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Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church

February 2018

Calendars and Lent

Lent begins on Valentine's Day

Calendars don't always match our expectations- especially in the church. It was difficult to explain this past December to the children in Sunday School that there are four Sundays in Advent, but that Christmas Eve can be the 4th Sunday. Lent this year will be just as confusing. Children will once again be questioning: But how can Ash Wednesday be on Valentine's Day, and Easter Sunday be April Fool's Day? It is just the way the Church marks the year. And we have been doing it this way for a long time.

In 325, the Council of Nicaea established that Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox. From that point forward, the Easter date depended on the ecclesiastical approximation of March 21 for the vernal equinox. Interestingly, the Western and Eastern Churches disagree on which calendar is to be used. The Western Church follows the Gregorian calendar and the Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar which places the vernal equinox 13 days later. In addition, in the Orthodox Church, Easter cannot be celebrated before the Jewish Passover.

One aspect, however, never changes, and that is the purpose of Lent. It is a preparatory season for the festival of Easter. Historically, churches have chosen to mark the 40 days and Sundays of Lent as a penitential period focusing on the agony of Jesus' death on the cross and spiritual growth. The number 40 was both symbolic of Jesus 40 days in the wilderness, and it was intended to represent a tenth of the year. Men and women, thus, dedicated a tenth of the year to sacrificing, learning and growing in faith. The English word "Lent" actually comes from the old English phrase to "lengthen." This implies both the light and days in spring growing greater, but also that Christians grow greater in faith.

At Lake of the Isles, we will explore this growth in faith, with an intentional time of fellowship and worship in Lent. Each Wednesday evening at 6:15 there will be an opportunity to gather together with friends and to eat a simple meal of soup and bread. This will be followed by a worship service in the sanctuary. The Ash Wednesday service on February 14th will follow the traditional liturgy of reflection, confession and the imposition of ashes. The remaining five Wednesday evening will be celebrated with Marty Haugen's Holden Evening Prayer service and will features meditations based on the upcoming "pilgrimage to the Holy Land."

Peace, Pastor Arden Haug

Wedding at Cana Wine Pairing

Many thanks to Kathy and Pat Bracken for ho

sting LOTI 4th Annual Wine Pairing!
Thanks to Deb Black for presenting her Southwest France Wine Tasting! And finally, thanks to Marty Carlson, Michelle McCreery, Jana & Arden Haug, & Anita Duder for preparing and serving the food.

Guests enjoyed five appetizers & wines.

Ugni Blanc blend Domaine Menard "Cuvee Marine"
Gascony
BASQUE STYLE STUFFED TOMATOES

scroll down to the bottom of the page

Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, Tour des Gendres
Bergerac

GRUYÈRE-PARMESAN GOUGÈRES

Malbec, Chateau Eugenie "Etiquette Noire"
Cahors
GARLIC SOUP

Negrette, Chateau Bouissel "La Guillotte"
Fronton
CHICKEN LIVER SALAD

Tannat, Ode d'Aydie
Madiran

BLEU CHEESE WITH HONEY, FRUIT & NUTS

Wines are are available at

Lake Wine & Spirits
404 West Lake Street, Minneapoli s

10% discount on wines from this tasting

Nearly $800 was raised for
Community Emergency Services

Growlers & Theology

Following the model of Luther in his home in Wittenberg, Germany, Pastor Haug leads a twice monthly gathering at the Parsonage. The group will meet Thursday, February 1.

LOTI Beer Glasses

are for sale.

One for $10 and two for $15.

The Women's Auxillary Priscilla Circle

will meet in the Christy Room, February 3,

at 9:30 am.

Candlemas and Fastelavn

In the days before Ash Wednesday people traditionally c elebra te by enjoying special foods and customs. The word Carnival which means "farewell to meat" and Mardi Gras or "Greasy Tuesday" offer a hint at the foods that were once forbidden by the church during the penitential season of Lent. In the English tradition, people were encouraged to use the fat and eggs to make pancakes before Ash Wednesday. In Central Europe, people eat jelly filled doughnuts, and in Scandinavia families eat Lenten buns. Often these are made with fresh cardamom and filled with whipped cream and marzipan.

In Denmark there is a special children's party tied to the Sunday before Lent known as Fastelavn Sunday. Of course, everyone eats the special Lenten buns, but the children also try to break open a wooden barrel filled with chocolates and sweets. They arrive at the party dressed in costumes, so nobody knows who is hitting the wooden barrel with a wooden stick. But the one who wins, is presented with a crown. In the middle ages, black cats were associated with the devil, so a cat was placed inside the barrel. After being attacked from all sides, the cat escaped from the barrel and was never seen again taking all the evil with it. (Fortunately, Danes don't have a cat in the barrel anymore, but it is always painted on the side.)

February 4th will also mark our congregation's celebration of Candlemas, Jesus' Presentation in the Temple. It is the end of the days of Christmas and begins the shift of focus to Lent. This will also the day the welcome the children who have been baptized in the past year.

Sunday School News

February 4

SS children will process into worship for Candlemas

February 4

Fastelavn will be celebrated after worship in Fellowship Hall. Kids are welcome to bring their own costumes or use the ones provided after worship for some fun festivities. Bring your strong arms to try and break open the "kitty". Candy is sure to follow!

February 4 &11

Our goal is to involve the entire congregation in supporting our kid's Fundraiser with the hopes of a donation of $10 per family. This year the kids will be making Valentine's Day items for purchase. Proceeds will go towards purchasing supplies for both of these projects.

Do you travel a lot? Another option is to bring unused travel size soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and toothbrushes.

Thank you for your support of our kids doing important work in serving others!

February 9

Our next Faith 'n Play is Friday, February 9, 9:30- 10:30 am. We will explore and play in the story of Baby Moses. It will be very interactive and fun! This ministry is designed for families with toddlers and preschoolers. RSVP to Diane LaMere at [email protected]

February 25

Our Sunday School Annual Service Day will be held on February 25. We will be providing healthy snack packs for Community Emergency Services and personal care kits for People Serving People.

Faith 'n Play

The next session is scheduled for Friday, February 9, 9:30- 10:30 am. We will explore and play in the story of Baby Moses. It will be very interactive and fun! This ministry is designed for families with toddlers and preschoolers. RSVP to Diane LaMere at [email protected]

Working Speaker Series

Working is the theme of an ongoing speaker series in which people talk about what they do all day and how they feel about what they do. Many people within our congregation are engaged in fascinating work, and this series gives us an opportunity to learn more about what they do.

The next segment of the series will be Sunday, February 11, featuring a panel of attorneys from LOTI.

The presentation will take place after a brief coffee break following the Sunday morning service. Those who are interested are invited to take their coffee/tea into the Christy Room for about 45 minutes. The first 15-20 minutes will be an informal talk by the attorneys, leaving the remaining time for questions from those in attendance.

Celebrate Valentine's Day

Bring Your Swede

Heart

Your Sweet

Heart

SMÖRGÅSBORD

SCANDINAVIAN BRUNCH

We begin with a Mimosa followed by;

A Variety of Breads and Hard Tack & Butter

Creamy Basil and Dill Herring

Aquavit Herring

Mild Apple and Curry Herring

Boiled Fingerling Potatoes

Three kinds of Swedish Cheese

Eggs topped with Greenland Shrimp and Mayonnaise

Rosé Pepper Marinated Salmon served with Dill Mustard Sauce

Cold Sliced Roast Beef

Potato and Asparagus Salad topped with Vinaigrette

Pickled Cucumbers

Pickled Beets

Fresh Fruit Platter

Jansson's Temptation - a creamy potato dish

Swedish Meatballs and Lingonberries

Swedish Sausages and Mustard

Red Cabbage

Bacon wrapped chicken fillets with Rosemary

& Cream Sauce

Raspberry Mousse topped with whipped Cream

Semlor Lenten Buns

Cardamom buns filled with Almond Paste and Whipped Cream

$27.00 per person, all inclusive

children 5-12, $12.50

under 5, free

HJÄRTLIGT VÄLKOMNA!

RSVP here [email protected]

or respond to separate email invitation

The monthly smorgasbord not only offers an opportunity for LOTI friends and neighbors to gather for fellowship and enjoy genuine Scandinavian hospitality, but the meals also support the benevolence work of our congregation. Proceeds are directed towards those less fortunate in our immediate community. Through the proceeds of the monthly smorgasbord, LOTI supports Joyce Community Food Shelf, Our Saviour's Housing and Community Emergency Services.

The Ash Wednesday service on February 14th at 7:00 pm will follow the traditional liturgy of reflection, confession and the imposition of ashes.

Women's Bible Study

The Women's Bible Study will resume this month with a tentative date of February 15 at 7:00 pm in the LOTI Library. This season the text is Living the Chocolate Life by Deb Burman.

"As life brings sweet morsels of joy and bitter nuggets of pain, God sustains us through it all. Go ahead indulge in His love and forgiveness! A Chocolate Life brings lighthearted, yet compelling Scriptural connections to provide comfort and strength for everyday living. Savor the abundance of sweet, satisfying grace of God in Christ Jesus."

The subject of this session is Introduction & Session 1.

Each chapter has a dessert recipe. Contact [email protected] if you would like to prepare the initial one!

Isles Ensemble Concert

The Isles Ensemble was founded in 2004. The Ensemble is a group of some of the finest musicians from the Twin Cities who present a series of Sunday afternoon concerts at Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church. Chamber music is their passion and their mission is to help build a vibrant chamber music community in the Twin Cities.

The third concert of the season is February 18th at 2:00 pm

PROGRAM

Haydn - "Gypsy" Piano Trio No. 39, HOB XV, No. 25

Leslie Shank, violin

Laura Sewell, cello

Ivan Konev, piano

Mozart - Duo for Violin and Viola No. 1, K.423

Leslie Shank, violin

Sifei Cheng, viola

Brahms - Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, Opus 60

David Leung, violin

Sifei Cheng, viola

Tom Rosenberg, cello

Ivan Konev, piano

SUGGESTED DONATION

$20 General Admission

$15 Seniors

$10 Students

Join us for a reception in the Fellowship Hall following the concert.

For more information visit islesensemble.org
or call 612 669-2836

Soup and Bread Suppers

On Wednesday during the Lenten season, we will be serving a soup and bread supper beginning at 5:45 p.m. in Fellowship Hall before the Holden Evening Prayer Service which begins at 7:00. The first supper will be on February 21st. We are looking for volunteers for each supper to...

Set-up, serve and clean-up afterwards. Bread and soup are provided.
Bring a simple dessert like cookies or bars.

If you can help out with either of these two things, please contact Linda at [email protected] or 612-377-5095.

A sign-up sheet will be in Fellowship Hall.

There will be a free-will offering for the soup supper. Suggested donation is $3 per person.

Women's Book Club

The monthly meeting of our group will be on Friday, February 23, at 5:00 pm at Deb Gilroy's home, which is near LOTI. Beverages and snacks will be served. Feel free to bring something to share. We will discuss

The Dovekkeepers by Alice Hoffman.

DebraGilroy

LindaNelson

Our Saviour's Housing Shelter Meals

Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church has provided a meal for 40 the first Friday of every month for many years. This is a wonderful opportunity for families or a group of friends to work together!

Thanks to the Bob and Kristi Brownson for serving January!

Members currently assigned for 2018...

February Janna, Pauline and Arden Haug,

Rick Gripentrog

March Cathy Carlson and Peter Van Bergen

April Julie and Scott Gallop

May Confirmation Class

June Linda Nelson, Anita Duder,

Ellie Holmquist, Eivor Lund,

Lorri Cullen and Mary Flynn

December The Moe Family

Check your calendars and select a remaining date...

July 6

August 3

September 7

October 5

November 2

Reserve by contacting Cheri Moe at (952)431-5226 or [email protected].

Recipes are provided. Thrivent members are eligible to apply for a Thrivent Action Grant to cover the cost of the meal and purchase supplies for Our Saviour's Shelter continuing needs.

Prayer Ministry

The prayer ministry group would welcome anyone who would like to join them on Tuesday mornings in the Christy Room at 9:15-10:00 a.m. Please contact Janna Haug, Deb Gilroy or Linda Nelson for more information if you are interested.

Janna Haug

Debra Gilroy

LInda Nelson

Wednesday Morning

Bible Study

Join us on Wednesday morning for Bible Study at 10:00. The informal study will explore the Book of Ecclesiastes. And yes, coffee and treats are a part of every Wednesday morning.

LOTI Choir

Rehearsals are held on Wednesdays 7:30-9:00 pm.

Please consider raising your voice with us!

Up next...

February 4 Candlemas

The Newborn Infant Mild and Meek

Buxtehude

Nunc Dimittus

Scholz

February 11 Transfiguration of Our Lord

Let Us Go To the Highest Mountain

with Sunday School

For more information contact [email protected]

Kenneth Vigne Music
Kenny has created a page with some recordings of pieces we have heard at LOTI.

Enjoy!

Kenneth Vigne Music

Spark Family Magazine

The latest edition of the Spark Family magazine has arrived. Please feel free to take home an issue. They are available at both entrances to the Sanctuary. This is a great resource for families with toddlers up to 6th grade! The first page of the story is geared for younger children and the second page of the story is geared for 3rd - 6th grade.

February Birthdays

Brad Peterson

Jeffrey Bruzek

Jean Krinke

Evelyn Long

Barbara Madson

Vicki Kuehn-Larson

Andrea Tonsfeldt

Robert Brownson

Kenneth Larson

Matthew Moen

Kenneth Vigne

Michael Huttner

Thomas Madson

Ellie Holmquist

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Ushers

February 4 - David Ackerman and Eric Amann

February 11 - Lars and Chanda Olson

February 18 - Eric and Kate Mechels

February 25 - Linda Nelson and Jenny Cook

Altar Servers

February 4 - Linda Nelson and Pauline Haug

February 11 - Kathy Hering

February 14 - Ash Wednesday Service - Linda Nelson

February 18 - Phyllis Dahl and Carolyn Hagford

February 25 - Kathy Hering, Mary and David Goplen

Worship Assistants

February 4 - Michelle McCreery

February 11 & February 14 - Mary Sabatke

February 18 & February 21 - Marty Carlson

February 25 & February 28 - Kathy Hering

Coffee Hour Hosts

February 4 - Robin Williams & Linda Nelson

February 11 - Casey & Andrea Christy

February 18 - Allyson & Jon Sprain

February 25 - Janna Haug, Pauline Haug &

Rick Gripentrog

Quick Links

ELCA.org

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