For 2010, (a limited time only), landscaping bricks can be purchased in honor or in memory of a loved one. This includes inscription on the bricks. Be sure to get in on this special deal in honor of Norway Grove being 60 years old this year. Forms for purchasing bricks are on the usher’s table at Church.
PASTOR KATHY’S PAGE FOR MARCHkathrynulrich@charter.net
Wow! Its hard to believe that the last six months have sped by since I began the Chaplaincy class at Meriter hospital. I believe this time has enriched both me personally, and all the folks and ministry here at Norway Grove. I know it has been a difficult time here at Norway Grove over the past six months with financial issues, amongst other things, but somehow, I see you getting stronger with each decision that you struggle with, and with each time in which you speak out about your cares and your concerns.
For me, balancing both the full time nature of the call here at Norway Grove, and working in the clinical and class time at Norway Grove has left me with a few sleepless nights, and sometime’s time off being only a change of location. Somehow, it has been enough, and it has worked.
My Sabbath has had to be quick on some days. Fortunately, as part of my class, meditation has been an important piece that I have completed in a group setting with the other chaplains.
Whereas, I have put in countless hours in the last six months, it has been energizing for me in both settings, the congregation, and in the hospital.
Now that the class is over, it is time to solely focus on what’s happening here at Norway Grove. Renewed energy within the congregation, new people becoming more engaged in the ministry, and people speaking out about their hopes and dreams for Norway Grove as the 60th Anniversary year gears up, makes it an exciting time to be at Norway Grove.
Right now, we are in the middle of Lent, so that means double time for Worship, a focus on a closer relationship with God, and soup suppers every Wednesday! This year is very fun to be getting back to the basics of the Catechism during the Wednesday evening short, reflective Worship Services.
Speaking of Worship Services, we are pleased to announce that the Music and Worship Committee has recently been established, so we on staff here at Norway Grove are looking forward to the input and fresh ideas from more members here at Church. Next, we are working with the Evangelism Committee on re-establishing nursery services during Worship. There has even been talk about the property Committee officially re-forming, and also focusing on possibilities for the future of energy usage here at Norway Grove. With the 6 furnaces needing to be replaced, it is a great time to look at alternatives in that area, and see what makes best sense for Norway Grove, as we head into the future, and the next 60 years.
In my class, I have been learning more about myself, and about exhibiting stronger leadership skills. I have been working on increasing my awarenesses, continuing to learn Family Systems Theory, writing verbatims regarding ministry situations, Theological papers, a pastoral concepts paper, and a Unit Case presentation on “Spirituality in the Recovery of Stroke.” Core competencies in basic areas of ministry have been worked on during my time in this class. Leadership skills from a Family Systems approach have been helpful for me to closely study.
During my hospital Clinical time, I have had great opportunities to meet with people in all stages of sickness, surgeries, grief, addiction issues, and new leases on life. I have been gaining valuable experience and skills for dealing with just about any scenario you can think of in a hospital setting. Sometimes people are alone and afraid, and sometimes people come to the hospital with large supportive families.
For some of you, I have been in the hospital when you have been there, so my response time has been very quick! Sometimes, I have met you in the hall, as you arrived. This has been a blessing to me.
I have been privileged to be with people and their new born babies, and I have been with people at the end of their long lives. End of life has an expected time, and an unexpected time, and I have been honored to walk with people through the fullness of life, and through the heart break of life before it enters fully into the world.
The same is true here in the congregation, that we experience the heights and depth of life together. Only the pace seems to move much more slowly due to the growing depth of relationships. For 60 years, Norway Grove Memorial Lutheran Church has been experience life in God’s world.
We are rooted in the past, and we move towards the future. It is never more apparent in a congregation to recognize this than in an anniversary year. It is thrilling to be uncovering the history that has meaning to Norway Grove, and it is exciting to think about the future that God has in store for this place based on the ways in which God has continually walked with Norway Grove over the years.
I would like to share with you now the closing verses from Psalm 91, as they are translated in the Book, Psalms for Praying, an Invitation to wholeness, by Nan C. Merrill.
“Because you cleave to me in love, I will deliver you; I will protect you, who call upon my Name. When you call to Me, I will answer you; I will be with you in times of trouble, I will rescue you and reverence your life. All through the years, will I dwell in your heart, as Loving Companion Presence, forever”.
May it be ever so.
pastor Kathy
GREED
When trust in God gets replaced by a quest for security, the quest for security may lead to greed. This is a very slippery step that can cause us to fall backward in our faith journey. Have you ever experienced greed?
Let’s look at Luke 12 again. Verses 13-15 read, “Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ But (Jesus) said to him, ‘friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And (Jesus) said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’”
What are some life experiences where greed often becomes evident? Often before one’s parents pass away, there is plenty to live on. There is a sense of security. However, when it comes time to divide the inheritance, each member of the family wants their fair share. There may be constant bickering over relatively small items or amounts. This is one form of greed!
Have you ever read How Much Land Does a Man Need? by Leo Tolstoy? It is a short tale that describes a man who is offered all the land he can walk around in a day. He starts out reasonable enough, but his desire lead him in a larger and larger circle. As the sun is setting he is seen struggling and gasping to return in time to his starting point. He doesn’t make it. He collapses. The Cossack chieftain who had offered this gift of land looks down from his horse at the body lying in the tall, rich grass a few short feet from the goal and repeats the question, “How much land does a man need?” Enough to bury him.
The words of Jesus remind us to be on guard against all kinds of greed. God promises to provide for us what we need, not all we can desire or imagine. How do you draw the line between need and desire? This is where the struggle occurs. How far would you try to walk in one day?
Prayer: O God of abundance, spare me from greed. Speak to my heart and soul that I may not value an abundance of earthly possessions above your Word or your way. Amen
The money Leadership devotions are developed by the Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission Unit of the ELCA
Forgiveness is about letting go, really letting go of resentment and bitterness - both personal and global. Forgiveness requires strength of character, it requires courage, a courage that needs to be replenished daily and rekindled when it falters. Forgiveness requires a commitment to something other than revenge and the natural desire for retribution and/or an apology. It requires, since there are events and behaviors that are unforgivable, ultimate compassion.
To forgive someone or something implies that there has been a transgression. You have been violated, hurt, insulted, treated badly or inhumanely, or somehow suffered greatly by another’s actions. Something very valuable has been taken away; there has been grievous harm. Sometimes the transgression is factual; someone has been murdered, tortured, raped, neglected, beaten, publicly humiliated, or oppressed. Sometimes the transgression is subjective; we get our feelings hurt in ways that would not necessarily hurt someone else’s feelings. Someone forgot your name at a party, your child was overlooked for a scholarship, someone assaulted your leadership style, or your boss did not pick up your ideas. As author and Buddhist meditation teacher Sylvia Boorstein says, ‘We all have tucked away in our unconscious a little list of people who have hurt us in some way in our lives. And we keep the list even though they can no longer hurt us, as if forgiving them will
give us amnesia, and we’ll get hurt by them again.’
When we have been hurt, we show a feverish intensity to the situation, we hold a magnifying glass on the person or people who hurt us, and we are exquisitely aware of the effect the injury has had on us. Whether objective or subjective, we are faced with similar feelings of being upset and resentful of being treated wrongly. Whether subjective or objective, whether it is a slight or a grievous transgression, when the hurt and insult has created a bur in our psyche we are faced with the heroic task of being responsible for the resulting psychic pain.
Hatred, resentment, and a desire for revenge and getting even are heavy emotions that weigh us down. Heavy emotions, reliving the trauma or fight, and being tied to the past robs creativity, spontaneity, fun, and any semblance of a free life. We become virtual prisoners caged inside our own moods and dark thoughts, whether we are painfully tied to the traumatic insults waged against our bodies and spirits or fueling the flames of everyday grudges and insults. We instinctively know holding hate and resentment is not good for us, but being willing to let it go, knowing we are so justified in feeling a sense of outrage and a desire for justice, is another kettle of fish altogether. Author anonymous
~ Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Psalm 150: 3-6
I thought I’d start this month’s newsletter article with a tongue-in-cheek piece I found online at www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com titled “Hymn Truths”. We are asked to consider, “Do we live a lifestyle in harmony with the hymns we sing?”
· We sing “Sweet Hour of Prayer” and are content with 5-10 minutes.
· We sing “Onward Christian Soldier” and wait to be drafted into His service.
· We sing “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” and don’t use the one we have.
· We sing “There Shall be Showers of Blessings” but do not come to church when it rains.
· We sing “Blest Be The Tie That Binds” and let the least little offense sever it.
· We sing “Serve the Lord With Gladness” and gripe about all we have to do.
· We sing “The Whole Wide World For Jesus” and never invite our next door neighbor.
· We sing “We’re Marching to Zion” but fail to march to worship or Sunday School.
· We sing “I Love to Tell the Story” and never mention it all.
· We sing “Cast Thy Burden on the Lord” and worry ourselves into nervous breakdowns
Obviously this was written for the reader’s amusement and should not be taken too seriously, but it does remind us of the influence of music throughout our spiritual journey and the importance of song lyrics to support the teachings of the Bible. I recently read a Bible study in which God told Moses at the end of the wilderness wanderings that soon he would die, and that Joshua, not he, would lead the people into the Promised Land. God told Moses “soon the people will begin to prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me, breaking my covenant”. God also warns, “I will hide my face from them” and “they will say ‘God is not in our midst.’”And what does God tell Moses and Joshua to do? “’Now write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their forefathers, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant. And when many disasters and difficulties come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants.’ So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.” (Deuteronomy 31:16-23)
During that time of great distress, God’s answer was to provide the people a song through Moses. It serves as a great reminder to those of us who practice music in the church today that we have been entrusted to continue that tradition. This means we are given a great responsibility in how we select our hymns for worship, accompany them, and even how we sing them. But we also need support, motivation, and encouragement as we do the work God has intended. This is particularly relevant at Norway Grove as we are currently forming a Worship and Music Committee. We have an amazing group of volunteers who are ready for the responsibility of reviewing previous worship experiences, as well as planning for upcoming worship services and musical events. Their thoughts, ideas, and ability to enlist others to help with projects will greatly assist Norway Grove in reaching out better to God’s people and spreading God’s word. We are blessed to have their valuable input and honored that they are willing to share their gifts with us! If this is a committee that you would be interested in being a part of, please contact the office or a staff member to learn more.
Jill Buchheim, Music Director
Many thanks to those who completed their service on our Church Council in January. They are Lisa Blaski, Betty Koenig, Lisa Johnson, Don Schultz, Beth Staniforth and our High School Representative, Nick Heisig. Thanks also to those who accepted the call to serve, or continue serving, on Council. They are Sam Kirkland, Beth Krey, Vickie Laughren, Tom Nelson, Jim Simpson and Kris Smith. Our new High School Representative is Brad Urban. They, along with Julie Haag-Heisig, Jackie Kelley, Dave Pahl and of course Pastor Kathy, make up our 2010 Church Council.
Miracles happen every day, if we choose to see them. The Bible is the book of faith. Will you join with us in a goal of joining a Bible study, or faith group this year?What is God saying to you?Just ask! Who am I? What is my purpose?
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth, it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11
Dear Friends at Norway Grove,With great excitement, I am pleased to announce that I have been called by God and the church to serve Trinity Lutheran Church in Manlius , IL as their pastor! I begin on February 1, and we are packing so that we can move into the parsonage before February 1. My ordination will be on April 25, location to be determined. When I think of you at Norway Grove, I think fondly of Philippians 1:3: “I thank my God every time I remember you…” Although I’ve been away for many years, Norway Grove has always been my church family. I am thankful for your prayers, support, and encouragement through my candidacy process and my call process. Please know that I keep you in prayer today and always. When I know more details about my ordination, I will let you know!
Peace be with you! Brenda Lovick
BUT THEY’RE NOT SURE GOD CAN HEAL THROUGH THEM!
Did you know that in Philippians 2:5, it says “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus?” It’s not your ability, but your availability! Mark 9:23 says “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to you who believes.’“ In Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding: In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Also in Mark 8:25 “Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.” Matthew 6:22-23 states “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.“
Those were some of the many Bible verses that were given to those who attended the Miracle Service of Healing. We have the source of wisdom handed down through the ages as the guide through good and bad times. Have you looked at the display of Bibles in the foyer at Norway Grove Memorial Lutheran Church handed down through the ages? They are probably Bibles of relatives of some of you. Whether we are going through good times or bad times, or coming to church, or not coming to church, open your Bible, tell the stories of faith and hope. We have offered many opportunities of group studies and learning together. In this busy world, most of the congregation have not been able to participate. There are plenty of activities to choose from, but none of those can equal the Bible, because that is the Word of God. The inspiration of all times, for all generations. That is the hope of this world. God is everlasting. All other things can be taken away from you, but not the word of God if it is in your heart. That is the best gift you can give to your children. God does heal people. God can heal our church family. Let us open our Bibles and let God speak to us. Let us spread the words and encouragement to others. If we open our eyes there are so many ways to show God’s love to each other, and to strangers. Most people are waiting for a kind word and encouragement. Sometimes within our own families. OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO OPEN THE BIBLE AND LISTEN TO GOD. Maybe you will be the one with the words of hope and wisdom that will heal someone you love or a stranger, just waiting for someone to care. It might be a clerk, or a child, or someone in a wheelchair. We are God’s people. We are to spread the word of healing and hope.
Betty Olson - Evangelism