Gathering in Grace • Growing in Faith • Going Forth to Serve
November 3, 2019
8:30am & 10:00am Worship at TLC
[Click Here] or above image for 8:30/10:00am bulletin.
Accommodations throughout the church for those with disabilities.
Wireless hearing assist devices available for worship services.
Closed Captioning available with on-demand playback (not live) of worship services.
Nursery available at both services.
Parent/children's Pray-Ground available in the Sanctuary during worship.

Hospitality & Social Activities from 9-11:30am in the Narthex and Fellowship Hall


Click on the live-stream logo below or visit www.tlcgo.live at
the time of the service to watch it on your media device.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
  • Rob Reid explains Sunday's Requiem
  • Thanks, from Sandy Mullen
  • Co-Pastor Replay
  • Bird Lady a Smoker?!
  • WOW! Help in removing leaves; Parents night out
  • Talent Show Audience Will Pick the $200 Winner
  • December Toys for Liberia
  • Pastor Al explains How Christianity Lost its Way
  • Judy Lindman Wins!
  • Taking Faith Home for November 3
  • Wednesday Nights are Family Night
  • Addiction Ministry Training at TLC
  • Coffee & Conversation for Nov 6
  • ELC Photo Club Pic of the Week
  • Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops
  • VEAP has a Place for You
  • The Difference between a Cold and the Flu
  • Mission Bazaar is Coming
  • Back Issues of the TLC Weekly
  • Online Giving
  • Order Altar Flowers
  • Subscription Forms
  • Nov/Dec issue of Transcripts
Rob Reid, Director of Music
John Rutter's
Requiem
for
All Saints' Sunday

Comforting those who mourn
This Sunday the Chancel Choir and a small guest orchestra will present John Rutter’s “Requiem” at the 8:30 and 10:00am worship services. It is a powerful and moving work filled with beautiful melodies and dramatic moments. As a part of the services we will name and honor those who passed away in the past year, and we will all be able to light a candle in memory of our loved ones during communion. We are grateful to the family of John Hilleren, who shared gifts given in his memory to help bring this work to life for this occasion.
What is a Requiem? Originally, it was a Mass for the Dead in the Roman Catholic Tradition. Along with messages of hope and prayers for those who have departed (“Grant them eternal rest, O Lord”), the Catholic Requiem also focused on the “Day of Wrath” (Dies Irae), with loud, almost violent music, notably heard in opera composer Giuseppe Verdi’s setting of the Requiem.
Johannes Brahms was the first to compose a Lutheran Mass for the Dead, which is known as his “German Requiem.” His work focused more on comforting those who have lost loved ones (“Blessed are they who die in the Lord”). John Rutter’s “Requiem,” that we will sing for All Saints’ Sunday, is more like Brahms’ warm, comforting work: we hear gentle, heavenly harmonies played on the harp, oboe, flute and cello, along with TLC organist Carmen Englert, which help to convey the peace and reassurance we all seek in times of loss, with promises of being reunited with our loved ones in heaven, where the eternal light (“Lux aeterna”) will shine on us all.

Part of the work is sung using the original Latin texts, to help convey the eternal nature of the many scriptural promises, and we will project the English translations to enhance the meaning of what we sing. The work also includes movements in English, including the beloved 23rd Psalm (“The Lord is My Shepherd”), Psalm 130 (“Out of the Depths have I called unto Thee, O Lord”), and Jesus’ words from the Gospel of John, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Our hope, and no doubt John Hilleren's as well, is that through sharing Rutter’s “Requiem” with all of you, it will help bring some comfort to you as you remember, honor, or grieve a loved one’s passing.
Gray Area Thinking Presentation a Success!
Sandy Mullen
I would like to thank everyone who made last Sunday’s Gray Area Thinking a success. It was a wonderful presentation by Ellie Krug. 
 
To Renee Jefferson, Michelle Reber and Marilyn Erickson for all the help you gave us in the office. To Tracy Witte for the delicious lunch. To Brad Nolte for all the publicity and getting the word out for us. To everyone who helped with set up and clean up, thank you so much. And especially to the Welcome Diversity Team; we are small but what a great team. 
 
-Sandy Mullen, Welcome Diversity Team
If you were unable to attend or watch the live-stream of this event that took place at TLC this past Tuesday, October 29, you can watch it now by clicking the On Demand logo below.
Oh Those Temptations
(No, not Otis, Elbridge, Melvin, Eddie and Paul)
Lately there have been the temptations of fall on our minds. What to do with all those candy bars we bought last week? I'll bet our block won't have seen many kidlets out there scrounging for sweet stuff. I used to be glad there were leftovers, but neither one of us needs any. Tried freezing some a few times, but we all know it's not too hard to thaw a few out, and they disappear pretty fast. We'll see what happens this year.

Lately in the newspapers and on TV “vaping” has become the weirdest temptation I can remember. They always show this perfectly made-up, lovely gal exhaling a cloud of whatever is in those e-cigs. Makes it look so glamorous. Years ago it was usually just a cigarette swiped from a parent who smoked, but very soon that would become a life-time of, “Gotta cigarette?” Even middle-school kids are at risk of getting a lung disease.

My friend, widowed years ago, vowed her children would never smoke. Her
husband had died having heart valve replacement surgery. He'd been a devoted smoker. She was determined to find a way to keep the five kids, a couple of them still really young, from ever starting this habit. Who needs lung cancer, or heart trouble? A good idea popped into her head, and she carried out her plan. Imagine those five children all sitting around the dining room table, eager to find what Mom was planning to entertain them. She had found a partial pack of cigarettes and proceeded to hand one to each child. She lit each one and told them to please smoke this until it's gone. A short while later there were five nauseated, dizzy kids sitting there, and swearing they would never smoke again. It worked, as most of them are now in their sixties and are non-smokers!

Bird Lady will now confess to having smoked a bit long ago. It was not a temptation for me, but at the time seemed “cool.” At college, girls would start to smoke just because they could, being away from home. I found out quickly that it was not for me. The first time I smoked, I spent the rest of the evening lying as still as I could in my bunk bed, trying not to be sick or have to stand up and be dizzy, swearing I'd never try it again. Thankfully we had no vaping back then!
CONTRIBUTE TO THE FUNDRAISER AND GET A GREAT DEAL!
Watch this space for fundraiser opportunities for the December Liberian Trip. Fundraisers include a Mission Bazaar, Fall Yard Clean-Up, Parent’s Night Out, Final Liberian Dinner, Lemonade Stand and a Talent Show.

Yard Work/Fall Clean Up: Offered for a donation to the Liberia Trip Fund. Available dates: November 2, 9, 16, 23, weather permitting. Contact Greg Barringer at mn.runner.juan@gmail.com to help with the work, or to have your yard cleaned.

We signed up to get some of our yardwork done by people going to Liberia. Just by luck we were assigned to Will Krey, someone I did not know but who seemed eager to help. We were amazed when he arrived with professional equipment in his big truck, and he got to work immediately after my husband showed him what needed doing. Will was the most wonderful worker imaginable! He remained cheery throughout, and did far more than we had even asked him to do. I am so happy someone like him is going to Liberia --he will be enthusiastic and helpful throughout.
-Gail Kleven

Parent’s Night Out: Drop your kid(s) off at TLC from 6:00 thru 9:00pm on November 8, November 22, or December 6. Make a donation to the trip fund and enjoy some R&R from parenting! Contact Gretchen Schroeder at ga.schroeder@yahoo.com to help out with child care, or to make arrangements for your night out! (Suggested donation amount $10 per hour per child)
December Toys for Liberia
We've collected surgical gloves and other needed items for our mission team to present to the Center for Changing Lives - Liberia (CCLL) in December. Now, since the children -many orphaned- are what this is all about, let's send donations of toys to help them celebrate. Just imagine their happy, smiling faces.
Bring your toy (and food) donations during November and early December. Use the VEAP boxes (in 3 locations), and we'll make sure the food goes to VEAP and the toys to Liberia.
The Council of Nicea
or
How Christianity
Lost its Way
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?
-a continuing series-
By Pastor Al Dungan
Many Roman emperors actively persecuted the Christian movement because Christians claimed that “Jesus is Lord” which ran contrary to the Roman political/religious structure that claimed “Caesar is Lord”. As far as the Empire was concerned, this was sedition and serious efforts were made to stamp out this, in the Empire’s opinion, deviant religion. Other emperors just saw it as a political nuisance but not a threat to the empire. But then, along came the Emperor Constantine who began to see how incorporating this continually expanding and growing movement would be to his definite political advantage.

There is a story, legendary or perhaps factual, that Constantine had a vision of a cross in the sky and a voice that said to him, “In this sign conquer”. The story goes on to tell us that he had this insignia imprinted on the shields of his soldiers that caused them to be victorious at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge and which made it possible for him to ultimately become Emperor of the Roman Empire.

Being absorbed into the political structure and accepted as the primary religion of the Roman Empire was both a positive and a negative for the Christian Church of the day.

The positive aspects were: it was no longer persecuted as a seditious factor in the Empire; it grew in numbers and prestige among Roman citizens; it was looked upon with favor by Constantine the Emperor; and permanent places of worship began to be organized and built.

The negative aspects were: it was no longer perceived as a “counter culture” group that stood over against the pagan Roman Empire’s religious structure which held the Emperor to be the Son of God; in being absorbed into the Roman political structure, it no longer had the impact of standing over against the Empire as John had done in his work that we know as The Revelation; it was no longer seen as “The Evil Empire” but now was seen as Christianity’s best friend.

Christianity flourished as a state religion but lost its ability to confront a political structure that did not want to hear its critical observations. And, because of this, there are those who think Constantine’s action derailed the message of the Galilean carpenter of love and grace and peace and justice for all people.

Over the years the Christian Church created many good things in society like hospitals and universities. But it no longer stood as a corrective to the power structures of the world in which it found itself.

Next time: narthex, nave, sanctuary, chancel and altar
Judy Lindman Wins Drawing
Congratulations to Judy Lindman, who won the National Lutheran Choir ticket drawing! She now has two tickets to each of the four NLCA concerts in 2019-2020. That’s 8 tickets! What a great prize and a great choir.

[Click here] for information about the National Lutheran Choir, it’s upcoming season of concerts and ticket sales.
-TAKING FAITH HOME-
Week of November 3, 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.
5:30-6:00pm: Community meals served in Fellowship Hall.
$5.00 suggested donation.
This is a great community gathering for you and your family. 
Please invite a friend or neighbor to dine with us.

Oasis Wednesday Evening Worship Service
6:30-7:00pm
30 minute service with communion.

  • 7:00pm, Inspiring education and fellowship options for all ages
  • Child care and activities are available for infants to 3rd grade.
  • Volunteer adult leaders ensure a great time with new programs for kids, 4th-6th grade.
  • Confirmation and Peer Ministers 7th-12th grade meet for small and large group activities – friends are always welcome!
  • A Bible study for all ages is found with Coffee and Conversation, meeting in the Narthex.
  • Parent support and planning groups meet in the East Fellowship Hall.
  • At 8:00pm, High School students 10th grade and up meet in the Youth Room
  • 7:00-8:00pm Education Hour for all ages - Childcare provided
Wednesday Evening Oasis for All

5:30pm - The Community meal in Fellowship Hall this Wednesday, Nov 6, is chicken Alfredo, salad, rolls, water and coffee. A $5.00 donation is suggested, but not required.

6:30pm - 30 minute worship service with communion.
Addiction Ministry Training
Saturday, November 16, 9:00am to 4:00pm
Transfiguration Lutheran Church
Transfiguration Lutheran Church in Bloomington is hosting a leadership training event, the first of a three part series, to a) help congregations determine what kind of addiction awareness ministry is best suited for their setting and b) provide the training and tools needed to initiate this specialized ministry.

The training involves an initial all day session for 2-4 key leaders (clergy, staff, laity) for each congregation with at least a pastor and layperson represented. Team leaders who attend the first event, then return to their congregations to do an addiction ministry survey and recruit other team members. The full team would then return for the team training event in February. Ongoing follow up support will be available.

Faith Partners ministry who have been training congregations in addiction ministry for nearly 25 years, will lead the training events. There is room for up to 10 congregations to participate. Cost per congregation is $575 which includes the three part series and supporting educational materials.

Contact Pastor Ed Treat for more information pastored@tlcmn.com , or click here to register: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DAAA92EA5F94-addiction
Coffee and Conversation invites you to a steaming cup of coffee with good friends and conversation. The session this coming Wednesday, November 6, will encourage a discussion on Elijah and Elisha.
Click Here to discover more about TLC's Early Learning Center.
"Girl on a Bridge"
ELC Photographer: Anja A.
Anja is 6-years-old and in her second year with the ELC Photo Club. This past summer the club went on a field trip to the Japanese Gardens at Normandale Community College. Anja was taking a picture of the red bridge and the blue water, saying how much she liked the different colors and how blue the water was. Another member of the Photo Club started across the bridge while Anja was taking photos and became a part of the picture. Thus, "Girl on a Bridge."
CROCKPOT RANCH
PORK CHOPS
COLD & FLU SEASON: WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STAY HEALTHY 
  • Know the facts. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or into your sleeve if you do not have a tissue available. 
  • Wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread that way.
  • Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
  • Get vaccinated. Vaccination is the best protection we have against flu.

Provided by Erin Pommeranz, TLC Community Health Minister
Source: Centers for Disease Control ( http://www.cdc.gov )
Back Issues of the TLC Weekly
including this issue (Today!)
[CLICK HERE] to visit the TLC web page where you can choose to read from the past 12 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. 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!
ALTAR FLOWERS
ONLINE ORDERING
There are still spots available
through December.
See the chart online or stop in
at the church office to order.

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!
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NOV-DEC 2019
TRANSCRIPTS
The quarterly publication
of TLC staff and event news

Now available for Online Viewing.

[Click Here] to view a pdf.

If you did not receive a copy in your USPS mail and would like a free subscription, [Click Here].
~~LINKS~~
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Comments and questions: TLCMedia@tlcmn.com