Lord of Life Compass November/December 2023

C O M P A S S Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Maple Grove, MN November/December 2023

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

7401 County Road 101, Maple Grove, MN 55311-4313 Visit lordoflife.org/staff for a full staff listing with photos.

Prayer requests may be submitted to prayernetwork@lordoflife.org.

Contemplative Advent Worship

3

Welcome

4-5

In Search of Peace

6-7

Embracing the Incarnation

8-9

Healing

lordoflife.org

office@lordoflife.org

Gratitude & Thanksgiving Worship 10-11 Christmastime Celebrations

/lordoflifelutheran /lolcyf

Family Advent Calendar 12-13 Giving & Serving

Baptisms & Bereavements 14-15 Weddings & Welcome /lordoflifeluth

RIP Medical Debt Campaign 16-17

November / December 18-19

Daring to say, “Enough!”

Calendar of Events

/lordoflife /cyf_lordoflife

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Holiday Table Prayers

Compass is a bimonthly ministry from Lord of Life Lutheran Church (ELCA). Paper is the most sustainable natural resource. After reading, please recycle or share with a friend or neighbor inviting them to Lord of Life’s community of faith. You don’t need to be a member to receive Compass. To receive it in the mail and/or electronically, call 763.420.5015 or email bevm@lordoflife.org. Credits: Creative Market, Lightstock, Unsplash.

Copyright © 2023 Lord of Life Lutheran Church

WELCOME Turkey (or tofu for any vegans out there), stuffing, and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Lighting the wreath every evening in Advent. Visiting family, opening presents, and going to worship on Christmas. There are countless traditions we value during this time of year!

Although some of our traditions seem like they’ve been around forever, they had to start somewhere. The joke in the life of the church is that if you do something once, it’s a tragedy. If you do it twice, it’s a tradition. While that’s not strictly true, it does speak to our caution around new ideas, habits, or behaviors. It also speaks to our desire for familiar, and life-affirming routines.

I hope you’re able to enjoy your meaningful traditions this year. I also hope that God emboldens you to try something new, something that could become a meaningful tradition. It could even be something highlighted in this issue of Compass. Embracing gratitude more deeply. Trusting that God always provides enough. Contributing to life-giving ministries.

Worshiping in new and thoughtful ways.

And whether it’s a tradition or a tragedy, you can hold onto the promise that God is right there in the midst of it all.

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CONTEMPLATIVE IN

SEARCH

MOST

OF

ADVENT

PEACE

WONDERFUL

WORSHIP—

DURING

TIME

OF

THE

THE

YEAR

by Pastor Karen Wight Hoogheem (karenwh@lordoflife.org)

Admitting it feels rebellious. Saying it aloud feels dangerous. Writing it for a church magazine seems kind of strange. But I’m going to do it anyway: The holidays are not the most wonderful time of the year for me. The holiday music takes up a lot of space in my already busy mind. All the food overwhelms me. And the frantic pace of keeping up with it all is too much.

I long for an invitation to slow down, enjoy some quiet, nurture deep connections, and experience real, meaningful peace at Christmastime. I long to be reminded of God’s presence amid the flurry of the holiday season.

Like many of you, I am careful to set aside time to be with God most days of the week. But, in the shortest days of winter and with the pressure of meeting holiday expectations, that feeling of peace—of being grounded in God’s love—can escape me more quickly than I want.

It’s nice to sit by the glow of the Christmas tree lights. That kind of peace is quite lovely. But I notice that I want to share the contemplative side of Christmas with other people. I long for a quiet community who is in search of God’s peace together.

To bring some serenity to the season, Lord of Life will host Taizé worship on Sunday evenings. It will be a simple, meditative form of worship, calling us to notice Christ’s presence around and within us. Candlelight, calm pauses, and beautiful melodies with simple lyrics will invite us into a contemplative atmosphere. Healing prayer with a special anointing of scented oil will be available to all who long for relief from the burdens of life. I hope you will consider this invitation to a contemplative worship experience with others in your faith community.

In the 1965 animated television special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Linus captures the feeling I long for at Christmas time. He walks out on stage, holding his blanket, and says simple words about Jesus from Luke’s gospel: “The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’ ” Linus proclaims that Jesus is born for all people. In the midst of it all, we have nothing to fear. Christ is born for you and for me.

A Taizé song invites us to sing: “Come and fill our hearts with your peace. You alone are holy.” In the season of Advent, we wait for God’s peace to be born in our lives and in this world. We slow down frantic schedules for some good self-care. To sit quietly together, in the soft glow of a candle, to sing and wait for the Christ child to be born in us.

Together, we will become more aware of the love and peace of Christ that is for all people.

Being in Christ’s presence opens us to the sacredness of our daily lives, including all the holiday shopping, presents, music, food, lights, football games, concerts, and parties.

In the spirit of Advent, I offer this as a closing prayer. May its words give you a sense of God’s healing presence in your life and in our world.

Oh God, you are over all, in all, beyond all. Open my eyes to see the wonders that surround me; open my heart to know the wonders of my brothers and sisters; open my lips to sing your praise.

Restore all people in your image and likeness. In and through Christ, Amen. ~ a prayer from Contemplative Outreach

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WH E N: November 26, December 3, 10, & 17 at 7-7:30 pm WH E R E: Lord of Life Sanctuary WH O : People in search of a calm, peaceful place to rest during the busy weeks before Christmas.

WH AT: Taizé worship, candlelight, quiet pauses, meaningful readings, a simple message, and healing prayer.

WH Y: Re-connect with yourself and the Holy Spirit in community with other people who long for peace.

Join Lord of Life as we pause simply to be in God’s quiet presence during a busy season of holiday shopping, parties, music, and preparation. We trust the promise of Advent: Christ can bring your spirit­— and the world— lasting peace, joy, hope, and love.

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E M B R A C I N G

T H E

I N C

by Communications Executive Director Sarah Lee (sarahl@lordoflife.org)

I love the poet Mary Oliver, and one of my favorite poems is also one of her most well-known—Wild Geese. I often think about the first few lines: You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.

Although drawn to it when I first encountered this poem, I struggled with the message. Aren’t I supposed to be good?

Shouldn’t I repent? Aren’t I supposed to practice self-control against the desires of my body?

Perhaps. But I think Mary Oliver is trying to remind us that our bodies, our lives, do not simply exist for deprivation or asceticism, that our bodies are made to experience pleasure.

It’s easy to separate our spirituality from our body, to imagine that our soul is somehow disconnected from our physical beings. Thankfully, though, when we start to think this way, we can look to one of the most central tenets of our faith—the incarnation.

John 1:14 reminds us, “the Word became flesh and lived among us.” Jesus entered into our world in all the same physicality that we share today. That God chose to be with us and live in this world not in abstraction, but in flesh and bone, is an affirmation of the goodness and rightness of our bodies, an affirmation that the fullness of life—the life that Jesus demonstrated for us and with us—includes our bodies.

One of my favorite stories from the life of Jesus is in Mark 4.

Jesus and his disciples are in a boat crossing the sea and the weather starts to turn; waves are beating the sides of the boat and water is coming in. The disciples are freaking out, but where is Jesus? Just casually having a nap in the back of the boat, seemingly oblivious to the raging storm around him. He even has a pillow to make things more comfortable (did he plan ahead for this nap and bring a pillow just for this moment?). The disciples wake Jesus up, he calms the storm, and all is well.

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I love that Jesus is so unbothered by this storm he doesn’t even feel the need to get up until the disciples rouse him.

The needs of his body come first.

Too often, instead of listening to the desires and needs of our bodies, we fight against them. We forgo a full night’s sleep so we can get more work done, we don’t have time to make a meal so we grab whatever smorgasbord of food we can find and eat it on the go. True, we may not have the ability to calm the chaos around us with a simple word when things go wrong, but can we trust that if Jesus prioritized his bodily needs, it is valuable for us to do so as well? What if we viewed listening to our bodies as a spiritual practice?

Of course, there are times when we need to practice selfcontrol and avoid excess, but we don’t have to deny the goodness of our bodies and all that we get to experience through them in the process. We live in a world with warm chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven, the crunch of fall leaves under our feet, the weight of a purring cat on our lap—let’s revel in that goodness!

Whatever the state of your body, whatever abilities you do or do not have, your body is an integral part of who you are.

Maybe one way to celebrate the incarnation is to celebrate our bodies and all the complications that come with them, to take a step towards wholeness by embracing the bodies we’ve been given, no matter what they look like or the things they need.

C A R N A T I O N “...we may not have the ability to

calm the chaos around us with a simple word when things go wrong, but can we trust that

if Jesus prioritized his bodily needs, it is valuable for us to do as well?

What if we viewed

listening to our bodies as a

spiritual practice?”

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H E A L I N G :

Tending to Body, Mind, and Spirit

by Pastor LisaMarie Doerrmann (lisamaried@lordoflife.org)

When we can talk about healing, we need to consider human wholeness. Our health and well-being are intrinsically connected to our physical, mental, spiritual and communal life. When we have an injury that impacts our well-being, we need to heal from that injury. If we are sick or injured, we seek medical care. When we experience trauma to our mental well-being or relationships with others, we can seek help from a specialized therapist. And when our spiritual being is hurt, we seek help through our spiritual community—our siblings in Christ, our church.

This understanding of human wholeness means that concern for health should attend to the physical, mental, spiritual, and communal dimensions of a person’s entire being. Health is good for its own sake; it also is good for living abundantly in relationship with God and in loving service to our neighbor in the vocations to which God has called us.

Healing is restoration of wholeness and unity of body, mind, and spirit. Healing addresses the suffering caused by the disruption of relationships with God, with our family, neighbors, and with ourselves. When we limit healing to illness and disease, we miss the deeper dimensions of healing through restoration with God. Lord of Life offers various opportunities to support restoring to human wholeness: Support groups are available for those who are seeking a community and healing.

Lord of Life hosts and sponsors various support groups: GriefShare, Alone. . .Together, Celebrate Recovery, AA and Al-Anon, and cancer support. Information about these groups can be found at lordoflife.org/support.

Prayer support is available. The Prayer Network prays for individuals and families, members, relatives, and friends, who submit a prayer request (prayernetwork@lordoflife.org). Some specific petitions can be included in the “prayers of the church” during worship. More information about prayer resources can be found at lordoflife.org/pray.

Pastors are available to meet with individuals and families to discuss spiritual needs, and to provide referrals to professionals as needed. Contact the church office (763.420.5015 or office@lordoflife.org) if you are in need of pastoral care.

Healing is incorporated into worship. We heal our spirit through confession and forgiveness as part of worship. Services of healing are offered at various times throughout the year. This December, we will incorporate healing during Advent services by offering anointing with oil and blessings.

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The loss of a loved one is also a journey that involves healing. In support of ongoing healing, Lord of Life’s annual Service of Remembrance is planned for Sunday, November 5, at 7 pm.

Whether losing a loved one last month or years ago, all are invited to remember those who have gone before us into eternal life. In John 11:25, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” We will lift Lord of Life members and those whose funerals Lord of Life pastors have done, who have passed since our last Remembrance Service in 2022. We will gather to continue our healing journey through scripture, a message of hope, in the gift of Holy Communion, and honoring the memories of our loved ones.

For more details, connect with Michelle Tomlinson at 763.420.5015 x118 or michellet@lordoflife.org.

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“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

—Melody Beattie

Advent + Christmas

by Brian Schroeder (brians@lordoflife.org)

There’s so much music in the air around Christmastime! Here are some of the songs I turn to in this season. With themes of Advent and Christmas, these songs offer some meaningful reflections on the birth of Jesus. Most of the tracks in this playlist are part of full albums, so I suggest you check those out if you find a favorite. I hope these songs deepen your faith during this season.

Joy to the World–The World–The Liturgists Mvmt II: “Begin and Never Cease”–The Cease”–The Oh Hellos Oh Light–Gungor Light–Gungor Christmas Hymn–Praytell Hymn–Praytell Snow–Sleeping Snow– Sleeping at Last Mother of God–The God–The Brilliance Infant Holy, Infant Lowly–The Lowly–The Porter’s Gate Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus–Page Jesus–Page CXVI Hark!–Tow’rs Hark!– Tow’rs Come Light Our Hearts–Sandra Hearts–Sandra McCracken All Glory Be to Christ–Emilie Christ–Emilie Weiss Find this playlist on Lord of Life’s Spotify page or use the qr code at right.

CANTATA

by Deric Craig (dericc@lordoflife.org)

Happy Thanksgiving!

All are welcome to worship on Wednesday, November 22 at 7pm for a Thanksgiving Eve service with pie served afterward— welcome to the table!

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What is it about Handel’s Messiah that it continues to be one of the most performed works in classical repertoire? Never intended for the church service, it is a brilliant mix of styles including Italian (recitative), French (overture), English (anthem) and German (fugal) influences. Handel was, after all, a man of the world. Messiah is like a prism with all the colors coming through in the telling of the story. Musically speaking, it is this diversity that seems to captivate audiences even today.

Composed in what scholars believe to have been a state of creative ecstasy, he completed the score in a remarkable 24 days. After completing the work’s most famous chorus, Handel wrote “Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I know not. God knows.’’ The original work includes 53 sections and runs over three hours. Most performances incorporate around 30 sections to keep it to around two hours. Fitting it into our church worship service required cutting it down to just 17 sections of what—we hope—will include a favorite or two of all the audience members!

Playlist

Bake

&

Craft

Sale

As an event to raise funds for ministries and mission trips, come to the Lord of Life Bake & Craft Sale! After the December 9 Handel’s Messiah Cantata, doors will open and the shopping will begin. Also on December 10, between the morning worship Cantatas and after the 11am performance, shopping will continue.

Thank you for your generosity!

For more information and if you are interested in participating, contact Connie at cluebke40@comcast.net.

December 9-10 All Worship Services Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 8:30, 9:45, 11am

Handel’s Messiah Cantata

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Children, Youth & Family—

Advent Calendar

Dec. 24

Dec. 17 - 23

Dec. 10 - 16

Dec. 3 - 9

Nov. 26 - Dec. 2

Scripture Sunday

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As a family, read: Luke 1:26-38 Take turns sharing something that captures your attention from the reading.

As a family, read: Mark 1:1-8 Take turns sharing something that captures your attention from the reading.

As a family, read Isaiah 9:2-7 Take turns sharing something that captures your attention from the reading.

As a family, read Luke 1:39-55 Take turns sharing something that captures your attention from the reading.

As a family, read: Luke 2:1-14 Take turns sharing something that captures your attention from the reading.

Make it Monday

Talk to God Welcome Tuesday Wednesday Invite a friend to Parent Night Out!

Make dinner as a family. While eating, ask each person what they are looking forward to with family this Christmas.

Pray as a family and have each person thank God for a special Christmas memory.

Make a nativity scene out of things you find in your house.

Pray as a family and have each person ask God for one thing they hope will happen this Christmas and in the new year.

Invite someone to attend the Christmas Cantata (concert) at Lord of Life this weekend.

Make cookies to share and include a heart-warming note.

Pray as a family and have each person ask God to help someone in need.

Invite someone to family movie night on December 16 at 6:30pm. lordoflife.org/ movienight

Make a Christmas ornament and hang it on your tree.

Pray as a family and have each person thank God for something that brings them joy.

Friday, December 8, 6-9pm

Thankful Thursday

Festive Friday

Send a thank you note to someone who has helped you learn about God.

Take turns playing your favorite Christmas songs at the dinner table.

Send a thank you note to someone you look up to, such as a teacher, leader, or coach.

Watch a Christmas movie you’ve never seen.

Send a thank you note to a family member who makes you feel loved.

Wear something festive today (Christmas sweater, socks, hat, etc.)!

Collect loose change to be given to a charitable cause.

Take a drive as a family to look at Christmas lights.

When it snows (and it doesn’t have to be a Saturday), go out and shovel a neighbor’s driveway.

lordoflife.org/pno

lordoflife.org/ christmas

Invite someone to attend a Christmas Eve service at Lord of Life with your family.

Send a thank you note to a friend who brings you joy.

lordoflife.org/ christmas

Merry Christmas!

Service Saturday Donate a “Christmas Bag of Joy” to Mobile Hope. lordoflife.org/ mobilehope

Donate a toy to CROSS Services. crossservices.org

Give & Serve 3,000 Ac ts of Personal care items to

Kin dn e

ss

be used in hygiene kits

rve t to Se r a e AH

Do you enjoy sharing a smile

are being collected now

& greeting people? Volunteer

through November 19. For

opportunities for worship,

more details on this giving

music, and children, youth & family ministries abound during

& serving initiative, visit

the holidays and all year ‘round.

lordoflife.org/kindness. It’s

Visit lordoflife.org/volunteer

a great way to care about

to learn about hospitality, ushering, and many other roles

the community!

to serve in making Lord of Life a

Stay tuned for more details on the next FMSC Mobile Pack. It will be during the month of February; the partnership location will be St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Maple Grove!

s of Joy s Bag a tm Right in our own backyard,

Chr is

dM Fee

gC arvin t S y

vibrant faith community!

(FMSC) hildren

give to & serve our neighbors in a mobile home community!

Give one or more gift bags or serve by delivering bags. Visit lordoflife.org/mobilehope for more details!

See Pages 18-19 for holiday worship times and for details, visit lordoflife.org/christmas!

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At Lord of Life, we baptize individuals at any age. To schedule a baptism, call the church office (763.420.5015) or visit lordoflife.org/baptism.

The next baptism classes are November 6 and December 4.

BAPTISMS August 5, 2023 Liam Matthew Carlson August 6, 2023 Mikayla Elaine Janneke August 12, 2023 Archer David Peterson Andrew Elias Segar Brycen Michael Sorensen August 13, 2023 Haddie Kay Boehm Otto Thomas Grant August 14, 2023 Henry Rainier Hanninen August 20, 2023 Colette Lee Fruci August 26, 2023 Ella Sophia Gohman

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August 27, 2023 Kendrick James Busch Beckham Scott Doman Phillip Connor Johnson August 31, 2023 Skyler Rose Gavin September 3, 2023 Beckham Charles Andrew September 17, 2023 Owen Scott Klesk Maxwell Henry Rego Owen Jeffrey Rego September 24, 2023 Makenna Jean Rickert

BEREAVEMENTS

WEDDINGS

Prayers of sympathy for those grieving the loss of a loved one, may they be comforted in the promise of the resurrection.

August 19, 2023 Madelyn Ruemping & Brandon Guenther September 1, 2023 Kayla Kryzer & TJ Ruen September 16, 2023 Alicia Graham & Jason Chisato Rodvik September 22, 2023 Shirley McMahon & Rick Antin

Elaine, Mike, and Kim Asmussen and families at the death of their mother and grandmother, Audrey Jensen David Digatono and family at the death of his sister Laura Dirks and family at the death of her father Douglas Evans and family at the death of his wife, Judy Evans Marissa Fraley and family at the death of her mother, Mary Loaney Jean, Eric, and Mike Gilles and families at the death of their husband and father, Bob Gilles Jenny Horton and family at the death of her mother Jackie Irene and family at the death of her husband, Gary Irene Mary Krausert and family at the death of her husband, Charlie Krausert Jeff & Lindsay Lundgren and families at the death of their sister, Kelly Wallen Ken Roelofs and family at the death of his wife, Mavis Roelofs Diane Sjolander and family at the death of her mother, Dorene Fischer

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Kevin & Lisa Anderson with Ashley, Colin, Della, and Zane Larry & Lynn Anderson Jamie Harris Mary Krausert Randee & Karen Kyrola Laura Menning Kent & Tess Schroeder Jim & Patti Watkins

Membership at Lord of Life means you make a commitment to be an active participant in congregational life. The expectation—of not only new members, but all members—is to worship regularly, grow in faith, serve others, and support the church and its programs financially. For more information, contact Diane Steffen (dianes@lordoflife.org or 763.420.5015) or visit lordoflife.org/membership. You are invited to become a part of the Lord of Life faith community.

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GRATEFUL Stories of Medical Debt Forgiveness

by Bev Mello (bevm@lordoflife.org)

“I don’t have a credit card and I’ve never taken out loans. As a single parent, I’ve done everything I can to stay away from debt. But that day, I had to go to the hospital. I remember walking with my friend to the bus stop, when I suddenly felt dizzy. An ambulance came and took me in for examination. I thought I had insurance at the time, but the hospital told me I didn’t. Hopefully with this relief my credit score will go up and we can finally get our own place. Thank you!”

—Rochelle “Thank you for settling my [medical] debt. It brought tears to my eyes knowing there are still people out there who care and pay it forward to help others in need. I feel very blessed and humbled.” —Raymond “Thank you so very much for helping me out truly. I’ve been battling cancer for years now and this has been such a true blessing. I thank you tremendously.”

—Jennifer These testimonials from Rochelle, Raymond, and Jennifer demonstrate how grateful they were after they had learned their medical debt was paid in full.

Does anyone know what the future brings—especially when it comes to health and wellness? It’s an unknown. Life’s journey may get very scary for those with medical conditions or for those who may have insurance yet all of the bills total more than the insurance coverage. As stated on RIP Medical Debt’s website, it is a uniquely American injustice.

Since 2019, the Lord of Life faith community has partnered with RIP Medical Debt and a new campaign is beginning. Medical debt relief reduces mental and financial distress for millions of people. Put Jesus’ “Love your neighbor” command into action and be a part of this initiative to make a difference!

For summaries on Lord of Life’s past campaigns—including media coverage, information about THEE Alliance, and to contribute to this campaign—visit lordoflife.org/medicaldebt.

Campaign:

November 18December 17

Focus: Focus:

Minnesota

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Goal: $75K to eliminate $8.4M, if $89K raised, will eliminate $10M

Daring to say, “Enough!”

by Pastor Joel Wight Hoogheem (joel@lordoflife.org)

One thing you will never hear from a television ad, a billboard, a sponsored social media post, or any other form of advertisement is this question: Don’t you think you have enough? We are saturated in a culture of more, a culture of never enough. Have last year’s fashions? You need more clothes. Have an old iPhone? You need the new one.

Have a vehicle with only fourteen cupholders? You need one with fifteen.

This quest for more has a deep spiritual aspect to it. If we buy into a culture of more (pun intended) and allow ourselves to think that we don’t have enough and can never have enough, then we call God’s generosity into question. Yet if we are willing to step back and say, “Enough,” we open ourselves to a deeper and more meaningful life that focuses on our relationships with God and one another while putting our material possessions and money into proper perspective.

In his book Enough: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity, Adam Hamilton writes, “As human beings, we were created with the need to be generous. When we are not generous in giving of what we have, we have not only a financial problem but also a spiritual problem [and] over time we become self-absorbed, money-consumed, joyless people.”

This is where we have typically gotten it wrong. We tend to think that our contributions to the church are based on the church’s need to receive. That’s a secondary concern at best. At the heart of any of our giving is our need to give. Again, as Hamilton says, “We were created with the need to be generous.” He continues, “Generosity changes us, filling us with joy and filling our lives with blessings.”

This means, for instance, that the financial health of Lord of Life (or any other congregation) comes from its spiritual health, and not vice versa. If our willingness to trust God is exhibited by embracing our need to give, the finances of the church will never be in question. Issues only arise when we short-circuit our own spiritual health and hoard God’s abundance. That hoarding, however, leads to a joylessness that permeates the whole of our lives.

It’s a risk, of course, to say that we have enough. That’s just not how the world works. In Jesus, however, we get a picture of the upside-down reign of God where the last shall be first, the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and enemies are to be loved.

As Christians, we are not called to keep up with the Joneses. We are called to follow Jesus. It’s not as flashy as the latest gizmo, but there is no planned obsolescence to God’s love and care. God always generously provides enough. Our faithful response is to grow in our generosity for the sake of the world. And rather than worrying about not having enough, we can live with joy.

Please prayerfully consider your 2024 financial commitment to Lord of Life. Commitment cards may be made be mailed in, returned in the offering plate at worship, or dropped off at the main office. Another convenient option is to make your commitment online with direct debit at lordoflife.org/give. Visit that website location for more details. Thank you for supporting Lord of Life’s mission and ministries!

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N O V E M B E R 2 OWLs (Older Wiser Lutherans) Faith, Food & Fellowship (11:45am) 4-11 Dominican Republic Dental Mission Trip 5 Service of Remembrance (7pm) 6 Baptism Class via Zoom (5-6pm) 9 CROSS fleece tie blankets (9:30-11:30am and 1-3pm) 10-12 Family Retreat at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin 13 Brewed Theology (formerly Connect Life), OMNI Brewing (7pm) 22 Thanksgiving Eve Worship (7pm, see Page 10) 26 Contemplative Advent Worship (7pm, see Pages 6-7)

Everybody Get Ready!

Sunday, December 17 at all services, Church School will help everybody get ready for Christmas. Children will read and sing.

Those attending will receive a special take-home

Visit lordoflife.org or call the church office (763.420.5015) for the most up-to-date

Advent activity. Lord of Life’s Children and Youth Choirs will also sing! Services are at 8:30, 9:45, and 11am.

calendar items and recurring events.

Worship with Lord of Life

Saturdays(5:30pm) (5:30pm) with Saturdays withLivestream Livestream Sundays (8:30, 11am)with withLivestream Livestream Sundays (8:30,9:45, 9:45, and and 11am) Church School age two - sixth grade during regular Sunday worship Childcare available for birth - age two during Sunday worship Childcare available for birth - age two during regular Sunday worship 18

D E C E M B E R 3 4 7 8 9

Contemplative Advent Worship (7pm, see Pages 6-7) Baptism Class via Zoom (5pm) OWLs (Older Wiser Lutherans) Faith, Food & Fellowship (11:45am) Parent Night Out (6-9pm) Christmas Cantata: Selections from Handel’s Messiah (5:30pm, see Pages 10-11) Craft & Bake Sale (See Page 11) 10 Christmas Cantata: Selections from Handel’s Messiah (8:30, 9:45, and 11am, see Pages 10-11) Craft & Bake Sale (See Page 11) Contemplative Advent Worship (7pm) 11 Brewed Theology (formerly Connect Life), OMNI Brewing (7pm) 16 Family Movie Night (6:30pm) 17 Christmas Family Worship (see opposite page) Contemplative Advent Worship (7pm) 21 OWLs, Old Log Theater (10:30am-3:45pm) 23 Travelers Christmas Worship (5:30pm) 24 Christmas Eve Worship (11am, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10pm) 25 Christmas Day Worship (9:45am) 30 Worship (5:30pm) 31 One Big New Year’s Worship & Lunch (10am, see sidebar)

One Big New Year’s Worship You may recall this summer’s “One Big Backyard Worship” experience; let’s make it indoors this time on New Year’s Eve day, Sunday, December 31!

All are invited at 10am for “One Big New Year’s Worship” service. There will be an informal lunch planned as well for 11am. Come for worship and stay for a meal together!

Saturday, December 23, Travelers Christmas 5:30pm Sunday, December 24, Christmas Eve Day 11am, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10pm Monday, December 25, Christmas Day 9:45am Full details (candlelight, children’s sermon, communion, etc.) are available at lordoflife.org/christmas.

Merry Christmas!

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Lord of Life

NonProfit Org. U. S. Postage

PAID

Loved by God. Sent to Serve.

Hopkins, MN Permit 252

7401 County Road 101 Maple Grove, MN 55311-4313

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED TIME SENSITIVE INFORMATION

Name Address City, ST 00000-0000

H o l i d a y

T a b l e

Gracious God—

Loving God—

We turn our hearts to you on

As sparkling stars and

this day for giving thanks,

singing angels rejoiced

mindful of your many gifts. For each one, we are grateful. For each one, we are blessed.

Child, so may we take great joy gathering for our Christmas celebration. May you,

the abundance of your love.

our God, bless it and

May this Thanksgiving Day

us in the holy name of

offer a reminder to be generous

Jesus, who came and

We praise you.

We rejoice in you.

We give you thanks.

—Amen.

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at the birth of the Christ

For each one we are opened to

with others as you are with us.

H a p p y

P r a y e r s

T h a n k s g i v i n g !

dwelt among us to bring lasting peace, hope, joy, and love to our hearts and minds. With gratitude and gladness, we say together “Amen.”

M e r r y

C h r i s t m a s !