From the Bishop

The sun rises shortly before 7:00 a.m. these days, but dawn of the day comes much earlier, the first light shortly after 6:00 a.m. I have been to the office early enough in recent days to take in the early morning color of the dawn of a new day. My second story office window faces east, with a wonderful view of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. There are days when the colors of dawn are magnificent, other days when the cloud cover prevents seeing the dawn of a new day.

Shaping the Church for God’s Mission was the theme of the Bishop’s Convocation the first week of November. The theme was not meant to be an empty slogan or a passing phrase for a three day event. To be shaped by God is to be our prayer, our longing, our work of repentance and renewal. As you will hear in the coming months, Shaping the Church for God’s Mission will also be the theme of a major stewardship endeavor, a synod wide funding appeal authorized by the synod council, as we seek to order and align all the gifts God has given us for our faithful participation in God’s mission in the world. We intend this work to help shape the Church in its congregation, synod and churchwide ministries.

Advent begins November 29 with the prayer Come, Lord Jesus. Advent is a season requiring tri-focal eye wear. We look back in time to coming of Christ as the Word made flesh and his ministry among us. We look at this present time and Christ coming to us now in the Word proclaimed, in bread and wine and water, and in the Word made flesh in the witness and service of baptized men and women. We look to the future, the promised future, when Christ will come again and be all in all.

These are challenging days for the Church. We are feeling the effect of the economic downturn. Some are struggling mightily with the decisions made by the churchwide assembly in August. And there are other conflicts and struggles, as well as joys and opportunities and reasons for thanksgiving.

Advent is a time of prayer, of hopefulness when the signs around us may not be hopeful. It is a season of expectation and birthing of the new, when the signs around us may feel like sighs and groans unto death. Advent is the dawning of a new day, a living in the promise that Christ who came is with us today, in the midst of all that is on our plate, in the mess of life. Early morning clouds may keep us from seeing the deep, royal blue of the new day but the new day comes nevertheless.

Rev. Dr. Gerald Mansholt                            
MAKING CHRIST KNOWN — November 2009

PRIVILEGES FOR JANUARY

Greeters

1/3         David & Yvonne Salmon
1/10         Joye Conklin & Valerie Trigger
1/17         Chris & Bev Ballew
1/23         Darrell & Jo Rose
1/31         Betty Tuttle & Dorthy Johnson

Ushers

1/3         Dennis Schnell & Joye Conklin
1/10         Gene & Valeeta Lucas
1/17         Tom & June Eagan
1/23         Dennis Schnell & Joye Conklin
1/31         TBA

Lectors

1/3         Joye Conklin
1/10         Merl Teigen
1/17         Carol Petznick
1/23         Ila Muchow
1/31         Darrell Rose

Cantors

1/3         Merl Teigen
1/10         Alice Lindahl
1/17         Merl Teigen
1/23         Alice Lindahl
1/31         Merl Teigen

Acolytes

1/3         Megan Oshel
1/10         Douglas Adolphson
1/17         Jacob Black
1/23         Lille Stewart-Carnes
1/31         Megan Oshel

Altar Guild

         Carol Watson

Offering Counters

            Joye Conklin & David Salmon

Anni Bargen, Jackie Brown, Family and Friends of Margaret Brundige, Dee Carnes, Marion Circle, Scott Childs, Paul Cunard, Luke Davidson, Molly Gould, Pr. Garry Grunzke, Bill Hoppen, Marilyn Ketterling, Fred Miller, Jean Miller, Bob Morris, Dale Morton, John Murphy, Family & Friends of Clara Newman, Carol Patterson, Quinton Ramirez, Mary Smith, Annabelle Tebbe, Jean Troutman, Lorna Ulmer,  William Wille, Yaccou Yisraeli, Other Congregations in Central States Synod

Military Personnel:  Michael Best, Bryan Collver, Geoffry Collver, Mike Flowers, Bill Hibner, Mae Hibner, Richie Keller, Melvin Leonard, Seth Mackey, Derek McDonald, Will Oliva, Nick Sanford, Vernon Van Dyne

         1/3    John Elben
         1/4    Ken Van Sickle
         1/5    Janice Fawcett
         1/9    Carol Petznick
         1/14  Hal Petznick
         1/16  Art Tees
         1/17  Sandy Anderson
         1/24  Cheryl Thompson
         1/28  LaVerne Mills

If you have been omitted from the birthday list, please contact the Church office at 331-5465 so we can correct our records. JCR