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The Olive Branch September 2003 Lesson From A Rosebud
A young, new preacher was walking with an older, more seasoned preacher the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice. The older preacher walked up to a rose bush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing any of the petals.
The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry. But, because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try and unfold the rosebud while keeping every petal intact. It wasn't long before he realized how impossible this was to do.
Noticing the young preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem:
It is only a tiny rosebud, A flower of God's design; But I cannot unfold the petals With these clumsy hands of mine.
The secret of unfolding flowers Is not known to such as I. GOD opens this flower so sweetly, Then, in my hands, they die.
If I cannot unfold a rosebud, The flower of God's design, Then how can I have the wisdom To unfold this life of mine?
So, I'll trust in Him for leading Each moment of my day. I will look to Him for His guidance Each step of the Pilgrim's way.
The pathway that lies before me Only my Heavenly Father knows. I'll trust Him to unfold the moments, Just as He unfolds the rose.
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Danger From A Loose Cannon
Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel the Hunchback of Notre Dame, also wrote a story called "Ninety-Three." It tells of a ship caught in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck. They knew at once that this new noise came from a cannon, part of the ship's cargo, that had broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship, crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact. Knowing that it could cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous attempt to retie the loose cannon. They knew the danger of a shipwreck from the cannon was greater than the fury of the storm.
That is like human life. Storms of life may blow about us, but it is not these exterior storms that pose the gravest danger. It is the terrible corruption that can exist within us which can overwhelm us. The furious storm outside may be overwhelming but what is going on inside can pose the greater threat to our lives. Our only hope lies in conquering that wild enemy.
Unfortunately storms that rage within us cannot be cured by ourselves. It takes the power of God's love, as revealed in Jesus Christ. He is our only hope of stilling the tempest that can harm our souls and cripple our lives.
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Public Pressure
One of my favorite stories is The Emperor's New Clothes. It is the tale about an Emperor who was swindled by a supposed tailor. The man claims to sew a new, special suit for the Emperor. It is special because only those who are wise will see the clothes, while those who are foolish will find them invisible.
Not wanting to be labeled a fool, the Emperor pretends he can see the suit, pretends to put it on, and then proceeds to walk around the castle in his underwear. Not wanting to be considered fools, all his advisors and servants pretend to be able to see the clothes as well and comment on how beautiful they are.
As the Emperor leads a parade through the city, his loyal subjects "ah" and "oh" over clothing they cannot see. Everyone is lying, because they are afraid to tell the truth. If they admit they see the Emperor in his underwear, they will certainly be ridiculed by all their neighbors.
But, finally, one young boy exposes the deception. He blurts out that the Emperor is not wearing any clothes and his words encourage others to speak the truth as well.
Dan Erickson,
Now You Know Why
During his years as premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev denounced many of the policies and atrocities of Joseph Stalin. Once, as he censured Stalin in a public meeting, Khrushchev was interrupted by a shout from a heckler in the audience. "You were one of Stalin's colleagues. Why didn't you stop him?" "Who said that?" roared Khrushchev. An agonizing silence followed as nobody in the room dared move a muscle. Then Khrushchev replied quietly, "Now you know why."
Fear has a way of paralyzing us.
Today in the Word
No Turning Back
When Julius Caesar landed on the shores of Britain with his Roman legions, he took a bold and decisive step to ensure the success of his military venture. Ordering his men to march to the edge of the Cliffs of Dover, he commanded them to look down at the water below. To their amazement, they saw every ship in which they had crossed the channel engulfed in flames. Caesar had deliberately cut off any possibility of retreat.
Now that his soldiers were unable to return to the continent, there was nothing left for them to do but to advance and conquer! And that is exactly what they did.
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You Must Choose One Chair
"When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song," tenor Luciano Pavarotti relates. "He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teachers college.
On graduating, I asked my father, 'Shall I be a teacher or a singer?' "'Luciano,' my father replied, 'if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair.'
"I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance. It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think whether it's laying bricks, writing a book--whatever we choose--we should give ourselves to it. Commitment, that's the key. Choose one chair."
Guideposts
We Can't Afford It
William Easum is a church leader who has dedicated his life work to helping churches thrive and engage in real mission. He thinks we ought to deal with things that get in the way of fullness of God and mission.
Easum wrote a book called "Sacred Cows Make Gourmet Burgers". The title says a lot! He begins the book's first chapter with this statement, "Established churches worship at the feet of the sacred cow of CONTROL."
Personally, one of the most often used controlling statements I've heard over the years in any church I've served is, "We can't afford it." That is merely the echo of Philip the disciple, who told Jesus there simply wasn't enough money to buy food for all those people. We don't have enough money. Or, there isn't leadership potential. Or, we’re just ordinary folks. Or, we can't do it. Or, we like things just the way they are. Leave us alone!
I think that's what we really mean whenever we say, "We can't afford it".
Rev. David G. Mullen
We Need Bread, But...
Remember the old legend about the lighthouse keeper who knew that there were poor people living nearby, in hovels, who were cold at night because they couldn't afford oil for their heaters He pitied them greatly, so he doled out to them the oil that was meant to keep the light lit. The people were a little warmer for a while, but the great light eventually went out, and, as the result, there was a shipwreck, and hundreds died. It is a good parable to illustrate how we can be so concerned to meet people's immediate needs that we neglect their larger needs.
We need oil to keep us warm, but we also need a light to show us the way. We need bread, but we also need the Word of God.
Rev. William R. Boyer
Sorry, Wrong Plane 2 During one of the busiest times at Houston's Hobby Airport, a flight was delayed due to a mechanical problem. Since they needed the gate for another flight, the aircraft was backed away from the gate while the maintenance crew worked on it. The passengers were then told the new gate number, which was some distance away. Everyone moved to the new gate, only to find that a third gate had been designated.
After some further shuffling, everyone got on board. As they were settling in, the flight attendant made the standard announcement, "We apologize for the inconvenience of this last-minute gate change. This flight is going to Washington, D.C. If your destination is not Washington, D.C., then you should 'deplane' at this time."
A very confused-looking and red-faced pilot emerged from the cockpit, carrying his bags. "Sorry," he said, "wrong plane."
What happens when the pilot does not know where he is headed? 2 There are people today who are very confused because they have looked to the wrong persons to help them find the meaning they seek. There are hundreds of religions in today's world. New ones are born every year. Many people are blindly accepting strange theologies - theologies that will not help them find the life that Jesus offers to you and me. 2 author unknown
I Am a Christian
When
I say... "I am a Christian"
When I say..."I
am a Christian"
When I say... "I
am a Christian"
When I say... "I
am a Christian"
When I say... "I
am a Christian"
My flaws are far
too visible
When I say... "I
am a Christian"
When I say... "I
am a Christian"
- received via email
You Find What You’re Looking For
There are two birds that fly over our nation’s deserts: One is the hummingbird and the other is the vulture. The vultures find the rotting meat of the desert, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet.
But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants.
The vultures live on what was. They live on the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life. They fill themselves with freshness and life. Each bird finds what it is looking for.
We all do.
In life, there are two birds. The one bird looks for foolishness and stupidity, the other looks for wisdom. The vultures seek to fill themselves with the rotting flesh of drunkenness and debauchery, the hummingbird sobriety, freshness, and the Spirit.
In the desert of this world you have your scavengers who are angry and ungrateful, but you also have those who hum a grateful hymn of thanksgiving. The irony is that you find what you are looking for.
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Afraid To Die?
The story is told of old Bishop Warren Chandler. As he lay on his deathbed, a friend inquired as to whether or not he was afraid. "Please tell me frankly," he said, "do you fear crossing over the river of death?" "Why," replied Chandler, " I belong to a father who owns the land on both sides of the river."
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I Shall Be Alive When You Are Gone
Thinking of the fullness and duration of this wonderful life, W. B. Hinson, a preacher of a past generation, spoke from his own experience just before he died.
He said, "I remember a year ago when a doctor told me, 'You have an illness from which you won't recover.'
I walked out to where I live, 5 miles from Portland, Oregon, and I looked across at that mountain that I love. I looked at the river in which I rejoice, and I looked at the stately trees that are always God's own poetry to my soul. Then in the evening I looked up into the great sky where God was lighting His lamps, and I said, 'I may not see you many more times, but Mountain, I shall be alive when you are gone; and River, I shall be alive when you cease running toward the sea; and Stars, I shall be alive when you have fallen from your sockets in the great down pulling of the material universe!'"
W.B. Hinson
Jungle JournalMissionary Terry Schultz, Lima, Peru
The short-wave radiophone went dead, and Vicar Ronal’s long awaited, late-by-a-month contact with Amazon tribal chief Basha was cut off. This was a crushing development. For Basha had traveled four days by dugout canoe to get to a port town with a radio phone, and spent his little hard-earned money to make the call. Plus, Ronal had no way to call Basha back! Ronal’s and my much-anticipated visit to Basha’s village of Viejo Limon Cocha appeared to be impossible.
Friends, you may recall that our first visit to Viejo Limon Cocha last year was the subject of three Journal dispatches and a 4-part series in the Sentinel. Since that first visit, Basha, along with several tribal leaders and their wives and children had traveled 3 times to our Tarapoto Bilingual Bible Institute for church leader training! They have been wonderful, willing students, and we are convinced that the Holy Spirit has worked faith in their hearts. What an enormous joy for all of us! And during each of their classes, they have pleaded with us to visit their village again. They said there were old folks and young people alike, anxious to hear our Bible stories and message of Jesus. There were children and adults to baptize! “When will you be coming?” they would always ask.
However, a visit by Ronal and me to Viejo Limon Cocha, would be more than a little complicated. The 4-day trip, including two long days on the rivers by motorboat, is certainly do-able. (It takes the natives 10 days to travel to us in Tarapoto.) The real difficulty for us: The need to pass through the territory of the enemy Condoshi tribe to get to Basha’s Shapra tribal village. All the territory this deep in the Amazon is by law under the authority of the indigenous tribes. One will never find the Peruvian National Police, or for that matter any other national authority going in there. According to the native’s regulations, one is not allowed to travel in native territory unless accompanied by a tribal chief from the area. And that was our whole problem: With no means of contacting Basha, how could we coordinate a trip to his village?
Meanwhile, souls of young and old alike, hungry to hear our Gospel message, were dying. We were confident that Basha and the Elders were doing their best. Yet, we were anxious to go and teach and to verify that no erroneous native beliefs were being mixed into the true message of Salvation by grace alone through faith! What were we to do?
After the month of waiting, much prayer, and the failed attempt at radiophone contact, what we needed to do suddenly became very clear: We would simply venture into native territory without a native chief. Now to be sure, this was not a decision I made lightly. I have always felt personally responsible for the welfare of our Evangelism team, - Vicar Ronal, boat pilot Brother Segundo, and jungle expert from our Pelejo church, Jose. However, I reasoned that on our first trip to Viejo Limon Cocha, we had run into little trouble with the Condoshis. Plus, I knew full well that to the Shapra native way of thinking, it was considered practically a personal insult that we had not honored them with a visit after their 3 visits to our community. The decision was made: We would make the trip without a native chief, and simply entrust ourselves to the Lord!!
Thus we found ourselves down at the Yurimaguas boat docks at 5:00 AM, ready to travel. Six huge plastic blue drums of gasoline were being loaded onto the boat when we arrived. Unlike our first trip, where we flew half the distance in a small plane, we would be taking a boat the entire trip. (The reasons included cost, plus having a reliable boat to use rather than scrounging up whatever old boat was available at the halfway point.) Boat owner Miguel handed us a map on which he had marked all the small river villages along the way where one could purchase gas. About half way to our destination, there were no more villages with gas! We would have to plan carefully.
Our rented aluminum boat included a much-needed roof made from a sheet of thick plastic, set on a wooden frame. (Think of those boats you see in Disneyland’s African Safari boat ride, and you get the picture.) Miguel had selected a nice big, Yamaha 60 horsepower outboard, a model highly coveted by drug runners, to save us time on a trip that would take us within 170 kms of the Ecuadoran border. We were glad that Miguel, at his own expense, decided to throw in a security guard with a gun. It was a bit of cheap insurance. Miguel also conveyed to us the sobering news that the feuding between the Shapras and the Condoshis had heated up considerably over the last year. The extra security was more than welcome!
Then, yet another piece of sobering news from Miguel: There had been a huge hepatitis outbreak, which now covered over half the region that we would be traveling through. Miguel advised us not to eat a single bit of food offered to us in this area, as it could easily be contaminated. The area included Basha’s village. Everyone did a quick mental inventory of the food he had brought with him. We would need enough for 3 squares a day for several days! Had we known this a day ahead, we could have all stocked up! Now, it was too early in the morning for the stores that sold packaged foods to be open.
And so, with a bit of trepidation over traveling through native land reserves unaccompanied by a requisite native chief, no guarantee that Basha would be in his village, traveling amidst a huge hepatitis outbreak, and with little possibility of supplementing our meager food supplies by conventional means, we entrusted everything to the Lord and headed upriver, deep into the Amazon jungle, into what the locals call “el horno verde,” - the green oven.
The weather was great, with no huge rainforest downpours. This was most welcome, as we would need over 22 hours of boat travel on the progressively smaller rivers, spread over two days. The security guard, Filco, was riding in the very front. There, he could watch for floating tree trunks and debris in the water, and signal to Segundo when to swerve to avoid them. On the huge Huallaga River, one of the three main tributaries of the Amazon River, Segundo had the 60 horses open full throttle, causing a very brisk morning breeze.
Now mind you, Filco, as the upcoming week would prove, is one of the roughest, toughest men I have ever met in all my jungle work. However, sitting in the front of the boat at 6:00 AM, he was getting hit with one bone-chilling breeze. Filco decided to tie a hat on. Well, it was actually the unsnapped, motley, fur lined hood from a kid’s snowsuit! I nearly fell right off my bench when I saw that the hood included 2 little flannel sheep ears now flapping in the breeze!!). Filco looked like he’d mistakenly fallen out of a National Geographic TV Special on the North Pole into a Special on the Amazon Rainforest. Segundo was laughing so hard he nearly lost control of the boat. Filco wore that hood every day for the next week!
About 8 hours down river, we cruised near an isolated, thatch-roof house along the river that was a nature conservationist’s worst nightmare: There, sitting on the top of a 10 ft. wooden stand, apparently made just for this purpose, was a gigantic black caiman skull! It was bleached white in the tropical sun, its massive jaws propped open with a thick stick. We stopped the boat and climbed up the bank for a closer look.
The jaws were so huge you could easily have stuck your entire head inside with room to spare. The lady of the house, (her husband was out fishing), was asking 100 solis, (less than $30) for the museum-size skull. I gave her a stern look as I refused her offer, mentioning something about the disappearing treasures of the jungle. Meanwhile, Filco had wandered over by the house to find a picnic-size table that was raised up on stilt-like poles. On top of the table were enormous slabs of meat with ribs and vertebrae from a huge dolphin. (The locals call the dolphins “chancho del mar” (pig of the sea), for all the meat they can harvest from them.) No, we told the lady, we didn’t want to buy any dried dolphin meat. My pointed references to the dwindling dolphin population only drew a blank expression from the lady. I was more than happy to head back to the boat to leave.
We completed the first 12 hours on the rivers, traveling from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with only a ½ hour break for breakfast. It was now pitch black outside, so we decided to dock for the night in the small town of Ullipayacu.
We hadn’t entered the hepatitis zone, so we went looking for any kind of small restaurant or food stands that are normally found along the waterfronts. There were none! Apparently, they had all closed up for the night. We were reduced to asking a friendly lady we met on the main dirt road if she would cook something up for us. She agreed to, if we would buy the food items from her small table in the market. We followed her to where she untied a plastic sheet and uncovered her table. All she had available were old, dusty packages of noodles, rice, a few old onions and garlic, and a dirty, ancient-looking can from China of grated (yes, grated) sardines! She agreed to cook this all up for us. Everyone was soon feasting after the long, tiring day. I settled for a plate of noodles, san sardines.
During dinner, everyone discussed where to sleep for the night. There were two interesting options: 1, you could go with the hot, dirty, stuffy, bedbug-ridden $3.00 a night hostel room, where you could lock your door, have some privacy, and avoid some of the mosquitoes, or 2, sleep in the boat that was moored to the dock, where loud drunks would be walking by all Saturday night and there would be swarms of flying insects. However, it would be cool and you would have repellent on, plus you would be sleeping under a mosquito net. Ronal and Segundo went with the hostel. Jose, Filco, and I opted for the boat. And from what ensued that night, it soon became apparent that three of us had not chosen well!
It was already completely dark out, when Jose, Filco and I got back into the boat. Using our flashlights, we carefully spread plastic sheets on the wooden floor between the benches. We hung our mosquito nets from the boat roof and quickly got under them. The bottom of the boat wasn’t quite wide enough to allow you to lie down and completely stretch out. So I actually ended up half sitting up, with my back against the side of the boat. No problem. The moon was out, there was a slight breeze, it was all quite comfortable.
Some time after midnight, I was awakened by the strangest little noise, like tiny fingernails scratching on aluminum. Make that claws, as a huge rat went scampering along the top edge of the side of the boat, a few bare inches past my head! He could have whacked me in the ear with his tail if he’d wanted to! I turned my head just in time to see the rat’s unmistakable black silhouette in the moonlight. No doubt, it had been attracted to our few bags of food. I began yelling, which immediately had Filco and Jose in a mad hunt to flush the rat out. (These river rats can carry diseases and are nothing to mess with.) Of course catching a rat in the middle of the night in the bottom of a boat is completely ridiculous, and we were left with no alternative but to try and get back to sleep.
Less than half an hour later, we were all awakened by another rat racing across the top edge of the boat. It too disappeared into our cargo! Only from utter exhaustion could we all still drift back to sleep, even amongst these rats. Then, not 20 minutes later, a HUGE rat began running down the top edge of the boat, in the direction of Jose. Jose thought fast, and hit the side of the aluminum boat as hard as he could with his fist. The boat jiggled, the huge rat lost his footing, and with a resounding “plop,” fell into the river. Jose and I leaned over, and saw the rat successfully swim to shore. I half expected the rat to throw back his head and let out a high-pitched laugh.
We had all really had it by now, but it was after 2:00 in the morning. The hostel was all locked up and dark, and there was no telling where the owner might be. As the rats were apparently all somehow jumping into the boat from the dock, we decided to let out more rope, and drift further out into the river. Sometime between 2:00 and 3:00, everyone finally fell back to sleep.
The next morning, after scrounging a breakfast of small, bony, fried river fish and rice, we were all more than happy to leave Ullipayacu. We took down our mosquito nets, rolled up our plastic sheets, and headed out in our slightly rat-infested boat. We never again saw the three midnight rats, though we often imagined that we heard them.
Within the hour, we were crossing the imaginary line into the territory where the major outbreak of hepatitis was occurring. And from the totally startling sight that was about to greet us at a native Condoshi village, it came as no surprise that disease and epidemics were rampant. It all came into view as we rounded a bend in the river. I must say that I have never in my life seen a more…
appropriate time to end one Journal and continue it the next month! (Don’t tell me he’s starting that again! Oh Yeah!!)
And so until next time amigos, Terry
Greetings From China
Do you know what a blessing it is to have two different homes on two different continents? I was told returning to Beijing would be like coming home, and indeed that’s what it’s been! A lot has changed around here. New buildings have appeared; old buildings have disappeared; stores have changed occupants; our favorite restaurant is closed for renovation. But a lot has remained the same...the unpredictability that makes life interesting (if you’re in the mood for it), and especially the genuine care and concern of our friends. Rachel, Cliss, Lynelle, and I arrived here in Beijing on Saturday night (August 23rd) and have in just a short time experienced several times over what makes this city home to us.
We asked to come to Beijing earlier than the other teachers so we could get the apartments ready for them, since we’ve all been here a year already. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, things don’t always go as planned. You see, there were people living in the apartments...and so begins the saga of my almost first week in Beijing!
Our flights, transfers, customs, etc. all went smoothly, except for the giant cricket that landed in Cliss’ lap on the plane from Tokyo and that was promptly squished before Cliss realized she probably killed someone’s pet! The school had a van waiting for us at the airport, and it wasn’t bad at all lugging six pieces of very heavy luggage up to the sixth floor. Due to an odd number of single women this year, Cliss and Rachel moved into my apartment, so now I have two roommates, which is pretty fun!
The next day, we tried to get the keys to the two apartments that were sublet during the summer, only to realize they still had people living in them. We were told we could get the keys the next day by noon. (The rest of the teachers were coming the following day.) So Rachel and Cliss started moving their stuff into my apartment, which still had all the stuff belonging to the apartment across the hall, and was quite literally, stuffed!
By noon the next day we were told we wouldn’t have the keys until 7 in the evening. We really couldn’t do much until we got some stuff out of my apartment, we just went shopping instead. Finally, we got the keys, only to open the door to the apartment across the hall and see the whole thing had been mopped with the stinkiest, dirtiest mop that could ever be a mop and just reeked like an outhouse. Being the highly motivated women that we are, Rachel and Cliss ran down to the other apartment to see if it was as bad, and Lynelle and I started mopping (with a clean mop!), dusting, and scrubbing. I think Lynelle went over the whole floor at least three times before it was even sort of clean, and once we disposed of that stinky mop, the smell started to go away. Rachel and Cliss found the other apartment wasn’t nearly as bad, except the bathroom was gross. By around 11 that night we were finished. Hurray! Of course, Rachel, Cliss, and I hadn’t even begun to tackle the mess in our apartment, and we had Chinese friends coming the next day to help move furniture. We worked all the next day, finishing in time for the arrival of the very tired and disoriented new teachers, being rather tired and disoriented ourselves! But our apartment is indeed quite awesome!
Anyway, all that aside, coming home to our Chinese friends in Beijing has been a remarkable experience. Within 24 hours of our arrival, my friend Clara had already called me just beside herself with joy (JOY!) at my being back in China. And when I called our friend Wilbur to let him know we were here, he insisted he come over right away and see us, biking over in record time, so excited we were back. One of the teachers from my school came on the bus that picked up the new teachers from the airport and was so happy to see me outside that she ran off the bus to hug me. I’m so touched by this love our friends have for us. We haven’t known them that long, but they are so special. And they are the reason I love being here so much.
Yesterday, we showed the new teachers around, took them out to lunch, and helped them get settled. It’s so much fun to see them experience things for the first time...to see their reactions to the food and the people and the sights around them. Some of them are totally baffled, and others can’t stop saying how great this city is. I’d forgotten how new everything was just a year ago now that I feel I’ve lived here half my life. Hopefully we will soon meet with our schools and get our schedules. School starts on Monday. I’m excited to see my old students and meet my new students! And so begins another adventure. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Love, Keri
Church News
Altar Guild
Dear fellow members of Mt. Olive,
As many of you are aware, the current Altar Guild Committee consists of only five active members. Of those, only four members are in town on a year-round basis. The current active members are Marlene Struwe, Jean Brown, Lois Bentson, Rita Kruschwitz, and Linda Petersen. Louise Vickers still helps out as much as possible with care of the permanent green plants and upkeep on communion napkins and other linens.
Mt. Olive Altar Guild at one time was a much more active, and therefore self-supporting, group. It consisted of enough members to have the duties split each month into several categories each with two members per category. We currently serve in one-month shifts, one member a month, that member responsible for all duties for that month. The duties consist of communion set-up and take-down on the 1st and 3rd Sundays and special holidays; filling altar candles with oil and placing correct number on altar for each type of service; hanging appropriate banners when necessary; cleaning and ironing communion linens; cleaning pastor's and communion assistants' robes; cleaning altar, pulpit areas weekly (dusting, mopping, wiping up wine spills, etc.); changing paraments according to church year; taking orders for special holiday flowers and arranging them (at Christmas time this is a weekly event); arranging cut flowers and plants for special occasions as requested by members and friends of Mt. Olive.
As you can see, these five Altar Guild members are kept very busy when it is their month to do the Lord's service. Although we have managed to get by fairly well (only a few little problems here and there) in covering all of the duties and filling in for each other when needed, we could certainly use a few more willing hands to join our little group.
Currently Altar Guild does not have set monthly meetings. We have been calling meetings as need arises. When we meet it is usually a Thursday evening and normally at church. We also meet occasionally in one of the member’s homes for a light dinner, which is a nice treat.
If you feel that the Lord has called you to help at Mt. Olive in this capacity, please contact anyone of the members listed above and we would be happy to answer any questions or concerns that you may have. If we add enough new members, we would be able to have two persons per month to split the duties. That would make things much easier for all involved.
Also, the guild members have always taken a collection at the end of each meeting. This money was our "float" for things like cleaning the robes, buying oil for the candles, purchasing fresh flowers when there were no special donations/requests, and so forth. Being that there are only five active members, and being that we do not meet as regularly, these funds have been greatly depleted. We do not like to use memorial funds for these everyday expenses, as they are used for longer lasting altar area improvements or additions (such as the new flower stands which sit permanently at the sides of the altar and the new flags in the front of church).
We have recently received notice that the church treasury will cover expenses such as communion wine and wafers, communion cups, candle oil, etc., but we still have very little left for purchasing any cut flowers or plants for regular Sunday use. There is a small notebook on the lectern in the narthex where members and friends may request flowers or plants for special occasions. Money for these items can be given to Jean Brown, Altar Guild Treasurer, or any guild member. The newsletter calendar carries the name of the "member for the month" and if you have special requests you can contact that member directly.
Altar Guild also greatly appreciates monetary gifts that are given for no specific purpose other than the normal expenses of the committee. If our funds are replenished periodically we will be able to have more fresh flowers and plants in church on a regular basis, not just holidays or special occasions.
Thank you so much for you continued support of Mt. Olive Altar Guild and we hope that many of you will come forward with the desire to help on this very worthwhile committee. You will be welcomed with open arms!
God bless! Linda Petersen, Altar Guild President lkp@cnaengineers.com
Hurrah! Hurrah!Sunday School Starts Today!
When? September 14, 2003 10:30-11:45AM
Where? Mt. Olive Education Wing
Who? Children 3 yrs old – 8th grade
Join us as we journey through the Old Testament. Meet Heroes of Faith and trace the line of Promise to Jesus.
Sunday Morning Bible Class Begins September 14th at 10:30am
Our topics will be:
September 14: How God Uses Church Ushers and Greeters to His Glory
This is an important “training session” for our entire congregation. Learn how important church greeters and ushers really are!
Starting September 21: The Life of Moses
This is an exciting 8-session power point presentation/study of Moses and the Book of Exodus. We hope that everyone not involved in Sunday School will be able to attend.
Not only is this a study of Moses’ life, but it is also a look into our own lives. What is the Lord trying to teach us? How can He use Me?
Come – and you’ll be blessed! Come – and be a blessing to others!
Small Group Bible Studies Begin in September
Check the church calendar for dates and times – then pick one that fits your schedule.
The Daily Walk Bible Reading Program Continues
Pick up a copy in the church narthex. Even if you have gotten a little (or a lot!) behind, start again with the Prophet Hosea in September.
Here are a few numbers: 80% of those who trust in Christ and remain members of the church have been led there by a friend.
Those who remain as members of the church, developed significant contacts with church members before or following their conversion.
90% of those who remain within the church following conversion were dissatisfied with their non- religious life style before anyone preached the Gospel to them.
Who are the prospects then? Very simply put, they are your friends or acquaintances who have a problem in their lives, or are at some transition point.
People you know. Your friends, neighbors and coworkers who have problems in their life. They are the evangelism prospects. Tell them about the unconditional love Jesus Christ has for them.
John Murray, Evangelism Committee
Camp Croix Weekend
All members and friends of Mount Olive are invited to our annual fellowship outing at Camp Croix. This year it is from Sept. 5-7, (the weekend after Labor Day). The camp, located near Danbury, wisconsin, is about a two-hour drive from the Twin Cities and has plenty of recreational facilities. the cost per person for the weekend is $5.00 per night, and the food expenses come to approximately $8.00. Kids under confirmation age stay for free. A sign up sheet and directions are available in the church narthex. Please sign up SOON. this is a fun place and we wish you would all come along!
Parking During the State Fair
This year, once again, the folks at Lyngblomsten are graciously allowing us to use a portion of their parking lot during worship times on Sunday, August 24th, and Sunday, August 31st. To access the lot, drive east of church on Almond, towards Como Park. The second driveway leads into a square lot. It is adjacent to the Care Center. Be sure to pick up a parking permit at church and place in on the dashboard of your car.
Choir Notes
The time has come for singing!
Tuesday, September 16th marks the beginning of another year of choir practice. there are no high-pressure auditions. Just bring your desire to praise God to Tuesday night rehearsals from 7:00 to 8:00.
Welcome everyone who wants to serve the Lord in song!
"Come let us sing for joy to the Lord, Let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song." Psalm 95:1&2
Seniors Rally
Seniors, don't forget the WELS Minnesota District Seniors Rally at St. Paul’s Parish Center in New Ulm on Saturday, October 4, 2003. It is a day of information, fellowship, and fun. Topics include “In Africa” with Missionary Ron Ulhorn, and “Crossroads at New Ulm” including the Indian Uprising and the Coming of European Immigrants. See the poster in the narthex for details, and register now or at the door, but do join your fellow Christians for the day!
Success And Fun Had By All At VBS Many!!! Many!!! Thanks!!! to everyone involved in our Vacation Bible School this year. We had a tremendous year with many children learning how to march with our Lord’s Amazing Praise Band.
Several people provided their time, talents, resources, and gifts to make this week special. We apologize if we have missed anyone:
Robin Audette Kirk Marschel Elvera Baran Lois McNamer Michelle Baran Emily Meier Liberty Belter Joel/Fran Meier Dawn Boggs John/Jane Murray Harold/Jean Brown Mike/Kara Peek Jan Garcia Mildred Rilling Mary Gienger Elaine Samuelson Jaymee Harvey Mae Schmidt Keri Henkel Greg/Marcia Schuyler Pastor/Linda Henkel Sarah Schuyler Jerry Holen Marlys Spieker Jill Holen Marlene Struwe Joseph Husby Alex Wiedmann John/Rita Kruschwitz Tim Wiedmann Hariette Larkin Dan Worku Dean Mahlke Steve/Carol Woulfe Kevin/Paulette Marschel Chelsey Woulfe
We would also like to thank all the children for attending and their parents for trusting us with them.
You can view pictures of many VBS highlights at our web site www.mtolive-wels.net
Please join us for Sunday School on Sunday, Sept. 14th at 10:30.
Children, Youth & Family Committee
MLC Auxiliary
The Annual Meeting of the Martin Luther College (MLC) Auxiliary will meet Wednesday, October 8 at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, MN with registration and coffee at 9:00 AM.
The theme of the Annual meeting is an emphasis on the third part of Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever”. Opening devotion will begin the day’s events at 10:00 AM. with lunch at noon in the college cafeteria.
Election of officers, selection of new projects, faculty presentations and student entertainment are part of the day’s agenda. We are encouraged to bring along non-perishable goods for the Married Students’ Food Shelf.
Baby-sitting is available.
It is the goal of the Auxiliary to raise awareness of MLC and to fund projects that will benefit faculty and students and that are not a part of the regular budget of the college. Contact Jean Brown if you are interested in attending.
Memorials
We acknowledge, with sincere thanks, the following memorials to the congregation:
…In memory of Colleen Dohman from Elda & Glover Dohman (two window air conditioners for Fellowship Hall) …In memory of Bertha Miller from Harold & Jean Brown from Dean Mahlke from Anna Mattson from Miller family & friends from Clara Sorenson from Marlene Struwe from Louise Vickers from Ed & Marcella Voss
…Special gift from Florence Juth for Children’s Education Fund
Message From The President
In Recognition of the Holy Spirit…
I know by the way people tease me that I am not always the easiest person to work with. In addition, I have been recently told to lighten up, in the most loving manner. Therefore, I suspect that you are probably unaware how grateful I am. As such, please be advised that your willingness to have me serve as President of our congregation has been one of the richest reward in my life.
If I look back, the last two years have been very special at Mt Olive. I came into the office of President with the expectation that when I ask the people of God to come forward and serve, they would. In the last two years, I have never been disappointed. The easiest thing to see is the church building. Glover Dohman has been persistent in tackling the water problems with the roof repairs and the tuck-pointing, and now the parking lot is being scrutinized.
Joel Meier and his committee performed admirably in getting our basement bathrooms renovated. Most congregations, following such an undertaking, end up fighting about it for years. Never would happen at Mt Olive! Michael Arps has gotten the sign replaced. The landscaping has been spruced up. Last month, the church was cleaned by literally an army of helpers from both sides of the aisle-Mt Olive Lutheran and Chinese churches. There are the silent workers in the church, who have carried out what I think have been the most critical tasks, such as removing unused items, cleaning out the janitor’s closet, patching, painting, repairing, and scrubbing.
Being President, within the current structure and more importantly with the specific Councilmen, is a pleasure because it is so spiritually uplifting. We meet every month and tackle important issues. The Councilmen are actively engaged and drawing on the talent and abilities of the congregation to carry out the objectives so that we realize our vision. The fact is that when the Councilmen do not do their job, the president can do nothing. My happy secret is that since the Councilmen do their job, I have nothing to do.
The recent VBS provides a clear example of the rich community and cooperation that exists at Mt Olive. I think it is extremely important that you realize how Greg Schuyler with the Outreach Committee worked with Kevin Marshall on the Child, Youth and Family Committee so that the word of the VBS got out. Mt Olive once again has begun to canvass the neighborhood and invite the people to our church. This I believe is critical, since the church is probably no longer considered by society as a safe haven, especially for the young. The Outreach Committee will follow up to make the repeated contacts necessary to bring the unserved to the well of salvation. Mentally, I think we all now recognize that Mt Olive must exist as a candle for the world to see its light or it will not continue to exist.
The Youth Group had an exciting outing in Colorado. They continue to look for opportunities to serve our church, with the only request that the work be meaningful. Have you ever stopped and thought about how many parents in the world would trade their lives to have children like our youth? The Worship Committee continues to bring innovating and uplifting formats for our congregation to experience. The Discipleship of the congregation remains strong and committed. The coffers of our treasury are low only because of our rich generosity to others. We continue to support our Synod in its difficult time, we support St Croix Lutheran High School, we support St Johns, and we support missions in Peru, China, and India.
We have a charitable Women’s Guild. This group carries out its multiple missions that collectively convert our assembly to a congregation, our structure into a home, our acquaintances to friends, and our relations to family.
We have Pastor Henkel, who has graciously served our congregation. I assure you that I would have been completely unbearable as president without the sound counsel of Pastor.
I indeed have ample reasons to be grateful. Can I be satisfied, I do not think so. We are miserable servants, who only have done what God expects. Pray to God that he continues to pour out His Spirit richly so that we can continue to enjoy the pleasure of service.
Timothy Wiedmann, chairman, Mt. Olive congregation
Building Maintenance Activity Since July 1, 2002
Following is a recap of the building maintenance projects and funding from the past year. If you look at the total cost of the improvements being near a quarter of a million dollars you have to be quite impressed. And even more impressive is the amount of money that has been contributed to fund these projects - as well as the numerous hours that were spent by many individuals in the planning and completion of these projects.
During the last congregational meeting, it was reported we would owe ourselves about $80,000 after the projects where done - and as you can see from the data below, we are close to that number. The repayment of this loan to ourselves will begin in January as part of next year's budget. We anticipate paying $1,000 per month, with interest, and have the entire loan paid off in approx. 7 years.
Again, many thanks on behalf of the council, for the contributions and work needed to accomplish these projects. And the good news is, if you procrastinate like I do, additional contributions are still being accepted! Make sure you designate your contributions for Building Maintenance and they will applied to the outstanding balance.
Projects Tuckpointing $38,925 Chimney 5,525 Fellowship Hall (estimated) 131,115 Church Roof 26,995 Flat Roofs 26,901
Total $229,461
Funds Balance, July 1, 2002 $34,617 3rd Qtr Receipts & Interest 9,923 4th Qtr Receipts & Interest 27,670 1st Qtr Receipts & Interest 35,715 Insurance Reimbursmt (roof) 26,995 2nd Qtr Receipts & Interest 12,663 3rd Qtr Receipts (to date) 700
Total $148,284
Current Balance - $81,177
Jerry Holen, Treasurer |