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Cross Lutheran Church November Newsletter 2013 Pastor’s Corner I pen this article on the cusp of All Saint’s Day and my fifth’s son baptism. It causes me to pause as I reflect on all the saints who have walked the road of faith before us, and their stumbles, joys and hard-fought victories that give us both hope and encouragement. All of these people—very, very different people—are gathered under the hand of Christ. We’ve got saints of every nation, every language, every job, every walk of life . . . all worshipping the same God and celebrating God’s saints. Sure, we Christians differ in terms of how our worship plays out in our everyday life. And yes, those differences sometimes cause painful and tragic division. But All Saints’ Day reminds us it doesn’t have to be that way. It reminds us that we are all part and parcel of the one universal Church. Here on this day there are no exclusions, we have rich people and poor people, people of all ethnicities and races, men and women, nerds, criminals, ex-offenders, Republicans, Democrats, Socialists, Communist and anybody else you can think of. What these differences mean are that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. All Saints’ Day is a time to remember—to embrace—what the Kingdom of God looks like and more importantly and what it will look like forever. It gives us hope. It’s a reason to celebrate what God has done through people, and how the “great cloud of witnesses” is both wider and deeper than we generally imagine. The point of All Saints’ Day is to remember and celebrate the depth and breadth of Christians—that is, the saints. Consider all the people who have encouraged you to seek Jesus. Think about the people in your life, family, friends, teachers, youth leaders, etc who have helped you along the way in your journey with Jesus or along your faith journey. These people might even be ones you've read about in books. 2 Now think of someone in your life who needs to know the love of God . . .who may need encouragement on his/her journey with Jesus. Write that person's name on a tag and hang it on your refrigerator, put it in your daily calendar or on your night stand/table—make it visible for you. Just make sure it is somewhere where you will be reminded to pray for that person. Ask God to help you inspire and encourage this person to know God better and ask God to help you to inspire others around you in the coming weeks. Thanksgiving often seems like a lost holiday in our culture . . . it sadly gets lost between Halloween candy, black Friday advertisements and Christmas decorations and shopping. Yet we are called to give thanks as Jesus gave thanks. I want us to be intentional about the season of Thanksgiving. So ask yourself, “What are you thankful for today?” What are some great things or some little things that you can see as gifts of God and thank God for today? THANK GOD for the things God has given you and ask God to give you eyes to see the blessings and gifts God is giving you each week. Lastly, ask God to help you be more grateful in the days ahead. Be thankful today so you can authentically live into ADVENT . . . tomorrow. I can appreciate that we have over a month to prepare room for baby Jesus and I want to give you permission to go slowly into the season of advent. Regardless of what the TV will tell you . . . we don't have to scream and run to the UPS store or compare frantically with USPS to see who can get it there in time for less money. And we really don't have to yell and run frantically to Target or Wal-Mart to get the best deals before they run out and refuse to give us a rain check. By choosing to celebrate advent, we actually have the gift of preparing the way . . . step by step, little by little, getting ready to receive the precious baby born in Bethlehem. As you contemplate what type of tree and decorations you will buy and put up, also put some time in to what devotional resource you will use for the Advent season and check 3 off days on your calendar for all the days you have been faithful and thankful. Perhaps you need this reminder . . . to remember that our God IS WITH US! And if God is with us, then who can stand against us? Our God is with us EMMANUEL! Let us slowly and joyfully step into the adventure of advent. Pastor Michelle The Entry Point My first month as Associate Pastor/Director of the BOHEM is almost over. I am learning a lot about just what does goes on and what doesn’t go on. A term that I have learned is “The Entry Point.” “The Entry Point” is the food. But the Bread of Healing Empowerment Ministry is so much more than food. It is a building of a new way a life for so many people. It is a safe community of loving people for so many people who don’t have that in most of their lives. “The Entry Point” is the initial reason so many people come, but so many stay for more. People come to the Bible Study, people are brought into the Jobs Program, people go to the Men of Faith and Women of Faith Groups, people are counseled, challenged and encouraged through interactions with Linda, the Parish Nurse, and Easter, the Neighborhood Minister. The importance of “The Entry Point” became really clear to me in the Men of Faith group the other day. One man said that he started coming to the food pantry many years ago. He started coming to the Men of Faith group just to kill time while he was waiting for his food, kind of like flipping through a magazine waiting for a dentist appointment. He never had any intention of getting anything but food. He said that he sat in the men’s group for about 4 weeks, not participating, but listening more and more. After about 4 weeks he began to participate in the men’s group. And then things really snowballed. He now has been clean from crack cocaine for 4 years. He says that he came for food but got a whole lot more than he bargained for. In many ways, he got his life back. 4 God’s blessings and thank you all for the wonderful support that you give in the BOHEM. It is truly a font of salvation to a world in need. Pastor Arlen Solem Pastor Arlen’s Ordination You are warmly invited to the Ordination Service of Arlen Paul Solem November 10, 2013, 4:00 p.m. Ascension Lutheran Church 1236 South Layton Boulevard Milwaukee, WI 53215 Reception to Follow Time to Think About Your Commitment for 2014 It's hard to believe that Christmas 2013 is less than two months away, and we'll be celebrating the birth of Jesus. It's also time for all of us to think about our gifts to our church. Commitment Sunday will soon be here, and we pray and hope that you will consider increasing your contributions for 2014. We have so much to be thankful for -- Pastor Michelle, Pastor Arlen, and all of our Cross ministries. Remember our Tuesday Adult Center, our Wednesday Bread of Healing Ministry, our summer camp program, our Sunday School, our Sunday Adult Forum, our choirs -- all blessings to Cross. Your continued support is important to help all of our ministries continue. Once again, if you are not doing so already, please consider tithing for 2014. Don't forget your 2013 commitment to Cross. As 2013 comes to an end, remember to give what you pledged for the year 2013. Some of our brothers and sisters have fallen behind on their commitment. In 5 today's world, financial circumstances can change in a moment's time, but please prayerfully consider giving what you are able. With the help of all our Cross brothers and sisters, we should be able to keep Cross Lutheran Church and its ministries strong for 2014. From the Stewardship Committee Are you ready for Doc Rock 2013! Please join us November 15 for music at the Grace Center, 250 E. Juneau, in Milwaukee as we “rock” with 6 epic bands featuring docs from most of our area health care systems! It will be an evening of great food, great music and great fun, all for the benefit of the Free and Community Clinic Collaborative health clinics (including the Bread of Healing Clinics), and the patients they serve! With the many changes in health care which began last month, the Free and Community Clinic Collaborative, FC3, continues to plan for and work tirelessly for the best access to care, medications and the well being of those people with little or no health care options. For more information, contact wifc3.org/DocRock or facebook.com/DocRockMKE. The 33rd annual “Celebrate the Return” will be held on Sunday, Nov. 10, at Marquette Alumni Memorial Union. Meet & Greet and Silent Auction is at 5 p.m. with the banquet to follow at 6 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person. Project RETURN was founded at Cross by Pastor Joe many years ago—let’s show our continued support by attending this event. The keynote address will be given by Marc Mauer, Executive Director of the Sentencing Project and author of “Race to Incarcerate.” Ms. Lydia McCoy is the contact person for Cross. Please see her to purchase tickets or contact the church office (344-1746). 6 Join us on Saturday, November 30 at 11:15 a.m. for an intergenerational time of fun and refreshments as we prepare for the season of Advent with cookies, crafts and wreaths. All Are Welcome! Caregivers’ Corner The Caregivers are planning a special recognition of all Cross members and those guests affiliated with any Cross activity, e.g., Adult Center, Quilting Group, Bread of Healing Empowerment Ministry (BOHEM), etc., that have celebrated the ripe age of 90 or above between June, 2013 through February 2014 and were not recognized in the first service honoring that age group in the Spring of 2013. Please contact the church office with names no later than 12/15/2013. Stewardship & Thanksgiving In this season of thanksgiving, a sincere “thanks” is in order to everyone who supports our congregation throughout the year with their attendance, service and regular financial contributions. For those of you who are interested, the church offers electronic giving options for making donations on a scheduled, automated basis. It’s convenient for you and provides much-needed financial con-sistency for the church. For more information on electronic giving, please talk to Sandy Adams in the church office (344-1746). I This is the final installment of series of articles discussing arthritis. Do you I hear some of you saying AMEN, she’s finally finished with this subject. We have discussed the different types of arthritis, the nonmedical treatments for arthritis, and the medications used to treat 7 arthritis. In this article I will discuss the treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (this is the autoimmune disease that attacks the joint linings and ultimately eats away at the cartilage and bone). I will also be discussing surgery and arthritis. The treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) includes drugs from three main groups. These are the DMARDs/immunomodulators, biologic response modifiers, and oral corticosteroids. The DMARDs are often the first-line treatment used for RA and include medications with names like methotrexate, the generic name or Rheumatrex, Trexall, the brand names. The DMARDs work by reversing the joint damage, although how the drugs do that is still not clearly understood. It is thought that the medications may reduce the number of immune cells required for the inflammatory response, as well as inhibiting (stopping) certain cytokines which are important in inflammation. The term DMARDs stands for disease modifying antirheumatic drugs, sometimes you will also see them listed as SAARDs, which stands for slow acting antirheumatic drugs. This is because it can take 6 weeks to 6 months for the benefits of these drugs to be apparent. The biologic modifiers are recently developed drugs and usually are introduced only when the DMARDs have not worked. The drugs bind and block the action of cytokines (as mentioned in the previous paragraph) to limit the amount of inflammation. The names of the drugs in this category include Humira, Cimizia, Enbrel, and Remicade, to name a few. You will often see these being advertised on TV, however, you must make sure to talk with your health care provider about using these medications. The last category of medications used for RA are oral corticosteroids used in as low of a dose as possible. One of the most common drugs of this category is Prednisone. There are many side effects with prednisone including osteoporosis, high blood pressure, weight gain, high blood sugar, unfavorable cholesterol and triglyceride levels. So the use of this medication must also be discussed with your health care provider. Finally, as many of you may know from experience, medications and physical therapy may not be enough to relieve the pain of arthritis. If that is the case, there are a number of surgical procedures that may be considered to relieve pain, slow or prevent cartilage damage, and restore mobility and stability. These include: 8 Arthroscopic debridement: A thin tube (arthroscope) is inserted into the joint area through a small incision and loose fragments of bone, cartilage, or synovial tissue are suctioned away. These may have been causing the pain and this treatment can be very helpful in treating the symptoms of catching or locking. Synovectomy: This procedure is often done in RA (rheumatoid arthritis). The inflamed synovial fluid is removed and this will hopefully bring about the reduction of pain and swelling as well as delay or prevent joint destruction. Joint fusion: This procedure is often done when joint replacement is NOT an option. The fusing of the joint can reduce the pain and improve stability, however, the flexibility of the joint is lost. Joint replacement: Hip, knee, elbow, and shoulder joints and some of the joints in the hands can be replaced by artificial joints made of various materials. There are continued advancements in these procedures, including partial knee or hip replacements using smaller incisions, leading to shorter recovery times. Anesthesia techniques, as well as dedicated postoperative rehabilitation and better postoperative pain management, also contribute to quicker recovery times. I hope these articles on arthritis helped you to be better able to understand the different types of arthritis and what can be done to live well with arthritis. Pray for those who you know have arthritis, it can be debilitating and depressing for those who have it. Share this information with family and friends who could benefit and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me at the church office or discuss the issues presented with your health care provider. Your Parish Nurse Linda The book club is now reading All the Lonely People written by Jess Riley. We will be discussing the book on Friday, Nov. 8, at 1:00 p.m. at Sandy Adams’ home, N68W15463 Tartan Circle, Menomonee Falls. All are welcome, even if you haven’t read the book. Please bring a dish to share if possible. 9 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24 Sarah Olson, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-14, 11-12 Sarah Phillips, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Lisa Quam, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Kim Sallis, Colossians 1:11-20 Sat., Nov. 2 Sun., Nov. 3 Mon., Nov. 4 Tues., Nov. 5 Wed., Nov. 6 Thurs., Nov. 7 Sat., Nov. 9 Sun., Nov. 10 Tues., Nov. 12 Wed., Nov. 13 Thurs., Nov. 14 Trustee meeting, 9 a.m. – noon Cross Youth Praise Team practice, 10 a.m. Cross Comm. Gospel Choir practice, 11 a.m. Cross Praise Choir practice, 12:30 p.m. Worship, 9:30 a.m. Sunday School/AdultForum at 11:15 a.m. All Saints Sunday. Baptism of Quetzal Tomas López-Townsend. Finance/Stewardship Comm. meeting, 5:45 p.m. Adult Center, 9:30 a.m. Bridges Tutoring, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. BOHEM, 11:45 a.m. Bridges Tutoring, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Caregivers meeting, 9 a.m. Quilting, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Cross Youth Praise Team practice, 10 a.m. Cross Comm. Gospel Choir practice, 11 a.m. Cross Praise Choir practice, 12:30 p.m. Worship, 9:30 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Forum at 11:15 a.m., 90th Birthday Honors, Pastor Arlen’s Ordination at Ascension Lutheran Church, 1236 S. Layton Blvd., 4 p.m. Adult Center, 9:30 a.m. BOHEM Volunteer meeting, 1:30 p.m. BOHEM Advisory Committee meeting, 3 p.m. Bridges Tutoring, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. BOHEM, 11:45 a.m. Bridges Tutoring, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. 10 Sat., Nov. 16 Sun., Nov. 17 Mon., Nov. 18 Tues., Nov. 19 Wed., Nov. 20 Thurs., Nov. 21 Sat., Nov. 23 Sun., Nov. 24 Tues., Nov. 26 Wed., Nov. 27 Thurs., Nov. 28 Sat., Nov. 30 Cross Youth Praise Team practice, 10 a.m. Cross Comm. Gospel Choir practice, 11 a.m. Cross Praise Choir practice, 12:30 p.m. Worship, 9:30 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Forum at 11:15 a.m. Church Council, 5:30 p.m. Adult Center, 9:30 a.m. Bridges Tutoring, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. BOHEM, 11:45 a.m. Bridges Tutoring, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Quilting, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Cross Youth Praise Team practice, 10 a.m. Cross Comm. Gospel Choir practice, 11 a.m. Cross Praise Choir practice, 12:30 p.m. Worship, 9:30 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Forum at 11:15 a.m. Pastor Arlen’s installation during service. Adult Center, 9:30 a.m. NO Bridges Tutoring NO BOHEM Joint Thanksgiving Service with Christ Presbyterian and Wauwatosa Presbyterian at Wauwatosa Presbyterian, 2366 N. 80th St., at 7 p.m. Office closed for Thanksgiving Cross Youth Praise Team practice, 10 a.m. Cross Comm. Gospel Choir practice, 11 a.m. Advent Adventure, 11 a.m. Cross Praise Choir practice, 12:30 p.m. 11 Cross Lutheran Church A Reconciling in Christ ELCA Congregation 1821 N. 16th Street Milwaukee, WI 5320 Phone: 414-344-1746 Fax: 414-931-0537 Email: [email protected] Web Site: www.crosslutheranmilwaukee.org Michelle Townsend de López, Senior Pastor Pastor Michelle’s Email: [email protected] Arlen Solem, Associate Pastor Pastor Alen’s Email: [email protected] Sunday Worship: 9:30 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Bible Study: 11:15 a.m. Office Hours: Monday – Thursday, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 12