Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer

Celebrating the Spirit as we work for justice, healing and reconciliation on earth.

Pastor’s Page                  An Inconvenient Truth            October 2006

I have often wondered how it is that the church of Jesus Christ in various times and places has failed to meaningfully stand up against some of the worst tragedies that are perpetuated by humans upon other humans.  How is it that so much of the church went along with the holocaust and did not stand up to stop it?  How is it that more churches and their members in Rwanda did not stand up against the ethnic cleansing that happened there over 10 years ago?  Does this happen because there are some things that are simply so horrifying or fear the implications if we truly try to stand up to stop them?  What would such parallels be in our time and place against?  Where would Jesus Christ most certainly take a stand but where Christ’s church and me as a part of it are failing to act?  What are the current events, which pre-teenage children will one day read about in their history books before asking their teachers and pastors, “How did they let this happen?  Why didn’t they know better?”

I tend to believe that the abuse that humanity is enacting upon the planet and ourselves as a part of it is one of those issues.  Are we ready to face what we are truly doing not only to the planet but to our own bodies which are a part of that planet and even to our souls? In order to continue participating in the rampant consumerism that is a part of the fabric of our culture, I have to remain in some form of denial.  If I truly allowed myself to see what was happening, my life would have to drastically change, and I feel overwhelmed in trying to imagine how I would do that.

A movie has come out that invites us to take off the blinders of denial, face some of the realities of the human effect upon the planet, and offer a vision of hope as to how we might work together to turn the tide.  The movie is appropriately titled, “An Inconvenient Truth,” and it will be projected onto a screen in our sanctuary in honor of St. Francis Day, Wednesday, October 4 at 6:00 p.m.

According to the movie’s web site, “Humanity is sitting on a ticking time bomb. If the vast majority of the world's scientists are right, we have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tail-spin of epic destruction involving extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics and killer heat waves beyond anything we have ever experienced.”  The movie is presentation by “former Vice President Al Gore, who, in the wake of defeat in the 2000 election, re-set the course of his life to focus on a last-ditch, all-out effort to help save the planet from irrevocable change.

“With 2005, the worst storm season ever experienced in America just behind us, it seems we may be reaching a tipping point - and Gore pulls no punches in explaining the dire situation. Interspersed with the bracing facts and future predictions is the story of Gore's personal journey: from an idealistic college student who first saw a massive environmental crisis looming; to a young Senator facing a harrowing family tragedy that altered his perspective, to the man who almost became President but instead returned to the most important cause of his life - convinced that there is still time to make a difference.”

“AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH ultimately brings home Gore's persuasive argument that we can no longer afford to view global warming as a political issue - rather, it is the biggest moral challenges facing our global civilization.”

I want to thank the council for their leadership in unanimously voting to join a long list of other faith communities who are showing this movie at their places of worship. This effort is being coordinated by California Interfaith Power and Light which is providing us with a free CD to use in showing the film.  A special thank you to Jeff Temple and Karen Buxton who are making the projection of this film onto a big screen possible for us.

I sincerely hope you will join us for this important film followed by an initial conversation.  I know that many of us are busy with team meetings and important ministries.  Yet this may be one of the most important meetings and conversations we hold all year.  Children will most certainly look back at the early years of this new millennium and ask, “Why?”  When they then to ask, “Where was the church?” what do you hope the answer will be?

In Christ, Pastor Robyn

The council has appointed a panel to administer our Micah Justice Fund with the intent of giving these monies away to worthy efforts!

The goals of the fund are to:

§ Encourage this congregation “To do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God”  (Micah 6:8)

§ To utilize congregational resources to change systems which do not promote justice among God’s people and God’s creation.

§ To help our congregation be more involved in the work of justice on behalf of marginalized people and the marginalized places of God’s creation.

If you are a member of this congregation or an active participant in this ministry, you are invited to submit a simple grant request to the panel members listed below.  Your request should include:

1. Amount of funding requested;

2. Justice related purpose for which the funds will be used;

3. How this grant will contribute to the goals listed above;

4. Ways in which congregation members will become more involved in or more aware of this justice related purpose through this effort;

5. Timeline (including completion date and date by which a brief summary report will be submitted to the panel which will share this report with the council and congregation)

Grants received by October 8 will be considered as part of the first round of funds awarded.  We look forward to receiving your proposals!

Prayer List: Knowing that God hears prayers, please pray for the following this month.

Healing for: Juanita’s mother Lucita; Goldie Niehaus; Glenny Wiedeman; Lynee Gregoir; Bob Specht; DanPeck;Evelyn and Al’s eye problem; Joyce.

Prayers for: Lynne Gregoire; Bob Specht; Dan Peck; Lisa Ouellette; residents of Magnolia Suites; Marcy’s mom; Jamie’s step-mom and sister-in-law; for Ashley’s relationship with daughter; Barbara with cancer throughout her body and comfort and strength for Lee, Paula and Debbie; The Rev. Margarita Martinez;Julie; The son (in Iraq) of acquintance of Jeff and Alonso; Ellie Mae Franklin.

Comfort & Strength for: strength for Dorothy and family; Jack; Juanita and Greg; families in turmoil; teenagers in trouble; those who suffer from addiction; Peg Gregoire & her husband & family, especially Karen Idler & Lynne Gregoire; family and friends of Norris Fike who died last week.

Comfort & Peace for all who grieve: especially Maidell Kohlman following the death of her son; Laura Aday following the death of her father; Steve Baxter following the death of his brother; Nai Saelee’s family who lost a baby; Shirley following the recent death of her husband; Melanie Willis who tragically lost her baby, mother and brother.

Thanksgiving for: Amber’s new job; the birth of Liam Owen Miller; Tania new job.

Peace: in Israel, Lebanon; Iraq; North Korea; Darfur.

October Birthdays
7          Jay Wilson	17        Grace Schauf
15        Renee Meyer	17        Debbie Cunnagin
26        Laura Aday	29        Seth Bradley

Sacramento Conference of the Sierra Pacific Synod

Fall Conference Assembly

Thursday, November 2, 2006

at 6 PM.

The evening will begin with a light supper provided by

St. John's Lutheran Church

1701 L Street.

We would like to have 3-4 laypersons from each parish in attendance

Pastor Robyn would love to have a number of us join her for this. 

Let her know if you can join and perhaps we all can carpool.

LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE

In the last 12 months, over 15,000 people have volunteered their time through Lutheran Disaster Response, along the Gulf Coast and elsewhere. This amounts to over 600,000 hours of donated time or approximately $10.5 million worth of in-kind service. What an amazing response! Lutheran Disaster Response now has Disaster Volunteer T-shirts available through our friends at Old Lutheran. A way to remember your LDR volunteer experience. $5 each, available through the Old Lutheran on-line store by following this link http://tinyurl.com/f8bj6

The job is far from over... volunteers are needed more than ever as we transition from clean-up and relief to long-term rebuilding in this multi-year effort. Thanks for supporting LDR!

Michael Nevergall, Associate for Program Interpretation, Lutheran Disaster Response.

ELCA Domestic Disaster Response (800) 638-3522 -- ext. 2863

michael.nevergall@elca.org

Music (Sacred and/or Secular)

Martin Luther's hymns are based on popular songs of his day. The most notable church musician of all time, J.S. Bach, wrote secular compositions infused with the Divine and sacred music based on social dances of the Baroque period.  John Wesley used drinkings songs and transformed them into great hymns of praise to the greater glory of God. Duke Ellington wrote music for the church late in life with his exquisite jazz rhythms and gospel-tinged harmonies.

My mentor, Oscar Peterson, wrote "Hymn to Freedom" as an anthem during the Civil Rights Movement as well as a musical setting of the Passion of our Lord.  "LOVE the JOURNEY" is synthesis by maestro Dennis

Cd’s available for $10.00

            plus a donation for LCOR

            Contact Dennis Kalfas at

            maestrodennis@comcast.net                                 Phone 916-729-5518

Yes you CAN help our counters even if you don't like to count!

Each Sunday, two members of our congregation disappear into the office shortly after worship in order to perform a vital worship leadership role and an essential function in the life of our ministry: They count the offering!  Although they are welcome to come to fellowship time and Christian education after the worship service and then go count, they often choose to perform this task immediately after the service for various reasons.  Consequently they miss the social time and educational opportunities that the rest of us are enjoying. 

There is actually a very easy way that we could shorten their job (and perhaps make it easier to recruit more counters)!  It is called "Simply Giving" electronic funds transfer. When you sign up for "Simply Giving" administered by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, you authorize your bank to take your monthly contribution out of your checking account and deposit it directly into our congregation's bank account.  No need to remember your checkbook.  No need to write out a check.  No need for the counters to process your check, make a photocopy of it, write it onto the counters worksheet and take it over to the bank for you.  At the end of the month, the Treasurer and Financial Secretary get a statement telling them who gave monies and to which church funds via "Simply Giving."  The counters don't receive or deal with anything at all related to your contribution.  Some of our members and our pastor have been participating in this program for years.  Just imagine, if all of our members were signed up for "Simply Giving" our counters would merely have to count some loose offering and a few checks form visitors or facility users each month.  They might even make it over for some coffee and goodies before the rest of us were finished! 

To enroll in "Simply Giving" simply fill out enrollment form on the next page and fax it or give to our office administrator.  You may discontinue your participation in electronic giving at any time you choose.

Thanks for your support of our counters and our ministry!