Newsletter from University Lutheran Chapel

Fifth Sunday of Easter

April 2012

On this fifth Sunday of Easter, the gospel reading describes believers as branches of the one vine, who is Christ. Come to worship, and so be connected with all the other branches.

Don't forget the forum at 9:30 am sponsored by the Chapel's Green Team and Social Justice Team on environmental issues and labor justice.

Prayer List

Think about starting a "practice of praying" for the Chapel this week -- around the table before a meal, before bedtime, in the morning as you prepare to depart for a busy day. Use this list and remember those in need. We invite your prayers for:

For Lucas' mother

For Laura who continues treatments this week

For Jen Afdahl-Rice's great uncle Chuck

For Jackson's friend, Matt, and his family

For Bryan and his family as he deals with brain cancer

For our friend Troy and his mother, Donna

For all who struggle with eating disorders

For David as he continues treatment for cancer

In thanksgiving for Martin as he prepares to return to Ireland

For Charlie and Ray, who are living with terminal cancer diagnoses, and for their families and supporting communities

For Don, Maura, and Duane as they continue in recovery

For spouses, marriages, and partnerships; especially in difficult times

For our confirmands, Lee and Matt

For Chapel children and their families

For all who are looking for work

Quick Links

Sunday Bulletin

Lectionary Resources

Worship Leader sign-up

Small Group sign-up

Weekly Video

Worship Times

11:00 am Sundays

Eucharist

Thursday night Campus Ministry is on hiatus til the fall

10:00 am on May 27

Confirmation Liturgy on Pentecost at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (NO SERVICE AT THE CHAPEL)

Worship Leaders

Presider: Pr. Jeff Johnson

Preacher: Pr. Jeff Johnson

Music Director: Andy Bouman

Vocal: Renee Fladen-Kamm

Assisting Minister:

Greeter: Judy Timmel

Sacristan:

Lector: Jacob Ruff

Council: Sam Kanenwisher

Prayer:

Family Liaison: Simone Dippon

May 6, 9:30 am - Adult Ed Forum sponsored by Green Team & Social Justice Team
May 8, 8:00-10:00 am - ICWJ Clergy and Community Breakfast
May 9, 8:00-8:45 am - Prayer Time at the Chapel
May 9, 9:00 am - East Bay Interfaith Immigration Coalition at the Chapel
May 9, 3:30 pm - Confirmation Class (Lutheran Church of the Cross)
May 12, 8:45 am - Sustainable Future Task Force
May 17, Pr. Jeff at Synod Council Meeting (San Jose)
May 17, 7:30 pm - Ascension Day Service
May 18-20 - Pr. Jeff, Pr. Sanna & Jonathan Partsch at Synod Assembly (San Jose)
May 26, 8:456 am - Sustainable Future Task Force
May 27, 10:00 am Confirmation Liturgy on Pentecost at PLTS. (no worship at the Chapel)
June 2, 10:00 am - LVC fundraiser walkathon, Lake Merritt
July 18-22 - ELCA Youth Gathering, New Orleans
July 27-Aug 4 - Pr. Jeff's Trip to Palestine with "Bright Stars over Bethlehem"

Confirmation Liturgy

Sunda

y, May 27th at 10:00 am (note the time change), we will gather with the other Lutheran churches in Berkeley for our annual joint Pentecost Liturgy where we will celebrate the confirmation of six young people, including two of our own, Matthew Schultz & Lee Jaeger.

10:00 am

Chapel at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary

2770 Marin Avenue, Berkeley

It will be a very festive celebration! If you can help out with any of the following things, email Pr. Jeff and let him know. We need an official photographer, 6 assisting ministers, a couple kids' time assistants (to help make color pentecost kites!), 3 people for a small skit about Pentecost, drummers, and banner wavers). Let us know how you want to help out!

There will be NO LITURGY AT THE CHAPEL on SUNDAY, MAY 27th.

Green Team Forum on Sunday

Download the Green Team Challenge here and start changing your lifestyle! We will be adding leaves to the "Green Challenge vine" growing in our sanctuary as we make changes.

At 9:30 am this coming Sunday, we will have a forum on Environmental Justice collaboratively sponsored by our green and social justice teams.

On May 13, California Interfaith Power and Light will present on climate change effects in the Bay Area.

Simone is decorating more organic cotton, not-made-in-a-sweatshop bags, which will be available for sale at $6.00 each from Louise over the next 3 Sundays .

Council Meeting Update

The Chapel Council met on April 17th (we always meet on the third Tuesday at 7:00 pm -- anyone welcome!) for a monthly meeting.

Here are some highlights of the meeting from Sam Tia (Council Secretary). A copy of the minutes (unapproved til May meeting) is available by clicking here.

A leadership retreat was restructured into an alternative, lower cost, single day event (details yet to be determined).
Discussion of the Synod's Transfer of Assets Resolution has been pushed over to next month. Please read the synod resolution in detail and be prepared to discuss this at our next meeting.
Let Pr. Jeff know if you are interested in attending the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice Breakfast in support of the Pacific Steel workers on Tuesday, May 8^th
Get in touch with Bob Wohlsen if you have any feedback or suggestions on the draft "Pastor & Ministry Staff Evaluation" plan.
A fall "narrative lectionary" plan was laid upon the table for further discussion, with the goal of fostering biblical literacy within the congregation.

Thanks to all CROP Hunger Walk

Last Sunday, the Chapel's Crop Walk team raised over $1,000 for hunger-related justice programs by walking in the annual event! Thanks to everyone who walked -- Jen, Lowell & Zack; Judy; Ted, Issabella & Vivienne; Pepe; Flora; and Gretchen!

Thanks to everyone who donated!

Crop Walk is organized by our very own Pr. Vy Nguyen, who is the Regional Director of Church World Service, and has his office here at the Chapel! Thanks Pr. Vy!

Thank you for the Lights & Sound!

Let there be light! Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the coordination of Martha Backstrom, and the high altitude (30 feet up on the scaffolding) volunteer work of Sam Tia, Chuck Jaeger, and Paul Gilbert-Snyder on Tuesday night, we have a complete set of lights again in the sanctuary! Thanks everyone for making this happen!

Also, we are almost finished with the new sound system which is set to be calibrated this week.

Many thanks to the Marjorie Bauman Memorial Fund and Chapel donors (Ben & Laura Johnson, Ron Kresge, Nancy Nielsen, Flora Schultz, Theresa & Stephen Woo, Bennett Falk & Margaret Moreland, Nancy Nielsen, Bob Wohlsen, Ron Kresge, and Paul Hilfinger) for making this much needed improvement possible.

Week of Renewal at PLTS

You are invited to a Week of Renewal (June 25-29) -- classes, worship, stimulating conversation and restorative time in the company of old and new colleagues in ministry and lay people interested in theology, in the wonderful setting between the Bay and Tilden Park.

Rev. Dr. Barbara Lundblad, "Embodied Preaching in a Virtual World" Preaching is a strange and wonderful craft where spoken words are embodied not only in the preacher but in the listeners as well. In this week, we will engage the body (voice, movement, pauses, etc) and spoken words as resources for preaching and also explore how electronic resources can expand the dialogue preachers have with the congregation.

Rev. Dr. Ted Peters, "Life Beyond Death: What Can We Expect?"

The tragedy of human dying is accompanied by an impenetrable mystery: what next? Various religions have offered up a variety of theories. What can we learn from what the Bible or from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? What is God's promise for us?

Dr. Lisa Fullam, "Spirituality and Ethics in Pastoral Ministry" This course will bring into dialogue aspects of ethics and the spirituality of life and ministry around four salient virtues: self-care, justice, fidelity and trustworthiness. How does spirituality intersect with ethics?

Steed Davidson, "Jeremiah: A Voice Out of Time" This class will explore the implications for life and ministry today of understanding Jeremiah as a marginal, solitary figure bereft of much support for his controversial positions that were probably never embraced in his time.

For more information and to register, please click here .

Ascension Service