by Pastor Michelle Sevig

It's only eleven words; four short sentences, but it really is what matters most, especially when death draws near.

• Please forgive me.
• I forgive you.
• Thank you.
• I love you.

I was introduced to the book The Four Things that Matter Most on my first day as a hospice chaplain at NorthShore. The author, a hospice doctor with more than 25 years experience working with those who are dying, describes what he has learned about life and love through his patients. Dr. Byock writes, "These four short sentences carry the core wisdom of what people who are dying have taught me about what matters most in life."

As a hospice chaplain I am privileged to be with people in a very sacred space and time. It doesn't always feel holy; and sometimes it's down right frightening or painfully sad. Most often my ministry is focused on the family of the patient. Sometimes people do not know what to expect or how to respond to their loved one who is dying. They ask, "What am I suppose to do?" or they tell me, "I don't know what to say." And that's when the wisdom of Dr. Byock is so helpful.

In times of crisis or transition these four statements can guide us in our living and our loving. Whether spoken verbatim to the dying one, written in a journal, prayed or shared in story with others, using these as guiding principles can have a profound impact on our healing and in saying goodbye.

In the introduction to his book, Dr Byock writes, "Thankfully, not all good-byes are final - but good-byes can be meaningful. It's important to say good-bye in a way that affirms our relationship and acknowledges our connection to one another. The word "good-bye" derives from "God be with you," a blessing that was traditionally given at parting and, in some churches, still is. The protection and God's help of presence and guidance can be requested whether two people expect to be separated a few hours or forever. In leaving nothing unsaid, we can recapture this original meaning, so that, in saying good-bye, we are actually blessing one another in our daily interactions as well as when we face major life challenges or crises. It only takes a moment to shift the way you say good-bye from a reflex to a conscious practice. Your good-bye and your blessing can become treasured gifts to other people as you part."

As I listened to my favorite weekly podcast On Being this past week, I was reminded about the important work a hospice team does in helping both patients and families say goodbye. The show titled "Contemplating Mortality" featured Dr. Ira Byock sharing stories and wisdom about our final stage in life and helps the listener to consider what it means to "die well."

I highly recommend listening to the podcast and/or reading the book. Both give clarity to the spiritual connections we make and the healing that can happen as we learn to embrace our goodbyes as "God be with yous!"

Send a note to Michelle with your comments or reflections!

NEXT SUNDAY

May 13 - Sixth Sunday of Easter
The Fifty Days of Easter Continue! 

May 13 Schedule:

• 8:30 a.m. - Simple Eucharist (about 45 minutes)
• NO CHOIR
• 9:30 a.m. - Sunday School and Sunday Forum (below)
• 10:30 a.m. - Sung Eucharist with Blessing of Shawls and Shawl Prayer Ministry and Farewell to Seminarians Chris Brown and Ben Adams 

Sunday Forum: The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Poorer?

9:30 a.m. - Passavant Hall
Last year many of us took part in the Lenten discussion of economic justice issues via the book Rediscovering Values. A year later we will ask old and new questions: What difference does it make to Christians that economic disparities continue to widen in the United States and around the globe? What guidance can we glean from our biblical and Lutheran traditions? How can we work together to make Holy Trinity's outreach to our neighbors suffering financially even more effective? Led by Carol LaHurd

Weekly readings 

Prayer of the Day
O God, you have prepared for those who love you joys beyond understanding. Pour into our hearts such love for you that, loving you above all things, we may obtain your promises, which exceed all we can desire; through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

President
Meggen Saka

Vice-President
Kelley Bender

Secretary
Megan Whitaker

Treasurer
Steve Hopwood

Outreach
Kristi Harreld, Sarah Hanson

Social Ministry
Ken Duckmann

Finance
Don Marsh

Property
John Flowers, Leon Stevens

Spiritual Life
Megan Eichhorn

Worship
Johanna Olson

Tonight, 6:00 p.m. Contemplative Eucharist 

Come for some peace and quiet. Bask in resurrection joy in our beautifully decorated sanctuary!

Movie Night (Sat May 19) to Feature "The White Ribbon"
To avoid NATO Summit congestion, the May 19 Movie Night will be at 5 p.m. at the North Side condo of Ryan and Carol LaHurd, 1214 W. Hood Ave. #3 (Red Line Granville stop). They will provide soup. Please RSVP to Carol LaHurd. NOTE: Red Line construction may mean that you'll need to get off at Thorndale and walk north or Loyola and walk south.

We will view the German film "The White Ribbon." This disturbing drama raises questions about the rise of fascism in Germany, as well about some particular expressions of Lutheranism.

The New York Times review 

Mom's Night Out--THURSDAY May 10

This month we'll gather on Thursday night, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. Thanks to Michelle and Julie Sevig for hosting. Please let us know if you plan to join us for a little grown-up conversation and fun.

Fed and Forgiven

Children of all ages and their parents are invited to participate in the Sunday School curriculum Fed and Forgiven on Sundays April 29 - May 20. Classes will meet at 9:30 a.m. in their classrooms. Whether your child already communes regularly or not, all are encouraged to come learn about God's grace made known to us in the sacrament.

Volunteer Opportunity: Night Ministry Outreach Bus

Wednesdays: May 16, August 15, October 17 @ 6:00 p.m.
Volunteers from Holy Trinity will be preparing "meals in a bag" for homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth in Rogers Park. We will need volunteers for the purchase of food, drinks, and a snack and soft fruit. We will also need volunteers, who are aged 22 and up, for the serving of the 'meals in a bag' in Rogers Park. We will meet at Holy Trinity at 6:00 p.m. (if you would like to attend the worship service at 6:00 come up after it is done) to assemble the food and then carpool to Rogers Park to meet up with the Outreach Van and distribute the food. The event should conclude around 10:30 or 11:00 p.m.

Food, Faith, and Sustainability

Do you have a desire to know where your food comes from and the effect it has on creation? What does the Eucharist have to do with food sharing? Why do some neighborhoods have access to foods that others do not? Come chew over these questions and others as we explore the intersections between food, faith, and sustainability.

The first meeting will be on Tuesday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Inspiration Kitchens-Uptown (4715 N. Sheridan Rd.) and share a meal (prepared together) and discussion. To help guide our discussion we will be reading Just Eating. With questions, contact Anna and Matthew Petersen (ampete09@att.net)

May Book Club Meeting

Please join us for the next book club meeting on May 23, the location is still TBD. We will discuss the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot which should offer an engaging discussion on a controversial topic. Books for June and July are Cutting for Stone by Abraham Veghese and The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther. Feel free to join us whether you have read the book or not!

Prayer Shawl Ministry

During the first month of ministry we have gifted five prayer shawls to member and friends of Holy Trinity. It's an exciting new venture and we invite you to join us on Sunday, June 10th after worship for a brief meeting and some time to stitch and pray with others. HTLC's Prayer Shawl Ministry group is fun, creative and relaxing, and we welcome all people, whether beginner or advanced. If you have questions please contact Patrice Macken.

• Thank you to everyone who was able to stay after the 10:30 a.m. service on April 22nd for the Special Congregational Meeting. There was a quorum, and the congregation voted to approve the three constitutional amendments.
• Join us for the May 10 council meeting. The meeting will begin at 7:15 p.m. in Passavant Hall. All are welcome.
• Do you have a great idea for fellowship? Let us know, and we will help you advertise it to other Holy Trinity members.

On Sunday, May 6th, over 700 LAC members and allies joined together for a powerful, if stormy, afternoon. The theme of the assembly was "Power with a Purpose" adapted from the 1967 Martin Luther King Jr. quote: "Power properly understood is nothing but the ability to achieve purpose..."

25 LAC leaders spoke at the 90 minute event, which highlighted LAC's work on police interactions with transgender individuals; preservation and creation of affordable housing; local access to healthcare and state charity care reform; and just budgets on the state and federal levels. Another 2 dozen leaders were involved in planning the event, coordinating logistics, and engaging with the media.

The purpose of the event is to engage and excite local leaders, and to move LAC issues forward. We had 11 elected officials present, including Cook County Board President Preckwinkle, Illinois Senate President Cullerton, Congressman Danny Davis and 4 local aldermen.

LAC leaders gained strong commitments from the officials on the following issues:

• Senate President Cullerton agreed to help pass a bill that would require Illinois corporations to report on the taxes paid to the state of Illinois. This is not currently public information. At LAC's urging, he has drafted a strong bill, SB 282, and will be introducing it this week. The other 3 state representatives present (Feigenholtz, Williams and Harris) agreed to sponsor and push for passage of the bill.
• Alderman Michele Smith from Lincoln Park committed to work with LAC's Children's Memorial Hospital Redevelopment Coalition to demand more than the 10% affordable housing required when the hospital land is redeveloped. The coalition is working with Alderman Smith to gain 200 affordable units in the new development, which would be the first new affordable housing in Lincoln Park in decades.
• All 4 aldermen present (Smith, Waguespack, Tunney and Cappleman) agreed to work with LAC and support a local ordinance to preserve single room occupancy hotels and protect the tenants of those buildings.
• The state representatives agreed to work on legislation that will streamline and simplify the charity care application process at non profit hospitals.

While no police were present because of a department conflict, leaders spoke about the need for transgender detainees to be treated with respect and reported on LAC's negotiations with the CPD on a policy.

The assembly ended with a call to action for the entire body. After 40 year in the community, the Counseling Center of Lake View closed its doors last week due to cuts and changes in state funding for community based mental health services. The assembly agreed to call Governor Quinn and Speaker Madigan and demand that they stop balancing the Illinois budget on the backs of the most vulnerable. LAC and our partners have identified nearly $1 billion in corporate tax loopholes and giveaways that, if closed, could help shore up some of the budget and alleviate the cuts to human services.

All in all, it was a successful afternoon, and people are ready for the work ahead!

Learn more about the LAC here.

Last Week's Attendance 

8:30 a.m. - 25
10:30 a.m. - 135

Apollo Chorus presents Rachmoninov

Have you ever wondered what the angels really sounded like? Or what Gabriel would have said if he were Russian? Or what Easter morning felt like for the women in mourning bearing their myrrh? The Rachmoninov Vespers will bring you as close as you can be to knowing! Come hear these beautiful settings of beloved texts sung by unaccompanied choir in candlelight in the midst of the Magnificent Mile. Apollo Chorus presents Rachmoninov's Vespers on Friday night, May 11, 2012, at 8:00 p.m. at Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 E. Chestnut Street, Chicago. The concert will be a little over an hour, with time left afterward to enjoy a spring night in the city. HTLC members Beth Kregor and Paul Reineck will both have featured roles in the performance.

Voices Aloft: Chicago Chorale performs at Rockefeller Chapel

The Chicago Chorale, under the direction of Bruce Tammen, will perform a concert to include Bach's Komm Jesu Komm, Schoenberg's Friede Auf Erde and Vierne's Messe Solenelle with renowned Organist Thomas Weisflog - all in the magnificent Rockefeller Chapel at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 13. Holy Trinity members Clyde Andrew Walter and Kyle Severson will be among the "voices aloft." For tickets and more information, please visit www.chicagochorale.org.

Let's Go Fly a Kite

Each year the mayor's office sponsors Kite Day at Montrose Harbor, and this year you're invited to join other HTLC families for a fun day filled with crafts, games, and of course, flying kites. The festivities go from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 19. Kite Day at Montrose Harbor is always loads of fun, but it will be even better shared with friends from church. Bring a picnic lunch and your own kite and let's play. Contact Pastor Sevig for more information and to make arrangements for a meeting place.

Calling all Kids (or parents of kids)!

Check out the new collection hanging in our sacred space gallery -- "The Children of Holy Trinity." We'd like to see this collection grow, so if you have 'kid pictures' to add to our space, please drop off framed, ready-to-hang pictures (up to 8 x 10 inches) in the church office. Contact Barbara Wahler (773.973.3785) if you have any questions.

VOX 3 Concert - Veiled Faces

The girls tell their side of the story in this recital that pairs history's great composers with several world premiere compositions! Many of the female characters in the Bible are nameless, forever hidden-fascinating characters known to us only as "Lot's Wife" or "The Bleeding Woman." Others are infamous, like Jezebel, whose name has become a symbol for a brazen, lustful woman. Still others are both familiar and mysterious, like Eve, who glimpsed both paradise and a fallen creation, or Mary, who trembled at the angel's words, then at the foot of her son's cross. Major works by Hindemith, Fauré, and Handel are featured alongside new songs and cycles by Chicago composers Amos Gillespie, Adam Gustafson, Randall West, Eric Malmquist, and Randall Moore. The program will be performed four times, with varying music and performers. Performances will be on May 27, 31, June 1, 3. Please visit the VOX 3 website for specific repertoire and performer information.

Ordinary People/Extraordinary God

Vacation Bible School (VBS) will be August 6-10, at Luther Memorial Church in Ravenswood. Young adult counselors from Lutherdale Bible Camp will bring the camp experience to us in the city and lead the older children on a fun-filled faith adventure. The younger children will also have fun playing games, doing crafts and exploring Bible stories.

"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 Lakeview Pantry

Holy Trinity members help hand out food at the Lakeview Pantry on the third Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. For more information or with questions, contact James Perez.

--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. Next dates are May 16, August 15, October 17.  Watch the e-news for details.

--PAWS Chicago

Spend an evening socializing shelter dogs and cats! Attend periodic adult volunteer nights where you can spend time acclimating dogs and cats to a life with a family by playing with them, brushing them, petting them, showing them how to play with toys, or just letting them curl up on your lap. You are welcome to pick dogs or cats - or both! THERE IS NO NEED TO ATTEND ORIENTATION. For socializing, you will be shown what to do at the Center. If you would like to do more advanced things, like walk dogs, feed the dogs and cats, etc., contact Beth Morris to talk about scheduling a more advanced orientation. .

Next Baptism Dates: June 3 (9:30 a.m.), August 26 (9:30 a.m.). More info.

Next New Member Orientation Date: TBD.  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. 

May 6, 2012
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
John 15:1-8; I John 4:7-21; Acts 8:26-40
Pr. Craig M. Mueller

A GOOD PRUNING

As far as we know, plants don't have feelings. And as far as we know, they can't communicate, so I can't ask them. But wouldn't you think pruning would be quite a shock to their system? How would you feel if a limb were lopped off you?

But as we know, pruning is good for the plant. I asked one of Holy Trinity's gardeners why pruning was a good thing, and she said, "It helps make the plant be as good and productive as possible." One farmer was known to say, the purpose of pruning-cutting back-is to let the light in.

Continue reading the sermon sermon here

Listen to past sermons here
Listen to entire services here 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9

    1:20 p.m.  Cubs Home Game

    6:00 p.m.  Contemplative Evening Prayer

    7:30 p.m.  12-Step Groups (Passavant Hall & St. Mark's Room)

THURSDAY, MAY 10

    10:00 a.m.  Weekly Bible Study

    7:00 p.m.  Peer Supervision Group (St. Mark's Room)

    7:15 p.m.  Congregation Council Meeting (Passavant Hall)

    7:30 p.m.  Mom's Night Out

FRIDAY, MAY 11

SATURDAY, MAY 12

SUNDAY, MAY 13

    8:30 a.m.  Simple Eucharist

    NO CHOIR

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

    10:30 a.m.  Sung Eucharist

MONDAY, MAY 14

    7:00 p.m.  Meditation Group

TUESDAY, MAY 15

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16

    6:00 p.m.  Contemplative Eucharist

    6:30 p.m.  Night Ministry Outreach Bus (Meet in Kitchen at Church)

    7:05 p.m.  Cubs Home Game

    7:30 p.m.  12 Step Groups (Passavant Hall & St. Mark's Room)

Full Calendar of Events  

 

COMMEMORATIONS FOR THE WEEK

Wednesday, May 9 - Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, renewer of the church, hymnwriter, died 1760
When he was 22, a group of Moravians asked permission to live on Zinzendorf's land. He agreed, and eventually worldwide Moravian missions emanated from this community. Zinzendorf participated in these missions, and is also remembered for writing hymns characteristic of his Pietistic faith.

Monday, May 14 - Matthias, Apostle
Matthias was the apostle added to the Twelve after Jesus' resurrection, as a replacement for the dead Judas Iscariot. He had traveled among the followers of Jesus throughout the Lord's ministry. Formerly commemorated on February 24, Matthias's celebration is moved to May 14 in agreement with most Western calendars.  

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

Member Ben Stewart's book is among The Christian Century's top ten new books in ethics.

From the CC website:
A Watered Garden: Christian Worship and Earth's Ecology, by Benjamin M. Stewart (Augsburg Fortress, 96 pp., $9.99 paperback). Although written as Luth­eran adult curriculum, this book is too rich to be hoarded by Lutherans and too relevant to wait for a class to convene.  Stewart takes us on 'short hikes' into the relation of baptism to water, of the calendar to days and seasons, of the Eucharist to fields and vineyards, and of funerals to our earthly bodies. <link>

Martin Collerd, son of Gene Collerd and Elizabeth Overland (members at Holy Trinity from the late 70s through the 90s) will be wed to Santina Wortman, daughter of Madonna Wortman on Saturday, May 19 at 3:30 p.m. Holy Trinity members are invited to attend the ceremony.

Mentioned in Sunday's Sermon 

We shape our buildings, Winston Churchill argued, then they shape us. The same is true of our digital technologies. Technology has become the architect of our intimacies. Online, we face a moment of temptation. Drawn by the illusion of companionship without the demands of intimacy, we conduct "risk free" affairs on Second Life and confuse the scattershot postings on a Facebook wall with authentic communication. And now, we are promised "sociable robots" that will marry companionship with convenience.

• Living Lutheran: A Daily Blend of Stories, Culture and Community - <link>
• Spirituality and Practice: Resources for Spiritual Journeys - <link>
• Big Questions Online - <link>
• Religion dispatches - <link>
• Sightings (The Martin Marty Center) - <link>