THE PARISH NEWS

3D"SPECIAL

<= /o:p>

SATURDAY, DE= CEMBER 2

8 a.m.=

Hayward Lutheran WELCA Bake Sale and Christmas Cra= ft Sale

12 Noon – Quilt Drawing

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Noon Lunch

SATURDAY, DE= CEMBER 2

12 Noon= at Trondhjem

Family Dinner and Program

By Jordan Elleby

SUNDAY, DECE= MBER 10

10:30 a.m.= at Hayward Lutheran

Sunday School Christmas Program

SUNDAY, DECE= MBER 24

8:45 a.m.=

Worship at Trondhjem Lutheran=

10:30 a.m.=

Worship at Hayward Lutheran

4:30 pm.<= o:p>

Parish Christmas Eve Worship = with Holy Communion at Hayward Lutheran

MONDAY, DECE= MBER 25

Christmas= Day – 9 a.m.<= /span>

Parish Worship with Holy Comm= union

at= Trondhjem Lutheran

= ;

ATTENTION = ALL PARISH MEN:

ADVENT BRE= AKFAST MEETINGS COMING!

Beginning on Tuesday, November 28^th, at = 7:00 a.m., we will again hold our series of breakfast gatherings for all men of the parish, including our younger sons as well. Come and share a meal and some fellowship together, and then a short Advent devotional. Bring a friend or neighbor. Watch for the sign-up sheets during worship, so that we can get an idea of who will be participating.

= ;

3D"FROM

IT’S GREAT TO KNOW THE GREAT!

Not many o= f us have the opportunity to cross paths very often with those persons whom we m= ight number among the great. I can remember what a thrill it was, in the fall of 1956, when our school classes were dismissed so that we could walk the four bl= ocks over to Park Avenue in Minneap= olis and stand at the curb and cheer as President Eisenhower rode past on his wa= y to a political rally. The same w= as true in 1960, as we stood across the street from the Lemington Hotel in ord= er to catch a glimpse of JFK and Jackie. Later, at that same hotel, I remember meeting and shaking hands with Billy Graham. In those cases,= I have SEEN the great, but have not really KNOWN them. Within our Lutheran church circles, there are a number of persons whom I would regard as “great” wh= om I have both seen and known, some for many years. But such contacts with the great s= eem to bring to us a kind of growth in our own stature. Perhaps that is what the Christian= is like.

Peter and = Andrew, James and John were fishermen from the shores of Lake Galilee. Who would ever have heard of THEM = except for their contact with the greatness of Jesus of Nazareth? Matthew and Zacchaeus were traitor= s and quislings. Who would have ever known THEIR names but for their contact with the splendor of Jesus Christ?<= o:p>

We HAVE no greatness of our OWN. We are ordinary, sinful people. Our = only greatness is that somehow, in the infinite love of God, we have had our con= tact with Christ Jesus. Let us als= o remember our contact with greatness. L= et us also live as persons who have, by faith, touched the hand, even the garment= hem of this One who is our King.

In the Gos= pel of John, chapter fourteen, Jesus says the following: Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these.” Ah, yes, it is great to know t= he great!

When I rea= d the newspapers or listen to other media news, I tend to react in the same way o= ver and over again. I see or hear= about some tragedy or disaster – a plane crash, an earthquake, people kille= d in a car crash, people bombed to death by terrorists, a murder or some other person harmed by violence. If= such an event took place close to where I live, I read on or listen with more interest. If it took place in= some other country thousands of miles away I may not pay it much attention and m= ove on to something else. That which happens close by can gr= ip us much more than something that is far away from us. But that is, at the same time, disturbing to me and something that I regret, and it has caused me to think= .

We often u= se the phrase that charity begins at home, but it is also true that charity should= not end at home. For us to be interested in nothing but our own home and our own community and our own congregation is most wrong. W= hy? First of all, broken hearts and sm= ashed lives are broken hearts and smashed lives wherever they may be. No broken heart or smashed life sh= ould ever be unimportant to anyone who is trying to be a Christian. Trouble should matter to me no mat= ter who is the victim. Second, th= ere has never been a time when the world is as small as it is today. There really is no “far away.” All of humankind= is bound up in that bundle of life as never before. We are all living in one small wor= ld, and distress and tragedy, wherever it is, should truly matter to me, to us. Thus, the congregation th= at never looks beyond its own activities and its own needs can hardly be termed “Christian.”

But there = is also another side to this matter of the near and the far away: We are living in a world where the far-away has frequently made us forget that which is close at hand. There are people who are impassion= ed about the sufferings of people in Africa and the Middle East and in Indonesia<= /st1:place>, and rightly so, but who are also completely indifferent to the homeless who live in our own county or state, much less a large metro area. There are people who are passionate about the rights of minorities in other countries but who neglect the right= s of those in our own country.

To bring t= hat nearer to home, there are people who are on a half-dozen or more worthy committees who fail in their duty within their own homes. There are people so involved in lo= cal church work that they even neglect their own families, including many a pastor. Indeed, it is far more important for a mother to put her own child to bed than to serve on any committee. It is far more imp= ortant for a father to be a friend to his own child than to be a Scout leader or y= outh worker with other people’s children.

Yes, those outside activities are important to any community. Someone has to do them. But they must never become a form = of escape from those rightful duties within the home. Thus, the Christian has a double duty. The Christian must be a citizen of the world, for all people everywhere are our brothers and sister= s IN Christ Jesus our Lord. But the Christian must also be supremely interested in that little piece of the wor= ld where life has planted you to live and to work. And so we need to hold that balance between the far-away and that which is near at hand.

And Jesus = is our example. For thirty years he answered the claims of home before he launched out into his public ministry= to bring the good news of God’s love and grace to Judea and Samaria, to Galilee and the neighboring Gentile lands. Even on that cross, as= he was shedding his blood and life for the sins of the whole world, once for a= ll, he did not forget the needs of his own mother.

In a seaso= n of the year when we have a lot of focus on the very near, on home, and on loved ones most dear to us, let us not forget those who tend to be forgotten in t= his season, whether they are close at hand or far away. Sir William Booth, the founder of = The Salvation Army, during a spiritual rally in London, said: “How wide is the girth of the world?” The reply came = back, “Twenty-five thousand miles!”&= nbsp; “Then,” roared Booth, “we must grow till our arms get right round about it!” Nothing less than the world for Ch= rist would do. And that is the mes= sage of Christmas.=

Pa= stor John

OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOLY COMMUNION

= ;

December 3 &nb= sp; Advent I

December 24 <= /span>(HLC) Christmas Eve

December 25 = (TLC) Christmas Day

The following note was received from the Pohl family whose home was damaged by fire:

“To the Congregat= ions of Hayward & Trondhjem Lutheran Churches,

“We want to thank each and every one who has kept us in your thoughts and prayers and also donated to the special offering. This has been an extremely hard time for us but when there are so ma= ny thoughtful people who care, it somehow makes it a little easier. Thank you SO much. It is appreciated more than you know!”

“Thank you and God bless ---Brian, Erin, Devon & Lilyana Pohl”=

(A total of $371.73 was donated to the Pohl family from the parish. The Hayward WELCA also donated qui= lts.)

TRONDHJEM NEWS

DECEMBER ASSIGNMENT= S

Altar Guild

&= nbsp; Linda Kraushaar

= ; &n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; = ;

Coff= ee Servers

<= /o:p>

December 3 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Sunday School

December 17 = Emil & Bev Prantner

= ;

Comm= union Assistants

&= nbsp; Steve &= Linda Kraushaar

<= /o:p>

Lectors

December 3 &nb= sp; = Elaine Lukes

December 10 &n= bsp; Steve Kraushaar

December 17 &n= bsp; Kiven Lukes

December 25 &n= bsp; Linda Kraushaar

December 31 &n= bsp; Steve Kraushaar

DECEMBER ACOLYTE/USHERS

<= /o:p>

December 3<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:2'> &= nbsp; Garrett Lukes

December 10= &= nbsp; Matt Reese

December 17= &= nbsp; Ethan Severtson & Allison

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Wangen

December 24= &= nbsp; Cortney & Reed Thostenson

December 25= &= nbsp; Allison Wangen & Ethan

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Severtson

December 31= &= nbsp; Garrett Lukes

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS<= o:p>

December 19 = Cindy Severtson

December 20 = Andy Reese

December 20 = Tracy Jahnke

DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES=

December 5<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:2'> &= nbsp; Dean & Charlotte Lukes

December 13= &= nbsp; Dick & Shirley Kraushaar

MEMORIALS

GE= NERAL FUND

In memory of CARMEN JO= HNSON by Jim & Irene Benesh, Dale & Elaine Lukes, M/M Ken Benesh

In memory of RAYMOND B= ENSON by M/M Roger Krause

In memory of MARVIN AN= DERSON by M/M Ken Benesh

BU= ILDING FUND

In memory of MIKE PERS= INGER by Barb Prantner and M/M Emil Prantner

OR= GAN FUND

In memory of MIKE PERS= INGER by M/M Dale Lukes

= TRONDHJEM FAMILY CHRISTMAS DINNER

<= /o:p>

Trondhjem&#= 8217;s Family Christmas Pot Luck Dinner will be served on Saturday, December 2nd at 12 Noon. Jordan Elleby will provide musical entertainment. Mark your calendars!!

&nbs= p;

KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED

Elaine Lukes and Tisha Wangen

TRONDHJEM FINANCIAL REPORT

= ; &n= bsp; Where We = ; &n= bsp; Monthly Where We<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> &= nbsp; Ending

&n= bsp; = ; Should Be &= nbsp; Income Are = <= u>Balance

Jan. &= nbsp; $2= ,557 = $2,453 = $2,453 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; -$104<= /span>

Feb &n= bsp; $5,115 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $2,32= 7.94 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $4,780.94 = -$334.06=

March = $7.672 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $2,14= 7.10 $6,928.04 &= nbsp; -$= 743.96

Apr. &= nbsp; $1= 0,230 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $2,834 $9,762.04 = -$467.96=

May &n= bsp; $12= ,787 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $2,274 $12,036.04 = -$750.96

June &= nbsp; $15,345<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:2'> &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $2,498 $14,237.04 = -$1,057.96

July &= nbsp; $17,902 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $2,498 $16,785.04 = -$1,116.96

August = ; $20,460 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $2,248.25 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $19,033.29 = -$1,426.71

Ice Cream Social, August = ; $3,359.50 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $22,392.79 = $1,932.79

Sept. = $23,017 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $3,804.41 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $26,197.20 = $3,180.20

Oct. &= nbsp; $2= 5,575 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $2,689.51 $28,886.71 &= nbsp; $3,311.71 = ;

HAYWARD NEWS

= ;

<= st1:place w:st=3D"on">MISSION STATEMENT

We the people of Hayward Lutheran Church confess the Triune God, and strive to follow the words and deeds of Jesus Christ.

VISION STATEMENT

As a community of faith in J= esus Christ, we will demonstrate care and compassion for one another and also to= a world in much need. God’= ;s Word and the Holy Sacraments are central to our life of faith. As we grow and are nourished by th= ese, we will bring the good news of God’s forgiveness, life and salvation = to those around us.<= o:p>

SUNDAY SCH= OOL WILL PRESENT

MUSICAL

&n= bsp; “Sing a Song of Christmas” is the name of the Christmas Program that the children and teachers are preparing for their Sunday School Program on Sund= ay, December 10^th at 10:30 a.m.

Following the program there will be a celebration in the Social Hall= for everyone.

= ;

WAN= TED:

VOL= UNTEERS FOR WINDOW PROJECTS AT HLC

Volunteers = are needed, men and women, to help with placing plastic over the interior of the windows in both the education/dining hall unit and the worship area. Please come on either or both days= of Saturday afternoon, December 2^nd (after noon lunch), or Sunday, December 3^r=
d (after worship). Many hands m= ake light work. Come and help, ev= en if it is only for an hour.

OFFERING ENVELOPES AVAILABLE IN YOUR MAILBOX IN THE NARTHEX

<= /o:p>

On Sunday, December 10^th, all members of Hayward Lutheran will find their offering envelope boxes for 2007 in their mailboxes in the narthex at church.

If you see envelope boxes for members who are unable to get to church, it would be gre= atly appreciated if you would deliver the boxes to them.

HAYWARD LUTHERAN

OUR STEWARDSHIP FOR 2006

Month &n= bsp; Where we &= nbsp; Where &= nbsp; Total= &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Sh= ould be We Are E= xpenses

&n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; (Asof11/21) (As of 11/21)

January &= nbsp; $ 8,902 &n= bsp; $ 8,403 = $ 8,098

February &= nbsp; $17,803 &= nbsp; $15,108 = $15,553

March &= nbsp; $26,705 &n= bsp; = ; $26,486 $26,319

April &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $35,607 &nb= sp; = $34,748 $36,380

May &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $44,508 &nb= sp; = $44,000 $46,915

June &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $53.410 &= nbsp; $54,562 $63,412

July &= nbsp; &nbs= p; $62,312 &nb= sp; = $62,395 $64,261

August &= nbsp; $71,213<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> &nb= sp; = $69,138 $72,592

September &= nbsp; $80,115 &nb= sp; = $74,704 $77,120

October &= nbsp; $89,015 &= nbsp; $87,450 $86,644 = ;

November &= nbsp; $97,918 &= nbsp; &= nbsp; $94,332 $92,396

December &= nbsp; $106,820 &= nbsp;

MUSIC INSTRUMENTS ARRIVED!!

<= /o:p>

Dear Supporting Churches,

I just wan= t you all to know what a thrill it was to get a text message from a missionary at Makumira Seminary to say that the donated music instruments which I collect= ed from you churches this past summer, were all sitting in their house. They had been sent in a container = (by Global Health Ministries) along with medical supplies, gone to Dodoma some distance from here, then brought to Arusha and delivered to the school. My fellow teachers and classmates = wanted me to write a letter right away to thank you and to let you know they arriv= ed safely. It is an exciting tim= e in the music program, and the addition of music books and instruments is most welcome. Again, a BIG thank y= ou!

&= nbsp; Rebecca Hartwig

aaaaaaaa

Mungu Akuongezee Nguvu

I love to exercise regularly. Around Mt. Meru, that means jogging, as other means (biking, club activities) either take too long or are too dangerous. But jogging has its challenges too. Rebecca, who has run 10 marathons, won’t go out on her own. Sure, there&#= 8217;s the discomfort in seeing every third or so man, and every fifth woman, wiel= ding a machete. But it’s mos= tly the kids.

Culturally, jogging is definitely not a concept here.&= nbsp; There are runners, and running clubs, here on Mt. Meru. These are packs of sleek Tanzanian runners, each hoping to win a prize at the next half or full marathon, wher= ever that might be. Obviously, a p= ale skinned plodder is something for children to gawk at. But it’s not just gawking; t= here’s sheer glee, often mocking, and most always the cry of “Mzungu!”, which means White Person. There’s occasionally terror,= too, on the face of little kids whose older sibs have laughingly abandoned them.=

I wear an emotional shield when I run, answering polite greetings and doing my best to ignore the rest. But every th= ousand or so cries, there is this one: “Mungu akuongezee nguvu!”. I almost stopped in shock when I h= eard it the first time. It means:<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> May God grant you more strength!

Like many blessings in this environment, this one came from an unexpected source: what looked like a 10-year-old boy= . And it hit the spot, in many ways.= Who isn’t running a tough jo= urney of one kind or another? Certa= inly the people I get to see in homes and hospitals are need= ing every extra vestige of strength that one could imagine.

Visiting a hospital 2 weeks ago, I was astonished to find that a woman with a massive tumor, whom I’d seen in August, was still alive. Her tumors were/are extraordinary,= like 2 huge soccer balls on her abdomen. When we’d seen her in August, the pain, stench, and hopelessne= ss of her situation were breathtaking. Imagine my delight to find out that, not only had the Hospice team t= here (Bumbuli Hospital) taken all the advice we’d given to heart, but they= had increased the intensity of pain and odor reducing drugs, and now were visit= ing the home daily to do what could only be called a labor of love (very diffic= ult dressing changes). Yet they w= ere all thrilled to be involved with the case.= Pain and odor were well controlled, and the woma= n, a person of Christian faith such that all who visited her were encoura= ged and strengthened themselves. = Adding further to the poignancy of her setting, all of her caregivers are Muslim, = and her apostasy is considered by many of them the reason for this extraordinar= ily bad cancer.

As we appr= oach the American Thanksgiving, may we ask for each other and for those in need, that God might grant us, and them, more strength.

Kristopher and Rebecca Hartwig in Arusha, Tanzania<= o:p>

DECEMBER ASSIGNMENT= S

Altar Guild

Marlene Thompson & Carolyn Matson

Coff= ee Servers

December 3 Gary & Paula Broitzman/ = Dick & Gwen Hanson

December 10 Dave & Marlene Thompson

December 17 Steve & Kaye Tufte=

December 24 NO COFFEE – Christmas Eve

December 31 Kendall & Lila Johnson/Nick & Je= an

= ; &n= bsp; = ; Schermer

Ushe= rs

*David & Marlene Thompson<= /span>

Keith Iverson

Vern & Pat Frydenlund

Steve Johnson

<= /o:p>

Comm= union Assistants

Curt Larson & Vickie Storlie

Lectors

December 3 &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Logan Tufte

December 10 = Shirley Gray

December 17

December 24 (a.m.) = ; Randy Eggum

December 24 (P.M.) = ; Sonja Johnson

December 31 = Shirley Gray

DECEMBER ACOLYTE/USHERS

<= /o:p>

December 3<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> Laurel Heimsness & Adison Wangen

December 10= Ashton Wangen &am= p; Logan Tufte

December 17= Kadie Habana & Ashlyn Freitag

December 24 (10:30 a.m.)<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'> Bryce Skaar & Tate Tufte

December 24 = (4 p.m. ) Lindsey Freitag & Jalen Jimenez

December 31 = Mitchell Skaar & Caylee Tennis

<= /o:p>

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

December 3 &nb= sp; Linda Johnson

December 4 &nb= sp; Eugene Jenson

December 6 &nb= sp; Vernon Lunde<= /o:p>

December 12 <= /span>Shirley Gray

December 14 <= /span>Dawn Jenson

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; Bernhardt Anderson

December 20 <= /span>Pat Frydenlund

December 22 <= /span>Paula Broitzman

December 23 <= /span>Brie-Anne Woitas

December 24 <= /span>Jill Erickson

December 26 <= /span>John Habana

December 28 <= /span>Isabella Nelson

December 29 <= /span>Wayne Kromminga

DECEMBER ANNIVERSAR= IES

December 9<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> Vernon & Bever= ly Lunde

December 27= Kendall & Lila Johnson

December 30= Paul & Min We= stland

<= /o:p>

MEMORIALS

<= /o:p>

GENERAL FUND

In memor= y of VANICE STENE by M/M Neal Skaar

In memor= y of EDITH KAISER by M/M Neal Skaar

In memor= y of CURTIS LARSON, SR. by M/M Vern Frydenlund, M/M Jack Thisius

In memor= y of LOIS SCHROEDER by M/M Vern Frydenlund

In memor= y of MABEL LARSON by M/M/ Vern Frydenlund, M/M Jack Thisius

In memor= y of HENRY C. NELSON by M/M/ Vern Frydenlund

In memor= y of EVERETT LARSON by M/M/ Vern Frydenlund, M/M Jack Thisius<= /p>

In memor= y of GALEN JOHNSON by M/M Vern Frydenlund, M/M Jack Thisius

In memory of ARVELLA NOTERMAN by M/m Vern Frydenlund

In memor= y of WAYNE RUHTER by M/M Bob Armon, M/M Brian Berhow, M/M Ken Dugwyler, Camilla Frydenlund, M/M Jim Jahnke, M/M Lowell Jerdee, M/M Jon Larson, Lucille Lars= on, M/M Frank Learn, M/M Joe Pacovsky, M/m Dave Paulson, M/M Gary Peterson, M/M David Schewe, M/m Neal Skaar,= M/M Laverne Sorenson, Beatrice Wacholz, M/M Jim Wessel, M/M Paul Westland, M/M = John Gulbrandson.

In memor= y of GERTRUDE IVERSON by Margaret S. Van Loo, M/M Jack Thisius=

In memor= y of ROBERT PAULSON by M/M Dan Johnson, M/M Keith Iverson, M/M Jack Thisius, She= ila Johnson, John & Betty Nevins, Jan, Mandy & Caleb DeVries, Mike Cott= rell family, Bob & Cathy Wittmer, M/M Gene Jenson, Ed & Virginia Plantag= e, Ken Jackson family, Jon & Krista Possehl, Kent & Julie Jasperson, Jeff &= amp; Cheri Erickson, Chuck & Vicki Tufte, Harlan & Mary Smith, Laura Siemens, Ryan & Becky Uhlenhopp, John, Lola, Adam & Tim Evans, Gary & Linda Peterson, Maurice & Henrietta Lysne, Steve & Julie Jerd= ee, M/M Frank Learn, Dennis Brandt family, Polly Noland, Merv & Bonnie Schumacher, Rol, Nancy, Katelyn & Ryan Hoium, M/M Paul Westland, Curt, Natalie, Amy & Mike Larson, M/M Wayne Kromminga, Blane & Penny Hamm= er, Tony Kermes, Marge Wangen, Lowell Wangen, Ramona Bentzen, LaVerne Schroeder, Mike, Sharon, Scott & Laura Ellingson, M/M Gilbert Larson, Nancy Golde, Eugene & Irene Anderson, John & Kris Schultz and Melissa Sather, M/M Neal Skaar, Loren Lair family, Gary & Shelly Gulbrandson, Mike, Vicki, Haley & Culley Larson, Jerry & Ellen Larson, Larry Larson, M/M Gary Westland, John & Denise Gulbrandson, M/M Bob Armon

In memor= y of GEN OLSON by M/M Jack Thisius

In memor= y of MARJORIE JOHNSON by M/M Jack Thisius

<= span style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'><= /span>

ALTAR GUILD

In memor= y of ROBERT PAULSON by M/M Dick Hanson

In memor= y of DUSTY & SHERYL RHODES by M/M Paul Miller, M/M Jeff Jimenez & family=

<= /u>

BUILDING FUND

In memor= y of GERTRUDE IVERSON by Sylvia Kycek

In memor= y of ROBERT L. PAULSON by M/M Nick Schermer

<= /u>

CARPET FUND

In memor= y of WAYNE RUHTER by M/M Scott Woitas, M/M Lou Larson, Faye Olson

CEMETERY FUND

In memor= y of ROBERT L. PAULSON by M/M Dale Westland

GOOD EARTH VILLAGE MINISTRIES=

In memor= y of ROBERT L. PAULSON by Al, Karen, Casey & Mariah McGill=

THANKYOU….

to the fam= ily of Gertrude Iverson for the gift of a CD Player/Recorder to be hooked u= p to the sound system in the sanctuary.

ALTAR GUILD<= /span>

WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE FRESH FLOWERS?

Fresh flowers for the altar are a beautiful addition to our worship service.= If you wish to furnish flowers, all you need to do is call the Altar Guild president, Marlene Thompson (373-3895). The Guild will purchase and displa= y the flowers for you, and if you wish, will put an acknowledgement in the Sunday bulletin. Cost of the flowers= is usually about $20. Your gener= osity and support are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

WELCA NEWS

<= /span>

PURPOSE STATEMENT

As a community of women created in the image of = god, called to discipleship in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to grow in faith, affirm our gifts, support one another in= our callings, engage in ministry and action, and promote healing and wholeness = in the church, the society and the world.

= ;

HAYWARD/WELCA

BAKE/CRAFT SALE

DRAWING FOR QUILT

N= OON LUNCH

8 A.M. – Bake & Craft Sale and Morning Coffee

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Noon Lunch

Pork= Sandwich, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans & Bars

$4.2= 5

12 Noon – Drawing for Quilt

THIS ‘N’ TH= AT

<= /o:p>

ADVENT SPEAKS TO THE POWER OF SMALLNESS=

By Joan Chitt= ister

It’s Advent again. And if anyone cares ab= out Advent, Americans should.

Advent may have more t= o do with American life than any other season of the year. Yet, Advent remains the period of spiritual preparation that is too often least appreciated, little understood and commonly ignored.

One of the problems wi= th Advent is that it gets swallowed up by Christmas. The truth is, of course, that Adve= nt signals the coming ofChristmas. But the kind of christmas the liturgical period of Advent is meant to signal is= not the Christmas we celebrate in the United States. Civil Christmas is about the stori= ng up of things. The Christmas to w= hich Advent points is about being emptied out so we can become full.<= /span>

Advent is about the spirituality of emptiness, of enough-ness, of stripped-down fullness of soul. Advent points to the essentials of life; commercial Christmas points to its superfluities.<= /o:p>

The two great liturgic= al seasons of the church year, Advent and Lent, are about very different things. Advent is not “a little Lent.” Advent is= not a penitential period. Advent co= mes to trigger consciousness, not to provoke our consciences.

The Talmud teachess th= at every person should wear a jacket with two pockets. In the one pocket, the rabbis say,= there should be a note that reads, “I am a worm and not completely human.” And in the seco= nd pocket, the rabbis say, the note must read, “For me the universe was made.”

The story is clear: The function of Lent is to remind = us who we are – and who we are not. The function of Advent, on the other hand, is to remind us who God is and who we are meant to be, as well. Advent is about the riches of emptiness.

The Jesus “who d= id not cling to being God,” but is like us in all things, models what most o= f us take the greater part of our lives to learn: how to “be ourselves.”= The divinity who comes to us as an infant is the paradigm of what it means to learn from life as we grow into = who and what we’re meant to be. The God who comes without retinue or riches is the metaphor of a humility that requires us to remember how really small we are in the univer= se – and to come to the point where that is enough for us.

Advent is about the po= wer of emptiness and the spiritual meaning of smallness.

When we have little to= begin with, we have even less to lose. We know, then, that we don’t have all the ideas or all of the answers. It means that we have nothing to f= ight over and even less to boast about in life.= We become full of possibility.

When we know who we re= ally are, when we present no disguises and parade no pretensions, when we are ho= nest both with ourselves and with others, we fired ourselves free to be ourselves. We have no image t= o keep up, no lies to gild in a gilded society.&n= bsp; We become full of integrity.

When we learn to live = with the basics rather than to hoard what does not belong to us, we can never be made bereft by the loss of life’s little baubles because we never depended on them in the first place. We become full of contentment.

When we recognize our = own limitations, we need never fear failure.&n= bsp; Then we can’t possibly be destroyed by losing because we never anointed ourselves entitled to win. We become full of confidence.

Finally, when Advent s= eeps into our souls, we come to understand that small is not nothing and empty is not bereft. To be small is to= need, to depend on the other. Small= ness bonds us to the rest of the human race and frees us from the arrogant isola= tion that kills both the body and the soul.&nbs= p; To be empty is to be available inside to attend to something other t= han the self. We become full of t= he blessings of life.

Then, emptied out by t= he awareness of our own smallness, we may have the heart to identify with those whose emptiness, whose poverty of spirit and paucity of life is involuntary= . Then, we may be able to become full human beings ourselves, full of compassion and full of cousciousness.<= /o:p>

An Advent spent in ser= ious reflection on the power of emptiness and the meaning of smallness puts everything else in perspective. Most of all, ourselves. Or, as Isaiah put it, “The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and t= he pride of men brought low.”

= Source: National Catholic Reporter, December 12, 2003, by Joan Chittister.

Benedictine Sr. Joan Chittister, author and lecturer, lives in <= st1:City w:st=3D"on">Erie, Pa.

THE= ANT AND THE CONTACT LENS

A true story b= y Josh and Karen Zarandona

Brenda was a young wom= an who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was very scared, she went with her group toa tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took hold of the rope, and started up the face of that rock.

Well, she got to a led= ge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda’s eye and knocked out her contact lens.

Well, here she is, on = a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked a= nd looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn’t there.<= o:p>

Here she was, far from= home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to = find it.

When she got to the to= p, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no con= tact lens to be found. She sat dow= n, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to mak= e it up the face of the cliff.

She looked out across = range after range of mountains, thinking of that verse that says, “The eyes= of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.” She thought, “Lord, You can = see all these mountains. You know= every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Pleae hep me.”

Finally, they walked d= own the trail to the bottom. At t= he bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted ou= t, “Hey, you guys! Anybody= lose a contact lens?”

Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across th= e face of the rock, carying it on its back.

Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When = she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens,= he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the worrds, “Lord, I don’t know why You want me to carry this thing. I can’t eat it, and it’= ;s awfully heavy. But if this is= what You want me to do, I’ll carry it for You.”

I think it would proba= bly do some of us good to occasionally say, “God, I don’t know why You want me to carry this load. I= can see no good in it and it’s awfully heavy. But, if You want me to carry it, I will.”

God doesn’t call= the qualified, He qualifies the called. Yes, I do love GOD. He= is my source of existence and my Savior. He keeps me functioning each and every day. Without Him, I am nothing, but wit= h Him “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)

May we take this opportu= nity to extend to you our best wishes for a most enriching and joyful Christmas = and New Year. We thank you for the gifts of prayer, love and support during this past year, to us and to Christ and His Church. May that meas= ure of your generosity and compassion be returned to you and multiplied. God bless you and your families in= your moments of celebration and togetherness.&n= bsp; May Christ our Lord be truly present among you each day.<= /span>

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