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TRANSFIGURATION LUTHERAN CHURCH
11000 France Ave. S. - Bloomington, MN 55431
Office: (952) 884-2364 (Also 24-hour Pastoral Emergency Service)
Office Open Monday-Thursday, 9:00am to 4:00pm
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Sunday's Gospel - John 6:51-58
Worship Services at 8:30am & 10:00am
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COVID Protocol
Wearing face coverings inside TLC is now required at all
services and indoor activities, regardless of vaccination status.
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Rob Reid Director of Music |
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Mission Gift Celebration
and a
Deeper Understanding of Jesus' Gifts of
His Body and Blood
Another wonderful service of worship awaits you at 8:30am or 10:00am (on-line or in-person) this Sunday, August 15, 2021. First, we celebrate the many ways that people outside the walls of TLC have been helped (or will be helped), specifically using the more than $70,000 in Mission Funds that were raised earlier this year, and the many organizations that benefited from our giving.
Then our worship turns toward the ways in which Jesus has given his grace to us, as we sing and hear his promises in scripture, in our message from Pastor Arthur, and in our hymns and songs led by Jill and Rob Reid, Nancy Shemanek and Kevin Erickson. Organist Carmen Englert is joined this week by her daughter Hope, who will play Timpani on the Prelude, Postlude and the hymns. Pastor Melanie will lead the kids in another delightful Time for Children, and we might also welcome a special Guest Liturgist this week, so come on over (or tune in) to see!
Blessings and Peace to you all,
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Pete Erickson Hired
Joins Staff as Part-Time Director of Youth and Family Ministry
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From Pastor Arthur:
I am very pleased to announce that the Council voted this week to approve the recommendation of TLC’s Youth and Family Transition Team (led by Linnea Anderson, Sandy Stooke and Youth Rep. Megan Muff) to offer Pete Erickson a one-year term contract as part-time Director of Youth and Family Ministry.
This one-year appointment meets several key needs:
- Continuity in a key staff role as we continue to negotiate an uncertain end to the pandemic.
- Exceptionally experienced leadership in youth ministry.
- An opportunity to bring the youth ministry staffing plan into alignment with the overall interim transition process which is projected to conclude in approximately one year.
Please join me in both thanking the CYF Transition Team for their exceptional dedication and faithful service in seeing this process through and in re-affirming our welcome to Pete Erickson as he shifts from an Interim Consultant role to Staff Member.
Welcome, Pete! We are grateful to God for you.
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Pete Erickson had been working with TLC in a temp position through our contract with Interserve Ministries.
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Pastor Melanie's New Book Now Available
in Paperback and Hardcover
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Twelve-year-old Rose Brutigan has grown seven inches in the last eight months. She’s always been different from her twin brother, Thomas, but now she towers over him in too many ways. The gap in their interests continues to widen as well.
Rose, a gifted cellist, is focused on winning the upcoming Bach Cello Suites Competition, while Thomas has taken up the challenge of growing a giant pumpkin in the yard of their elderly neighbor, Mr. Pickering.
When a serious accident changes the course of the summer, Rose is forced to grow and change in ways she never could have imagined. Along the way there’s tap dancing and classic musicals, mail-order worms and neighborhood-sourced compost, fresh-squeezed lemonade, ancient Japanese pottery, and the Minnesota State Fair—as well as an eclectic cast of local characters that you are sure to fall in love with.
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Did you know that Pastor Melanie is a book author, writing for children and young adults? She's a graduate of Hamline University’s MFA program in writing, has a charming website [here] and we're pleased to announce the availability of her book, Giant Pumpkin Suite at Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com. |
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Live-Stream Viewers
&
In-Person Attendance
Sunday, August 8, 2021
10:00am Service (only one service Sunday)
Live-Stream: 214 (week before: 192)
In-Person: 66 (week before: 29)
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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
Jane Kinyon
Joel Wigstadt
Barb Halverson
Kevin Erickson
Jerry Hanson
Jean Nyberg
Walt Thomsen
Irene Amon
Dunwiddie Family
Don Jacobson
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Judy Hanson
Ron Schultz
Ron Schroeder
Stephen Nushann
Dave Dickson
Gail Kleven
Deanna Juergen
Sharon McComb
Marilyn Rundberg
Nicole Towns
Ray Jones
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Please join us at the two Sunday morning worship services this Sunday as we see a short program showing the mission and outreach programs receive our donations and learn how they'll be used to help so many in distress and need. |
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That's us!
Please visit the VEAP website to learn more.
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Magical Stage - By Ben
Ben is 8 years old and this is his second year in the ELC Photo Club. Joining others earlier this summer on a field trip to Lake Harriet and the Band Shell, Ben loved the magical curves of the stage and was so happy about his perfect stage picture. "It's really a cool thing," he said.
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Pete Erickson
Interim Youth & Family Minister
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TLC Summer Ministry Opportunities – Get connected to what’s happening this SUMMER! Open to middle-school through high school youth.
Are you looking for a faithfully fun way to connect with your TLC friends this summer?
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- August 17 Pool Party, 5:30pm at Sandy Stooke’s. Cost: $5 for pizza.
You MUST register to participate – Here is a sign up for the above summer fun! Look forward to seeing you IN-PERSON at Sandy's!
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This Sunday, August 15
1:00pm to 4:00pm
Topic: Mission and Outreach
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Please mark your calendar for the remaining opportunities to engage. Young and old, new or long term member, let your voice be heard! The Body of Christ needs you! Don’t hide your light under a bushel!
PDF REPORTS FROM EVENTS TO DATE
Children, Youth and Family
Building and Property
Consolidated Care Ministry
Diversity and Neighbor Engagement
SCHEDULE
- May 23 – Children, Youth and Family (completed)
- June 27 – Building and Property (completed)
- July 11 – Seniors and Care Ministry (completed)
- July 18 – Diversity and Neighbor Engagement (completed)
- Aug 15 – Mission and Outreach
- Aug 22 – Financial Sustainability
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Who would think that our rain would be sent down on "Blessing of the Animals" Sunday? Maybe all would have gone well, as the rain had stopped and no more fell during the 10:00am service, but I surely hope there weren't any pets, just waiting, all groomed for viewing, but staying home. So glad we had two well-behaved dogs who received a blessing...They stood there by the altar so nicely. There was one other animal present, and at first I'd thought it looked like a tail-less squirrel, but no, it was a guinea pig; actually two guinea pigs, one in each child's hands. Those little pets did well at being up by the altar as well. Do animals sense when to behave sometimes? Kind of like people do, maybe? |
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There was a lovely baptism last Sunday as well. Such sweet little ones who didn't know quite what to expect, I suppose. How often do toddlers get lifted up, water splashed on their heads, and after the liturgy everyone applauds? It is so nice to welcome members, and also to see the church begin to fill up a bit more after this long quarantine. I pray that vaccination is the way out of this virus, and people realize that they need to get it done. The variants will be harder to avoid, so vaccination is essential.
Today, Bird Lady was thrilled to see two identical pileated woodpeckers at the same time, pecking away on opposite sides of one of our suet logs. We tried not to disturb them, as they were really into getting as much suet as they could. Then I spotted the white squirrel sitting on the curb across the street. He or she didn't leave our neighborhood at least. I wonder what that squirrel finds to eat in the middle of the street....I always think there's some garbage like newspaper lying out there and then it moves and "voila!" a clean, white squirrel will wiggle just enough so I know it's alive.
Take care now, and if you have a pet that didn't get blessed last Sunday, we could always find another Sunday. We did need the rain, that's for sure. In Californi, acres and acres are burning quickly, and homes along with them. Give thanks for our good fortune of being in Minnesota. It may be dry, with brown grass everywhere, but it's home and we love it.
-Bloomington Bird Lady
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Reverend Al Dungan is a retired Lutheran pastor. |
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Thoughts by
Reverend Al Dungan
~ ~ ~
Who Wrote the Bible?
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Seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine happened just as Joseph had predicted when he interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams. Pharaoh was so impressed by this that Joseph was raised in authority to become second only to Pharaoh in the land.
Because of Joseph’s program Egypt and her inhabitants had plenty to eat because he had stored the surplus in granaries all over the country.
But the smaller countries near Egypt had not known about this prediction and so, little by little, they began to come to the end of their grain supplies for making bread, which was a staple food for them.
Hearing about the plentiful grain supplies, Jacob sends 10 of Joseph’s brothers but keeps Benjamin with him for fear that something might happen to him.
When the brothers arrive they bow before Joseph (remember the dreams of Joseph where the sheaves of grain, and the sun, moon and stars representing his brothers and father bowed down to him). They were about to learn the results of their treachery to their brother.
Joseph, recognizing them, speaks roughly to them, first accusing them of being spies and then throws them into prison for 3 days where they began to realize that this was recompense for their sins of how they had treated their brother thought long dead. By clever questioning he learned that their father still lived and his brother Benjamin was in Canaan with him.
Finally, letting them out of prison, Joseph keeps one of them as a hostage and sends the other brothers home telling them not to return until they brought their brother back with them.
When the brothers returned with full grain sacks, including the money they had paid for the grain, they told their father that they couldn’t return until Benjamin went with them.
(For the full and very emotional story of the anguish of the brothers and their father, read Genesis 42:26-43:34)
Suffice it to say, they ran out of grain and with much pleading with their father, they returned to Egypt with their youngest brother.
Again, when Joseph saw them and Benjamin, he had to leave the room because he was so overwhelmed with affection for him that he had to leave the room and wept.
Returning he served them a fancy meal, giving Benjamin five times as much to eat as the rest of them. It was really looking like this powerful man was beginning to warm to them.
But…disaster lay just a little way down the road for them.
Next time: Joseph detains Benjamin for stealing his silver cup.
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Transfiguration Lutheran Church
Addiction Awareness
Team
-Our Mission-
This ministry exists to provide a safe environment for those seeking hope and restoration from addiction and codependency.
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There are numerous worthwhile articles and resources available online for those in or seeking recovery. We will occasionally feature and article, website, blog or podcast in this space, that we think provides valuable information. This week, we introduce you to SHE RECOVERS Foundation – a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity with a growing and evolving community currently consisting of more than 325,000 women in or seeking recovery from substance use disorders, other behavioral health issues and/or life changes. Their website offers online programs, articles, resources, and inspirational intentions and principles. https://sherecovers.org
“If I’ve learned anything over the past three decades of my own recovery – it is this. We are all recovering from something. Or many somethings.
This truth – that every one of us has a thing or two that we need to address to live our healthiest, happiest lives – is the absolute foundation of what SHE RECOVERS is about. The principle is intended to be hopeful – not depressing. For one thing, it levels the playing field because it connects us all. It reduces stigma because…well because everyone has a thing which means that everybody else’s thing is no big deal. This principle is as helpful as it is hopeful because when we share the same things, we can also share our strategies and solutions for recovering from them. Are you following me?
These days, the laundry list of things that I am recovering from is mostly manageable. At the moment, I consider myself in recovery from workaholism, anxiety and perfectionism with a lingering touch of codependency from my past thrown in to keep life interesting. Bonus points for you if can see how those four things might be inter-related. There may be more for me to work on but I’m just not looking for anything else to recover from right now. Not just because I’m too busy working, dealing with my anxiety and trying to be perfect for all the people I am in codependent relationships with but because…it’s just not necessary to be in recovery from all of the things at the same time. Not necessary and not actually recommended.
If you are trying to decide what you might be in recovery from today, please be gentle with yourself. Pick that one thing that – above and beyond all of the rest of the things – is causing you the most grief, holding you back, messing with your serenity, or – as I know might be true for some of you – is killing you or could kill you. Pick just that one thing. And come up with just one thing that you can do today to start to address it. Paying attention to what I am writing/saying here is a start to addressing it. Baby steps matter.”
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If you are new to recovery or are just interested in finding out what AA or NA meetings are all about, and would like for someone to attend a meeting with you for the first time, please contact our group. We are here to support and guide you!
- Chris Campo
- Dave Dickson
- Al Dungan
- Mary George
- Griffin Myslivecek
- Louise Olson
- Beth Rahn
- Rick Zeidler
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Click button above to experience additional details
about the upcoming October conference.
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More than 300,000 children in Minnesota live with food insecurity. When these children don’t have access to the free and reduced meal programs at school, they don’t have access to reliable food and the risk of hunger is very real. Every Meal works to fight hunger in our community by filling the gaps in food access that children face during weekends, summers, and extended breaks.
CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE
Since March 2020, Every Meal has responded to the skyrocketing increase in food insecurity in our community as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic by adapting our food gap programs to get food to children and families who need it most. To provide more meals to more children in our community, we need to raise more funds to expand our program to 550 schools, which account for 47% of school-age children in the state.
Thanks to community support, Every Meal has provided OVER 4.1 MILLION MEALS. We continue to adapt our work to meet the rising demand and need your continued support.
Every Meal will be there for children through the ongoing disruptions caused by COVID-19 and long after to help stabilize families.
NOTE: Through the generosity of TLC’s 1 + 1 Mission Campaign, a check for $7,000 has been given to Every Meal (formerly The Sheridan Story).
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TLC Memorial Garden
A place of peace and reflection, honoring and remembering those close to our hearts. Please click here to visit our website dedicated to those who have passed on -- from 2012 to the present. Each person -Saint- has a page with their obituary, video photo collage, the funeral service bulletin, homily, photo album, and in more recent years, a video of the entire funeral service that was held at TLC. |
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A Reconciling in Christ Congregation
A Culture of Diversity and Inclusion
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