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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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).
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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).
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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
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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