Centering NEWS OF CENTRAL LUTHERAN MINNEAPOLIS Worship Where we welcome, suppor t and lead so that all people of God may be inspired, refreshed and sent out together in mission. WINTER 2016
worship 2 PASTOR D. FOY CHRISTOPHERSON December 24/25 4 p.m. Saturday Christmas Eve Service of Blessing with family blessing, intergenerational children s word, harp, violin, carols, and Silent Night with candlelight 10:30 p.m. Saturday Christmas Eve Choral Eucharist with brass, harp, violin, Central Choir, Central Bell Choir and Silent Night candlelight sending 10:00 a.m. Sunday Contemplative Christmas Day Holy Communion with harp and violin Dec 31/Jan 1, 2017 Saturday 5 p.m. Holy Communion Sunday 10 a.m. Holy Communion Since the Twelve Days of Christmas begin on a Sunday, there is only one other Sunday in the Christmas season and it falls on New Year s Day. When that happens the texts appointed are for the festival of the Name of Jesus (Luke 2:15-21). We ll have one service at 10 a.m. that Sunday, including a blessing of the New Year. We ll also worship the evening before at 5 p.m. (usual time) and include a New Year s Eve Blessing in that Saturday Evening Holy Communion Service. Begin your New Year s Eve celebrations with us in the sanctuary! And so concludes another year of grace the 2016th Year of Our Salvation We begin the church year with expectant wondering and waiting as we contemplate the incarnation of Christ. We end the church year wondering in the glorious love and grace of Christ. We rest in hope because we know that endings with God are really beginnings. The cycle of life continues: birth to death, death to birth. The hymns that sing of the reign of Christ foreshadow the hymns of Advent. We end and begin the church year in gladness, joy, and hope. Advent begins November 26/27 Our worship teams are busy working to have preparations in place for our prayer in Advent. The series of themes that have emerged from these prayerful discussions for the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany season are: The blessing of hope (Advent) The blessing of peace (Twelve Days of Christmas) The blessing of Emmanuel (Epiphany - God with us) During Advent worship we will seek God s blessing as we begin a new year of grace. We re planning on including as many Advent hymns as possible as we sing our way to Christmas. We ll gather our children under the big Advent wreath for the children s word each week. The planners have selected fresh seasonal texts for our prayer that emphasize this idea of blessing. As usual, John the Baptist shows up in December to prod us into deeper faithfulness. And this is the year that we hear from Joseph (rather than Mary) the week before Christmas. Augsburg College Advent Vespers pre-empts our Saturday evening service on December 3 as usual. December 24/25 Christmas falls on a Sunday this year. So our Christmas pattern will replace our Saturday/Sunday weekend worship pattern. See sidbar for times. January and February 2017 The weekend of January 7/8 is already Baptism of Our Lord weekend. But since we haven t yet celebrated the favorite story of the visit of the magi and their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, we ll observe Epiphany (January 6/Twelfth Night) a couple days late and hear that story on January 7/8. In the magi story (Epiphany), and the Epiphany season that follows, Jesus identity is revealed under the star: Gold for a king, incense for God, myrrh for embalming one who is to die. Worship in January and February is marked by the continuing unfolding of Jesus identity as the Messiah. Throughout these months Jesus is revealed to the nations, as God s servant, as the Lamb of God, as a prophet, and finally as God s beloved Son. We read from Matthew s Gospel this year and in Matthew Jesus is the great teacher. Since Easter comes late in 2017 we also get some great teaching by Jesus in Epiphany: The Beatitudes, Be Salt and Light; Forgiveness, and Love. Lent begins March 1. It is almost as late as it can be this year. O come let us adore him, giving thanks for the blessings of hope, peace, and God s presence with us.
December 3/4 Prepare the way of the Lord Advent 2 Reading: Matthew 3:1-12 December 10/11 The forerunner of Christ Reading: Matthew 11:2-11 Advent 3; Capital Appeal Commitment Blessing; Christmas Pageant at 9:45 a.m.; Saturday Service of Healing December 17/18 A God near at hand Advent 4 Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 December 24/25 The birth of the messiah revealed to shepherds Nativity of our Lord; Saturday Service of Healing Reading: Luke 2:1-7, 8-20 December 31/January 1 The child is circumcised and named Jesus Reading: Luke 2:15-21 Name of Jesus January 7/8 Revelation of Christ as God s servant January 14/15 Revelation of Christ as the lamb of God January 21/22 Revelation of Christ as a prophet Baptism of our Lord and observing Epiphany of Our Lord Reading: Matthew 3:13-17 Reading: John 1:29-42 Reading: Matthew 4:12-23 January 28/29 The teaching of Christ: beatitudes Reading: Matthew 5:1-12 February 4/5 Reading: Matthew 5:13-20 The teaching of Christ: salt and light February 11/12 Reading: Matthew 5:21-37 The teaching of Christ: forgiveness New member meet and Greet; Healing Prayers; Saturday Service of Healing February 18/19 The teaching of Christ: love Reading: Matthew 5:38-48 February 25/26 Revelation of Christ as God s beloved son Transfiguration of our Lord; New Members Received Worship Life December 2016 - February 2017 Reading: Matthew 17:1-9 3
worship Thank you for this morning! Everything the music, the sermon, everything all really made sense and really seemed to go together. What an experience! When I hear these words, spoken after a service, it makes my heart sing. This is what we are here for as pastors, cantors, choir members, bell ringers this is our task. Making God s word come to life. Taking the readings appointed for the day and making them incarnate giving them flesh through preaching, hymns, liturgical songs, choral and instrumental music. CANTOR MARK SEDIO Contemplative Holy Communion for Evening Saturday, 5:00 p.m. First Light Holy Communion Sunday, 8:30 a.m. Choral Eucharist Sunday, 10:30 a.m. Faith Formation Sunday, 9:30 a.m. Restoration Center Worship Monday, 11:00 a.m. Bible Study Monday, 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, 1:00 p.m. When we begin planning a specific worship service, it s a bit like starting with a blank artist s canvas or a box of beautiful threads. It s much like creating a painting or tapestry. Smaller pieces or elements are combined to create a unified whole. We let the texts speak to us what are they saying to us today? As a musician, the first question I ask is what hymns best relay the essence of their message and help us in digesting the meaning? The choir in Lutheran worship has always played a unique role. Throughout the centuries Lutheran choirs (sometimes referred to as Cantorei/Kantorei, a term related to Cantor/Kantor, the person responsible for a congregation s music) not only sang motets, cantatas and the like, but also provided choral versions of hymn stanzas in alternation with assembly singing. They led the singing of Psalms often again in alternation with those in the pew. Never considered performers, the choir s work was woven into the fabric of worship. The choir too, after all, are proclaimers of God s word. Another component in worship is the music without words the prelude, postlude and sometimes music during the offering. In planning worship, the real question is What type of prelude music will help prepare the worshiper to hear that which will be proclaimed? The prelude is rather like an overture to an opera or the opening music in a film. It sets the stage for that which is to come. Likewise, music that takes place as the service unfolds needs to be chosen carefully sometimes in an effort to reflect other times as a chance for a bit of lightness to break what might otherwise be monochromatic. Accompanying congregational singing is a true art and, perhaps, a Cantor s most important task. At his or her best, the organist/pianist does not lead but rather facilitates assembly song. When I give lectures and workshops for church musicians I use Matthias Grünewald s Isenheim altar piece as a visual example. On one of the panels John the Baptizer is seen pointing beyond himself to Jesus. Pointing beyond oneself to the hymn text, to the function of the hymn. That is the church musician s job: prepare the singers with an introduction, then nurture their singing with everything you have at hand organ registration, the way you articulate and phrase, the harmony you choose. 4 {continued on page 6}
faith formation Watching the children come forward during our children s word in worship is probably one of the most joy-filled moments of my week. Every Sunday the kids come up to sit with their pastors and we as a community come together to fulfill our baptismal promises. Those promises include creating a place to live among God s people, hear God s word, learn the Lord s Prayer, the Creed and the Ten Commandments, receive the Holy Scriptures and be nurtured in faith and prayer. And, as we fulfill these promises, our understanding is that God s children will learn to trust God, proclaim Christ through word and deed, care for others and the world God made, and work for justice and peace. By experiencing these baptismal promises, our life together as God s people becomes part of our DNA. In October, our 3-year-old, second and sixth graders received Bibles from you a milestone in their faith. We will continue to celebrate milestones including first communion and other faith markers throughout the year. There is much to be excited about and to look forward to and I am grateful for the opportunity to walk alongside God s children here at Central as we grow in faith together. Our Sunday school children have begun practicing for the Christmas pageant which is scheduled for December 11 at 9:45 a.m. This annual event is a highlight for the students and we are excited about our chance to bring the Christmas story to life. We hope you will plan to join us that morning for a time of celebration and tradition. January and February are retreat months at Central. The high school students will travel to Camp Amnicon on January 21 and 22. Family Camp is scheduled for January 28-29 at Camp Wapo. And, the confirmation students are going to Camp Chi Rho in Annandale on February 11. For information on any of these camp opportunities, please contact me. Adult Faith Formation continues on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sundays in January, we will explore the ways in which God is at work in the world listening to a variety of speakers. On Wednesday evenings, Pastor Peter will lead a Bible study on the Gospel of Matthew. There are great things happening here and a variety of ways to grow in faith. Please join us engage with us and explore the ways in which God is calling you. PASTOR STEPHANIE FRIESEN Christmas Pageant Dress Rehearsal December 10 Christmas Pageant December 11 High School Students to Camp Amnicon January 21-22 Family Camp at Camp Wapo January 28-29 Confirmation Students to Camp Chi Rho February 11 Wednesday Evening Bible Study with Pastor Peter This six week study that begins January 11 will look at the key moments in Matthew s Gospel. Reading Ahead: A Different Kind of Book Club Thursday, January 12, 1:30 p.m., fireside lounge In January we will be reading October 31, 1517: Martin Luther and the Day that Changed the World, by Martin Marty. David Olson will be the discussion leader. All readers welcome. 5
generosity The founders of Central Lutheran had a simple vision: the faith of the parents in the language of the children. In 1919 the question was, do we worship in Norwegian, the language of their immigrant faith, or in English, the language of this new place? Many congregations of that era struggled with this difficult decision. Language deeply informs faith. Language is how we relate to one another. Language, words themselves, have the power to create reality. PASTOR PETER NYCKLEMOE Dedication Worship December 10/11 This weekend will be dedicated to celebrating and dedicating the commitments received from all partners in ministry for the capital appeal. Year-End Giving Please have your gifts postmarked by December 31 to be credited for this year s taxes. Please note that the church office will close at noon on December 30 and will be closed New Year s Eve and New Year s Day. If you would like to give a stock gift, please contact Obie Holmen in the church office or at rholmen@centralmpls.org. Previous congregations that I have had the privilege to serve had this same decision in their history. In Anoka, Zion Lutheran almost did not make it as a congregation. They worshiped in Swedish until the early 1920s (the congregation was founded in 1870). Faced with a dwindling congregation they made the change to English and it sparked their renewal. Many of the saints whose names were on the banners this recent All Saints weekend were the children of those bold folks who embraced the change in the language used in worship, formation, as a community and in generosity. These saints passed on the faith to us. These saints built the education wing, the parish house and the south commons for the ministry and mission of the Gospel here at Central Lutheran. Every generation stands on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. We are blessed by their gifts. Every time I enter Central s beautiful sanctuary, I give thanks for those who financially empowered the building of this church, the stained glass windows, the magnificent organ and the bell tower. Now it is our turn. God calls us to lift the next generation up on our shoulders of faith. God has renewed our joy, and now calls us to renew this mission outpost in downtown Minneapolis. We respond with great generosity to both honor those who have blessed us and to give the next generation a faith home where they will explore the promise of God in their own language. Worship continued from page 4 Several years ago my dear friend Paul Westermeyer (Cantor Emeritus at Luther Seminary) was delegated the task of verbally wrapping up a large, week-long gathering of church musicians and worship leaders. In speaking about the worship experiences he touched on a 15 minute service of morning prayer for which I played. Paul s words were, perhaps, the greatest compliment I ve ever received: Sedio loved us into the song. This, too, is what it s all about. 6 In closing, I need to relay again what an absolute honor and joy it has been for me to have had the opportunity to serve our Central congregation now for 16 years. In many ways it is you who have loved me into the song your openness, willingness to try new things, your ability to smile and even laugh when times have been trying, your care for others and love for this congregation. Soli Deo Gloria!
community Among the people at Central who serve in the Community Mission Cluster, we can see the change of the seasons. The Garden Ministry Team have put the gardens to bed, and have started to get the evergreens in their places. The volunteers in the Free Store have gotten out the tubs of sweaters and the racks of coats and moved them to the shopping floor. The C3 Team has encouraged us to clean out our extra electronics to be recycled and people can have employment. We see signs of change all around us. We are excitedly imagining how our ministries will shape the new building and how the new facility will shape our ministries. And outside of our walls Hennepin County has changed their whole system of how people access and reserve spots to stay in the shelters. In order to begin a new thing in the Restoration Center, we stopped doing resource assistance in a transactional way. Beginning just after Thanksgiving, a new team of volunteers will begin meeting with people one-on-one who are looking for emergency rental assistance. This is a collaborative effort with the other 13 congregations of the Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness. It is a way to expand what we had been doing before so that we can both keep people in their homes and also get them more connected to the community that is formed here at Central. If you might be interested in serving in this way please contact me or Karen Knox. We are nearly done with our Homeless Advocacy Network pilot that meets Thursday mornings in the fireside lounge. There are 15 people meeting each week to build community organizing skills and tools in order that we might effect change in the systems and structures of privilege that oppress people experiencing homelessness. The group has decided they want to continue to meet after the pilot is complete and want to make public the minutes from their meetings and they want to grow in numbers. People in the group are looking for a new name for the group. As this ministry grows we will be looking for volunteers who are willing to help with hospitality for their meetings. Please let us know if you feel called to this ministry. The best thing about all this change is the ways we have been reminded that it is actually the Holy Spirit blowing through this place that brings change on her wings. It is us being blessed by an active God that doesn t ever give up on us, but instead is always moving through us. God shows up in the ways we care for one another and we care for God s good creation. Please join us in these many changes! PASTOR MELISSA POHLMAN Restoration Center The Restoration Center is a drop in center for people in downtown Minneapolis experiencing homelessness and poverty. Services include: resource assistance, employment services, clothing, meals, worship, Bible study, computer access, support groups, yoga, and more! The Augsburg Central Health Commons, which provides basic medical services, is a collaboration with Augsburg College. Free Store Hours Monday: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. to noon Thursday: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Donate Donations of clothing (especially men s), towels, sheets, small household items, jackets, hats, luggage, backpacks, new socks and underwear, as well as other items are needed. We always need paper bags with handles! Financial contributions are also appreciated. Donations may be brought to the main south entrance of the church anytime the campus is open. 7
CENTRAL LUTHERAN 333 South 12th Street Minneapolis, MN 55404 Presorted First-Class Mail U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 32349 Center Our Lives in Faith This publication follows the way God calls us to center our lives in faith. We center in worship, lifelong faith formation, community and generosity. Each of these mission areas invites us to ways we personally center as well as how we center as a congregation. By centering, by deep listening to God, by lives shaped by daily prayer and in the ancient ways congregations grow in love and care for all, we will explore the promise of God for all. Generosity Worship Exploring the promise of God for all Cover Photo This picture was taken during the candlelight singing of Silent Night at our Christmas Eve worship service last year. Community Lifelong Faith Formation Exploring the promise of God for all CENTRAL LUTHERAN 333 South 12th Street Minneapolis, MN 55404 612-870-4416 centralmpls.org CENTERING A quarterly publication of Central Lutheran. Questions or comments may be directed to the editor, Sara Masters at smasters@centralmpls.org Member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America www.elca.org and the Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness www.dceh.org