Seventh Sunday of Easter
Gospel: John 17: 6-19 Imagine with me. It is the night of the Last Supper with Jesus, and we his disciples have just heard a lengthy sermon from him, talking about the most important commandment to love one another; about himself as a vine and we as branches; about abiding in God’s love. It seems like Jesus is nearing the end of what he has to say, but suddenly, his expression changes and he looks up to the ceiling—no, to the heavens—and we realize he is not speaking to us anymore, but to his Father. “All mine are yours, and yours are mine,” he says. Like walking in on someone’s private conversation, we have been given a window into the relationship of God to Godself; the holy dance of Spirit, and parent, and child. I do not know from personal experience what the intimacy between a father and son is like, but I do know the intimacy between a mother and a daughter. It is a blessing I don’t take lightly, in part because I came to understand it through the loss of another mother in my family—Ruth, my mother’s sister. I may have a learning to share. Maybe it’s more accurate to say that I have a ‘wondering’ to share and think more about.
This past Friday we had an Urban Hub meeting. The Urban Hub (Augsburg, CAIR-MN, Bethany, ICSA/Dar Al-Hijrah and Trinity) has been meeting for almost 2 years and has been regularly serving Coffee and Tea outside Cedar-Riverside mosques after Friday Juma prayers. This simple yet very meaningful activity was, in part, in response to the Muslim travel ban put in place in January 2017. Friday was the first time that Darul Quba joined us. We have done the Coffee and Tea there twice, but this was the first time that anyone from there agreed to come. I think they might become a part of our group. We did some planning for the next Coffee and Tea and other activities we are considering getting involved in as a group in the neighborhood. We talked about a couple of opportunities for Iftars during Ramadan and maybe doing something during the Nobel Peace Prize Forum at Augsburg this coming Fall. On April 8, Trinity invited all of its current and former members, its community and friends to gather and celebrate our 150 years of ministry in Cedar-Riverside. It was a wonderful celebration with more than 175 people in attendance. If you missed the event you can still enjoy it! Download a copy of our memory book by clicking the icon below, and check out our Instagram feed for photos. Until the 160th...
Source: Star Tribune
Date: March 31, 2018 Article by: Jean Hopfensperger Link: Here. Trinity Lutheran Congregation may be the only Minnesota church that commemorates Easter twice each spring — once for its American-born members and another for its East African Orthodox members with a different religious calendar. Trinity stands out for other reasons. It's the only Christian church in a Minneapolis neighborhood known as "Little Mogadishu." It has survived without its own chapel for 50 years. And it has become a civic and spiritual anchor in the Cedar-Riverside community, opening its doors to Christian and Muslim neighbors — including as a temporary home to a mosque. Oh. And it's 150 years old next week. All are welcome to join Trinity for Holy Week services.
On Maundy Thursday (3/29) at 7:15pm we will worship at Fairview Hospital's chapel, with option to participate in foot washing. Directions: Enter Masonic Children's Hospital in the door closest to 25th St. (off of a driveway) and head straight ahead toward the back of the building, following signs for the chapel. Parking is available in the ramp off Riverside Ave. Free parking is also available in the residential area behind Davanni's. On Good Friday (3/30) at 7:00pm we will join Bethany Lutheran for worship at their sanctuary, located at 2511 E Franklin Ave in Minneapolis. On Easter Sunday (4/1) we will have one worship service at 11:00am in our normal location, Hoversten Chapel at Augsburg University. Before worship we will have a breakfast at 9:45am, with optional donation to support Trinity youth going to Camp Wapo this summer. Blessed Holy Week to you, and we hope to see you! On Sunday, April 8, 2018 Trinity Lutheran Congregation will mark our 150th Anniversary. We have an amazing history to celebrate and a faithful future in Cedar-Riverside to anticipate.
We will begin with worship in Augsburg University’s Hoversten Chapel at 11:00am. Bishop Ann Svennungsen of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA will preach. Worship will be followed by a an Eritrean lunch and a brief program in the Atrium next to the Chapel. We will have a ‘pick-up’ choir. Anyone who would like to sing with the choir is invited to come to a rehearsal at 10:00am that morning, in the Hoversten Chapel. Please RSVP before March 25 by clicking on the RSVP NOW button below, or by emailing intern@trinitylutherancongregation.org. Dear friends in Christ,
“Stone soup,” is how I described our Fat Tuesday celebration to friends, referring to the folk story in which a hungry village makes a hearty feast by each person bringing one ingredient from their cupboard. What would otherwise be a rock in a pot of water turns into a feast for one and all. Each person’s willingness to add their part turns their mere-garnish into a sustenance that can be shared. And share you did. Jams, nuts, eggs, milk, butter, chocolate chips, oil spray, king cake, pancake griddles and fry pans galore, and most importantly, your time and energy to welcome our Muslim neighbors from Dar al-Hijrah. The buzz in the room spoke for itself as our guest arrived, some donning Mardi Gras beads and others carrying trays of food. We spanned generations, cultures, faith and language, but we shared an eagerness to be together Ash Wednesday
Texts: Matthew 6:1-6,16-21, 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10 Good evening, and blessed Lent. It is good to gather with you. Last night this room was buzzing, as we hosted our neighbors from Dar al Hijrah to celebrate Fat Tuesday. Thank you to everyone who brought ingredients and toppings, and who lent their equipment and their time and gifts to make it happen. It was a village effort, and the warmth in this room was a sign of how we as neighbors are connected, across culture, race, language and faith. “We are not good at fasting,” Jane said, as she explained Fat Tuesday to our guests, “but we are good at eating fat, and we’re glad you’re with us.” And why should we be good at fasting? We have wondered together, most recently in Adult Forum this Sunday. Shouldn’t grace be sufficient for us? Until about 3pm today I had a sermon prepared to address this question. But with the news of another school shooting just this afternoon, perhaps the question is not why we bring ourselves to penitence, but how our faith speaks to us when we find ourselves already there. Dear Trinity Members, Please see the attached two page Survey regarding the proposed (and still early stage) TRINITY CENTER. If you will be at Church this coming Sunday, the 14th, you can pick up a hard copy, and even fill it out then if you wish. There will also be copies at the Annual Meeting, the following Sunday. and you can fill it out then. If you will not be attending either Sunday, please print it, fill it out, and mail it to the Church Office, or give it to one of the Committee members. Alternatively, you can also fill out this form online. We value your input. Thank you for participating! Judy Tiede, Chairperson The Trinity Center Steering Committee
Advent B-3
John 1:6-8, 19-23 I have been waiting with great anticipation for Dec. 21st. Once we make it through the 21st the daylight starts getting longer on December 22nd. I did look it up, though, and December 22nd has only three more seconds of daylight than the 21st. It’s not much, but it’s everything. From next Thursday on the days will be getting longer and longer. For the next 6 months. It can be 20 below and I’ll know there is more daylight coming, even the next day. The exact date and month of Jesus’ birth are not known. It is not known exactly why, in the 4th century, Dec. 25 was chosen as the date in the western world to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but most scholars believe it had something to do with the darkness, at least in the northern hemisphere. It’s not just since the identification of SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, that darkness has been a “thing.” The lengthening and shortening of daylight has been noticed since anyone first paid attention. Before Jesus was born, centuries before, there had been celebrations of the winter solstice. Some even think that December 25 was chosen to compete with some of those celebrations. |
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