ST. BARNABAS LUTHERA ST. BARNABAS LUTHERA ST. BARNABAS LUTHERA ST. BARNABAS LUTHERAN CHURCH N CHURCH N CHURCH N CHURCH Inside this issue: Crosswinds Crosswinds Crosswinds Crosswinds Small Group Opportunities 2 Transition Update 3 Sermon: “What Must I Do to Be Lost?” 4 Barnabas Spotlight Presents “Frontier Follies” 6 Jazz@St. Barney’s 6 News & Notes 7 The Marks of Discipleship • Daily prayer • Weekly worship • Bible reading • Service in and beyond the congregation • Spiritual friendships • Giving time, talents, and resources October 2019 Volume 35, Issue 10 Small Group Ministry Fair Set for October 5/6 Small groups are key to two important things: 1) growing in one’s personal faith and well- being, and 2) building a sense of community within the congregation. A Small Group Ministry Fair will be held after worship services the weekend of October 5-6. St. Barnabas has over 25 small groups that meet weekly or monthly. The groups have different purposes: • Faith Journey Groups (Word for Women, Pastor’s Class, Sunday Scripture Texts…), • Art & Handiwork Groups (Quilters, Yarn & Coffee…) • Fellowship (Sticky Families, OWLs, Solo Sisters, Book Discussion, ...) • Physical Wellness Groups (Meditation in Motion, Walking, Senior Stretch…) • Caring Groups (Parent Huddle, Mental Health Support Group) • Service Groups (IOCP food shelf, Beacon Housing, Crosswinds…) A large congregation like St. Barnabas needs many more small groups to provide connecting points beyond worship in order to develop a sense of community among its members. A current listing of St. Barnabas’ small groups can be found on page 2. The Small Group Support Team offers training and assistance to help you start a new group. If you have an idea for a new small group, or are interested in leading a new group, contact a member of the Support Team. Support Team members are: Kevin & Michelle Tullberg, Krista Boyd, Bonnie Davis, and Justin Hibbits. Contact any team member with your ideas! “Blessing of the Animals” Service, Oct. 6 St. Barnabas will celebrate a “Blessing of the Animals” service on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 6, at 4:00 p.m. The first Sunday in October is a traditional time for such a service, falling close to the commemoration (Oct. 4) of St. Francis of Assisi, who was renown for his love of animals. All animals are invited—furry, feathered, or scaled, even hoofed. We ask that pets be kept on a leash or in a cage, restrained for their and everyone else's safety. If you do not have a live pet to bring, your stuffed animals like teddy bears or giraffes or Beanie Babies are welcome, too. Come, invite your friends, and join us as we praise God for and with our furry, feathered, and finned friends. First “All Lighthouse” Night Oct. 9 Contemplative Prayer Practices for Everyday Prayer can take multiple forms, and it can center us in our relationship with God. Prayer is a spiritual exercise — the more we do it, the more we know its positive impact in our life. Sometimes prayer can be intimidating, as we may not know what to do or say. October 9 is the first of five “All Lighthouse” events this year where the Sunday Lighthouse families join the Wednesday Lighthouse families from 6:00-7:15 p.m. We will look closer at prayer and different methods of prayers. We are bringing in Amy McGrew to share her wisdom around prayer. Amy is a spiritual director and is a trained “Prayer Counselor” who focuses on healing and transformation. You will leave with simple tangible resources to use everyday. There will also be age-appropriate experiential opportunities centered around prayer. The Community Meal is serve from 5:15-550. We will start promptly at 6:00 p.m. The entire congregation is invited to participate.
Transcript
ST. BA R N A BA S L U T H E R AST. BA R N A BA S L U T H E R AST. BA R N A BA S L U T H E R AST. BA R N A BA S L U T H E R A N C H U RC HN C H U RC HN C H U RC HN C H U RC H
Inside this issue:
CrosswindsCrosswindsCrosswindsCrosswinds
Small Group Opportunities 2
Transition Update 3
Sermon: “What Must I Do to Be Lost?”
4
Barnabas Spotlight Presents “Frontier Follies”
6
Jazz@St. Barney’s 6
News & Notes 7
The Marks of Discipleship
• Daily prayer
• Weekly worship
• Bible reading
• Service in and beyond the congregation
• Spiritual friendships
• Giving time, talents, and resources
October 2019 Volume 35, Issue 10
Small Group Ministry Fair Set for October 5/6
Small groups are key to two important things: 1) growing in one’s personal faith and well-being, and 2) building a sense of community within the congregation.
A Small Group Ministry Fair will be held after worship services the weekend of October 5-6. St. Barnabas has over 25 small groups that meet weekly or monthly. The groups have different purposes:
• Faith Journey Groups (Word for Women, Pastor’s Class, Sunday Scripture Texts…),
• Art & Handiwork Groups (Quilters, Yarn & Coffee…)
• Fellowship (Sticky Families, OWLs, Solo Sisters, Book Discussion, ...)
• Physical Wellness Groups (Meditation in Motion, Walking, Senior Stretch…)
• Caring Groups (Parent Huddle, Mental Health Support Group)
• Service Groups (IOCP food shelf, Beacon Housing, Crosswinds…)
A large congregation like St. Barnabas needs many more small groups to provide connecting points beyond worship in order to develop a sense of community among its members.
A current listing of St. Barnabas’ small groups can be found on page 2. The Small Group Support Team offers training and assistance to help you start a new group. If you have an idea for a new small group, or are interested in leading a new group, contact a member of the Support Team. Support Team members are: Kevin & Michelle Tullberg, Krista Boyd, Bonnie Davis, and Justin Hibbits. Contact any team member with your ideas!
“Blessing of the Animals” Service, Oct. 6 St. Barnabas will celebrate a “Blessing of the Animals” service on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 6, at 4:00 p.m. The first Sunday in October is a traditional time for such a service, falling close to the commemoration (Oct. 4) of St. Francis of Assisi, who was renown for his love of animals. All animals are invited—furry, feathered, or scaled, even hoofed. We ask that pets be kept on a leash or in a cage, restrained for their and everyone else's safety. If you do not have a live pet to bring, your stuffed animals like teddy bears or giraffes or Beanie Babies are welcome, too. Come, invite your friends, and join us as we praise God for and with our furry, feathered, and finned friends.
First “All Lighthouse” Night Oct. 9 Contemplative Prayer Practices for Everyday
Prayer can take multiple forms, and it can center us in our relationship with God. Prayer is a spiritual exercise — the more we do it, the more we know its positive impact in our life. Sometimes prayer can be intimidating, as we may not know what to do or say.
October 9 is the first of five “All Lighthouse” events this year where the Sunday Lighthouse families join the Wednesday Lighthouse families from 6:00-7:15 p.m. We will look closer at prayer and different methods of prayers. We are bringing in Amy McGrew to share her wisdom around prayer. Amy is a spiritual director and is a trained “Prayer Counselor” who focuses on healing and transformation. You will leave with simple tangible resources to use everyday. There will also be age-appropriate experiential opportunities centered around prayer. The Community Meal is serve from 5:15-550. We will start promptly at 6:00 p.m. The entire congregation is invited to participate.
FAITH JOURNEY GROUPS Sunday Scripture Texts (New) This new group meets on Wednesday morning at 10:30. Pastor Amber leads a study of the Bible readings for the upcoming Sunday. Come whenever your schedule allows. [email protected]
The Word for Women A study group led by Pastor Amber that meets on Thursday mornings at 9:30. Childcare provided. The first book this fall is Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande. Sign up at the Welcome Center to receive the group's weekly email. An online discussion option is also available. [email protected]
Pastor’s Class Pastor Wayne leads a study each Tuesday morning from 9:15-10:30. The group is reading and discussing some of the ELCA’s 13 social statements, written to encourage thoughtful engagement with current social issues. We will begin with the 1991 statement on abortion. New participants are welcome at any time.
ART & HANDIWORK GROUPS Quilters First Friday of each month at 9:30 a.m. Make quilts for local children’s nurseries. All skill levels are welcome. Audrey Johnson 763-559-4459.
LWR Quilters Second and Third Friday of each month at 9:30 a.m., making tie quilts for Lutheran World Relief. All skill levels are welcome. Rose Ann Parks, 763-476-7959.
JustGifts Crafters Fourth Friday of each month at 9:30 a.m. Make crafts for JustGifts Market in December. Rose Ann Parks, 763-476-7959.
Yarn & Coffee People who love to knit or crochet meet the 4th Thursday at 9:30 a.m., working on prayer shawls, baptismal shawls, or personal projects. Mary Pestel, 763-559-9138.
FELLOWSHIP GROUPS Men’s Breakfast Fellowship This new group is for men of all ages to get together for fellowship once a month. They meet the 2nd Saturday of the month at church from 8-9 a.m. Next breakfast is October 12. Wayne Frederickson, [email protected]
Solo Sisters A fellowship group for women of all ages who enjoy the opportunity to “go and do.” Meets first Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for “First Monday Coffee”, plus other outings. • Tuesday, Oct. l - Trip to the Apple Orchard • Wednesday, Nov. 13 - Wayzata High School play "Legally Blonde"
Sticky Families Plus This group for families with young children has a 3-month rotation of family activity gathering, Moms’ Night Out, and Dads’ Night Out. This month is a family outing: Saturday, October 26, 3:30 p.m. Apple Jacks Orchard just west of Rockford. $5 entry fee includes the wagon ride, the u-pick patch, corn maze and corn pit Justin Hibbits, [email protected]
Daytime Parents A group for parents who are home during the day. Meets on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. for a weekly play date in the church nursery. Jessica Gaedke, [email protected] OWLs (Older & Wiser Lutherans) A fellowship group for all who self-identify as Older & Wiser. On Wed, Nov. 13 at 4:30 will attend free preview of Legally Blonde at Wayzata High School. Rose Umland, 763-553-1239.
Tome Explorers (non-fiction reading group) This group discusses works of non-fiction (history, biography, etc.) Usually meets the 1st Sunday of the month at 7 p.m. in homes of participants.
Book Discussion Group Meets the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. to discuss a novel. Oct. 17 - Hotel Silence by Audur Ava Olafsdottir Host: Bobbi Dering
PHYSICAL WELLNESS GROUPS Senior Stretch A chair yoga program offered by SilverSneakers, Monday mornings from 9:30-10:30. Certified instructor: Denise Schaaf, 612-804-7087.
Walking Group Meets at 9:00 a.m. Saturday mornings at various sites to walk for about an hour. Contact Connie Cook, [email protected], to get on the email list.
Nordic Walking Group Meets at 6:00 p.m. on Mondays in front of the Visitor Center at French Park. Bring your own poles or use the congregation’s. Contact Rose Umland, [email protected], to get on the list.
Meditation in Motion: Move and Breathe in the Scriptures This group meets the second Wednesday of the month from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Next date is Oct. 9. Valerie Nielsen, [email protected]
CARING GROUPS Mental Health Support Group A NAMI support group for people who have a family member with mental illness. 2nd Thursdays from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Elizabeth Chaigne, 612-432-0471 or [email protected]
SERVICE GROUPS Interfaith Outreach Food Shelf Help staff the IOCP food shelf the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Next night is October 2. Come as your schedule allows. Sharon Sawyer, [email protected]
The Gathering This group volunteers 5 hours on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays at Calvary Lutheran Church in Golden Valley to help provide group care for people with memory loss so that their care givers get a break. Rose Umland, 763-553-1239.
Seniors & Friends A bi-monthly ministry in which volunteers pick up members who have mobility issues and bring them to St. Barnabas for a brief worship service and a luncheon so that we can help them continue to feel part of the St. Barnabas community. The next S&F is Tuesday, November 5 at 11:00 a.m.
St. Barnabas Small Groups All of these groups welcome new participants. For more information, contact the person listed.
IOCP Volunteers Needed Oct. 2 & Nov. 6 St. Barnabas continues to support the work of Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners by providing volunteers at the food shelf and retail store on the first Wednesday of the month. The next service nights are October 2 and November 6. Volunteers meet at IOCP (County Road 6 and Hwy 101) at 5:30 p.m. and work until 8:00 pm. Training is always given for first-time volunteers. Sign up at the Welcome Center or send an email to Julie Hoyme if you can help.
Crosswinds Volume 35, Issue 10
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Book Discussion Group The next books being discussed by the Book Discussion Group are: October 18 - Hotel Silence by
Audur Ava Olafsdottir Host: Bobbi Dering
November 15 - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Host: Rose Ann Parks
December 20 - Bear Town by Fredrik Backman Host: Betsy Asher
Tome Explorers Tome Explorers read and discuss works of non-fiction on the 1st Sunday of the month at 7:00 p.m. The next books being discussed by the Tome Explorers group are:
October 6 - The Library Book by Susan Orlean
November 3 - Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Crosswinds Volume 35, Issue 10
Crafters Start Planning for December
Now is the time to start thinking about crafting items for the
JustGifts Market craft sale. The market is scheduled for December
7-8. You set the price for your items and select the charity to receive the proceeds. Details
about the ministries and charities available and the project
deadline will be sent as the market dates get closer.
If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Gaedke ([email protected] or 507-
358-1782).
Page 3
The transition process that leads to the call of St. Barnabas’ next Senior Pastor in the summer of 2020 will involve several task forces (short-term committees) that attend to specific tasks. I have been asked to be the coordinator of these task forces, keeping the congregation informed of their progress.
The “Transition Readiness” committee is tasked with documenting everything Pastor Wayne and the staff do at St. Barnabas. The group is led by Scott Gilyard and consists of Krista Boyd, David Robarge, and Bonnie Roed. To date they have worked on Finance and Property tasks. In October they will be meeting with Pastor Wayne to identify the tasks he does to explore which things can be continued to be expected of the next senior pastor and which things may need to be picked up by someone else (like editing the newsletter, shoveling snow, and making coffee on Sunday morning).
The Survey Committee, led by Andy Cossette, sent out the Congregational Survey (CAT) tool to all St. Barnabas households in mid-September. Andy is joined by Denise Holmquist and Eric Boyd in this task. The survey closes on Oct. 2.
Pastor Jerry Wahl is the representative of Holy Cow Consulting, which designed and administered the CAT survey. Jerry will lead a
Transition Plan is in Process Survey Feedback Session Set for October 13, 4 p.m.
Lisa Pole, Transition Process Coordinator
feedback session on the results of the CAT that is open to all in the congregation on Sunday, Oct. 13, at 4:00 p.m.
At its October 14 meeting, the Church Council will identify the Call Committee, who will begin their work immediately after the Committee is solidified. Our constitution calls for the Church Council to appoint a 6-person call committee. The Council will strive to form a committee that is representative of the congregation in regards to gender, age, and length of time a person has been a member of the congregation.
Members of the congregation are welcome to express their interest in serving on the Call Committee by contacting congregation president Lisa Turnquist at [email protected] prior to October 14. It is helpful to know in advance if someone is willing to serve, but this information makes it neither more nor less likely that the person will be asked to serve on the Call Committee.
Meetings of the Church Council are generally open for members to attend and observe, but because of the frank and open discussion the council will need to have in assembling this Call Committee, this agenda item will likely be designated for “executive session,” meaning that only council members will be in the room.
Last fall we began the practice of asking every St. Barnabas household to help one time for 45 minutes with the important hospitality ministry of serving coffee after worship. We have been pleased by the willingness of our community to take part in this ministry, and for the most part, the system has worked well.
We’ve gone through a year-long cycle and now it’s time to sign up once again. (Those with health issues are, of course, not expected to help with this.) This does not involve baking!
Four households serve each Sunday — two from 9:45-10:30 and two from 11:15-12:00. The task is simply to set the treats out, make coffee as needed, and wash the dishes.
“First Service” hosts need to be in the kitchen at 9:45. The first pots of coffee will already be made and the treats on hand in the kitchen. They put out cups, napkins, sugar & cream, and ice water (and cut and plate treats, if necessary). They monitor refreshments and refill as necessary, do the first round of dishes, and have things in good order when they are done at 10:30.
“Second Service” hosts need to be in the kitchen by 11:15. They monitor refreshments and refill as necessary. When done serving, they wash the remaining dishes and communion cups, rinse out the coffee pots, wipe off the countertops, and clean all tables with soap and water.
Two households work together after each service. The sign up sheet is accessible online and will also be in the narthex through October 13. After that we will assign people a date to serve and produce a full schedule to that people can switch dates if necessary.
If this ministry is something you would enjoy doing more frequently (like 3-4 times per year) you may certainly do so.
If you have questions about this ministry or feel this is something you are unable to do, please contact Pastor Amber at 763-553-1239 or [email protected].
Sunday Hospitality Ministry Involves Entire Congregation — Sign Up By Oct. 13
The schedule is always available at the St. Barnabas website:
• www.stbarnabaslutheran.org
• on the right sidebar, click “Sunday Service Opportunities”,
then click “Coffee Hosts”
Crosswinds Volume 35, Issue 10
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The parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin (left sidebar) comprise two-thirds of the best-known parable chapter in the gospels. Luke concludes this fifteenth chapter with the parable of the Prodigal Son. These are parables of joy, with a person rejoicing when something that had been lost is found and reclaimed.
All three of these parables are directed at the same audience – the scribes and Pharisees – who had been complaining that Jesus associates with, even welcomes, the types of people from whom, to their way of thinking, proper church-going, law-abiding folks keep separate. In that day and age this included tax collectors, prostitutes, and others whose actions are considered to be sinful. In today’s American society, Jesus might be partying with ex-cons, undocumented immigrants, maybe even people who bet on dogfights. Jesus tells these parables to respond to the objections of the church-going folks, saying that he reaches out to even the most infamous sinners because of the joy God feels when one of them repents. And in these stories, notice that repentance is not a moral turn-around like we usually think of it. The sheep and the coin had not been sinful, nor had they asked for forgiveness. Repentance in these stories is simply one’s acceptance of being found. The message of the parables is that no one is beyond the reach of God’s persistent, amazing grace.
Our reading from Exodus (right sidebar on next page) gives another example of the wideness of God’s mercy. The people of Israel are camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Just a few weeks earlier they had escaped from Egypt where they and previous generations had been slaves of the pharaoh. They had seen with their own eyes how God had parted the waters of the Red Sea, allowing them to cross on dry ground, and then caused the waters to flow back on Pharaoh’s pursuing army. They had rejoiced and marveled at how the LORD God has saved their lives.
But the people of Israel had a very short memory. Just a few weeks had passed and Moses was now up on Mt. Sinai where God was giving him the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. When Moses’ time on the mountain became longer than they anticipated, the people got tired of waiting and began to doubt God’s trustworthiness, so they took matters into their own hands and built their own god, a calf made out of gold.
The LORD God’s first reaction on seeing this idolatry is to decide to destroy this ungrateful, impatient people. But Moses intercedes on the peoples’ behalf and makes three compelling arguments. First, he appeals to God’s reasonableness. It’s not logical, Moses says, for God to have just rescued Israel from Egypt and then turn around and destroy them. Secondly, he appeals to God’s reputation. “What will the neighbors say?” Moses asks. The Egyptians will laugh at God if the Israelites perish in the wilderness.
“What Must I Do to be Lost?” A sermon by Pastor Wayne Peterson, Sept. 15, 2019
Gospel Reading Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." So he told them this parable: Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15)
Thirdly, and most importantly, Moses appeals to God’s promise. The LORD God had made a promise to Abraham that Abraham’s descendants would become a great nation. Moses goads the LORD, “Isn’t your promise trustworthy?” and God replies, “Oh, all right, since you put it that way…”
As a result of Moses’ intercession on behalf of the people, God’s mind is changed and God does not destroy them, even though they undoubtedly deserved it. God’s mercy seems to know no bounds. God’s grace truly is amazing.
All of which brings up an interesting question. It’s not uncommon for people to ask the religious question, “What must I do to be saved?” or as a man once asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” But what if we flip the question over and ask, “What must I do to be lost?”
When a baby is baptized and I speak to the parents about what is taking place in the sacrament, I emphasize that baptism is something God does. We baptize infants not because they are such good babies or because we think they will grow up to be fine men and women. We baptize them because through the water and the word of God’s promise, God reaches out to them and claims them as his own sons and daughters. God makes an unconditional promise to those who are baptized, that he is their God forever and they are God’s children forever.
At every funeral I preach at, I recall this same sacrament of Holy Baptism, comforting the family with the hope of God’s unfailing promise. Even with people who have had no contact with the church for years (or perhaps especially in those cases) I remind the mourners that God always keep his promises, and the promise God made at our baptism is no different that the one God made to Abraham. It is a promise God will keep. God is our God and we are God’s children – forever.
Are you able to see some of the implications of what I’m saying? It’s kind of radical stuff. When we Lutherans place so much emphasis on God’s action in baptism and the steadfastness of God’s love and promise, the question “What must I do to be lost?” suddenly becomes a significant question. For those who are baptized, for those whom God has sought out and claimed, is there actually anything we can do to become lost and stay lost?
If God has indeed promised unconditionally that we are his children forever, does it really matter what we do? Why bother coming to church or studying the Bible? Why bother getting confirmed? What purpose is there in all the talk about stewardship, trying to convince us that we should use our time and abilities to serve others and give a proportionate amount of our income to the church?
Crosswinds Volume 35, Issue 10
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If we are saved unconditionally, should we even worry ourselves deciding if a certain action is ethical or not? God loves us anyhow, even when we sin, right? Moses talked God into not destroying Aaron and the others who had made and worshiped the golden calf. The lost sheep and the lost coin are found. Everything has a happy ending. Is there anything to worry about? Is it possible to get lost from God and stay permanently lost with such a God who persistently seeks us out, whose love seems to always win out over his justice?
Now I’ve worked myself into a corner. If I answer “yes,” that it is possible to be eternally lost from God, then I place in question the validity of God’s promise made at baptism. The promise is no longer unconditional because something affected it – my sinfulness.
On the other hand, if I answer “no,” that it is not possible to become lost from God, then it would seem that all talk of discipleship and living a Christian life is unnecessary. One might even ask if it is necessary to be a Christian if God is as persistent as these parables suggest.
Some of you know the technical theological word that Norwegians have developed to describe a complex situation like this. The word is “Uffda”. What does one do when both answers seem to be right but the answers are contradictory? Such puzzling situations are actually quite common in our Christian faith. They are called dialectics. By definition, a dialectic is two truths which seemingly contradict one another and are held in tension.
Here are four truths which we hold in tension with each other in answering the question, “What must I do to be lost?”
1) It is true that our salvation is by grace
alone. There is nothing we can do to earn or merit God’s favor. There is nothing we can do to cause God to love us anymore or any less than God does right now. God’s love for us is 100% all the time.
2) It is true that what we do in our daily lives does matter to God, but not in relation to God’s love for us. We try to live according to God’s will not in order to win points with God but because we realize that God loves us and that everything we have is a gift from God. The way we show our thanks and return God’s love is by trying to live in a God-pleasing way, loving God and serving our neighbor.
3) It is true that Jesus is the full revelation of God. In Jesus we meet God face to face. Jesus is the way, the truth, and life who shows us how to know God in a personal relationship as Father. At Jesus’ command we share this good news with others and baptize them as the sign of God’s kingdom breaking in upon their lives.
4) It is true that all humans are God’s children whether they are Christian or not. Each is the creation of God and the object of God’s love and concern. To speculate on the eternal destiny of non-Christians is not something we can be dogmatic about. To insist that only believing, baptized Christians are the recipients of God’s mercy is to put limits on God and how God deals with his creation. We have seen in our readings this morning that God is not one to stay within the limits we might expect. God has done surprising things in the past and there’s no reason to assume that God has run out of surprises.
We find ourselves, then, in a place where we
can’t simply sanction another religion as being “just as good” as Christianity, as if one brand of detergent is as good as another, but neither can we judge another religion as being totally without God. To make such a judgment would be to put ourselves in the place of God, and putting ourselves in the place of God is what got Adam and Eve in trouble and is what God prohibits in the First Commandment.
What we can and must do is continue to bear witness that in Jesus Christ, God was in the world reconciling the world to himself. In Jesus Christ, God searches for and finds those who are lost, those who are hurting, those whose lives are devoid of meaning and purpose, and on finding them God shares the gift of life. And then, in exuberant, extravagant joy, God throws a party to rejoice that the lost has been found once again.
“What must I do to be lost?” may be an interesting question to ponder, but it is not the most important question to ponder. The important question for each of us to ask is, “Am I lost?” – am I wandering in life, dissatisfied with or unsure of where I am going? Do I have a sense of purpose and direction, knowing who I am and to whom I belong?
If your answer to that question is, “No, I’m no lost. I know that God has found me and claimed me,” then we can say, “Hallelujah!” which mean “Praise the LORD!” If your answer is “Yes, I do feel lost in my life and I don’t have a sense that God has found me,” then I put you on notice that a very persistent and surprising God loves you and is at this very moment reaching out to surround you with his amazing grace. Furthermore, this St. Barnabas community wants to share with you the joy that comes from knowing we are found and loved by God, for Jesus throws a party here every week and shares a meal with us sinners. We don’t have to check our questions and doubts at the door. Jesus came to save sinners. He’s expecting us and he’s dying to share with us the joy of kingdom living.
First Reading The LORD said to Moses, “Go
down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the
land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast
for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who
brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ ” The LORD said to Moses,
“I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn
hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will
make a great nation.” But Moses implored the Lord
his God, and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought
out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’?
Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people.
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you
swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply
your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I
have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall
inherit it forever.’ ” And the LORD changed his mind about the
disaster that he planned to bring on his people.
(Exodus 32:7-14)
Barnabas Spotlight is a new theater arts group at St. Barnabas led by Justin Rice.
The group begins its second season with a show written by Justin himself. “Frontier Follies” is a musical comedy that features over-the-top characters. During the show, a dangerous outlaw couple threaten to rob the show. It is up to the comedic cast to figure out how to stop the robbery from happening.
It promises to be a fun evening of watching our fellow St. Barnabas members tap into their “inner thespian”.
There will be two performances:
Saturday, November 2 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 3 at 6 p.m.
General admission tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for kids. Tickets will be available for sale on Sunday mornings beginning October 13.
Crosswinds Volume 35, Issue 10
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Music Together® classes for children
8 months-age 5
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Jazz@St. Barney’s The 2019-2020 season of Jazz@StBarney’s offers fourteen Saturday evenings of great jazz
by some of the finest jazz artists in the Twin Cities.
Admission is $12 adults, $8 Twin City Jazz Society members and $5 students (SBCA students admitted free). All programs begin at 7 p.m. and last 60-75 minutes.
Seating is generally at tables, so you can easily enjoy the snacks, lemonade and coffee provided. It’s a casual concert experience, good for both performers and audiences.
Saturday, October 26, 7:00 p.m.
Judy Vinar (vocalist)
Lori Dokken (piano) The lady who can sing anything — really! —
accompanied by the lady who not only can play anything, but might just say and do anything, too. An
evening of unsurpassed music and guaranteed fun!
Saturday, October 5, 7:00 p.m.
Benny Weinbeck (piano)
Gordy Johnson (bass) You’ll often find Benny at Birch’s on the Lake, The Lexington, or Parma 8200. He has been performing
since 1980 at venues around the world, and composes film scores when he’s not out performing.
Discovery & Growth Discovery & Growth (D&G) is an adult learning opportunity that meets on an irregular basis on Sunday mornings at 10:30. Participants worship at 9:00, have coffee, then gather in the Gardenview Room at 10:30.
October 6: Mission Trip to Pine Ridge Wayne & Lori Frederickson, Colleen Lutz, and Sue Megrund will share their experiences from their brief mission trip to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota in late July.
Save the Dates for Two Women’s Retreats
Fall Day Retreat Saturday, November 16, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Held at St. Barnabas $25/person
Winter Weekend Retreat February 21-23
Mount Olivet Retreat Center, Farmington A “Saturday only” option is available
Family Resource Center at St. Barnabas The Family Resource Center at St. Barnabas (FRC) is a community-based counseling and therapy resource to serve the surrounding community. Sliding fee scale. More information at www.frcstbarnabas.org
Crosswinds Volume 35, Issue 10
Page 7
October Birthdays 1 Barbara Daiker Norah Hibbits Alison Kerska Chris John Leiseth 2 Edwin Andersen 3 John Chell Jennifer Martinez 4 Joan Linnell Eileen Rohland 5 Ann Bredemeier 6 Nolan Wenaas 7 Louis Armajani Senja Carter Tim Jette Chase Nylin Mackenzie Nylin Doug Talus Margaret Wold 9 Shaun Holliday 9 Isabelle Meissner William Nafstad
4 Aaralyn Smith 5 Edwin Fountain Gerald Sognesand William Welshons 8 Aaron Smith 10 Dalton Davis Callan Gaedke 11 Rolland Loon 12 Samuel Johnson James Khoruts Shiah Sanders 13 Natalie Pole 14 Doug Burkett Pam Carter Kim Stepan 15 Mary Beth Running 16 Sue Gregerson
17 Carol Allen 18 Christine Erickson Courtney Werstein Shannon Werstein 19 Donna Harless 20 Kathleen Barhite Jaxon Pinske Alison Umland Mary Wenaas 21 Mark Anderson 22 Becky Johnson 23 John Chell Tom Lindberg 24 Leah Malchow 27 Larry Braford 28 Rose Endean
October Baptismal Anniversaries 10 Varsha Leiseth
Daniel Scalzo 11 Nancy Larson Paul Nicholson Tomira Powers 12 Elizabeth Senne 14 Henry Olson Alexander Rasmussen 15 Kevin Herzog 16 Graham Amundson Ryan Burnett Christine Erickson Samuel Lane Tom Lindberg Evelyn Wells 17 Gregory Guttormsson Brett Turnquist 18 Larry Braford James Clemens Cole Guttormsson Susan Sommerfeld
19 Robert Boarder Evelyn Breimhurst Patti Collier Davie Helgen Jackson Lane 20 Thomas Bjorgum Tracy Boarder Solveig Foley Maggie Freese 21 Daniel Endean Craig Humphries Charles Nachtsheim 22 Jeanne Bjorgum 22 Oliver Buell Austin Pryor Ann Scalzo 23 Evan Kerska Louise Nervig Peyton Ward 24 Carolyn Mueller John Pierro
News & Notes • Denise Neznik, a charter member of St.
Barnabas in 1987, died Sept. 7 at the age of 69 from colon cancer. Dee is survived by her husband, John, daughter Kami (Stan) Miskiw, son Kole (Kay) Neznik, and grandchildren Kiefer & Kyra Miskiw. Dee was preceded in death by her daughter Kari in 2011. Dee’s funeral was held at St. Barnabas on Sept. 14.
• We extend our sympathy to Pedro & Jennifer Martinez for two deaths in their family — Pedro’s mother in Chicago and Jennifer’s aunt, Sandy Runner, in Minnetonka. Sandy’s funeral was held at St. Barnabas on Sept. 13.
• We extend our sympathy to Brett & Lisa Turnquist, Emma & Connor on the death of Brett’s mother, Dana, on Sept. 26.
• Jay Koepsell collapsed while running around Normandale Lake on Sept. 20 and within a couple hours had a new stent installed which bypassed a 95% blockage in a coronary artery. The good news is that there was no heart damage. The bad news is that the fall broke his jaw, so his enunciation will be a little muffled for the next few weeks while that heals up. It was a very scary situation, and we thank God that Jay is going to be okay.
• Our new dishwasher was installed on Sept. 19 (pictured at right). This is basically the same model as the previous one, but 25 years newer, so there are just a couple of small changes in how it operates. The dishwasher and its installation are paid for by memorial gifts for Willis Croonquist and a special gift from a member who wishes to remain anonymous.
• You may have noticed that the shrubs along the south side of the sanctuary have disappeared in recent weeks. Christian Anderson is coordinating this as an Eagle Scout project. His troop moved all the landscape rock to the other side of the sanctuary, Jeff Carter & Karl Smith removed the 21-year old arborvitae that had gotten overgrown, and soon Christian and his crew will plant new arborvitae and spread mulch. All of this is being paid for by memorial funds for Rose Marie Chell.
• Parents of college students — please send Pastor Wayne an email with your son or daughter’s email address. St. Barnabas wants to keep in touch with them!
26 Morgan Coffman 27 Susan Megrund Peter Silbaugh 29 Calvin Conditt Gary Gronneberg Tess Guttormsson Kristian Richardson Kathy Valentine Addison Wenaas 30 Derek Eilderts 31 Aimee Endean
The October “Gift of Love” will help fund the Chaplaincy ministry at the Hennepin County Adult Correctional Facility (the “Workhouse”) on County Road 6 & Vicksburg.
Jeff Freeman is currently serving as the HCACF chaplain. Jeff works through an organization called Good News Jail & Prison Ministry. Funding for his position depends on gifts from individuals and congregations.
October “Gift of Love” for Prison Chaplaincy
Our goal for the “Gift of Love” each month is for every household to give something, whether it is 50¢, $5, or $50. Thanks for your gifts.
Prayer Team Ministry If you have a prayer request,
St. Barnabas Lutheran Church is a part of the Body
of Christ and a member congregation of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The source of our life together is the Word and Sacraments, celebrated in our worship.
We name ourselves after St. Barnabas, a New
Testament apostle. He was called “Barnabas”, meaning
“son of encouragement”, because he joyfully shared the “good news” of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He faithfully supported the work of the Church with his talents, prayers, and offerings.
MISSION STATEMENT
Sent by Jesus, we set our sails to be filled by God’s Spirit,
Ministry Team Wayne Peterson, Pastor Amber Ingalsbe, Pastor Dr. Sue Megrund, Dir. of Children, Youth & Family Rose Umland, Parish Nurse Karl Smith, Lay Minister for Property Julie Hoyme, Parish Assistant Jeff Whitmill, SB Center for the Arts Mark Rodriguez, Parish Musician Cheryl Oie, Handbell Choir
ST. BARNABAS ST. BARNABAS ST. BARNABAS ST. BARNABAS
LUTHERAN CHURCHLUTHERAN CHURCHLUTHERAN CHURCHLUTHERAN CHURCH
A woman was trying to impress others at a party. “My family’s ancestry is very old,” she boasted. “It dates back to the days of King James.” Turning to someone sitting quietly in a corner, she asked condescendingly, “How old is your family?” “Well,” replied the man with a quiet smile, “I can’t really say. All our family records were lost in the Flood.”
Share Your Favorite Recipe with our Lighthouse Families On Wednesday evening, St. Barnabas hosts a community meal for anyone involved in Lighthouse, a group of 50-60.. It is a well-loved event in our community as busy families can enjoy a meal and fellowship together. We are looking for people willing to prepare these meals. Pull out your favorite recipe and share it with our families. You may cook one time or multiple times during the year. If you don’t know what to cook, menu planning is fairly simple and we will help you figure out a well-loved meal. If you are interested, please contact Sue Megrund at [email protected].
Powerful Tools for Caregivers 6-session series begins Thursday, October 10 Caring for a family member or friend can be physically, emotionally, and financially draining. Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a 6-session educational program for caregivers to learn how to take better care of themselves while they provide care for others. Participants learn to minimize the negative impacts of caregiving by emphasizing self-care and empowerment. This free series will be led by Parish Nurse Rose Umland on Thursdays, Oct.10-Nov. 14 from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. with a light lunch following. Register at the Welcome Center. This series is for caregivers who provide care for a spouse, partner, friend, or child with special needs. This care may be provided at home or in a care facility, down the block or miles away.
CarFit Checkup Offered Oct. 17 A free AARP CarFit Event will be held at St. Barnabas on Thursday, Oct., 17 from 2-4 p.m. In a 20-minute session, a trained teacher will show you 12 key areas to make sure your car is properly fit to you. There are 12 spots available and 6 are already filled. Sign up at the Welcome Center or contact Parish Nurse Rose Umland.
