Greater Than Worship Series
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. -Aristotle
One aspect of growing as a disciple of Christ means that we are committed to responding to God’s wonderful generosity. Being generous is about aligning our priorities with God’s priorities, aligning our hearts with God’s heart. We grow in that generosity as part of our individual spirituality, we also grow in generosity within our faith community as the body of Christ.
The disciples in the book of Acts understood the power of community and growing together in discipleship.
Together is greater than alone.
Generosity is greater than storing up.
And thriving is greater than survival.
Join us for this series as we consider all that God has shared with us and what it means to live a life that is Greater Than.
All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. Act 2:44-47
November 8 Week 1: We > Me
If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
Acts 2:14-18
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
‘In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
November 15 Week 2: Investment > Quick Fix
When we build a solid foundation, instead of going for the quick fix, we can withstand the trials that will come our way.
Matthew 7:24-27
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”
November 22 Week 3: Abundance > Comfort | Possibility > Status Quo
When we recognize all we have as a gift from God, we can give out of our abundance, rather than trying to keep ourselves comfortable. Whether or not we like the way things are, we tend to default to the status quo. Leaning on Christ, we have the power to discover endless possibilities.
Malachi 3:10
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.
John 14:11-14 (CEB)
Trust me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or at least believe on account of the works themselves. I assure you that whoever believes in me will do the works that I do. They will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father can be glorified in the Son. When you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.
Light into the Darkness | All Saints Day of Remembrance & Musical Tribute
Light into the Darkness
All Saints Day of Remembrance & Musical Tribute
Honoring our Saints and all those who have lost their lives to COVID 19
Join us Sunday November 1
10am | Online worship: hamlinechurch.org/live-stream
3:30pm – 5:00pm | Worship Unbundled – Hamline Church lawn
Join us to commemorate All Saints Sunday at our outdoor walk through event from 3:30-5:00pm including an All Saints candlelight altar, a special outdoor musical performance (4:00pm), warm treats from the bread oven, kids activities & more. Covid precautions will be taken, masks required.
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?
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
- 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!
- Love
- Build Up (Encourage)
- Forgive (live in harmony)
- Confess (vulnerability)
- Bear With (patience/sympathy)
- Bear Burdens (empathy)
- Serve (compassion)
- 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.