UPCOMING SUNDAY  

Matthew narrates one of Jesus' controversial parables, in which Jesus says the reign of God is like workers who get paid the same no matter when they start. When God changes his mind about punishing Nineveh for their evil ways, Jonah is angry. Yet God is gracious and merciful, abounding in steadfast love. In baptism we receive the grace of God that is freely given to all. As Luther wrote, in the presence of God's mercy we are all beggars.

• 8:30 a.m. - Eucharist (about 45 minutes)
• 9:30 a.m. - Sunday School and Sunday Forum (below)
• 9:30 a.m. - Torchbearer rehearsal
• 9:45 a.m. - Hospitality Team (ushers/greeters) meeting 
• 10:30 a.m. - Sung Eucharist
• 11:45 a.m. - Seminarian Committee Meeting (St. Mark's Room)

The Crib - David Weasely (in Passavant Hall)
The Crib is an innovative low-threshold overnight shelter for young people, run by The Night Ministry and housed at Lakeview Lutheran Church. The  Rev. David Weasley, The Night Ministry's Community and Congregational Relations Coordinator, will facilitate a conversation about The Crib, the youth who call it home, and ways to get involved. The program will also include a brief overview of the history and other programs of The Night Ministry.

A WAY TO SHARE with the CRIB (see above)
We invite you to bring underwear, tube-style athletic socks, full size deodorant, gift cards, or CTA passes for youth who stay at the shelter. Please bring them to the back of the church as you arrive for worship; the Sunday School children will carry them forward during the offering.

Weekly readings 

Take a break from the busy city life, and join us for this simple, contemplative eucharist.

We Need 383 Parking Permits!

Do you live in the 44th Ward? Zip code 60613 or 60657? If so, we are in need of neighborhood parking permits (zone 383). If you have any extra lying around, or can pick them up from Aldermann Tunney's office (1057 W. Belmont) or order them online (here), please bring them to Josh in the office. We are more than happy to reimburse the cost.

Politics and Religion - Barbara Wahler
Our beliefs and values inform our views about politics and religion. These are typically two hard-to-discuss subjects. At this forum, Barbara Wahler--a therapist with Holy Trinity's Spiritual Life Center --leads an open discussion about politics' role in religion and how religion plays out in politics. Differing opinions are welcome and will be honored at this open forum.

A faithful conversation on race and criminal justice will take place on Sunday, September 18, 2011, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m., at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, 1100 East 55th Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60615. Please register for this free event online. Questions may be sent to info@anotherpebble.org or you can speak with Antiracism Team and Holy Trinity members Ken Duckmann, Barbara Wahler or Eric Bjorlin.  Click here for the publicity poster. 

One of Holy Trinity's most popular offerings, these groups meet in a home for dinner in which the host provides the main course and others provide the side dishes. Sign-up as a couple, with a friend, or by yourself by filling out a form at the back of the church or by emailing the office and letting us know which dates you are available, if you are willing to host 8 - 10 people, if you are vegetarian, and if you request a location near an el stop. Over 50 people participate in dinner groups at Holy Trinity; it's a great way to meet new folks in our community! Sign-up by TODAY; groups will meet October 15, 16, 23 or 29.

This group meets every other month to watch a film followed by a discussion of its spiritual themes. You are welcome to bring a salad, fruit or healthy snacks to share.
Next film (Saturday, Sept. 17, 5:00 p.m.): Precious
Precious is an emotionally poignant film directed by Lee Daniels and adapted from Push, a 1996 bestselling novel by Sapphire. This is a deeply spiritual film that conveys the many ways in which loving, kind, and compassionate people can be catalysts for real change in the lives of others. (more at Spirituality and Pracitce)

Mark your calendars for Holy Trinity's Christkindl Market, our holiday bazaar and fundraiser, on Sunday, December 4. There will be lots of fun activities for the whole family and many ways to get involved. Here are two ways right now you can help make this a wonderful event:

• Contribute your favorite recipe to the Holy Trinity Cookbook - click here to download the recipe form. Drop the completed form at HTLC in one of the recipe baskets or email it to Kristi Harreld. Please note that we need your recipes no later than Sunday, September 25.
• Are you crafty? We are seeking Holy Trinity's artists and artisans who would like to display and sell their work at this event. In exchange, you'll be asked to donate one item to the silent auction. Please contact Sarah Hanson if you are interested in reserving space at the craft tables.

Watch your email and the bulletin for more announcements about this event. If you would like to volunteer on the event committee, please email Sarah Hanson.

September 11: 8:30 - 25; 10:30 - 151

Book Group

The Book Group will be meeting next on Monday, September 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the home of Susan Boin. The book we will be discussing is The Kitchen Boy, by Robert Alexander. It is a story about the final days of the last tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, and his family and what might have happened to them, told through the eyes of a kitchen boy who accompanied them into exile. We hope you can join us, whether you have read the book or not! If you have questions, call Susan at 773-935-6148.

Maybe you've attended Holy Trinity a few times or many. Maybe you are looking for a church home. Maybe you have mixed feelings about church and whether it is for you. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome at Holy Trinity! Here is a special invitation to learn more about Holy Trinity, what makes Lutheranism unique, meet some other folks, and find out more about our mission and ministry. Orientation sessions are held four times a year. The next session is Sunday, September 25. We will meet from 9:00 - 10:20 a.m., followed by the 10:30 a.m. worship service. We continue upstairs in Passavant Hall over a light lunch, concluding before 1:00 p.m. To sign up email Josh in the office or indicate on a yellow slip in the pew rack.

Kyle Severson has agreed to lead the Children's Choir this year. All children age five and older are encouraged to participate in the choir which will sing during worship three times throughout the year. In addition, Pastor Miller has asked the Children's Choir to sing at her Civil Union Ceremony on October 8th. Watch for more information to come, but for now save the rehearsal dates of September 18, 25 and October 2 as well as the worship leadership dates of October 8 and 9.

Mark Your Calendars - Generosity Brunch, Sunday, October 9

Sunday, October 9 following the 10:30 service. Celebrate the ministry of Holy Trinity and our vibrant community as we kick-off our 2012 Generosity Appeal!

You are invited to attend the conference to be held October 13-16, 2011, at Reba Place Church in Evanston. The gathering will celebrate Christian Peacemaker Team's 25th anniversary and include worship, Bible study, workshops, a concert, and plenary addresses by the Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana, the president of SCUPE, and CPT partners from Palestine, Colombia, and Iraq. It is a great way to find out more about CPT and to connect with people in Chicago and beyond who are applying peacemaking models in their local neighborhoods and communities.

Full details here
To register, click here 

"Team Trinity" Volunteer Opportunities

Please consider joining Team Trinity today! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Check out Volunteer website for upcoming opportunites.  It is Holy Trinity's goal to register as many members on-line to assist in helping with our ministry projects within the community.  Simply log-in now and sign-up online to volunteer today

--The Crib

The Night Ministry has reopened their youth/young adult homeless shelter, The Crib. Holy Trinity will be preparing and serving a meal once per month. On the third Saturday of each month, volunteers will meet at Holy Trinity at 7 p.m. to prepare the meal, then will head to The Crib to serve the meal. For more information, speak with or email Ken Duckmann.

--The Night Ministry Outreach Van

Holy Trinity will be assembling and distributing 'meals in a bag' with the Night Ministry in Rogers Park on a quarterly basis. Stay tuned for more information and how to help out.

 

New Members: View pictures/bios of recent new members: May here, February here.

Next Baptism Dates: October 23, December 4. More info.

Next New Member Orientation Date: September 25, November 20.  More info.

 

Office Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Wed., 12:00-7:00 p.m.; and Sun., 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. 

Messrs. Lancaster and Vaughn are both active musicians on the concert stage and in northern Indiana churches as well as teaching music on the undergraduate and graduate level. Dr. Lancaster has appeared in several operatic and oratorio roles as well as in concerts at venues from Ann Arbor, Michigan to New York's Carnegie Hall and Taipei, Taiwan. Mr. Vaughn studied organ with Craig Cramer at Notre Dame University and has made concert appearances recently at Notre Dame and with the South Bend Symphony. The program will include music of Fauré, Buxtehude, Dupré, Pinkham and Howells, among others.

September 11, 2011
Lectionary 24a
Genesis 50:15-21; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35
Pr. Craig M. Mueller

BEYOND COMPREHENSION 

Jesus' words about forgiveness seem impossible. Beyond comprehension. Peter chooses the holy number seven as a good gauge of how often we should forgive. But Jesus' math suggests something else. In the kingdom of God, we should forgive seventy-seven times, or as some translate it, seventy times seven. In other words, always. Which is of course incalculable. Beyond comprehension.

But is forgiveness always possible? Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury said that the past century has seen a level of atrocity that is unfathomable. To forgive too easily suggests that the suffering didn't matter. We dare not expect the victims of abuse, rape or torture to simply turn the other cheek. Sometimes extending forgiveness is anything but simple. It's exhausting, messy, risky, unpredictable......

.... the Forgiveness Project has several stories from September 11. One is a reflection by Andrew Rice, whose brother was killed that day. When Andrew's mother called to say that a plane had hit one of the towers, he immediately turned on the TV to watch the first tower collapse. He let out a loud shriek, overwhelmed with the certainty that his brother was dead. 

Months later Andrew found it incomprehensible that the revenge endorsed by some political leaders led to the senseless loss of even more lives in the war in Afghanistan. He joined a group called Peaceful Tomorrows. It was founded by family members of September 11 victims. Its purpose: to seek non-violent responses to terrorism.

To the group's surprise, the mother of alleged 20th hijacker, Zacharias Moussaoui contacted them. Since September 11 her son had been in solitary confinement in Virginia. Madame a-Wafi wanted to meet with families of some of the 9/11 victims and ask for forgiveness. To imagine such a meeting is beyond comprehension!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14    

    6:00 p.m.  Contemplative Eucharist

    7:30 p.m.  AA & SAA (St. Mark's Room & Passavant Hall) 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

    10:00 a.m.  Weekly Bible Study

    6:00 p.m.  HTLC at Lakeview Pantry 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

    5:00 p.m.  Film and Spirituality: Precious 

    7:00 p.m.  HTLC at The Crib youth shelter 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 - **Cubs Home Game** (1:20 p.m.) 

    8:30 a.m.  Eucharist     

    9:30 a.m.  Sunday School and Sunday Forum

    9:30 a.m.  Torchbearer rehearsal
    9:45 a.m. Hospitality Team (ushers/greeters) training 

    10:30 a.m.  Sung Eucharist   

    11:45 a.m.  Seminarian Committee Meeting 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

    7:00 p.m.  Meditation Group  

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

    6:00 p.m.  Contemplative Eucharist

    7:30 p.m.  AA & SAA (St. Mark's Room & Passavant Hall) 

COMMEMORATIONS FOR THE WEEK

From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2010 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #26481.

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MENTIONED IN SUNDAY'S SERMON

The Forgiveness Project is a UK-based charitable organization which explores forgiveness, reconciliation and conflict resolution through real-life human experience. Many of those whose voices are celebrated in our exhibition and on this website, also share their stories in person. We work in prisons, schools, faith communities, and with any group who want to explore the nature of forgiveness whether in the wider political context or within their own lives.  The Forgiveness Project has no religious or political affiliations.

 

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