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E-Link Newsletter
News from Metropolitan Community Church of Austin |
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 November 2, 2011
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| From Your Pastor | | 
The second sermon I ever wrote--I'm certain of this detail because I was writing for my preaching class and the hot fear of preaching in front of my peers burned the particulars into my memory--was based on a passage in Exodus called "The Song of the Sea." At that time I had not yet taken Hebrew, hadn't fallen love with the language of the Old Testament, and was still regularly exposed to people who wanted to beat me up with it.
Though I've shared with you several times the story of how the Old Testament was "redeemed" for me over time, I know that many of you have not had such an experience. For many of you, the Old Testament, still unredeemed, lies in the outer darkness gnashing its teeth, and you'd just as soon it stay there.
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Daylight Saving Time Ends!
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Don't forget! Daylight Savings Time ends early Sunday morning. Set your clocks back one hour.
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| What's Happening at MCC Austin | |
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| Sunday Morning Worship | | November 6 at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.*
"The Old Testament: History or Hoax?"
Rev. Karen Thompson
2 Kings 22:1-10
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.
In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the Lord, saying, "Go up to the high priest Hilkiah, and have him count the entire sum of the money that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people; let it be given into the hand of the workers who have the oversight of the house of the Lord; let them give it to the workers who are at the house of the Lord, repairing the house, that is, to the carpenters, to the builders, to the masons; and let them use it to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the house. But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly."
The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord." When Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, he read it. Then Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, "Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workers who have oversight of the house of the Lord." Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "The priest Hilkiah has given me a book." Shaphan then read it aloud to the king.
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*ASL Interpretation for the 11:00 service will be available upon request. Please send your requests via email to Courtney Webster in the church office.
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| Soul Connections Upcoming Events | | 
November 6 - Luncheon
Soul Connections gathers on the first Sunday of each month after the 11 a.m. worship service. Please join us for a presentation from AARP on PRIDE information for LGBTQ members and lunch at Taiwan Restaurant (500 W William Cannon Dr, Suite 420).
November 11 - Lady Longhorns' Basketball
Our SOUL Connection Event for Nevember will be a fun evening at a UT Women's Basketball event: UT vs Stanford at the Erwin Center on Friday November 11, 2011, at 7 p.m. We will meet 15 minutes before game time on the concourse by Section 49. General Admission is $8. FYI you cannot bring in any drinks or snacks and they do check purses, backpacks, etc. Look forward to seeing y'all at the game cheering for the Lady Longhorns!
Please plan to join us for one or all of these events. We'd love to see you!
Future activities for Soul connections are available on the Soul Connections website. If you have any questions regarding this event, please email Dana McVey.
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| New Member Class | | 
Saturday, November 19
9 - 11:30 a.m. - MCC Austin
Come learn about the history of MCC Austin, our current ministries are, and where God is calling us as a church for our future. You will also find out how to get involved in ways that are meaningful to you. If you're interested in attending the class, please register with Courtney Webster, by email or by calling the church [291-8601]. Please include your first and last name, email, and the best contact number for you. |
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Fall Homeless Outreach Projects
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Help Us Reach Out to the Homeless
Warming the Body and Soul of Austin Project
Project: Providing blankets to Austin's homeless
What can you do: Donations of gently used and/or new blankets/throws would be appreciated. We will have boxes and one of our group members at the church entrance on Sunday October 30 & November 6.
Our goal: To collect 50 blankets. If you have any questions, please email Kathryn.
 Caring with Care Packets Project
Project: Providing Care packets to the homeless
What can you do: We will be collecting donations of these items for homeless care packets: socks, bottled water, lip balm, toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, washcloths, bus tickets, anti-bacterial wipes, canned meats with pop-tops, and granola or breakfast bars. There is a large basket located by the front door of the church to receive these donations. We will receive donations through Sunday, November 27.
Our goal: We would like to distribute at least 50 complete kits. For more information, please email Courtney Webster.
*We are receiving donations ONLY for these items. Please do not bring other items! Thank you.
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| Our Prayers... |
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- For all who hunger in our world, especially those areas affected by famines.
- For our GLBT brothers and sisters around the world who live in fear of violence and discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- For our church as we discern next steps for our building process.
- For all who suffer from economic injustice and inequality.
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From Your Pastor, continued
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If that picture describes you, I'm offering a very special invitation for you to worship with us each of the next three Sundays as we walk through the Old Testament together. With our hearts and minds fully open, we'll experience the Good News of God's love through the Old Testament scriptures just as fully as we do through the New Testament scriptures. Granted, we might have to work a little harder to see God's enduring presence and love for us because they are articulated very differently in these texts- (both by God and humans) but the blessings will be great.
We will explore three different perspectives over three weeks:
November 6 - The Old Testament: History or Hoax?
November 13 - The Old Testament: Texts of Terror*
November 20 - The Old Testament: A Love Story
*A term coined by feminist theologian Phyllis Trible
The decision to end the series with "The Old Testament: A Love Story" was made intentionally. This final sermon in the series will lead us into Advent and our time of hoping and waiting for the great fulfillment of the Old Testament love story through the birth of Jesus.
You might also want to invite friends to worship with us for these three weeks, especially if your friends are under the impression that the Old Testament yields nothing but "Hellfire and Brimstone." They might be blessed to learn that the Old Testament also offers up "Heart-fire and the Rock of Ages."
Shalom,
Rev. Karen Thompson
Senior Pastor
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Beyond Our Walls: News from MCCs Around the World
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MCC News: 2011 Fellowship Sunday Pacesetters
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MCC Headline News: 13 October 2011
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Beyond Our Walls: Community News & Events
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Transgender Day of Remembrance
TENT, Transgender Education Network of Texas, will host the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance event on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at 6:00 PM at Austin City Hall Plaza.
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Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos
Tonight from 6:30-8:30 pm at allgo (701 Tillery St Suite A-1, Austin, TX 78702): a statewide queer people of color organization. For more information, please check out their website.
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