The Olive Branch, 4/23/12

Accent on Worship

     In the Holy Land, Scott and I visited the Shepherds’ Field.  Well, sort of.  The Shepherds’ Field is the spot where tradition says the shepherds were watching their flocks by night when lo, the angel of the Lord showed up.  Which would be great!  But there are in fact at least three different “Shepherds’ Field” spots:  One Catholic, one Orthodox, one Protestant.  So we went to a field.  And I guess we weren’t expecting a cave!  But it turns out that shepherds in the Holy Land would herd their flock of sheep into a cave at night, then sleep in the mouth of the cave (sometimes with a fire also built in the mouth of the cave) so any potential predator or thief would need to deal with the shepherd before making it to any of the sheep.  This is a role Jesus is claiming when he says he is the good shepherd – one who is the Way, one who protects his sheep with his own life.  But what does it mean that he has other sheep, not of this fold?

       It means we trust in the means of grace – baptism, like the one we will celebrate this Sunday, and the Eucharist, which we celebrate every Sunday – and it means we also keep an eye out for others who listen for Christ’s voice, other places in which Christ is at work caring for people.  It means it is not up to us whom Christ is calling or how Christ is working as Good Shepherd.  It means we need to give up some self-righteousness and let Jesus shepherd us and others as He chooses, not as we prefer.  But it also means we are free not to worry.  We can trust our Good Shepherd to guide us in this flock.

- Vicar Erik Doughty


Sunday Readings

April 29, 2012 – Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:5-12 + Psalm 23
I John 3:16-24 + John 10:11-18

May 6, 2012 – Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 8:26-40 + Psalm 22:25-31
I John 4:7-21 + John 15:1-8



Contribution Statements

     First quarter contribution statements are available to be picked up by the coat room. Please stop and get yours when you are at church.



This Week’s Adult Education

     Professor Earl Schwartz of Hamline University in St. Paul will present the second in his two-part series on Amos.



A Note of Thanks

Dear Mount Olive Church Family,
     Never did I expect to have a 90th birthday, but it has been wonderful with all the thoughtfulness, care and love from my church family. Thank you for joining me in my celebration.


Sincerely,
Leila Froehlich



Missing a Dish?

     There are several pans and dishes in the lower kitchen which were left at this year’s Easter Carry-in Brunch. If you brought food to the brunch or are missing a dish, please stop downstairs in the kitchen to see if your missing dish is among those which were left.



Book Discussion Group

     Mount Olive’s Book Discussion group regularly meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. The book they are reading for the coming months are:

 May 12: Paths of Glory, by Jeffrey Archer
 June 16: (postponed one week due to Bach Tage): Let the Great World Spin, by Colum McCann
 July 14: The Way We Live Now, by Anthony Trollope.



CaringBridge Site for Delacy Kloehn

     Royce Kloehn called last week and asked that we publish a link to Delacy’s Caring Bridge website. This site includes information about her diagnosis and treatment, and the latest information on her condition:  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/delacykloehn.

     All are encouraged to keep Delacy and the Kloehn family in their prayers.



TRUST Plant Sale and Swap

What:  TRUST’s Annual Garden Event
When: Saturday, May 12, 8:00 am - Noon
Where: Bethlehem Parking Lot, 4100 Lyndale Avenue South
Why:     To “swap”plants for new ones
               To buy homegrown plants
               To get advice from master gardners
               To raise money for TRUST’s programs

     TRUST youth will sell coffee and goodies to raise money for their summer mission trip.



Bishop’s Installation

     The Minneapolis Area Synod invites everyone to a Service of Holy Communion and the Installation of The Reverend Ann M. Svennungsen as Bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

     The service will be on Sunday, May 6, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. All rostered leaders are invited to vest and process. The color of the day is red. Please gather in the Community Room no later than 1:45 p.m. to line up for the processional. A reception will immediately follow the service.



Update on Communion Bread

     At the March 26 meeting of the Worship Committee, we discussed the feedback we have received regarding the use of fresh bread for the Eucharist.  That feedback has been overwhelmingly supportive of the change.  It was decided to continue the use of fresh bread through the Season of Easter and our summer schedule.  From the beginning, our conversations have included two issues, crumbs and the remaining host.  To help us please consider the following two ideas.  When you receive the host from the pastor, do so with open up-turned palm.  Passing the bread between fingers increases the possibility of it being dropped or crumbs falling.  Secondly, if you are so inclined, come forward to the chancel area during the postlude to assist the Sacristan and Acolytes with the consumption of the remaining bread.  We do appreciate your comments on this an all worship issues.  Each comment that we receive is considered, so if you are inclined, please drop me an email or hand me a note with your thoughts.  While I appreciate the many chats I have about worship issues, I don’t trust my memory to bring your thoughts accurately to the committee.

– Al Bipes, director of Worship Committee



Sanctus: Spirit of Music

     Two of the region’s nationally acclaimed choral ensembles, the National Lutheran Choir and Cantus, will perform together in an uplifting program called Sanctus: Spirit of Music. Powerful and uplifting repertoire will spark the singers and audiences, alike: master works by Randall Thompson, Ralph Manuel, and Jester Hairston stitch heaven and earth together. Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise is mysterious and ultimately becomes transcendental in this new arrangement which echoes between the men of Cantus and the National Lutheran Choir.  The two performances will be on Saturday, May 5, 7:30 pm at King of Kings Lutheran Church (1583 Radio Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125), and on Sunday, May 6, 4:00 pm, at Normandale Lutheran Church (6100 Normandale Road, Edina, MN 55436).
     Experience music that joins together heaven and earth and two of the Twin Cities’ most acclaimed vocal ensembles.

For ticket information, please call the National Lutheran Choir office at 612.722.2301 or visit them on the web at www.nlca.com.