Connection. The Resurrection ISSUE. What s in Worship? in this. The Lutheran Church of the Resurrec on

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1 The Resurrection Connection The Lutheran Church of the Resurrec on A Reconciling in Christ Congrega on in the St. Paul Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America OCTOBER 2015 NEWSLETTER in this ISSUE Message from Pastor Tim: page 2 What s in Worship? October 4 READINGS AND PSALM: Genesis 2:18-24; Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12; Mark 10:2-16 October 11 READINGS AND PSALM: Amos 5:6-7, 10-15; Hebrews 4:12-16; Mark 10:17-31 Mission of the Month: Page 3 Reaching Out to Others: pages 3-4 Our Life Together: Pages 4-7 Upcoming Events: Page 8 October 18 READINGS AND PSALM: Isaiah 53:4-12; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45 October 25 READINGS AND PSALM: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 3:19-28; John 8:31-36 Page 1

2 Adult Forum Schedule 10/4 Reforma on roots, part 1-10/11 Natural Burial with Steve Willwerscheid 10/18 Reforma on roots, part 2-10/25 Congrega onal mee ng Congrega onal Mee ng We will have our annual elec on congrega onal mee ng on Sunday, October 25, at 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will also use this me to talk about our life together, our commi ees and task forces, and the new Time and Talent form. Please plan to a end! Bookworms Bookworms will meet on Wednesday, October 7 at 12:30 pm for bag lunch and 1 pm for discussion of the book The High Divide by Lin Enger. message from Embodiment I recently a ended Augsburg College s Corpora on Mee ng. Four synods (Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Southeastern Minnesota, and Northwest Wisconsin) elect the members of their Board of Regents and approve changes to their bylaws. We meet annually and it is good to hear about what the college is up to. This year, however, there was me to a end one of three small-group sessions. I a ended Augsburg and Gender/Sexuality Issues. Religion professor, Dr. Mary Lowe, spoke a li le about how the college experience is more than academics, but is an educa on in becoming embodied. What she meant by that was this: students at Augsburg are more than just their minds; their bodies need to be accepted for who they are, no ma er their race, color, ethnicity, gender or sexual orienta on. For some, this takes a lot of work teaching others to accept them for who they are. Later that same day I had the commi al service for Bob and Elaine Foerster. Elaine died a year before I came to Resurrec on, but Bob let me know that she was right in my closet and that when he died we will be buried together. It was the odd juxtaposi on to hear about the strong desire of students to be embodied in the morning, and in the a ernoon, to see the urns of two people who now wait to be embodied in the resurrec on. I know that there is a desire in our society for spirituality, this is true even within the Chris an faith. If there is one faith tradi on in the world that can speak to embodiment, however, it is Chris anity. Our bodies are important. Our God became human, became embodied, in the person of Jesus Christ. And the disciples witness of Jesus on Easter morning was not that of a ghost; Jesus was embodied. Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe, is how Jesus said it to Thomas. Embodiment is such a fundamental part of our faith that we proclaim in the creed both that Jesus was born of Virgin Mary (that is, Jesus entered into human history as a living human being) and in the resurrec on of the body (that is, Jesus returned in bodily form). That means that our faith is, properly speaking, not a spirituality as much as it is an incarna onality and a resurrec onality; * both ways in which our God comes to us in a body. Perhaps embodiment is what humanity is about. Maybe when someone is hur ng we are to embody compassion and be a person who gives a hug and a listening ear. When someone is hungry we are to provide real food. When someone is dying we are to embody the promise that one day there will be a resurrec on, and so on. Finally, may Chris ans throughout the world come together and be the body of Christ in our world. * I know these are not real words, but I think you get my point. Page 2

3 Reaching out TO OTHERS October Mission of the Month: The Family Place Children are the new face of homelessness in Minnesota, comprising 52.4% of the homeless popula on. The Family Place is the only day center for homeless families in Ramsey County. The Family Place provides safety, encouragement and opportuni es seven days a week, 365 days a year partnering with Project Home which provides nigh me shelter. The Family Place can accommodate 40 guests at a me. Seventy percent of the guests are children. Each morning families arrive from the night shelter to spend their day in a welcoming, safe, and suppor ve environment. Following breakfast, preschool children spend me in La Casa de la Bella: the new Montessori environment catering to the fundamental development and independence of each child. Older children board buses for school. Parents may choose to meet with a Stability Coach, or par cipate in paren ng classes, or other learning opportuni es. Lunch, dinner and a healthy snack are provided. The families are facing many challenges and obstacles. To help ease burdens, The Family Place coordinates with other human service agencies to ensure access to appropriate suppor ve services and community resources needed to move toward a brighter, more stable future. Last year, our congrega on donated $ to The Family Place which was 26% less than the amount given in Since the need is s ll great, please remember this mission in your prayers and financially again this year. You can find more informa on about The Family Place by visi ng its website: CROP Walk Beginning Sunday Sept. 13th all to way to Oct. 11th, Sunday School kids will be focusing on Hunger, as part of their lessons plans. With the St. Paul CROP WALK coming up on Oct. 11th, all Sunday School offerings will go towards the St. Paul CROP WALK. Everyone is invited to par cipate in the CROP WALK which starts at 1pm beginning at the Interfaith Ac on of Greater St. Paul. There will two op ons. Walk 2.4 miles or a full 4.5 miles. The walk is all along Summit Avenue from the Interfaith Ac on of Greater St. Paul loca on to either St. Thomas More Catholic Church, or if you con nue, to St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church. If you would like to donate to this important an hunger cause, please make checks out to LCR and put CROP Walk in the memo. Stepping Up to End Hunger You are invited to a end a St. Paul Area Synod event to learn about, share ideas, and consider possibili es for our hunger ministry in our backyard and beyond. The event will take place on Saturday, October 10 with registra on beginning at 8:30 am. The program is from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm at Incarna on Lutheran Church, 4880 Hodgson Road, Shoreview MN. Presenters will be Bishop Patricia Lull from the St. Paul Area Synod, Mikka McCracken of ELCA World Hunger and Tammy Walhof of Lutheran Advocacy- MN. Boun ful Backpacks Our weekend meal program for families experiencing food insecurity is going strong! Thank you to all who have helped with packing, shopping, and delivering. Remember that we can always use volunteers to do these things. You can sign up at online through our website: under the Outreach tab. If you would like to give a dona on to the program, please make checks out to LCR and put Boun ful Backpacks in the memo. Thank you! Page 3

4 our life TOGETHER Yoga classes New this October! Yoga classes will be held at Resurrec on star ng on Monday nights and Saturday mornings. Monday night classes are at 6:45 and Saturday morning classes are at 8:45. Classes are a vinyasa style yoga (or power yoga) with some pilates mixed in, a bit of cardio and light hand weights are some mes added in as an op on. All levels and experience are welcome! The class will use encouraging music end with lots of stretching and a short me of medita ng on a blessing from scripture. There is a $5-10 suggested dona on for each class. A few extra mats and free weights will be provided. Come and give it a try. Yoga is for everyone! Classes will be led by Sarah Taylor, a local mom and yoga instructor. Ques ons? Contact Sarah at or her at sarimarie3@gmail.com. Norway Up Close and Personal David and Gloria Anderson are hos ng a tour to Norway, August 15-24, David's work with the church in Norway since 1992 will provide the group unique contacts and conversa ons with the Norwegian people, including church leaders. The tour includes visits to Bergen, the ord country, and Oslo. The deadline to register for this travel opportunity is October 31, or as long as space is available. For more informa on contact David ( ) or Gloria ( ). Lake Wobegon Brass Band Music at Mounds View welcomes Lake Wobegon Brass Band, a na onal and interna onally known ensemble in the Bri sh Brass Band tradi on. The ensemble will perform Saturday, October 10, 2015, at 7 p.m. at Mounds View High School. Tickets are available for sale online at the Mounds View schools website or at the door. Chris Westermeyer is a member of the ensemble. Blessed Are They A Concert for All Saints by the Na onal Lutheran Choir Tickets are now on sale for the Na onal Lutheran Choir s annual All Saints Concert: Blessed Are They, featuring music by John Tavener and John Michael Bach, as well as more recent composi ons by Larry Fleming, William Beckstrand, Robert Buckley Farlee and Alexander Dmitriyevich Katalsky. This annual program has become a source of healing, comfort and hope for those who have experienced loss of a loved one. Prior to the concert, guests are encouraged to add the name of a friend or family member to a Book of Names (also available online at Candles will be lit in remembrance, and the Book of Names will be read aloud throughout the concert. Sunday, November 1, pm St. Andrew s Lutheran Church (900 S llwater Road, Mahtomedi, MN 55115) Friday, November 6, :30pm St. Bartholomew Catholic Faith Community (630 E. Wayzata Blvd., Wayzata, MN 55391) Cost: $25 Adult $23 Senior (62 and over) $10 Students 17 & under FREE Groups of 10 or more receive addi onal discounts. For ckets, call Brown Paper Tickets (800) or order online at Tickets will also be available at the door on the day of the concert. The Na onal Lutheran Choir, under the direc on of Dr. David Cherwien, seeks to strengthen, renew and preserve the heritage of sacred choral music through the highest standards of performance and literature. To learn more about the choir, visit and search Facebook and Twi Page 4

5 our life An Update from the Treasurer TOGETHER At the congrega onal mee ng held January 11, 2015, a budget of $350,527 was presented for A mo on was made, seconded, and approved to approve the budget plus an addi onal $500 for Guatemala (to match previous year s amount), making the total 2015 budget $351,027. Reforma on Roots Do you ever wonder why we have so many Chris an denomina ons, and if there is really much difference between them? The answers to these ques ons lie in the drama c and turbulent mes of the Reforma on. Twelve of our adult forums this year will focus on different aspects of the Reforma on. Each video segment is about 20 minutes long giving us plenty of me to discuss the various segments. th We are doing this in prepara on for the 500 anniversary of the Reforma on. We want people to be prepared for the events that will certainly be highlighted by the media. We want people to remember the complex circumstances as they were and not use the stories the media will report about that me to reignite old wounds or verbally beat people up. It is our hopes that by discussing the various aspects of the Reforma on we can be leaders in talking about the issues and not defend or a ack the various personali es involved. Please consider a ending. Singing the Faith The 28th annual service of hymns and readings celebra ng the Lutheran Reforma on will be held on Sunday, October 25 at the Chapel of the Incarna on at Luther Seminary at 4:00 pm. This year's fes val will feature the Luther College Aurora choir, with Jennaya Robison. A Scandinavian smorgasbord with lutefish will follow. Dinner is $25. Please contact Lynne Moratzka at to RSVP. A freewill offering will be taken to support Luther Seminary students through the FRENDS Endowed Scholarship fun. Free valet parking available! Through August, contribu ons and expenses are running very close to budgeted amounts. Contribu ons to the church year to date (YTD) through August are 99.2% of the YTD budgeted amount. For expenses, we are at 99.4% of budget through August. At the end of August, the total cash amount in checking was $172,317, consis ng of $101,696 in general unrestricted funds and $70,622 in restricted funds. In August we used restricted funds to pay off the remainder of the amount that Ramsey County assessed us for our drop-off lane improvement project. If you have any ques ons or wish to know more about the budget and finances, please don t hesitate to contact me. Nathan Quanbeck Oktoberfest thank you! Thank you to all who a ended this year s Oktoberfest. This long-standing tradi on at Resurrec on is a perfect witness to our community s love of laughter, celebra on, music, and one another. A huge thank you to all who helped to plan, prepare, shop, cook, decorate, and coordinate: Sally Westermeyer, Sherry Kim, Deb & Joel McDermo, Diane Bengston, Gloria Anderson, Lu Zibell, Linda Lee, Jon Lundin, Dee Bedford, Carolyn Peterson, Jon Bengtson, Pam Gill, Roger Larson, Meredithe Hedenstrom, Phil Peterson, Sue Strohschein, Bonnie Hanson, Nancy Nelson, Janet Chris anson, Sara & Steve Hasse, Eric & Julie Lindmark and Jill Westermeyer. Page 5

6 our life TOGETHER October Birthdays 80 and over At Resurrec on: 10/13 Joann Blewe 4149 Sylvia Ct At LSS Home and Community Living: 10/07 Sheri Hicks 925 Amble Rd 10/15 Cathie Waring 935 Amble Rd 10/27 Tracey Beaulieu 925 Amble Rd 10/30 Erik Carlson 1968 E Foxridge Rd St. Paul, MN /31 Roger King 2680 Marion St Roseville, MN Welcome Jacob! We are pleased to welcome Jacob Se on as our next contextual educa on student from Luther Seminary. Jacob is a Presbyterian from Illinois, who was raised on a farm, graduated from Loyola University in Chicago, and spent a year in South Korea teaching English, among other things. When you see Jacob introduce yourself and welcome him to Resurrec on! Funerals and Memorial Services Memorial Service for Carolyn Griesel Carolyn died late Wednesday evening, September 23 rd at Lyngblomsten under hospice care. The people of Resurrec on have witnessed Carolyn s faithfulness and spirit of service throughout the years, and have also witnessed her fading before our eyes. We commend Wayne for the deep love, compassion and care of Carolyn over these past years. Together, they were a powerful witness of commitment and faith to us all. Her memorial service will be held on Friday, October 2 at 11:00 am, with visita on at 10:00 am. May the presence of Christ surround and support Wayne and his family at this tender me. Helen Billing Organ Recital and Memorial Service Former church organist and member, Helen Billing, died this past May in Park Rapids, MN. She loved her organ music so much that she wanted many fabulous pieces incorporated into her farewell. The only way that could take place was to have an organ recital prior to the memorial service. All are welcome to a end. The visita on begins at 9:30 a.m. Then we will gather in the sanctuary for an organ recital by our former organist, Tim Strand, at 10:30 a.m. The memorial service will begin at 11:00 a.m. There is no luncheon following the memorial service as the family will need to proceed immediately to Acacia Cemetery for the interment. Cookies for Loaves & Fishes Volunteers are needed to provide cookies for a meal at Loaves and Fishes when members of The Lutheran Church of the Resurrec on serve at the Dorothy Day Center on Monday, October 12, Twenty dozen large cookies (3 inches in diameter or greater) are needed (no bars or small cookies, please). The cookies should be dropped off in the church office today, Sunday, October 11. If you're able to par cipate, please contact Meredithe Hedenstrom at Page 6

7 Monthly Worship Leaders Usher Team: Team 4 August Bengtson, Ruth Johnson, Sco & Kris n Gave Altar Guild: Julie Lindmark, Jane Cunningham Communion Bread Baking: Carolyn Cushing Sacristan: Bonnie Hanson Cookie Providers October 4 Dan & Kelly Kueffer October 11 Fred & Mary Kueffer Chris na Middleton October 18 Phil Peterson & Sue Strohschein Tim & Kris Rongstad October 25 Sussan and Eli Qumsieh Pam Gill The Lutheran Church of the Resurrec on A Reconciling in Christ congrega on (651) upcoming EVENTS October Visita on and Memorial Service for Carolyn Griesel: October 2, 10:00 am Youth & Learning commi ee: October 4, 11:30 am Odd Jobbers Mee ng: October 5, 9:00 am St. Paul Needleworkers: October 6, 9:00 am Bookworms: October 7, 12:30 pm Worship, Music & Arts Mee ng: October 11, 11:30 am Outreach commi ee: October 11, 11:30 am Loaves & Fishes: October 12, 2:30 pm Liturgy Planning commi ee: October 12, 7:00 pm Meals on Wheels: October 15 Visita on & Memorial Service for Helen Billing: October 17, 10:00 am Parish Life commi ee: October 18, 11:30 am Newsle er deadline: October 19, 4:00 pm Ruth Circle: October 19, 7:00 pm St. Paul Needleworkers: October 19, 7:00 pm Phoebe Circle: October 20, 1:00 pm Congrega onal Council Mee ng: October 20, 7:30 pm League of Women Voters: October 21, 9:30 am Annual Mee ng: October 25, 10:30 am Follow us on Facebook League of Women Voters: October 28, 7:00 pm Page 7