Trinity Sunday: May 22
 
Last Sunday was the spirit filled celebration of Pentecost, with our amazing choir (see above) blessing the neighborhood and sanctuary with joyful music from around the world. This Sunday, May 22 is Trinity Sunday - the day Christians remember and honor the eternal God: the Father/Mother, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  In true St. Matthew's tradition, we have much to celebrate, including: 
  • Te Deum: a special musical offering at the 10:30am service by our parish choir.  Come hear our faithful and hardworking choir members on their final Sunday of this season (see more below from Music Director Michael Compton).
  • Middle School Open House: Visit the 6, 7 and 8th grade classroom after the 10:30am service to see what's been happening this year (read more below).
  • All Parish Potluck: To honor the education and music program year, we will gather at 11:45am for a festive lunch.  Hot dogs and dessert are provided - please bring a salad or side dish to share.
  • Loaves and Fishes: This is our day to serve at the Dorothy Day Center downtown St. Paul. Cooks are needed at 2:00pm  and servers at 4:00pm. Contact Cheryl Olman.
  • Lisa Wiens Heinsohn's Graduation Dinner will be at 5:30pm, following the 3:00 Graduation ceremony at Central Lutheran church.  The dinner will be in lieu of the regular 5:30pm service.  Rosa Uy and Susan Monkmeyer are organizing food for the dinner - please bring an appetizer or side dish to share.


Te Deum This Sunday by the Parish Choir
 By J Michael Compton
 
Sprinkled throughout our prayerbook are a number of canticles (songs) for use in worship.  Most are taken directly from scripture.  One which is not is Te Deum laudamus ("We praise thee, O God").  According to legend, the text was written in AD 387 by Saints Ambrose and Augustine, as Ambrose baptized Augustine.  It has been set to music by composers of every age.

This Sunday, May 22, our Parish Choir will sing a setting of Te Deum laudamus by Felix Mendelssohn.  Mendelssohn is best known for his symphonies, his violin concerto and oratorios such as "Elijah" and "St. Paul."  Hardly anything is known about the origin of Mendelssohn's Te Deum in A Major.  It has been suggested that it may have been written to fulfill a request by his publisher in England; certainly, its brevity and English text would have contributed to its suitability for the Anglican liturgy.

Celebrating Sue Ladehoff

Our parish administrator for the last 4 years, Sue Ladehoff, will be leaving to accept a full time position at the St. Paul YWCA beginning June 1. 
We will honor Sue and her time with us on Sunday, June 5 at a reception following the 9:30am service.
Sue shared this reflection:
 
Dear Friends at St. Matthew's,
As many of you know, I will be leaving the position of Office Manager and Ministry Coordinator on May 31st. It was not an easy decision to make and there are so many things I will miss about working with all of you, although I admit that I won't miss my overflowing e-mail inbox on Tuesday mornings! I will be taking a position with the YWCA of St. Paul and, while I am sad to leave the St. Matthew's office, I am looking forward to working with the YWCA in support of their mission to eliminate racism and empower women. (I'll be working in the Administrative Offices--they weren't really interested in my abilities as a fitness trainer!)

It has been my privilege to work with the St. Matthew's staff for the past four and a half years. They give 110% every day and I have learned so much from each of them. I leave with mixed emotions because my life has been greatly enriched by the kindness and encouragement so many of you have shown me. It has been a great pleasure working with you all, and I'm looking forward to sitting with you in the pews on Sundays, without worrying about finding any mistakes in the bulletin!

With love and gratitude,
Sue Ladehoff
You're Invited!
By Terese Lewis

The middle school youth group would like to invite you to an open house in their classroom this Sunday, May 22, during the all-parish potluck that will follow the 10:30 am worship service. Throughout the year, the middle schoolers have been exploring 12 key biblical stories, from creation through the formation of the early church. With the help of their leaders, Bernon Lee and Dwight Zscheile, they have been unpacking the stories through discussion, entering into them imaginatively, and then re-telling the stories in their own voices through various art forms, including painting, sculpture, LEGO animation, and other hands-on activities. Please come and see their creations, enjoy some treats, ask the youth about their work, and write in their guestbook. Their classroom is through the atrium, next to the library. All are welcome!
 
June Book Discussion: Living Without Enemies: Being Present in the Midst of Violence  

We will host a summer book discussion on four consecutive Wednesdays in June: 8, 15, 22 & 29 from 7:00-8:30 pm in the St. Matthew's Library.
"This is a book about violence, especially gun violence in one city. But it has applications well beyond that issue and well beyond that city. It is a book about overcoming powerlessness and fear - learning to love the stranger and making first steps in forming relationships across social boundaries. It's for those who are discovering that poverty is a mask we put on a person to cover up his or her real wealth and that wealth is a disguise we put on a person to hide his or her profound poverty. In the end, this book aspires to a renewal of the Christian vision not just of ministry but also of God. (p. 17)"

Living Without Enemies by Samuel Wells and Marcia Owen explores the aforementioned issues through the lens of one woman's rich and challenging experience as a mother and friend, and then as the part-time director of the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham. It also examines the various ways we can be "for" or "with" others, and the many lessons and spiritual practices God teaches us along the way.

To participate please rsvp to Blair Pogue.  Books are available for purchase in the Parish Hall on Sunday, May 22 or 29 for $17.
Celtic Spirituality Reader Available 
By John Lawyer

For all those who enjoyed the "Celtic Sources" classes on Patrick, Brigit, and Columba, and any other St. Matthew's folks interested in Celtic Christianity, the church library has recently acquired Celtic Christian Spirituality, edited by Oliver Davies, which we used as the source book for the various readings passed out in class.

Prof. Davies is the founder and director of the program in Celtic Christianity at the University of Wales at Lampeter. He is considered the foremost authority on the topic in Britain. The book includes an excellent 25 page "Introduction to Celtic Spirituality," a companion piece on the actual sources, and a rich collection of the original materials: lives of the saints, devotional writings, Irish and Welsh poetry, liturgical texts, homilies, theological reflections, and more. At just over 500 pages it is comprehensive in scope, and represents the best single collection of Celtic Christian writings available in contemporary English. The volume is part of the Classics of Western Spirituality series issued by Paulist Press, and is both readable and scholarly. It is shelved in the "Faith, Healing, Spirituality, and Psychology" section of the library. 
Faith + Learning Resources 
  • St. Matthew's is a true community of readers. In addition to Blair Pogue and John Lawyer's reading recommendations (above) there is a lengthy summer reading list published by Susan Daughtry, Missioner for Formation with the Episcopal Church in MN. It has a wealth of resources, fiction and nonfiction. 
  • Do you have a book to recommend to your fellow parishioners?  Please share your summer reading recommendations with us....at tidings
  • Sondra Samuels, President of the Northside Achievement Zone recommended a terrific video presentation by Christena Cleveland and Richard Rohr -which included an important parable about a monkey and a fish. When the webcast becomes available on the CAC website, we will provide a link. In the meantime, here is Cleveland's blog and a post about good listening as a person of privilege.
  • It would be fun to keep track of everyone as they move about the country or state this summer - send us your summertime travel pictures!
Looking Ahead: Calendar Highlights
  • May 22: Financial Giving Trends at St. Matthew's with Dan White, 9:15am and 11:45am in the library.
    • Middle School Classroom open house - 11:45am
    • All Parish Potluck after the 10:30am service - bring a dish to share.
    • Loaves and Fishes at the Dorothy Day Center - 2:00 - 6:00pm
    • Luther Graduation at Central Lutheran for Lisa Wiens Heinsohn (3:00pm) and celebration/dinner at St. Matthew's, 5:30pm (no Evening Service).
  • May 29: Summer worship begins: ONE service at 9:30am
  • June 2: 7:00pm Caregiver and Bereavement Support Groups, hosted by our neighbor, the UCC Church - supported by all the neighborhood St. Anthony Park churches (every first Thursday of the month). Newcomers welcome.
  • June 5: Reception honoring Sue Ladehoff, following the 9:30am service.
  • June 8: Book Discussion of Living Without Enemies, 7:00pm in the parish library
 
Please share your news and photos with us: tidings@stmatthewsmn.org 

Visit our website for the prayer list, calendar and sermons