The Anchor

September 2010

Hope Lutheran Church

3527 Boulton Road N.W, Calgary, Alberta, T2L 1M5

Phone: 282-6033

Fax: 282-6080

"To be or not to be …

That is THE Question…"

Choice… the freedom to decide between this or that… We know that this is one of the most important, cherished privileges and blessings we have (as Canadians, residents of the developed world, etc.). At the same time though we (we who have ever faced one of those really big decisions) also know just as clearly such a "privilege" can be a terrible burden and a curse! For indeed with such incredible freedom also comes incredible responsibility. The more power we have… the higher the stakes are … the higher the likelihood that how we make our choices will be the source of quite a significant set of ripples in the world.

The problem is though, that as hard as we might try to avoid that responsibility, the harsh truth is that many define what it is that makes humankind the most unique of all creatures is our ability to make choices… our freedom of will… our ability to act or react with intention as opposed to simple instinct. It’s kind of amazing when you think about it then that already the second story in the Bible… following directly after the creation story… is, in fact, the story of how humankind abused that privilege and "made a bad choice." (The story of Adam and Eve and "The Fall")

All of which is most certainly why if, as pastor, I want to choose a topic I know will almost uniformly "annoy" folks, the one I should go to first is the topic of "choices". Indeed, "almost uniformly," we do not much like to be reminded of the responsibilities we have, and thus strangely we do not always like to be reminded too often of the actual "freedom" we have.

To explain… if a person comes to you with a request for help, which is easier?? …to say/admit that you "don’t want to" or …to say you are "too busy"???? Well obviously the second is way easier – especially if it is "sort of" true. Inversely, to admit – out loud – that you are simply "choosing" not to say yes is not only often more honest and might lead to the other person reacting badly, but just as critically it means you have to deal with yourself. You have to admit that you are making a choice and that for better or worse, rightly or wrongly, your values, your priorities, your selfishness OR your care (cuz saying yes IS NOT always the caring thing), have lead you to "decided" to say "no." And then you are left to inter-personally and internally deal with the consequences. No… as I said, quite "obviously" being able to say "you can’t -- that actually or in some illusionary way you feel you have "no choice" -- is a great deal easier.

But that is the problem with being honest with yourself (and when you can, with others)!?! Because though we may not like to admit it, the fact is that we ALWAYS actually, actually have a choice. The fact is, that whatever the circumstance or moment, be it that we already have something scheduled or that we have already budgeted away that money or that we have already committed that energy/resource, you do nonetheless have the option to rethink those previous decisions. Whatever the circumstance or moment, there is an open question of whether or not your values, your sense of call, or your priorities open you to that which is now before you.

Well, obviously, all this is written in the context of "Fall" being already upon us – the season of "signing up," the season of re-starting, the season of new commitments and old commitments … the season of "choices." In the church, we live our lives against the backdrop understanding that all we are, all we have, and all we can do/give are a gift to us from God. Our "calling" – the way we show our thankfulness for them -- is to be good managers of how we use and spend and expend our life … to make good and healthy and graceful "choices" about what our answers to the questions of life will be – the Biblical term is to be good "Stewards" of our lives. How we do this… how well we do this… begins and is determined by what we understand to be important to us and to the world and how clearly we see our responsibility in the world… is determined by how we make our choices.

- Pastor Stewart Miller, September 2010

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For many September is the time of new beginnings. We have enjoyed the sunshine of summer, time outdoors and the beauty and bounty of our gardens. Children start back to school. Things at work resume a quicker pace. Programming starts up again in our congregation.

There is something exciting about new beginnings. We feel energized. We start fresh.

I hope that we can use this energy to vision and dream with one another about our hopes for the coming year in our congregation. Like the new notebook that students will take with them to school to fill with idea and learning, we have a blank page on which to sketch our ideas that can then be used to guide our life together.

During the past couple of months I have had the opportunity to connect with several of you to talk about these ideas and it had been a rich
experience for me as I re-acquaint myself with who we are as a community of faith. I have many more of you to connect with and will continue to call you up or email you to see if we can get together to
chat about the things you feel are important. It is in the diverse contributions of people from all ages, who bring different experiences that we create a strong, life-giving body of Christ.

In the meantime I ask you to consider these guiding questions:

- What really matters to you?
- How are we being called by God and those around

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Gently used casual clothing for men and women is needed, especially men’s t-shirts and medium (32-34") jeans. Day backpacks are items that are also popular. Thank you!

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Do you have a son or daughter going into Grade 8 this fall? If so, please contact us at the church office. Confirmation Orientation for Grade 8 students and their parents will be held on Wednesday, September 8^th at 6:30 p.m. Regular classes will begin September 15^th at 6:30 p.m. for both the Grade 8 and Grade 9 classes.

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What is the business of the church? What value is being added to our parishioners' lives? A few days ago, I had a visit with a pastor who was outlining the fall programs about to begin in her congregation when she wondered out loud if we were doing our congregants any favours. Another meeting, another night out . it sometimes seems that parishioners are there to serve the church's needs, rather than the other way around. As we spoke about it, we agreed that there's something wrong with this picture.

Ronald B. Mayan, Bishop

Synod of Alberta and the Territories, ELCIC

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Seniors' Corner - Please join us Thursday, September 16th at 2:00 p.m. for sharing and catching up on all the news. We will also start planning our future get togethers. Refreshments will be served; all are welcome!

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Hold the Date! There will be a grade 7-12 youth event at Hope on Friday, October 1 at 7:00 pm. More details to come; see the youth bulletin board for additional information.

If you have any questions please contact me, Lynn Harvey, at 403 932 9312.

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19^th – church picnic at Bowness – join us for fun and games.

26^th – first SS class

We would be delighted to have some new faces teaching SS this year.  Time commitment is VERY small. It is important to have new teachers each year for many reasons.  New teachers bring new ideas to the program, they prevent long-time volunteers from getting burned out, and they ensure that the SS program will continue.

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Name Tags – There is a sign-up sheet on the Information Table by the phone. There is no cost.

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Teachers, aides, principals, administrators, secretaries, cooks, librarians, janitors, and bus drivers…come to church to be blessed, affirmed in your vocation, and encouraged as you serve children and families in your daily work!

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All July and August announcements (births, deaths, marriages, and hospitalizations) will appear in the October Anchor as our Administrative Assistant was away on holidays when the September Anchor was published.

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Daily Devotionals for September are located on the Information Table (by the phone) in the Foyer. Everyone is reminded that these are provided free for you to take home and read on a daily basis.

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About Hope Lutheran Church

Our Mission

Our Hope is to worship God, celebrate the good news of Jesus Christ our Saviour, share in His community, and witness His love to the world.

Church Staff

cell: 403-862-0113

Jane Henderson - Administrative Assistant

About The Anchor

The Anchor is published monthly, connecting the members and friends of Hope Lutheran Church. Our goal is to inform, invite, and inspire you to grow in your faith in Christ, and to participate in the life of Hope.

Church Council & Committee Information