Church of the Redeemer Update

On Sunday we walked in the vineyard that Jesus tends, engaging one of the Scriptures' most powerful images of God's love. "I am the Vine" we hear in John 15, "abide in me...without me you can do nothing." Rich stuff. But there are other pictures of the vineyard we find in the Bible, and other metaphors that tie to this ancient and rich imagery. One of them I came across in my reading a number of weeks ago and shared it with our Vestry. I would like to share it with you today, with the words of John 15 in our minds and our awareness that God has called each of us to work in the vineyard of the kingdom, especially in our common mission at Church of the Redeemer.

The following is an excerpt from pastor and writer John Ortberg's sermon "Intercepting Entropy".

"A little while ago, my wife kidnapped me and took me to Napa Valley for a romantic, overnight getaway for just the two of us. I had never been to Napa Valley before. It's lovely. What struck me as I was going past the vineyards was all of the thought and action that went into the rows of vines. A fruitful, productive vineyard is a thing of beauty. But here's the thing about vineyards: they don't just happen by themselves. Vineyards don't just spring up by accident. Someone is behind them.

The writer of Proverbs 24:30-34 says: I was going past a vineyard, and it was a mess. There were thorns all over the place, the grounds were covered with weeds, and the walls were falling down.

To understand the angst behind this proverb... you have to understand that in the ancient Middle East, a piece of land capable of growing crops was one of the most valuable things in the world. To be the owner of a vineyard was to be blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime....

Everybody gets a vineyard. When you were born, you got a vineyard. You got your body, your mind, your will, and some relationships. You got financial resources and the chance to do some good work. You got a soul. Everybody gets a vineyard, and that vineyard is your one and only shot on this planet. It's the opportunity of a lifetime, and you don't even have to care for it on your own. God will partner with you.

Nonetheless, God never forces anybody to take action and care for their vineyard. The writer of this Proverb says, "I was walking past a vineyard, and I thought of what it might have been." He sees that the vineyard could have been a thing of beauty. It could have been a source of pride, joy, and income to the owner. It could have been a blessing to everybody around it, because in ancient cultures, a place that grew things that people could eat or drink from was a blessing to everybody. But the vineyard the writer observed wasn't any of those things. It fell tragically short of what it might have been. The writer wonders why: Was there some catastrophe? Was there a drought, flood, fire, or some other disaster? No. It was just sheer negligence on the part of the owner of the vineyard. He had no idea what he had. He was throwing away the opportunity of a lifetime. That's the strange power of entropy. It's not even a thing. It's sheer neglect, and people throw their lives away because of it everyday. ...

People have these fantasies: I want the perfect marriage, I want the perfect circle of friends, I want the perfect career and the perfect education; if I can't have that, then I won't do anything. The writer of Proverbs says we must start with reality. Work the land that is your land—your body, your life, your relationships, your work, your church—because that vineyard is all you have. If it's ever going to be different, it won't be because the vineyard fairy comes and sprinkles fairy dust on it. It will be because you asked God to help you. It will be because you've asked him, "What's the next step that you want me to take?"

Let's step the next steps together. I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday.

Blessings!

Jay

The Rev. Jay L. Greener, Rector
Church of the Redeemer
frjay@redeemernorthshore.org

We're just weeks away now from our upcoming Redeemer team visit to St. Michael's in Musanze, Rwanda, and Sonrise School. We want you to know that you are a part of this team, although you are not physically traveling there, and that you are needed, in a variety of ways, to make it happen.

The Rev. Jay Greener, Jason Miller and Mark Rosengren will be traveling to Rwanda June 14-27, to spend time with church leaders, meet those involved with St. Michael's (our sister parish) and Sonrise School. They will be absorbing all they can so that we can learn as a church what God is calling us to in this relationship. Their time there will also involve laying groundwork for a follow-up Redeemer visit next year.

Here are some ways you can join the team:

Celebrate

Come to Newport Coffee in Bannockburn on May 30th from 6-9 for a special time of Rwandan coffee and live music. You'll have opportunity to record a video greeting to be sent along with our team, and you can contribute financially. This is open to the entire community, so bring some friends with you. The owners of Newport Coffee are promoting this to their regular clientele, so this will also be a great outreach event for our church. The more people from Redeemer that are there to connect with those who drop in, the more better it will be.

Pray

The Church of the Redeemer prayer team would like to invite all members of the congregation to join them in support of this ministry effort. There are several opportunities for the COR family to support Jay, Jason and Mark in prayer. One opportunity is to commit to a specific time and day of the week to lift each of them up in prayer for their safe travels and that the Lord's will be accomplished on the trip. Another opportunity is to join with others at the Wednesday night prayer service held from 7:00 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. at the EC church in Highland Park. A third opportunity is to select a day to pray and fast for the ministry team. A fourth way to support the ministry team is to faithfully pray through the prayer card provided to the congregation. Continue to look for more detailed prayer requests in future announcements.

Give

For us to physically go to Rwanda will speak volumes to the people there about our intention to be in relationship over time. This is the 15th anniversary of the genocide, so it is an important time to stand with them. It is not cheap to go, but it is the only way to communicate the value of this partnership, and also to receive what they have for us. Your specific gift to this work, over and above your tithe, is a gift directly to that relationship and the work of encouragement in the Gospel. Thank you. You can make a check out to Church of the Redeemer, and list "Rwanda Trip" in the designation line.

Total cost for team: $9,000
Received thus far: $4,863

Any funds received in surplus will go towards future Rwandan visits for Redeemer.

One more note...
We will be taking an all church photo immediately after our worship service on Sunday May 31st. Please plan on participating in this, as our 'family picture' will adorn the walls of St. Michael's following our visit there as a reminder of our partnership.

Redeemer kids would like to invite the entire Church of the Redeemer family to Party in the Park. It will be held during the afternoon of Saturday, June 27 at Everts Park in Highwood.

Please join us for fellowship, lunch, storytelling, games, crafts, and lots of fun!

This is a major outreach event for our church this summer and a great opportunity to get involved. We are looking for those who would love to use their creative abilities to assist with crafts, music, decorating, storytelling or acting, taking photos, or planning the lunch. Please contact Allyson Entner at allysonentner [at] yahoo.com if you would like to be a part of planning this exciting summer event!

Giving is an important spiritual activity, not just a way to pay the bills. The Bible speaks often about stewardship and what it means in terms of the Kingdom. It's something we can all grow in, and our church and ministry will be blessed and vital as we learn the lessons God has in front of us.

Beginning June 14th at 9am a class will be offered based on Randy Alcorn's book, "Money, Possessions and Eternity". The six-week course will condense material from the book that deals with the Biblical approach to materialism, giving, and related matters. Come and grow together as God calls us to the next level of faithful stewardship at Redeemer.

Thank you for praying and giving sacrificially that God's provision will be poured out in abundance.

Offering last week: $4,001
Offering needed each week: $6,600

Are you a skilled musician with a heart for worship? Or perhaps you have the ears and desire to work behind the scenes to enhance our worship by running sound? The music team is always looking for individuals to join our team as worship musicians or sound technicians, helping to lead our congregation in worship each Sunday. Even if you are unsure about how your gifts and enthusiasm for worship might fit in with our weekly worship, come to learn more about other opportunities to serve our congregation in music and worship. If you are interested in joining the team or in hearing more about other ways in which you can serve our congregation in worship, we invite you to come to a brief informational meeting on Sunday, June 7th, immediately following the service.

Newcomers to Church of the Redeemer are invited to lunch on June 14 to get to know others in the community and to learn more about the church and opportunities to be involved in its work. If you are new to Redeemer and are interested in becoming more fully integrated into the life of the church, please join us after worship for a light lunch and conversation. Please RSVP to Matthew Andris at (312) 208-9897 or at matthewandris [at] gmail.com.

— We will be honouring our High School graduates May 31st during the worship service.

— May 31st — Like to help with our Sonrise Benefit Banquet in October? People are needed soon, so attend a brief meeting following worship. Contact Michele.p.becker [at] comcast.net

— The problem with the downstairs Women's restroom has been repaired. Please note further information posted in the restroom.