THE MESSENGER October 1, 2014 Deadline to get information into the next newsletter: October 15, 2014 First, We Give Of Ourselves - Giving in Grace This fall, our family at Emmanuel Lutheran Church embarks on a three year journey that we are calling “First, We Give Of Ourselves.” Together we will explore discipleship and how we can grow in sharing gifts for ministry. “Giving” is a faith practice and a mark of our discipleship as God’s people in Christ. Over the next three years, Emmanuel Lutheran Church will talk together about what it means to “give of ourselves”, how this faith practice relates to growing in discipleship, and what this can mean for ministry in our personal lives and that of our congregation. Starting this fall, our emphasis will be “Giving in Grace”. Next fall, we turn to part two of “First, We Give Of Ourselves”. The center of our attention will be a conversation on “Giving in Gratitude”. Then, in the fall of our third year, we will conclude our journey with a focus on “Giving in Generosity”. Consider what it means as "we give of ourselves". The Apostle Paul writes of this spiritual aspect of our giving in 2 Corinthians 8:1-7. Here, Paul speaks of the Macedonian Christians who in the midst of their own financial trials, shared a grace filled offering for people who were suffering in Jerusalem. As Paul speaks of the Macedonians and their giving, he uses descriptive phrases such as "the grace of God", "abundant joy", "wealth of generosity", and others. But our theme verse appears in the 5th verse of this passage when Paul says this of the Macedonians and their giving:" ...and this, not merely as we expected, they gave themselves first to the Lord..." 2 Cor. 8:5 Giving of oneself is set out by Paul as the spiritual understanding of grace filled giving. Our giving is more than what is in our pocket book at any given moment. Giving in grace is a life filled response to God's grace in Christ. It is the joy and delight in the giving of oneself in response to God's rich and abundant gift of grace. This is the measure of grace filled stewardship. Giving in Grace Bible Study: One of the key components of our three year journey will be an “all congregation’ Bible Study. On October 5th and 19th at 9:30am, we will have a Bible Study entitled “Giving in Grace”. The whole congregation will be invited to take part in this faith growing opportunity. Join in our walk as we grow and give of ourselves in God’s grace! Emmanuel rents space and rooms to anyone, including non-members and outside organizations. For more information, and to find out about availability and fees, please contact the church office, 815-963-4815, or fill in and send the Rental Form below. Why would you want to rent space at Emmanuel? Are you planning a wedding ceremony and/or a reception? You'll want to consider our beautiful and spacious Sanctuary with its intricate hand carved wood graced by the light coming through the church's Tiffany stained glass windows, or the more intimate Chapel for your ceremony. Are you needing a church for your baby's baptism? You'll want to consider our lovely Sanctuary or our more intimate Chapel for your blessed occasion. And our Celebration Room or larger Centennial Hall (with professional kitchen) will do nicely for fellowship, coffee, or lunch afterwards. Do you need a place for a funeral or memorial service? You'll want to consider our Sanctuary or our more intimate Chapel for your loved one's ceremony. And our Celebration Room or larger Centennial Hall (with professional kitchen) will do nicely for an after service fellowship, coffee, or lunch. For funerals we can arrange for people from the church to serve. Are you planning a meeting, a conference, a seminar, or a workshop? You'll find that our Library, Sunday School class rooms, or Benson Room will accommodate a small group comfortably, and our Celebration Room or larger Centennial Hall (with professional kitchen) will do well with bigger groups. Are you planning a concert? You'll want to look at our beautiful and spacious Sanctuary with its wonderful acoustics and professional, built-in sound system. These are some of the most common reasons individuals and organization rent space at Emmanuel. If for any reason you're interested in renting space, please contact the church office, 815-963-4815, or visit our website at www.EmmanuelLutheranRockford.org and fill in and send the Rental Form. Emmanuel October Birthdays October 2: Nat Campbell 6: Jenny Sparks Marni Telander 7: Lois Ference 8: Malinda Helge David Johnson 9: 11: 17: 19: Jim Stout Lucio Aldana Connie Fouts Amanda Roberts Jenna Stahl 21: Lou Ann Johnson Richard Snygg ARTSCENE PORTRAITS - OCTOBER 3-4, 2014 22: Lenny Peterson 26: Dorothy Jacobson 27: Gary McIntyre Zach McIntyre Regina Moseley 29 Kim Peterson 31: Ray Hodowanic Opening ArtScene at Emmanuel: Friday, October 3, 5:00 - 9:00 PM and Saturday, 4:00 - 9:00 PM A variety of artists create PORTRAITS for a group show at Emmanuel Gallery. Works done in any media, these portraits are as unique as the person creating them, whether realistic or symbolic. Free the imagination! Reception features good food and music! Free and open to the public. Through a grant from the Rockford Area Arts Council THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS & SPIRITUALITY @EMMANUEL presents... ELAINE SHELLY Friday, October 24, 7:00pm at Emmanuel Let Me Tell You… Elaine Shelly comes to us from Oakland, California to share her story of recovery from 20 years of chronic illness through her CREATIVE REINVENTION PROCESS. She will present an evening of personal stories. She will tell stories included in her recently published book, Creative Reinvention: How to Craft a Heartmade Life, and read other published fiction and poetry. Audience members will tour Emmanuel’s fall ArtScene exhibit, “Portraits,” and discuss the stories suggested by the art. Tickets available at JUST GOODS and at the church office. $10 in advance $15 at the Door ELAINE SHELLY Writers Workshop: Listening to the Muse Creative Reinvention of the Writer’s Life Sunday, October 26, 1:00 - 4:00pm at Emmanuel This is an experiential workshop for writers. Through visualization, meditation, and writing, participants will connect with their muse, inner guidance, or Higher Self to glean information about the gaps in their creative lives. Artist in Residence Elaine Shelly will define creative reinvention, reveal the creative reinvention process, and guide participants in creating their own creative reinvention road maps. Copies of her two books will be available Tickets available at JUST GOODS and at the church office. $20.00 in Advance $25.00 at the door Elaine Shelly will also be our guest speaker at Emmanuel at the 8:30am and 10:30am Worship Service on Sunday, October 26 Elaine Shelly has accomplished many transformations of her life, including reinventing after healing from a chronic and disabling illness. She will talk about faith and healing. Lift up our Sick and Shut-Ins in your prayers: Ann Caton, Milt Johnson, Marianne Kunkel, Ann Caton, Shirl Reed, Tom Silbaugh, Helen Butler, Dick Blomberg, Mark Fredberg, Karl Hoglund ADULT ED/Membership Kindle a Fire in your Spiritual Practice Has your Spiritual practice lost its sizzle? Are you looking for new ways to rekindle your daily practice? Do you want to start a daily practice? This series is for both the beginner and seasoned practitioner. Join us on Sunday morning at Adult Ed in the Benson Room from 9:30 - 10:15 AM. Leave your shoes and head at the door and enter with an open heart. Sufi poet Rumi said, "There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." We will explore several prayer options to incorporate into your practice. Sunday, October 12, 2014 "Centering Prayer" Centering Prayer is prayer without words. Its aim is to establish a deeper relationship with the Divine. This contemplative method of praying helps us become aware of the presence of God by withdrawing our attention from the ordinary flow of thoughts and bringing the mind to stillness, silence, and concentration. Sunday, October 26, 2014 "Lexio Divina: Sacred Reading" Lexio Divina is the contemplative practice of reading Scripture and other sacred texts with the intention of listening for a personal message. The practice of Lexio Divina enables us to develop the ability to listen for the "still, small voice of God." CROP Hunger Walk, October 19 - 2:00pm, 711 N. Main. Hundreds will join together walking to fight hunger both here -- the Greater Rockford Pantry Coalition receives 25% of monies raised -and the world. We need Walkers and sponsors for the Annual Rockford CROP Hunger Walk on October 19th. Walkers who raise $250 will earn another $100 for themselves and the congregation. Those who raise $100 dollars or more will receive a free CROP t-shirt. Please see Betty Ralston between services on Sundays to sign up as a Walker or to contribute to a Walker. Thanks for helping feed the hungry - both in the Greater Rockford area and throughout the world. Your Support is Appreciated Parish Nurse News Last spring, I attended Nursing Expo and enjoyed a variety of sessions geared to increase my knowledge base and improve my care of patients. Our final speaker Rich Bimler, MA, LITTD, LLD, was more inspirational. He gave us the following signs of health that I found helpful and I hope you will, too. (Notice there's no mention of blood pressure, cholesterol levels, or dietary choices. This goes deeper than that.) WARNING SIGNS of HEALTH (6 or more = healthy) 1. If you catch yourself laughing... 2. Persistent presence of supportive friends... 3. Regular appetite for exercise... 4. Repeated episodes of gratitude and generosity... 5. Compulsion to care for other people (not cure or fix, but care...) 6. Increased sensitivity to others... 7. Tendency to identify and talk about feelings... 8. Tendency to adapt to changing conditions... 9. Tendency to frame life events in positive light... 10. Faith-based life centered in love and forgiveness... How'd you do? I'm grateful that I have time for improvement!! Thanks for being patient with me as I work on being more healthy alongside you. Happy Autumn!! Don't forget to get your flu vaccine! Nadia Bolz-Weber Rockford Area Lutheran Ministries Monday, October 6, 2014 from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM Belvidere Community Building, Belvidere, IL Get your free tickets by going to the website rockfordarealutheranministries.com and clicking on the link or calling 815-962-4279. Nadia Bolz-Weber - A Lutheran Pastor pokes therapeutic fun at the flaws of the overly-churched Christianity. Her words, however, are deeply pastoral, God drenched and liberating for those who sometimes find themselves in a foreign land at church. Nadia Bolz-Weber is a New York Times best-selling author and the founding pastor of House for All Sinners and Saints, an ELCA mission church in Denver, Colorado. She's a leading voice in the emerging church movement and her writing can be found in The Christian Century and Jim Wallis' God's Politics blog. She is author of Salvation on the Small Screen?: 24 Hours of Christian Television(Seabury 2008) and the "Sarcastic Lutheran" blog on Patheos. In addition, she has authored Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint described as "her messy, beautiful, prayer-and-profanity laden narrative about an unconventional life of faith." A group of us are gathering at Emmanuel at 5:30 PM to go together to the event and hang out for coffee and discussion after. If interested please contact Timothy Park at 815-608-8587. Nadia Bolz-Weber is a New York Times best-selling author and the founding pastor of House for All Sinners and Saints, an ELCA mission church in Denver, Colorado. She's a leading voice in the emerging church movement and her writing can be found in The Christian Century and Jim Wallis' God's Politics blog. She is author of Salvation on the Small Screen?: 24 Hours of Christian Television (Seabury 2008) and the "Sarcastic Lutheran" blog on Patheos. In addition, she has authored Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner and Saint described as "her messy, beautiful, prayer-and-profanity laden narrative about an unconventional life of faith." Love to Sing... Why not join the choir... The Emmanuel Choir is a group of musicians comprised of people from three generations coming together to make choral music. We pull from a variety of choral genres, and often incorporate other instruments in the accompaniments. The choir performs every other Sunday, September through June. On some Sundays during the summer months we have guest soloists. Rehearsals are on Wednesday evenings at 7:15pm. Everyone interested in joining the Emmanuel Choir is welcome by coming to a rehearsal or calling 815-397-4737. Choir Director: Tim Fenelon Keyboards: Kristen Nelson What is Earthen Vessels? Earthen Vessels is a festive and fun choir which uses guitars, acoustic bass, and percussion to lead Emmanuel's parishioners in singing spiritual music from a variety of diverse genre (World Music, Jazz, Folk, and Chant) during the worship service. The choir performs every other Sunday, September through June. Anyone interested in singing in Earthen Vessels is welcome to join by calling 815-398-1634. Rehearsals are scheduled by the director, Jim Roberts.