TLC Weekly | Aug 25 thru Aug 31

Gather in Grace • Grow in Faith • Go Forth to Serve

Eleventh Sunday of Pentecost

August 25, 2019

8:30am & 10:00am

Nursery available at both services.

Hospitality from 9-10:30am in Fellowship Hall

Click on the above to view or download the service bulletin for Sunday, August 25, 2019. Click on the Live Stream Event logo below to access our YouTube "Live" channel. It won't be showing a live stream until the day and time of the service.

Altar flowers this Sunday are given by Norma Macdonald-Ockwig

in celebration of our love and 3rd wedding anniversary.

Sunday's Gospel

Luke 13:10-17

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

¹⁰ On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, ¹¹ and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." ¹³ Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. ¹⁴ Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath."

¹⁵ The LORD answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? ¹⁶ Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?" ¹⁷ When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

-TAKING FAITH HOME-

Week of August 25, 2019

Use this friendly tool to enrich your family times with conversation, rituals, prayer, blessings, and service ideas. [Click Here] for this week's edition.

[Click Here] to view or download the June 2019 Meeting Minutes (just approved for publication this August)

[Click Here] for a listing of all Council Meeting Minutes.

[Click Here] June 2019 Report

[Click Here] July 2019 Report

[Click Here] for a listing of all Treasurer Financial Reports.

STRATEGIC

PLANNING

The Mission and Outreach Team is collaborating with the Youth Program to start a “noisy offering” on the 1st Sunday of each month. Club 56 will lead the collection and funds will go to the Mission of the Month. Bring your spare change on Rally Day, September 8, for LSS!

The Leadership Team is offering training this fall on how to apply grace-filled, love-centered faith in leadership roles. This is recommended for all TLC members in leadership positions, but is open to all who are interested.

Welcoming Diversity is spreading the word in TLC and beyond to help promote guest speaker Ellie Krug’s presentation “Grey Area Thinking” on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 11:00am. A luncheon will be provided. $10 suggested donation. RSVP to TLC at 952-884-2364.

The Financial Development Team produced a Mid-Year Report (available in the Narthex and HERE ), and is also preparing for the Stewardship Season.

Mission Trip to Liberia

How We're All Helping

By Mary Mahre, Coordinator, Global Health Ministries

Excitement is growing for the TLC mission trip to Liberia. Thanks to the generosity of the Thrivent Action Team program, my granddaughter and I went school supply shopping today. Pictured is what $100 can buy if you look for bargains. The remainder of the Thrivent funds will be spent on the ingredients for the Pancakes With a Purpose breakfast fund raiser for our travelers.

Also, a big thank you to our members who donated 6,500 exam gloves that will be sent to the Liberian hospitals and clinics that our team will visit.

Thank you TLC for “Helping the Hands that Heal and Teach”.

Update

Sunday School & Children's Ministry

[Click Here] to visit the website page for TLC's Sunday School and Children's Ministry. It has been updated with the schedule for the upcoming church year, plus a link to the registration form to enroll your children in the program.

DURING WORSHIP SERVICES, VISIT THE PRAY-GROUND IN OUR SANCTUARY

TLC welcomes children and parents to worship together in the newly created pray-ground space on the south side of the sanctuary. It features a soft throw rug area with floor pillows, foam building blocks and more. There are two "pint size" tables and chairs - perfect for coloring activities and puzzles, all provided in the area. Families are encouraged to quietly play and pray together during the service.

The nursery is also available at both services.

"The Lizard with the Blue Tongue"

ELC Photographer: Evan

Evan is 8 years old. This was Evan's first photo club outing. In the walkway between the Conservatory at the Como Zoo and the Zoo, they had this lizard set up for the children to see. Evan's goal was to take a picture of the lizard's blue tongue. Evan says, "This was a really hard picture to take because the lizard was moving his tongue in and out so fast and my camera was taking the picture so slow." Evan tried over 12 times to get this picture, and he finally got it.

TLC-ELC has room for 4 K+ children starting in September. K+ is for children who have fall birthdays, or miss kindergarten cut-off, or for children whose parents want them to have a boost before entering school. The program follows Bloomington School District guidelines but has a maximum class size of 10. For more information, contact K+ teacher, Karen Wenge, [email protected]

Seniors ... Music ... Young Kids

Children from the ELC were invited to the Synod Band rehearsal.

Click above to watch a short video of the rehearsal recorded by Karen Daniels.

For information about the band's upcoming concerts, please contact Karen Daniels.

By Karen Daniels

The Synod Senior Band rehearsed at TLC this past Tuesday, much to the delight of a special audience. It was a dark rainy day, so the Early Learning Center (ELC) Daycare Kids couldn’t go outside. Much to their surprise, they were treated to a special indoor event … a huge band of 82 musicians, and instruments of every shape and kind. TLC musicians included Chip Smith on trombone, Sue Madison on flute, and Rod Daniels on Euphonium.

It was heartening to see the smiles and joy on the faces of the kids as they listened to the music. (Some groups even wandered into the Sanctuary afterwards to hear the organist practicing!)

What a special day it was for anyone who happened to be at TLC. It was obvious that seniors and kids connect through music; they sure did this week!

Those Friendly Monarch Butterflies

Have you noticed our favorite butterflies, the Monarchs, are again flitting around in greater numbers? There were years when we didn't see them, not even noticing at first, and when we realized there was a problem, lots of people wondered what to do...where did these beautiful creatures go?

Several of our TLC members have taken an interest and have their own projects to replace the Monarch population. It is interesting to grow milkweed, find the eggs on the leaves, put them in a container for safety and see the whole cycle of their little lives: Egg-caterpillar-chrysalis-adult! Right down the street from TLC, a home has the sign “Got Milk-weed?” Sure enough...it's growing all along their lot!

Birdman enjoys taking the adult Monarchs, newly hatched from the Wild Bird Store Monarch Project, over to our Early Learning Center about this time of year. This is probably the generation that will fly to Mexico for the winter. They must be hardy to make that long trip. He brings a container with the newly-hatched butterflies inside anxious to dry their wings and take off with their friends on this long trip. The kiddies are excited, open-mouthed and soon have a butterfly on a finger, slowly batting its wings and then that one is passed on to another child's finger, etc. It's fun to watch the kids, and see the butterflies still fluttering around their heads kind of not wanting to leave!

These projects must continue for several more years to be sure of the butterfly population not going backward again. Life is so fragile, there is insecticide out there, predators for butterflies, who knows? Milkweed gets mowed down regularly to make the ditches look neater or something.

Good that our kids can take an interest in things like this. They'll be able to help too someday.

-Bloomington Bird Lady

WORSHIP VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Volunteers are needed for communion, ushers, greeters, pew crew and hospitality. We especially need ushers! Commitment is flexible and tailored to your requests.

Please contact Michelle, 952-884-2364, ext. 15 or email at [email protected]

Communion Ministry

Share communion with shut-in's who are unable to attend TLC worship services, or those in long-term rehab. Watch for more information as the group reorganizes this fall. If interested, please contact Marilyn Erickson at [email protected] .

Worship Under the Outdoor Sky

Sunday, September 1, 10:30am

All Local ELCA Churches Worship & Picnic Together in the Park

Stock photo of Normandale Lake Bandshell

It will be a special, first ever, Bloomington worship service at Normandale Lake Bandshell, located just west of Normandale Blvd on West 84th Street. All eight local ELCA churches and pastoral staff will join together for outdoor worship, communion, music, singing and a picnic. Bring blankets, lawn chairs and your own picnic lunch for an extended Sunday morning outdoors.

This is an effort of the ELCA churches to work collectively, to share gifts, and to show we are all in this together, not islands competing with each other. We are continuing to do more and more collaboration with one another.

The closest parking lot will be reserved for handicapped parking. [Click Here] for specific information and a Google map.

Note: If you would like to sing in the Pick-Up Choir, please come to the Bandshell at 9:45am for a warm-up practice. Music for “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” and “Beautiful Savior” will be provided.

Over 200,000 children in the state of Minnesota live in food insecurity and do not always know if they will receive their next meal. The Sheridan Story’s purpose is to respond to this need by closing the weekend food gap between Friday and Monday, when children are not able to participate in the free or reduced meal programs at school.

TLC’s partnership with The Sheridan Story and Westwood Elementary School is to provide hungry kids with food at our local elementary school. The cost to sponsor a child for the school year is $230. Checks can be made out to TLC or online at www.tlcmn.com. Memo: Westwood food

Volunteers are also needed to help distribute the food.

Contact Jo Benson at 952-884-9881.

If you have a favorite tried and true recipe that you're willing to share, please forward it to Norma Macdonald-Ockwig at [email protected] to be included in a future weekly "Quick Fixin's" article.

CHEESY CHICKEN CRESCENT ROLLS

Preheat Oven to 350

You'll Need:

5 boneless chicken breasts
Grated mozzarella cheese
10 oz. can cream of chicken soup
Soup can filled with milk
Crescent roll dough

Directions:

Cook chicken breasts and dice.
Mix 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese with chicken in bowl and set aside.
Separate and unroll the crescent roll dough.
Place chicken and cheese mixture in large end of separated crescent roll, then roll the dough to form a crescent.
Once rolled, place in 9x13 dish. Continue until all rolls completed.
Heat soup, milk and remaining cheese in a pan.
When warm, pour soup mix over the chicken crescent rolls.
Bake at 350 uncovered for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Blessings!

(Please submit your quick , tried and true recipes to Norma Macdonald-Ockwig at [email protected] to be included in an upcoming Quick Fixin's.)

Make Note of Our New

"Live-Stream" Web Address

Easy to remember. Easy to access.

It also includes our "On-Demand" link to the TLC playlist.

The "live" link on the TLC website will remain.

For adults, youth and children. Test your knowledge of the Bible in each issue of TLC Weekly.

Answers can be found on the last section of this issue.

Jesus Teaches About Salvation

1) Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the _______, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.'"

narrow door
shortest path
Word of God
way of the Spirit

2) But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' "Then you will say, 'We _______, and you taught in our streets.'"

followed you to Jerusalem
heard everything you said
showed you our hospitality
ate and drank with you

3) But he will reply, "I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers! There will be weeping there, and _______, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you, yourselves thrown out."

gnashing of teeth
agony of the soul
cursing and screaming
the fire that never dies

4) "People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and _______."

poor who will be made rich
first who will be last
kings will become paupers
slaves will be masters

Quiz answers can be found near the end/bottom of this newsletter.

Contribute to the

TLC Weekly

TLC Weekly staff are looking for both youth and adult "reporters" that would like to tell a story about life, an event or an anecdote inside or outside of TLC. Photos also welcomed. Submit your *story (and *pics) to: [email protected]

*Subject to editor approval

Over and Over and Over Again.

View past issues of the TLC Weekly.

[CLICK HERE] to visit the TLC web page where you can choose to read from the past nine months of weekly E-newsletters from Transfiguration Lutheran Church. This is also a great way to share TLC Weekly with those that don't receive it in email. Tell them to visit tlcmn.com/tlcweekly

ELECTRONIC GIVING HELPS SUPPORT TLC

It’s important to know that we can depend on financial support from TLC members during the Summer months. Electronic giving is fast, secure, and reduces administrative costs, allowing more of every dollar to support the important work we are called to do. You can give anytime, anywhere to specific funds with our GivePlus Mobile app (free from the app store). You can also schedule and manage recurring donations by visiting our website and clicking on TLC ONLINE GIVING icon at the bottom of any page, or [Click Here] to start the process, or contact the church office.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!

ELCA as a Sanctuary Church

What Does This Mean?

Dear siblings in Christ,

As many of you know, last week the ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted a resolution that, among other things, declared the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) a sanctuary denomination. Many of you are asking, “What does this mean?”

Our call to love our neighbor is central to our faith. In our baptismal covenant we promise to strive for peace and justice in all the world. One of the ways we live out this vow is through our commitment to welcoming the stranger. With this declaration, we publicly state that walking alongside refugees and immigrants is a matter of faith.

We have prepared talking points to provide a better understanding and further clarification on what sanctuary means for you and your congregations. We acknowledge this will look different in different contexts across the ELCA.

Talking Points

We also hope this resource will help guide conversations with your parishioners and your community about what our faith says about immigration.

“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you,

for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).

In Christ,

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton

Presiding Bishop

ALTAR FLOWERS

ONLINE ORDERING

There are still spots available

in August through December.

See the chart online.

The TLC website has a new and easier online form to order Chancel/Altar Flowers for any Sunday in 2019.

[Click Here] to access the form now, or visit www.tlcmn.com later and look for the "Purchase Altar Flowers" button at the bottom of any page.

Free Subscriptions, sign up to be a volunteer, request care ministry and more!

Subscribe a friend to this newsletter, TLC Weekly, or subscribe yourself and others to the TLC publication, Transcripts. Interested in TLC membership? Sunday school? Our renowned TLC music program, volunteering and more are choices on this easy online TLC Request Form. Just [Click Here] or the "Sign Me Up" button on the left.

ANSWERS FROM QUIZ EARLIER IN THIS ISSUE

Answer #1: narrow door

Luke 13:22-25. Jesus did not directly answer the question, "Are only a few people going to be saved?" He said (rather than ask idle questions) strive for your own salvation.

2) But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' "Then you will say, 'We _______, and you taught in our streets.'

Answer #4: ate and drank with you

Luke 13:25-26. A casual association with Jesus will not be enough; commitment is needed.

Answer #1:gnashing of teeth

Luke 13:27-28.

4) "People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and _______."

Answer #2: first who will be last

Luke 13:29-30. Earthly wealth, power and status will not help anyone to be saved. Those who are considered least by worldly standards often have a head start on salvation.