![]() We’re a little late to the party, the Sun Current Readers’ Choice Awards Voting has begun: https://apgecm.secondstreetapp.com/BLOOMINGTON-2024-RCA/gallery?group=462854 Thank you to all who have voted for St. Luke’s and those who will be voting. You can do so once per day. St. Luke’s won the award last year 2023, and many previous years. It is a wonderful recognition to have members and friends who take the time to vote. I feel blessed to attend worship at St. Luke’s and enjoy the music of the Choir, Bells, and Jubilee. Thank you to all of our singers and musicians and especially to our Music Leadership: Greg Anderson – Jubilee Director Patrick Lair – Choir Director Lori Murray – Organist and Choir Accompanist Alanna Teragawa – Bell Director Also a thank you to all who serve in worship. I count every person who helps worship be pleasing to God and all who attend, inside and outside of the sanctuary: Lectors, Worship Assistants, Ushers, Altar Guild, Sound-Video-Camera Techs, Greeters, Welcome Desk, Treat Providers, Hosts, Communion Assistants, Snow Shovelers, Acolytes, Office Staff, and the Prayground/Children Church Leaders. Furthermore, to all who attend, lifting their voice in praise and prayers, welcoming one another and most importantly guests. Thank you especially to those who remember the 2-Minute Rule. Following worship, please take the first 2 minutes to greet someone you don’t know. It makes all the difference. And you can still meet up with your friend, even better introduce them to the guest. And for those of you online, may you do the same. Last, but not least, may worship help you serve as you go out into the world. Hold St. Luke’s in your prayers. Share God’s love, Jesus’ peace, and the Holy Spirit’s joy with all you meet. Take all of this one step further and invite someone to join you this Sunday or in the weeks ahead. You can tell them, “Come to the best place of worship in Bloomington that has the best choir and music program and the best Vacation Bible School. Thank you Emily Schoeller, Director of Children and Family Ministry. “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker – Psalm 95:1-6
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As a typical American boy rooting for the team that both of sides of his family followed, Walter Payton was my first hero and in many ways he still is today. His nickname spoke of his personality, “Sweetness.” However he was not sweet when he touched the football, he was a gritty, hard-nosed Chicago Bears running back who would take on contact often deliver a wicked stiff arm before being tackled, almost never running out of bounds. Former Bear Tight-End and Super Bowl Coach Mike Ditka described Payton as the greatest football player he had ever seen—but an even greater human being
A Christian, Payton, in February 1999, Payton announced that he had a rare liver disease. Earlier in his prognosis he had the opportunity to purchase a liver on the black market, but said, he was no more special than anyone else and decided to wait his turn in line. He spent his final months as an advocate for organ transplants, and encouraged others to donate organs, although by the time his first appeal was recorded, his illness was already too far advanced for a transplant to have been a viable option. He started many other charitable organizations and in response, the NFL Man of the Year Award which recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field, established in 1970, was renamed in 1999 after Walter Payton. Each team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community, representing the best of the NFL's commitment to philanthropy and community impact. A Hero – is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. I would add a hero seeks the best for all people and the common good. That is what we find in the Bible time and time again. As I shared in the Labor Day Weekend Message (Genesis 4:3-15), the first hero in the Bible is God. God’s response to Cain’s fear is amazing. The unreconciled, although punished is still protected. As it was shared in an August message– Jesus tells the people that God treats the righteous and the unrighteous the same (Matthew 5:43-47), while justice prevails. Last Sunday we looked at the Apostle Paul. He is famous for being probably the greatest evangelist ever, but he was previously Saul, infamous for being a Zealot religious leader who persecuted and killed Christians. Again, a hero wants the best for all people and the common good. Jesus, the Son of God, took one who was an enemy and transformed him. Over the next ten weeks we will hear many more Biblical people who trusted God and kept the faith – well, most of the time. Qualifiers are required because as you hear their stories they are far from perfect. What we can take from all of this is that perfection is not a requirement to be a hero. Neither is unwavering faith or blind trust, each of these characters had their faults and failures; as do we – which allows us to become everyday heroes as we seek to be the best person God made us to be and strive for the common good. We will hear the story of two unlikely heroes this coming Sunday. God takes an old couple, Abram and Sarai, blesses them by to be a blessing to all nations. There is a hero in each one of us. But I’m still curious, “Who is one of your heroes?” Share in the comment below. Ongoing prayers and blessings, Rob Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” — Romans 12:6–8
I realized early in life that I was happiest when I was serving. This led me to seek positions that allowed me to serve. From wait staff to Orderly to Nursing. As a former Registered Nurse, I have witnessed the deleterious effects of poor nutrition and malnutrition. When I discovered that I could make a difference in children’s lives by the simple act of packing meals that would then be sent to those same children and then that the organization (FMSC) has a 99.8% success rate of getting the meals that I helped to pack to get to those kids. As a member of your Mission’s Team I coordinate the scheduling of volunteers who pack meals from St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Bloomington. My wife and I also participate in each scheduled packing session – putting our sweat equity into each session. I am also the St. Luke’s point of contact for FMSC, so I forward their email and mailings to the office to share with you. Logistically speaking each bag packed equals six one cup meals. There are 36 bags per box which is the same as 216 meals per box. There are 36 boxes to each pallet which equals 7,776 meals per pallet. So far this year we have participated in eight sessions. Packing 137,520 meals, feeding 490 children. Breaking down St. Luke’s participation, we supplied 148 volunteers and we packed 48,191 meals, or 132.1 children fed for a year. We packed for Children in Malawi, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Mozambique and Panama. We have three sessions currently in need of Volunteers: 1. Saturday, September 16th starting at 9:00 AM - 10:45 AM. (This is Roger Lyson’s 70th Birthday and we are hoping for one Volunteer for each year of life, so far, he’s only 13… The Join Code is MYB9KG. 2. Monday, October 16th starting at 7:00 PM - 8:45 PM.This is World Food Day and there is a $15,000.00 Matching Gift available for each session on this day. World Food Day is a designation from the UN and there is a bit more information about it to follow. The Join Code is L35VXZ. 3. Tuesday, October 31st starting at 7:00 PM - 8:45 PM. Yes, this is Halloween. Kim and I thought about it and have decided that in lieu of staying home and passing out candy to kids we don’t know, we would rather pack nutritious meals for children we don’t know! We know this might not be popular right now, but we did it last year so it’s going to be our new tradition. Besides, if you participate in Trunk or Treat – then maybe you’ve have had your fill! The Join Code is 7X7D63. Four Ways to Sign up: 1. As always, put your name and children’s name and age (5-18) on the back of the yellow card and the Church Office will forward this information to me so I can sign you up. 2. Go to: http://www.fmsc.org/join-group?joincode=MYB9KG (This is Septembers Code!) 3. Text me at 612-799-7561 with the Volunteers Names and ages. 4. E-mail me at craigbrandt_9@msn.com with the Volunteers Names and ages. From Feed My Starving Children Web Site: Food insecurity in the Caribbean has taken a sharp turn upward since 2020. Increasing food prices are an especially heavy burden in a region where 30% of the population lives in poverty. Natural disasters are arguably the biggest threat to the Caribbean’s food security. In fact, a single disaster can cause losses to a country totaling 200% of their GDP. Droughts, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and landslides cause an annual $3 billion of damage and other losses. By all measures, Haiti is the hungriest country in the Caribbean — and one of the hungriest places on the planet. Our partners in Haiti are reporting the worst situation they’ve ever seen. A new spike in violence and a cholera outbreak have intensified already-severe conditions. In Port-au-Prince, people are facing famine-like conditions. And, across the nation, food shortages prove devastating. FMSC food is distributed by our network of partners across the Caribbean. Since 2009, FMSC has sent more than 1.3 billion meals to the Caribbean. This food has been used to support the work of dozens of our partners. This work includes: · Clean water projects · Sustainable agriculture · Microenterprise initiatives From the World Food Day Web Site: Water is essential to life on Earth. It makes up over 50% of our bodies and covers about 71% of the Earth's surface. Only 2.5% of water is fresh, suitable for drinking, agriculture, and most industrial uses. Water is a driving force for people, economies and nature and the foundation of our food. Indeed, agriculture accounts for 72% of global freshwater withdrawals, but like all natural resources, fresh water is not infinite. Rapid population growth, urbanization, economic development, and climate change are putting the planet’s water resources under increasing stress. At the same time, freshwater resources per person have declined 20% in the past decades and water availability and quality are deteriorating fast due to decades of poor use and management, over extraction of groundwater, pollution and climate change. We risk stretching this precious resource to a point of no return. Today, 2.4 billion people live in water-stressed countries. Many are smallholder farmers who already struggle to meet their daily needs, particularly women, Indigenous Peoples, migrants, and refugees. Competition for this priceless resource is increasing as water scarcity becomes an ever-increasing cause of conflict. Around 600 million people who depend, at least partially, on aquatic food systems for a living are suffering the effects of pollution, ecosystem degradation, unsustainable practices and climate change. From the FMSC Web site: 12 verses to guide your mercy-focused prayer Each of the 12 Scripture passages below focuses on mercy. A question for meditation follows each passage. You may choose to use the passages one at a time throughout the day, perhaps hourly, or all at once, or whatever works for you.
Each of the 12 Scripture passages below focuses on mercy. A question for meditation follows each passage. You may choose to use the passages one at a time throughout the day, perhaps hourly, or all at once, or whatever works for you. From the FMSC Web site: 12 verses to guide your mercy-focused prayer Each of the 12 Scripture passages below focuses on mercy. A question for meditation follows each passage. You may choose to use the passages one at a time throughout the day, perhaps hourly, or all at once, or whatever works for you. Fellowship Hall, Wednesday, September 6, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing skillfully with a shout of joy! Psalm 33:3 (paraphrased) Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 96:1 As we enter a new program year, St. Luke’s staff are busy planning ahead, getting calendars in order, finding and selecting resources for their ministry areas, connecting with returning and new ministry members and much more. St. Luke’s Choir and their new director, Patrick Lair, is one such area excited for and busy preparing for the year ahead. It is their commitment to help enhance our 8:30 AM Worship and special worships by leading congregational hymns and providing special music and anthems. You could say Psalms 33:3 and 96:1 define the theme for the Choir this year to “sing a new song to the Lord with skill, confidence passion and joy”. We want the Choir to continue the long history (100 years) of music playing a vital role in how this congregation worships and becomes closer to God. To that end, we need your (the congregation’s) help and input. All are welcome! Join Patrick and the St. Luke’s Choir in Fellowship Hall on Wednesday, September 6th at 7:00 p.m. for a chance to greet returning choir members, to invite new singers, and to have a conversation about the Choir’s role in worship. And, of course, fellowship and treats to follow. Here are some questions to consider for the evening’s discussion:
Prayerfully consider being a part of this September 6th event to prepare all of us to “Sing a New Song Unto the Lord”. If you would like to welcome Patrick or have questions you can do so after his official start date September 1, 2023. patrickl@stlukesbloomington.org / 952-881-5801 ext. 107 Sunday, August 27, 2023
The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. The world and all its people belong to him. Psalm 24:1 In the days and weeks ahead there will be children putting things into backpacks to head off to school and animals being left at home for the day. Lord we ask for your blessing for both and much more… Lord we ask for your blessings for the teachers, para-professionals, administrators, custodians, bus drivers, school nurses and social workers, volunteers, lunch room and hallway monitors, parents and especially the children. Lord we ask for your blessings on not only our pets, but all animals and creation itself; for veterinarians, farmers, forest rangers, and conservationists. Join us Sunday, August 27 as we offering blessings for the start of the school year, for our pets and all creation. 8:30 AM – Worship in the Sanctuary 10 AM Worship outside welcoming our pets to join and receive a blessing Let us extend our blessings to our neighbors by supporting VEAP, the Twin Cities’ largest food pantry, providing access to healthy foods (for both humans and pets), social services, and financial assistance. They also do a collection every year for school supplies. See the list below and prayerfully consider bringing a donation to share. Food Pantries list of most needed items:
School supplies most needed: (Please make sure all items are new.)
Traditional supplies requested:
For more information go to: VEAP.ORG This is a follow up on last week’s blog: Worship - Why do you or do not attend worship? (8/8/2023)There were a total of 30 people took time to respond.
Last Sunday in worship we looked at the book of Ecclesiastes, the second of our August Four Week Series on Biblical Wisdom. The first week was Proverbs, next week is Song of Songs and we will close with the Psalms – specifically Psalm 148 as a part of the Blessing of the Animals and Backpacks. The author of Ecclesiastes is described as a critical and sometimes crotchety teacher has to much to say about life and death, God and love, sorrow and joy, and worship. We had a little fun with a questionnaire last week. We have two winners who will each receive a $15 gift card, splitting the prize based on the number of responders. 1. St. Luke’s has how many people in its database? – d. a. 400 b. 2000 c. 1400 d. 1000 e. 750 2. St. Luke’s has how many households in its database? – c. a. 150 b. 350 c. 550 d. 750 e. 950 3. St. Luke’s had how many individuals attended Worship last year based on Welcome Cards? – d. a. 70 b. 170 c. 270 d. 370 e. 1,070 4. St. Luke’s had how many people attend monthly last year based on Welcome Cards? – c. a. 60 b. 120 c. 180 d. 240 e. 300 5. One (nonstaff) St. Luke’s member attended the most worships totaling? – d. a. 72 b. 78 c. 85 d. 89 e. 114 Bonus Question: Who was the member who attended the most worships? No one put down the right answer, and the person who did probably wouldn’t want to be mentioned. I share these statistics to show the number of people and families who have or had a connection with St. Luke’s. How many different people attended worship in the past year. The number of different people who come each month – the new average used by many churches. And to note the number of times four individuals attended during the year, sometimes attending both the 8:30 AND 10 AM worships on the same Sunday, plus Lent worships and other holiday worships. For them and the people who responded worship is important, valuable, and gives meaning and purpose to life…. “Why do you or do not attend worship?” Here are the responses… “I attend for fellowship and to praise God. I miss when I’m out of town.” “I attend to feel good. I miss when out of town or ill.” “Because I enjoy it.” “Love Pastor Rob. Love the people!” “To receive God’s blessings through the word and the sacrament and to commune with members.” “It’s time that I can focus on my faith with my church family.” “I love the Lord Jesus!” “Pastor. People. It’s home.” “Community. Serve. Fellowship. Worship.” “It’s Family!” “One of the most important days of my week. Feels like something is missing in my week when I am unable to attend.” “Spiritual and Community.” “I love worshiping at St. Luke’s and seeing the children.” “St. Luke’s has always felt like ‘home’” “I am part of the church as we all are and to hear words of reassurance.” “I always want to come but will watch online when ill or weather is an issue.” “I give uninterrupted, full attention, to God who deserves my loyalty.” “Need to stop and smell the roses. To stop and think about life.” “Community.” “I need to be here for my heart, soul, mind, as I worship my God. Peace. Love of our faith community.” “Worship. Community. Family. Outreach.” “Fellowship with others, faith.” “Worship. Fellowship.” “Keeps me centered.” One more question, was asked from the article by John DeRose, May 16, 2023 on NPR who reported in the The importance of religion in the lives of Americans is shrinking: “Despite the downward trends in overall church attendance, PRRI found that those still going are happy. 82% say they're optimistic about the future of their church.” 100% of the people who responded stated – “Yes” They were optimistic about the future of St. Luke’s. A few had explanation points - Yes! There were three who followed their Yes with… … for the older members. … with a little elbow grease. …. ,but concerned. If you didn’t have a chance to share your answers, please do so in the comments below. Why I worship and I’m optimistic about St. Luke’s? If a picture paints a thousand words, then a video must be a million. Take a look at Easter 2023 Video. (For those being mailed out use this ending… I encourage you to go to the St. Luke’s Website and on the bottom of the home page is a picture of St. Luke’s. That is a link to the 2023 St. Luke’s Easter Worship. Christ has risen! Christ has risen indeed. Hallelujah! Ongoing prayers and blessings, Rob ![]() Having a little fun with our blog this week. There will be a gift card given to the person who gets the most questions correct. To participate simply comment below. The value of the gift card will be equal to the number of individual comments posted. Gift card location will be chosen by the winner. 1. St. Luke’s has how many people in its database? a. 400 b. 2000 c. 1400 d. 1000 e. 750 2. St. Luke’s has how many households in its database? a. 150 b. 350 c. 550 d. 750 e. 950 3. St. Luke’s had how many individuals attended Worship last year based on Welcome Cards? a. 70 b. 170 c. 270 d. 370 e. 1,070 4. St. Luke’s had how many people attend monthly last year based on Welcome Cards? a. 60 b. 120 c. 180 d. 240 e. 300 5. One (nonstaff) St. Luke’s member attended the most worships totaling? a. 72 b. 78 c. 85 d. 89 e. 114 Bonus Question: Who was the member who attended the most worships? (Post your answers in the Comments below…) Along with your guesses, would love to hear your answer to “Why do you or do not attend worship?” If you would prefer to privately, please email me: rob@stlukesbloomington.org What is going on with worship in the United States? John DeRose, May 16, 2023 on NPR reported in the The importance of religion in the lives of Americans is shrinking “Participation in houses of worship continues to decline, according to the study. 28% of respondents said they "seldom" attend religious services, and 29% of respondents said they "never" attend religious services. A decade ago, those figures were 22% and 21%, respectively. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have influenced a larger trend. In 2019, 19% of Americans said they attended a religious service once a week. That percentage has now dropped to 16% attending weekly and 13% saying they attend "a few times a year." You can read the entire article here. [Stats from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI).] Recently a Funeral Director shared with me that most churches have less than half of the number of people attending worship weekly then they did prior to the pandemic. I am grateful to announce St. Luke’s worship has rebounded since the pandemic. In fact, we will be having another “Interested in St. Luke’s Lunch” early this Fall. Along with worship, we look forward to starting Wednesday Night Live on September 20. It includes a community meal at 5:30 PM and education for all ages from 6-7 pm. (Preschoolers and parents gathering ends at 6:30 PM). One more question, from the article above: “Despite the downward trends in overall church attendance, PRRI found that those still going are happy. 82% say they're optimistic about the future of their church.” Are you optimistic about the future of St. Luke’s? Look forward to hearing from you. Ongoing prayers and blessings, Rob ![]() Thank you to all those who helped the tree bloom with over 100 Acts of Kindness. “They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.” – Isaiah 61:3c Community Life has been encouraging us to spread leaves of righteousness, 100 acts of kindness and service in honor of our 100th Anniversary. Again this is not a command, but an invitation. We are free to do or not do acts of kindness to glorify the Lord. As the Prophet Isaiah declared to the people of his time – We are free to follow, keep the faith, be grateful, enjoy the comfort of the Lord and share it with others. Look at how St. Luke’s Members lived out their freedom… (Number indicates similar notes.) 1. Feed My Starving Children – 11 2. VEAP – 7 3. Meals on Wheels Driver – 4 4. Big smile for people when I’m out – 2 5. Loaves & Fishes – 2 6. Sunday Treats - 2 7. Assist with livestreaming worship services - 2 8. Tending St. Luke’s gardens – 2 9. Quilting - 2 10. Sharing and helping with neighbors – 2 11. Brought food to a friend – 2 12. Delivered a prayer shawl - 2 13. Helped a co-worker put up a bulletin board 14. I try to be kind to everyone I meet 15. Elder Valentine Project 16. Compassion Child Support 17. Helped my brother and sister-in-law complete an application for subsidized housing 18. Made Sunday coffee 19. We continue to pay it forward by picking up tabs for strangers 20. Gave a donation to a needy individual 21. Provided home goods for someone in need 22. Shared items and food with people in need 23. Gift card to homeless 24. Sharing the love of family 25. Supporting ill family and friends 26. Share the peace 27. I provide transportation to church 28. Care Team Member 29. Cat sitting for a friend 30. Handmade cards of encouragement for the elderly 31. Card Ministry notes each month 32. Delivered blank greeting cards to a nursing home for residents to use 33. Volunteer Teaching Assistant for adult ESL students 34. Drive through difference (KTIS) 35. Allowed someone at Cub to check out before us 36. Took care of my sister 37. We pick up garbage on our walks 38. Hold the door open for our neighbor, who is older 39. Mowed our neighbor’s lawn and watered flowers while they were gone 40. Shoveled out young neighbor’s car 41. Plowed the neighbor’s driveway after the plow went through 42. Drove neighbor to doctor appointment 43. Took a lady from Church to her hearing aid appointment 44. Helped neighbors with flooded basement 45. Raked snow off neighbor’s roof 46. Brought meals to neighbors, both who were seriously ill 47. I carried the cross for Church 48. I carried the cross for work 49. I carried the light 50. Inspire others to pay it forward with random generosity 51. Bought a week’s worth of groceries for a stranger 52. Bought coffee for a stranger 53. I gave a veteran a ride to Sam’s Club for groceries 54. I held the door 55. I share my toys and games 56. Invited someone to attend St. Luke’s with me 57. Helped neighbors 58. I babysit for a neighbor in need 59. Worked in the rain garden 60. Helping a grieving friend 61. I helped a friend 62. Took a friend shopping who needs help and uses a walker 63. Helped an elderly lady who fell in the grocery store 64. I cared for an ill person 65. Cleaned street drain of ice and snow 66. Made cookies for our elevator installers 67. Fostering community through hosting 68. Donated blood 69. Helped clean up 70. I helped my Mom with cat poop 71. Gave flower plants to a new home owner gardener 72. Go out with my dog doing therapy work 73. Mentoring youth 74. Helped clean up after children’s church 75. Said a prayer for the ill 76. VINES & BRANCHES clothing donation 77. Donation to ARC 78. Help others figure out their future 79. Bill from Armstrong Carpet Cleaning for coming out at short notice to clean St. Luke’s Narthex carpet 80. Writing down and typing out all the Acts of Kindness For the next 100 years… Let us spur one another on toward love and good deeds “in Jesus’ name”. – Hebrews 10:24 ![]() Community Life – Adult Social Group Event Sunday, August 13 for the 2:00 performance Our goal is to offer opportunities for fellowship and ministry among adults in a social setting. Our first foray is going to be attending Godspell by Artistry at the Bloomington Civic Center Schneider Theater. For groups of 10 or more, tickets are $38.00, Invite an unchurched friend! We need to purchase tickets together. Please contact Helen Schatzlein at helen.schatzlein@gmail.com by July 27th to let her know that you’ll be attending. The $38 payment for your ticket must be made to St. Luke’s and given to Heather Kambeitz by July 30th, or click here to pay online through Simply Giving. Note that the payment is for Godspell In an era of uncertainty and isolation, Godspell’s message of hope and unity has never been more relevant. History and Impact of “Godspell” Godspell. Originally conceived in 1970 by John-Michael Tebelak when he was a student at Carnegie Mellon, Godspell was born of collaboration and a desire to spread a joyful message. With Tebelak’s vision and Stephen Schwartz’s music, Godspell quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Godspell‘s Origin Tebelak began writing Godspell for his Master’s thesis. According to Carol de Giere’s The Godspell Experience (2014), “his plan was to re-approach the Biblical parables and texts with the innocence of a child, and to play with the material as if it was a school recess” (de Giere 58). The first iteration was titled The Godspell and consisted solely of the text of The Gospels. The cast, clowns 1-10, were encouraged to experiment and play with the text—to make it their own and bring life to the words. This level of freedom and playfulness along with the vision and input from Tebelak truly transformed the text from discordant Bible parables into a play. With music written by a fellow student for pre-selected hymns, and a three-person band The Godspell premiered in December of 1970. Godspell was given the chance at a New York City debut at La MaMa, an Off-Off-Broadway venue known for experimental theatre. Most of the original cast and some of the original creative team from Carnegie Mellon were able to reprise their roles. No formal script had been created after the Carnegie Mellon shows, and so a new round of experimentation, improvisation, and play commenced. The show was yet again a success. Producers Joseph Beruh and Edgar Lansbury saw the potential in the piece and quickly signed on. Shortly thereafter, everyone began preparing Godspell for a move to The Cherry Lane Theatre. In order to transform this experimental work, new music was a must. Stephen Schwartz, a fellow Carnegie Mellon graduate, was asked to join the team and compose a new score for the show in just five weeks. With an eclectic mix of styles and transitioning of longer monologues into music, Godspell began to transform into its final state. In 1971 it opened to rave reviews. It transferred to the Promenade Theatre and ran for over 2,000 performances. The first Broadway production of Godspell opened in 1976 at the Broadhurst Theatre. Throughout the 1970s, touring and international productions emerged from London and Toronto to smaller regional theatres such as Berkshire Theatre. Godspell’s cultural importance was undeniable. Cultural Impact The creation of Godspell was driven by young artists—college students—who had grown up in the midst of the cultural revolution of the 1960s. Influenced by The Civil Rights Movement, the second wave of feminism, the sexual revolution, and the development of new countercultures aimed at questioning authority and fighting for freedom, Godspell was radical. Godspell revisits the idea of Jesus as a revolutionary figure. One who challenged authority and preached a new, radical message to the world: “love your enemies and pray for your persecutors.” Tebelak in a 1975 interview with Dramatics magazine stated that he, “wanted to make [Godspell] the simple, joyful message that I felt the first time I read [The Gospels] and recreate the sense of community.” Godspell was written in reaction to the world and to those in authority who saw a young Tebelak, in his “hippie” attire, leaving a church and assumed he had snuck in to loiter rather than to listen. One of the most brilliant aspects of Godspell is its ability to be relevant to any time or place in which it is staged. The original cast were named only as clowns, which afforded them a level of theatrical freedom and honesty. Using clowns and comedy also afforded a degree of innocence, playfulness, and humor to the story that is essential to the balance of the show. As the show evolved, the characters were named after the actors who originated them, with the exception of Jesus and Judas/John the Baptist. This helped to illustrate the importance of bringing something of the self to each individual “clown.” As the show moves onward, each individual begins to join in to the community through song. As productions began to spread across the country and the globe, it was imperative that a member of the original New York cast was there to help maintain the spirit and essence of the show. For Berkshire Theatre’s 1975 production, Howard L. Sponseller, Jr. came aboard as an alternate cast member and spokesperson for the spirit of the production. Sponseller was a classmate of Tebelak and performed in New York as well as overseeing the Toronto production in 1972. Godspell was a hit in large part because it showcased the voices of a new generation. “It was a time when the so-called ‘generation gap’ caused confusion and lack of trust between young people and older adults” (de Giere 263). Today, the generation gap that exists is more extreme than ever, with the next generation—Generation Z—set to be the most ethnically and racially diverse in the nation’s history. When the show was revived in 2011, one of the main reasons cited for the revival was the divisive climate in the nation. The ability of Godspell to profoundly impact audiences has only grown throughout the years. What better way to address the divide amongst the population than with a musical about love, community, and connection? Much Thanks to… Berkshire Theatre Group, for their permission to use their blog: https://www.berkshiretheatregroup.org/history-and-impact-of-godspell/# ![]() What does it mean to be grateful? Gratefulness is a feeling of appreciation by a recipient of another's kindness. This kindness can be gifts, help, favors, or another form of generosity to another person. The word comes from the Latin word gratus, which means "pleasing" or "thankful". For what are you grateful? Sunday’s readings pointed out much for which we should be grateful. From our Isaiah 40:21-26 reading:
And from the Gospel of John 1:1-14:
All of these things to be grateful for in just 20 of the 31,102 verses found in the Bible. Imagine how many more are found in scripture? The problem is that many people do not read their Bibles. However, God knew that it wasn’t the best source of communicating with us that is why the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus, God with us, was born, raised in a family, and lived his life as the embodiment of God’s Word. As followers of Jesus we are called to be witnesses of God. We do so best when we recognize for that for which we are grateful, and have the desire to help others do likewise as we share kindness, gifts, help, favors, or another form of generosity. In doing hopefully gratefulness is felt by that person and they can join us in giving thanks to God and passing on gratefulness. I encourage you to take a moment to write a quick list of which you are grateful; in fact, I invite you to do so every day. Many people keep a gratitude journal, it helps them focus on what is good and going well in their lives, and in doing so gives them a foundation and strength when facing difficulties in life. Below are the responses from those who shared theirs on Sunday. Are you surprised by the list? Are the things you are grateful for already listed? If not, share yours in the comments. (A number in front indicates multiple responses). May you be grateful for all the blessings you have received, giving thanks in Jesus’ name. Amen
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