Grace Like Rain

Grace Like Rain

Not to Us

Not to Us
(Click to listen)

I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your Name,
O Most High.
Psalm 9:2

Conversations at Caribou

I'm big on coffee shops. I love to take my laptop, my to-do list, and just work through all of the administrative stuff that comes with being a Director of Youth and Children's ministry. It's nice to get a jolt from coffee and plow through Council Reports, newsletter articles, blogs (can you guess where I was when I wrote this?) e-mails, and prepping for studies and other programs. I also find it a relaxing place to study. Reading at home or reading in the office, I often find myself getting distracted by the 1000 other things I could be doing. When I'm alone at a coffee shop those distractions disappear. But my favorite thing about coffee shops is the conversations. Each Wednesday afternoon we have a High School Bible study at Caribou on Bluemound Road. While our numbers may be small, we have wonderful conversation about a wide array of topics that come out of our study of the Bible. Yesterday we discussed Jesus' temptation, the beginning of his ministry, and the call of the first disciples. The highlight, though, was a young man that had overheard our conversation and came to us and told us how much he appreciated hearing us study the Bible. I've had other conversations at Caribou this week, meeting with a few members of Calvary to discuss life, ministry, the presence of God in our lives. It's a great place to  talk. And it's great to talk.

After our Bible study ended yesterday afternoon I lingered for a bit, taking in the atmosphere of a busy store. I counted around 14 conversations happening. It looked like some students were studying calculus. One table had a woman with four children discussing the Christian faith. In Japanese. There were animated conversations, reserved conversations, and even one guy talking to himself. He had a bluetooth headset on, so I assume he was talking on the phone. But who knows. And then I looked back at my Bible, and I thought to myself, 'if Jesus were here, what would we chat about?' That got me thinking: what would Jesus drink at a coffee shop? I assume he would either drink fair-trade coffee or a green tea, but that's just my take. I imagine our conversation to be warm, that Jesus would look at me, and greet me and ask me how I am. And he would mean it. I imagine being comfortable enough that I would be willing to pour my heart out. All of my struggles, my worries, my disappointments, as well as my joys and triumphs. After sitting in my chair for awhile, I wondered why I don't treat prayer like this. I know that it's so much easier to see a face and a response, but Jesus, regardless of whether I can see him or not, is there. He heard me as I sat alone and yet surrounded by so many conversations. He heard my struggles, and my joys. He heard the inmost thoughts of my hearts, and, as I packed up my stuff and left, I felt relieved. What a great reminder to know that, as the song says, 'what a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!'

A Rose

In my hometown in Minnesota, there is a floral shop that randomly selects a person's first name and puts it on their outdoor sign. If your name is selected, you can stop in for a free rose! Receiving the free gift of a rose... your name was on the sign... grace?


One of my friends, Suzanne, writes about her experience of receiving a rose from this florist. You can read about it on her blog Every Season. Suzanne works with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Bemedji State University in Minnesota. It's an on campus ministry found at many colleges that reaches out to college students. Her blog centers on Christ and I hope you enjoy perusing Every Season.

Enjoy! & Happy Monday!
Sarah

Rookie Rehearsals This Week

What are rookie rehearsals?
A time to try an ensemble and a time to see how your children are learning and growing in their faith.

Why should you come?
It's fun!
See what our ensembles are like.
To support our music ministry.

Rookie Rehearsals help promote our ensembles by giving our congregation members a first hand experience of our rehearsals. Even if you would never, even on a blue moon, think music is for you, if you come, you'll then be able to be a first hand witness for our groups! Word of mouth is our biggest form of advertising. Hope to see you tonight:)

Sarah

Interested in Music?

If you've got the fall music fever, here are some websites that may be of interest to you. Each website has resources to listen to music and to learn about the instruments and music relative to the particular music ministry.

Enjoy!
Sarah

Choristers Guild











Association of Lutheran Church Musicians











AGEHR Handbells














K-Love Radio

CCLI - Christian Music Liscense

Lifest - Christian Music Concerts

American Guild of Organists - Milwaukee Chapter

Jesus Saves

happy monday!

Jesus Saves

- Sarah

Music Fall Preview

Calvary Music!

Fall and music rehearsals are soon approaching! Here's the scoop on our first week of rehearsals. Note the extended first rehearsals for the children's choirs to include their photos, and the Celebration Ringers and Praise Band photos on Thursday, Sept 16.

Tuesday, September 14

7:00pm Celebration Ringers

Wednesday, September 15

The first rehearsals for Cherubs, Chimes, New Creation, and Rainbow Ringers will be lengthened to include our directory photos. All groups will meet from 5-6pm on Wed Sept 15. After the first rehearsal, the groups will be at their normal half hour time slots found below.

Wednesday, September 15

Senior Choir 7:00pm - directory photo & rehearsal

Thursday, September 16

Praise Band Directory Photo 6:40pm

Celebration Ringers Directory Photo 7:10pm

Children Ensemble Schedule - for weeks after the first rehearsal on Sept 15

Wednesday

5:00 Cherub Choir 4 years - 1st grade

5:00 Rainbow Ringers 2-5 grade

5:30 Chime Choir K & 1st grade

5:30 New Creation Choir 2-5 grade

The Life of the Party!

What a fun spring musical! I hope you had a chance to join us in worship to see Mary and Martha host Jesus at there home!

Highlights included Peter's fish fry at the beach!

Martha's Where Would Jesus Sit pillow!

Branches that grow, grow, grow!

And some adorable sheep & wolves!

What fun and what valuable lessons God provided us with through the children's musical this past weekend!

Preparing for Passover

In the book of Exodus, there were 10 plagues that God enacted on the Egyptian people in order to cause Pharaoh to release the Hebrews from enslavement. On the night of the 10th plague - the death of the firstborn - God's people were commanded to sacrifice a lamb and put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. As the angel of death went through Egypt and 'passed over' the homes that had blood on the doorposts, the Israelites celebrated with the Seder meal. You can read the entire story of Passover here. Jesus celebrated this meal the night of his betrayal, just hours before he was crucified. Now, there are many connections to the story of Passover and Jesus as the sacrificial lamb. To help us better understand this connection, children, youth and adults are invited to a Seder meal this coming Sunday, March 28. Join us during the Christian Education hour (9:30 - 10:30 am) as we remember why the night of Passover was 'unlike any other night' and come to a better understanding of how Jesus became our atoning sacrifice, once for all. Please RSVP to me by phone (262-786-4010) or by e-mail (dave@calvarylc.com).

-Dave