Hamline Church

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News & Updates – September 20

Sunday School Begins this Sunday!

Sunday School starts up again this coming Sunday, September 20 at 9:30 AM on-line.  Children ages 3 and up are invited to join us on Zoom at  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85766264892?pwd=OWVJUzJEenhUbWtFYzIwVVFTbTM0Zz09

We’ll divide into two Zoom Rooms:  the Pre-School Frolic Room, and the Action Bible Room.  For more information, contact Amy Ireland at asireland@hamlinechurch.org

Children & Youth Sign Up!

Please take two minutes to register your child or youth for our fall spiritual formation offerings.

Children and families: https://forms.gle/cGFPz8AkNNUufLJs9
Youth and families: https://forms.gle/soW5rbxCyX36QoyS7

Sunday School starts this Sunday, and you will be contacted next week about our Kids’ Minecraft Group and our Kids’ Bookclub.

Questions?  Contact Amy Ireland  asireland@hamlinechurch.org

Zoom Tour of SafeZone Drop-in Center for Homeless Youth

Sunday,  September 20 at 11:45 am
A thirty minute Zoom Tour of SafeZone is scheduled for Sunday for anyone who is interested. The Zoom link for this meeting is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3750459780?pwd=NjQyYnhJcnV3QlpTOFVQRXlMZUtndz09

Meeting ID: 375 045 9780
Passcode: 9GQY
Contact: stevebloom4592@gmail.com

Youth Group Kick-off Party

Sunday, September 20 at 1pm 
This Sunday all youth and friends of Hamline Church are invited to drop by Ginkgo’s Patio (721 Snelling Ave N, St Paul, MN 55104) from 1pm-2:30pm. Play some games, check in with one another, and get the schedule for the year. PLUS get a free ice cream/treat/drink from Ginkgo’s! Contact Ashley (ahoefker01@hamline.edu)

Confirmation Starts Next Sunday

Sunday, September 27 at 1pm
Confirmation at Hamline Church is a two-year program typically for seventh and eighth graders but older youth who have not already been confirmed are invited to attend as well. During this time, we explore what it means to confirm for ourselves the promises our parents made at Baptism. If you have a youth interested, please note that we meet on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at 1pm – first meeting (9/27) will be in person – meeting via zoom after that. Contact Heather (hgrantham@hamlinechurch.org).

Belated Card Shower for Frank Dreisbach

Hamline Church longtime friend and member, the Rev. Frank Dreisbach celebrated his 90th birthday on September 13! We are asking EVERYONE (even if you don’t know him personally) to shower him with good wishes for this milestone birthday:
Rev. Frank Dreisbach
1749 Taylor Ave W
Saint Paul, MN 55104

Card Shower for Norma Fields

Norma Fields, mother of Hamline Church member Sharon Fields, will celebrate her 90th birthday on October 4th! Norma is a lifelong United Methodist now living in a care center in Philadelphia. Sharon would be so appreciative of her Minnesota church family joining in the celebration by sending cards and well wishes:
Norma S Fields
2101 Belmont Ave
APT 3209 Old Main
Philadelphia, PA 19131

Sunday Morning Book Group

Sunday, September 27 at 9:00 AM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89331241754?pwd=ZVNQZEl6WGJ0WVdxK1JkRTFxSis1Zz09

Meeting ID: 893 3124 1754
Passcode: 512740

Join in via Zoom to discuss “The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy.”  Author Michael McCarthy traces his adoration of the natural world to when he was seven, when the discovery of butterflies and birds brought sudden joy to a boy whose mother had just been hospitalized. Krista Tippett, host of On Being at NPR, says “I have rarely discovered a book that so delighted and galvanized me at once.”

Contact Barb Edgar at edgar002@umn.edu.

Hamline Connects Group

This fall, Hamline Church is drawing on an age-old Methodist practice of relying on small groups to help us through these unprecedented times. In September everyone will be invited to participate in a Hamline Connects Group for the fall and winter. Each group will be shaped by a leader(s) and will collectively decide when and how to meet. Groups are encouraged to meet at least twice a month through Zoom, email, text, phone, or mail. Some groups may decide to meet in-person outdoors with masks and social distancing. Hamline Connects Groups are designed to create small groups within the congregation so that members and active friends of the church can stay connected, engaged, and cared for. For more info contact Heather Grantham (hgrantham@hamlinechurch.org)

Yearning for yarn?
Yarn is available from Hamline Church Women/UMW, for church projects.The needs are for  prayer shawls for the member care team, lap robes for Walker nursing home, and hats, scarves and mittens for the mitten tree that serves social workers at Galtier and Hamline elementary schools. Yarn is sorted for projects, with some for lap robes and prayer shawls and smaller skeins for hats, scarves and mittens. Take a selfie with your yarn and then one of the completed project!
There’s no set pattern for a prayer shawl or a lap robe, although with lap robes, we ask that anything knitted or crocheted have a short fringe if any. Simple baby blanket patterns work best. If you wish to try a little lap loom they are available for checkout. Questions? Email hamlinewomen@gmail.com
League of women voters presents a Candidate Forum for District 66

Racial Justice and Climate Justice

I woke up this morning pondering my own mortality. (As far as I know, I am perfectly healthy). But this is the gift of the pandemic – putting life in its most simple and most stark terms. And so I ponder…

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd repeatedly told police officers, “I can’t breathe.” This is not the first time a black man has died in police custody after saying, “I can’t breathe.” In 2014, Eric Garner told police eleven times, “I can’t breathe,” before he died, face down on the sidewalk in New York City. Over the past decade, at least 70 people have died in custody after saying the same words — “I can’t breathe,” according to The New York Times (Three Words. 70 Cases. The Tragic History of I Can’t Breathe,” June 29, 2020). The majority of them were stopped for minor infractions, calls to 911 about suspicious behavior, or mental health concerns. More than half were black.

Police brutality is real. Systemic racism is real.

Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy

As a climate activist, I am sometimes asked to help people connect the dots between racism and climate change. I talk about air pollution, heat waves, rising sea levels, and vector borne illnesses like malaria and dengue fever and the disproportionate impact of each of these on people of color, poor people, and people in foreign countries. I talk about our extractive industries such as mining, logging, and fossil fuels, and the sacrifice zones associated with these industries. And by sacrifice zones, I mean places here and overseas where industries are forcing people to move off their land or exposing them to toxins or increased levels of crime and corruption. And in some cases, killing people because of their non-violent resistance to the extraction.

The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, sums it up when he says, “too many people have been too comfortable for too long with other people’s desperation and other people’s death.”

Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy

People are being killed by racism and by climate change. Our systems are violent. It could not be simpler or more clear. I have come to believe there is no difference between racial justice and climate justice. Racial justice is climate justice. And climate justice is racial justice. Once you see it – really see it – it cannot be unseen.

Stark realities.

And we are the people of God. Called to be salt and light. Called to heal a broken world. Hear these words from the Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr, president of the Hip Hop Caucus: “Probably the most important thing is to believe that we were made for this moment. We were put on this planet at this time to fight this battle. That’s the most amazing gift we’ve been given by the Almighty: We are so needed.”

News & Updates – September 13

Fiction & Fellowship

The church’s reading and discussion group, FICTION AND FELLOWSHIP, created by Kent and Diane Krueger, will begin its 21st year today at 4:30pm via ZOOM.

The group meets at 4:30pm on the 2nd Sunday evening each month. ALL ARE WELCOME even if you haven’t finished or even read that evening’s book. To have your name added to the mailing list, send a note to the church office: mfreberg@hamlinechurch.org.
Here are the books we selected:
September 13: The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg.
October 11: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
November 8: My Grandmother asked me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Bachman
December 13:* This Tender Land by Kent Krueger
* Date subject to change.

Join via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81445354127?pwd=M2ZFZHhDZWdzVDVsQ0xVaFdncUN0Zz09
Meeting ID: 814 4535 4127; Passcode: 988134

Pop-up mini concerts by The Bach Society

The Bach Society of Minnesota (BSM) is presenting a series of free, outdoor concerts throughout the Twin Cities this September. Each mini concert is performed by one professional classical musician from the Twin Cities community and lasts about 15 minutes.
Join us outside of Hamline Church on:

  • Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 6:00 pm
    (Margaret Humphrey, violin)
  • Friday, September 18, 2020 at 6:00 pm
    (Adrianna O’Brien, cello)

Music brings love, peace, and joy. We hope to bring the gift of music to your community in a safe, masked, socially distanced, and accessible way. Look for more info on our mini concert schedule and learn more about our new season at https://bachsocietymn.org/.

Online Town Hall Forum

Tuesday, September 15 at 7:30 pm via Zoom
The Hamline Church Council invites you to a conversation and update on Hamline Church’s ministry and how we are adapting and innovating in the midst of the pandemic. The forum topics include: finances, capital projects, fall programming, and online/in-person worship. All are welcome!
Join via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82729931291

Fall Book Study

The fall book study will begin Sunday, September 27 and be led by Barb Edgar. The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy by Michael McCarthy. Nature has many gifts for us, among them the joy that can serve as a defense for us in a world where nature is ever more threatened by climate change and inadequate sustainable development. We will meet on Sunday mornings at 9 am on Zoom for our discussions. One or two books should be available from the church office. Contact Barb Edgar for more information (edgar002@umn.edu).

Hamline Connects Group

This fall, Hamline Church is drawing on an age-old Methodist practice of relying on small groups to help us through these unprecedented times. In September everyone will be invited to participate in a Hamline Connects Group for the fall and winter. Each group will be shaped by a leader(s) and will collectively decide when and how to meet. Groups are encouraged to meet at least twice a month through Zoom, email, text, phone, or mail. Some groups may decide to meet in-person outdoors with masks and social distancing. Hamline Connects Groups are designed to create small groups within the congregation so that members and active friends of the church can stay connected, engaged, and cared for. For more info contact Heather Grantham (hgrantham@hamlinechurch.org)

Rally Sunday – Pandemic Edition

Though we can’t gather as we usually would on Rally Sunday, we can still celebrate the start of fall and our new program year. Join us for worship online as we kick-off our new worship series “One-Another” and afterward if you’re able come by for some outside, physically distanced activities including: Back to School Blessings, donuts from the brick oven, outdoor music & more!
  • 10am Worship Online
  • 11am-12:30am Outdoor Events on the Eastside Greenway and Front lawn

Fall Worship Series: One Another

The primary activity of the early church was one-anothering one another — Andy Stanley

Did you know the words “one another” are used 59 times in the New Testament? “Love one another.” “Forgive one another.” “Regard one another as more important than yourselves.” And the list goes on… How we relate to one another has to power to transform ourselves, our relationships, our systems, and our world. This Fall as we continue to make sense of life and community amidst the pandemic and as our nation prepares for the November elections, these instructions for how to be in relationship with one another seem especially important. Join us for worship this fall as we reconnect to the age-old Christian practice of one-anothering one another!

  1. Love
  2. Build Up (Encourage)
  3. Forgive (live in harmony)
  4. Confess (vulnerability)
  5. Bear With (patience/sympathy)
  6. Bear Burdens (empathy)
  7. Serve (compassion)
  8. Stir Up

Week 1 – September 13 – Rally Sunday – LOVE ONE ANOTHER

We begin our fall worship series One Another by exploring the command to “love” one another. This command appears 16 times in the New Testament. This teaching and all the one another commands were foundational to early Christian communities. As preacher Andy Stanley said, “The primary activity of the early church was one-anothering one another.” So what does it look like for us today to love one another in the midst of the pandemic? How are we called to be community in and outside of our church when our in-person contact is minimal?

  •  John 13:34 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
  • 1 John 4:7-8 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
  • John 15:12-13 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
  • Matthew 22:37-39 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
    (This command occurs at least 16 times)

Week 2 – September 20 – BUILD UP ONE ANOTHER

Most of our national discourse often seems to be about tearing down one another, especially in the midst of election season. The Apostle Paul call us to just the opposite, rather to use our words to build up one another. The word encourage means to give courage, hope, or confidence. The world would be a very different place if more of our energy went to building one another up. Even small doses of encouragement can have a big impact. What encouragement do you need to hear right now? And what kind of building up can you offer to others? As we’ll discover in worship today, it’s likely that what you need to hear, and what others need to hear from you are very similar.

  • Romans 14: 19 – So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:11. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Week 3 – September 27 FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER

We all want to be forgiven. When it comes to our own failures and shortcomings, we think that forgiveness is a mighty fine idea. However, when someone else has hurt us, betrayed us, talked behind our backs, then we’re not so keen on forgiveness. Forgiveness is not easy, that’s probably why there are so many scripture passages that try to teach us how to forgive. Our worship today focuses on the power of forgiveness to restore us to right relationship with God and one another.

  • Colossians 3:13- Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord[a] has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
  • Romans 12: 16-18 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;[a] do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Week 4 – October 4 PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER

In worship this week we look at the power of confession and prayer in all areas of life. Prayer is not only for physical needs, but is even better when focused on emotional, relational, and spiritual needs. Praying for one another is a powerful way to connect and build relationships.

  •  James 5:16-18 Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.
  •  1 Peter 5:5 Clothe yourselves with humility towards one another.

Week 5- October 11 –BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER

The invitation to bear with one another is an invitation to solidarity. Jesus teaches us what it looks like to live in solidarity with others – to value our fellow human beings and respect who they are as individuals. In our world today, the many situations of inequality, poverty, and injustice, are signs not only of a profound lack of community, but also of the absence of a culture of solidarity. In worship today, we take a look at how this pandemic moment and the upcoming election offer us an opportunity to act in solidarity with the most vulnerable among us.

  • Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
  • Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

Week 6 – October 18 – BEAR ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS (Empathy)
Paul teaches that we have mutual responsibility for one another. “Bear one another’s burdens,” he says, “and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Paul is inviting us to the modern-day practice of empathy – meaning to connect with another person and walk in their shoes. Our challenge this week is learning how to have empathy for people from very different backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences.

  • Galatian 6: 1-5 My friends,[a] if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill[b] the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. 5 For all must carry their own loads.

Week 7 – October 25 SERVE ONE ANOTHER (Compassion)

The call to serve one another takes empathy to the next step: compassion. Compassion is when our feelings for the pain and suffering of one another also include the desire to help relieve their suffering. In worship this week we explore how compassion becomes a call to action – a call to serve one another.

  • Galatians 5:13-14 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.
  • 1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Week 8 Nov 1 – All Saints Day – STIR UP ONE ANOTHER

Our one-anothering journey ends with the call to stir up one another to love and good works. On this All Saints Day let us celebrate and remember those Saints who stirred up good in our lives, and honor their legacy through a commitment to doing the same for others. As the election nears, how we will use our vote to do right by one another?

  • Hebrews 10: 24-25 And zlet us consider how to stir up (provoke, stimulate) one another to love and good works, anot neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and ball the more as you see cthe Day drawing near.
  • Romans 12:5 We do all this because we are in a real sense “members of one another”
    OR so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Taste of Hamline

Hamline Dining Hall Launches “Taste of Hamline” Fundraiser for Emma Norton and The Sheridan Story In Lieu of Minnesota State Fair

Hamline Church Dining Hall recently announced its “Taste of Hamline” fundraiser, benefitting local nonprofits Emma Norton and The Sheridan Story. Hamline Church’s Community Brick Oven and State Fair Dining Hall are teaming up to serve fan favorites, Hamline Hamloaf and State Fair Swedish Meatballs.

Food pre-orders will be taken through Friday, Aug. 21 and pickup will be held on Sunday, Aug. 30 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Hamline Church (1514 Englewood Avenue in St. Paul).

Pre-orders can be placed at https://forms.gle/mQfGkxumyouX2hjMA.

Emma Norton recently honored their long-standing relationship with the Hamline United Methodist Church with the 2020 Champion Award at their virtual Opening Doors Gala last month.

The Hamline Church Dining Hall, celebrating their 123rd year, is the oldest food concession at the Minnesota State Fair and is one of only two church dining halls still in operation. Located two blocks from the Dan Patch entrance, the Hamline Dining Hall was started by a group of church women in 1897 and is now run by more than 250 volunteers throughout the twelve days of the fair who put in more than 3,000 hours serving around 20,000 meals each year.

Each year a part Hamline Church’s Dining Hall proceeds are used to support local non-profit partners. Rev. Mariah Tollgaard, Lead Pastor of Hamline Church said, “Even though the MN State Fair isn’t being held this year, we want to make sure that we fulfill our commitment to support the vital work of Emma Norton Services and The Sheridan Story especially as the need for their services have increased amidst the pandemic. The Taste of Hamline is an opportunity to show love to our neighbors and a way to get a taste of some of the best state fair food!”

About Emma Norton
Emma Norton, founded in 1917, is a nonprofit organization that ensures that hundreds of women, individuals, and families who have experienced homelessness and the additional challenges of chemical dependency, mental health, or a chronic health condition, have a safe, supportive, and affordable home from which to grow and thrive. Emma Norton provides affordable housing, basic needs, and support services in an environment that fosters stability, encourages personal growth, and builds community. For more information, please visit www.emmanorton.org.

About The Sheridan Story
Based in Roseville, Minnesota, The Sheridan Story focuses on the food gaps when children aren’t able to receive free and reduced meal programs. The organization provides weekend and other food gap programs serving over 10,000 children across 300 locations. For more information, please visit www.thesheridanstory.org.

Summer worship series: Prophetic Voices

Prophetic VoicesIn our sacred scriptures, the prophets speak to a world gone very wrong and to people in deep pain. They point to a hope found in God, who will come. The prophets tell us that God’s natural disposition is not anger but chesed [Hebrew for steadfast lovingkindness].
How desperate we are to hear this message today? The minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible were more or less truth tellers, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, to announce God’s word in the midst of the contemporary situation. This summer we will focus God’s word to us through the minor prophets and hear from modern day prophets among us. In these voices we will find that God is committed bringing about a world of justice and righteousness, and each of us have a role to play.

SUNDAY, JUNE 7 | JOEL: THE CALL TO REPENTANCE

SUNDAY, JUNE 14 | HABAKKUK: LET US LAMENT
Habakkuk’s written work is not directed at the people. It is a complaint against God – a lament. It is an unusual insight into the heart and soul, the expectations and the anguish, of one of God’s prophets. Habakkuk’s words ofttimes echo our own experiences. These words may allow us to step into a very difficult, sometimes poignantly painful, place in our own struggles and questions of faith. When violence and corruption abound and evil appears to rule, we may be tempted to wonder whether God really cares about us or is really in control of the world. The power of lament is that God can handle our anger, pain, and grief.

SUNDAY, JUNE 21 | Zephaniah: The Call to Act
What does the Lord require of us? The vast majority of Americans believe that God is either content with us or indifferent toward us. And we return the favor. What does it mean to understand God as being not only engaged in the world but also having expectations for human behavior? This week we focus on the call to act and how we can join in God’s restorative work in the world.

SUNDAY, JUNE 28 | PRIDE SUNDAY | Amos
The dominant theme of Amos’ writing is an unwavering call to social justice as the expression of true faith in Yahweh, the God who is known for faithfulness and mercy, but also justice and righteousness. Sharon Fields preaching.

SUNDAY, JULY 5 | Micah: The Tragedy of Conformity

SUNDAY, JULY 19 | Obadiah: For the Common Good
People are loyal to their own tribe or social group. It is a dynamic of conformity; there is pressure in the group to conform — viewed as something very positive and pressure to avoid being like people from another “tribe” — which is viewed in the negative. In contemporary society this tendency is known as “tribalism”. What does this “new tribalism” have to do with God’s Word to us through the Prophet Obadiah?

SUNDAY, JULY 26 | Nahum: The Last Word
Does it ever seem like the world is spinning out of control? State Politics? U.S. Political Gridlock? International Anxiety? Uprisings? Pandemics? The Prophet Nahum invites us to steady faith in anxious times. Nahum’s message from the Lord to the people of Nineveh, in the late seventh century, was that evil will not go unpunished. This week, through Nahum, we are provided with an awesome revelation of God’s nature and character. It is simply this: The Lord is slow to avenge; but God’s justice does not wait forever.

Together in Spirit for June 10, 2020: Anti-Racism Resources

My Fellow Travelers,

I have heard over and over again from folks in our Hamline Church community and beyond about how to talk to kids about racism. And lately I’ve been getting inquiries about how to start antiracism work. The first steps is always to breath and invite God into any conversation with kids and/or any attempt to educate oneself on the work ahead.  The following list is a collection of resources that can help you navigate your own journey. Many thanks to all who contributed to the creation of this resource – and please know that it is a work in progress, so send us resources that you find particularly helpful.

All encompassing websites
Anti-Racism Resources from Faithful Famlies: https://www.fpcfaithfulfamilies.com/anti-racism-resources
Anti-racism resources for white folks: http://bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES

Information for Parents
Podcasts:

Articles:

Information for Young Kids

Children’s Book List

Resources for Teens

Hamline Church Young Leader Program

Hamline Church is a recipient of the Minnesota Annual Conference NEXT grant to empower youth leaders within the church community. With this grant seed money, we are creating paid internships for students to develop as leaders for the church and the world. Students will work together with ministry staff, to craft an internship position that involves you in a ministry area of choice. Applications are due on June 12 and will be considered in order of age, availability, and best fit with ministries. Students entering 8th grade through graduating seniors are eligible to apply. Contact Heather (hgrantham @hamlinechurch.org) for more information and download an application here:
http://www.hamlinechurch.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Application-for-young-leaders-program-Fillable.pdf