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During the
Lenten season, you are invited to sign up for an email
reflection each day. The theme is: "Living Earth: A
40-Day Reflection on Our Relationship with God's
Creation."
 This 40-day Lenten reflection series
will offer a holistic approach to how we live as earthly
companions, combining God's caring relationship with
creation to our journey in the physical universe. Each
e-mail emphasizes individual and communal solutions,
resources for further learning and suggestions for how
to act or become more educated.
Ash Wednesday Ashes
from our
Companion Synods in
Madagascar
Ashes have been distributed to all
synod congregations that were prepared from palm fronds
at Betela Seminary in our Companion Synods. You are
encouraged to use these ashes or mix them with your own
ashes for your congregation's Ash Wednesday worship as a
tangible sign of our relationship in Christ with our
brothers and sisters in
Madagascar.
Monday noon
is the deadline for submitting announcements for the
Tuesday edition. You may "reply" to this email to submit
an announcement.
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Prayers and Celebrations
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First Sunday
in Lent
God of mercy,
your word was the sure defense of Jesus in his time
of testing. Minister to us in the wilderness of our
temptation, that we who have been set free from sin by
Christ may serve you well into life
everlasting. Amen
Prayer from Revised Common Lectionary
Prayers,
Consultation on English
Texts,
2002
Synod Prayer
Cycle: Border
Conference
You are encouraged to include these
leaders in your Sunday prayers of the
people. The prayer lists for
February and March
are also available. Please consider including these
prayer lists in your newsletters and bulletins as a
means of connecting your congregations with others in
the Rocky Mountain Synod.
to remember in prayer at worship on
02/10
Our
Savior
Alamogordo, NM
Bruce Freeman
Peace
Las Cruces,
NM
Steve Loy, Jeanne Lutz
Peace El Paso, TX
Wayne Kendrick
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| Synod News and Events |
Congregational
Reports Due February 15
It is imperative that we receive
congregation statements of intent for the new year as
soon as possible. An online form at
www.rmselca.org/intent makes the process quick
and easy. That
link also includes a link to the ELCA's online report
form for 2007 which is to be completed by February
15.
Candidacy Committee
Announces Second Discernment Retreat for
2008
April 16, 2008 ~ Denver - Augustana
Lutheran Church, 5000 E. Alameda - Register by March
25.
For all persons who may be discerning a
call to leadership ministry in the ELCA. Whether you are
ready to commit to the Candidacy process, or just
beginning to ask the questions regarding this vocational
call, you are invited to attend this retreat. During
this retreat we will explore how we do faithful
vocational discernment, discover gifts for ministry,
learn about the variety of opportunities for services
through the three rosters of the ELCA: Ordained pastors,
Consecrated diaconal ministers, Commissioned associates
in ministry, and answer questions about the ELCA
Candidacy process. Anyone planning to begin Entrance
into Candidacy in the next year is required to
attend.
Contact Madelyn Busse, assistant to the
bishop, 303-777 6700 or mbusse@rmselca.org with
questions. To register or to submit names for
invitation, please call Janice Ladd-Horkey at
303-777-6700 or 800-525-0462.
2008 Mexico City Trip
is June 10-18
Consider participating in next
summer's trip to the Lutheran Center in Mexico City.
Download an information and registration
form:
Church in
Society Awards:
Incentives for
Ministry
The Rocky Mountain Synod Church in Society
Board provides annual awards up to $1000.00 to assist
efforts in this Synod that demonstrate an "inciting to
action" of the church in society. The objective of the
award is to provide incentive and support to assist the
church's efforts and engagement in meeting the needs of
society through projects that involve the members with
those being served through ministry.
These projects
should demonstrate ways of going beyond providing
financial contributions to a charity. For example,
projects might provide services for persons affected by
poverty, homelessness, hunger, domestic or substance
abuse, aging or health related issues. The project may
represent the effort of a single congregation or the
co-operative effort of several congregations, related
agencies, or other entities; e.g. Interfaith Hospitality
Network, Refugee Services, etc. The application may be
downloaded. The deadline for
application is February 15, 2008.
Video Contest:
How to Spot
a Lutheran in the
West
Two minute videos that
capture the spirit of our "Lutheran Identity" in the
Rocky Mountain Synod are to be submitted by April 1,
2008. The video may be a commercial, skit, story, song,
art piece or any other means and will be judged in the
areas of Lutheran identity, evangelism, diversity,
variety of ages involved, and creativity. Prizes will be
announced at Synod Assembly in May. First place will
receive $1,000, second $600, third $250, fourth $150
(made out to the sponsoring congregation or ministry
group.) The prize money is provided by a grant from ELCA
Synodical Relations in support of communicating Lutheran
identity within the synod. Download the
details!
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Announcements |
New Job Postings
Prince of
Peace Lutheran Church in Denver, CO, is seeking an
office manager, and Joy Lutheran Church, Parker, CO, is
seeking a part time music director. More
info.
Collaborative Worship Planning
Workshop
A
workshop on collaborative planning for worship will be
presented at Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 Hampden Ave,
Cherry Hills Village, CO, on Saturday, April 26, 2008,
from 9 a.m. through lunch. After
opening worship, three presentations will be
given:
What
Church Musicians Expect from Pastors (Dr.
John Ferguson, St. Olaf College);
What
Pastors Expect from Church Musicians (Rev.
Ron Glusenkamp, Senior Pastor, Bethany Lutheran
Church);
What Lay
People Expect from Pastors and Church
Musicians (Dr.
Marie Friedemann, Regis College Administrator and Lay
Leader of Bethany Lutheran Church).
A panel
discussion will follow to provide time for questions and
responses. Lunch will be served at
noon. A Registration Fee of $12.00
includes the cost of the lunch. The
workshop is intended for pastors, organists, choir
directors, members of worship and music committees, and
interested lay people. Please visit
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/95976067 to
register.
Interfaith Gathering Celebrates the Little Rock
Nine - Sunday, February 24
Fifty
years ago, America was changed forever by the voices and
determination of nine young, courageous high school
students. By the simple act of going to school, the
Little Rock Nine changed the course of American history
- for all people. This interfaith gathering will
honor the Nine and their contributions to civil rights
in America. Three of the Nine will speak about what they
experienced and what they hope for our shared future.
House of Joy Gospel Choir, St Mary's Academy Honors
Choir and Cantor Regina Heit will offer music. Video
clips from 1957 will set the context. The
Gathering is appropriate for middle school youth through
adults.
Date:
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Time:
4 p.m. (doors open at 3:30 pm free ticket required - see
below)
Location: Congregation Emanuel,
51 Grape St., Denver
Cost: Free but an
admissions ticket is required; Seating is limited and is
on a first come, first seated basis. Tickets by mail
must be ordered by Thursday, February 13. Please call
303-765-3111 for tickets.
Bethany College Alumni Events
Bethany College
in Lindsborg, Kansas, will be hosting three alumni
events in Colorado as part of their "President's Tour
2008 - One Body, One Bethany". The gatherings
are:
Sunday, March 30,
2008
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
First
Evangelical Lutheran Church
Third Avenue & Terry
Street
Longmont, CO
80502
Monday, March 31,
2008
7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Bethany
Lutheran Church
Fellowship Hall
4500 E. Hampden
Avenue
Cherry Hills Village, CO
80113
Tuesday, April 1,
2008
7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
First Lutheran
Church
1515 N. Cascade Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO
80907
Anyone who wishes to attend can RSVP
to Jane Asche, administrative assistant to the
development and alumni offices at Bethany, by calling
785-227-3380, ext. 8270 or by emailing
aschej@bethanylb.edu as soon as
possible.
Mission Trip to Nicaragua Set for
June
Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Longmont and Immanuel
Lutheran Church in Greeley will be leading a mission
trip to Somoto, Nicaragua and surrounding areas from
June 10-20. They are planning to take 30 people to build
homes, do medical clinics, teach bible school and
distribute school supplies to several school in the
area. They are in need right now of doctors, nurses and
a dentist. Please contact Pastor Abe Gonzalez at
970-352-3003 or 970-405-0308 or by e-mail: pastor@immanlutheran.org
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Religion on Politics |
What Should a President
Believe?
by Rev. Warren
Murphy
Wyoming Association of
Churches
One of my favorite columnists, Charley Reese,
recently penned an article entitled," Why All the Fuss
About Religion?" It had to do with all the talk
about the role a candidate's faith should play in the
upcoming presidential election. Reese basically
argues that America has a secular government run by
imperfect people and that personal religious beliefs
should carry little weight in choosing a
president. He states, "The personal beliefs of the
candidates should be considered irrelevant."
While
I would certainly agree that religion should not
determine how the American government is run, I find
that in reality, people's religious beliefs often are
the deciding factor in determining the American
leader. Our Jeffersonian governmental structure
does indeed throw up a boundary line between church and
state. But the people who elect our leaders rarely
consider that boundary when making their elective
choice.
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ELCA |
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Eco-Palms for Palm
Sunday
Palm Sunday is right
around the corner and Lutheran World Relief is
encouraging you to support those farmers
who harvest palm fronds. Over 360,000 fronds
were sold in the U.S. last year.
Order your
Eco-Palms (deadline is
February 20) through Lutheran World Relief.
Read the
issue paper on sustainability that
governs this area of the work of the ELCA Corporate
Social Responsibility
program. | |
The Rev. Kent
Mueller
Director for Administration and
Communication
Rocky Mountain
Synod
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| "For the living of these
days..." |
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prayers for ministries & meetings this
week: |
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Bishop Allan
Bjornberg
LOGM-NM Bishop's
Luncheon, Albuquerque, NM; Meeting with Bishop Irish,
Salt lake City, UT; Teaching a Lutheran Mission course,
Iliff School of Theology, Denver, CO; Meeting with
Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church, Park City,
UT.
Madelyn
Busse
LOGM-NM Bishop's
Luncheon, Albuquerque, NM; 2009 Assembly Planning
meeting, El Paso, TX; Church in Society planning
meeting, Denver, CO.
Jim
Hytjan
NCD Coach Training,
Atlanta, GA; EOCM Mission Developer Training, Chicago,
IL.
Dan
Bollman
Call process
conversations.
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| 2008
Faith Advocacy Day |
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Faith Seeking
Justice
Our annual Lutheran Day at the
Legislature is growing! We are partnering with
Hunger for Justice: Interfaith Voices Against Poverty
this year to host an advocacy event for people of all
faith traditions.
Tuesday, March 4
9:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Scottish Rite
Building
1370 Grant
Street,
Denver
ELCA
Pre-event
Bishop's Breakfast
8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Plenary
Speakers:
Bishop Allan Bjornberg,
Rocky
Mountain Synod, ELCA
Bishop
Warner H. Brown, Jr.,
Rocky
Mountain Conference,
United
Methodist Church
Dr.
Steven E. Foster,
Senior
Rabbi,
Congregation Emanuel, Denver
Imam
Ibrahim Kazerooni,
Imam
for the Denver Muslim Community
Workshops:
Access to Health Care,
Advocacy
101,
Affordable
Housing,
Colorado's
Economy after Referendum C, and
Payday
Lending
Register
by phone at the synod office: 303-777-6700 or by e-mail
at whobbs@rmselca.org |
| NOBS February
Meeting |
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Network
of Biblical Storytellers (NOBS ) Denver - Area
Guild
Next
Meeting: Monday, February 11, 12:30 p.m. Anyone interested in the oral, live,
telling-by-heart of biblical stories is invited to
participate! Meetings are every month, alternating with
evenings and afternoons, (see full schedule
here) at Cross of Christ Lutheran, 12099 Lowell
Blvd., Broomfield, Colorado (just north of 120th Avenue,
about 3 miles west of I-25, 3.5 miles east of Boulder
Turnpike). Do you have questions? Please contact Pam
Faro at pamfaro@juno.com or call her at
303-828-2267. Bring a friend! Also, check out the NOBS
website: www.nobs.org. |
| In the Mountains,
Close to Denver |
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Messiah Mountain
Retreat Center
Bookings are starting for
the 2008 retreat season. Call now to assure a
prime choice of dates! Messiah Mountain Retreat Center
is just 30 minutes outside Denver and is a ministry of
Messiah Community Church, ELCA, in Denver. It's great
for men's, women's, youth, council, teams, and staff
retreats. The Messiah Mountain Retreat Center is perfect
for overnight retreats, day retreats and week-long
retreats. Their group rates are the best around: $20 per
person per night. (Call for Day Retreat costs.) Contact
Kirsten Nelson Roenfeldt at messiahmtn@mho.com or visit
www.messiahdenver.org and click
on "retreat
center".
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Events |
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Lenten
Opportunity: Becoming a Praying Congregation with Jane
Vennard
A special
FREE program will take place at Atonement Lutheran
Church, Boulder, CO, on Saturday, February 9,
2008 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00
p.m. Sponsored by Atonement, Mt. Calvary and
1st Lutheran in Longmont, the program is for the benefit
of all Rocky Mountain Synod and Boulder Conference
Lutheran Church members as we begin the Lenten season.
Information and
registration on the web.
The Bible and the ELCA
A
presentation by the Rev. Paull Spring will be on Sunday,
February 24, 3:00 p.m. at Lord of the Hills
Lutheran Church, 21755 E. Smoky Hill Road, Centennial,
CO. As the ELCA debates possible changes in
doctrine and practice regarding marriage and sexuality,
how will we affirm the authority of the Word of God in
our church? Reverend Spring, retired bishop of the
Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA, is the
Chair of the Steering Committee for the Lutheran
Coalition for Reform (CORE). The event is free and open
to the public. A simple soup and bread supper will
be served at 5:00 p.m.
RMS Next Step Team Plans "Passing on the Faith"
Conference at Bethany Lutheran Church, Denver,
Colorado in April 2008 (tentative dates are April 18
& 19). If you have questions, please contact Sarah
Bjornebo at 303-797-0369 or Julie Miller at
303-841-3739.
Denver Servant
Event
is an opportunity to come together with
other Lutherans and demonstrate your faith in action.
Put May 3, 2008, (8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) on your
congregation calendar. Contact Pamela McClune at (303)
623-7558.
Mission Trip to Nicaragua is
July 25-August 5. Trinity Lutheran Church in
Loveland, Colorado invites you to join them on a work
trip to Somoto, Nicaragua, this summer. Please contact
Pastor Ed and Cheryl Smith for more information:
970-663-0458 or
csmit@frii.com.
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| Resource for
Self-Renewal |
Extinguish
Burnout! |
Do leaders and
members of your congregation ever feel burned out in the
midst of the vital work they do for your church and
community? Dr. Alan Shelton, a family physician, offers
his recent book Transforming Burnout: A Simple Guide to
Self-renewal as a practical guide for ministers, lay
leaders and congregation members experiencing compassion
fatigue. Transforming Burnout tells a personal story of
burnout, teaches us to recognize and face it, and leads
us to spiritualstrength and renewed vitality through
daily habits that encourage whole health.
Alan Shelton is an experienced workshop leader at
lay monister retreats and feels called to continue
speaking on the subject of burnout and renewal. For more
information or to order, visit: www.TransformingBurnout.com. This book
is also available from www.amazon.com . Reprinted from: Seeds for the
Parish (Jan-Feb
08) |
| An Easter
Resource |
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In Bread for the
Journey, author Rolf Svanoe has sought to engage
our senses and enhance our encounter with God. This
Lenten worship series offers sermons for Ash Wednesday,
each Sunday in Lent and services for Easter Week. This
book includes recipes for breads tgat can be baked and
distributed during the services as well, each scent and
taste offering an additional insight into the Lanten
worship experience.
Rolf Svanoe is the associate pastor of Peace
Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, S.D.
To order, go to www.csspub.com or
call CSS Publishing Company at 800-537-1030. The item
number is 0-7880-2507.
Reprinted from: Seeds for the
Parish (Jan-Feb
08)
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