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| April 17,
2007 |
eConnection
eNewsletter of
the Rocky Mountain Synod |
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Prayers | |
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Third Sunday of Easter
God of victory over
death, your Son revealed himself again and again, and convinced his
followers of his glorious resurrection. Grant that we may know his risen
presence, in love obediently feed his sheep, and care for the lambs of his
flock, until we join the hosts of heaven in worshiping you and praising
him who is worthy of blessing and honor, glory and power, for ever and
ever.
Amen
Prayer from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers,
Consultation on English Texts, 2002.
Photo of columbine flower is
from www.forevermemorials.com/columbine/.
ELCA Presiding Bishop's Statement on Virginia Tech
Tragedy
With the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University (Virginia Tech) community and the nation, we mourn, we pray,
and with the Psalmist we plead: "Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!" (Psalm 130:1) As family and friends grieve the
deaths and injuries of loved ones, we claim the promise of Christ's
Resurrection.
Campus ministries, congregations and leaders of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are offering support and spiritual
care to the local community. Through the deep wounds of this tragedy, let
us renew our resolve to live together in peace.
"Holy One, you do
not distance yourself from the pain of your people, but in Jesus you bear
that pain with all who suffer at others' hands. With your cleansing love
bring healing and strength to the Virginia Tech community; and by your
justice, lift them up, that in body, mind, and spirit, they may again
rejoice. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen." (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p.
84)
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America
Chicago
Virginia pastor invites worship resources for time of lament
Congregations in Colorado close to the Columbine incident may share an
especially close pain alongside those grieving in Virginia. Individuals
who or congregations which prepared worship materials at the time of
Columbine are invited to share them. Please email them to:
Rev. C.
Douglas Smith
Executive Director
Virginia Interfaith Center for
Public Policy
doug@virginiainterfaithcenter.org
Synod Prayer Cycle: Wyoming Conference
During the month of
April we give thanks for the ministry of our congregations and rostered
leaders in the Wyoming Conference. You are encouraged to include these
congregations and leaders in your Sunday prayers of the people. The prayer
list for April is available
as a Word document.
to remember in prayer at worship on 4/22
Prince of Peace Casper, WY
..... Michael
Struck
St. John Riverton, WY
.....Michael
Johnson
St. Luke's Buffalo, WY
.....John Orwig
"For the living of these days..."
prayers for ministries
& meetings this week:
- Bishop Bjornberg - Southeast Colorado Conference Retreat;
University of Wyoming Campus Ministry; Grand Junction Council Retreat;
Risen Lord, Conifer, CO., organization; Vision Passion Action meeting
- Dan Bollman - Metro D.C. Youth Ministry Conference
- Madelyn Busse - Companion Synods meeting; Lutheran Ranches of the
Rockies Call Committee; Diaconal Ministers Conference, Carefree, AZ;
First Call Theological Education, Temecula, CA
- Jim Hytjan - Metro East Conference; Risen Lord, Conifer, CO.,
organization; Mission Outreach Board Mission Team
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Rocky Mountain Synod | |
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Travelling Crosses: Return to Durango by May 1
The
conference crosses, made of metal, have been travelling from congregation
to congregation since last synod assembly. Pictured is the cross's visit
to St. Timothy, El Paso. Whichever congregations have a cross as of
April 25 needs to send them to Durango, Colorado, so they arrive
there by May 1. The crosses will be welded together into one large
cross and fashioned into a processional cross. Send the crosses to Pastor
John Knutson, Christ the King Lutheran Church, 495 Florida Road, Durango,
Colorado 81301 so they arrive in Durango on or before May 1. The person
assembling the crosses is leaving on a trip on May 8, so it is essential
that they are received by May 1. In some cases, the crosses did not travel
to every congregation within a conference. Those congregations will have
the opportunity to schedule a "visit" of the large, joined together cross
after the assembly to complete the circuit throughout the synod. Notebooks
have been travelling with the crosses. They may be returned to the synod
office or to Judy Dunlavy, 7501 Marshall Street, Arvada, Colorado
80003.
REGISTER FOR ASSEMBLY BY THURSDAY!
- Registration deadline is April 20 (saves you $$$)
- you must pay by credit card for online registration (this
is a new CSU requirement and is an update to previously printed
instructions!)
- online registration is most efficient and is encouraged
- to pay by check, fill out the paper form/s and send them to CSU with
one check
Register
online now.
Get Ready for
RMS Trip to Mexico: June 20- 28
This 2007 trip to the Lutheran
Center in Mexico City will increase our understanding of our neighbors to
the south, opening our eyes to the cultural, economic and political
realities of Mexico. If you are interested, click to view (Word document)
information
and an application or contact Madelyn Busse at
303-777-6700.
Please keep in mind that passports are now required
for travel to Mexico.
Service of Organization for Risen Lord
April 22
You are invited to join the people of Risen Lord Lutheran
Church for their Service of Organization on Sunday, April 22, 2007 at 3:00
in the afternoon. The service will be held at St. Mary of the Rockies
Catholic Church in Bailey (at the top of Crow Hill). Clergy are invited to
vest....the color of the day is white. A reception will follow the
service. RSVP to Risen Lord at 303-816-6864.
Directions:
Take CO 470 to US-285, South to Fairplay. Go approx. 25.2 miles to CR
43A (there is a stop light and a Loaf-n-Jug on the corner), turn right
onto CR43-A and take the first right onto Buggy Whip Road (Camp
Id-Ra-Ha-Je is on the left) and take a right onto Bulldogger Road and
follow that to the church.
Are you a
Mission Partner?
If so, we would like your help in raising
awareness of Mission Partners at Synod Assembly. Please submit a 15-second
video recording or a digital photograph with accompanying printed text,
thanking your Mission Partner congregation for the opportunity of mission
partnership. If you are a congregation that has received Mission Partner
support, submit a video or photo expressing appreciation for the support
or gift. Use a script like this: "This is (name of person) from (name)
Lutheran Church in (name of community) and we would like to thank (name)
Lutheran Church of (name of community) for the opportunity to be a Mission
Partner with them. Thanks Mission Partners!" Send your video clip on
DV video, on a DVD, or as a video file in Quicktime or Windows Media to
kmueller@rmselca.org by May 15. Send your digital photo and
accompanying printed text to the same address by May 15. Thank you!
Vision, Passion, Action Blog
A "blog" is short for "web log"
and it is a way to invite conversation about topics and issues. The new
RMS weblog is designed to facilitate conversation about the Vision,
Passion, Action process. The address of the RMS blog is www.rmselca.blogspot.com.
If you post a comment please include your name and congregation. If you
would like to post an entry, send your entry to kmueller@rmselca.org.
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Earth Day 2007 Message from the Presiding
Bishop | |
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
God's Easter
promise of new life in Christ, made for all of humanity, also holds
promise for God's creation: all the Earth and its creatures that God made
and pronounced "good." In our celebration of the Good News of the
Resurrection, we should remember that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of
God's love and care for the world; that "things were created through him
and for him" (Colossians 1:15-16); and that in caring for creation we
honor Christ.
On Earth Day, April 22, I urge you also to remember
God's exhortation to us to till and keep the earth (Genesis 2:15) in the
face of a growing body of evidence from scientists around the world that
global warming is threatening the future of creation and the health and
well-being of all living things.
Recent reports by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of the world's
preeminent scientists studying our planet's climate, make it clear that
earth's climate is warming, largely due to humanity's use of fossil fuels.
This phenomenon is likely to lead to disastrous consequences for all of
creation, and particularly for "the least of these" (Matthew 25:40). The
poor and hungry of the earth are most vulnerable to rising sea levels, the
spread of infectious disease, extending areas of drought, and other
impacts of rising temperatures, many of which are already
occurring.
In the 1993 social statement, Caring for Creation:
Vision, Hope and Justice, the ELCA recognized that "the buildup of
greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide" threatens our planet. It
urges us to accept responsibility for our sinful treatment of God's gift
of the earth. A substantial part of the problem is our use of fossil fuels
to run our homes, our churches, our cars, and our places of business.
Those of us who live in the United States produce one-quarter of the
world's carbon emissions, even though we are only five percent of the
planet's human population. Although we are complicit in the evil that we
see, we can repent of our own sinful misuse and abuse of the Earth, direct
and indirect, when we confess our sins. We do this especially for the sake
of the poor of the earth, working on their behalf even as we contend with
entrenched political, economic, and social forces.
Caring for
Creation also urges us to advocacy and action, both as individual
Christians and as a church body. On this Earth Day, I urge each of you to
take up the challenge presented to us as a people of hope and conviction
by the threat of global warming. Consider contacting your elected
officials to urge them to address this problem. Look for ways to reduce
your use of fossil fuels. Walk when you can, use public transportation if
it's available, and change your light bulbs to energy-efficient compact
fluorescent light sources. Ideas for other actions you can take in your
homes and in your congregations can be found at http://www.elca.org/advocacy/environment
on the ELCA Web site.
"When we face today's crisis, we do not
despair. We act." (Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice)
Living in God's amazing grace,
The Rev. Mark S.
Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America
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Announcements | |
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Cross of Hope, Albuquerque Celebrates Its 25th
Anniversary
You are cordially invited to the 25th Anniversary
celebration of Cross of Hope Lutheran Church. Events will take place
throughout the months of April and May with a special celebration on May 6
at all services along with a continuing breakfast reception starting at
8:00 a.m. If you are able, please plan to attend at either the 8:00, 9:30
or 10:45 a.m. services.
3rd Annual Bridges of Understanding --
Connecting the Mental
Health & Faith Communities Conference
Research has shown that
even people who attend a church infrequently will generally approach a
clergy member about a mental health issue before a mental health
professional. Also, mental illness sometimes keeps people from
participating fully in a congregation because they feel misunderstood or
stigmatized.
On Saturday, May 1, 2007, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30
p.m., the Jefferson Center for Mental Health will co-sponsor a conference
to connect the mental health and faith communities. The conference is
intended for all denominations of clergy and spiritual leaders, youth
group and counseling program leaders, lay leadership, educational
coordinators, and professors and students of theology schools.
It
will be at the Sheraton Denver West Hotel, 360 Union Blvd in Lakewood,
Colorado (303-987-2000). The cost is $30. For more information and to
register for the event, please go to the Jefferson Mental Health website:
http://www.jeffersonmentalhealth.org/
Montview Blvd.
Presbyterian Church Presents Two Lectures
Provocative. Stimulating.
Unexpected. These are word to describe the two lectures that the
distinguished author and theologian Reverend Professor Peter J. Gomes of
Harvard University and Harvard Memorial Church will be presenting. The
Rev. Professor Gomes will give his first lecture titled For the Time
Being: What Do We Do With Now will be on Friday May 11 from 7:30 to
9:00 p.m. The second lecture is titled The Best Is Yet To Be: How Do We
Face An Uncertain Future? is scheduled for Saturday, May 12th from
10:00 to 11:30 a.m. The cost for a single lecture is $20 and $30 for both
lectures. (Students may attend for free with an I.D.) Montview Blvd.
Presbyterian Church is located at 1980 Dahlia Street, in Denver. For
ticket and childcare information, please call Danean Burke at
303-355-1651.
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Upcoming Events | |
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Habitat's Clergy Build Day is
April 19
Clergy are encouraged to join in for a day of fellowship
and building on Thursday, April 19th. For more information or to register
for the upcoming Clergy Build Day, please call Amanda at 303.534.2929 x
125. Info at www.habitatmetrodenver.org
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"Faces and Voices" Photo Exhibit at Salt Lake
City
On Friday, April 20 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Zion Evangelical
Lutheran Church, Salt Lake City, UT, is hosting an open house and special
viewing of the award winning photographic exhibit of refugee youth,
"Faces and Voices ". Zion is at located at 1070 Foothill Drive,
Salt Lake City, UT 84108, phone (801) 582-2321 .
Leadership in
Ministry Workshop
Two More Healthy Congregations Workshops
Scheduled
Here are two more opportunities to attend workshops to
get information about congregational leadership. The first will be held on
April 21 at Our Saviour's in Fort Collins, Colorado. Please contact Pastor
Tim Sadem (tim@our-saviours.org) for more information. The second workshop
will be held on April 28 at Grace Lutheran Church, Bountiful, Utah. Please
contact Pastor Corinne Thul (pastorcorinne@hotmail.com) for more
information about this event.
Lutheran Campus
Ministry Celebrates a Milestone
Lutheran Campus Ministry will be
celebrating 100 years campus ministry nationwide and 50 years of campus
Ministry in Colorado. On Saturday April 21, from 6 to 10 p.m., Lutheran
Campus Ministries CU- Boulder, CSU-Fort Collins and UNC-Greeley, will be
hosting a celebratory event to mark the milestone. The festivities will be
held at King of Glory Lutheran Church, 2919 North Wilson Avenue in
Loveland, Colorado. For more information and to register, please contact
Vicki Siska at 970-482-2160, by email at lcmcsu@lamar.colostate.edu or
contact Pastor Laurel Alexander (303) 786-7137. Her email address is
laurela@colorado.edu.
Rainbow Trail Men's Fly Fishing Retreat
April 26 - 29
Men, come to Rainbow Trail to experience a time of
faith renewal, fellowship and adventure! This weekend's adventure will be
fly-fishing in the famed Arkansas River and novice to expert fishermen are
encouraged to attend. Pastor Dave Risendal will be our spiritual leader
for the weekend. Click
here for more information.
"Light Into the World"
Wednesday, April 25, 11:00 a.m.
The annual Lutheran Worship
service at Iliff School of Theology is presented by the students of the
campus Lutheran Student Organization. "Light into the World", written by
Kent Gustavson, is a lively bluegrass setting of the Lutheran Eucharist
liturgy with banjo, mandolin and string bass. Bishop Alan Bjornberg will
be preaching. All are welcome.
"A View From the Underside: The
Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer"
Wednesday, April 25, 7:30
p.m.
Dr. Al Staggs brings the stage to life in his nationally
acclaimed portrayal of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The event, brought to Denver
by the Iliff Lutheran Student Organization (LSO), will be performed in the
Great Hall at Iliff School of Theology at 2201 S. University Blvd. Contact
David Carlson, LSO co-chair at dcarlson@iliff.edu for more
information.
Wartburg College Choir in Concert
Cross of
Christ Lutheran Church, Broomfield will be hosting the Wartburg College
Choir on Wednesday, April 25th. They will be performing a concert at 7:00
pm that evening. Wartburg College is an ELCA Lutheran college located in
Waverly, Iowa.
Spring Retreat for Lutheran Clergy
Spring
24 hr. traditional retreat for Lutheran clergy, Thursday April 26-Friday,
April 27, Franciscan Retreat Center, Colorado Springs. All ordained
Lutheran clergy are welcome to attend society retreats. Seminarians and
first time retreatants are welcome to attend this retreat free of charge!
For more information or to register, contact Pr. David M. Wendel, STS,
719-650- 8171 (cell), or via e-mail at pr-wendel@saintlukes-
cs.org.
Fabric of Faith Workshop in Dillon, Colorado
Lord
of the Mountains Lutheran Church is pleased to host a day-long workshop
focused on techniques for creating extraordinary fabrics that celebrate
the Church's season of Ordinary Time. The workshop is scheduled for
Saturday, April 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information about
the event, contact the church office at 970-468- 6809. For an added treat,
check out Linda's work at her website, www.lindahenke.com.
National
Leadership Gathering May 3-6
National Leadership Gathering of the
Interfaith Alliance, May 3 - 6 at the Interlocken Hotel and Conference
Center located near Louisville, Colorado. Featured speakers will include
Governor Bill Ritter, Rev. Bob Edgar, Mike Keefe, and several others. For
more information and to register, please visit http://www.luthersem.edu/survey/education
Health Ministry Conference is
May 5 in Fort Collins, CO
Faith In Action - The Spiritual Health
Partnership and Rocky Mountain Synod Parish Health Ministry are pleased to
announce the 9th Annual Spirit of Caring Conference. The event is at Our
Saviour's Lutheran Church, 2000 S. LeMay Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80524.
For more information, call Melanie at 970- 493-6455 or email:
melhuib@hotmail.com.
The Lutheran Chorale Presents Concerts for
Your Enjoyment
This concert series titled Sacred Melodies - Old,
New, Borrowed, and New will feature traditional masterpieces,
contemporary classics, Irish tunes, and gospel blues - all of which have
enriched worship in many times and places. There will be two concerts
on Sunday May 6: the first at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 2300
South Patton Court, Denver, at 3:00 p.m., and the second concert will be
at St. Philip Lutheran Church, 7531 South Kendall Blvd., Littleton, at
7:30 p.m. For more information, please call 303-237-7336 or
303-886-0549.
WomenCook! - Dining for a Difference,
Benefiting Work Options for Women
Join us for our third annual
WomenCook! event to raise much-needed funds for Work Options for Women.
The event is Monday, May 14, 2007, 6:00 to 8:30 pm, Temple Emanuel, 51
Grape Street, Denver . For more information, contact Jennifer Koeller at
720-944-1917 or www.workoptions.org
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LutherTrek Build: In New Orleans
We need you! Come
to New Orleans and assist Bethlehem Lutheran Church (African American
Lutheran Congregation) in rebuilding their homes May 29th to June 6th,
2007. Registration forms must be filled out by March 31, 2007 and
are available by email: lssutah@yahoo.com.
RMS 3rd Annual
Bishop's Scramble for World Hunger
Get ready to hit the links June
7th while at the same time benefitting the efforts to end world hunger.
The event will be held at Pelican Lakes Golf & Country Club in
beautiful Windsor, Colorado. What a deal!
An Invitation to a
Spiritual Renewal Retreat for Lay Leaders of Congregations
Called
Back to the Well is offering a special retreat for lay members of
congregations. Anyone who holds leadership positions in the church or
desires to "go deeper" spiritually, is encouraged to participate in a
retreat June 22-25, 2007. You may register online at: www.samaritancc.com/affiliated/cbtw.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Sue
Joiner at sjoiner@samaritancc.com or call 505.332.8020.
North American Association for
the Catechumenate
Gathering This Summer
Connecting Worship,
Experience, and Sacrament is the theme of the 2007 annual gathering of the
North American Association for the Catechumenate, July 19 through July 22,
at the Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
For full details, including the ten workshops being offered, visit
the website.
Rainbow Trail Bridging Borders
Trip Available July 22-28
Rainbow Trail's Bridging Borders Mexico
program travels to Juarez, Mexico with high school youth. The youth and
Rainbow Trail partner with Casas por Cristo and a Mexican family to build
a needed home. For more information contact Assistant Director Audrey
Larson at (719) 942-4220 or by e-mail
audrey@rainbowtrail.org.
Rainbow Trail High Adventure
Trip
Rainbow Trail offers high adventure trips through Compass
Points Guiding Youth in New Directions. Rainbow Trail offers
the opportunity for individual Jr. and Sr. High youth to attend a Compass
Points trip through their "Open Weeks" during the week of July 29 - August
4, 2007. For more information, please contact Assistant Director Greg
Larson at (719) 942- 4220 or by e-mail greg@rainbowtrail.org.
California Lutheran University Presents Two Events for Young
People
On August 2-4, California Lutheran University will be
holding its 16th Annual Invitation to Service event and its
Youth Ministry Training Event. For more information and/or to
register for either of these two events, please contact the Church
Relations Office at 805-493-3936 or email to Linda Leblanc at
leblanc@callutheran.edu. Early bird registration ends June 30.
Rainbow Trail Men's Golf Retreat
September 13 - 16
Faith on the Fairways will offer you the
opportunity to play 45 holes of golf while finding the relationships held
between your life of faith and time spent in the game. Rocky Mountain
Synod Bishop Allan Bjornberg will be our spiritual leader for this weekend
of faith, fellowship and deepening our relationships with Christ. For more
information, click
here.
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ELCA Churchwide | |
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"For the Peace of Jerusalem"
Churches for Middle
East Peace invites you to a conference May 6-8, 2007, at National City
Christian Church and Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington,
D.C. This ecumenical conference, "For
the Peace of Jerusalem," will focus on U.S. policy and the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict with speakers, workshops, advocacy
preparation, lobbying elected officials and denominational gatherings. Register
online now.
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Resources | |
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Global Poverty Study Guide Released
A study guide
on global poverty and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), produced
jointly between the ELCA and the Episcopal Church, is now available for
download and for purchase through Augsburg Fortress. Titled "God's
Mission in the World", the guide is intended as a resource for
congregations and other groups looking to "broaden their understanding of
global poverty and become part of the worldwide movement achieving the
MGDs", according to the introduction of the guide.
God's Mission
in the World invites participants to moral deliberation on the
realities of global poverty and offers practical ways that we might
together, as an ecumenical body of Christ, respond to our baptismal call
to love our neighbor by raising our voices on behalf of those living in
deadly poverty", said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Hanson and the Most Reverend
Katherine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop and primate, the Episcopal
Church, each contributed forewords to the guide.
To download the
guide, visit www.elca.org/one.
Copies can also be ordered through Augsburg Fortress: www.augsburgfortress.org.
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Kent Mueller
phone: 303-777-6700
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