Sunday's Gospel: John 2:13-22
Jesus Clears the Temple Courts
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Altar flowers this Sunday are given by Margaret Mattson
in loving memory of her husband, Don Mattson.
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Sunday, March 7: The Third Sunday in Lent
And: Welcome Back to TLC next week!
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Rob Reid
Director of Music
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As we move deeper into the season of Lent, we sing some of the heartfelt hymns that lift up the saving work of Jesus: “In the Cross of Christ I Glory,” “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us,” and “O Christ, Your Heart Compassionate.” We are grateful to organist Carmen Englert and the Socially Distanced Singers Mary George, Jill Reid, Kevin Erickson, Rob Reid for leading those hymns for us today, as well as the Psalm, Prayers and Responses. We will also hear beautiful Lenten pieces recorded in 2019 of the Chancel Choir and TLC Handbells. Pastor Melanie leads our Time for Children – where will Jesus be this week? And Pastor Eva will preach and preside over communion.
AND… Next week you have the opportunity to Worship AT TLC if you so choose! Sunday, March 14 at 8:30am TLC is starting the deliberate process of testing an “in-person” worship opportunity for a limited number of families or individuals. See the related article about this exciting news, and see if it feels right for you! The 10:00am service that day will still be pre-recorded and broadcast as per our usual practice.
“Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus” (Hymn 802)
Peace,
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Limited In-Person Worship Service at our TLC
Sunday, March 14, 2021
8:30am (Remember, we change to Daylight Saving Time)
IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ
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TLC is starting the deliberate process of testing an “in-person” worship opportunity for a limited number of families or individuals on March 14 at 8:30AM in the Sanctuary. This decision is consistent with current case counts in Hennepin County and TLC’s Covid Response plan which you can review here. We are currently in Phase 4 of the plan.
What you can expect:
- Masks and social distancing will be required.
- Communion will be provided in pre-packaged containers.
- In-person worshippers will be asked to listen and meditate to the hymns rather than singing.
- Service will be led by one pastor and one music minister.
- The service will not be livestreamed.
- The 10am service on March 14 will be pre-recorded and broadcast as per our usual practice.
- Nursery will not be provided. One room Sunday School will be available.
- Worshippers will be invited to exit the building on the conclusion of worship
Note: Please sign up as a household/covid bubble and include the name of every person who will be worshipping in the “comments” section of the form. Individuals may also register in the slots provided. IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WTH ON-LINE FORMS, FEEL FREE TO CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE AND SIGN UP FOR WORSHIP at 952-884-2364.
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The following list is ever-changing and some of the requests will change from week to week. If you are in need of prayer or have the name of someone you would like to add, please ask permission from that person first. Then, contact Marilyn Erickson, Care Ministry at 952-884-2364 ext. 10, or merickson@tlcmn.com.
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Dave Merrill
Dunwiddie Family
Keith Senn
Jane Kinyon
Joel Wigstadt
Larry Granger
Barb Halverson
Irene Johnson
Kevin Erickson
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Jerry Hanson
Jean Nyberg
Walt Thomsen
Irene Amon
Don Jacobson
Judy Hanson
Laurel Riippa
Carol Robbins
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Live-Stream Viewer Data
Last Sunday, February 28, 2021
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424+ viewers of the 10:00am worship service.
Percent watching on specified device:
- Computer 46.2%
- Smart TV 27.3%
- Mobile phone 17.4%
- Tablet 9.1%
HOLDEN WEDNESDAY VIEWERS: 112
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$60,000 or more is our GOAL!
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Since God has sufficiently provided for TLC’s internal needs for 2021, are we called to do more for those in greatest need?
The TLC member who raised this question, John Thomson, has presented us with a challenge. John believes so strongly in the responsibility of Christians to care for those in need, that he is offering to match all funds committed to Mission and Outreach (also known as Benevolence) by April 1, 2021 up to the amount of $30,000. This could lead to an additional commitment of $60,000 or more in benevolence giving in 2021.
If you are able to join this effort, responding to Christ’s invitation to love our neighbors as ourselves, please click here to complete a Pledge Form before April 1, 2021. The form is also available as a menu selection [1plus1] at tlcmn.com. If you have any preference as to how those funds are to be allocated, there is a check-list on the form of programs that have been involved with TLC in the past. Your input will help inform the recommendations of the Mission and Outreach Team.
Thank you for your prayers and your participation in the ministry of TLC.
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Meet one of TLC’s resident artists, Joan Einsmann. Her work is on virtual exhibit at the River Arts Alliance 2021 Member Exhibit and Showcase. Please click here to see the page with some of her works. If you would like to meet Joan or see more of her work you may contact her via the church directory or call the church office at 952-884-2364 for her number. She would love to hear from you. |
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TLC COVID RESPONSE TEAM
March 5, 2021 Update
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Here’s the latest from the team on how Covid-19 is impacting TLC ministries
(Current Case Count/10,000 people: 17.2)
The TLC Covid Response Team will be doing a regular update of both the case counts in Hennepin County as well as the impacts on ministry and programming at TLC. Here is the latest from the team:
- Case count/10,000 people is currently 17.2 in Hennepin Count.
- We are in Phase 4 of our response plan - the Covid Response Team will be addressing Program implications.
- Youth Ministry is open for hybrid activities with plans being made for phase 4
- Children’s Ministry will also be starting work on a hybrid schedule. It will be some monthly events and a monthly “Sunday School” potentially starting in April
- In-person worship will be scheduled when case count drops below 30 for two consecutive weeks. The tentative date for in-person worship is March 14.
[Editor’s note: You may view the daily case count at the following website. It takes several seconds to display all the data]
TLC COVID Response Team
Brown, Jeanine
Erickson, Pete
Jorschumb, Steve
Millford, Janice
Murray, Arthur
Olson, Louise
Reber, Michelle
Reid, Rob
Wenge, Karen
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Deepening our Relationships with God and One Another |
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Sundays in Lent (February 21– March 21)
9:30am –
Songs and Stories with Pastor Melanie on ZOOM
10:00am –
On-Line Worship at tlcgo.live
Wednesdays in Lent (February 24 – March 24)
6:00pm –
Story Time with Pastor Melanie on Facebook Live
Club 56 with Karen Wenge on Zoom. Any 5th or 6th Grader can join.
Holden Evening Prayer On-Line Worship
6:30pm –
Messages led by TLC Staff will amplify some of the many “Pathways to Prayer” Online at tlcgo.live
7:00pm –
Confirmation
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I Suppose We Made a Mess! |
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As a child, I always wanted to try dyeing Easter Eggs; My mom, being the church organist for over 37 years, was busy with getting her music ready, putting the titles into the bulletin for Easter Sunday, and practicing on the new pipe organ. The previous pump organ was not that easy either, as on communion Sundays, she'd come home, perspiring and tired from playing those long hymns. Dyeing Easter Eggs was not going to happen in our house.
My aunt, who lived just a block away, knew about fun things like wood burning kits, and of course, Easter Egg decorating. My two cousins and I sat in their breakfast nook---we each had a couple of cups for dunking the eggs, which were hard-boiled ahead of time. It was fun; I suppose we made a mess, but then my aunt didn't have to play in church. When you are involved with church music, you get used to paying more attention to what is important.... My own kids never dyed Easter Eggs either!
For several years we have traveled up to St. Catherine's Ukrainian Church on Palm Sunday for their buffet of ethnic food, most of which I can't spell or pronounce. One year we took then-bachelor, Rob Reid, with us, and we all lined up for beet borscht, and cabbage rolls, and wonderful desserts. There was music, lots of people eating, and on one side of the room older ladies were demonstrating Ukrainian Egg Dyeing. What a wonderful art that is. Birdman told me that giving those eggs away was begun long ago, when the rich people gave their servants eggs as a gift. Buying them now is quite expensive---from $5 to maybe $20, and the little stands to put them on cost probably $2. These eggs are not pre-boiled either, so when they get old and the yolk has dried out inside, they won't stand up nicely by themselves.
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Ukrainian embroidered shirt example; not Birdman's |
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During Lent we usually receive a card from St. Catherine's inviting us to come back for a lovely meal, bake sale, and drawings for prizes, like Ukrainian embroidery. I don't think that will happen this year. Large groups of people eating, talking, and buying desserts to take home? I hope that church has a "Plan B" for making extra money this year. Just one more event to be given up for Covid Carefulness. Birdman has his Ukrainian embroidered shirt that he wears on Palm Sunday. Everyone at St. Catherine's noticed he was wearing a rather nice, antique shirt... His grandparents were married in Kiev.
-Bloomington Bird Lady
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Minnesota Seniors is an amazing, FREE resource service for seniors as well as family caregivers who have questions and need answers. There is a wealth of information and help -- too numerous to list. [Click Here] and see for yourself.
It's something to do and you don't need to wear a mask while browsing.
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Why was the Bible Written?
A continuing series by Pastor Al Dungan
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Who Wrote The Bible?
Now that we have taken a bit of a detour with the question, Why Was the Bible Written? we can go back to the basic question of Who Wrote the Bible?
First, a little background:
Christians know that the New Testament is basically divided into four sections: 1) The four Gospels (a record of sorts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus) 2) The Acts of the Apostles (a brief history of the early Church) 3) The letters (epistles) to the early church (written by Paul and others) 4) The Apocalypse of John, better known as Revelation, which has been a “head scratcher” for Christians from the time of John of Patmos (probably in the early 2nd century after the resurrection of Jesus) until the present day. We may want to explore this one more at another time.
Did you also know that the Hebrew Scriptures, which was the Bible of Jesus and his early followers, (our Old Testament) is divided into three sections: 1) Torah or The Teaching (the five books of Moses which are Genesis through Deuteronomy) 2) The Prophets (Nevi’im) which are subdivided into a) the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings; and b) the Latter Prophets which includes all the rest beginning with Isaiah and ending with Malachi 3) The Writings (Ketuvim).
The Former Prophets include the 700 years of history of Israel from the time Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan until the exile of the Judeans in Babylon.
The Latter Prophets are those who left writings in their own names from the 8th to the 5th century BC.
Then there are The Writings. These are “books” which are for the edification and spiritual growth of those who read them. They are Ruth, Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles.
Wow! That opens the door to a whole bunch of stuff that I’ll bet most of you didn’t even know existed. And, for some, as I open this up, it may be a bit disturbing because, like me who was raised to have particular beliefs about the Bible, you did too.
Not to worry. What I’ll be relating in this and following articles is the work of many very legitimate biblical scholars who spent years searching for the best possible understanding of what this most amazing collection of writings has to say to us in our day and our time.
Next time: How Torah came to be.
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TLC's
Addiction Awareness Team
Update
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Mission: “This ministry exists to provide a safe environment for those seeking hope and restoration from addiction and codependency.” |
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Mindfulness
There is no better time to begin – or to renew – the habit of mindfulness or meditation than during the season of Lent. Mindfulness or other meditative approaches can serve an important role in living a more peaceful, connected life. This is especially true for those persons in recovery. Mindfulness is the art of being present in our own lives. It’s a gentle way of opening our mind to greater awareness; to a truer, deeper understanding of our self and our world. Studies have shown that mindfulness activities can actually reshape our brain in positive ways, improving physical and mental health and promoting overall wellbeing. It can help tame anxiety, provide a greater self-awareness, and help us acknowledge and cope with emotions that may not be rooted in reality.
One of the strengths of mindfulness is that we can practice it any time, any place. These five core practices are a good way of getting started:
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Be Present – Focus on the present moment and open your eyes to the reality of now.
- Focus on the Breath – Instead of getting upset by external things over which we have little control, we can center our attention on our breathing and use our body’s natural healing powers to manage stress. Breathe in for the count of 1-2-3-4-5 and breathe out for the count of 1-2-3-4-5.
- Recognize Your Thoughts as Thoughts – Whether we notice them or not, our thoughts are the driving force behind our feelings and actions. Become aware of your thoughts and let go of false assumptions, misconceptions, and unfounded beliefs that work against you.
- Expand Your Circle of Compassion – When we feel emotionally connected, we thrive mentally and physically. Try thinking in terms of “us” and not “them.” All beings deserve loving kindness because we are all part of the greater whole.
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Be Still – It is in stillness not in continual activity, that we are free to discover our own personal truths that give meaning and purpose to our life. Allow yourself to become a human being instead of a human doing.
Excerpt from “5 Mindfulness Practices to Step Up Your Recovery,” Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
May you find peace and connectedness in your daily journey.
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- Chris Campo
- Dave Dickson
- Al Dungan
- Mary George
- Griffin Myslivecek
- Louise Olson
- Beth Rahn
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NLC Virtual Hymn Festival: Hope Lives!
Join the National Lutheran Choir and guest artists, the Keith Hampton Singers, for a FREE virtual program blending spoken reflections, songs and familiar hymns of joy and hope with new music that speaks to our present time, inviting all people of faith to sing in joy together!
Sunday, March 14 @ 4pm (Central Daylight Time) @ NLCA.com
This online presentation is FREE for all. For a Virtual Subscription to exclusive content ($10/month), visit NLCA.com
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What a great kick-off for our Mission of the Month
After Taylor English built our new bins, he spurred on donations and delivered 205 lbs. of food to VEAP this week. Big thanks to Taylor and his Eagle Scout project!
Now let's fill the bins with these most needed items all month long:
- Baking essentials, flour, sugar, cake mixes, cooking oil, frostings
- Laundry detergent
- Personal care items, shampoo, toothpaste, soap, shaving cream
- Paper products, toilet paper, paper towels, napkins
- Gluten free products, whole grains, brown rice, wild rice and rice crackers (check labels for gluten free)
- Whole grain/bran cereals, shredded wheat, Kashi, Chex
- Paper bags are needed-not plastic
And remember, $10 donated equals food for 30 meals
Collection bins are in TLC's west entrance, 9:00am-3:00pm, Monday through Thursday.
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Pastor Melanie Heuiser Hill
Interim Youth & Family Support
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Pete Erickson
Interim Youth & Family Minister
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TLC Passion Story – CALLING ALL FAMILIES! Good Friday Service
We would love to include your family in the “Passion Story” video which will be at the Good Friday service .
Families can take part on the following ways:
- Dress up and present a scene from the script – Record this on your phone (horizontally)
- Read Narrator parts (scripture verses) – Record on your phone (horizontally)
Once your family decides on the scene you’d like to record, you can stop by church and pick up the props/costumes for that specific scene – props will be ready by March 8. NOTE: ALL VIDEO RECORDINGS NEED TO BE EMAILED TO PETE BY Friday, March 26th.
If you’d like to sign up, here is the link to the “TLC Passion Story”. If you have trouble with the link, feel free to reach out to me and indicate which role you’d like to fill. We are looking forward to the many gifts that will be shared you! If you have questions about any of this, please reach out to me.
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The Church office is staffed with Marilyn Erickson and Michelle Reber, available Monday through Thursday, 9:00am - 4:00pm. Please call ahead for an appointment, wear masks, use hand sanitizer (available at the entrance to the office) and practice social distancing during your visit.
Please call: (952) 884-2364. If no answer, you may listen to a recording of staff names and phone extensions to select and leave a specific message.
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Committees - Ministries - Small Groups
WRITE YOUR OWN ARTICLE
FOR THE TLC WEEKLY
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Thanks to the Faith, Fact and Fiction Book Club, the K3P3 group, Stephen Ministry, Welcome Diversity Team, Global Health Ministry, Coffee and Conversation, the Nutty Knotters (TLC Quilters), Memory Bear Group, and Linda Meyer for submitting photos and stories to the TLC Weekly.
Other committees, groups and ministries, we want to hear from you! Share your stories with the TLC community.
Are you meeting?
How have you adapted your meetings to keep everyone safe?
What projects are you working on?
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Send a story and some photos to tlcmedia@tlcmn.com and we will share your news in the TLC Weekly. Be sure to provide names of people in your photos.
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ONLINE GIVING HELPS SUPPORT TLC
It’s important to know that we can depend on financial support from TLC members. Online 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 top of any page, or [Click Here] to start the process, or contact the church office. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!
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Free Subscriptions, sign up to be a volunteer,
request care ministry and more!
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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.
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A Reconciling in Christ Congregation
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A Culture of Diversity and Inclusion |
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