The Sixth and Seventh Days of Christmas: O Star-flinging God

O Star-flinging God

O Star-flinging God,
whose light dances across eternity,
  dazzle us into your presence
  this new year.
Open our hearts to the mystery of your love.

Awaken us to your presence,
  knit to the ordinary.
Reveal to us what is possible, but not yet present.
Heal us, that we might be healers.

Reconcile us to you and to ourselves,
  that our living might be reconciling.

Stop us often, we pray
  with news that is good
  with hope that holds
  with truth that transforms with a Word
    tailored to this trail we're on.

May the word of your grace guide our steps
  like the sun by day
  and the north star by night,
  as we travel into the gift of a new year. Amen.

~Glenn Mitchell

Happy Fifth Day of Christmas: Some Christmas Whimsy

During my growing up years, watching The Muppet Show was a regular part of evening life. If we (my younger sister and I) had "been good" we might get to stay up to watch Donnie & Marie afterward. With bowls of ice cream.

Every year on the fifth day of Christmas I remember Miss Piggy and her "ba dum dum dum" after "five go-o-ld rings."

I hope you enjoy it.

The Fourth Day of Christmas: Holy Innocents

Today is a harder day of commemoration. Right in the middle of our ongoing celebration of the Incarnation, we are reminded that the birth of the Baby in Bethlehem didn't seem like good news for everyone. The Gospel according to Matthew tells us how Herod ordered the slaughter of children in and around Bethlehem, out of fear of losing his throne to a newborn king.
Augustine called these innocents "buds, killed by the frost of persecution the moment they showed themselves."
Today we pray for all those who suffer unjustly and for those persecuted for their faith.

The Third Day of Christmas: John 1

From http://www.agnusday.org/  -

In the beginning was the Word...

The Second Day of Christmas: St. Stephen's Day

Today (December 26th) is the feast day for St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. You can read about his death in Acts 6-7.

Though the carol "Good King Wenceslas" doesn't mention the nativity of Jesus, because all its action happens "on the feast of Stephen," it gets sung this time of year.

Enjoy! (The lyrics are typed below, should you want to follow along).



Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel

"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather

"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing

The First Day of Christmas: Happy Incarnation Day!

The Risk of Birth

By Madeleine L'Enlge

This is no time for a child to be born,

With the earth betrayed by war & hate

And a nova lighting the sky to warn

That time runs out & the sun burns late.

That was no time for a child to be born,

In a land in the crushing grip of Rome;

Honor & truth were trampled by scorn -

Yet here did the Savior make his home.

When is the time for love to be born?

The inn is full on the planet earth,

And by greed & pride the sky is torn -

Yet love still takes the risk of birth.

Christmas Greeting from ELCA Presiding Bishop Hanson

See you Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

There are three services of worship at CtK this weekend - two tomorrow evening for Christmas Eve, with the Christmas story from the Gospel according to Luke. There will be lots of great music and the 5:30pm service, especially, will be kid-friendly (of course, we strive to make every service of worship accessible to people of all ages; somehow the "early service" on Christmas Eve always seems especially child-oriented).
Sunday morning at 10am we will gather not only to celebrate the Incarnation of the Word made flesh, (reading from the first chapter of the Gospel according to John), but will celebrate also the resurrection of our Lord - like every Sunday. Worshipers will gather at the Lord's table on Sunday morning.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services will have different readings, music and sermons, so get here Saturday evening and Sunday morning if you can!
God bless you as you finish preparations for the celebration of the Lord Jesus' birth. May his love, peace, and joy be born in you again this year.

Thursday Thought

Walking the Lord's road

The Lord's new road is not a railroad to run people over, and it is not filled with closed up cars all rushing off to their own destinations. It is a place for walking together toward the common destination of dignity, balance, freedom, and a fair share for all. 
~ Stephen Hamilton Wright

Singing Christmas Carols at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital

Join us for our third annual Christmas caroling at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital on Sunday, December 18th starting at 3 p.m. We will meet in the chapel of the hospital (near the main entrance) and travel from floor to floor spreading the good news of God’s love through song and merriment to patients, their families, and staff. Please plan to wear a red outfit and a Santa hat (if you own one). We will sing until 5 p.m.
For more information please contact Pastor Grant in the church office Tuesdays 9 a.m.-12 noon and Thursdays 9 a.m.-noon.

When better isn't better

The reading from the Hebrew Scriptures for last Sunday, the third Sunday in Advent, was Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11.
Chapters 56-66 are generally considered to be from the post-exilic period of Israel's history. Remember how the Babylonians conquered the southern kingdom (Judah, and its capital, Jerusalem) in 587BC? Well, in 539BC, the Persian king Cyrus had defeated the Babylonians and decreed that the exiles should return to their homeland and rebuild their city and their temple. (Want to read more about Cyrus? Check out Isaiah 44:21-45:8. In Is 45:1 the Lord calls Cyrus his annointed - his messiah!)
Perhaps I've seen too many movies with happy endings, but you'd sort of expect things to be "all good" once the people returned to their homeland, right? Not so much.
The mourning continues, rising out of frustration and humiliation over the failure to rebuild the city and the temple to match their former glory. Things definitely are not "all good." Economic disparities and religious and political factions within the city remain. The reality of life didn't match up with their expectations.
Sound familiar? Has that ever been the case in your life?
Have you ever felt crushed by unmet expectations, to the point that it felt like your faith was shaken to its core?
Then Isaiah's words may provide some comfort for you, too, especially since these first verses are those chosen - and fulfilled - by Jesus when he read in the synagogue (Luke 4:14-30).
The story isn't over yet. God comes to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, release to the prisoners, and to comfort all who mourn.
And it is these, the ones who heard the news, the newly released or comforted, who will "repair the devastations of many generations."
God's story with God's people (even you and me) continues, and hope remains.

Thursday Thought

"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them."
 -- Thomas Merton

Ladies Night Out and Cookie Exchange

All women are invited to Ladies Night Out and Christmas Cookie Exchange, this Friday, December 9th at 6:30pm.
Dinner will be a REAL potluck - please bring a dish to share.
Ladies Night Out is always a fun way to get to know other women in the congregation and to enjoy good food and a game or two. Bring a friend!

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Advent is the time when Christians prepare to greet Christ—who came as a babe in a manger, who comes into our lives each day, and who will come again at the end of time. Advent is the time when people of faith are most at odds with the culture. The church calls people to focus on getting ready to receive Christ—preparing hearts and lives to make room for Jesus, to live as he would have us live. It is a time of longing, not fulfillment. Quiet reflection, not celebration. The culture, however, is already in a time of festivity, unable or unwilling, to wait and contemplate and prepare for the real festival. It is not easy to observe Advent without being pulled prematurely into Christmas.
How does St. Nicholas fit into all of this? He is an Advent saint because his December 6th feast day always falls in early Advent (Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas between November 27 and December 3). However, Nicholas is a good Advent saint for more important reasons than the date of his special day. Whatever he did, and it is said that he did many kinds of amazing things, may not be as important as the way he did it. Nicholas became so popular because he was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. His life clearly reflected the way each one of us is called to show God's love to others, especially those in need.
Celebrating St. Nicholas on his day in Advent brings a bit of fun and festivity into homes, churches, and schools. His small treats and surprises help keep the spirit of good St. Nicholas, especially when stories of his goodness and kind deeds are told and ways to express his care for those in need are sought. Saint Nicholas helps us remember Christmas is a feast of love, hope, kindness and generosity. Yes, Nicholas is a good Advent saint.

World AIDS Day

December 1st is World AIDS Day every year, an oppotunity to remember those who have been affected by HIV/AIDS in our community and across the world.
Here in Bozeman, World AIDS Day will be marked with a CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL at the Christus Collegium (714 S. 8th Ave.) tomorrow, Thursday, December 1, 2011 6:00-8:00pm.

What follows is a joint letter from The Episcopal Church and ELCA:

Working together: World AIDS Day


November 29, 2011

World AIDS Day is December 1, 2011. This annual commemoration is an opportunity for us to remember the 30 million lives that have been lost to the deadly pandemic over the past three decades, to rededicate our energies in support of those 34 million living with HIV and AIDS today and to work toward building a future without AIDS.

World AIDS Day is an opportunity for each of us to reflect on God's call to lift up the dignity and value of each person. We are called to confront this pandemic -- whose scale has no precedent in human history -- through prayer, by speaking out to eliminate stigma and discrimination against those living with HIV and AIDS, by caring for those afflicted by the virus in our own communities, by advocating for strong government support of lifesaving programs, and by supporting the global effort to alleviate the global systems of poverty within which HIV and AIDS is so endemic.

We write together this year because the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have embarked upon a new age of full communion by sharing staff for international issues in our Washington, D.C., advocacy offices, acknowledging the common needs of our global church bodies.

Both of our churches have been living with AIDS for more than 30 years. Together we are part of a global family of 150 million Anglicans and Lutherans, most living in developing countries, for whom the virus is an ever-present daily reality. The struggle against HIV and AIDS is our own struggle as churches and, as the pandemic continues into its fourth decade, the urgency in our work is born out of the intimacy with which we know it.

Consider what 30 years have meant to our global family in Christ:

Thirty million people -- parents, children, spouses, partners, siblings -- have died early and unnecessary deaths.

An entire generation of children in sub-Saharan Africa has been orphaned because of the virus; many of these children have themselves been infected by mother-to-child transmission, a transmission which is preventable with basic medical attention.

In an unjust world with more wealth than ever before, global poverty has contributed to more people dying each day because they are too poor to survive and receive basic assistance from the symptoms of global poverty: gender-based violence, discrimination, hunger and lack of access to medical treatment.

Our churches continue to address the virus and the systems of poverty it permeates. ELCA programs in Tanzania teach students marketable skills alongside HIV and AIDS awareness education. Episcopal-supported programs in Uganda care for AIDS patients while paying school fees for AIDS-orphaned children.

Episcopalians and Lutherans are invested in prevention, treatment, care and support, and alleviating stigma for all living with HIV and AIDS.

• The National Episcopal AIDS Coalition provides innovative resources and news updates to congregations ministering to those affected by HIV and AIDS.
• The comprehensive ELCA Strategy on HIV and AIDS highlights a commitment to prevention, treatment, alleviating stigma, and providing care and support for all. It guides and supports congregational responses to our domestic communities and our global companions in need.

Our global community has made significant advancements in tackling this pandemic. Investments in medicine and prevention education have halted transmission in communities around the world. Infection rates continue to decline. The number of people receiving antiretroviral treatment is increasing -- by a factor of 13, just from 2004 to 2009 -- allowing tens of millions of HIV-positive people to lead healthy lives. Hundreds of thousands of babies are prevented from being born with HIV and a comparable number orphaned from the virus receive food, education and assistance from churches and aid workers.

ELCA members and Episcopalians are key leaders in helping to stop the shunning and shaming of those living with HIV, engaging in public acts of repentance for past discrimination, distributing medicines and prevention techniques affordably to all parts of the world, and providing care and support to those living with HIV and AIDS in our own communities.

Today, we must increase these efforts. We stand at the threshold of reaching the goal of achieving an "AIDS-free generation" recently set by Secretary of State Clinton. But whether we are able to reach this milestone will depend on nothing less, and nothing more, than whether our nations and communities are willing to commit the resources and energies to make the next 30 years different from the past 30.

Unfortunately, today we face the danger that our dream of an AIDS-free generation will remain just that -- a dream. U.S. funding for these lifesaving global health programs continues to be targeted for disproportionate cuts. Even fractional cuts to these accounts -- which already represent far less than 1 percent of our federal budget -- would reverse these efforts. Global infection rates would increase and AIDS would claim millions more lives than it does even today.
Through our shared witness in Washington, our churches are working to ensure that our government allocates the highest funding levels possible to address HIV and AIDS, including full funding for the president's Global Health Initiative. The voice of every Episcopalian and every ELCA member is vital to this work, so we urge you to join our churches' advocacy efforts by becoming members of the Episcopal Public Policy Network or the ELCA e-Advocacy Network.

As Christians, we have just embarked upon the season of Advent, in which we prepare our hearts and minds to receive the One who comes that we "may have life, and have it abundantly." In this season, on this World AIDS Day, may the healing offered by our Incarnate, Crucified, and Resurrected Lord inspire us to cross from 30 years of death and loss to a future of abundant life for all.

In God's grace and healing,

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church

Thanksgiving Eve Worship & Pie-Luck

Come give thanks and eat some dessert!
The annual Thanksgiving Eve service is Wednesday, November 23rd at 7:00pm. The pie-luck (like a pot luck, only with dessert!!) begins following the service.
All are welcome!
This is a great time to invite friends and family to join you!

Thursday Thought

From Leadership Weekly's email from 11/15/11, written by Marshall Shelley:

What causes some young people to walk away from the faith after they graduate from high school? And, more important, what causes other young people to hang on to their faith during those post-high-school years?

A few years ago, I heard a Christian sociologist offer his assessment: "The most important factor is not whether the young person 'prayed to receive Christ' or was involved in a youth group or even went on a missions trip. The key factor seems to be how many meaningful relationships the young person has with Christian adults who are not his or her parents."

What do you think? Adults: how did caring Christian adults, what Vibrant Faith Ministries would call AAA Christians (available, affirming, authentic) help you keep the faith during your young adult years? For whom are you serving in that capacity now? If you need help - let me know!
Youth: how many caring Christian adults do you know at CtK? What would make it easier to facilitate those relationships?

Thursday Thought

Who is rich? He who rejoices in his portion. ~The Talmud

AFSP: Public Policy News and Updates

AFSP: Public Policy News and Updates

Commitment Weekend - BRUNCH SERVED!

This weekend, during worship this evening and tomorrow morning, members and friends of Christ the King Lutheran Church will be invited to fill out a commitment card indicating their estimate of giving for 2012, as well as a 3-year commitment toward the Rooted in Faith, Growing in Giving campaign. These are exciting times!
As I write, there are folks gathered in the sanctuary for the prayer vigil - I'll be joining them shortly. I know others are praying from various other locales today. We trust that the Holy Spirit will be leading and guiding us in our giving and in our life together.
Need one more reason (in addition to the fact that it's All Saints Sunday and there will be opportunities to thank God for and remember the saints in our lives) to come to worship tomorrow? Following worship, brunch will be served! Pancakes, eggs, ham, juice, coffee: YUM!!
Even if you don't feel called to make a giving commitment, come and celebrate what God is doing among us and join the fellowship around the table!

* If you have a child who received a Rooted in Faith, Growing in Giving bank back at the beginning of the campaign, please make sure s/he brings it to worship this weekend. Thanks!

10 Days of Prayer - Day 10

Day 10 Friday, November 4th - Personal growth in stewardship
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasyres in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:19-21

Thank God specifically for those material blessings that God has entrusted to you. Make a mental list of them. Acknowledge before God how tempting it is to imagine that you have these things because of your won deserving, and that they are yours to do with what you wish. Ask God to give you a gracious heart. Ask God's Spirit to stir you to give generously, that your treasure may lead your heart closer to Jesus.

Thursday Thought

Gratitude is the fairest blosson which springs from the soul.

- Henry Ward Beecher

10 Days of Prayer - Day 9

Day 9 Thursday, November 3 - Financial support for the Rooted in Faith, Growing in Giving program
Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enouch of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. - 2 Corinthians 9:7-8

Thank God for the material blessings that have been showered upon you and the other members of our congregation. Acknowledge before God that everything you have belongs to God, and is given to you as a trust under your care. Ask God to fill our congregation with cheerful hearts as we respond to the opportunity before us. Ask God to move us to generosity as we dedicate to God's work the financial blessings that God has entrusted to us.

10 Days of Prayer - Day 8

Day 8 Wednesday, November 2nd - Fears about the debt load, future growth, and other challenges
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. - Philippians 4:6-8

Thank God for the great opportunities that present themselves to our congregation in this time of the Stewardship Key Leader program. Thank God for the exciting times that stand before us. Thank God that we are committed to meeting these opportunities as we are led by God's Spirit. Acknowledge before God that change can challenge even those who are committed to it. Ask for the calming power of God's presence, and for God's guidance to lead us to that which is God's will for us.

10 Days of Prayer - Day 7

Day 7 Tuesday, November 1st - Our pastors and staff
But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, andhave charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of htem. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15

Thank God for those who serve among us as their occupation. Name these people by name. Ask that God's spirit might sustain these people in their work, and might fill them with the joy of the gospel as they work with us. Ask that the members of the congregation might honor them for their work's sake, and might keep them in their prayers regularly.

10 Days of Prayer - Day 6

Day 6 Monday, October 31st - The ministries of our congregation, their leaders and participants
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. - Ephesians 4:11-13

Again, thank God for the church, which is always Christ's church, and for our congregation. Thank God for those ministries of our congregation which have most profoundly influenced your life. Thank God for those who lead and participate in these ministries, being especially thankful for their willingness to give generously of their time and talents. Ask God to strengthen the ministries of our congregation, that we might ever more effectively proclaim God's love to our members, our community, and our world.

10 Days of Prayer - Day 5

Day 5 Friday, October 28th Unity among members of our congregation
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. - Ephesians 4:1-3

Thank God for the church, which is always Christ's church, and for our congregation. Thank God for those people in our congregation who have most profoundly influenced your life. Acknowledge before God that in times of change, well-meaning people often have differences of opinion. Ask God to build up our congregation, and bring unity of purpose to all members.

Thursday Thought

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.
Have you used one to say "thank you"?
-William Arthur Ward

A Silent Witness

It is customary, especially in Central Europe, for the faithful to bless their houses at the Epiphany with chalk. They write over their front door: 20 + C + M + B + 11. Obviously, the digits, which appear at the beginning and end of the line, designate the New Year. ‘CMB’ stands for the traditional names of the Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar) and also signifies the Latin prayer Christus Mansionem Benedicat or ‘May Christ bless this dwelling!’

We blessed our home in the beginning of 2010. Little did we know then how many visitors would inquire about the numbers and letters written above our front door. It has created some spirit filled conversations with neighbors and sales people alike.

The Epiphany blessing has become a witness to our Christian faith.

May Christ bless this dwelling. Indeed!

10 Days of Prayer - Day 4

Day 4 Thursday, October 27th - Rededication of your life to God
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12:1-2

Thank God that in the waters of baptism you have been claimed as God's own child, and through the blood of the cross have been forgiven all your sins. Acknowledge before God the countless ways in which this world pulls you away from God and God's will for your life, and seeks to conform you to its way. Be specific about those areas in which the urge to conform is the strongest. Ask God to transform you so that your life might reflect God's will, and that you might reflect God's love to those around you.

10 Days of Prayer - Day 3

Day 3 Wednesday, October 26th - Deeper trust in God
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6

Give thanks that God has come to you first in God's Son, Jesus our Savior. Give thanks also that you can come to God for guidance as you walk life's ways. Ask God to work in you through the Holy Spirit to deepen your trust in God and your reliance on God's guidance.

10 Days of Prayer - Day 2

The 10 Days of Prayer for Rooted in Faith, Growing in Giving continue. Thank you for joining the congregation on this journey of faith!

Day 2 Tuesday, October 25th - Gratitude to God for God's grace and blessings
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits - who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. - Psalm 103:1-5

Thank God for all the blessings God has showered upon you. Be specific. List important things first, and then get to possessions. Ask God to guide you in your use of these blessings - your time, your talents, and your treasure. Consider areas in which you face challenges giving God credit for your blessings. Ask for special help in these.

10 Days of Prayer - Day 1

As part of Rooted in Faith, Growing in Giving - CtK's campaign to reduce (eliminate?!) the mortgage, share God's blessings with others and engage in some ministry enhancing projects in the building, the campaign Leadership Team is asking every household to participate in 10 days of prayer. The request is very simple – that for each of these ten days you spend five minutes in prayer for the congregation. Take five minutes each day to read the daily scripture passage and pray. You can use these guides or pray as God leads you. If you live with others, it would be great if for the ten days this prayer time could be a part of your family devotions.

Day 1 - Monday, October 24th - Guided by the Gospel
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. - John 3:16

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. - Ephesians 2:8

Offer a prayer of thanks that God loves us, forgives us, and redeems us as a pure gift. Pray that this wonderful Gospel message will guide us in all that we do as a congregation and as individuals. Ask God to guide you so the decisions you make, the way you relate to other people, and the actions you take might reflect the good and gracious news of God's love.

Thursday Thought

"The church is only the church when it is there for others."
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

What do YOU think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation...

ELCA Global Links

Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Lutheran African peace activist

Leymah Roberta Gbowee, a Lutheran Liberian peace activist, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Read this story and more at www.elca.org/news (click on News Releases in the left-hand column).

Apply now to be an ELCA Young Adult in Global Mission
Young adults (ages 19-29) are invited to apply to serve for a year in an international program in Argentina and Uruguay, Jerusalem / West Bank, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Central / Eastern Europe, Southern Africa and the United Kingdom. See www.elca.org/yagm.

Support the ELCA Malaria Campaign
Malaria claims the life of a child every 45 seconds. You can help. Your gifts to the ELCA Malaria Campaign provide mosquito nets, medication, health care, education and more to eliminate deaths from this disease -- for good. Give now: www.elca.org/malariadonate.

Wittenberg, Germany: ’The Reform Continues’
The Rev. Arden Haug, new director for the ELCA Wittenberg Center, reflects on 500 years of reform and the ELCA's participation in the anniversary of the Reformation. Read the entire story at www.elca.org/handinhand; click either the copy-ready bulletin insert or the Fall 2011 issue of the Hand in Hand newsletter.

Malawi: Walking together in Christ
"We must listen to the voice of each other as well as to the voice of Jesus. What is he saying to us as we move together and hold hands in this journey of accompaniment?" Hear more from Bishop Bvumbe of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi in a short video at www.elca.org/companionvoices.

Advocating with our companions
Companion churches living under political oppression or danger request not only your prayers but also your public voice on their behalf to the larger church, governments and international agencies of the world. Learn how some ELCA members received the training and motivation to do so. See www.elca.org/companionadvocating.

Guyana: A holistic ministry
Prior to becoming a missionary pastor, Richard Young had a full-time private practice of obstetrics and gynecology. Richard reflects on using health care skills within the context of ministry as a witness and service of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Guyana. Watch a short video at http://blogs.elca.org/handinhand.

Sponsors needed for missionaries in Argentina
You can be a sponsor for the Rev. Dr. Jose Rodriguez, who serves as chancellor at the seminary of the Lutheran Church in Argentina, and his wife, Kathryn Bake, who serves the church as coordinator for event planning. Sponsors from Nebraska, Texas, and the Chicago area are especially welcomed to minimize their travel time and maximize their effectiveness while on home leave. For more information, visit www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship or call 1-800-638-3522, ext. 2657.

Glocal Mission Gathering in Cary, N.C., January 27-28
Equip yourself for God's work in today's global and local realities. Find more information and registration at www.elca.org/glocal.

Learn more about companion synod relationships
Online profiles have been updated by the ELCA Grand Canyon, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Northern Great Lakes, Southeastern Iowa, and Southern Ohio Synods. Learn of new developments in companion synod relationships at www.elca.org/companionsynodprofiles.

In our prayers
Give thanks for Carol and the Rev. James Sack, serving with the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church. James teaches pastoral care and counseling at the Japan Lutheran Theological College and Seminary, Tokyo. Carol reaches out to those facing death with a harp ministry. (This prayer for October 29 is available along with daily prayers from around the globe at www.elca.org/prayerventures.)

Thursday Thought Part 2

Hat tip to Matt H. for sending this video to the Rooted in Faith, Growing in Giving Leadership Team.
Go watch it. Please.


"Bread for me is a material problem.
Bread for my neighbor is a spiritual problem."
—Nikolai Berdyaev

What do you think of the video?

Thursday Thought

"Bread for me is a material problem.
Bread for my neighbor is a spiritual problem."

—Nikolai Berdyaev

What do YOU think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation!

African Children's Choir in Concert at CtK

Christ the King Lutheran Church will be hosting the African Children's Choir in concert next Wednesday, October 12th, at 7pm. This is a great opportunity to invite friends and neighbors to join you for a fun and uplifting experience, celebrating the love of God!
Admission is free, and doors open at 6:15pm (last time CtK hosted the African Children's Choir the place was packed; you might try to get here on the early side!). A freewill offering to support the choir will be received.
Many thanks to all the host families, meal providers and other volunteers who will make this a great success! Your ministry of hospitality is very much appreciated and we thank God for you!

Thursday Thought

"If a person gets his attitude toward money right, it will straighten out almost every other area in his life."
- Billly Graham

What do YOU think? Leave a comment below.

A gift from St. Francis

Today is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi.

In celebration of this beloved saint and witness to the gospel, here is a prayer attributed to him. May it bless your day.

A Prayer Attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where is there hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Sunday School is for Grown-Ups, Too!!

All of the adult education classes on Sunday mornings are kicking off October with new topics:

Adult Forum meets in the social hall and will be using a DVD series for learning and to spark conversation: Biblical Stewardship: Our Duty and Delight.


Biblical Stewardship: Our Duty & Delight from Select Learning on Vimeo.

Manna for Moms usually meets in the sanctuary, and will be spending a month learning about and discussing "Children and Materialsim."

The Digging Deeper class meets in the church office, and will be reading a book this month, Giving to God: The Bible's Good News about Living a Generous Life, by Mark Allan Powell. Copies are available in the church office for $13. Participants will be expected to read 25-45 pages at home each week, and then discuss the readings as a group (a reading schedule is also available).

We all know that everything we have is a gift from God. But sometimes it's hard to know just how to give back to God. How much is enough? What does the Bible really say? What should giving look like in our everyday lives? Filled with good news for followers of Jesus, Giving to God shows Christians the way to a better life and a better relationship both with their money and with God.
Popular author and Bible scholar Mark Allan Powell presents stewardship as an act of worship, an expression of faith, and a discipline for spiritual growth. Faithful use of our time, talents, and treasures starts with a deep, satisfying relationship with the God to whom we belong. We can then learn, says Powell, to give gladly and generously out of our heartfelt connection with God. The second part of the book applies these principles to today's complicated world.
After providing answers to practical questions about living and giving, Powell lays out a specific plan for a generous life that Christians can embrace as both a duty and a delight.
Informative, concise, and wise, Giving to God gives us resources to think carefully about how best to use the treasures, material and otherwise, that God has given us. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter make this book particularly useful for church study groups.

Thursday Thought

"I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc. is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little.

"If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditures exclude them.”
—C.S. Lewis

What do YOU think? Leave a comment, below.

Cereal drive update

Our stack keeps growing and growing

As of September 20th we have 139 boxes/bags of cereal collected.
Our goal by the end of the month is to have 300 boxes/bags of cereal collected for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.

Thank you for the on going support of this effort to help hungry people in Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley.

Cereal drive update

Thanks for your generous response to the boxed cereal food drive for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank during the month of September.

As of today, September 13th, we’ve gathered eighty eight boxes and bags of cereal for the food bank.

Our goal is to collect 300 boxes and bags of cereal for 2011.

We collected 275 boxes and bags of cereal in 2010.

With your help, we can reach our goal.

To God be the glory!

A dark September anniversary

The day began beautifully. It was late summer. The trees had hints of orange and yellow color, waiting to turn vibrant red by end of fall.

I did not suspect what was coming next.

I would fall that day, crippled by the heartbreaking news.

And one day I would stand again, lifted up by the strong arms of our crucified and risen Lord.

September 11th is coming, but that’s not what this blog post is about.

I am talking about the death of my first marriage, which began the third week in September 2001. It is one of two dark September anniversaries in my life.

I wish someone who had attended the wedding on September 1st, 2001 had spoken the truth to me in love.

You see, no one did speak the truth to me in love about my distorted attraction to a person who was not ready to get married. No one spoke to me about the misgivings they had the week prior to the wedding or the night of the wedding rehearsal. No one spoke to me, and my marriage ended three weeks later when Karen told me “she was unsettled.”

It took another thirteen months for the divorce to go through and to be finalized.

I may start asking couples preparing for marriage “May I speak to the members of your wedding party to see if any of them have objections to you two being wed?” Maybe my first wedding would have stopped before it began if Pastor Susan had asked my wedding party the same question. At least three people in the wedding party had their doubts about Karen and me, but kept it to themselves.

St. Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians, the thirteenth chapter: “Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.”

Rejoicing in the truth sometimes means speaking the truth in love to a friend.

Will you speak the truth in love to a friend before they make a big mistake?

Summer 2012 High School Adventure = ELCA Youth Gathering in NOLA!

After feedback from CtK youth, the Family & Youth Team decided last night to keep the Team's current rotation for summer high school events (it's a 3-year rotation: Youth Gathering, Mission Trip, Outdoor Adventure/Camp). This means that next summer, youth and adults from CtK will be joining with thousands of other Lutherans in New Orleans for the ELCA Youth Gathering.
Wonder what the fuss is about? Check out this great video explaining the history of the Youth Gathering.



Registration opens October 9th, so 8th-12th graders: look for info coming SOON. And save July 18-22, 2012 for NOLA!

Share the Harvest this coming Sunday

Share the bounty of your garden on Sunday, September 4th after worship.

We’ll have a green salad “starter’ present. Bring peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, onions, peas, beans, and other tasty vegetables and fruits to share with your fellow members and friends of Christ the King.

Bring extra produce to put on a provided table to share.

If your household has a hard time putting food on the table, bring an empty sack and take home some of the bounty that will be present.

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His mercy endures forever!”

September 2011 Global Links

Drought in the Horn of Africa
Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and other countries in East Africa are experiencing the worst drought in 60 years. The ELCA has committed $1.25 million for drought relief to support long-term rebuilding; more help is needed. See www.elca.org/disaster, http://blogs.elca.org/disasterresponse/ and also www.elca.org/news (click on News Releases in the left-hand column).

ELCA assembly officially launches the ELCA Malaria Campaign

Every 45 seconds a child dies from malaria, a preventable and treatable disease. Based on the decision made at the Churchwide Assembly, the ELCA will join with Lutheran churches in Africa, to work toward a malaria-free future. See www.elca.org/news (click on News Releases in the left-hand column).

Germany: Explore Luther's heritage in Wittenberg, Germany
The ELCA Wittenberg Center can assist you in exploring the many study and learning opportunities available in the heart of this historic city of Martin Luther and at other Reformation sites. See www.elca.org/wittenberg.

Senegal: Christian-Muslim relations
ELCA missionaries Peter Hanson and Sarah Grow reflect on life and ministry in an interfaith setting. Watch a short video at http://blogs.elca.org/handinhand.

The ELCA's best-kept secret: Young Adults in Global Mission
"We have been blessed this past year here in Jerusalem with six amazing, dedicated and talented Young Adults in Global Mission who have impacted our lives and the lives of the Palestinian church, while taking a giant step that means they will never see the world in the same way as before." Read more about the work of these young adults at http://blogs.elca.org/handinhand.

South Africa: "Ubuntu! I am because we are!"
"Being present here is so important. The electricity may be down. The water supply may be down. But, I am here with you." Read more reflections from two young adults at www.elca.org/handinhand.

Asia/Pacific: Regional representative for diakonia sought
Represent the ELCA in diakonia ministries (development, health care, disaster response). Preference will be given to applications received by September 15, 2011. Position starts January 2012. See www.elca.org/globalserve and click Global Service Opportunities to search the database at the bottom of the page.

Why missionaries?
After two months on home assignment, ELCA missionary Brian Konkol considers the role and purpose of Christian missionaries in a blog post at http://lwfyouth.org/.

Glocal Mission Gathering in Wichita, Kansas, September 31-October 1
Equip yourself for God's work in today's global and local realities. For more information and to register, visit www.elca.org/glocal.

Companion synod relationships: More profiles
Online profiles have been updated by the ELCA Alaska, Northwestern Ohio, Southeastern Iowa, and the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synods, and by the Synod of Alberta and the Territories of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. Learn of new developments in companion synod relationships at www.elca.org/companionsynodprofiles.

In our prayers
Pray for the new missionaries who are being deployed to many corners of the world this summer. Give thanks for their service to the church and their devotion to mission in God's world. (This prayer for August 30 is available along with daily prayers from around the globe at www.elca.org/prayerventures.)

Our goal is 300 boxes

During the month of September Christ the King is holding its annual boxed cereal drive for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.

Last year we collected 275 boxes of cereal for hungry individuals and families living in the Gallatin Valley.

Let’s make it our goal to collect 300 boxes of cereal.

Take advantage of all the back to school sales at local grocery stores featuring boxed cereal.

Next week when I go grocery shopping for my family, I plan to pick up four boxes of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. We’ll eat one at our house and the other three we plan to give to the cereal drive.

Together we can reach our goal of 300 boxes for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.

Making History?

I've been exchanging emails with a mentor and friend this week, who also happens to be our predecessor here at CtK, the Rev. Shelley Wickstrom. Pastor Shelley now works on the ELCA's Region One staff. And she wears quite a few hats. She spent time in June at the Campus Ministry Conference, part of July at the Women of the ELCA's Triennial Convention, and part of August in Orlando for the Churchwide Assembly (CWA). Here's what she had to say about the Assembly:

During CWA I was impressed by the endorsements given to the Genetics Statement. One genetics counselor gave a workshop on it to a national conference of genetics counselors who were amazed at its depth and breadth. That kind of peer review matters. There were also farmers who spoke in favor of it, plus geneticists. Participation in the Malaria Campaign will be one of those experiences that hopefully we'll be able to say to Marit some day that once upon a time there was a disease that killed a child every 45 seconds. Your church stopped that (with the help of philanthropists, other denominations, etc....)

I hope she's right - that Malaria will be history someday. And that we will know we have played a small part in making it so.

Not sure what all Pastor Shelley's talking about? Learn more about the Social Statement on Genetics, the ELCA Malaria Campaign, the Women of the ELCA, and Lutheran Campus Ministry!
See you in worship - don't forget to bring your school bag this Sunday!

Your offering at work

Earlier this week we learned in the church office of a young person who out of the kindness of her heart, took in an elderly person who had no immediate family.

The elderly friend has now become ill and is in need of life saving surgery.
The kind young person wants to accompany her friend to the city where the surgery will take place.

Using resources here in Bozeman and elsewhere in the state of Montana, we were able to secure lodging for the kind young person, so she could support her new elderly friend as this person prepares to undergo surgery.

None of this could have happened without your generous weekly offerings.
A portion of the monthly offering (less than one percent) is set aside in our “Good Samaritan Fund.”

Members and friends of Christ the King have benefitted from this fund to help people in need. And total strangers, too! Bags of groceries, tanks of gas, a month’s rent, a late electric bill, and emergency shelter have all been made available through the Good Samaritan Fund.

A colleague who helped coordinate the assistance said, “Last week both these persons were feeling like their faith was being tested. Your assistance will help to remind them that there are caring people in Montana who are willing to lend a hand, and to help restore someone’s shattered faith.”

This is your Christ the King offering at work, bearing witness to the hope we have in Christ Jesus.

Blessing of the Backpacks this Sunday, 9am

The Belgrade School District began classes for the 2011-2012 school year today. Bozeman Schools and MSU launch the fall term on Monday. Are you ready? I, for one, am not feeling particularly ready for summer to be over. That said, the fall is always an exciting time to begin new learning challenges, catch up with folks who traveled a lot over the summer, and recognize with awe and amazement how quickly some of those students are growing!
This Sunday, August 28th, during worship at 9am, backpacks and school bags - and most importantly students, teachers, and other school-types - will be blessed. So, if you're heading back to the classroom, bring your own school bag with you to worship for the blessing!

Reflection on today's sermon

The Gospel lesson for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost is Matthew 16:13-20.
Have you been thinking at all about how you would answer Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?"
Or about what you might say if someone asked, "What is it you believe?"
What follows is one of the songs we sang quite a bit at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp during the week CtK types were there back in July. And if we'd had music for it (instead of just the guitar chords) perhaps I would have chosen it for one of our songs in worship today. Perhaps the lyrics can serve as a prayer for you this week, and help you think about who Jesus is in your life.

You are holy.
You are mighty.
You are worthy,
worthy of praise.
I will follow. 
I will listen.
I will love you
all of my days.

I will sing to and worship the King who is worthy.
I will love and adore him. I will bow down before him.
You’re my Prince of Peace and I will live my life for you.

You’re the Lord of lords, You’re the King of Kings, you are mighty God, Lord of everything.
You’re Emmanuel. You’re the Great I Am. You’re the Prince of Peace who is the lamb.

You’re the living God, You’re my saving grace, You will reign forever. You are Ancient of Days.
You are Alpha, Omega, beginning and end. You’re my Savior, Messiah, Redeemer and friend.
You're my Prince of Peace and I will live my life for you.

Car Wash Tomorrow

Hope to see you tomorrow at the Car Wash! Help our youth start raising funds for this year's retreats, learning and service opportunities! (not to mention the summer 2012 big high school event!)

ELCA Churchwide Assembly

This post is from the Bishop of the Montana Synod, Jessica Crist. It comes from the August issue of the Montana Synod Newsletter.

When you read this article, the Churchwide Assembly will be in session in Orlando, Florida. Twelve voting members, elected at the 2010 Montana Synod Assembly, will join approximately 1000 other voting members from around the Church to do the business of the Church. These volunteers are giving up a week of their summer to vote on resolutions and budgets, constitutional changes and a social statement. Please keep them in your prayers, and thank them if you get a chance. And feel free to invite them to your congregation and your fall cluster meetings, in order to hear from them directly.
If you are reading this, pass it on. Pass on the newsletter, pass on the article, pass on the information about accessing the Churchwide Assembly. Here is our group: Pastor Carol Karres is a retired pastor living in Sidney and serving on the Synod’s Candidacy Committee. Jim Allen of Great Falls, is about to start his freshman year at Concordia College, Mike Young, newly-elected Synod Vice President, is a Billings-based health care consultant. Pastor Dan Heskett serves Northridge in Kalispell, and is Dean of the Flathead Clus-ter. Sandy Lange of Choteau, is on the Churchwide Board of the Women of the ELCA. Wayne Saverud, of Kalispell, works for Immanuel Lutheran Corporation. Trudi Schmidt is a State Legislator from Great Falls, and a member of the Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community, New Hope. Tonia Fisher-Clark, is an LPA and a member of King of Glory in Billings. Lee Christianson is an active member of First Lutheran in Havre, and works for Thrivent. Pastor Tim Tostengard serves American Lutheran in Billings, and is Dean of the Shepherd Cluster. Amanda Gerber is a college student from Libby. As Bishop, I am the twelfth member of the group. And Pastor Phil Wold, of Sheridan, Wyoming, will be there as a member of the ELCA Church Council.
You can keep track of what is going on at the Churchwide Assembly several ways. One way is to watch the streaming video feed at http://www.elca.org/. You can watch in live time the presentations, debates, bible studies and more. Another way is to follow the blog that our synod group will have. Go to http://www.soulcafe.org/, sign up, and go to the Montana Synod page, where you will find a link to our blog. Soul Café is an experiment in communications we are engaged in in the synods of Region I (the Northwest). It is a great way to get information and make connections not only across the syn-od, but across all our synods in the northwest. Check it out.
So what will we do for five days at the Assembly? We’ll have daily worship and prayer. We’ll study scrip-ture. We’ll listen to presentations from staff, from volunteers, from visiting dignitaries. We’ll grapple together with the theme: “Freed in Christ to Serve.” We’ll look at the report of the LIFT Task Force, prayerfully consider what kinds of structure and governance will help us be effective witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our complex world today and in the future. We’ll debate and vote on the genetics social statement, and discuss why we as a church have social statements. We’ll adopt a budget, look at constitutional changes, hear memorials from synods, elect people to churchwide boards.
The Churchwide Assembly is people like you and me, clergy and laity from across the country, elected by their Synod Assemblies from congregations across the whole church. We are as diverse in our backgrounds and opinions and experiences as this whole church is.
But we are united in our love of the Church, the Body of Christ. We are united in our commitment to be faithful witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are united in our desire to serve God and neighbor.

God’s work. Our hands.

Your partner in ministry,

Bishop Jessica Crist

I encourage you to check out the ELCA webpage and watch some of the Assembly. You can see streaming video here. It's always interesting, and a good way to stay connected with what our church is doing - "church" is a whole lot bigger than just an individual congregation!

Hungry people are fed

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
those he redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.

Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to an inhabited town;
hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress;
he led them by a straight way,
until they reached an inhabited town.
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
For he satisfies the thirsty,
and the hungry he fills with good things.
Psalm 107:1-9

Ron Hanson, our master gardener here at Christ the King informed me this morning that he had harvested giant peas and string beans for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.
If you are interested in helping Ron with the garden, please contact him. I know he would appreciate the help, especially now that produce is ready for harvest.
Praise the Lord! For he satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things.

Yup.

One of my favorite things about being a pastor is getting to know people and hear their stories - where they come from, how they got to where they are now, the important people in their lives, how God shows up and surprises them, how God uses them in the world, the questions they have, etc.
Today I was blessed by conversation with a woman new to CtK, over a very tasty lunch. She is, like all of God's children, quite fascinating and fabulous. And she said something that made me ask her, "Can I quote you on that?"
When I asked her about connecting with a community of faith in the midst of a very full life (demanding full time job, children, husband, etc.), she said, "I'm too busy not to make this a priority."
Yup.
Sometimes people think they'll be able to make it to worship when they're not so busy. I'm not sure that's ever really true. I have a feeling it wouldn't be true for me - even if I wasn't a pastor. Participating in weekly worship and connecting with the community of faith help make the rest of my life possible. Like all the legends of famous reformers and "churchmen" tell us - they were so busy and so involved in so much, they had to spend hours (three, four, more?) in prayer every day. It was the only way they could accomplish what needed to get done.
There are lots of ways to think about sabbath. One of my favorites has been the switch to thinking about Sunday not only as the day of rest at the end of the week, but as a day of rest, worship and praise at the BEGINNING of the week - fuel and a jumping off point for all that's ahead. And life is definitely too busy not to make that a priority.

VBS Concludes - Pancake Buffet

Another week of VBS is over - what a week! Almost 40 children participated, and we had a bunch of wonderful adult, high school and middle school leaders and helpers! With a DIO (do it ourselves) curriculum, the talents, gifts and creativity of our leaders really shone through. Thanks to all of you who put in lots of thinking time, preparation time and especially lots of love into the children!

The big VBS finale will be on Sunday - children will sing during worship, and afterwards, there will be a pancake buffet! Pancakes (including gluten-free pancakes) will be provided, and beverages will be provided, too. It's your job to bring your favorite topping! Blackberry syrup, fresh bananas, chocolate chips... how creative can you get? Bring your friends and neighbors, it's going to be fun! And TASTY!

A GREAT week of VBS!

It's Wednesday - which means VBS is already more than half way over. Where do the days go?
We're having a great week, thanks to so many wonderful adult and teen leaders and helpers, and all the children who are here to learn, praise, pray, create and have fun!
Check out the CtK website for the daily VBS "newsletters."
And enjoy some pictures of the week so far! (The donkeys came for "duct tape the tail on the donkey" on Wednesday, when we talked about Palm Sunday and Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Cool, huh?)

Highway Clean-up Tomorrow

It's time for some highway clean-up! CtK maintains a stretch of road west of Four Corners.

Meet in the CtK parking lot at 10am tomorrow, Saturday, July 23rd to carpool out there. Wear sunblock and bring work gloves!

Middle School Service Plunge 2011

There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.

There are varieties of services, but the same Lord.

1 Corinthians 12:4-5

There are some wonderful middle school students here in the Gallatin Valley. A crew of kids from Christ the King, Hope Lutheran and First Presbyterian Churches is gathering every day this week to serve, worship, learn, play and create - and it's wonderful!
So far, groups have worked at Family Promise of Gallatin Valley, the Gallatin Valley Food Bank and with the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, doing all kinds of work, from weeding, cleaning, organizing and sorting, to packing food, playing with children, raking and shovelling gravel, and loading and unloading a moving truck. These are hard working youth!

Each day the group also has time for worship, Bible study, big group games, crafts/activities and more. Yesterday, they even had the opportunity to walk a labyrinth (our theme for the day was hospitality, and the Bible story was the road to Emmaus).

There's still more to come this week - please keep this group in your prayers!

For more pictures, check out the Service Plunge Slide show on the CtK website, or the Christ the King Lutheran Church facebook page!

From ELCA Disaster Response

July 14, 2011

Horn of Africa drought relief
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
The worst drought in 60 years has reached crisis level in East Africa. Thousands and thousands of people in Ethiopia, central and northern Kenya, Djibouti and Somalia are leaving their homes in search of food, water and shelter.
The Dadaab refugee center, managed in partnership with The Lutheran World Federation, was built to accommodate 90,000 people. However, recently more than 380,000 thirsty and hungry people have gathered in and around the center. This number continues to grow with more than 1,000 people arriving daily.

“This is the last of my food, a few beans. I used to grow food myself but there has been no rainfall in eight years, so now I have to buy all my food from the market. The prices keep going up. We only have enough food for one meal a day now, and that goes for all people in this area,” says Lucia Muvili Ngotho from the Kalimbui village in Mwingi, Kenya.
Gifts made through ELCA Disaster Response are now providing water and enriched porridge to children and older adults who are too weak to eat dry food. Your generous gifts will make it possible for this church’s response to continue as long as the drought does and, even afterward, as the people seek to restart their lives.
Contributions made to ELCA Disaster Response, designated for the “Horn of Africa Drought Relief,” will be used entirely -- 100 percent -- for work in the area, assisting those whose lives have been affected by this terrible drought.
Your gifts of prayer and partnership are needed and deeply appreciated. Thank you.
Sincerely,
The Rev. Daniel Rift
Director, ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal

To give online, go to ELCA Disaster Response: Horn of Africa Drought Relief. To give through the congregation, make out a check to CtK with ELCA Disaster Response: Horn of Africa in the memo line, and put it in the offering plate on Sunday.