Grains of Sand March 2010
GRAINS OF SAND
MARCH 2010
VICAR’S MESSAGE
Here is a question to ponder: Am I in relationship with my leper and wolf? In his book, Radical Grace, Franciscan monk Richard Rohr, writes about how deep within each of us live both a leper and a wolf. There is a story of St. Francis how he embraced the leper on the road – and this was his conversion experience. Then years later, he tamed a wolf. The stories apparently happened historically, but first of all they operated in his soul.
It is on the inside that lepers and wolves first must be found. If we haven’t been able to kiss many lepers, if we haven’t been able to tame many wolves, it’s probably because we haven’t first of all made friends with our own leprosy and the ferocious wolf within ourselves. Name and forgive your inner leper today. Nurse and tend her wounds. Name your inner wolf. Tame him by gentle patience and forgiveness.
St. Paul says that God both initiates and cooperates in all human growth: God cooperates with those who love by turning everything to their own good. (Romans 8:28)
What we can offer is the good will of love. God ‘works together with’ us, which means both our workings are crucial. We are real partners. Every moment. God is trying to expand our freedom to love. Can you imagine how that is happening in your life?
God is forever trying to make our choices more alive, more vital, more clear, more true. God even uses our mistakes and our sins so that nothing is wasted –nothing. In other words, God is working for our wholeness, our liberation, our integrity, our authenticity – in other words, our salvation.
As we live into these last weeks of Lent in our journey toward Easter (Resurrection), a couple of thoughts arise that I encourage you to carry with you:
What we attend to shapes our souls.
Who or what rules your life?
That’s a lot to think about – and to live. As you do: Pause – listen – think – pray – go.
Continued blessings this Lenten Season, Cindy
PARISH EVENTS
St. Andrew’s Stitchers: Next gathering will be Thursday, March 25th, from 6:30-8:30 at Nan Stubenvoll’s home Bring a handwork project or a seam ripper to help disassemble the green wall quilt (Bincentnnial). Sing up in the Mission Hall or call Nan if you plan
to attend. Nan’s phone number can be found in the parish list. Everyone welcome.
Teens Encounter Christ: March 19-21, at St. John’s in the Wilderness, White Bear Lake. We don’t have candidates going through this TEC, but we do have high involvement on the team. Those working on teams will be: Libby Bolen, Lydia Jacobs, Maggie Brakke, Madeline Stauber, Emily Jacobs and Willie Brakke, Mary Einspahr, Peter Wlosinski and Brian Lundberg.
Friday Prayer Group – March 12, 9 am. This gathering will be a hymn sing and lunch.
All are welcome.
Baker’s Group will bake Easter sweet breads on March 20th at 9 am at St. Andrew’s.
Come to bake or learn to bake. Contact Joanne Blyler for information and what you’ll need to bring to participate.
Rummage Sale – June 11th and 12th
During the Park Point Rummage Sale we’ll be holding our own Rummage Sale – so start setting aside things you might offer. The chairpersons of this event are Kathy Jacobs, Ellie Alspach and Elena Knezevich. The proceeds will go toward Pilgrimage expenses. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANYTHING TO THE CHURCH UNTIL THEY GIVE US THE GO AHEAD. We don’t have storage space – so it will probably be late May or early June. A lit will also come out of things we cannot sell.
Soup Supper and Study – Wednesdays in Lent (March 10, 17, 24)
We continue our tradition of great soups and bread and conversation along with our study of C.S. Lewis’ book, The Screwtape Letters. Included in the discussion is a short snippet each week from the DVD, Affectionately Yours Screwtape: C.S. Lewis and the Devil (a study of the historical, biblical and artistic development of concepts of the devil).
You are welcome to enter in at any point.
LITURGY IN LENT and HOLY WEEK
We have been blessed with some extra music during Lent. Jeanette Paulson has been with us twice to offer her talents on the oboe – and she has greatly enriched our worship.
Coming up will be Elise Kuutti (cello) joining with us March 14 and 28th, Lorie Scott (flute) at the Easter Vigil (April 3rd) and Dave Adams (trumpet) on Easter Sunday (April 4th).
On Palm/Passion Sunday, our liturgy will be based in Drama. We’ll begin in the Mission Hall for the blessing and distribution of palms, then process into the church. Immediately we will move into a drama (which includes the passion narrative, prayers and music). That will lead us directly into the Eucharist. I hope you can be present for this liturgy.
For now, mark your calendars for the rest of Holy Week:
Maundy Thursday – April 1 (Agape Dinner and Stripping of the Altar)
Good Friday – April 2 (A visual stations by powerpoint, liturgy and music)
The Great Vigil of Easter – April 3 (Creative stories, darkness and light, a party!)
Easter Sunday – April 4 (Festive worship, decorating of the Cross by the children,
special music)
More details will come out closer to Holy Week.
HEALING PRAYER STATION
On the second Sunday of each month (normally, but could change), a prayer station is available near the front of the sanctuary following our 9:45 am worship. This means someone is there to pray with you if you have a concern, need, intention or thanksgiving for yourself or someone else. This is a simple, yet profound way of offering what is on our mind and heart go God – with someone else who travels the Way with you. Those who offer healing prayers are: Sally Maxwell, Steve Wlosinski, JoAnne Axtell and Joanne Blyler.
MINNESOTA FOODSHARE MARCH CAMPAIGN
The March Campaign for Minnesota’s 300 state-wide food shelves began March 1st. This campaign is responsible for more than half of the food distributed each year in Minnesota. Forty percent of CHUM’s operating incomes comes in March during this campaign. There is a ‘proportional match’ for the amount raised. Each food shelf will receive additional food/funds based on what percent of the total donations raised throughout the state that particular food shelf has raised. Every donation of food and/or money counts!
We will be paying our CHUM pledge during this time (comes out of our operating budget), as well as the funds we raised during the Norwegian Music Night. Please consider writing an extra check this month to CHUM and bringing in extra food
items for our blue collection containers. You can donate online at: www.chumduluth.org.
On the home page, click on ‘donate’. All donations must reach CHUM by April 1st.
HAITI and CHILE
Remember the people of Haiti and Chile who continue to suffer and struggle from the massive earthquakes that hit their countries. Now is a good time to make another donation to ERD (Episcopal Relief and Development). ERD does not rebuild churches and buildings – their monies go toward food, water, and other immediate relief – plus long term recovery needs. Now is the ‘long term’ recovery time. Haiti and Chile are pretty much on the back page of the newspapers and the end of the newscasts. Let’s not forget these people. What is needed most is money directed to legitimate groups who do relief and recovery. People are warned that now is NOT the time to do Mission Trips to these countries – they are not in a position to receive and entertain guests. In addition, the people of these countries should be driving the conversation of what is needed now and later – not outsiders.
OTHER EVENTS COMING UP
HERE COMES EVERYBODY – Reconciliation in the New Age
On Monday, April 12th (7 pm), The Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris will speak at CSS in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel. Bishop Harris is the first woman to be ordained to the episcopate in the worldwide Anglican Communion. She is currently assisting Bishop in the Diocese of Washington, DC. Her talk is: “One Flock, One Shepherd: A Twenty-First Century Vision for the Church”. Admission is free and open to all.
FINDING OUR WILL TO DO GOD’S JUSTICE – April 16 & 17, 2010
The 10th Annual Opening Our Doors, Opening Our Hearts Conference. This conference highlights how communities of faith can be ‘communities of welcome’ for all people, focusing especially on GLBT people.
Speaker this year is the Rev. Dr. Mel White. He has traveled across the country teaching the ‘soul force’ principles of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, organizing people of faith to do justice and confronting religious leaders whose anti-gay rhetoric White believes, ‘leads to the suffering and death of God’s lesbian and gay children.”
Cost of the conference is $40 and it will be held at various locations: Peace United Church or Christ, Marshall School, and First United Methodist Church. There will be brochures available soon – but there is a poster hanging in the hallway for more information at this time.
GREEN TEAM
A team is being formed to study our continued work to be a sustainable community and church building. It’s called the GREEN TEAM. We will look at what we are doing now to support sustainability, what we can do further, and also how we can encourage ourselves to live more sustainable lives – personally and in our homes. If you would like to be part of this team, speak to Helen Hanten. So far, those on the team are: Tim White, Myra Stauber, Jenny and Greg Peterson, Ellen Pillsbury and Heather Pitschka.
And Finally, Some Humor
While walking along the pavement in front of his church, a pastor heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and some cotton wool, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased.
The pastor’s son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he though his father always said, “Glory be unto the Faaather, and unto the Soooon, and into the hole he goooooes.” (Thank you to Mary Ellen Owens for passing this on to me)
