is looking for skilled parents to provide care for troubled youth in one of our three foster care programs. We have kids of all ages in need of a stable home with dedicated parents who appreciate the difficulties of childhood!

Volunteers of America provides quality foster parents with lots of friendly training, 24-hour support and a monthly stipend. Come and learn more about making a difference in the life of a child!

Information Meetings are held on Mondays from 10:00-11:30 at the Volunteers of America- Minnesota office, 7625 Metro Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55439. (RSVP to reserve your spot and ensure that we have gathered and prepared adequate materials. If no RSVPs have been received for a specific week, meetings are subject to cancellation.)

For more information, feel free to contact Heather Thornton at 952-945-4064 or hthornton@voamn.org , or visit us online at www.voafostercare.org.


Tutoring Snacks Still Needed

Would you be willing to provide snacks Way to Goals Tutoring on an upcoming Tuesday night? If so, sign up on the chart located on the Neighborhood Ministries bulletin board downstairs by Donna Neste’s office, and bring a snack and beverage for 20 people on or before the day for which you have signed up. You may leave it in either the upstairs or undercroft kitchen, clearly labeled, and let Donna know where it is being stored.

Questions? Call Donna at church for further information, 612-827.5919.


The Floral Trunk Holiday Open House

The Floral Trunk is the shop who designs and delivers our beautiful altar flowers each week. They are holding their Holiday Open House this Thurs evening through Saturday at their shop, 4770 Banning Ave. in White Bear Lake, and all Mount Olive members are cordially invited.

If you go, tell them you are from Mount Olive, and thank them for the beauty that their work adds to our worship.


Diabetes Prayer Day

Diabetes Prayer Day is Sunday, November 13. Sponsored by the Diabetes Prayer Day organization, all are invited to keep those suffering with diabetes in prayer, and to pray for its cure.

Shining Lights

When we are baptized, we are made saints of Christ, those in whom the light of Christ burns to light the world. On All Saints Day we give thanks for those who passed faith on to us, and we remember that others see our own faith in action as we live our lives.

Vicar Erik Doughty, All Saints’ Sunday, cycle A; texts: Matthew 5:1-12; 1 John 3:1-3; Revelation 7:9-17; Psalm 34:1-10, 22.

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Today we light a few more candles among us, in memory of the saints. Today can be difficult and joyful for us, because today we remember the saints.

When we hear the word “Saint,” maybe we picture one of those old paintings where there’s a halo around somebody’s head, indicating how holy they were and are. Or maybe, we think of “patron saints” – saints who are said to advocate for Christians on behalf of a certain theme or cause. There’s Joseph, the patron of workers, confectioners, and married people; Boniface, the patron of Germany; and Saint Brigid, patron of dairy workers. Or Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Roman soldiers whose confession of faith led to their deaths, and whose close relationship helped them hold to their faith under torture. Sergius is patron of Syria. You’ll find that there’s a patron saint for almost everything! If I listed them all, we’d be here for quite a while.

Now, I think some find comfort in The Saints because they like having a friend at their side, and that is not a bad thing. Our own Martin Luther, as we heard during last Sunday’s education hour, was quite fond of Mary, mother of Our Lord; in case you were wondering, Mary is patron of lampmakers, aircraft crews, Minnesota, the United States, and Mexico (and a whole lot of other causes and places).

So Capital-S Saints can comfort us . . . and also can intimidate us. Occasionally I call someone a saint, and a fairly common reaction is for that person to shift uncomfortably in their seat, or say modestly, “Well, I don’t know about THAT.” We may have it in our heads that the capital-S saints are too good to be true; or maybe, out of our league. They’re the A-list of living the Godly life. And we can never measure up. (I must confess, I’ve got no halo – or if I have one, it’s dented.)

Meanwhile, Jesus is busy declaring a bunch of people blessed – who really don’t appear, or feel, too blessed. The poor in spirit – whatever that means, but those folks are having a rough time! They don’t seem either happy or blessed.

Those who mourn – they may be in the process of yelling at God, or just feeling sad. Some of us here today may be mourning a bit. “Blessed,” is probably not the way “those who mourn” would describe themselves. “The Meek” – not the go-getters, but the doormats? They’re blessed? The persecuted – are blessed? And so on.

To be fair, we can sort of understand the pure in heart and the peacemakers being blessed, but then again neither of those would be particularly easy or pleasant. And then the people who hunger and thirst for righteousness; and the merciful . . . well, you get the idea. Jesus is declaring blessed – declaring blessed RIGHT NOW – people whose station in life, or vocation, or just their present emotional state is a difficult one.

Mark Granquist, in the journal Word & World (Fall 2008, page 419), wrote this: “The celebration of All Saints makes sense, finally, in overcoming our cultural and religious notions of sainthood, sanctity, and purity. These concepts have been centered on the human self and idealized to the degree that we cannot hope to achieve them. Thankfully, the grace of God is powerful enough to pull us out of our own self-centeredness for our own good.” To put that in my own words: I depend on grace. The saints depend on grace. You depend on grace. Our own good is not the point; (“our own good” is never quite good enough), and the saints’ own good is not why we remember them.

Instead, today is a day we remember that Christ declares us blessed in the midst of our faulty, fallible, everyday lives here, now. Today is a day we remember, as in our reading from Revelation, that we know the end of the story, and the end of the story is wholeness and a hope in Christ finally fulfilled. Today is a day we remember, with the Psalmist, to Fear Not – that the Lord redeems the life of his servants. Today is a day we remember, as it says in 1 John, we are not just God’s servants, but in fact we are God’s children – NOW. Right now.

And the saints we remember today go far beyond the capital-S saints. Today’s saints are the ones who have held our hands, sung next to us in a pew, aggravated us with their personality quirks, told us silly jokes, hurt us as only our loved ones can, hugged us as only dear friends and family can. The saints we light candles for today are the saints we know, who have died, whom we miss – saint Benjamin, child of God; saint John, child of God; saint Henry, child of God – three whose baptisms are complete as they live now in the full light of Christ. Many of us may have lit candles for saints whom we know but are not part of our immediate community; and that is absolutely appropriate and good.

Today we also remember and light candles for the saints who are new to the communion of saints – our newly-baptized, the ones whose infant voices proclaim their early blessings on Christ’s name; the ones who are so full of life and so dependent upon God and upon us. We light candles for little saints Benjamin, Hollan, Charles, and Lyla.

All these lighted candles bear witness not to the individual holiness of of our loved ones, whether baptisms are just begun or fully complete in eternal life; no, these lights are the light of Christ; the same light that is burning inside each of you saints in the pew; the same light that burns in saint JoAnn and saint Paul and saint Kandi Jo; Saint Gene, Saint Naomi, saint Al, saint Irene . . . .; and that light is best shared.

You may not realize it, but your little bit of the-light-of-Christ already shines out from you to light somebody’s way. Your conversation with a friend or a stranger; your willingness to lead a group of people toward a positive vision; your evident love for your family; your ability to forgive others; your attitude of service while in the workplace; your making-time away from work for your friends, spouse, or family; your coming to, and building-up, the community of this congregation; your honesty in difficulties, your daily living – This, saints, is our responsibility and gift and challenge as followers of Christ. It’s not that we must be capital-s Saints (which is nice but not required!), but that we are already, at baptism, saints who begin to light the way for others. Knowing of that light within us, we then strive to live daily life in this beautiful church building AND on the sidewalk outside, AND at our workplace AND at home, in such a way as to be transparent, to let as much of Christ’s light out as possible.

Of course, our Lutheran claim to be sinner/saints and sainted sinners is not what everyone believes. Just friday, a nice man walked up to me at the bus stop – while I was wearing my clergy collar! – and invited me to church. He was apparently concerned for my immortal soul. The pamphlet he gave me asked if I were 100% certain where I would be if I died tonight.

I told my partner Scott that, were I to appear before the throne of Almighty God, the creator of all that is, I think it would be entirely appropriate to be terrified – and I probably will be, as I look back over many of my dumb moves. But I am also thankful that I am baptized into Christ, and I no longer depend upon my own actions to save me, but on Christ’s grace. AND Christianity is not only about going to heaven when we die, but also about the fact that right now the light of Christ does shine out from us; and we have the baptismal call and opportunity to share that amazing light. Ultimately, we’re not about fear, dear friends; we’re about “fear not!” We’re about faith.

At Easter vigil we hear Christ’s victory over death proclaimed and sung; and we hear that the light of Christ is not diminished even when its flame is divided and shared. In fact, when that flame is divided and shared, this whole place is lit with a golden light. We do eventually extinguish our candles. . . but the real light of Christ burns in us every single day, and others do see it.

Friends; saints; beloved; – Today especially, and in fact every Sunday when we gather at this place, we know the end of our story is found in, and dependent upon, not our personal holiness but the whole holiness of God. So fear not! Today, remember, and sprinkle grace everywhere, as we did with the baptismal water earlier. Today, remember: You are already children of God and saints, already witnesses to, and bearers of, Christ’s light. Today, remember: Fear not; live life fully; whether life is difficult or joyful, today, remember all our saints; remember you are one of those saints – and remember, Christ shines from you to bless the world.

The Olive Branch, 10/31/11

Accent on Worship

All Saints

The Festival of All Saints is a liturgical party, the date of which has been moved around the calendar a few times. As early as 373 AD, there was a feast of All Martyrs in the Eastern Church, the Orthodox. About 300 years later, Pope Boniface IV dedicated a church to the Blessed Virgin and All Martyrs -- so at least by then, the idea of “All Martyrs” was present in the west. The first apparent mention of “All Saints” seems to be with Pope Gregory III, though whether he thought up the idea of broadening the celebration from only martyrs into all saints, or merely acknowledged and blessed a celebration already taking place in churches is unknown. Gregory also began the movement of the festival’s date from May 13 to November 1. Coincidentally or not, both May 13 and November 1 were dates of preexisting non-Christian festivals: May 13 was the date of Lemuria, a Roman-religion day in which the spirits of the dead were propitiated; November 1 was the date of Samhain, a Celtic-religion observance when the gods appeared to play tricks on their followers. (History facts are courtesy of britannica.com.) In the Americas and in our neighborhood, the Mexican celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) appears to be yet another pre-existing festival which the Church perhaps “adjusted.”

Our focus on the day, however, has more to do with “the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” On All Saints we all claim our sainthood, albeit while realizing we are also simultaneously sinners. And on All Saints we give thanks for the faithful persons who passed the Christian faith along to us, who have completed this life and entered into the fullness of their baptism, alive in the heart of God. When we commune, we receive not only Christ but all the saints! Luther writes: this holy sacrament is nothing other than a divine sign, in which Christ and all saints are pledged, granted and imparted, with all their works, sufferings, merits, mercies and possessions, for the comfort and strengthening of all who are in anxiety and sorrow, and are persecuted by the devil, sin, the world, the flesh and every evil; and that to receive the sacrament is nothing else than to desire all this and firmly to believe that it shall be done. (Treatise Concerning the Blessed Sacrament of the Holy And True Body of Christ -- 1519)

All Saints is a wonderful opportunity to give thanks for our forbears in faith, and we do so gladly; and every Eucharist on any date is a shared meal with all saints of all ages. Thanks be to God!

- Vicar Erik Doughty



Stewardship: How much do I give?

As members of Mount Olive consider their pledges to our shared mission for next year (you should have received these in the mail, along with a form for opportunities to serve at Mount Olive next year), the Stewardship Committee offers these thoughts. Often the question one asks when thinking of pledging is “how much”? Christians long have used the biblical standard of the 10% tithe as the bar to reach, and that’s certainly a way to begin the discernment. Tithing was and is not a legalistic mark, though. It comes from the biblical call to return the first fruits of what God has given, and in the Scriptures that first fruits often was a percentage of fruits, or crops, or livestock. The principle behind first fruits giving is not about “how much” but about the sense we have of being stewards of all of God’s goodness, and making certain that in our family budgets the first parts are set aside for the work God has called us to do together. Once we have that in mind, deciding the actual percentage isn’t as hard as we thought, and in fact, people find that as they grow toward 10% sometimes they even begin to move beyond it.

Another thought many consider is “can I find room in my budget to give in the way I feel called to give?” This an important question, and it is one of priorities. Each of us needs to understand how our priorities are actually represented in how we use the money and time God has given us. Again, since true stewardship comes from the faith God has given us, once we have the conversation about our priorities, the question of giving is much simpler.

Lastly, we are completing a very successful capital campaign which paid for some very important work done on our building, work which enables our mission here. Pledges are still coming in on this, for which the congregation is grateful, and we hope all will be able to fulfill their pledges. But if you gave to that campaign above and beyond what you gave to the general offering, you have an opportunity that the committee would like to encourage. If everyone who gave to the capital campaign calculated 5% of that gift, and added that to their regular offering for 2012, we’d not only meet our budget for mission, but we’d exceed it and be in the wonderful position of looking for more that we could do in service to God. As with the loaves and fishes, God takes small things from each of us and multiplies them to amazing results in the world. That’s the joy of being stewards, not owners – since it’s not ours to begin with we are privileged to see what happens when we share what God has given, and see what wonderful things God can do with us together.

A reminder: the committee would like pledge cards turned in by Sunday, Nov. 13, in the box near the Chapel Lounge, or sent to the church office. Thanks, and God bless your discernment!



This Week’s Adult Education
Sunday, November 6

“Vocation For All the Saints,” part 1 of a 2-part series, presented by Vicar Erik Doughty.



Book Discussion

For their meeting on November 12, The Book Discussion Group is reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot, and for the December 15 meeting they will read German Boy: A Child in War, by Wolfgang W. E. Samuel.

This group meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at church. All readers welcome!


Youth Fundraiser

Mount Olive’s youth are selling Christmas plants again this year. A variety of poinsettias, wreaths, and arrangements will be available to order through Sunday, November 20. Order your Christmas plants at Mount Olive and support our youth. If you have any questions about this project, call Irene Campbell, 651-230-3927.


National Lutheran Choir Open Rehearsal at Mount Olive

On Tuesday, November 8, members of Mount Olive are invited to attend a special open rehearsal of the National Lutheran Choir, to witness the "NLC experience:" participate in devotions, share some coffee and snacks with choir members and attend a short information session with NLC Board and Mount Olive member, Brenda Bartz. The 90-minute experience starts at 7:30pm.

For more information contact the National Lutheran Choir's office: 612-722-2301.



Is Our Nation Broke?

On Sunday, November 13, following the late Eucharist, the Neighborhood Ministries Committee will sponsor a light lunch and a conversation about the Federal Budget. This discussion will be led Ed Payne, a speaker with Bread for the World.

A balanced budget is important, but should it be balanced on the backs of the poor? Or are there smarter, less painful ways for this to happen?
Join us for this conversation on November 13!



Fundraiser for TRUST

Mount Olive belongs to TRUST, Inc. TRUST is the organization which sponsors the Meals on Wheels program in which we participate. TRUST has other programs, too, one of which is CoAM (in which we also participate and which has its office here at Mount Olive.

TRUST has a major fundraiser on Saturday, November 5, at Lake Harriet United Methodist Church, 4901 Chowen Ave. S. Schedule: 6-9 pm for dinner, dessert, and silent and noisy auctions. Tickets are $20 for adults (or with a reservation, $15 for seniors and youth); children under 10, $5. Tickets at the door are $25.

Dan Burow and Gary Flatgard, Mount Olive’s representatives on the TRUST Board, are selling tickets now. Buy one, attend, and support TRUST!



Liturgy to be videotaped on November 20

During the 8:00 and 10:45 a.m. liturgy on November 20, you may notice Ann Sorenson and Dan West shooting footage of Pastor Crippen and our worship experience. The footage is needed to replace out-of-date portions of the video on our website. Keeping in mind Mount Olive's guidelines on photography during worship, Ann and Dan will be as discreet as possible. They and the Evangelism Committee appreciate the congregation's understanding.



The Art Shoppe at Midtown Global Market

The grand opening of The Art Shoppe at Midtown Global Market will be on November 5th from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

The Art Shoppe is a micro-business begun by three non-profits: Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Jewish Community Relations Council, and A Minnesota Without Poverty to support artists living with poverty. You are invited to attend this grand opening, see artist
demonstrations, and enjoy food and lively music. It is both beautiful and richly varied in artistic expression and has met so many expectations and hopes. Enjoy and relish Mount Olive’s commitment to make lives and creation full of beauty and joy.



Church Library News

We would like to call your attention to Family Literacy Day on November 1. When we hear that word, we especially think of developing early literacy skills in our young children and that is incredibly important. If you have youngsters (birth-24 months, 2-3 years, and 3-5 years) you will want to be concerned with Phonological Awareness, Vocabulary Development,Print Awareness and Motivation, Letter Knowledge and narrative skills. The public library will have even more resources but please speak to me if you need some pertinent helps from our small church library as well. You might find it helpful to check out the internet on this subject also.

The newest display in our library calls attention to some great reading for women and here are just a few examples:

The Shalom Woman by Margaret Wold
Prayer's for a Mother's Heart by Judith Mattison
In The Potter’s Hand by Gretchen Quie, with Karen Matison Hess
From This Good Ground by Edna Hong
Never Underestimate the Little Woman by Clarissa Start
Choices/Changes by Joni Eareckson Tada
Mom Has a Second Job (Prayer Thoughts for Working Mothers) by Judith Mattison
What Really Matters (an honest look at what is truly essential to the authentic Christian life) by Eugenia Price
Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund
A Second Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul - various authors
The Secret life of Becky Miller, a novel, by Sharon Hinck
New Women's Devotional Bible, NIV, Large Print

Once again, we would like to invite you all to spend some time in our restored church library on Sundays. Remember the two passageways from the East Assembly Room and the distance will not seem so formidable.

We close this article with some reminders --- Too busy to read? Just fifteen minutes of reading per day equals twenty books per year! Also --- Spend just fifteen minutes a day reading the Bible -- and you can read it through twice during the year!

- Leanna Kloempken



Foster Parents Needed!

Volunteers of America-Minnesota is looking for skilled parents to provide care for troubled youth in one of our three foster care programs. We have kids of all ages in need of a stable home with dedicated parents who appreciate the difficulties of childhood!

Volunteers of America provides quality foster parents with lots of friendly training, 24-hour support and a monthly stipend. Come and learn more about making a difference in the life of a child!

Information Meetings are held on Mondays from 10:00-11:30 at the Volunteers of America- Minnesota office, 7625 Metro Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55439. (RSVP to reserve your spot and ensure that we have gathered and prepared adequate materials. If no RSVPs have been received for a specific week, meetings are subject to cancellation.)

For more information, feel free to contact Heather Thornton at 952-945-4064 or hthornton@voamn.org , or visit us online at www.voafostercare.org!



Tutoring Snacks Needed

The snack sign-up chart is up for the Way to Goals Tutoring Program. Volunteer tutors and students meet at Mount Olive every Tuesday evening from October through May. It helps our budget significantly when snacks are donated, and providing snacks is easy to do. Just sign up on the chart located on the Neighborhood Ministries bulletin board downstairs by Donna Neste’s office, and bring a snack and beverage for 20 people on or before the day for which you have signed up. You may leave it in either the upstairs or undercroft kitchen, clearly labeled, and let Donna know where it is being stored.

Questions? Call Donna at church for further information, 612-827.5919.