The St. Olaf Caller

March 2009

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From the Desk of Pastor Matt

“As he said this he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and he put the clay on the man’s eyes, and said to him, ‘Go and wash them in the Pool of Siloam’ – a name which means one who has been sent.  So he went and washed and went home able to see.”  (John 9:1-12)

             One day as Jesus and His disciples are walking along together, they see a pitiful sight--a man who has been blind from birth.  The disciples watch him groveling and begging there in the gutter.  Intrigued by this man’s horrible plight, the disciples ask Jesus a hard theological question: Who sinned?  Was it this man or his parents?  Why was he born blind?  Was it his fault?  Or did someone in his family do something wrong to cause this?

            There is an interesting theological point here.  The religious leaders of Jesus’ time had the mistaken notion that the persons who were down on their luck were in that fix because they had sinned, and this was God’s judgment upon them for their wrongdoings.  So these blind people, or lame or leprous or poor people, were looked down upon by society as sinners, as wicked people and they were shunned.  But Jesus didn’t see them as sinners or as wicked people.  He saw them as children of God, as persons of integrity and worth, as members of God’s family, as His brothers and sisters.  He loved them and embraced them and enjoyed them, and He healed them.

            So, here Jesus goes over to the blind man to help him.  Notice that when the disciples see the blind man, they see something to discuss, but when Jesus sees him, He sees something to do. The disciples want to debate the truth; Jesus chooses to do it--and be it. He spits on the ground and makes clay of the spittle and then He anoints the man’s eyes with the clay.  Now, if that seems repulsive to you, don’t let it be.  Saliva has long been a folk remedy.  Ancient people believed strongly in its curative powers, and in a sense, we still do.  At least, our children do.  A child burns his finger and into his mouth it goes, or a child scrapes her arm and wants mom to kiss it and make it well.

        Jesus anoints the man’s eyes with the clay.  Now, the single most important word in this whole passage is this word “anoint.”  The original Greek word used here for “anoint,” is the same word it uses for the word “Christ”… which, of course, means “The Anointed One.”  Listen!  He anoints the man’s eyes!  He “Christs” the man’s eyes! What a difference that can make in our life.

            And just like the man born blind, our eyes have been Christ-ed, too. That’s what Baptism is all about—new life with a Christ-like vision.  Because our eyes are anointed through our baptism, we see people differently.  We see them as part of God’s family and we accept them and embrace them and help them and treat them with respect and love.  That’s what it means to have Christ-ed eyes. It changes the way we see ourselves, changes the way we see other people.

Christ makes life exciting,

Pastor Matt

Third Thursday 
Join us for Third Thursday on Thursday, March 19^th.  We will start at 11:00 a.m. with a program on chocolate!  Please sign up on the sheet on the kiosk if you plan to attend or call Laura Lee at 920-474-4317.  Also, mark your calendar for Special Communion which will be on Maundy Thursday on April 9^th. 

Women of Grace Meeting
Women of Grace will meet on Monday, March 23 to talk about the Easter breakfast, Mother & Child Banquet, summer trip and much, much more.  Please join us. 

March Anniversaries
2       Gregory and Jody Homulos
10      Daniel and Melissa Meier                              
15      Gary and Emily Heath                                   
16      Dareld and Cindy Riemer

March Birthdays
3       Dawn Freiburger, Deborah Krahn
4       Glenn Mason
5       Lavonne Christenson, Dolores Johnson
5       Jennifer Schutze
7       Austin Brewer
8       Coral Holbrook
9       Riley Smeaton
10      Jonathan Jaeger
11      Kevin Schultz
12      Nicole Christenson, Kenneth Ziebell
13      Justin Schultz
14      Trevor Millikin, Virginia Petersen 
14      Michael Schlehlein
15      Jane Christenson, Rebecca Schuett
16      Patricia Kraft, Haley Roraff, Randy Sikkema
17      Jennifer Henninger, Sherri Krueger, 
17      Trevor Schell, Alyssa Schutze
18      Richard Christopherson, Douglas Kreger
19      Tim Christopherson, Jeffrey Dauss
20      Jason Davy, Gertrude Guenther, David Much
20      Maxwell Roth, Cindy Stuettgen
22      Carter Meier
23      Lisa Kreger
24      Rachel Savatski, Jerry Schlieve
25      George Birkel, Bryan Larsen
26      Ashley Hoppe
27      Danette Reed, Kendra Stewart
28      Kathy Monis, Laura Murray
29      Mark Solveson, Kala Uhlman
30      Patricia Rolefson
31      Glen Houghtaling

Cemetery Plots Available
The church has two cemetery plots for sale in Wisconsin Memorial Park on West Capitol Drive in Brookfield .  The gravesites are $1695 each and are in a valued part of the park which is almost filled. If you or someone you know is interested in these plots, please call the church office.

We Found Something We Could Do
And it Feels Good
by Roger Johnson

     The committee that planned St. Olaf's Heritage Weekend - A Journey Of Faith last October is pleased to announce that thus far that weekend event has generated $5,797.50 for the building fund and $201 for a benevolence. We thank Pastor Matt for his encouragement and all the committees of the church that pitched in. We thank everyone who contributed so generously with their ideas, time, and talents. God has blessed us with a great Pastor, talented and generous church members, and a wonderful church facility. There is no limit to what we can accomplish when we work together for a common cause.
     This event had multiple purposes. Besides being a much needed fund raising event to help pay down the mortgage, we wanted to recognize, appreciate, and celebrate the rich heritage of our congregation and God's grace that St. Olaf's has survived for 164 years to be here as our church home. It was also a time of fun, visiting, education, and outreach.

     Heritage Weekend demonstrated the value of our great new facility in accomplishing our mission plan. Because we had the facilities to do so, we were able to reach out to the entire community as well as past St. Olaf's Church members to join us in what really was a neighborhood heritage celebration. In the past, the church and the one room schools were the centers of the community. For one weekend last October, our church was again the community center. This is a great thing and could not have been accomplished in our old basement facility.      

     We were so glad to see great youth participation and some new faces taking part. We were hoping that would be the case. It is so true that by participating in a church activity or volunteering to help do something for the church that needs doing, a person finds himself closer to his church, closer to his neighbors, closer to God, and it just plain feels good.

     Stewardship will be a necessary focus for 2009. I would suggest that the giving of time and talents is a great way to participate in a stewardship effort. For some families, given the economic situation, it may be that increasing the offering of time and talents may be the only way of stepping up to the stewardship plate. For any who find themselves in that situation, I recommend looking at ways you can pitch in at church from time to time. If you have an idea or see something at church that could use your expertise, bring it up to the Pastor or Bruce Benson. If someone calls on you to help with something that is right up your alley, say "O.K.". You are going to enjoy yourself and feel good being a part of a second family - your church family.   An event like Heritage Weekend required a wide variety of talents. There was so much more we could have done. Maybe we'll do it again. I'll bet you can think of ways we could do it better with your talents and a little of your time.

Women of Grace Donation
By vote at the last Women of Grace meeting, funds from our treasury will be distributed as follows:  $2,000 to St. Olaf General Fund, $1,000 to St. Olaf Building Fund, $50 to our nursery, and a total of $875 to outside Christian organizations.  Thank you to those who voiced their opinion in distribution of funds.

March Lay Ministry Schedule

 Altar Guild: Jane Christenson & Joan Uhlman
Counters:  Randy Buth, John Roth & June Sumnicht
For questions regarding the following, please call:
Acolytes:   Robyn Cowell 262-673-9693
Assisting Ministers: Gwen Downing 262-673-6717

Join us for UFF-DA
On Sunday, March 1 we will sponsor our second UFF-DA class during our regular Sunday School hour.  UFF-DA (Uniting Faith and the Forty Developmental Assets) is a fun time for everyone in the church to focus on an asset (last time we talked about loyalty) that will help all of us to have a fulfilling life in Christ.  Games, stories, activities for all ages, so join us in the Fellowship Hall after church.

Taking Faith Home

Fresh Start
By Marilyn Sharpe (www.youthandfamilyinstitute.org)

            God offers us a “fresh start” every single day! What does that mean to you as a parent or to your child or to your family? It means that every day you begin with a fresh slate, not by any effort or achievement on your part, but because God shows love for you by offering you a new beginning each and every day.

            Alex, not quite five years old, cowered, head bowed, behind the couch. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Dan, his beloved dad, had just corrected him for pulling a toy out of his sister’s hands. Dan’s voice was firm and kind and loving to both his children, but Alex read his father’s correction as disapproval of him. Dan knelt next to Alex, wrapped him in his arms, and said, “I love you, son. Part of loving you is to help you become your best self. No matter what you do, I never stop loving you.” Alex melted into his dad’s embrace, wiped his tears, took a deep breath, and went back to play.

            Dan taught Alex and Emma to name and own their mistakes. He taught them how to say, “I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?” (This is not to be confused with the cheesy, whiney, apology-on-demand, that sounds like “Saaaarreee,” the less than- heartfelt apology that makes a mockery of confession and absolution.) This one comes from the heart, when the child is ready. He also taught them to forgive, with grace, not dismissing the wrong with a breezy, “Oh, no problem” or “No big deal.” This is the look-you-in-the-eye and say, “I forgive you.” He has taught them that forgiveness frees them both to begin again.

            And Dan has taught them that forgiveness is a gift from God, promised at their baptism. Each night when they say their prayers, they remember to ask God’s forgiveness, too. And they are reminded that God forgives them and wants them to forgive one another. Dan has prepared them to pray the Lord’s Prayer: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. What a lesson for life!

            But I didn’t learn this when I was young. As a child, I tried so hard to be perfect … without any spectacular success. When I made a mistake or wronged someone, instead of saying, “I am so sorry. Can you forgive me?” I tried to hide it or blame someone else. I walked around with a load of guilt, afraid that if anyone knew what I was really like, no one could love me.

            Then, I had children! Alison wasn’t even two years old. One night during his residency, Les was on duty at the hospital. Alison simply would not go to bed, nor would she stay in her room. I’d had it. I snapped. Holding onto her doorknob, I yelled at this precious child. “GO TO SLEEP!” (Can you believe that it didn’t work?) She held onto the doorknob on her side of the door, and yelled back. At that moment, I felt like I watched this from the ceiling. I wanted to ask, “Will the real adult in this apartment stand up, please?” But there wasn’t one. I opened the door, dropped to my knees, enfolded her in my arms, and said, “Alison, I am so sorry. I was frustrated and tired and you didn’t deserve that. I love you. Can you forgive me?” And she did. Then, I knew the grace of God.

            Forgiveness, both giving and receiving, is a gift of God, offered to you and your children every day of this new year. Won’t you receive it and pass it on?

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

1. As a parent, model apologizing, asking for forgiveness, and forgiving others.
2. Include confession in prayers with your children.
3. When you are reading a story or watching a movie and see an example of others needing to ask for or offer forgiveness, ask your child how the character might handle it.
4. When your child needs to apologize, talk to them about it in private, offering to practice it with them.
5. Catch your child asking for or offering forgiveness and tell them how proud you are of them!

Schedule for Lent

Ecumenical services will begin at 7 p.m.   This is the same rotation that we have had in the past and if it would change, we will advise you accordingly.

Wed., March 4    St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, Mapleton

Wed., March 11   St. Olaf’s (we will be responsible for finger foods, etc. following the service)

Wed., March 18   St. Paul ’s E.L.C.A. Church ,  Sugar Island

Wed., March 25   Zion E.L.C.A. Church, Ashippun

Wed., April 1       St. Paul ’s Episcopal Church, Ashippun

Holy Week Schedule

Maundy Thursday, April 9, 
11:00 a.m. Special Communion
7:00 p.m. Worship with First Communion for 4^th & 5^th graders

Good Friday, April 10, 7:00 p.m. Tenebrae Service

Easter Sunday, April 12
    7:00 a.m.   Worship service with Holy Communion

    9:00 a.m.  Worship service with Holy Communion

7:30 – 9:00 a.m. Easter Breakfast

Let's Have Some FUN!!!
      St. Olaf Congregation was organized 165 years ago and is still going strong.  Let's celebrate God's blessings all year long during this anniversary year.
      One of our special blessings is that we are such an active congregation.  There will be many special events throughout the year.  Let's use this 165th anniversary as an impetus to make these upcoming events well attended and successful.  For example, many old timers remember the Ice Cream Socials having old time themes and costumes.  Let's plan a Retro theme for the Ice Cream Social on July 26.
      Members have pointed out some special needs at St. Olaf's.  Let's make it a 165th anniversary goal to complete some of these projects.  For example, there is talk of needing a sign advertising worship times and special events.  Let's complete this project as a 165th anniversary gift.
      A group of volunteers has been meeting on Sunday mornings after church to plan additional celebrations and list projects that could be undertaken this anniversary year.  These events and projects will be posted at the church.
      To have successful special events and projects will require the time and talents of many St. Olaf members; old members, new members, ALL members.  Let's have some fun together!  Volunteer to help on an event or project that interests you.
      Some special talent needs are:  photography, printing, graphic design, data entry, proof reading, letter writing, telephone callers, public relations, legal advice, masons, carpenters, electricians, sign painting, decorating, cooks, kitchen helpers, and the list goes on.  Please offer your talents and join the Celebration of 165 years of God's Blessings in this place.
      There will be a sign up sheet in the church or call George or Elaine Monis (920-474-4092), Lucy Braunschweig (920-474-4637), or Roger Johnson (920-474-3168).  Volunteers are asked sign up and then to reach out and invite a new member or less active member to volunteer with you.

Together in Faith
In January our Sunday School students and their families started a new, on-going curriculum called Together in Faith.  Each age group talked about a different part of Luther’s Small Catechism or another important part of our faith lives.  Our students will be sharing what they learned in our Sunday services during Lent.  They will lead the congregation in the Apostles’ Creed, a prayer, the confession and forgiveness, Bible readings, and other topics they covered in their classes. 

Simply Giving is a Good Thing
by Roger Johnson

Simply Giving is a way to make your offerings to the general and building funds through electronic fund transfer.  Many families already utilize electronic transfer of funds from their checking accounts for other purposes.  Others have never tried it and may be wary of the process.  We want to get all the information to you and ask you to consider Simply Giving.  You have heard Pastor talk of the First Fruits concept.  Simply Giving is an effective and easy way to give of your first fruits.

The advantages of Simply Giving to you are: 
No more thinking about how much you should put in the envelope this week.  No checks to write.  No more writing checks or looking for cash at the last minute.  No playing catch-up at year's end.  Safer than writing a check.

The advantages of Simply Giving to the church are:
The church will know that a certain amount of money will come in each week regardless of snow storms, flu outbreaks, summer holidays, or whatever.   Helps the counters and makes church's book keeping easier.  Encourages individuals to evaluate their giving habits and maybe make some positive changes

 Things you should know about Simply Giving: You pay no fees.  You determine frequency of your pledge withdrawals.  You can choose deducting from a checking or savings account.  No one can deduct money from your account unless you authorize it.

Simply Giving is good for almost everyone.  It is especially good for those who have steady income, do a lot of weekend traveling, go south for the winter or up north in the summer.  Simply Giving may not be good for you if your financial situation fluctuates wildly throughout the month, you anticipate being laid off, or your income is from part time or seasonal work.  Those who would like to put an envelope in the plate, can still do so. Simply Giving stamps will be provided at your request for the empty envelopes you put in the plate.

If I’m interested, what should I do?
Those families that use it, like it very much.  Ask them.  Simply Giving brochures and applications are on the table in the foyer.  If you have questions, ask Denise or Roger Johnson.

Complete the authorization form & return to church office.  Don't mail it to Vanco. 

St. Olaf Sunday School presents

The Apostles’ Creed

March 8 - March 29  

We say it every week in our church service.  But what is it? The Apostles’ Creed is the most widely confessed creed among Christians.  By clearly stating who God is, the Creed helps us understand who we are.  Created in the image of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit—we know we are created in and for relationship.  We truly become ourselves in relationship to one another and to God.  Because God loves us, God lived among us as a human being.  In Jesus Christ, we can see what it means to be truly human.  In Jesus Christ, we have been freed from sin for life with God.  The Holy Spirit is God’s continuing presence with us, sustaining us as one humanity. 

This rotation will be delving into Luther’s Small Catechism as we learn more about the Apostles’ Creed.  Dealing with the Trinity is not the easiest concept for adults, let alone children.  We’ll be looking at God the Creator and Father, Jesus the Savior and Son and the Holy Spirit, bringer of peace.  We’ll learn that the Apostles’ Creed is a summary of all that the Bible tells us about God.  It unites communities of believers (that’s us at St. Olaf!) joining together to declare their common believe in the Triune God.

We will learn that our Triune God reaches out to all people of all nations.  And we’ll talk about how the Creed boldly confesses our beliefs about God, Jesus and the Spirit. 

Sunday School Classes

• In the Oasis Café we will make 3-in-1 ice cream and see that as God’s family we say what we believe.  Three parts in one means strong and complete.  
• In Colors of Faith we will make Trinity Sun Catchers and see that the Trinity brings us light and truth.  
• In Creation Exploration we will learn how strong the power of three can be. 
• In Jammin’ with Jesus we will learn that God is with us from beginning to end.  

 Our focus verse:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  John 1:1

VBS Needs
It's that time of year again to start thinking about VBS.  The theme this year is Gospel Light's Son Rock Kids Camp.  Your child will let their creativity flow as they create crafts that emphasize Bible stories, the daily truths, and more!  I'm asking for everyone's help to make the adventure come alive for all VBS students.  The Art area needs the following supplies to make this happen.

Wrapping paper tubes- 40
Paper towel tubes- 30
Toilet paper tubes- 40
colored masking or electrical tape any color-5 rolls
twine rope- 4 rolls
circular magnet with hole in it- 40 of them
wooden dowels ¼ in. diameter by 18 inches long-40 of them
glitter- colors blue, silver, gold- 3 of each color
blue food coloring- 1 bottle
white rectangle blank label stickers- 40 of them
wide ruled spiral notebooks- 30 of them
large paper clips- 3 boxes
small paper clips- 2 boxes
white paper plates- pack of 50
pine needles, acorns, twigs, leaves- as many as you can get
stick or branch 18 to 24 inches long- 30 of them
silk or plastic flowers- large bag of them
large blue disposable plastic plates ( 2 per child)- 80 of them
yarn any color
cardboard oatmeal canister with lid-40 of them
flat brown spray paint- 4 cans
clear acrylic spray-3 cans
white card stock - 60 sheets
large yellow construction paper- 3 packs
stones 2 or 3 inches-30 of them
large pine cones- 30 of them
craft glue- 10 bottles
black or blue permanent markers- 10
tongue depressors – 100
solid color ceramic tiles 3x3 or bigger-need not to match- 40 of them
window screen-cut into sizes of 5 ½ x 13inch rectangles one for each child-40 of them

 A bin will be labeled outside the nursery door for any items you can donate! 

Thank you!

Questions?  Please call Art Coordinator, Kathy Monis  262-670-0731

Marriage Enrichment Dinner
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Saturday Eve Service: 5:00 p.m.
Social Time: 6:00 p.m.
Dinner 6:30 p.m.
Program 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Cost: Couple=$34, Single=$20
Reservations must be made by March 8^th
Please cal Lyn Johnson at 920-474-3168
Childcare will be provided at no cost but MUST be requested by March 8^th.

Candle light dinner followed by Rev. Mark Gungor video on Laugh Your Wat to a Better Marriage.

Pastor Mark’s entertaining illustrations are so hilarious and original you’ll be sharing them with all your friends.  His humor makes his teachings enjoyable, effective and memorable, helping husbands and wives remember these insights and immediately put them to work.  Everyone is invited!

Ashippun Community Blood Drive
Monday, March 2
1:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Ashippun Town Hall (W1266 Hwy O)
For an appointment visit givebloodgivelife.org or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE

St. Olaf Caller
We are changing the delivery format of the Caller beginning in April.  We will no longer be delivering Callers to each members’ mailboxes or mailing them unless specifically requested to do so.  Instead we will have 20 printed copies available in the rack next to the kiosk AND it will be available on our website www.st-olaf.org.  With the economic times as they are, we are doing our part to save the church money as well as “going green” by using less paper.

Easter Flower Orders
It’s time again to order flowers for Easter.  There are a variety of flowers to choose from including Easter lilies, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, azaleas and hydrangeas.  Flower order forms with payment (make sure to write ‘Easter Flowers’ on the memo line of the check) can be turned into the church office or put in the offering plate.  Flowers can be in memory of a loved one or in honor of a special event and will be listed in the Easter bulletin.  Pick up an order form at church.  Order deadline is March 29^th.  

St. Olaf’s Annual
Pie Auction / Social

  Sunday, March 29, 2009  

10:15 a.m. Spaghetti lunch ($4 a plate)

11:30 a.m. Pie Auction

Encouraging ALL members of St. Olaf to attend 
Invite your friends and neighbors to share the fun!

We hope you can make it!

 St. Olaf members:  donations of pies are needed
Please have them to the kitchen by 9:00 a.m. on Sunday  

Matching Funds from Thrivent

Listen to Grace Matters on Sundays at 7:00 a.m. on 104.9 FM or 1540 AM
Click here for Grace Matter Radio Broadcast information.