Church office closed Monday for Memorial Day.
Circle of Prayer Wednesday 6:45 p.m.
Lectionary Group Thursday 7:45 a.m.
LOOKING AHEAD
Live Oaks to “Rescuers of Pets of Katrina”
Thursday, June 5, 12:30 p.m. at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. $5 includes lunch.
Church/Child Care Work Day 9 a.m. Saturday June 7. Sign up list is on the board by the kitchenette.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Sunday Sermon- May 11, 2008
The following is a team sermon given by Associate Pastor Tammy Rottschaefer and Rev. Dennis Sanders, a member of Lake Harriet. Below is Dennis Sanders' half of the sermon.
“It Only Takes a Spark...”
Acts 2:1-21
May 11, 2008 (Pentecost Sunday)
Lake Harriet Christian Church
Minneapolis, MN
A few weeks ago, my partner Daniel and I were coming back from breakfast, when we saw thick clouds of smoke in the area of our house. As we drove closer and closer we were both fearful of seeing our house going up in flames. We came to the house and found everything was okay. We decided to part the car and walk up to where the fire was taking place. It turns out a greenhouse was on fire and basically was destroyed by the fire. We felt relief that our house was okay, but a bit sad that the person who lived on this property would have to deal with the loss.
Fire can be something that brings fear to us. I remember learning about fire drills when I was a kid, and about the whole “stop, drop and roll” if God forbid you catch fire. In our modern culture, fire is something that has been seen as source of fear, something that consumes and destroys. Of course, fire also tends to help us, since it heats our homes and cooks our food. Fire can be beneficial, but I think at times we forget that, we are driven by the fear of getting burned.
Today is the day of Pentecost, what has been called at time, the birthday of the church. This is the day when the disciples of Jesus were holed up in a room waiting for what was coming next after Jesus ascended into heaven. And we read that a mighty wind comes into the room and what appears to be tongues of fire sit on the heads of those gathered. Those gathered start speaking in the tongues of neighboring languages. There are a large number of Jews gathered in Jerusalem from all over the known world. The started seeing Jesus' disciples out and about speaking their native tongues and some were amazed. Others sneered that these guys were drunk.
If you were one of those visitors and you saw this spectacle, what would you think? Would you see it with wonder and awe or with skeptism?
The role of the Holy Spirit here is interesting. The Spirit is portrayed as wind, something Tammy just talked about, and fire. Fire is something that scares us and it should since it is deadly. But I think we are also afraid of the fire of the Spirit as well. We are afraid of the fire of the Spirit because it can not be contained and runs hither and yon and forces us out of our pews and into the world.
In today's passage, Peter begins to explain to the gathered crowd what has just happened. He spoke from the prophet Joel and he says that in the last days, God will pour the Spirit on all flesh and our sons and daughters will be prophets. Do you know what this means? It means that you and I are empowered by the Spirit to be prophets, to preach God's love to all. Note that it doesn't say I will pour out my spirit on all pastors, but all flesh. You and I are called to preach the Good News by the power of God's Holy fire. It doesn't matter how old or young we are. It doesn't matter how rich or poor we are. It doesn't matter how smart we are. God calls us to be prophets, to spread the fire of God.
But it gets better or worse, according your point of view. God will pour the spirit even on slaves. Now, thankfully, we don't have slaves in our society anymore, but we do have people who we tend to look down upon or who we tend not think have much value. This means that God will work in the lives of the poor, or the illegal immigrant, or the person in a wheelchair, or the person who is gay or lesbian. God's Spirit is not contained by the walls of the church. Like a spreading fire, God's Spirit will go where it goes.
The question though, is are we willing to let this Holy Fire into our lives like the disciples did? I think at times we would rather not have this Spirit in our lives, thank you very much. It's too chaotic, too scary. We don't want to share the good news with those around us, and sometimes churches don't want “those people” coming to our church. What could they possibly know about God that we don't already know.
But I think God is calling the church to be the church in the way the church was the church on that Day of Pentecost: a people gathered together and empowered by the Spirit to go into the world and preaching God's good word to everyone. Sometimes churches have been more inward focused, interested in bring people to the church instead of bring the the church into the world- this is what this passage is telling us.
This day of Pentecost is a great day, but it's also a scary day. We are reminded that we are called to follow God's way and to be led by the wild Spirit and that scares us-all of us, myself included, because it pushes us out of our comfort zones and into the big and scary world.
But the Spirit is also there to be our companion. We are not left alone when we join God in mission. The Holy Fire keeps us warm and sustains us when times grow hard.
I want to end with a song that has been buzzing around in my head this past week. It was a song I learned a long time ago in church and in the Christian school I went to growing up. The song is one that some of you may know: It's called, “Pass It On.” It goes like this:
“It Only Takes a Spark...”
Acts 2:1-21
May 11, 2008 (Pentecost Sunday)
Lake Harriet Christian Church
Minneapolis, MN
A few weeks ago, my partner Daniel and I were coming back from breakfast, when we saw thick clouds of smoke in the area of our house. As we drove closer and closer we were both fearful of seeing our house going up in flames. We came to the house and found everything was okay. We decided to part the car and walk up to where the fire was taking place. It turns out a greenhouse was on fire and basically was destroyed by the fire. We felt relief that our house was okay, but a bit sad that the person who lived on this property would have to deal with the loss.
Fire can be something that brings fear to us. I remember learning about fire drills when I was a kid, and about the whole “stop, drop and roll” if God forbid you catch fire. In our modern culture, fire is something that has been seen as source of fear, something that consumes and destroys. Of course, fire also tends to help us, since it heats our homes and cooks our food. Fire can be beneficial, but I think at times we forget that, we are driven by the fear of getting burned.
Today is the day of Pentecost, what has been called at time, the birthday of the church. This is the day when the disciples of Jesus were holed up in a room waiting for what was coming next after Jesus ascended into heaven. And we read that a mighty wind comes into the room and what appears to be tongues of fire sit on the heads of those gathered. Those gathered start speaking in the tongues of neighboring languages. There are a large number of Jews gathered in Jerusalem from all over the known world. The started seeing Jesus' disciples out and about speaking their native tongues and some were amazed. Others sneered that these guys were drunk.
If you were one of those visitors and you saw this spectacle, what would you think? Would you see it with wonder and awe or with skeptism?
The role of the Holy Spirit here is interesting. The Spirit is portrayed as wind, something Tammy just talked about, and fire. Fire is something that scares us and it should since it is deadly. But I think we are also afraid of the fire of the Spirit as well. We are afraid of the fire of the Spirit because it can not be contained and runs hither and yon and forces us out of our pews and into the world.
In today's passage, Peter begins to explain to the gathered crowd what has just happened. He spoke from the prophet Joel and he says that in the last days, God will pour the Spirit on all flesh and our sons and daughters will be prophets. Do you know what this means? It means that you and I are empowered by the Spirit to be prophets, to preach God's love to all. Note that it doesn't say I will pour out my spirit on all pastors, but all flesh. You and I are called to preach the Good News by the power of God's Holy fire. It doesn't matter how old or young we are. It doesn't matter how rich or poor we are. It doesn't matter how smart we are. God calls us to be prophets, to spread the fire of God.
But it gets better or worse, according your point of view. God will pour the spirit even on slaves. Now, thankfully, we don't have slaves in our society anymore, but we do have people who we tend to look down upon or who we tend not think have much value. This means that God will work in the lives of the poor, or the illegal immigrant, or the person in a wheelchair, or the person who is gay or lesbian. God's Spirit is not contained by the walls of the church. Like a spreading fire, God's Spirit will go where it goes.
The question though, is are we willing to let this Holy Fire into our lives like the disciples did? I think at times we would rather not have this Spirit in our lives, thank you very much. It's too chaotic, too scary. We don't want to share the good news with those around us, and sometimes churches don't want “those people” coming to our church. What could they possibly know about God that we don't already know.
But I think God is calling the church to be the church in the way the church was the church on that Day of Pentecost: a people gathered together and empowered by the Spirit to go into the world and preaching God's good word to everyone. Sometimes churches have been more inward focused, interested in bring people to the church instead of bring the the church into the world- this is what this passage is telling us.
This day of Pentecost is a great day, but it's also a scary day. We are reminded that we are called to follow God's way and to be led by the wild Spirit and that scares us-all of us, myself included, because it pushes us out of our comfort zones and into the big and scary world.
But the Spirit is also there to be our companion. We are not left alone when we join God in mission. The Holy Fire keeps us warm and sustains us when times grow hard.
I want to end with a song that has been buzzing around in my head this past week. It was a song I learned a long time ago in church and in the Christian school I went to growing up. The song is one that some of you may know: It's called, “Pass It On.” It goes like this:
It only takes a spark to get a fire going,And soon all those around can warm up
in its glowing;That's how it is with God's Love,Once you've experienced it,Your
spread the love to everyoneYou want to pass it on.
The last verse continues:
I wish for you my friendThis happiness that I've found;You can depend on GodIt
matters not where you're bound,I'll shout it from the mountain top - PRAISE
GOD!I want the world to knowThe Lord of love has come to meI want to pass it on.
It only takes a spark. It only took a Holy Wind and a Holy Fire to turn a bunch of scared and bumbling disciples into brave disciples that could not stop talking about the love of God through Jesus. That same spark, that same Holy Fire is available to all of us today. It is calling us to go and tell the message. The Lord of Love has come to us, to all of us and we are to go and shout it from the mountaintops and rooftops. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Sermon-May 18, 2008
Below is part of a joint sermon given by Associate Pastor Tammy Rottschaefer and Rev. Dennis Sanders, a member of Lake Harriet. Below is the text from Rev. Sanders' contribution.
E Pluribus Unum”
E Pluribus Unum”
Matthew 28:19-20, II Corinthians 13:11-13
May 18, 2008 (Trinity Sunday)
Lake Harriet Christian Church
Minneapolis, MN
As some of you know and are probably well sick of me telling you, I love science-fiction. What I love about this genre is that it present modern problems in futuristic garb. And I know that are also know and are sick of me telling you that I love Star Trek for especially, that reason. The groundbreaking television series, with a multicultural cast, dealt with many modern issues, such as war, racism, drugs, sexism and other topics. In the late 80s Star Trek came back to television in the version of Star Trek: The Next Generation. With a new series came new enemies. In the original television series, we had the Romulans and the Klingons. In the new series, we had an even more menacing villain: the Borg.
The Borg are a race of beings half-humanoid, half-android. There is no such thing as individuality or uniqueness among the Borg. They are soulless beings that work as one. They fly around in a ship that looks like giant cube and their job is to assimilate other species into their own collective. Whenever the meet up with a ship, such as the Enterprise, they “greet” their soon to be prey with these words: “We are Borg. Lower your shields. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile.”
Today, the first Sunday after Pentecost, is commonly called Trinity Sunday, the day we remember the concept of God as Three in One; God the Father or Mother, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This is always an odd day for Christians and for those of us who are part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in particular. For one thing, this is day devoted not to something in the Bible, but to doctrine, something that came along long after the Bible was written. For Disciples, this is also perplexing, because most of our founders were not considered what some would call Trinitarians. Because people like Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell placed an emphasis on restoring the church to what it was in the first century and because the word “trinity” is not found in the Bible, they did not place a whole lot of emphasis on it. That's not to say they didn't believe in God the Son or God the Holy Spirit, it's just that they wouldn't call that Trinity, nor would they make that a precursor for someone to become part of a faith community.
So, what do we do with this day? Do we ignore it? We could do that. But I think that there is still much to be mined from this day and from the Trinity. I think there is much to learn about who God is and how we can be church in this world. I think the Trinity is less of a doctrine that one must believe than a way to live life.
Now today's texts have nothing to do with the Trinity. I am not going to try to say they uphold the doctrine of the Trinity, because no one was thinking in those terms yet. But they do give some clues about God and about us.
In the closing chapters of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples to go and teach and baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He also tells them that he will always be with them until time ends.
Paul ends his second letter to his problem church in Corinth by saying that they should put their affairs in order, be agreeable with each other and greet each other with a holy kiss. And then he ends by saying a phrase that I know that I have heard often: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.”
The scriptures today remind us that we have a job to do. Jesus calls us to go into all the world and make disciples. Not make church goers, but disciples: people who will be followers of Jesus, not simply pew sitters. This text is commonly called the Great Commission many a pastor has preached on this text, to tell people to go and tell others about the Good News of Jesus. Congregations are urged to tell people about Jesus and pastors and churches get busy in the work of evangelism. There is nothing wrong with this, provided we don't forget what else Jesus is saying here. We are to go and make disciples and also teach and baptize. We are called to help others understand the ways of Jesus and what it means that God loves us. And we are called to baptize, to formally welcome them into the larger faith community and into the life of being a follower of Jesus.
This seems like a tall order. How can we do this all? The sad fact is that many churches and pastors get involved in trying to be Christ in the world, and forget to take Christ with them. Jesus tells his disciples that he will be with them and God will be a work along with us as we preach, teach and baptize. It is not all on our shoulders. Christ is with us working in the lives of others and sustaining us when the road is long and hard.
If Jesus is giving us a charge of action, Paul is giving us a charge of character. Paul is telling the Corinthians to be in agreement with each other. Now, at first blush, this seems to mean that all the Corinthians must think the same way. The sad thing is that throughout church history, followers of Jesus have decided that everyone must have the same beliefs. People were forced out of churches for not sharing the same views on things as everyone else. That is not what Paul is saying here. Instead, Paul is saying we should not be divisive, or to put it in another way, to disagree without being disagreeable. He then ends it with the “trinitarian greeting.” What interesting here is that within God there is difference and yet unity. The love of God, the grace of Jesus, the communion of the Holy Spirit. Three different aspects of God and yet the same God, all in agreement.
As I said, the Trinity isn't a doctrine to be believed. But I do think it is a way of life to be lived. Within God is diversity. Father/Mother God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Some people refer to the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. When Paul tells the Corinthians to be in agreement, he wasn't calling for them to think the same and be the same. He was calling for this community to be united and yet different.
That is what we are called to be today. We all come here with as unique individuals. We all come from different backgrounds, with different life experiences and different religious and political beliefs. What binds us together, is the love of God, the grace of Jesus and the communion of the Holy Spirit. The church is called to be a place where there is diversity in every way imaginable and yet there is unity as well.
The fact is, the world sorely needs to hear this message. We live in a world where there is a spirit of sameness that is afraid of difference. We sort ourselves out into Republicans and Democrats, straight and gay, black and white and so on. We like to be in communities where everyone things like we do. In a way we are like the Borg, wanting to have a community where difference is not tolerated.
But God is calling us to be a place where we are different. We are called to be a place where we have a common purpose and goal, but where we are different as God is different.
The thing is, this diverse and yet unifying God is with us everywhere. We are reminded of God the Creator in the beauty of creation, we see God the Redeemer, when we receive communion and know that we are loved, no matter what. We see God the Sustainer, when when this diverse bunch of people gather together every Sunday to worship and bear each others burdens. God is with is, God is around us, and God is in us. We are never truly alone and we are called to be welcoming to all we meet.
You don't have to believe in the Trinity. But I do think it is a lesson in how we are to be church: we are to be a community that knows God is with us and that is welcoming to all, even those people that are very different from us.
The fictional Borg, like to say “resistance is futile.” But I think in a world that demands conformity, we can respond with the old Latin phrase, “e pluribus unum,” out of many one. Out of many ways of being, we are united in Christ.
Maybe resistance isn't so futile after all. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Church/Childcare Work Day
LHCC/LHC4kids
Work day June 7th
Sign up on the bulletin board near the kitchenette:
Church Items: Replace toilet paper holder, women’s rest room
(buy replacement)Replace bulbs out in Sanitary(buy replacement bulbs)
Replace bulbs in chandelier
(buy replacement bulbs)
Replace down spouts on Sanitary
beard side(need rivets and cutting tools)
Repair lighting to church signage (buy necessary material and install)
Install office window AC units (remove window and install units)Prep Flower Beds around church yard(buy fertilizer and weed killer as needed)Remove old piano from child care(dispose of it)
Please see list on kitchen bulletin board and sign up along with what you will do.
Work day June 7th
Sign up on the bulletin board near the kitchenette:
Church Items: Replace toilet paper holder, women’s rest room
(buy replacement)Replace bulbs out in Sanitary(buy replacement bulbs)
Replace bulbs in chandelier
(buy replacement bulbs)
Replace down spouts on Sanitary
beard side(need rivets and cutting tools)
Repair lighting to church signage (buy necessary material and install)
Install office window AC units (remove window and install units)Prep Flower Beds around church yard(buy fertilizer and weed killer as needed)Remove old piano from child care(dispose of it)
Please see list on kitchen bulletin board and sign up along with what you will do.
(contact Duane Drenth-Iverson with any question or concern)
Week of May 18-25
Annual Congregational Meeting after worship May 18. We will be appointing church officers and trustees for the coming year.
Newsletter articles due Tuesday.
Search and Call Task Group Meeting Wednesday 7:30 p.m. at LHCC.
No Open Sanctuary or Circle of Prayer this Wednesday. We will pray from our homes.
Lectionary Group Thursday 7:45 a.m.
LOOKING AHEAD
Live Oaks to “Rescuers of Pets of Katrina”
Thursday, June 5, 12:30 p.m. at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. $5 includes lunch.
Church/Child Care Work Day 9 a.m. Saturday June 7. Sign up list is on the board by the kitchenette.
Newsletter articles due Tuesday.
Search and Call Task Group Meeting Wednesday 7:30 p.m. at LHCC.
No Open Sanctuary or Circle of Prayer this Wednesday. We will pray from our homes.
Lectionary Group Thursday 7:45 a.m.
LOOKING AHEAD
Live Oaks to “Rescuers of Pets of Katrina”
Thursday, June 5, 12:30 p.m. at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. $5 includes lunch.
Church/Child Care Work Day 9 a.m. Saturday June 7. Sign up list is on the board by the kitchenette.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Disciples Together Blog
The Christian Church in the Upper Midwest now has a blog called "Disciples Together." If you want to know the latest events, go to: uppermidwestcc.blogspot.com.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Pentecost Offering to be Received this Sunday
From Disciples News Service:
PENTECOST SPECIAL OFFERING SUPPORTS NEW CONGREGATIONS
At one point, every congregation was a new church. Since that time, it is likely that thousands of people have had their lives touched by your congregation's programs and ministry. The Pentecost Offering is your opportunity to "pay it forward" by supporting a new congregation. By planting new congregations Disciples establish congregations that also will touch thousands of lives over time. Sixty-five percent of the US population does not live near a Disciples church, and there are many segments of our population that have not had a chance to participate in a Disciples witness. This year's Pentecost Offering will be received in congregations on Sunday, May 4 and Sunday, May 11. For more information on how to support the Disciples New Church movement go to: www.disciplesmissionfund.org/Default.aspx?TabID=112
Week of May 4-11
THIS WEEK
Open Sanctuary Wednesday 6:45 p.m.
Bell Choir Wednesday 6:45 p.m.
Circle of Prayer Wednesday 7:45 p.m.
Lectionary Group Thursday 7:45 a.m.
TRUST Plant Sale and Swap Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon,
at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
Celebration Please join us in celebrating Kathryn Iverson's graduation from Earlham College at the Sunday May 11 coffee fellowship. Kathryn is receiving a B.A. in biology and will be doing an internship at California State University in Los Angeles this summer.
Congratulations, Kathryn!
Live Oaks Meeting Sunday May 11 after worship Lunch at Denny’s, then go to “Pajama Game.” at Bloomington Civic Theater.
Live Oaks to “Pajama Game” Sunday, May 11, 2 p.m. at Bloomington Civic Theater.
LOOKING AHEAD
Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday, May 18 after worship.
Open Sanctuary Wednesday 6:45 p.m.
Bell Choir Wednesday 6:45 p.m.
Circle of Prayer Wednesday 7:45 p.m.
Lectionary Group Thursday 7:45 a.m.
TRUST Plant Sale and Swap Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon,
at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
Celebration Please join us in celebrating Kathryn Iverson's graduation from Earlham College at the Sunday May 11 coffee fellowship. Kathryn is receiving a B.A. in biology and will be doing an internship at California State University in Los Angeles this summer.
Congratulations, Kathryn!
Live Oaks Meeting Sunday May 11 after worship Lunch at Denny’s, then go to “Pajama Game.” at Bloomington Civic Theater.
Live Oaks to “Pajama Game” Sunday, May 11, 2 p.m. at Bloomington Civic Theater.
LOOKING AHEAD
Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday, May 18 after worship.
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