From the Rector's Desk
All Saints
9 a.m. Sunday
New Weekly Time of Prayer
Stewardship Update
Redeemer Kids Corner
Redeemer Youth Ministries
Prayer Notes
Is Time Enough? Making Room for Rest
Birthdays
11/03 Aaron Frankenfeld
11/09 Briggs Campbell
MINISTRY NEEDS
Set-up Team: 2-3 people to help with set-ups on Sundays and for special events. Contact Julia at the church office, (847) 681-2872.
SUNDAY READINGS
Daniel 7:1-18
Psalm 149
Ephesians 1:11-23
Matthew 5:1-12
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November 1, 2007
From the Rector's Desk:
Several years ago two researchers for the Gallup organization (of the famous Gallup Poll) published a book that joined an already over-developed list of business how-to publications. But their insights, although counter intuitive, worked to set them apart from the pack. Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton in “Now, Discover Your Strengths” seemed to break all the rules in advising businesses to concentrate on their strengths, while being aware of the things they needed to work on. The idea is that many of us tend to work in our areas of strength only about 20 percent of the time, and spend too much time trying to be things we are not.
I’m a little cautious in how we read business trends into the life of the church, but sometimes someone will hit on a concept that is broader than just business alone, that seems to touch on a life principle. It’s true that in our critique-focused world we spend a lot of time and energy on our deficits, rather than celebrating our strengths. St. Paul says a similar thing in Corinthians (chapter 12) in teaching on spiritual gifts, and how all are needed for the body to function. We shouldn’t try to work with gifts we have not been given, nor think ours are better. We must embrace and celebrate the gifts that God has given to each of us, and bring them together for the common good.
At our leaders training this last Saturday we decided to compile a list of the strengths of Church of the Redeemer now. These are traits and qualities that God has given to Redeemer in ways that are defining of our community. Yes, there are things that we are growing in, and areas that God will develop, but there are also tremendous gifts and strengths that are currently in play—strengths that, as we are aware of them, will encourage us to reach out around us with God’s love and invitation. It’s amazing how much agreement and alignment there was on Saturday about our strengths as a community of faith. It’s our desire that we all thank God and celebrate his faithfulness in birthing our church on the Northshore and setting us in a place to invite people into relationship with God, with his healing and transformation.
In addition we shared, for the first time, a statement of Core Values for our congregation, that are drawn from the profile of the church in Acts 2 and a sense of our particular vision for Redeemer. These core values, or statements of ‘what is important to us’, have been adopted by the Vestry and can be viewed online at www.redeemernorthshore.org/values.html.
So here is a list of strengths—things God is using now—that came out of our Saturday ‘brainstorming’ session.
* Worship
* A powerful sense of God’s presence
* Commitment to the Bible and the Sacraments
* Multi-generational authentic Community where everyone’s gifts are needed
* Place of prayer, healing and transformation
* Teaching and formation
* Global and cultural connections
* Location and building
* Pastor and leaders
* 'Different'
Some of these were mentioned multiple times, and it’s a great list! Thanks be to God as we continue to humbly follow Him on this journey. May God strengthen and release the particular call he has given to Church of the Redeemer, as He releases that through each of us.
I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday--All Saints Sunday-- after we have adjusted out of Daylight Savings Time.
In His Grip,
Jay+
The Rev. Jay L. Greener, Rector
Church of the Redeemer
frjay@redeemernorthshore.org
Daylight Saving Time
Don't forget! We set the clocks back one hour this Saturday night. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep, or take the opportunity to come hear Dana Harris speak!
All Saints
 This Sunday, All Saints, is a special day in the church year. It rises to the level of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost in its importance and is one of the four days of the year especially reserved for baptisms. On this day we celebrate God’s people, known and unknown, famous and infamous, remembered or not. The Bible is the story of God’s dealing with a people He has been calling back to Himself, and we celebrate the faithful witnesses and participants in that story, of which we are also a part.
In the early church it was common to give thanks for a martyr on the anniversary of his or her death. Sometimes, so many people were martyred for the faith at one time that these anniversaries included many names. As early as 270 A.D. a commemoration of “All Martyrs” is found in the church’s worship, and the designation of a day for “All Saints” dates back to the early 7th century.
We give thanks that God has established a people and that we are called to follow—not alone, but in a great and glorious company of apostles, prophets, martyrs and servants—all following the victorious Lamb of God.
Come worship this Sunday morning at 10 a.m., as we also have several baptisms to celebrate!
Revelation Series
We continue our time with the Book of Revelation on Sunday morning at 9 a.m., taught by Dana Haris. We also have ministry with children and youth during the 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. session before our family worship at 10:00 a.m. Invite some friends and be a part of this unique and exciting opportunity.
Weekly Time of Prayer
On Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m., the Church of the Redeemer family has been coming together to pray. Thus far, God has not disappointed the participants. He has come to be present with us, to nourish us, to guide our prayers, to inhabit our praises. The richness of this time with "Abba" cannot be described. Please, come join with your brothers and sisters as we seek our Father's guidance. No experience necessary; simply a willing heart.
-Dan Babarik
Stewardship Update
In the closing weeks of the year, in order to meet our budget, we are in need of some sacrificial giving at Church of the Redeemer. This will not be measured in equal gifts, and it will not come from one person or family, but will happen as we all prayerfully and joyfully give to God’s work as an act of worship. God will provide, as we are able to hear his voice and respond.
We have very carefully controlled our expenditures this year at the Church so that things would not get out of hand, and it has certainly kept the effects of our giving shortfall in check. But in order to be able to begin the New Year in a place to move forward in mission and ministry we must be able to close out 2007 'on budget'. As previously published, we are in need of $145,000 (at the beginning of October) to finish our year on budget. So far, our income for October is $24,034.20
Redeemer Kids Corner
A Note about Sunday
Lydia and Judah Speece will be baptized this Sunday during our worship service.
We would like all children to have the opportunity to be a part of this special event, so our children's liturgy will be a bit shorter this week. Children will exit at the normal time in the service, but return earlier than usual so they can share in the baptism.
Redeemer Youth Ministries
We had two big events this weekend!
Jr. Fall Festival: As you can see from the pictures, we got messy and had a ton of fun with the Jr. High fall festival this weekend. Jeremy Kerson and Sammy Beasley were brave enough to put peanut butter on their faces while the rest of us could see how many M&M's we could get to stick on their faces. We carved pumpkins, bobbed for apples, played footabll, and decorated cup cakes together as well. All in all, we had a great time together and I look forward to our next outing November 10 with our canned food drive.
Sr. High Night of Worship: This past Sunday night we had our monthly Sr. High worship service. This is our monthly service where we dedicate our time to spiritual disciplines, worship and prayer. We had a number of new faces this week and look forward to our time time again this Sunday!
Prayer Notes. . .
- for the Mission and Vision and Outreach of Church of the Redeemer
- for our Rector, Fr. Jay, and his family
- for Bishop Sandy and Gigi Greene
- for our staff and their families
- for our leadership (Vestry, ministry leaders)
- for our 'settling in' at Redeemer Lutheran
- for the Anglican Church of Rwanda, its leaders and people
- for all who serve within the context of our faith community
- for teachers, students and staff as school, in all its various forms, resumes
- that we would faithfully reach out to the spiritually disconnected and hurting, and bring them into fellowship
- for other congregations in relationship to us
- to enrich and expand our life of prayer
Is Time Enough? Making room for rest
by Christy Glick
 Sometimes I have the urge to get in the car and drive. Late at night on the open road, perhaps with a good CD. Setting aside all practicalities—wasting gas, wasting time. Actually, perhaps just wasting gas. Because I have found that this desire for time away comes from somewhere good, somewhere life-giving and renewing. When I drive I have room to think.
The rhythm of life outruns us at times. If I stacked up my commitments in a pile, I may find myself needing a ladder to peer over them. Not because they are poor commitments to have made, but because time is not infinite, and like so many people around me I seem to forget this, seizing each opportunity as a good one.
Yes, the rhythm of life outruns us at times. During the past year or so, I have begun to feel this more acutely. Perhaps it is that I am simply getting older and sense that weariness comes more quickly. Or perhaps it is the whisper of God’s Spirit into the pages of my calendar, asking me what needs to give. I have trained myself to review my to-do list as I wake in the morning. I have trained myself to cross things off as I fall asleep at night. I allow myself to feel better or worse for having done or not done the things I was “supposed” to do. But it is true, and let it be repeated, that we are not what we do. We are not what we do.
All of these reflections have led me to believe that something is missing in my life. So in an attempt to reduce the busyness of my schedule, I have cut things out. I have made more time. But I am convinced that time alone is not what I need. I need room.
I need room to hear; this is space in my heart.
I need room to see; this is space in my spirit.
I need room to think; this is space in my mind.
And all of these things require hours in my schedule. Time does not replace space, but it can create the opportunity for it. As we take time to turn down the music, turn off the television, turn away from the clutter of the computer screen, we create space—silence from sound and sight. Even the smallest gestures can give us the space to be.
I write these things because, as a ministry student, I find that we tend to pattern our schedules like the world around us. We work and we go to school and we minister in churches with little time left to be, and for some of us there is little choice but to put forth a hearty effort in each of these areas. But I would challenge each of us to take a moment of self-reflection and ask, “Do I have a choice?” Some of us will find that we have to rush for a season, and there is little we can do to change it. But without stopping to reflect, that season can quickly turn into a lifestyle.
Stewardship of time is crucial, but is not the ultimate goal. Creating space is crucial, but is not the ultimate goal. The trouble is, without time and the space it can potentially provide, we may squeeze out the possibility of seeing where God is moving and hearing him call us to participate. Can we hear him? Can we see?
I would venture to guess that I am not the only one who asks these questions in one way or another. I can see it on faces and hear it in voices—the weariness of a cluttered schedule, the weight of rushing through the day without sufficient sleep. And I wonder if God is challenging us to stop and ask, “What are we hurrying for?” Some of us may need to rush for a season; the rest of us need to make room.
When I run into you today, I pray that I have room to see you. That I have room to hear God speak as we engage. That I have room to pray for you as we part. And then, as I wander away, I pray that I will not be afraid of the silence of an hour without conversations or pages or screens. Silence, too, makes room.
Christy Glick is a student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and participates on the worship team at Redeemer.
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