January 2011

Archives

Click here for monthly Youth News

From the Desk of Pastor Matt

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
 (Matthew 3:13-15)

John was busy baptizing in the Jordan River.  His work was to preach, to baptize, to prepare and point. John preached people to baptism for the forgiveness of their sins. It was a new thing. In the Old Testament, you sacrificed an animal for forgiveness. Its blood in exchange for your life was your forgiveness. John preached something different and new. Not blood but water. Not a sacrificial death but a bath. Not something done at the temple, but in the Jordan River. John’s baptism formed a kind of bridge between the old and the new. John’s baptism called Israel as a nation back into the wilderness for a fresh start, an extreme makeover.

Sinners of all sorts from every walk of life came to John to be baptized, to get ready to meet the Messiah. And John pointed them to Jesus. John was simply a voice and a finger, pointing to another, a greater One with a greater Baptism. And then came that fateful day when Jesus stood before John in the water to be baptized. John objected saying that he should be baptized by Jesus. The greater should baptize the lesser; the Sinless One should baptize the sinner. But Jesus says, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

This is the key to understanding John’s baptism and Jesus’ participation in it. It was necessary to fulfill all righteousness. It was necessary that Jesus had to get down in the water of a sinner’s baptism and be treated like one in need of repentance. He became one with us with all of humanity. He took a bath in our bathwater. He became Sin for us, who knew no sin. He didn’t simply bear our sins, but became our Sin.

In Jesus’ baptism, He is joined in solidarity with us - in our sin and our death. In our Baptism, we are joined in solidarity with Jesus - in His perfect life, His death, and His resurrection. And in those waters, sanctified by the blood of Jesus, God says to you, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

In God’s peace,

Pastor Matt

A Song Is Born
A HUGE “Thank You” to Sue Laubenheimer for all her hard work in making the cantata “A Song is Born” a GREAT success.

We would like to have the choir members that participated, please bring their scores and their practice CD’s back to St. Olaf’s and place them in the Music Room.  The scores were purchased by monies given by Sonja Daly and the CD’s were purchased by Sue Laubenheimer. 

Once again, a thank you to them. 

We would like to keep them in our files in case the opportunity arises where we could use them again.

Contemporary Worship
Our Praise worship services will continue with the first Sunday of each month at 10:30 a.m.  Get the word out, pray for us, and join us! 

Join the Women of Grace
Women of Grace will meet on Monday, January 24, at 7 p.m. to discuss where to designate the money from Lutefisk.  Please join us.  

Joyous Light                  
On the third weekend of every month, the worshippers attending the Saturday evening service will have the opportunity to participate in something very special.  Join us for our evening prayer service called "Joyous Light" written by Ray Makeever.  Ray is a graduate of Luther Seminary and a well-known musician.  This worship service is a beautiful way to center ourselves and celebrate God's Light in our life and in our world. 

St Olaf Scrip

Christmas is coming – how about a gift card?!  Don't forget you can place an order from St Olaf's Scrip.  It not only is a great way of getting gifts but you can also use it for your shopping and gasoline.  It is also great for the kids for their needs.  Ask for an order form at the Scrip desk.  Also available at times are extra gift cards for gas and Walmart.  This is a great way for St. Olaf to fund our ministry plan while you do your everyday or Christmas shopping.  

Want to be inspired?  
Join us to experience Nordic Choir, the 64 voice concert choir from Luther College, Decorah Iowa, in concert at The Basilica of St. Josaphat on Sunday, Jan 30 at 4:00 p.m.  Cars, or maybe a bus will leave St. Olaf at 2:00.  Please contact anyone from the Outreach or Music & Worship committee to let us know you plan to attend.  All are welcome to experience this very special concert.

Lutefisk Figures:
501 tickets were sold for our 2010 Lutefisk Dinner, of which 80 were sold prior to the event to church members.  As of 12/8/10, the Bake Sale brought in $2,500.72 Net Profit from Dinner:  $4,547.29.  Two nonmembers made donations totaling $105.00 (above purchase price of tickets).  Of particular note:  One of our guests commented that although everyone was working so hard, everyone seemed so cheerful.  So, thanks everyone for your LABOR OF LOVE!

 ---Lyn Johnson, Treasurer, WELCA

Business Directory
St. Olaf’s is again offering advertising space in the upcoming St. Olaf’s Business Directory. Please contact John Christenson @ (920)474-4410 or (414)412-5530 to sign up. All the profits will go towards the General Fund.

   - 1/4 page advertisement in a Business Directory booklet sent to all the households in the congregation.

   - Advertisement in the weekly bulletin.

   - Monthly advertisement in the Caller.

   - Business related or charitable in nature.

Pricing……………………………………..$100/yr

   - Placement in a "Sponsor" page of the Church website with or without a link to your own website.

Pricing………………………………..unavailable

   - One line advertisement in a “Hobby Business” section.

Pricing………………………………………$25/yr

The profit after expenses would go towards the General Fund.

Call John Christenson (920)474-4903, Roger Johnson (920)474-7318, or Karl Scheife (414)916-9920 for more info or to sign up.

Thank You!!!!   
Thank you to George and Clara Birkel who made all the ribbon bookmarks for our new hymnals, the Evangelical Lutheran Worship.  These are to help in

marking your place in the worship service.  Please do not let children play with them or remove them from the hymnals.  George and Clara also spent several hours on Thanksgiving putting the ELW’s (new Hymnals) in the Sanctuary and removing our old hymnals.

Also thank you to Liz Laack, Dave Johnston, Justine Cadena, and Clara Birkel for decorating our church for the Advent/ Christmas season.

With the Sunday School program cancelled due to the weather, many were able to see the back drop that was in the Sanctuary for the S.S. program.  Thanks to Jeff Brewer for doing the backdrop and sharing his talents.

January Anniversaries
14   Matthew and Laura Lee                                 
23   Marilyn and David Carlson
28   Jon and Carol Evert

January Birthdays
1       Jake Homulos, Elizabeth Schlehlein
2       Melissa Meier, Renee Solveson
2       Debra Uhlman, Kelsey Uhlman
4       Lawrence Rolefson
5       RaeAnn Eggert
7       Zachary Brewer, Logan DeBack
9       Caroline Kraemer
10     Rachel Roth, Keya Schmitt
11     Jennifer Guenther, Kaeden Piller,
11     Vicky St.George
12     Sandra Gannon
13     Brandon St.George
15     Taylor Slade
16     Madelyn Schutze
19     Makensie Christel
20     Denise Cairns, Anne Hautala
21     Annah Guenther, Catherine Lee
22     Andrew Schlehlein
25     Mary Buth
27     Gerald Bohen, Jeff Cowell
28     Earl Christenson
29     Jon Evert, John Reed

Everyday at 6:33 p.m.
Every day at 6:33 p.m. we want to know what all of our members are doing.  Starting on January 1, 2011, St. Olaf is implementing a set congregational time to pray. 

The Women of the ELCA in our synod have resolved to start a time for the women to pray.   The Women of Grace at St. Olaf want to extend that to our entire congregation. 

Why 6:33?  It’s taken from Matthew 6:33 which states, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Jesus tells us that where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.  Prayer works miracles and if our congregation is united in prayer, there’s no telling what may happen.  

It only takes one minute a day, seven days a week.  The time commitment is minimal, but the benefits are endless.  There are other churches and other synods that have done a program like this, and they have seen prayers answered time and time again. If you miss it for a day, don't worry.  You can still pray anytime. Maybe setting an alarm on your cell phone or watch will help you remember.    

Whatever it takes, take one minute a day to pray for our congregation, for God's work to be done through the members of St. Olaf and for any other prayer requests you may have.  Let's start praying.  (Feel free to begin immediately, but our big kick-off will be in January!)

 January Lay Ministry Schedule

January Altar Guild: Paula Olson & Joan Uhlman
January Counters: Ron Egelseer, Rob Howell, Jim Lumsden

Winter Symposium with Marty Haugen and Susan Briehl

Saturday, January 29 at Mount Carmel LC, Milwaukee

We are blessed to be joined by Marty Haugen and the Rev. Susan Briehl for our Winter Symposium, Saturday, January 29, 2011 at Mount Carmel LC, Milwaukee (8424 W. Center St.).  The symposium will consist of a morning text study on the Lenten text for cycle A, the Gospel of John, and evening worship & music with Susan and Marty.  Please save the date and stay tuned for further details!

The Rev. Susan Briehl is a member of the Valparaiso Project on the Education and Formation of People of Faith in Indiana and the Distinguished Professor of the Art of Ministry at Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. Briehl is an author and has contributed to several devotionals and books, including her most recent On Our Way: Christian Practices for Your Whole Life, a book for young adults published this year and Turn My Heart: A Sacred Journey from Brokenness to Healing, a resource for the suffering written with Marty Haugen.

Marty Haugen is a composer of liturgical music for both Roman Catholic and Protestant congregations.  We’ve used several of his pieces at St. Olaf.  He has over 400 compositions published by GIA, Augsburg Fortress and other publishers. For the past 25 years he has presented workshops and concerts across North America and in Europe, the Pacific Rim, Asia and Central America for church musicians and anyone interested in the renewal of worship.

Taking Faith Home  
Epiphanies
By Marilyn Sharpe (TYFI.org)

January 6th is the day the church celebrates Epiphany, commemorating the coming of the Magi to Bethlehem to worship the infant Jesus. What an unlikely scenario – scholars from the East, bringing gifts fit for a king, following a star and astrological predictions, challenged by the jealous and unscrupulous King Herod, arriving to find the son of a peasant couple, falling down to worship this unlikely king! Elderly Anna and Simeon, present in the temple when Joseph and Mary brought the infant Jesus to be dedicated, through the Holy Spirit, recognized this baby as God’s redemption and salvation. This is the story of the entire season of Epiphany – people in unlikely settings, times, and places see Jesus, and through a knowledge not their own, recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

Now, 2,000 years later, the Holy Spirit still works through unlikely people in improbable places to recognize Jesus in daily life. Where have you met this Jesus? Are you on the lookout? Often, it is our children who help us with these sightings of the holy, in the midst of the mundane.

Trevor turned four in mid August two years ago. His mother came in to a class I was teaching that day with his story. Too excited to sleep, Trevor was up before the sun and woke his mom. She wrapped him in a quilt and they sat on the patio, waiting for the sunrise. When the sun crested the eastern horizon, Trevor gasped and turned to his mother. “Mom,” he exclaimed, “How did Jesus know that orange is my best color?” A meteorologist could have explained the color, but it took a four year old to declare the intimate presence of Jesus in his life!  Epiphany!

Twenty years ago this month, our six year old neighbor was diagnosed with leukemia, placed in intensive care, battling for his life. His brother was with another family. His parents spent virtually all of their time at the hospital. A friend and I cleaned their home and I volunteered to do their laundry. There was only a tiny pile of dirty clothes. No one was home to generate laundry. I returned home to face a virtual haystack of dirty clothes in my laundry room. I remember picking up my nine year old son’s muddy jeans, hugging them to me, and thanking God for the gift of children healthy enough to dirty clothes. To this day, I have never viewed laundry in the same way. It is no longer a chore I dread, but an opportunity to give thanks for God’s gift of health and daily joys that mark a life together in Christ. Epiphany!

 Can we help the children we love to see the holy in the ordinary? Can we uncover the epiphanies all around us? Can we create a culture of gratitude, and with the psalmist declare, “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.” Ps. 107:1

 FAMILY ACTIVITIES

1.    At bedtime, recount all the things for which you are grateful in a prayer of thanks.

2.    At dinner, give each family member two tealight candles. Light the first, naming a person who has been the light of Christ to them this week. Light the second, naming one person for whom we have been the light of Christ.

3.    Send all the kids on a hunt to find evidence in unlikely places of the things for which we can thank God, like dirty dishes, too much food in the fridge, mud on the floor, toys strewn around, or laundry piling up. Gather, share, and thank God.

4. Say thank you to one another for those countless daily gifts, like a ride to school, hot coffee, wet towel hung up to dry, help carrying in groceries, cleaning up toys.

5. Cradle your child’s face in your hands, and say, “I see the face of Jesus in you.” What a blessing.

Souper Bowl of Caring,
Giving Tree and Food Pantry –   Sunday, Feb 6^th  is the day most people like to watch the Super Bowl game and enjoy food and fun with family and friends.  It’s also another day marked to remember those who are not able to provide enough food for their families, so therefore, we again will join youth all across the nation and take part in the National Souper Bowl of Caring.  We will have a time in worship to remember those less fortunate and theYouth will collect dollars and canned goods to help our local food pantries at a time when it is so critical to help those in need.   Parents: we need Confirmation Class and High School Youth to help with worship service that day.  We will be discussing this in our confirmation class and youth group time.  

We thank those that have been supporting our ongoing Food Drive and bringing non-perishable food items or paper products and putting them in the bin in the entryway.  We thank those that brought socks and other items for our Giving Tree.  We also thank those that brought items for our Thanksgiving Day collection and filled more than 3 grocery carts.   You are being the Hands & Feet of Jesus and blessing others with your generosity.

A few students and 2 adults took the items to the Food Pantry on Hwy P in Oconomowoc to deliver and stock the shelves.  We were educated about the operation of the Food Pantry and were informed that there were 365 families served in November of 2010 alone.  One day had a visit of 49 families.   If you know of anyone in need or are in need yourself, the hours of operation of the Food pantries are listed inside the bin in the hallway.

We should all pray and continue to help in any way we can to help end World Hunger.  A little goes a long way and God loves a cheerful giver!    

Properties Committee January Agenda
The Properties Committee will be meeting on January 8^th at 9 a.m. (2^nd Sat. because of the holiday).  Our goal on this day will be to clean out some of the storage area with items that have not been used or we no longer need.  This is in response to the fire inspection that stated we need to clear everything in the 18" space between the joists and the top of the shelves.  If there is anything that is not in a plastic bin that you or your committee is afraid of losing, please make a point to either put it in a bin and label the item or please remove it yourself.  Thanks so much.  Peggy Morrissey – Properties Committee - 262-443-0306

St. Olaf Sunday School presents

Zacchaeus

We all know the song.  But do we really know the story?   Zacchaeus, the "wee little man in the sycamore tree," may have been short of stature, but he held an important government position in his time—he was a tax collector.   If you think the IRS is unpopular now, Zacchaeus was even more unpopular.

Zacchaeus was an outsider. He was kept away from Jesus not only by his height and the big crowds, but also by religious ostracism. As a tax collector, he was a Jew working for the Roman authorities, collecting taxes that support a "foreign" government and their pagan gods. Also, tax collectors were not known for their honesty. They cheated their fellow Jews by taking too much money and keeping some for themselves.

This meeting with Zacchaeus was not a detour on Jesus' trip to Jerusalem. It was the purpose of his journey.  "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what is lost." (Luke 19:10).  In spite of the fact that Zacchaeus was unlovable in society's view, Jesus reached out to him in love.  Zacchaeus responded to Jesus' love with a change of heart and he changes his ways. He repents. Note that he does not buy forgiveness, but pays back more than he owes and more than the law requires as a response to Jesus' love.

Family Time and Prayer:  Read: Luke 19: 1-10

Reflection: Have you ever seen a grown man climb a tree? Think about an important man or woman you know, someone who has an important position in the community. Can you imagine him or her dressed in his finest clothes, climbing a tree to get a better view of someone? Talk about something you really wanted to see and what you had to do to see it. Zacchaeus really wanted to see Jesus. Why do you think Zacchaeus was so anxious to see Jesus?  Prayer: Jesus, thank you for coming to us and for wanting to be with us. Help us to want to be with you, to see you, more than anything else. Help us to live lives that show our love for you. Amen.

Sunday School Classes

In the Oasis Café we will make Apple Cider Pancakes to show us we are the apple of God’s eye.

In Colors of Faith we will use colored salt to create a picture, and we’ll make a tree.

In Creation Exploration we will make an endothermic frozen treat that shows God’s love for each and every one of us, sinners though we are. 

In Jammin’ with Jesus we will go ‘out on a limb’ to seek Jesus.

 Our focus verse:
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what is lost."

Luke 19:10