Where Love Comes to Life
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NOVEMBER 2017 | WWW.GOODSHEPHERDMPLS.ORG TOGETHER celebrating our quilters’ caring ministry WHERE LOVE COMES TO LIFE A FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH A DEEPER RELATIONSHIP WITH PERFORMING ARTS THE FULTON CATECHISM SIMPSON HOUSING SERVICES ARE FOR EVERYONE CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2017 4801 France Avenue South 3 10 Minneapolis, MN 55410 Together Wednesday U Brings BY PASTOR Us Together Phone: 612-927-8849 DEBRA SAMUELSON BY KAREN WALHOF Email: [email protected] www.goodshepherdmpls.org 4 13 Golden Shepherds The Power of Two BY PASTOR KARL N. Christmas Brunch JACOBSON SUNDAY WORSHIP 4 Worship with Communion Christmas for Babies 14 8:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. BY HEATHER ROTH A Deeper Relationship JOHNSON with Simpson Housing Child care Services 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon 5 BY MARK HALVORSON The First Encounter with TOGETHER TEAM: The Fulton Catechism Ann Burckhardt, Julie Burrows, BY RON HOVLAND 15 Project 31: Connie Fukuda-Clark, Pastor Karl N. Reformation Vespers Jacobson, Rich May, Pastor Debra 6 BY PASTOR KARL N. Samuelson, Laura Stein, Performing Arts are JACOBSON Karen Walhof for Everyone BY CONNIE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: FUKUDA-CLARK 16 Advent, Christmas, Ann Burckhardt, Connie Fukuda-Clark, Epiphany Worship at Cathy, Colton & Jason Davenport, Mark Halvorson, Ron Hovland, 7 Good Shepherd Pastor Karl Jacobson, Heather Roth Lifelines BY PASTOR KARL N. Johnson, Pastor Debra Samuelson, JACOBSON 8 Karen Walhof Celebrating Our Quilters’ Caring Ministry 17 PHOTOGRAPHY: BY KAREN WALHOF Life Passages Jeff Burrows, Mark Halvorson, Chris Hamond, Chris Martin 18 9 Music for Advent ART DIRECTION: God’s Work Our Hands May Advertising and Design, Inc. BY CATHY, COLTON AND and Christmas at JASON DAVENPORT Good Shepherd TOGETHER (USPS 493-740) BY RALPH JOHNSON Published Quarterly 19 Lutheran Church of the Good 10 Questions with Shepherd Sharon Vicic 4801 France Avenue South BY ANN BURCKHARDT Minneapolis, MN 55410 Periodical Publications Postage Paid St. Paul, MN Postmaster: send address changes to Together 4801 France Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55410 ON THE COVER: Vol. 7 #4 ~ November, 2017 The Quilters (l-r): Marge Meester, Judith Christian, Eva Bryan, Lois Munson, Mary Meester, Donna Jorgenson, Joan Tanger, Jean Saccoman Crain, Nancy Shelstad, Ardis Grimes, Mary Ireland, Ester Hein, Barb Glenzinski. Not pictured: Donna Brooks, Lois Drury, Marian Nichols, Hazel Odin, Jill Ries, Mae Thompson. 2 TOGETHER Greetings, dear friends in Christ! What a wonderful fall at Good Shepherd. Wednesday U has quickly become a central gathering place midweek (pages 10-12), our worship services are vibrant and inviting (pages 16-19), the community is open and welcoming, and you all continue giving of yourselves in so many ways. (Check out what our youth and adults are doing with Simpson Housing Services on page 14!). I love being together with this community of faith. Reformation Vespers was a highlight for me this fall (page 15). We marked the 500th anniversary of the Reformation on October 31 by gathering together for worship. Pastor Jacobson and Ralph Johnson collaborated on a little-known Luther hymn, giving it a fresh translation both linguistically and musically. It is beautiful – a hymn I suspect (and hope!) we will use more often. It was at that Reformation Vespers service that Pastor Jacobson unveiled The Fulton WHERE Catechism (page 5) which he wrote in consultation with a small group of people from Good Shepherd. It is an accessible way to learn the principles of our faith. Be sure to get a copy of LOVE COMES your own to read and work through. And make sure you have the rest of our 500-year anniversary TO LIFE activities and ministries in your calendars (Project 31, page 15)! The Sanctuary is going to have a different feel during Advent this year. We will be worshiping in – the round I’m looking forward to this experience! “As we worship together this Advent, we literally will be re-structuring our worship space as we re-orient ourselves through our worship of the God who makes and keeps promises” (page 16). On the First Sunday in Advent, our youngest children and their families will gather to learn about the Christmas story (page 4). Our quilters are a remarkable group of women, quietly dedicated to repurposing material to bring warmth and comfort to people they don’t even know (pages 8-9). Jason and Colton Davenport created a beautiful video of their work that you can watch on the website (www. goodshepherdmpls.org). The Performing Arts program at Good Shepherd is one of our outreach ministries. We draw people from the community who may not have much exposure to the church. Their experience here helps them understand our faith community. And it’s a wonderful way for our children to gain self-assurance being in front of people, giving them confidence to develop in other areas of leadership in the church. (pages 6 and 7). We are deeply grateful to members Yvonne Grover and Jim Thvedt, who filled in on the organ and piano during the late summer and early fall as we interviewed for our accompanist position. We look forward to the congregation getting to know our new accompanist, Sharon Vicic! You can begin to get to know her through 10 Questions on page 19. Thank you, dear people of Good Shepherd, for all the ways you live out the Gospel – the Good News – of Jesus Christ. Pastor Debra Samuelson 3 WHERE LOVE COMES TO LIFE GOLDEN On Thursday, December 14, the Golden Shepherds will sponsor their Annual Christmas Buffet. Punch and SHEPHERDS appetizers will be served at noon, and the buffet will begin at 12:30 p.m. Music will be provided by Rick Riddle and CHRISTMAS BRUNCH members of the Twin Cities Harmonica Society. Christmas for Babies! BY HEATHER ROTH JOHNSON Baby’s Christmas Extravaganza will be held on Sunday, December 3, 2018, during the education hour in Room 226. Families with kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews (newborn to age 3) are invited to come and explore the Christmas story together. We will sing our favorite Christmas hymns, create a keepsake ornament and even take a turn sitting in the manger. But why does this ministry matter? It matters because of what Jesus says in Matthew 14: “[He] said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” As a church community, we are called to nurture and care for people of all ages. This includes kids! Our role is to provide a safe space for the littlest members to explore the love of Jesus. The Baby’s Christmas Extravaganza does just that: We invite families into the sanctuary to play, pray and practice faith together. Jesus would not want it any other way. No hindrance. Only love. 4 BY RON HOVLAND A FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE FULTON CATECHISM According to Wikipedia, catechisms are doctrinal manuals some editorial comments. In short, they were guinea pigs, – often in the form of questions followed by answers to be and these are some of their thoughts: memorized. Those of us who are older and who grew up in the Lutheran church fondly, and not so fondly, remember “Some of us had many bad memories of anything studying Luther’s Small Catechism as part of confirmation ‘catechism.’ However, we were pleasantly surprised about class. We also remember that, as part of confirmation study, The Fulton Catechism format and enjoyed the dialogue and we had to memorize much of it. conversation sparked from the open-ended questions in the book.” According to Pastor Karl Jacobson (the primary author of The Fulton Catechism), no memorization will be required “This Fulton Catechism is not your father’s Oldsmobile (for while studying it, whether you are sitting in confirmation or those who remember the commercial). Text, pictures, in an adult learning environment. The Fulton Catechism will themes, and discussion brought the teachings of the be introduced to the congregation in various settings catechism out of the 60s and 70s era some of us were throughout our year-long celebration of the 500th subjected to.” anniversary of the Reformation. “I liked The Fulton Catechism. It has been a while since I Pastor Jacobson says that the catechism was prepared so that thought about a catechism, and this one rekindles my we would have something that fits our community – both interest. From basic statements and thoughts about Good Shepherd and the neighborhood in general – and the Christianity to the part about what Lutheran Christians shifting cultural terrain more closely than, for lack of a bring to the table, I think it will be a nice starting point better term, a “generic” catechism. That concept actually for a lot of discussions.” reflects the catechetical tradition of Luther’s day, when there The Fulton Catechism will be used in-house at Good were catechisms written for and used in many communities Shepherd both for confirmation and adult education. It also – written “by the people and for the people” if you will. will be informational for visitors and given away to others. He adds that this catechism is a part of how we are marking We have already had requests from other congregations to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, and it is meant to see it and perhaps to use it for themselves. be a contribution to the continuing reform of God's church. The new Fulton Catechism is filled with humor (both in One of the slogans of the Reformation was semper words and cartoons), it is easy to read, and it is thought- reformanda, “always reforming.” provoking in a non-threatening way. The church, to a large At the Men’s Retreat in early September, the participants degree, is about relationships and stories.