Category: Church Happenings

Sunday, September 22:  Cathy Dale, Linda Bray and Ashley Lund will present special music during worship.

Monday, September 23, 6 pm: Lectionary StudyEach week we lift up a passage from this week’s lectionary and let our hearts and mind and faith take a journey from those words. We’d love to have you join us!

Wednesday, September 25:~ History Work Day, 10 am: All are welcome to help sort and organize and discover pieces of UPC history.~

Grill’s On, 5-ish to 7-ish: The kindness and welcome continues! Each week we are greeted with an amazing banquet of diverse yummy goodness created and donated by the collective. We get things going around 5 pm, and usually wrap up around 7 pm. Games are set up and more games are welcome. As always: bring what you have, or just bring yourself! There is always enough!

NOTE: Next week, we have Choir at 6:00, so we’ll get things ready earlier for those that want to sing. You are welcome to head upstairs to hear the choir practice (or join us!), or just stay downstairs and enjoy the food and fellowship.

Choir Practice, 6 pm: You don’t have to sing like an angel, you just have to love to sing! Practice is 2nd & 4th Wednesdays and then our gift of song is shared the following Sunday. We’d love for you to join us! No experience? Think you can’t carry a tune? We’ll teach you!!. Questions: Contact Karen Robnik, 218-565-0943.

Looking Ahead: UPC Halloween carnival is planned for Saturday, October 26, 4-7 pm. Help will be needed for set-up, clean-up, games, tickets, kitchen, etc. Watch for sign-up sheet to help, and posters will be available to put up at businesses. There was a large turn-out for this carnival in 2018.

Thank You!

**Pastor Paul received the following note from Arlene Putikka Tucker, Finlandia Foundation Northland: “Thank you so much for making the Kardemimmit Concert a success. Your helpfulness & excitement was appreciated. I hope this helps open up more music and fellowship for your wonderful church community. Kiitos”

**13 people turned out to enjoy fellowship while making (and eating) doughnuts on September 18. Thank you to Sandie Chelstrom for sharing her expertise.

FYI:Sunday School: We are still in the process of re-forming Sunday School for children in the church. If this is an area of interest to you, contact Pastor Paul.

Intentional Conversation: Evangelism/Outreach: If any church is to thrive, new participants must be welcomed and older participants must be supported. There are a myriad of ways we can approach these tasks, and Pastor Paul would like to meet with you to explore a variety of ideas and resources. If you are interested in sharing in this ministry, please contact Pastor Paul (218-349-0143). We’ll find a time to talk, discern our mission and steps to accomplish it, and get to work for the good of the church!

From Pastor Paul, Toward Sunday:    I keep a list, tucked somewhere in my papers and files, of folks that did their job well. Some were professionals, with titles and authority, and some worked simple jobs, barely making ends meet, but all of these people had a professionalism about them – a confidence in their work…but more importantly, each of them had a kindness and welcome that went well beyond the ostensible occasion of their labors….and here I pause to look for that list, and it concerns me that I cannot find it. So I lift up their names from memory:Kat – grocery store stockerShannon – at a soup kitchenJon – consultant for institutional security systemsAmy – advocate for the agingHeidi – a botanistNick – personal trainerFaye – grocery store cashierGary – mechanicLyle – middle school science teacherBrad – in natural resourcesRob – tool and die maker    Not bad from memory, eh? See, when I think of these people my back straightens up, my chest opens, and I find a smile on my face. I keep this list because I want to be like those people. I want to work and welcome others as these people did, and even though they came and went in various chapters of my life, I don’t want to forget them, because they are living and working in a way I think we all should be. Should you meet them, they would welcome you warmly. Should you need their help, they would not hesitate. Should you need their experience, you would be impressed by their abilities.    God gives each of us gifts, internal and external, but the greatest gift (to borrow a line from Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth) is love. They work, and they live, with love at the center.    And you? If you’re like me, you see this as a worthy goal, but also reflect on the ways you have stumbled along that path. My question to you is: how can this church support you in this goal?    Last week, I asked folks that read this weekly note to share a “YES” for ministry in the church. Specifically, I asked folks to complete the following sentence in an email to me: <pastorpaulvanantwerp@gmail.com>    “To glorify God     and to honor God’s call to United Protestant Church     I say YES to ________”    This is not simply to give your pastor clear direction from the congregation on areas of interest and call, but also to inquire: how can we help one another, even as we help the ministry we share.    Can service to a shared ministry help any of us accomplish the accolades I give to the names above? You betcha! Can it light a fire for God in our community and membership? Indeed!….And can you imagine a church full of folks that work well and love well? Now THAT’s good work that I can put my whole self behind! We’re on that road, friends, perhaps more than many here may be aware of, but I see it – even in the midst of fear and negativity – shining daily among us!

Let’s talk!

Pastor Paul

218-349-0143

pastorpaulvanantwerp@gmail.com

Monday, September 2:  Lectionary study cancelled this Monday for Labor Day.

Wednesday, September 4:~ Women’s Fellowship, 1:30 pm, Fellowship Hall. All women are invited to attend.~ Grill’s On, 5:30 pm – ?  Bring your lawn chair, something to grill or a side, a friend or neighbor. We’ll move indoors if the weather is too cold or rainy.

Sunday, September 8: Morgan Park all class reunion. Reunion-goers invited to worship at UPC before heading to the DECC. 

Christian Education beginning soon! We’re working on the final details for a planning meeting in the next week or so. If you are interested in lending a hand, or have some resources that we would value, we would love to hear from you!

Choir Practice: 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 6:00 pm. Everyone who likes to sing is welcome.

History Work Days: 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 10:00 am. All are welcome to help sort and organize. Last week, some very interesting letters from around 1920 were found. They included offers and negotiations with Rev. Ramshaw to accept call as UPC minister.

Looking Ahead:~ Friday, September 13, 7:00 pm: Concert by Finnish kantele group “Kardemimmit” at UPC, sponsored by Finlandia Foundation Northland. Cost is $10/adult, children free.

From Pastor Paul: Toward Sunday   Well, I’m a schoolboy again…no “big man on campus” to be sure (never was, never wanted to be!), and certainly not now because these days the courses are taken online, with a camera, a headset, and microphone. Those that haven’t done this, well, just picture a video screen on the computer, with twenty or so people’s heads in small squares filling the screen. For my part, my computer’s camera makes my nose look big, but I can live with that (after all, if you want a good laugh, ask to see the new photo for my driver’s license).   I’m taking classes in the field of Addiction Studies. I’ve found this to be a great need in the ministry I do on a daily basis here at UP. See, when I have a drunk or an addict show up at the church, I don’t just call the cops, but rather invite them in, offer them food, and talk to them. Some never come back, intimidated, perhaps, and my direct nature of wanting to provide realistic and tangible help, but some do, and come back often. Word has gotten out, I suppose, but I’m an open-minded guy, willing to take the time to talk, and willing to lend a hand of support to their own desires to make their lives better. We are a people of resurrection, and we are called to practice resurrection in our daily lives. I believe that with every fiber of my being! At any rate, classes are in the evening, ending at nine p.m., and being too late for coffee, I need to find something that can help me stay awake.   So on my breaks, I took to playing the organ. Now…I have no talent on the keyboard (let’s emphasize the word “play” here), but I have serenaded the empty sanctuary with the most thoughtful and sensitive versions of “chopsticks” and “heart and soul” that I can muster, and must admit I’ve tried my memory on a few of those 1980’s rock anthems…but it works to keep me awake! I try all the sounds, all the buttons (and please note: I am sure to put them back to how I found them when I am done).   For those of you that know anything about the organ, here goes: I discovered the magical pedal. You know, the one that takes a single note and makes you sound like you are playing with twenty-five fingers? I call it the “swell” pedal. Occasionally, it even heads toward “great.” That one pedal, I tell you, can make even this chopstick tappin’ pastor sound right groovy on the keys!   Something new. Swell.   Will I ever be any good? Dunno. But…Am I done learning? Oh no no no!   Are you?   Take a moment here…and think about some of the things that you “always wanted to do” but never had a chance to learn. Or perhaps the interests that you set aside in deference to other responsibilities (work, children, etc.) – or perhaps because you saw someone better than you and you never thought you could achieve that status…   What was it? And are you still interested? And can your church community be supportive? Was it art? Because we have folks here very interested in creating works of art in all styles and mediums. Was it music? We have a lot of three-chord strummers, developing singers, and chopstick-playing keyboardists eager to put together and share. Gardening? We’ll hit the ground running in the spring. Teaching? Christian education is returning. Public Speaking? I’d love to have other voices be heard in the microphone than my own. Counseling or care-taking? There is deep need and you can be coached easily. Computers and Technology? Geesh! Of course! Technology? Wanna dive in and be a geek like me? There is…oh…so…much!   “Go and sit down at the lowest place” says Jesus in our Gospel for Sunday (Luke 14), “so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.'” This doesn’t just apply to table manners. We enter humble, with our limited gifts, to any situation in life…but we are a people that know that hope and curiosity and creativity are much better things to focus our lives on than fear, insecurity, and solitude. Come on in…be creative…move up higher.

Let’s talk!

Pastor Paul

Monday, August 26: Bible Study, 6 pm – Join Pastor Paul for a first look at the Lectionary texts for the following Sunday. This is a time for questions and conversation in our lives of faith – and your participation greatly assists in creating a meaningful sermon for Sunday.

Wednesday, August 28:~ History Team meets at 10 am (2nd & 4th Wednesdays). Join us as we lift up our past and make sure our memories are well preserved. ~ Grill’s On, 5:30 pm – ?  NOTE that beginning August 28, “Grill’s On” is moving from Thursdays to Wednesdays. Bring your lawn chair, something for the grill or a side, a neighbor or friend, and enjoy the fellowship. If the weather does not cooperate, we will move indoors.

Looking Ahead:~ Wednesday, September 4: Women’s Fellowship meets at 1:30 pm, Fellowship Hall. All women are welcome to attend.~ Sunday, September 8:  Morgan Park all class reunion. Reunion-goers are invited to worship at UPC before heading to the DECC.~ Friday, September 13, 7:00 pm: Concert by Finnish kantele group, “Kardemimmit”, at UPC, sponsored by Finlandia Foundation Northland. Cost is $10/adult, children free.

From Pastor Paul: Toward Sunday    Hate to repeat myself, but this “pray with a lamp, not a flashlight” guidance from God that I keep talking about has been an awesome thing recently. Oh, you remember: the notion that we should pray for this very moment in life, with God’s illumination in this single moment, this single step (as if illuminated by a lantern) can be more effective than looking at length into our future or back in our past (as if illuminated by a flashlight).Pastor “Scoops” VanAntwerp here, reporting some examples:    Thursday picnics: We start humble and small, maybe 10 of us…in late spring. We step forward. Trust God. As of last Thursday, we end up with 30 people and a freezer full of meat (all donated). Community members have been engaged in  our ministry, and have received an understanding that we are good and kind and welcoming people. All indications are that this ministry will continue to grow, should we follow God’s guide into the upcoming season.    Thanks God! OK now…Next step?    In this Pastor/Reporter’s own life: I pray “God I am working daily with people suffering from addiction, but I only know so much. How do I make sure I’m helping them right?” God guides me with the single step of seeking some continuing education in the field of Addiction Studies. OK God! I step forward, with the scarcity of time and money lurking in my shadows and trying to paralyze me with fear. A day later, I hear about a scholarship. I apply, and funding arrives in the form of a state scholarship to make this affordable.    Thanks God! (I begin classes Tuesday)…Next step?    Christian Education: We need to re-energize our Sunday School program? Scarcity in the shadows? You betcha! But I’m following the pattern, and off we’ll go with six or so kids. Step forward. With hope. Thanks God!    This is to tell you (or to remind you what you already know): change is a slow process, in each of our souls and certainly in institutions and ministries and God’s call. And change is often made more difficult by our difficulty in seeing God’s presence in this…just this…step in our lives. But God is there, illuminating this step of life, should you choose to look at the step that is immediately in front of you and not far into the distant future or past. And God will be in that next step. And the one after that. Before we know it, lo and behold we are walking God’s path, yes, that same path we’ve always made big picture statements about wanting to walk.    No matter how it happened in the past, or might happen in the future, let us be content that, with God’s guidance, it is happening right now!

Let’s talk,

Pastor Paul

Sunday, August 11: Church picnic & potluck following worship. Hot dogs, brats, buns and drinks provided. Bring a side or dessert to share. Family and friends invited to join the fellowship.

Bible Study Returns! (Beginning on Monday, August 12, 6 pm)Pastor Paul welcomes you to join him at 6 pm on Mondays for the first look at the Lectionary texts for the following Sunday. This is a time for questions and conversation in our lives of faith – and your participation greatly assists in creating a meaningful sermon on Sunday. Join us!

Grill’s On! Thursday Evenings 5:30 – ? at the ChurchGreat fun and great food! Last week was the first time we had more community members than church members! Join us for a time of feast and fellowship. Bring something to put on the grill, and a side to share – but if you don’t have anything, don’t worry, there is always more than enough!

History Team We’ve made great progress in going through our archives! For all the effort of sorting and labeling, there is also a lot of laughter and storytelling. Join us on Wednesday, August 14, at 10 am as we lift up our past and make sure our memories are well preserved. (Note: We’ve also received a donation to our History Team from the Morgan Park History Tours. Thanks to Bob Berg for offering your tours!)

Christian Education Children’s programming will be returning in September! Are you interested in being a part? (Or know of children and families that are interested?) Contact Pastor Paul 218-349-0143.

From Pastor Paul: Toward Sunday   Well, as if you haven’t noticed, I love to share words with you, and I figure it was only a matter of time before I write or speak something that does not adequately reflect my intention and meaning. After re-reading my commentary for the August newsletter, I think that time has arrived…so let me offer a bit of editing here:    Context: In our newsletter, I offered a quote in my commentary from a letter I wrote to a pastor in a congregation that finds itself in a time of conflict and divisiveness (this is nothing new in the history of Christianity – we have the gift of Paul’s letters to the churches he founded for perspective there – “circumcision? individualism? women prophets?” Oh my!). Here’s the quote that I think I messed up in writing:    “I understand well what it feels like to share ministry and fellowship with people that do not espouse a uniform theology or morality, so while I cannot speak for the entire congregation, let me assure you that you have kinship, fellowship, and support with this pastor.”Yikes! Hello editors, we need some clarification here!    So here’s what I should have written:    “I come from a church with a long history of diversity in cultural opinions and differences in how we live into God’s presence in our lives. It is the tradition of the United Church of Christ to accept all people in love as Jesus taught us, and I am deeply proud of that tradition. When it comes to divisive issues of the day, we share our opinions, tell our stories, and accept our differences, centered in our love of God and each other – and I think that makes us a better community. Unlike some churches, we don’t simply obey a declaration from human beings of a higher rank or status than us. We question and challenge and (most importantly) listen to one another. So as a pastor, I do not claim to know how God is working in the hearts of my congregation any more than the humble bit of information God has given me to share from my studies and prayers…but from all I have learned in prayer and study, you have my kinship, fellowship, and support.”Or maybe I should’ve put it this way:    “Look, I’m not in charge, and as a pastor yourself, neither are you! God is in charge, and I won’t pretend to believe I have a direct line to God or know what God wants from each person, and frankly, I’ve found that pastors that make such claims tend to have personal motives that extend beyond their service to God. All I have is what God gives me, week by week., So just keep loving God and loving your people, keep your disciplines, and know that I think you are doing the right thing.”With respect to our world views and values, we are a diverse group of people. And if growth is to happen, we will only increase in our diversity. I think this is a good thing. Will the opinions of other church members rub you the wrong way? Sure. Will acceptance of a different kind of Christian feel uncomfortable? You betcha. But listen for God in your conversations. I promise you, love is there.

Let’s Talk!

Pastor Paul

Sunday, August 4:

Pastor Paul has day off. We will have a hymn sing; Linda Bray & Ashley Lund will join us. Karen Robnik & Dale Williamson are leading worship service. Communion has been moved to August 11.

Thursday, August 8:

Grill’s On, 5:30 – ? Grill and tables will be ready to go. Bring something for the grill or a side to share, your lawn chair, a friend, and enjoy the fellowship.

Coming up Sunday, August 11:

Church picnic & potluck following worship service. Hot dogs, brats, buns and drinks will be provided. Bring a side dish or dessert to share. Family and friends invited to join in.

NOTE:

• Choir is taking August off. Practices will move to 1st & 3rd Wednesdays beginning with September 4.
• August council meeting is cancelled. Next scheduled meeting is September 10.

History Work Day, Wednesday, July 24, at 10:00 am

You’ve probably seen historical items all around the church, plaques and papers and pictures scattered in every corner. We’d like to try to get these things organized, so we’re planning the first “history day” on Wednesday, July 24, at 10 am. The first step is inventory: we’ll gather things together, lay them out on the tables, and figure out what’s what. From there we will determine how to properly archive our church history. If you are interested in participating in this (or know of somebody who should be involved), please contact the office or Pastor Paul.

Wednesday, July 24, 6:00 pm

Choir Practice – all who like to sing are welcome. Let Karen or Paul know if you have a favorite song you would like to hear.

Thursday, July 25, 5:30 pm – ?

Grill’s On: Grill and tables will be ready to go. Bring a lawn chair, a friend, something for the grill and/or a side to share, and join in conversation, fellowship, and fun. If the weather isn’t cooperative, we’ll move inside.