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On June 9 I walked to church, anxious and apprehensive, fully expecting to see a jungle as I approached 55th and Woodlawn. I had just returned from two weeks in Europe, visiting wonders such as Monet's garden at Giverny, Bagatelle, a rose garden in Paris, and Het Loo, a 17th century garden in Apeldoorn, Holland, that had been built as a copycat Versailles. (For about a hundred years, any king needing to prove he was truly at the top of the food chain built a garden like Versailles. Then the English came along with the "landscape park" idea and Versailles-type gardens went poof! as quickly as you could cut off a king's head.) So the trip went well, but I was prepared for an an apres-moi-le-deluge experience when I encountered the hosta garden.
But the place was pristine. Nary a weed in sight. It was a true elves-and -the-shoemaker moment, and I was thrilled.
The elves in this case were many. Melinda Burger had been hard at work (she likes to weed, she once told me), but so had youth groups from the Wataga Faith Lutheran Church in Wataga, Illinois, and the Bethany Luther League in Woodhull, Illinois. Needing an emergency place to sleep during their visit to Chicago, they offered gratefully to "do something" to help Augustana. Pastors Gorder and Goede immediately pointed them toward the hostas where they worked all day.
Another major weeding occurred in early August when Pastor Gorder hired Robert, a homeless man who comes by occasionally, to hoe the entire space. He did a fine job, so on August 11, we were again greeted by the sight of a pristine, weedless garden as we arrived for church.
Since then, the weeds have naturally returned, but not in such numbers as last year. The hostas have grown so they cover more space, and in 2003 they should be bigger still. Eventually they and the silver-green Japanese painted ferns will fill in most of the space and we can kiss weeding goodbye.
But not watering. It's interesting to observe how the hostas are smaller, even stunted, in the areas closer to Woodlawn where it hasn't been possible to do supplemental watering. Fertilizing also gives plants a boost. Both this summer and last I gave the plants reachable with a hose a spritz of Miracle-Gro. Things are going according to plan.
Needs Improvement The West Garden is another story. Having had a case of "washerwoman's knee" all summer and being unable to bend or kneel, I have done absolutely zilch out there. There is work to be done. Besides pulling bindweed and other nuisances, we need to grind up the ever-growing brush pile and use it for mulch, but we don't have a chipper/shredder that's big enough. Joaquin and Charles gave the church their leaf shredder, which is wonderful, but it doesn't do branches, and the amount of brush we have is not large enough to interest the Resource Center. (I've checked.)
Anybody have a bright idea? Give up and send it off to the landfills? Even that will require a platoon of hearty Augustana males to bag the brush and move it from the West Garden to the garbage pickup area. How much better it would be to chop it up on the site and put it to good use here.
As responsible, caring stewards of the earth, the right and practical thing is to compost our own garden waste and use it as mulch since this will 1) reduce our water use and 2) nourish the soil. Why should we send our leaves and branches to the landfills and then go off to Home Depot to spend money on bags of mulch? There has to be a solution out there somewhere.
Rob, Kara, and Elizabeth Kirby have moved to a new home in Flossmoor. Rob and Kara worshiped at Augustana for the past two years. Elizabeth was baptized at Augustana on July 29, 2001. Rob is on the faculty at the University of Chicago. The Kirby family left Augustana on August 4.
Hetty Irmer and Brian Higgins's last Sunday with us was August 25.
Augustana's Core Team has been undertaking a series of one-on-one interviews to strengthen ties within the congregation. Several Augustana members participated in interview training recently, and we are having conversations with newer members of Augustana, in particular. We are looking to identify areas of interest and concern both within the congregation, and in the broader community. We hope that you will participate if you are contacted for an interview; such conversations in the past have built positive relationships within Augustana. To find out more about these conversations, talk to Deb Burnet or Pastor Gorder!
Four Augustana members received awards which were announced in the Spring Quarter Convocation Booklet. They are the following:
Ben Dueholm was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Megan Kunz was inducted to the Maroon Key Society; was awarded an Edith Ballwebber Prize (to women athletes who have contributed significantly to the varsity sport; and was awarded the Bernard O. Brown Student Service Learning Award (for a project of service to the community which complements his or her professional aspirations).
Jeremy Posadas was inducted to the Maroon Key Society.
Jody Stoner received the NBI Healthcare Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award (for consistently demonstrating compassion and empathy in the delivery of care to patients and illustrating professional behavior by example.
Thomas Schulze writes, "Again I would like to express my gratitude for a wonderful year with Augustana. I would like to thank all the members for giving me the feeling of being home and allowing me to consider myself a "Hyde Parker." I would like to thank both of you [Pastor John and Gordeen Gorder] for helping me rediscover my Lutheran identity and spirituality and for guidance through times of personal crisis. Thanks also to Gordeen for her being a superb "dinner host" and colleague in the "Fall Garden Clean-Up." Last but not least, I would extend greetings to Mary and Don Rem and the Usher Team 3, especially Chuck Torsberg who introduced me into the secret world of "head counting" during the service. Although, being German, I never reached his perfection and accuracy in counting really all the attendants ...!
A message from Charlotte Vikstrom whose sister died on July 8: "Sincere and humble thanks for prayers and expressions of sympathy during my sister Janet's final months of struggle with brain cancer."
The 26 June issue of the Hyde Park Herald announced that "Hyde Parker Katharine Bensen, a partner at Schiff Hardin & Waite Law Firm with practices in the firm's Private Corporate Finance with Public Law Groups has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Emergency Fund for Needy People. The fund, a nonprofit organization, offers immediate financial help for Chicago's low-income individuals and families in crisis."
Norma and Tom Zarris report that their friend Betsy Baird who was being treated for cancer and was on the Augustana prayer list for a number of months is doing much better. Betsy expresses her thanks for the prayers of Augustana members.
Kimmy Meinecke, who attended Augustana and sang in the Parish Choir until graduating from LSTC in 2000 was ordained in Andrews, North Carolina on Saturday, August 17 and has accepted a call to Christ the King Lutheran Church in Goldendale, Washington. Larry Long flew to North Carolina to play organ for the ordination service.
The Murasaki Duo, cellist Eric Kutz and pianist Miko Kominami, played in worship on Sunday, August 11. Eric played here once before in the summer of 2000 while in Chicago to play with the Grant Park Symphony. Eric and Miko this past week moved to Decorah, Iowa, where he has accepted a new job at Luther College. Miko taught at Notre Dame University in South Bend for four years. They both served as faculty this summer at Lutheran Summer Music held at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. They played works by Nadia Boulanger, Enrique Granados, and J. S. Bach.
| October 6 | Pet Blessing in commemoration of St. Francis of Assisi |
| October 13 | Oktoberfest in the church yard following the 10:45 service |
| October 20 | We celebrate the day of St. Luke, Evangelist, with the Liturgy of Healing |
| October 27 | Reformation Sunday |
The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago invites everyone to a lecture and lunch program sponsored by the Guild of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, on Saturday, October 19, 2002, at Augustana Lutheran Church of Hyde Park. The lecture entitled "Martin Luther and Marriage and Family" will be presented by Rev. Dr. Kurt K. Hendel, professor of Reformation and Church History and will focus on Luther's understanding of marriage and family. The lecture is free and for those wishing to stay for lunch a fee of $12 per person will be charged. For more information and to receive your registration brochure, please contact Ruth Ann Deppe in the LSTC Advancement Office at (773) 256-0712.
Three new members joined Augustana on July 21: Jennifer Afdahl, Jason Wynkoop, and Adam W. Darlage. Jennifer is employed with ACCION Chicago; Jason is a social worker, and Adam is a PhD student in church history at The Divinity School, University of Chicago.
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Jennifer Afdahl Adam Darlage |
Jason Wynkoop |
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Jeremiah 15:15-21 Psalm 26:1-8 Romans 12:9-21 Matthew 16:21-28 |
Today's gospel reading reminds us that life in Christ, rather than simply comforting us or excusing us from the pain of this world, strengthens us to face what we fear most: suffering and death. Jesus does not turn from pain and loss; indeed, he offers strength and hope to his people.
God's adoption of us in the waters of baptism and our communion in Christ's body and blood--signs of healing and community--strengthen us to offer ourselves as servants to a weary and frightened world.
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Ezekiel 33:7-11 Psalm 119:33-40 Romans 13:8-14 Matthew 18:15-20 |
Life in community is a precious thing, but it easily breaks down if rumors and idle talk are given free reign. In today's gospel, Jesus prescribes a manner for dealing with conflict in community life, a procedure reflected in many congregations' constitutions. The intent of such a form of church discipline is to restore people to community life.
May all who come to hear and to taste the presence of Christ in word and sacrament today also find communities that seek to understand one another in truth and in love.
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Genesis 50:15-21 Psalm 103:[1-7] 8-13 Romans 14:1-12 Matthew 18:21-35 |
In today's gospel reading, Jesus invites us to forgive one another. His invitation, however, is not an optional activity for Christians. It is the heart of the gospel and the distinctive character of Christian life. Out of love for us in our weakness and sin, God forgives us, heals us, and strengthens us to be a forgiving people. The sign of the cross invites us to the ministry of reconciliation in word and sacrament. The cross, marked on our foreheads at baptism and traced over our bodies at the funeral liturgy, assures us of Christ's victory over death and the promise of eternal life.
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Jonah 3:10--4:11 Psalm 145:1-8 Philippians 1:21-30 Matthew 20:1-16 |
People like to keep score. If our team wins by a point, we rejoice and claim victory. But our relationships begin to dissolve when we count up little mistakes, losing trust and patience.
We learn today that God is not interested in playing counting games. In the reign of God, mercy is freely given to those who come late, as well as to those who have labored for many hours or years. Any claim to partiality, any impulse to keep score, is undercut by the grace of God received in word and sacrament. In the presence of God's mercy, wrote Luther, we are all beggars.
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Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3 Psalm 103:1-5, 20-22 Revelation 12:7-12 Luke 10:17-20 |
Angels visited Abraham at Mamre; the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus; a great company of angels sang at Jesus' birth. Michael the archangel, captain of the heavenly hosts and protector of Christians, is remembered on this day with all the angels of God.
Kathy Anderson, President
Dan Friedrich, Vice President
Neva Hefner, Treasurer
Virginia Rodriguez Balanoff, Secretary
Clara Nelson, Financial Secretary
Terms Expiring January, 2003Douglas Larson Terms Expiring January 2004Neva Hefner |
Terms Expiring January, 2005Kathy Anderson Members of Council ex officioJohn Gorder, Pastor |
Administration & Personnel
Campus Ministry - Lori Gudas
Christian Education - Douglas Larson & Elaine Worcester
Churchyard - Don Rem
Evangelism - Tom Zarris
Finance & Stewardship - Sandra Henley
Parish Life - Alma Massie
Property - vacant
Social Ministry - Hetty Irmer
Worship & Music - Laura Wilhelm & Gary Worcester
Women of Augustana - Melinda Burger
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Carol Eck |
Larry Long |