Mindekirken COMMUNICATOR No
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Mindekirken COMMUNICATOR No. 156 January 2017 Newsletter of the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church - ELCA Norwegian Children’s Bible Musical Play on February 26 Children are invited to come learn and sing together for a order to give children the opportunity to en- performance on Feb. 26, the Sunday before Lent —Fastelavns joy singing together while learning Norwe- Sunday. We will do a Bible play written by popular hymn- gian traditions, hymns and music through Bi- writers Egil Hovland and Britt G. Hallqvist, featuring the sto- ble stories. ry of the Prodigal Son. Hovland, one of Norway's foremost The Sunday afternoon rehearsals will composers of the last generation and Hallqvist, one begin on Jan. 29 from 1-3 p.m. of Sweden's most popular poets and hymnwriters, with a performance during the collaborated on the much loved hymn, Måne og 11 a.m. Norwegian worship Sol (Moon and Sun). They continued working service on Sun., Feb. 26 together to write small musical plays followed by a fastlavns lunch featuring bible stories for children. They used in the church Fellowship Hall. hymns which the congregation and choir can All are welcome. Please con- sing together, and other songs expressing a child's tact the church office to partici- view of life, such as Alle har hast, (Everyone's Rushed). pate. The scripts will be Included is a hymn about the prodigal son which is acted out provided in advance. during the singing of the hymn, as well as short poems and pantomimes. Mindekirken’s deacons sponsor this event. They hope to Annual Meeting Jan. 29 offer more of these short plays, of which there are many, in Mark your calendars to attend the Annual Meeting of the Congregation on the last Klubb 500 Hosts the 8th Annual Julebord on Fri., Jan. 6, Sunday in January. 2017. To inquire about possible remaining reservations, 9:30 a.m. Combined Worship Service please contact the church office immediately. with Holy Communion This event is a fundraiser for Mindekirken Foundation, 11:00 a.m. Annual Meeting Begins “securing Mindekirken’s financial future.” $100 per person, There will be a brief Kirkekaffe break between ($50 of which is a tax deductible donation) the service and the meeting. All members please plan to attend! Members: Make Your Pictorial Directory Appointment We encourage all members and associate members of Mindekirken to be included in the Pictorial Directory 2017. Please make an appoint- ment for your portrait soon via the Lifetouch website below, or call the church office. Available times are: Thurs. Jan. 26, 1 p.m. - 8 p.m. Fri., Jan. 27th, 1 p.m. - 8 p.m. Sat, Jan. 28, 10 a.m. -4 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 23 1-8 p.m. Family pets may even be included in your portrait! Participate to receive a free church directory and your own 8x10 photograph. Additional photos are offered for purchase. Member Site: https://booknow-lifetouch.appointment-plus.com/9e8s4de6/ The Communicator is published monthly (except for August) by the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church 924 East 21st Street, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 www.mindekirken.org Office (612) 874-0716 2 From the Pastor: Thank you for our time together A letter has been and a couple hours from my the opportunities we as a congre- sent to members of brother and I am looking forward gation have had to interact and Mindekirken, but I to living closer to my family and collaborate with the entire Nordic also want to share to returning to Norway. American community in the Twin the news with all I spent several years in the Cities. Special concerts, events of the readers of U.S. before coming to Minde- and programs such as the Leiv the Communicator kirken in August 2009. There- Eriksson International Festival, that I have re- fore, arriving at Mindekirken felt Syttende Mai and Tuesday Open ceived a call as in many ways like returning House have touched many peo- “sokneprest” in home. It reconnected me with my ple’s lives and raised awareness Kristin Sundt Nordre Land in the religious and cultural heritage of the Norwegian Lutheran Me- County of Oppland, and will be and led me to a place where Nor- morial Church in Minneapolis. resigning as the Pastor of Minde- wegian language is used both in It has been a privilege to be kirken. My ministry in Norway worship and actively promoted your pastor for the last 8 years will start in early June 2017 and I through the Mindekirken Norwe- and to walk beside you in joy and anticipate leaving Mindekirken in gian Language & Culture Pro- in times of sorrow. I am full of late May 2017. Nordre Land is part gram. admiration for all of you who so of Hadeland and Land Rural Dean- In addition to being a pastor willingly give of your time and ery in the Diocese of Hamar. I will for the Norwegian American be living a half hour from my sister community, I have appreciated “Pastor” continued on p. 3 From the President: New Beginnings For I know the plans I that each New Year is full of derful weekly have for you, declares the Lord, promise and potential. We can programs. plans for welfare and not for learn from our past. We should We hope that evil, to give you a future and a not focus on what has happened you will find hope. ~ Jeremiah 29:11 but instead look forward to a new renewal in one year and to what is possible. It is or many of “You must learn, you essential for us to see that God is these opportu- must let God teach you, that the not limited by our failures. He nities. only way to get rid of your past is can make a new future for us, no Finally, to make a future out of it. matter what is in our past. we ask that Jana Aune Deach God will waste nothing.” Are you in need of re- you pray for ~ Phillips Brooks newal? Are you looking for a Mindekirken’s leaders as we en- new beginning? Fortunately, ter this New Year. With God as Happy New Year! With with God, any day of the year our leader, we are prepared to the New Year comes an oppor- can be a new beginning. The live another year under His guid- tunity to shed our past, our old beautiful message of the gospel ance. We will have the Annual selves, and make ourselves new. is that God can make us new any Meeting of the Congregation on January is the time of year when day and every day. Come join us Sun., Jan. 29, 2017. There will many of us take inventory of the at Mindekirken as part of your be a bilingual church service at past and make corrective resolu- new beginning. In addition to our 9:30 a.m. followed by a brief tions for the future. Since an weekly worship services, Minde- Kirkekaffe. The meeting will start honest in-depth inventory of the kirken offers Wednesday even- promptly at 11 a.m. We will re- past is sometimes painful, we ing bible study classes. The Min- view the activities of 2016 and may want to skip over the unflat- dekirken Norwegian Language look ahead at what can be accom- tering and embarrassing mo- and Culture Program will start a plished in 2017. I hope to see ments that are difficult to focus new session in January. If you there! on, and dwell on the times and you’ve always wanted to learn Wishing you all a peace- places that make us look good. It Norwegian, grab this opportuni- ful and blessed New Year! can be hard to atone for our past ty. There are also cultural pro- transgressions and face our fail- grams to enjoy. Tuesday Open In Christ, ures. But we should remember House will continue with won- Jana Aune Deach 3 “Pastor” continued Hardanger Fiddle Music on January 8, resources to do God’s work 11:00 a.m. Norwegian Service through the Mindekirken congre- Rachel Ulvin Jensen, a Twin Cities na- gation. Thank you for the encour- tive, has been playing the classical violin agement, support and trust you since age four. In 1988 her family acquired individually and as a community a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle during a trip have given me. I cherish the time to Norway. A few years later, Rachel began we have had together in ministry, playing the Hardanger fiddle and is now an and Mindekirken will always active member of the Twin Cities Harding- have a special place in my heart. felelag (group). The Twin Cities Harding- Kristin Sundt felelag performs traditional Norwegian folk music for a variety of audiences and dances. Pastor Sundt will be on a short Rachel studied under master fiddler break in Norway from Olav Hegge from Valdres, Norway. In the January 10-16, 2017. fall of 2004, Rachel won a scholarship to Please contact the church office study the Hardanger fiddle at the Ole Bull for pastoral emergencies. Academy in Voss, Norway. Rachel regularly freelances on both the classical violin and Hardanger fiddle. Rachel was an adjunct Hardanger Juletrefest Sun., Jan. 8 Fiddle instructor at St. Olaf College in 2011-2012, and has taught at the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America's summer workshop. She ap- Join Mindekirken’s congregation peared as a musician in Robert Bly's adaptation of Peer Gynt, at the for a holiday song party following Guthrie Theater. She was also a consultant on the Hardanger fiddle for the 11 am Norwegian Worship the Guthrie's 2013 production of Nice Fish.