Marva Dawn in “Reaching Out without
Dumbing Down” suggests the possibility of different christs today when she
writes: “At the 1987 Vancouver World's Fair, the Christian pavilion's
presentation utilized glitzy double-reversed photography and flashing lasers.
When I tried to explain my qualms about the production to an attendant who had
asked me how I liked their ‘show,’ she protested that it had saved many people.
I asked, ‘Saved by what kind of Christ?’
“If people are saved by a spectacular Christ, will they find Him
in the fumbling of their own devotional life or in the humble services of local
parishes where pastors and organists make mistakes?
“Will a glitzy portrayal of Christ nurture in new believers His
character of willing suffering and sacrificial obedience? Will it create an
awareness of the idolatries of our age and lead to repentance?
“And does a flashy, hard-rock sound track bring people to a
Christ who calls us away from the world's superficiality to deeper reflection
and meditation?” [p. 50]
Faith is a fire in the heart.
There are very few who in their hearts
do not believe in God, but what they will not do is give Him exclusive right of
way. ... They are not ready to promise full allegiance to God alone.
Many a professing Christian is a stumbling-block because his
worship is divided. On Sunday he worships God; on weekdays God has little or no
place in his thoughts. I want people to place their faith in Jesus and motivate
them to live more obediently.
There is a fable about a man who lived
in the desert. He would wake up every morning and follow his shadow. So as the
sun moved across the sky from east to west the man essentially walked in a
large oval. At sundown he ended up where he had started.
This continued for years. The man walked in circles day after
day, following his shadow.
One night the man heard the voice of God in a dream while he
slept. The voice told him to stop following his shadow. Instead, "Follow
the sun," the voice challenged, "And you will experience life as you
have never dreamed it could be."
The man thought for many days about his vision of God while he
continued to walk around in circles in the desert. But one day he mustered up
enough courage to break away from his shadow. Little by little, step-by-step,
the man began to follow the sun. And he discovered a kingdom that was,
heretofore, way beyond his wildest dreams and imagination.
Ultimately, he became friends with the Son.
There was a little boy visiting his
grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the
woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a
little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.
As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of
impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed
it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic,
he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching! Sally
had seen it all, but she said nothing.
After lunch the next day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash
the dishes." But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to
help in the kitchen.” Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?” So
Johnny did the dishes.
Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go
fishing and Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make
supper." Sally just smiled and said, “Well that's all right because Johnny
told me he wanted to help." She whispered again, "Remember the
duck?" So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.
After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's,
he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that
he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt
down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was
standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I
forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of
you."
Thought for the day and every day thereafter: Whatever is in
your past, whatever you have done and the devil keeps throwing it up in your
face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.)
whatever it is...you need to know that God was standing at the window and He
saw the whole thing. He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He
loves you and that you are forgiven. By faith, that forgiveness is yours. He's just wondering how long you will let
the devil make a slave of you.
Some years ago on a hot summer day in
South Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole
behind his house. In a hurry to dive
into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and
shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward
the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.
His mother, in the house, was looking out the window and saw the
two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the
water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little
boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the
alligator reached him.
From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms
just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war
between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the
mother was much too passionate to let go.
A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his
truck, took aim and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in
the hospital, the little boy survived.
His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the
animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails
dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.
The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the
trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And
then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I
have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go."
You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too.
No, not from an alligator or anything quite so dramatic, but the scars of a
painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret.
But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the
midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.
There was a certain bishop, in the
horse and buggy days, who had two horses named Pride and Prejudice. He said on
one occasion that people thought it was awful that a bishop should be drawn
hither and thither by Pride and Prejudice, but he reassured them that it was a
wonderful thing that a Bishop would have Pride and Prejudice under control.
That's a wonderful thing for any of us. It is the test of our
manhood and womanhood that we are able to deny ourselves. The world says that
to be a real man or a real woman we must give in to sin, but that's absurd. Any
creature can give in to natural impulses.
One of the most dramatic and
world-renowned shifts from "I" to God is the conversion of C. S.
Lewis. This little man, who held the chair of medieval and Renaissance
Literature at Cambridge, sat in his study without typewriter or secretary and
penned the great masterpieces which made him perhaps the most broadly-read
Christian writer of our century.
C. S. Lewis was an agnostic, but was Surprised By Joy--the title
of a book in which he tells about "The Shape of My Early Life" as
Christ replaced the "I" in his life.
C. S. Lewis describes the exchange between self-will and God's
will in Beyond Personality (and his words are a challenge to you and to me):
"Christ says, 'Give me all. I don't want so much of your money and so much
of your work--I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to
kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here
and there; I want to have the whole tree down. I don't want to drill the tooth,
or crown it, stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self instead.
In fact I will give you Myself, My own will shall become yours.’”
Many years ago, while watching a little TV on Sunday instead of
going to church, I watched a Church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior
pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 at that time and I wondered
why the church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to preach at that age.
After a warm welcome, introduction
of this speaker, and as the applause quieted down, he rose from his high-back
chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait to the
podium. Without a note or written paper
of any kind, he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then
quietly and slowly he began to speak:
"When I was asked to come here
today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest
lesson ever learned in my 50 odd years of preaching. I thought about it
for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most
difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one
thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear
and sorrow paralyzed me...the only thing that would comfort was this:
"Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him
belong,
They are weak
but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves
me...
The Bible tells
me so."
When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his footsteps as he shuffled back to his
chair. I don't believe I will ever forget it.
A pastor once stated, "I always noticed that it was the
adults who chose the children's hymn 'Jesus Loves Me' (for the children, of
course) during a hymn sing, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because
I could see they knew it the best."
Here is a new version just for us
who have white hair, or no hair at all. For us over
middle age (or even those almost there.)
Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair
is white as snow.
Though my sight
is growing dim,
Still He bids me
trust in Him.
(chorus)
Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in
His I'll go
On through life,
let come what may,
He'll be there
to lead the way.
(chorus)
Though I am no longer young,
I have much
which He's begun.
Let me serve
Christ with a smile,
Go with others
the extra mile.
(chorus)
When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He
puts a song.
Telling me in
words so clear,
"Have no
fear, for I am near."
(chorus)
When my work on earth is done,
And life's
victories have been won.
He will take me
home above,
Then I'll
understand His love
(chorus)
I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told
Him so?
Jesus loves to
hear me say,
That I love Him
every day.
(chorus)
· Antigua is an island that is 8 by 13 miles across with a
population of 70,000. It became an independent nation in 1981. Antigua’s claim
to fame is that it has 365 beaches – “One for every day of the year.”
· Our congregation in Antigua became formally organized in 1973.
· Present membership is 350 communicants and 650 souls.
· Membership not only includes Antiguans but also people from;
Guyana, Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada, St. Vincent, Dominica, Montserrat, St.
Kitts, Dominican Republic, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Syria and the United
States.
· Our Lutheran school began in 1974 and has an enrollment of 190
students in Pre-School and Primary School (K-grade 6).
· 8 of our 9 teachers in our Lutheran school and pre-school are
Antiguans.
· Antiguan Staff Minister Jacqui Phoenix helps to coordinate many
music activities.
· Other organizations in our congregation include; Mission Lights
(woman’s group), Lutheran Youth for Christ, Adult Choir, King’s Kids
(children’s choir), Adult Steel Pan, and 2 Children’s Steel Pan groups.
· Full time work among our Spanish population (approximately
8,000) began in 1998. An average of 40
people attend Spanish worship every Sunday.
· Our Caribbean Christian Training Institute (CCTI) serves to
train future Caribbean church workers.
Church Information
Name of Mission: St. John’s Ev. Lutheran
Church
Reason name was
chosen: St. John’s is the name of the town the
church is located in
Pastors’
names: Joshua Sternhagen, Andrew Johnston, and one vacancy
Worship: 8:30 and 11:00am
English services with Sunday School/Bible Class in between
9:45 Spanish
service, 11:00am Spanish Sunday School/Bible Class
Average attendance
- 325
Community
Information
Population of
Antigua: 70,000
Population of St.
John’s: 35,000
Official Language: English
Main Industry: Tourism
Weather: 75-85 degrees year round.
Hurricane season is June – December. Dry season is from January – June.
People: Antiguans are
descendants of African slaves.
Ex-Patriot
Staff Information
Pastor Joshua
Sternhagen has served in Antigua for 6 years
Wife – Kristin
Children – Hannah
(5), Isaac (3), Rachel (8 months)
Pastor Andrew
Johnston just arrived in Antigua in July 2006
Wife – Cindy
Children – Baby
due January 2007
Teacher E. John
Fredrich
Wife – Alex
Children – Sean
(6), Eleora (4 months)
I almost dropped the phone at the
staggering news: Manual Chanchari, the Amazon chief who had opened his
tribal village to our Gospel message just last year, was dead. Murdered.
The reason for his assassination leaped into my mind faster then the words came
from Pastor Ronal’s mouth: Chanchari practiced witchcraft. He was a
full-blown, magica blanca, magica negra (white magic, black magic) Amazon
jungle shaman. His deadly practice had caught up with him.
Tragically, it apparently killed him before saving faith had taken root in his
heart. Even a shaman could be brought back from evil into the saving
light of Christ. For Manual, it was now too late.
Our four native students at the Tarapoto Bible Institute last
week had all come to that same conclusion. None of them held out any hope
for Manual. He was now with the demons in hell. Everyone in class,
including Ronal and me genuinely liked Manual. Of course, we were unaware
of how extensively he practiced witchcraft. It is not uncommon for
village chiefs to be involved in the supernatural. It often goes with the
office. However, our Pelejo member, jungle guide Jose, knew that Manual’s
involvement in the demonic ran deep. The reason: Santa Rosa is the
nearest Chayahuita village to the river town of Papaplaya. When the
superstitious mestizos of Papaplaya desire supernatural assistance for cures,
spells, and (most of all) curses on troublesome neighbors or enemies, they often
turn to the closest jungle natives. The natives are considered the
experts on accessing spirit powers for potent, effective witchcraft.
Paddling his dugout over to Papaplaya, Manuel built up quite a business as an
authentic native shaman-for-hire.
As Maravi and Eloy explained around the classroom table,
Chanchari would have passed through all the traditional jungle shaman training.
Plus, he would have gone off on once-a-year “retreats” to renew his
contact/access to an otherworldly spirit. With bags of dried exotic
plants and tobacco, a shaman takes an annual walk deep into the jungle where he
remains in complete isolation for 1 to 6 months. The shaman’s
objective: Metaphysically cross over to the other world and make contact
with a powerful spirit. Supposedly, if the shaman’s secret dark rituals
summon forth a spirit, the spirit is then bound to the shaman and required to
do his bidding. This link or pact with a spirit means the shaman can
access supernatural powers. A profitable practice of spells, healings,
and curses is possible for another year.
It is this ability to contact a spirit that makes the shaman
unique in his culture. The more powerful the shaman’s ritual and greater
his natural gift, the more powerful the spirit that responds to his
summons. In order for the shaman to “cross over” to the spirit world, he
places himself in an altered mental state. This is achieved through
ingesting a secret, magical mixture of the exotic dried plants, including the
hallucinogenic Ayahuasca. (Other shamanic brews involving tobacco tea and
phlegm, accompanied by regurgitation practices, is simply too gross to
describe.)
In the middle of a “spirit summoning night,” the shaman consumes
bowl after bowl after bowl of the drug-like concoctions. No doubt an
altered state is achieved. After an unknown amount of time passes, the shaman
detects an eerie rustling of the wind or an unearthly whistling sound.
Some describe it as the sound of the wings of a large bird flying right
overhead, except there is no large bird in the air. Others say it sounds like a
small invisible animal skittering on the jungle floor round and round the
shaman. Whatever the sound, it indicates that a spirit has indeed
arrived. The shaman’s dark ritual has penetrated into the spirit
world. The shaman will be supernaturally powered once again.
Such practices are
of course as shameful, diabolical, and abhorrent as anything a Christian could
imagine. It is all absolutely repugnant to God, who has promised to deal
severely with witchcraft practitioners. A shaman is nothing less than a
willing agent of the Devil. The shaman is equipped to demonstrate what
the Bible calls the Devil’s lying signs and wonders. The evil shaman works
the villages as a demon-driven gun-for-hire. Woe to anyone who foolishly
requests his services.
Year after year, Manual went about plying his dark trade.
Apparently he was a well-known figure in Papaplaya, where his diminutive size
and striking native features cut a distinct profile. Upon entering the
town one night, Manual was approached by two frantic parents who quickly led
him off to their home. Their son lay in bed with a grave illness that was
worsening by the day. The parents urgently pleaded with the shaman for a
diagnosis: Would their son live or die?
Manual took the motionless boy’s arm in his hands, in much the
same way we check for a pulse, and went into deep concentration. It
didn’t take long. With his supposed supernatural abilities and his spirit
contact, the shaman quickly assessed the boy’s condition. However, at
that moment, Manual would make a truly fatal mistake. What happened next
would be whispered in a flash throughout every corner of the village:
In agonizing suspense, the parents held their breath as the
shaman turned to announce his conclusion. Manual looked directly at the
father. A feint smile crept across Manual’s face as he told the
dad: “You better go out and buy the wood for your boy’s coffin.”
And for that, everyone in the village would quickly arrive at
their own conclusion: Only a devil would smile while announcing such calamitous
news.
That the sick young man died within days, just as Manual
divined, came as no surprise to the villagers. Manual’s abilities were
legendary. But it was now all too dangerous: The shaman’s touch,
the smile… downright diabolical, simply in too deep with the Devil. The
following week, Manual, accompanied by his little son, was back in
Papaplaya. Strangely, no one in town was in need of his shamanic services
that evening. After walking around the village a bit, Manual had nothing
to do, so he decided to head back home.
Now, no one knows exactly who the two men with shotguns were,
the ones that had quickly snuck out in the dark and waited in the dense river
vegetation for Manual and his little son to paddle by: Distraught
relatives of the dead boy? Villagers on an (honest-to-goodness)
witchhunt? Or, let me put it this way: No one in the entire town
will ever say who they were. Nor, for that matter, will the local police
(a superstitious lot themselves) ever investigate the event. The police
feel “this type of incident” is simply how a community deals with witchcraft
gone awry, with shamans who have gotten in too deep in their relationship with
the Devil.
As Manual and his little boy passed by in their canoe just
outside of town, a shot rang out. Manual was hit directly in the face
with a shotgun blast. The second shot hit him square in the back.
The shaman toppled over and fell into the water. His little boy also fell
into the water but quickly swam to shore. (He was never a target.)
The frantic little boy ran for hours through the jungle to the Chayahuita
village with the news. The natives of Santa Rosa immediately ran for
Manual. They pulled the body of their chief out of the river and carried it
back to the village.
Such was the tale told last month at our Bible Institute class.
Oh yes, one final bizarre detail: Strangely, our jungle guide and
evangelism team member, Jose, actually saw Manual in Papaplaya that final night
of his life. Manual knew Jose from our visits to Santa Rosa. As
Manual was about to get into his dugout with his child, he turned to Jose and
asked, “When is Pastor Terry coming back to Santa Rosa?” Apparently, it
was the last words Manual ever had with anyone beyond his little boy.
Gut-wrenching indeed. We don’t get to visit with Manual again. He
has no more chances to learn of the love of his Savior Jesus. Manual is
paying an unfathomable price for having chosen to remain in his dark
practice.
We fervently pray that the new chief of Santa Rosa, when they
eventually select one, will permit us to enter with the Gospel. God help
us, before anyone else devoted to witchcraft, practitioner or client, dies and
is transported to hell in an instant.
Several years ago I saw two Mormon
missionaries approach a professor on the Northrup Mall at the University of
Minnesota. Before the two young people
could open their mouths, the professor began yelling, “Get away from me!” at
the top of his voice. Watching from a
distance I was hypnotized by the hot treatment the Mormons were getting.
Reflecting upon it later I realized that the professor would likely have done
the same if two Christians had approached.
Many people in America are hostile toward religion. This is especially true with
intellectuals. Educated people often
have had religion talked out of them.
If they see you coming with a Bible they start running the opposite
direction. They see the Bible as
something totally out-of-date and irrelevant.
In China it is quite different.
It is true that from early on people are told the Bible is a book of
superstition and fairy tales. They are
told that the here-and-now is the only reality that exists. Most people have never even laid eyes on a
Bible, much less read one. Yet in spite
of all that, many people are curious about the Bible and Christianity.
Our experience has shown us that starting a Bible study in China
is ridiculously easy. “Hi, my name is
John Smith. Would you like to be in my
Bible study tonight?” Answer: “OK.
Could I bring some of my friends along?”
I am exaggerating… slightly… but it really is not much more
difficult than that! Our teachers discover
they are not in Minnesota anymore.
On August 21 and 22, we sent 26 teachers to China. They will teach English at schools in
Beijing and four other cities. Some are
recent college graduates; others are older.
By day they will work in public schools; by night they will witness
their faith and lead Bible studies.
Please keep them in your prayers as they begin their work. Pray for God’s protection and God’s
blessing. Pray for the Spirit’s
boldness.
Friends of China – USA is not a synod program. We receive no funding from the Wisconsin
Synod. Foreign church bodies are not
allowed to work in China. However, we
are listed in the WELS Synod Yearbook.
We are a group of WELS people dedicated to spreading the Gospel of Jesus
Christ in Mainland China. God has
opened many doors for us. By God’s
grace we can reach souls hungering and thirsting for righteousness that beg to
be filled.
Thanks to individuals like you, we do what we do. People like you support us with your prayers
and offerings. Thank you for your help!
Evangelism is easier in China than in Minnesota.
Our ultimate goal is to be together in heaven. Help us to help others as we journey to
Paradise together.
Throughout the month of October, our
Sunday worship services will focus on the theme: “Hymns of Faith: born in pain,
vibrantly alive with hope.”
We pray that through these special worship services, you will
not only come to appreciate more the beautiful hymns that have been passed on
to us, but that you’ll also be drawn into a deeper relationship with Jesus.
This might be a good time to invite friends and relatives to
attend worship with you at Mt. Olive.
Our Sunday Morning Bible Classes for
the month of October will follow the same theme as our worship services, and
will take us on a meaningful tour of well-known hymns. There will also be a weekly video
presentation. Please join us!
All Small Group Bible Studies are now
again is session. Surely there is one
just for you! Please attend one this
week if you are not yet a part of any group.
Classes include:
“Cross-Eyed Warriors”
“Beautiful Feet”
“More Than Rubies”
“God For Us”
“Explorers of the Word”
“Women in the Word”
All members and friends of the
congregation are invited to attend the 85th anniversary of the Mt. Olive
Women’s Guild on Thursday, October 5, 2006.
It will begin with a light supper served at 6:30pm, followed by an
anniversary service and program featuring Karl Mueller at the piano. An offering to defray the cost of the food
will be taken at the table with the excess to be sent to MLC to be given for
needy student's tuition.
Also, this will be an opportunity for Guild members to give
their annual donation to be used for the Guild work and its charities. Please join us!
Registrations
for the Sunday, October 8th Dinner Cruise on the St. Croix River,
sponsored by Christian Life Ministries, must be in very soon! (See your September Olive Branch for a
registration form.) If you’d like a
ride to and from the Afton House Inn where the cruise begins and ends, please
talk with Pastor Henkel.
King of Grace Lutheran Church in Golden Valley invites you to
come to the fourth annual Confessional Christian Worldview Seminar, to be held
October 19-21. This is a unique seminar, helping Christians understand how
popular cultural and religious trends conflict with the Biblical worldview and
the Lutheran Confessions.
This year
they have six of the best minds in Lutheranism from throughout the country
presenting on a variety of topics. Speakers include:
Prof John Brenner (WELS)
Rev. Edward Bryant (ELS)
Prof Lyle Lange (WELS)
Dr. David N. Menton (CLC)
Attorney Craig Parton (WELS)
Dr. Steven L. Reagles (ELS)
We hope you can attend and enjoy the company of other
like-minded Christians. Pick up a
registration form at church.
It all started with a walk to the
Dairy Queen!
It continued with the engagement and upcoming wedding of Keri
Henkel and Kevin Stifter.
Please join us in showering Keri with love, gifts, and God’s
blessings.
When: Sunday, Oct. 22nd
Mt. Olive Lutheran Church Fireside Room
Please RSVP by e-mailing Linda Petersen at lkp@cnaengineers.com
or signing the sheet posted in the narthex at church.
The showering of gifts will be followed by a light lunch.
(Keri and Kevin are registered at
Target.)
This year’s Kraut and Rib Supper has
been set for Saturday, October 28.
In order to make it easier for the
kitchen committee to purchase and prepare the proper amount of food, we are
asking for reservations. If you are not sure, but you think you just, might,
maybe be coming, then sign up. If you know for sure you’re coming, sign up. If
you know for sure you are not coming, don’t do anything. It’s that simple. We
will have sign-up sheets in the Fellowship Hall and also in the narthex. Or, if
you’re a computer-geek, just e-mail Linda or Pam at lkp@cnaengineers.com or folke002@umn.edu.
Entertainment for the evening is pending. We loved our accordion
music last year, so if you read this George, we’d love to have you play again.
Just let Pam or Linda know if you’re willing. It might be nice to mix things up
a little this year too, and perhaps a male kitchen (or workshop) band would be
in order. Do we have any fun-loving gentlemen out there who would be willing to
take this on? We might be able to offer a woman bandleader if you desire.
Mark October 28th on your calendar now. We will plan to start
serving around 5:30 p.m. You do not want to miss this fun and food-filled
evening. The menu will include: kraut and ribs; boiled potatoes; gravy; green
beans; relishes; rolls, and carrot cake for dessert.
In conjunction with our supper, we will be holding a fundraiser
for the food shelf. Thrivent will match donations for the supper up to $600.00.
All proceeds from the meal (after expenses) will go to the food shelf, along
with these matching funds. Let’s make this Thanksgiving special for Twin Cities
Area residents and share our good fortunes.
Pam Folkens & Linda Petersen, Kraut/Rib Supper Kitchen
Chairs
P.S. Did I mention that once again the sauerkraut will be
homemade [from scratch!]? That’s right, from cabbage to kraut – made by hand by
Jean and Harold Brown. If you attended last year’s supper, you know how great
this kraut is. You really don’t want to miss it!!!!
Sunday, October 22, 2006, is the date
for Mt. Olive’s Fall Friendship Sunday.
On that Sunday, we encourage all our members to invite friends,
relatives, acquaintances, and neighbors to join them for the 9:00am worship
service, the fellowship hour that follows, and, if possible, even the 10:30am Bible
class.
Since we’ll be focusing on “Hymns of Faith: born in pain,
vibrantly alive with hope,” during the month of October, this special
Friendship Sunday will also continue that theme.
Please show someone you really care about them – and their
eternity – by inviting them to join you here at Mt. Olive on Sunday, October 22nd.
Someone gave me this little “Thought
for Today.” I pass it on to you with
the thought that you may want to share it with someone that you are inviting on
Friendship Sunday:
“I would rather live my life as if
there is a God, and to die and find out there isn’t – than live my life as if
there isn’t, and die to find out there is.”
You are invited – and urged – to join with others in the Fireside
Room before worship each Sunday morning as we pray for our church’s ministry,
our members, and other requests. Bring
your prayer requests or simply join us!
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of
prayers and requests," Ephesians 6:18.
The pension protection act of 2006 has
made some changes in charitable giving substantiation requirements. For those
taxpayers who itemize deductions on their tax returns, a deduction will not be
allowed for a charitable contribution unless the donor substantiates the
contribution by a canceled check, bank record or a receipt from the church,
showing the name of the donee the date of the contribution and the amount of
the contribution.
What this means in practice, is that church members will not be
able to take a tax deduction, for the "loose plate" contributions of
cash. Contributions of cash should either be put into the envelope, or
contributors should write a check.
Professor Mark Paustian of Martin
Luther College, New Ulm, MN will be speaking here at Mt. Olive on November 3,
4, and 5, 2006, for our Fourth Annual Reformation Renewal Weekend. He will be speaking on listening
skills and how to talk to others about our faith.
Professor
Paustian will talk about how to use Gospel narratives to communicate with
people, and how a Christian should understand a person before trying to
communicate with him or her.
Paustian is the author of two books
on narrative witnessing, Prepared to Answer, and More
Prepared to Answer.
Born
in La Crosse, WI raised in Watertown, WI he graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran
Seminary in 1988. He was a former parish pastor in Rockford, Illinois. He
currently teaches Old Testament Hebrew and interpersonal communications at
Martin Luther College in New Ulm. He is married and has two daughters nine and
12.
Hours and times of speaking:
Friday evening (Nov. 3)
7:00 to 8:30pm:
”Gospel Narratives”
(includes time for discussion, questions and snacks)
Saturday (November 4)
10:00am to 12 noon
”How a Christian Can Communicate with People”
(includes time for questions, followed by lunch at noon)
Sunday (November 5)
9:00 AM Worship service Prof. Paustian preaching “Prepared to
Answer”
Sunday (November
5)
10:30 to 11:45am
”How You Can Make It Work”
(questions and answers – followed by a potluck dinner)
Do join us! There is no charge, but a freewill offering
will be taken to help cover our expenses.
Divinity Lutheran Church, 1655 E Cottage Ave, St. Paul, is
hosting a Men’s Rally on Saturday, October 28th, with registration
beginning at 8:00am. Speakers include
Pastor Mark Henke, Appleton, WI and Professor Mark Lenz, New Ulm, MN.
Warning, men! You may experience a monumental movement of
enthusiasm and encouragement for Christ.
“A real man is someone who loves
unconditionally, who loves his wife, who loves God, and who is a servant
leader.”
Cost for the day is $40.00. Registration brochures are available in our
church narthex, or you may register online at www.divinitylutheran.org
Mt. Olive Altar Guild, which once numbered a dozen members, is
now down to four year-round members. We
need to regroup – and to grow. The
service the Altar Guild offers out of love to the Lord and to our congregation
is invaluable. We do need to get back
on track. Please speak with Pastor
Henkel or one of the Guild members, and consider joining the Altar Guild. Thank you!
A reminder: Please sign the
Friendship Register in your pew each Sunday morning. Greet those sitting near you, in front of you, and behind you.
If you attend the Lord’s Supper, please check the appropriate
box in the Friendship Register.
(Note: The Lord’s Supper is celebrated at the altar and communion
rail on the first Sunday of each month (both common cup and individual cup),
and down at the front pew on the third Sunday of each month (individual cup
only).
The Cantabile Singers will be singing
here at Mt. Olive on Sunday, November 19th, for our 9:00am worship
service.
Mark Sauer from Mt. Olive is a member of the Cantabile Singers.
The Cantabile Singers is a chamber choral ensemble with a
mission to “sing praises to the Lord with joyful enthusiasm and sincere
reverence, and thus serve the Lord through music.”
Our Sunday school year is underway and
things are going well. We are using new teaching materials that offer a fresh
approach to our lessons. We are also studying from both the Old and New Testaments
this year.
We are using the team teaching approach with at least two
teachers for each grade level. We are blessed with two teachers with many years
of experience in the field of teaching. They have retired from full time
teaching and are using their gifts in our Sunday School program. The others on
our staff are experienced Sunday School teachers, which is another blessing
from the Lord. They are all eager to bring the Word to the children of Mt.
Olive and the community.
We will be singing in church again this year. Our first time to
sing will be Reformation Renewal Weekend on Nov.5th. Parents, please plan to be
in town for this special service so that your children can offer praises to our
Lord.
Our mission for the
year is Antigua. We have a direct connection to this mission through E. John
Fredrich, Alex, Sean and Eleora. We receive regular emails from them and
pictures of their work in Antigua. The large bulletin board in the Education
Wing has pictures and information about Antigua. It will be updated on a
regular basis so check it out.
Please keep our Sunday School children and their families in
your prayers. You are welcome to visit any time.
Linda Henkel, superintendent
Are you faced with decisions that are
difficult to make? Do you lose sleep over the stresses of life and the daily
grind? Are you worried about your children and the pressures facing them
everyday? Well, have we have a Bible
study for you!!
INDECISION/CERTAINTY is the Bible
study that Women in the Word will begin on October 26th. We will
look at Sarah's Struggles, the Widow of Zarephath Wavers, Jeremiah's Indecision
and God's Answer to Indecision. On the Certainty side of the study we see
David's Certainty in His God, God's Active Presence for Jochebed, God, Dorcus,
and Me as well as Certainty in "Omni-God".
All women of the conger-gation and their friends are invited to
come for this study which meets ONCE A MONTH on the 4th Thursday for an hour.
Our first session on this topic will be on October 26th, beginning
at 7:00pm. We always have the teakettle on for tea or hot chocolate and enjoy a
little "nosh" while learning what God has to say about our topic.
Please join us as we study together to find answers in God's
Word.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her
life and how things were so hard for her. She was tired of fighting and
struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother
took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a
high fire. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and
in the last, ground coffee beans.
In about
twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and
placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then
she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Then she said, "Tell
me, what do you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," her daughter
replied.
Next, the
mother asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.
The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling
off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the
daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich flavor. "So,
what does it mean, mother?" she asked.
Her mother explained that e