~ Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!  Psalm 150: 3-6

I thought I’d start this month’s newsletter article with a tongue-in-cheek piece I found online at www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com titled “Hymn Truths”. We are asked to consider, “Do we live a lifestyle in harmony with the hymns we sing?”
 · We sing “Sweet Hour of Prayer” and are content with 5-10 minutes.

· We sing “Onward Christian Soldier” and wait to be drafted into His service.

· We sing “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” and don’t use the one we have.

· We sing “There Shall be Showers of Blessings” but do not come to church when it rains.

· We sing “Blest Be The Tie That Binds” and let the least little offense sever it.

· We sing “Serve the Lord With Gladness” and gripe about all we have to do.

· We sing “The Whole Wide World For Jesus” and never invite our next door neighbor.

· We sing “We’re Marching to Zion” but fail to march to worship or Sunday School.

· We sing “I Love to Tell the Story” and never mention it all.

· We sing “Cast Thy Burden on the Lord” and worry ourselves into nervous breakdowns

Obviously this was written for the reader’s amusement and should not be taken too seriously, but it does remind us of the influence of music throughout our spiritual journey and the importance of song lyrics to support the teachings of the Bible. I recently read a Bible study in which God told Moses at the end of the wilderness wanderings that soon he would die, and that Joshua, not he, would lead the people into the Promised Land. God told Moses “soon the people will begin to prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me, breaking my covenant”. God also warns, “I will hide my face from them” and “they will say ‘God is not in our midst.’”And what does God tell Moses and Joshua to do? “’Now write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their forefathers, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant. And when many disasters and difficulties come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants.’ So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.” (Deuteronomy 31:16-23)

During that time of great distress, God’s answer was to provide the people a song through Moses. It serves as a great reminder to those of us who practice music in the church today that we have been entrusted to continue that tradition. This means we are given a great responsibility in how we select our hymns for worship, accompany them, and even how we sing them. But we also need support, motivation, and encouragement as we do the work God has intended. This is particularly relevant at Norway Grove as we are currently forming a Worship and Music Committee. We have an amazing group of volunteers who are ready for the responsibility of reviewing previous worship experiences, as well as planning for upcoming  worship services and musical events. Their thoughts, ideas, and ability to enlist others to help with projects will greatly assist Norway Grove in reaching out better to God’s people and spreading God’s word. We are blessed to have their valuable input and honored that they are willing to share their gifts with us! If this is a committee that you would be interested in being a part of, please contact the office or a staff member to learn more.

Jill Buchheim, Music Director

Many thanks to those who completed their service on our Church Council in January. They are Lisa Blaski, Betty Koenig, Lisa Johnson, Don Schultz, Beth Staniforth and our High School Representative, Nick Heisig.  Thanks also to those who accepted the call to serve, or continue serving, on Council. They are Sam Kirkland, Beth Krey, Vickie Laughren, Tom Nelson, Jim Simpson and Kris Smith. Our new High School Representative is Brad  Urban. They, along with Julie Haag-Heisig, Jackie Kelley, Dave Pahl and of course Pastor Kathy, make up our 2010 Church Council.

Miracles happen every day, if we choose to see them. The Bible is the book of faith. Will you join with us in a goal of joining a Bible study, or faith group this year?What is God saying to you?Just ask! Who am I? What is  my purpose?

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth, it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

Dear Friends at Norway Grove,With great excitement, I am pleased to announce that I have been called by God and the church to serve Trinity Lutheran Church in Manlius , IL as their pastor!  I begin on February 1, and we are packing so that we can move into the parsonage before February 1.  My ordination will be on April 25, location to be determined.  When I think of you at Norway Grove, I think fondly of Philippians 1:3: “I thank my God every time I remember you…”  Although I’ve been away for many years, Norway Grove has always been my church family.  I am thankful for your prayers, support, and encouragement through my candidacy process and my call process.  Please know that I keep you in prayer today and always.  When I know more details about my ordination, I will let you know!

Peace be with you!  Brenda Lovick

BUT THEY’RE NOT SURE GOD CAN HEAL THROUGH THEM!

Did you  know that in Philippians 2:5, it says “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus?” It’s not your ability, but your availability!  Mark 9:23 says “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to you who believes.’“ In Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding: In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”  Also in Mark 8:25 “Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.” Matthew 6:22-23 states “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.“

Those were some of the many Bible verses that were given to those who attended the Miracle Service of Healing. We have the source of wisdom handed down through the ages as the guide through good and bad times. Have you looked at the display of Bibles in the foyer at Norway Grove Memorial Lutheran Church handed down through the ages? They are probably Bibles of relatives of some of you. Whether we are going through good times or bad times, or coming to church, or not coming to church, open your Bible, tell the stories of faith and hope. We have offered many opportunities of group studies and learning together. In this busy world, most of the congregation have not been able to participate. There are plenty of activities to choose from, but none of those can equal the Bible, because that is the Word of God. The inspiration of all times, for all generations. That is the hope of this world. God is everlasting. All other things can be taken away from you, but not the word of God if it is in your heart. That is the best gift you can give to your children. God does heal people. God can heal our church family. Let us open our Bibles and let God speak to us. Let us spread the words and encouragement to others. If we open our eyes there are so many ways to show God’s love to each other, and to strangers. Most people are waiting for a kind word and encouragement. Sometimes within our own families. OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO OPEN THE BIBLE AND LISTEN TO GOD. Maybe you will be the one with the words of hope and wisdom that will heal someone you love or a stranger, just waiting for someone to care. It might be a clerk, or a child, or someone in a wheelchair. We are God’s people. We are to spread the word of healing and hope.

Betty Olson - Evangelism