Gather in Grace • Grow in Faith • Go Forth to Serve
Tenth Sunday of Pentecost
August 18, 2019
8:30am & 10:00am
Nursery available at both services.
Hospitality from 9-10:30am in Fellowship Hall
Click on the above to view or download the service bulletin for Sunday, August 18, 2019. Click on the Live Stream Event logo below to access our YouTube "Live" channel. It won't be showing a live stream until the day and time of the service.
Altar flowers this Sunday are given by Linda Knutson
in loving memory of her mother, Evelyn Doergren,
whose 100th birthday would have been August 14.
Come Wrestle with Us
Pastor Arthur Murray
"I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! Luke 12:49,51

Oh, come on, Jesus! Is this really what we need to hear?
This is the challenge, but also the beauty of the lectionary (the assigned readings for each week): We don’t get to cherry pick just the parts of the Bible that we like, but we are forced to wrestle with the whole thing. I have to admit that I don’t always look forward to this wrestling. I much prefer to look to the Bible and our shared faith as a source of comfort rather than a source of challenge. But in the end, I value the wrestling. Why? Because it means that our faith story is true to life. Life includes challenges and difficulties. A faith that doesn’t wrestle with these things breaks down quickly when faced with real world problems.

So come wrestle with us, and with these challenging words of Jesus this Sunday! Can there be hope in the midst of division?

With God, who brings life out of death and hope out of hopelessness, all things are possible.

-Pastor Arthur
-TAKING FAITH HOME-
Week of August 18, 2019
 Use this friendly tool to enrich your family times with conversation, rituals, prayer, blessings, and service ideas. [Click Here] for this week's edition.
Update
Sunday School & Children's Ministry
[Click Here] to visit the website page for TLC's Sunday School and Children's Ministry. It has just been updated with the schedule for the upcoming church year, plus a link to the registration form to enroll your children in the program.
DURING WORSHIP SERVICES, VISIT THE PRAY-GROUND IN OUR SANCTUARY

TLC welcomes children and parents to worship together in the newly created pray-ground space on the south side of the sanctuary. It features a soft throw rug area with floor pillows, foam building blocks and more. There are two "pint size" tables and chairs - perfect for coloring activities and puzzles, all provided in the area. Families are encouraged to quietly play and pray together during the service.
The nursery is also available at both services.
"The Cherry on the Spoon"
ELC Photographer: Ben
Ben is 6 years old. This is his first year with the Photo Club using a toy camera while the group was at the Minneapolis Sculpture Gardens. Ben is very passionate about his pictures and what he is photographing. He explains this photograph, "I liked the cherry on the spoon and the buildings in the back and the bushes that are behind the spoon and the grass and the little people, they all made it look pretty. I liked the way the blue makes it look."
TLC-ELC has room for 4 K+ children starting in September. K+ is for children who have fall birthdays, or miss kindergarten cut-off, or for children whose parents want them to have a boost before entering school. The program follows Bloomington School District guidelines but has a maximum class size of 10. For more information, contact K+ teacher, Karen Wenge, krwenge@yahoo.com
Confirmation and More for 2019-2020
From Ben Cherland, Youth & Family Minister

[Click Here] to see the latest on the 2019-2020 year for confirmation and more. Also, once there, you will find a link to a pdf of the registration and permission form which needs to be completed by September 11.
Meet the New TLC Intern
Grace Pardun Alworth Arrives This Fall
Committed to making the world a more compassionate place, Grace Pardun Alworth is an empathetic pastoral counselor and preacher. Grace joins TLC this fall to complete her internship as part of her Master of Divinity Degree (MDiv) in preparation for ordination to Word & Sacrament Ministry in the ELCA. Prior to this, Grace graduated from Luther Seminary in 2012 with a Masters of Arts in Congregation and Community Care. Her Master’s thesis was entitled “Restoring Shalom: Welcoming People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Faith Communities.” She is a trained facilitator in Prepare/Enrich (specializing in marriage preparation for LGTBQIA and interfaith couples) and Nonviolent Communication (NVC).
Grace Alworth will be interning at TLC for 18 months
Grace says she is excited to meet the people of TLC; work with them and learn from them, while at the same time helping the TLC community become more accessible to people with different needs related to mental health. Grace brings to TLC a strong background in ministry as well as extensive experience in business administration.

Grace will be with us for 18 months in a half-time capacity. Her schedule will typically include Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesday evenings. This internship has been funded in 2019 with gifts designated for this purpose and will be included in the general budget in 2020. Questions regarding the funding of Grace’s internship or how it fits within our overall staffing strategy at TLC may be directed to the TLC Church Council or either of the pastors.

We are thrilled to welcome Grace to TLC! Please greet Grace and welcome her warmly into the community and care TLC so richly provides.
Glad it Didn't Rain Last Sunday
TLC's Blessing of the Animals Service
I'm not sure what “Plan B” for our Blessing of the Animals service might be. When and if it rains, what does one do with quite a few wet dogs? Anyway, all went well, and the pets were so well-behaved. We sat close to three small, white dogs—blended varieties. They were pretty old, and the blessing was meant to give at least one of them another year of love by its owner.
Jill Reid with her and Rob's dog, Lucy.
Pastor Arthur preached the message. The
Murray family dog was apparently unimpressed.
Pastor Ed led communion
As the owners lined up in front with their pets, they were given a mic to tell their name and the pet's name and age. The idea of lining pets up is a stretch...We've had dogs, and did not do well in the training. (Our bassett hound, Stanley, would have tugged on the leash, and probably taken off on his own.) Our fault, not the dog's! Our earliest dog, Schultzie, who was a dachshund, turned out to be a biter suddenly, and had to be given away.

So, we enjoy other people's dogs a lot, and instead have had cats and tropical fish. There's something about the look of being human in a dog's face...no wonder they are loved....They cock their heads and look lovingly back, like they understand every word.

Rob and Jill's female dog, Lucy, gave us a soprano concert a few times. As I said last week, you might know they'd have a dog who could actually sing, and quite well too. Really, she was pleading to get away from Jill and join the Praise and Worship Team for the day! And why not?

This is the first time I recall having doggie and kitty treats side by side with the bread and wine for communion....It would have been impolite to leave the honored guests out of the most important part of the service. We were all waited on and given communion where we sat.

The “Plan B” question remains unanswered. We are truly thankful that not even one drop of rain appeared...or a mosquito either.

-Bloomington Bird Lady





All Photo Credits: Louise Olson
Coming soon to a
computer near you:
A new series of articles
by Rev. Al Dungan
for TLC Weekly & Transcripts.


"WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?"
Did you ever wonder WHY we do what we do in worship at TLC? Or do you just “show up” and follow the directions in the bulletin?

There is a reason and purpose for all of it and knowing that can make a great difference in what happens when we gather for worship. The architecture of the building “space”, the lessons for each Sunday (it’s called a pericope [long e at the end of the word]), the cycle of the Church Year and our gathering together all have meaning which, if we know what they are, can cause the weekly meetings we call “church” to greatly enhance our worship experience.

The coming series of articles, hopefully, will not only explain all of this, but will also create a much deeper appreciation for what we do and who we are as we gather for worship as the Church.

Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism, which was the bane of most 7 th , 8 th and 9 th graders (at least when the writer of these articles attended catechism instruction), asked over and over again, “What does this mean for us?” For example: the First Commandment states “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other Gods.” To which Luther asked, “What does this mean for us?” And the answer Luther gave was: You shall fear (hold in reverence or awe), love and trust in God above everything else.

The coming articles will attempt to explore answers to “What Does This Mean For Us” regarding what we experience at weekly worship so that we can more fully come to appreciate what is happening here.

So…I hope you will look forward to these articles as much as I will in writing them.

-Rev. Al
BLOCK PARTY COMPOST

TLC's Environmental Group's "Green Team" made a visual and functional impact at the TLC Neighborhood Block Party this past Wednesday, August 14. They had a booth displaying important information about recycling; ensured that as much disposable waste as possible could be recycled (paper plates, plastic bottles, etc.); had specially marked trash/recycle bins placed outside and inside the building; arranged to have the Nissan Leaf electric car on display; provided answers to many questions about "going green" and (drum roll) completed their duties at the party with seven bags of compostable material destined for a compost drop-off site instead of a garbage landfill.
Communion Ministry
Share communion with shut-in's who are unable to attend TLC worship services, or those in long-term rehab. Watch for more information as the group reorganizes this fall. If interested, please contact Marilyn Erickson at merickson@tlcmn.com .  
 
Over 200,000 children in the state of Minnesota live in food insecurity and do not always know if they will receive their next meal. The Sheridan Story’s purpose is to respond to this need by closing the weekend food gap between Friday and Monday, when children are not able to participate in the free or reduced meal programs at school.
TLC’s partnership with The Sheridan Story and Westwood Elementary School is to provide hungry kids with food at our local elementary school. The cost to sponsor a child for the school year is $230. Checks can be made out to TLC or online at www.tlcmn.com. Memo: Westwood food

Volunteers are also needed to help distribute the food.
Contact Jo Benson at 952-884-9881.
Pool Party!!! All high schooler's entering 9th through 12th grade: You’re invited to a pool party and grill-out at Sandy and Paul’s house at 2815 Overlook Dr., Monday evening, August 19, from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. We’ll have food and drinks, time to reconnect after the summer and make some plans for the fall.

RSVP to Ben at bcherland@tlcmn.com by Friday August 16.
Donations of School Supplies
In anticipation of TLC travelers heading to Liberia on a mission trip in December, we are asking for donations of school supplies in August and Christmas toys in October to be delivered to our mission partner, Philip Nushann and the youth of Center for Changing Lives-Liberia. Please watch for suggestions of supplies and gifts in upcoming issues of the e-newsletter, TLC Weekly.
Host an AFS high school exchange student!
AFS is looking for host families for students who are coming to our area this fall. Host families provide a bed, food, & loving support. Students come with their own health insurance and spending money. Families of all types; married, single, single parents, young children, no children, can host. Families have the option to host for the school year, semester or just 6-12 weeks. Will you be that person, that family who makes a world of difference in the life of a young person? Please contact Craig Putz at: cputz@afsusa.org or 612-965-0998 to learn more or www.afsusa.org/host-family
 
AFS-USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, works toward a more just and peaceful world by providing international and intercultural learning experiences to individuals, families, schools, and communities through a global volunteer partnership.
Thought it would be fun to include some TLC Member recipes that can be cooked in an hour or less. 
If you have a favorite tried and true recipe that you're willing to share, please forward it to Norma Macdonald-Ockwig at weeyin57@aol.com to be included in a future weekly "Quick Fixin's" article.
SHRIMP PASTA
Serves 2-3
Submitted by TLC Member Louise Olson

Preheat Oven to 450

You'll Need:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 can Hunts or Red Gold peeled diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano (or if can of plain diced tomatoes, add basil, garlic & oregano spices)
  • 1 or 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 fairly large sweet onion sliced thin (1 to 1 1/2 cups in volume when raw)
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped (if you don’t have fresh parsley, sprinkle with dried parsley flakes)
  • 1 - 12 oz bag frozen shrimp (contains about 50). If tails on the shrimp, you can pull off while the sauce is simmering. Can use cooked or uncooked shrimp. If uncooked, make sure they get done while simmering in tomato sauce.
  • 4 oz pkg. of crumbled FETA cheese. (traditional pkg. or flavored with tomato and basil)


Directions:

Separately cook enough pasta for 2-3 people. (Have pasta already cooked and ready when the dish of tomato sauce/shrimp mixture comes out of the oven.)
 
In a frying pan, heat olive oil.
 
Add crushed garlic and onions to frying pan - Fry until onions are limp ( not browned ). 
 
Add 1 can of diced tomatoes and simmer 10-15 minutes.
 
Pour the cooked tomato mixture into a Pyrex glass container (7x11” or square or round or whatever you have).
 
Top with shrimp, chopped parsley, and feta cheese.
 
Bake UNCOVERED in 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until very bubbly and cheese sort of melts in.
 
Pour over the pasta.
 
Serve with warm crusty bread (garlic/buttered) or make dipping sauce of olive oil and Balsamic vinegar sprinkled with Italian seasoning.
 
Chef's note from Louise:  It says to bake the tomato mixture, but in the summer I just simmer this mixture (with the shrimp & Feta cheese) on top of the stove, and even in the winter, I often don’t put tomato mixture in the oven. I just simmer it until hot/bubbly and if you use uncooked shrimp, make sure they are fully cooked. I often use bag of frozen uncooked shrimp). It’s very easy to make!


Blessings!

 
(Please submit your quick , tried and true recipes to Norma Macdonald-Ockwig at weeyin57@aol.com to be included in an upcoming Quick Fixin's.)
Make Note of Our New
"Live-Stream" Web Address
Easy to remember. Easy to access.
It also includes our "On-Demand" link to the TLC playlist.
The "live" link on the TLC website will remain.
For adults, youth and children. Test your knowledge of the Bible in each issue of TLC Weekly.
Answers can be found on the last section of this issue.
The Tower of Babel
1) The descendants of Noah settled in a place known as Babel and decided to build a great city with a tower that "reached to the heavens". Why did they want such a tall tower?
  1. To make a name for themselves
  2. To watch for enemies approaching
  3. To be a pagan temple
  4. To be a temple of God


2) What did God say when He saw the tower?
  1. "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."
  2. "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them."
  3. "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth."
  4. "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated."


3) What did God do to the inhabitants of Babel?
  1. He destroyed them with fire and brimstone.
  2. He destroyed them in a great flood.
  3. He caused a great famine to punish them for their sins.
  4. He confused their language and scattered them over the face of all the earth.


4) What became of the tower of Babel?
  1. It was rebuilt and became the leaning Tower of Pisa.
  2. It was knocked down and replaced with a temple of God.
  3. It was destroyed by an earthquake.
  4. It was abandoned.


Quiz answers can be found near the end/bottom of this newsletter.
Contribute to the
TLC Weekly

TLC Weekly staff are looking for both youth and adult "reporters" that would like to tell a story about life, an event or an anecdote inside or outside of TLC. Photos also welcomed. Submit your *story (and *pics) to: TLCMedia@tlcmn.com

*Subject to editor approval
Never Miss an Issue
View past issues of the TLC Weekly.
[CLICK HERE] to visit the TLC web page where you can choose to read from the past nine months of weekly E-newsletters from Transfiguration Lutheran Church. This is also a great way to share TLC Weekly with those that don't receive it in email. Tell them to visit tlcmn.com/tlcweekly
ELECTRONIC GIVING HELPS SUPPORT TLC
It’s important to know that we can depend on financial support from TLC members during the Summer months. Electronic giving is fast, secure, and reduces administrative costs, allowing more of every dollar to support the important work we are called to do. You can give anytime, anywhere to specific funds with our GivePlus Mobile app (free from the app store). You can also schedule and manage recurring donations by visiting our website and clicking on TLC ONLINE GIVING icon at the bottom of any page, or [Click Here] to start the process, or contact the church office.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!
ELCA as a Sanctuary Church
What Does This Mean?
Dear siblings in Christ,
As many of you know, last week the ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted a resolution that, among other things, declared the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) a sanctuary denomination. Many of you are asking, “What does this mean?”
 
Our call to love our neighbor is central to our faith. In our baptismal covenant we promise to strive for peace and justice in all the world. One of the ways we live out this vow is through our commitment to welcoming the stranger. With this declaration, we publicly state that walking alongside refugees and immigrants is a matter of faith.
 
We have prepared talking points to provide a better understanding and further clarification on what sanctuary means for you and your congregations. We acknowledge this will look different in different contexts across the ELCA.
 
 
 
We also hope this resource will help guide conversations with your parishioners and your community about what our faith says about immigration.
 
“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you,
for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).
 

In Christ,

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
ALTAR FLOWERS
ONLINE ORDERING
There are still spots available
in August through December.
See the chart online.

The TLC website has a new and easier online form to order Chancel/Altar Flowers for any Sunday in 2019.
[Click Here] to access the form now, or visit www.tlcmn.com later and look for the "Purchase Altar Flowers" button at the bottom of any page.
Free Subscriptions, sign up to be a volunteer, request care ministry and more!
Subscribe a friend to this newsletter, TLC Weekly, or subscribe yourself and others to the TLC publication, Transcripts. Interested in TLC membership? Sunday school? Our renowned TLC music program, volunteering and more are choices on this easy online TLC Request Form. Just [Click Here] or the "Sign Me Up" button on the left.

ANSWERS FROM QUIZ EARLIER IN THIS ISSUE


1) The descendants of Noah settled in a place known as Babel and decided to build a great city with a tower that "reached to the heavens". Why did they want such a tall tower?
Answer #1: To make a name for themselves.
Genesis 11:1-4. They wanted a monument to their own power and glory.


2) What did God say when He saw the tower?
Answer #2: "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them."
Genesis 11:5-6. By trying to build a tower reaching to heaven, these builders were trying to put themselves on par with God, Himself.


3) What did God do to the inhabitants of Babel?
Answer #4: He confused their language and scattered them over the face of all the earth.
Genesis 11:7-9. God made them speak many different languages so they were no longer able to work together on their arrogant project.


4) What became of the tower of Babel?
Answer #4: It was abandoned
Genesis 11:8
~~LINKS~~
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