St. Matthew's Episcopal Church 
Tidings from St. Matthew's
March 3, 2013
Taize candles
In This Issue
Service Auction
Lenten Series
J2A Fundraiser
March Faith Forum

Greetings!
Celtic Cross
Quicklinks

    

 

Readings for this Sunday:  

    

               

Exodus 3:1-15  

 

Psalm 63:1-8  

                    

1 Corinthians 10:1-13                         

 Luke 13:1-9                                     

 

                      

Getting Ready for the Service Auction
By Amy Fisher

Ann and Bruce Nerland
Ann Nerland's getting ready for some fun. More accurately, she's getting some fun ready.

Ann is in charge of the 2013 Service  

Auction. As she prepares an event with the "ambitious" goal of raising $10,000 for St. Matthew's, she'll draw on her professional journalism and advertising background as well as her extensive volunteer experience with St. Matthew's, Sheltering Arms, and Summit Hill interest groups.

 

The three-part service auction requires plenty of Ann's organizational skills. There are gift certificates and goods to collect for a silent auction, cooks and servers to recruit for a celebratory dinner, and donations of services to coax from St. Matthew's community members. Already Ann has started a manila folder to corral auction-related e-mails.

 

Although details are still being finalized, Ann already knows the basics. Members of the St. Matthew's community will donate goods and services to be auctioned off at the event on Saturday, April 27. A silent auction (with refreshments) of tangible items such as gift baskets will begin at 6 pm, and dinner will be served at 6:30 pm. Ann hopes that the dinner will be a true celebration, complete with wine or beer that you've brought to share in addition to plenty of non-alcoholic beverages.

 

The highlight of the evening, and the portion from which the service auction gets its name, will start at 7:15. Auctioneer Extraordinaire Mike Christenson will take charge of the live (and lively) bidding. Ann promises clear directions for auction-goers who aren't sure how the process works.

 

Adult tickets for the entire evening will cost $25 each, with no charge for children. Childcare will be available. If the tickets are out of your price range, don't let that keep you away -- just contact Blair Pogue, [email protected] or 651-645-3058.

 

After she outlined plans for this auction, Ann described her fondest recollections of previous events. "You get to see people's passions," she said. For example, one parishioner offered a cruise on Lake Superior -- "and I didn't even know he owned a sailboat." Other types of talents emerged: family photography, Chinese meal preparation, babysitting, pie baking, lawn care, party throwing, and even a keen sense of balance. Bil Gangl donated a ride on his motorcycle, an offer that Peg Houck snapped up.

 

What are your passions? What hidden talents do you have? The auction depends on your participation. According to Ann, no donation is too small, and no donation is too big. Really. This is your chance to offer Edwardian hair-braiding education, create a kolache-a-month club, or design a dramatic flower garden for the highest bidder. The possibilities are endless, and endless possibilities are fun!

 

To donate goods or services, please e-mail [email protected] or pick up an auction item form in the parish hall or church office. If event managing is your special skill, employ it on the auction planning committee. Ann would love to add your e-mail to her folder.

LENTEN SERIES 2013

Our Lenten offerings continued this week with the beginning of "Cry to the Lord," a two-part series with Professor Chris Scharen of Luther Seminary. In the first part of the series on February 28, we explored the character of our cries to the Lord, through scripture, popular music, and personal stories. As we read psalms of lament and listened to music by U2 and Sufjan Stevens, we  talked about feelings of grief, terror, disclocation, and confusion, and we considered how welcome our cries are to the Lord. "God's prior acts of faithfulness make our complaints worth airing," Prof. Scharen said. "Our honest, gut-wrenching cries are OK, and a faithful way to pray to God."

 

March 7, 7 pm  

In the second meeting of the two-art series this Thursday, we will explore the character of God's listening, again, in the Psalms and other scriptures, in pop culture, and in our lives. We will look at the range of our rage and sorrow held up before God, and the depth of God's ability and desire to be with us in our rage and sorrow, listening so deeply, so fully, that all heaven must keep silence.

 

A soup supper will precede the discussion from 6 to 7 pm.    

 

Christian Scharen joined the Luther Seminary faculty as assistant professor of Worship in 2008. He spent the four years prior as Director of the Faith as a Way of Life Program at the Yale Center for Faith & Culture and Assistant Professor of Congregational Studies and Practical Theology (Adjunct) at Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Conn.

 

After receiving a certificate from College of Arts, Science and Technology, Kingston, Jamaica, in 1987, Scharen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. (1989), a Master of Arts in Religion degree from Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, Calif. (1995), a Master of Divinity degree from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley (1996) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Emory University (2001).

 

Scharen has published a number of books including "Faith as a Way of Life: A Vision for Pastoral Leadership" (Eerdmans) and "One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those Seeking God" (Brazos) as well as a variety of popular and scholarly articles. Scharen currently has two titles in progress: "Embodying Care of Souls: Notes on an Apprenticeship in Ministry" and "Broken Hallelujahs: Thinking Popular Music Through the Cross" (Brazos).

J2A Fundraising Dinner this Sunday, 5:30 pm 
  The J2A lasagna dinner and literary celebration has been rescheduled to Sunday, March 3. Please dress up as a favorite literary character or author and join us for a fun evening in support of our J2A youth group as they raise funds for their pilgrimage. The evening worship service will follow the dinner.

March Faith Forum Offerings:
Exploring the Christian Faith Together 
In March, Faith Forum participants will see some short, thought-provoking videos, and have time for honest conversation about how we experience and understand God and the life of faith. Please join us as we explore an expansive vision of the Christian life together, and seek to develop language and imagery that speaks to our wonderfully diverse faith community.We meet at 9:15 am in the parish library; all are welcome!

 

March 3: The Revolution of Love, with Mark Scandrette

 

March 10: Where God Is, with Nadia Bolz-Weber

 

March 17:  Open, with Rob Bell

 

March 24: Shells, with Rob Bell

 

March 31: All-Parish Easter Brunch at 9 am in the parish hall. Please bring egg dishes, baked goods, fruit, and juice to share  

Looking Ahead: Calendar Highlights   
   
Game Day/Acts II Fundraiser,
March 10, noon to 5:30 pm
 
Our next Acts II Game Day will be Sunday, March 10. We will begin to throw the dice as soon as coffee hour has ended and won't stop until the drop-in-dinner begins. Please bring a snack or a drink to share. Supervised play is available for the under 12 crowd. Suggested donations for gaming are $5 per player or $8 per couple. All proceeds will benefit the Acts Fund for parishioners in need.
 
Welcome stones New Dates for New Member Class, April 14, 21 and 28, noon to 1:30 pm  
There will be a three session class for anyone wishing to join St. Matthew's or learn more about our faith community on Sundays, April 14, 21, and 28 after church from noon to 1:30 pm in the parish library. Please note the change of dates. We will explore Anglican Christianity, Episcopal Worship and polity, and the history and culture of St. Matthew's together. We will also focus on the two corporate spiritual practices central to our faith community: Eucharist and Dwelling in the Word. If you plan to participate, please rsvp to Blair Pogue at [email protected].

Service Auction, April 27 
St. Matthew's Service Auction and dinner will take place the evening of Saturday, April 27. Ann Nerland is the Service Auction Chair, and she would like to invite anyone interested to be a part of the planning committee. Additionally please let Ann know if you have anything you wish to contribute to the auction. Examples: a week at your cabin, a special dinner for four or six, a child's birthday party, summer lawn mowing responsibilities, a ride on your motorcycle, an evening of wine, cheese, and poetry, etc. Please contact Ann at [email protected] or 651-283-7855 if you can help out.

Women's Retreat, May 3-4   
Mark your calendars for the next St. Matthew's Women's Retreat at the Gainey Conference Center in Owatonna May 3 & 4. The theme is "Sursum Corda: Lift Up Your Hearts." The retreat will begin with dinner on Friday, May 3 (although you are welcome to arrive from 3 pm on) and conclude before dinner on Saturday, May 4. There will be workshops, discussions, music, and free time for socializing, walking the labyrinth, and listening to God. Don't miss this opportunity to hang out with and get to know the FABULOUS women of St. Matthew's!
 

Scripture for the Week

There were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them--do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."

 

Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, 'See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?' He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

 

Luke 13:1-9                 

Please share your news and photos with us! Contact us at: [email protected] .