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August 2011 Newsletter
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Loving the Person Who Isn't "One of Us" The best way for the church to get clear about our mission in the world is to study the life of Jesus. Our goal is to be in our corporate life the continuation of who Jesus was in His personal life. So naturally we need to take our cues from Him. If you read the Gospels carefully, you notice how He breaks down barriers: by taking time for children, by affirming the dignity of women, and by receiving the people others avoid. He touches lepers and blind people. He receives Gentiles and makes a Samaritan the hero of one of His best-known parables. He rescues a woman about to be stoned for committing adultery. He eats with tax collectors and sinners. As you read those stories from the Gospels, you should also notice that the religious establishment was outraged by His behavior. They don't imitate Him. They criticize Him -- and eventually murder Him! It distresses me greatly that churches generally have the same bad name with the general public today that I have just given the "religious establishment" of Jesus' time. That is, churches are typically viewed more as exclusive clubs than welcoming havens. More people say they find nonjudgmental acceptance in Alcoholics Anonymous than in churches! And if you are inclined to reply in a defensive mode that groups like AA are willing to tolerate every point of view and let people get by with doing anything the like, you are exposing the fact that you know nothing about how that group functions. Christ's church is supposed to be the place where the disenfranchised and rejected find acceptance. It was created to be the place where Jew or Gentile, slave or free, and male or female would all stand on equal footing. It is supposed to be a unified group in our fragmented world that models oneness among black and white, have and have-not, educated and illiterate, Democrat and Republican. Is that how the world sees the church? Does the church bridge those great divides in human experience? Do we even try to make an attempt to model unity among those of us who confess Christ as the Son of God and try to follow Him? Jesus not only challenged His disciples to love those who were ethnically or socially different from themselves. Do you realize that the Parable of the Good Samaritan points to both race and religion as distinctions between the wounded man and his rescuer? Ironically, Jesus made the Samaritan the hero of the story -- a story He told to a Jewish audience. One of the most informative texts in this regard is one that deserves more attention than it gets among church people -- especially the more conservative ones like us. It is the love-your-neighbor passage. The circumstances that produced it are clear from the brief context in which it is set. The narrowness of His own disciples forced Jesus to confront them for their suspicion, hatred, and exclusion of someone whose experience of Him was different from their own. “Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in Your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in My name can in the next moment say anything bad about Me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward" (Mark 9:38-41). John was guilty that day of what many of us have done over the centuries of church history. He equated being "one of us" with belonging to Christ. He was mistaken. Jesus rebuked his narrowness and told him to stop passing judgments on other people who were following Him. To be sure, God's instruction to us in terms of rules and commandments is to be taken seriously. A disciple listens and learns. A servant hears and obeys. As Jesus would later teach us, however, some disciples learn more and some less. And there are varying degrees of responsibility for servants, depending on their opportunities and possibilities. The sense of fairness we humans have comes from the fact that we are made in God's image, after all. The God who has been revealed in Jesus deals with us as a loving father does a prodigal-but-dearly-loved child. We are not numbers on His judge's docket; we are the objects of His love as daughters and sons within the dysfunctional human family. Yet we need to understand that God didn't become kind, loving, and gracious after Calvary. Calvary happened because He has always been that way! |
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GLORIA DEI NEWS |
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MEALS ON WHEELS KOA/50+ Thursday, August 18 at noon LCMS WORLD RELIEF AND HUMAN CARE POLKA SERVICE
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SALVATION ARMY SCHOOL NEEDS Salvation Army is also helping children with school supplies. If you would like to help, you can bring items to the Salvation Amry at 2727 Central Av. NE. The following items are needed: Notebooks, folders, pencils, pens, highlighters, markers, crayons, dry erase markers, Kleenex, scissors, glue, calculators, rulers, erasers, pencil cases, and three ring binders. REMEMBER TO BRING IN YOUR CANS! UPCOMING EVENTS AT CREST VIEW BIRTHDAY PARTY, Thursday, August 18th ANNUAL GALA, Friday, September 30th |
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BAKED POTATO DINNER The Board of Evangelism will be hosting a Baked Potato Dinner with a Talent Show to follow on Saturday, October 22nd at 5:00. Please mark your calendars for this exciting evening of great food and entertainment! We are looking for people who are willing to share their God-given talent with us that evening. Any age is welcome! If you have a talent that you would like to share, please contact Diane or Verlayne. Thank you! THRIVENT CHOICE DOLLARS
Please call Thrivent and ask for CHOICE DOLLARS and confirm if your dollars are set up on the Reoccurring feature so you do not need to call every quarter. Call 800-THRIVENT or (800-847-4836) Thank You. OFFICIAL ACTS |
LOOKING FOR A SCOUTING ADVENTURE?
For additional information please contact VOLUNTEER TEAMS ARE STILL NEEDED |
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God Calls Us To Be His Workers In spite of our foolish and sinful ways, God calls us to be His workers. Scripture tells us that Jesus did not pick people from society’s elite when He chose his workers. Jesus’ disciples were peasants, fishermen, and even a tax collector. Paul wrote, “Brothers, think of what you when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-28). The majority of God’s work was done and continues to be done by the lowly and oppressed people. Certainly, God can use celebrities and very successful people in His work. However, we need to remember that, even though we may not have accomplished anything of worldly significance, broken any records, or won any awards, God can use and transform us into effective workers in His kingdom. “I can do everything through Him Who gives me strength”(Philippians 4:13). Society gives many accolades to those who succeed, but there is no greater honor or privilege than to be chosen as God’s vehicle to spread the Gospel. As John states in his Gospel, it is Jesus Who does the choosing. |
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit”(John 15:16). So why does God elevate the foolish and the lowly to be His workers? A reason may be found in 1 Corinthians 1:29: “so that no one may boast before Him.” It is only by God’s grace that we are saved, called, and equipped to be in His service. If we come into God’s work with impressive credentials, we risk taking the glory and credit for ourselves. God desires the weak and the lowly. As Paul said, “Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:9-10). God uses ordinary people to do extra-ordinary things. Are you ready for duty? CURRENT FINANCIAL STATUS As of June 30, 2011
Year to Date as of June 30, 2011
A detailed report is available if you call the office. |
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AUGUST – DAILY BIBLE READING PLANRead through the Bible in 365 daily readingsThis is a daily Bible reading plan that invites you to share in all the benefits of a regular, steady diet of God's Word. The arrangement of this full-text Bible into 365 daily readings makes it easy for you to delve into these sacred words consistently. So if you are hungry for God, come, be fed!
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WORSHIP SCHEDULE FOR AUGUST
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The last time I had been “in the pulpit” was 1936 at Christmas. On a pastoral visit to my parents farm, our dear Reverend was to be entertained by how well(???) their seven year old daughter could read. He said “You are such a good reader. Do you think you could read out of the Bible?” Of course, I couldn’t; but my teacher mother assured him that I could, so I was assigned Luke 2:1-20 to read at our Christmas Eve program. To make matters worse, my teacher mother decided that I would not read, but rather memorize that special chapter. On our first Saturday afternoon rehearsal for the Christmas program (in those days, it was a 2 ½ hour practice every Saturday in December), I proudly strode forward at the appointed time and recited those twenty verses by heart. Our minister scratched his balding head and said, “You have worked so hard, you must do this from the pulpit.” Now mind you, this was in a church belonging to a synod, where those of my gender are still not permitted to vote at annual meetings. The rewards of that evening were many. After the program, the Pastor came to the pew I was sitting in and took me by the hand to walk down the aisle with him and I enjoyed the unique privilege of shaking hands at the door with him and telling everyone, “Merry Christmas”. My then small hands soon filled up with dimes and quarters and there were even dollar bills from two local merchants. We were still in the depression poverty years, so my “take” that evening was probably greater than that of the Pastor. I thought,.. This being a minister is really a piece of cake. In the many decades that have elapsed since then, my thoughts are very different, especially since being privileged to work in your office. I have learned that ministry is not just being in the pulpit once or twice per week. It is not even being able to memorize but rather being able to remember that different people have different needs and to do your very best to accommodate those needs. You must remember that when you address soul-searching issues, that the criticism will be there and what might be right this week, will certainly be wrong next week. It is being willing to sacrifice time you would like to spend with your own family, to answer the needs of others. It is being on call to your flock, three shifts per day. My slip from the pulpit helped me appreciate those who have earned the right to be there. To God Be The Glory! – Miss Informed |
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THE LUTHERAN HOUR WCCO 830 AM Radio August 7 - “Overcoming Life's Fears, By Faith!" When storms come, when fears arise, we often turn, wrongly, to our own resources instead of looking in faith to Jesus. He even walks on water to rescue those who are sinking. - Matthew 14:29-31 August 14 - "Who Belongs in God's House?" August 21 August 28 - "Life Without Regret" TIME OF GRACE Straight talk about God’s Word and real hope for this life. A strong gospel message delivered in an informal Bible study style. Pastor Mark Jeske
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WOMAN TO WOMAN As of now, this program is not on a radio station in our area, but you can listen online at: August 6 - After the Choice August 13 - After the Choice: His Story August 20 - Feminism: Where Are We Now? Part 1 Has American Feminism let us down? This first part of our two part series features one of the most important women of the 20th century, Phyllis Schlafly, who co-authored, The Flipside of Feminism: What Conservative Women Know - and Men Can't Say. August 27 - Feminism: Where Are We Now? Part 2 This second part of our Feminism series features author Suzanne Venker, who wrote, Seven Myths of Happy Mothers: Why Children and (Most) Careers Just Don't Mix, and co-authored The Flipside of Feminism: What Conservative Women Know -- and Men Can't Say with last week's guest, Phyllis Schlafly. |
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LINC - TWIN CITIES' AND URBAN HOMEWORKS
Betterment to Development - Dependence to Dignity How we address people's needs makes a difference. .One way to address needs is doing for others, improving their conditions, and relieving their crisis situations by giving them what they need. This way of addressing people's needs is called Betterment, and is certainly necessary Christ-like activity. Indeed, this is the way most churches minister to people in need. Food pantries and clothes closets are common Betterment ministries. Another way to help others is called Development. In contrast to Betterment, Development enables others to do for themselves by strengthening their capacity to address chronic situations from which crisis situations are born. Development addresses needs by helping people do their own problem solving. Rather than focusing on doing for others, Development gives people the tools they need to do for themselves. LINC-TC is a catalyst to congregations to balance their ministries between Betterment and Development. While Betterment ministries are important, they often create a dependency that robs people of their individual dignity. Development ministry is necessary to empower our communities toward wellness and individuals toward who God created them to be in His image - people with dignity and unsurpassable worth. Finally, Betterment is event oriented, addressing peoples' needs in a particular time and place and usually for a specific need. Development, however, requires relationships over long periods of time. Discipling, mentoring, equipping, and resourcing are relational activities that build trust and commitment to Christian community. Through these Christ-centered relationships, people learn to provide for themselves and their families and to contribute productively to their communities. The transition from Betterment to Development is difficult, requiring us to see and do things differently, moving outside our comfort zones for the well-being of others - exactly what the Body of Christ is called and equipped to do. Among the books available on this topic, Mary Nelson's Empowerment: A Key Component of Christian Community Development. Bloomington: iUniverse, 2010, is very useful. Nelson's text influenced considerably this article.) |
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Presents
Both held at Heartwood Conference Center, Trego, WI Housing in the Pine Village Duplexes, which includes a lounge area with gas fireplace, TV, Wi-Fi, and kitchenette. Men and Women’s dorm style restrooms are in the center of each duplex. Pine Lodge will be the place to eat and also where the sessions will take place. Colorama Lutherhostel Presenters:
Travel to Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary and Nature Center, hear the sound of howling grey wolves, and learn about wildlife and plant ecology. |
Northwoods Adventure Lutherhostel Presenters:
Canoe the Namekagon River, enjoy indoor and outdoor tournaments, a Wisconsin fish fry, Make and Take Classes, hike the Heartwood trails, travel to Hunt Hill Nature Center, evening barn dance, wildlife and plant ecology presentations. Contact Walt Schmidt at 623-937-8835 or by email at waltlois@cox.net for all other information. General questions about Heartland are to be directed to Paul Olson at Thrivent Financial, 800-847-4836 #36803, or by email at paul.olson@thrivent.com THE MASTER GREETERActions That Build A Friendlier Church Pray for God to bring new people into our church and to bring them back. Pray for present members to reach out to each other. Prayer is the beginning foundation for any of God’s work. Let us humble ourselves before Him. Let us ask Him to work through us. Let us tell Him that we are available to be used as His SMILE, His handshake, and His words of introduction. And because we are ready, let us ask him to bring in our midst new people to meet whether they are new to the church or just new to us. |
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Happy Birthday:
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Happy Anniversary:
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August ServantsElders:
Greeters: OPEN Ushers: To Be Determined Altar Care: Diane Gade |
August ProvidersFlowers:
Candles:
If you sign up for flowers or candles after the newsletter is published, be sure and let Jeannie know. We want to make sure that flowers are ordered and you are properly acknowledged in the bulletin notes. |
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Say “I can't" for "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13 Lack of anything, for "My God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus," - Philippians 4:19 Fear, for "God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."- II Timothy 1:7 Doubt and Lack of Faith, for "...God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." - Romans 12:3 Have Weakness, for “...The Lord is the strength of my life..." - Psalm 27:1, and "The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." - Daniel 11:32 |
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If you have worn bifocals, and especially if it is your first time wearing bifocals, you will be able to relate to the cartoon. A number of years ago, after placing Pastor’s “blown up” copy of the Old Testament Lesson on the pulpit, I looked down and fell out of that “high place”. After breathing a prayer of thanks that no old bones were broken and especially that no one was around to witness my loss of dignity, I remembered …
Twin Cities and Urban Homeworks Love the City Event
LINC - TWIN CITIES 