On the 20^th of January we swore in the newest president of the United States. One newscaster commented on what it felt like to be in Washington, DC, on that cold inaugural day, that it felt very hopeful. I sincerely believe that the hopefulness that was felt in Washington that day, is also felt at Norway Grove on this day. Earlier in the day, at worship, I couldn’t help but highlight some phrases from president Obama’s Inaugural speech.On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.  Not long ago, we, at Norway Grove had our Annual Meeting, Sunday, January 25^th.  Thank you to all of you who were there to participate in the meeting. I really enjoyed seeing all the members who took time to come to the meeting and participate. It was an impressive number! It was also great to see some young guests there, some confirmation students, who were learning about the organization and structure of how our congregation runs. We gave them a fine example of how we work together, talk about what is happening at Church, what goals we have for the coming year, and how everyone can participate in the body of Christ here at Norway Grove.

As a first point of participating, I encourage you to fill out a ministry review form. (See the MINISTRY REVIEW link on the home page) This is not an ending, but a beginning for a shaping and a redirecting of energies at Norway Grove. We hope also to not only create a  renewed atmosphere of hope, but also an atmosphere that allows many people to participate on task forces and committees all over the congregation. The goal is to bring people closer to Christ and to each other as we determine our common mission to do God’s will in our lives and in the life of Norway Grove. Everyone is invited to share their gifts….that includes you, if you think we are talking about someone else.

Obama said, in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history….  What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, (Norway Grovian), that we have duties to ourselves, our families, our Church, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship, I say instead, discipleship. This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.Indeed, we have some work cut out for us in the days ahead. We have some fiscal responsibility things to sort out. We have ministry needs that cannot be overlooked as we care about one another as the people of God. We have educational endeavors to consider in raising up young people of faith, and nurturing people of all ages in Growing in God’s Spirit of Unity here at Norway Grove. We have people that we don’t even know yet that we need to reach out to, as well as members, past and present that need to know of the hopefulness that dwells at Norway Grove. Together, we will move forward as a congregation, resting in God’s will for us, and taking action for the sake of Christ’s presence in the world.Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. (Obama, may have said America, but I say, Norway Grove!)

Thanks be to God! Amen.  Pastor Kathy

Seventeen youth from Christ Lutheran Church and Norway Grove Memorial Lutheran Church are busily preparing for their trip to the National Youth Gathering this summer (July 22-26) in New Orleans. Please keep this group in your prayers as they plan for their trip to the Gathering. This Gathering will be different than previous Gatherings. The youth attending will enter into God’s presence in New Orleans to receive the witness of others and practice their faith through experiences in worship, prayer, play, service and learning. They will experience compassionate justice (serving as Jesus served) as they seek, serve and form relationships with the people of New Orleans. They will join in the effort to help the people continue to rebuild from Hurricane Katrina. They will hear the stories of those who lost their sisters, brothers, wives, husbands and children to the raging waters. Through all this, they will deepen their understanding of the basic Christian principles by which we live our baptismal calling to servanthood.

Fundraising has already started. A bake sale was held in early December raising over $300. Gift-wrapping was done at East Towne Mall on December 22. Thanks to all who helped! Over $990 was raised through this event.Super Bowl Sunday Subs took place on February 1, 2009. Thanks to all that ordered subs for the event!Our next fundraising event will be family Mardi Gras day on February 22, from 11:30am - 3:30pm, at Christ Lutheran. There will be games food, and a silent auction. Look at the weekly bulletin for further information.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? The cost to attend the Youth Gathering is expected to be $900-$1,000 per participant. To offset this cost, the youth are doing fundraising events and are seeking sponsorships and donations. A container for donations is available in the Fellowship Room on Sunday mornings. Checks can be made payable to: Youth Gathering - Christ Lutheran/Norway Grove.

For several months now, we have been focusing on how we relate to one another in Christ. Christ is such an important part of a Christian organization that I think it is wonderful to better know what it means to relate to one another in Christ. It can be easy to stray in the heat of the moment, but we can allow God to bring us back into relationship with one another through Christ. It is awesome to be the Church and to be amongst supportive Christian Community. So here are two more guidelines…..

Do not speak ill of others in the fellowship. “Do not grumble about each other or you will be judged, and the judge is right outside the door.”  (James 5:9)  Have you ever found yourself grumbling about another person? Perhaps that can be a signal for us to not look deeper into that person’s wrongs, but to ourselves and what is really bugging us. Has something happened in other areas of our life that has caused us to grumble when something isn’t just quite right at Church??? James reminds us that grumbling about others brings judgment upon us, not on the person we are grumbling about. As the winter gets longer, and your attention may wane for fulfilling commitments, or we may feel overburdened for whatever reason, figure out what is bugging you and do not speak ill of others in the fellowship. Instead, how can you assist them in their chores or duties on behalf of the congregation. It is always better to be part of the solution than it is to be part of the problem. 

Do not judge each other. “Some of you accuse others of doing wrong. But there is no excuse for what you do. When you judge others, you condemn yourselves, because you are guilty of doing the very same things.”  (Romans 2:1) This behavioral guideline helps us to remember to focus more on what we do personally than what others are doing. Have you ever heard that when you point a finger at another, that the rest of your fingers are pointing back at you? I agree that it is oftentimes easier to look at what others are doing wrong instead of what we may not be doing to build up the congregation. It is all the more important to remember where our focus belongs when we realize that we may be guilty of the very same things that we are accusing others of.