UPCOMING SUNDAY  

In today's first reading God uses the Gentile ruler Cyrus to accomplish divine purposes. When the Pharisees try to trap Jesus, he tells them to give the emperor what belongs to him and to God what belongs to God. To gather for worship reminds us that our ultimate allegiance is to God rather than to any earthly authority. Created in the image of God, we offer our entire selves in the service of God and for the sake of the world.

• 8:30 a.m. - Eucharist (about 45 minutes)
• 9:15 a.m. - Choir Rehearsal
• 9:30 a.m. - Sunday School and Sunday Forum (below)
• 10:30 a.m. - Sung Eucharist 
• 11:45 a.m. - PAWS Chicago Volunteer Orientation

Sunday Forum - October 2-30

Worship Matters: Centripetal Worship: The Evangelical Heart of Lutheran Worship. - Pr. Craig Mueller
Please read chapter three. 

PAWS Orientation at Holy Trinity

PAWS Chicago will be at church on Sunday, October 16th, immediately after the late service to provide an orientation to discuss PAWS and to share information about ways to get involved, both through Holy Trinity and on your own. While you do not have to attend this orientation to volunteer with Holy Trinity and socialize with the animals, you do need to attend if you would like to participate in extra activities at the Adoption Center, including walking the dogs, feeding the animals, or cleaning litter boxes. You will also learn about opportunities to foster animals, PAWS events, and ways to get involved with the animals that require additional medical attention.

Please note that attendance at this orientation does not commit you to further participation with PAWS. However, if you do attend and decide you would like to do more, the Holy Trinity orientation session will serve as the official "orientation" PAWS requires of new volunteers and you will not need to attend another session at the Adoption Center. If you have any questions, please contact Beth Morris.

Weekly readings 

Contemplative Eucharist - Tonight, 6:00 P.M.

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

Welcome New Members!

Last Sunday we welcomed seventeen new members to Holy Trinity: fourteen adults, a teen-ager, a nearly two-year old, and two infants. Their bios reveal some interesting things about them so please click here to see the photos and learn more about these new folks in our community. Welcome to Holy Trinity!

Christian Peacemaker Team's 25th Anniversary Conference

Join peacemakers from around the world in a Candle Light Procession & Interfaith Vigil for Peace, Friday, October 14, 2011 from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. at Reba Place Church, 620 Madison Ave., Evanston See this flyer for more information.

See Tony Brown, an internationally acclaimed baritone, perform "Songs and Stories of Peace, Hope and Justice" on Saturday, October 15 at Reba Place Church, 620 Madison Ave, Evanston. See this flyer for more information.

Mom's Night Out

Join us for Mom's Night Out. Not only do we learn and grow in faith, we also have a lot of fun with new friends. Please join us on the 2nd Friday of the month, October 14 from 7:30-9:00 p.m., at the home of Beth Mankowski. If you can make it, please RSVP to Beth and she will send you her address and directions.
If you can't make it this week, please mark your calendar for the second Friday of each month and join us in the future.

Join the CROP Hunger Walk - October 16

- Date: October, 16, 2011
- Time: 2:00 p.m.
- Location: UIC Campus- Student Center East
        750 S. Halsted St., Chicago
- Contact: Pastor Michelle L. Miller

It's not too late to give or walk! See the links below or contact Pastor Miller for more info

1. Sign up to walk here (just search for Holy Trinity Lutheran Church),
2. Donate to this cause here!

Film Opportunity: Pray the Devil Back to Hell

Leymah Gbowee, a Lutheran from Liberia, is one of the three winners of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. In 2002, Gbowee established the movement, Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace. She brought together diverse groups of women of faith-Muslim and Christian-to demand through peaceful activism an end to the Liberian Civil War. As peace talks languished, members of the organization surrounded the building in which the all-male team brought together to negotiate a settlement was housed. The women's sit-in and refusal to move are credited with the breakthrough in negotiations that finally brought about an end to the war. Gbowee subsequently established Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET) that mobilizes women throughout West Africa to focus on issues of peace and justice in their own countries. "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" is a 2008 award-winning documentary film that follows the story of Gbowee and her colleagues as they work to end to the Liberian civil war. The film will be shown on WTTW, channel 11 at 10 pm, Tuesday October 18th (it repeats at 4 am, Saturday the 22nd). Information about the film and a trailer is found here. An interview of Gobwee conducted by Bill Moyers is found here.

Book Group 

The book group will be meeting Monday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the home of Becky Sims, 1702 W. Barry, 773-388-3590. The book we will be discussing is The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. We hope you can join us, whether you have read the book or not!

RefugeeOne Winter Clothing Drive

Holy Trinity will be holding a winter clothing drive on behalf of RefugeeOne, one of our ministry partners, during the month of October. Please bring only Hats, Gloves, Scarves, Coats, and Boots by Sunday, October 30. They can be used, as long as they are clean and in good condition. Clothes should be dropped in the bin at the back of the church. Donations will help refugees in need as the winter months approach.

Worship Conference Announced

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church will host a one-day worship conference on February 11, 2012. Sects and the City: Gen X | Y and Mainline Protestant Worship will explore this question: "While many mainline Protestant congregations are aging, what are young adults finding meaningful in the worship services of urban congregations with a high percentage of Generation X and Y?" The conference moderator will be Benjamin Stewart, a professor of liturgy at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. There will also be responses from three young adult leaders with connections to Gen X | Y as well as informal reflections by several dozen young adults from neighboring congregations. Costs: single $20; $30 at the door; $50 for three or more from one congregation. The conference website includes much more information and online registration. THANKS to our parish administrator, Josh for his great work on the website: take a look! 

8:30 - 18; 10:30 - 132 

Holy Trinity Christkindl Market

We already have some great artists lined up for our craft/baking tables at Christkindl Market, our holiday bazaar and fundraiser, on Sunday, December 4. If you have art or baked goods of your own to sell and have not yet reserved your space, please fill out this form and send back to Sarah Hanson at skhanson100@gmail.com. A limited number of spaces for artists who are not Holy Trinity members are also available. Please have interested parties contact Sarah. Thanks!

Advent Mini-Retreat: Transitions

Saturday, December 3, 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
The season of Advent is about endings and beginnings. Often we find ourselves in times of transition, whether it involves jobs, careers, relationships, family, location, living situation, or retirement. This retreat will provide a time for reflection and conversation around themes of change; waiting and preparation; endings and beginnings; spiritual resources for times of upheaval. To prepare, participants may read one of four recommended books. Information found here. Leader: Pr. Craig M. Mueller.

Calling All Artistic Types!

If you have some art or craft you've created that can be displayed on a wall, please contact Barbara Wahler (773-973-3785 or Ribitmsw2004@yahoo.com) We're looking for local art work by Holy Trinity members and friends in our Sacred Space Gallery. Ideally, we will be able to rotate the exhibits every few months or so - with very little blank white walls in-between! Anyone who has something they'd consider sharing with the rest of the world [that comes through our halls], please let us know! Sunday School teachers are encouraged to provide children's art.

Antiracism at HT?

We talk a lot about diversity at Holy Trinity. Claire Evans and Barbara Wahler are interested in exploring how our diversity can grow into an identity as an antiracist church. If you are interested in being a part of a Holy Trinity Antiracism Team or would like to discuss what this means, please contact either Barbara (Ribitmsw2004@yahoo.com) or Claire (clairee@cpt.org. We'll decide on a meeting once we have generated some interest.

Learn more about the Antiracism Movement. The three manifestations of racism -individual, institutional, and cultural - affect both communities of color and white communities. With the goal of dismantling racism in our synod, the MCS Antiracism Team sponsors a 2-1/2 day Analysis of Systemic Racism workshop October 20-22, 2011. The training will take place at the Cardinal Meyer Center, 3525 S Lake Park Ave, Chicago. To register in advance and for more information, please go to the Another Pebble website. The cost is only $35 for ELCA members ($105 for others). If you have questions, you can contact HT members Eric Bjorlin, Ken Duckmann, or Barbara Wahler who are members of the MCS Antiracism Team.

"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: 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. 

17 Pentecost Year A Homily
Matthew 22.1-14
9 October 2011
Pr. Benjamin Stewart

Sometimes in the Gospels Jesus is portrayed as speaking generally, simply out in the open, maybe to the crowds, and then at other times, he's locked onto direct eye contact with a particular group of people and speaking straight at them.

This is one of those direct-eye-contact parables. Jesus is speaking to a group of religious professionals: the chief priests and the Pharisees, and we might say that this parable is directed against their sense that if life is a great banquet table then everything is just fine, everything's ok at the table. The correct silver is laid out, everyone has their proper place at the table, and everybody's got enough to eat.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12

    6:00 p.m.  Contemplative Eucharist

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

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13

    10:00 a.m.  Weekly Bible Study - John 3  

    7:15 p.m.  Congregation Council Meeting

    7:30 p.m.  Spiritual Directors Group

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15

    1:00 p.m.  Civil Union Ceremony

    7:00 p.m.  HTLC at The Crib 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16   

    8:30 a.m.  Eucharist     

    9:15 a.m.  Choir Rehearsal 

    9:30 a.m.  Sunday School and Sunday Forum - Chapter 3  

    10:30 a.m.  Sung Eucharist   

    11:45 a.m.  PAWS Chicago Volunteer Orientation

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17

    7:00 p.m.  Meditation Group  

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19 

    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.

On September 30, David and Sherrie Bonarigo welcomed their second child, McKenna Leigh Bonarigo

On Saturday, October 8, Michelle Miller and Julie Sevig celebrated their civil union and affirmation of vows here at Holy Trinity

Please send news about awards, new positions, life passages and other important events in your lives for this section of our e-news.

Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu 'Hangout' on Google+

His Holiness the Dalai Lama had a conversation with Archbishop Desmond Tutu by live video over a Hangout as part of the Inaugural Desmond Tutu Peace Lecture in Cape Town, South Africa, on October 8, 2011. A recording of the talk can be seen here:

Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu hang out on Google+