CROSSROADSHOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH NEWSLETTER

Services of WorshipSundays @ 9:30 am

www.holycrosslivermore.org

FEBRUARY 2014

Leaning ForwardI recently had the good fortune of traveling to Mt. Cross, our Lutheran summer camp and year-round retreat center located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with 8 of our Confirmands in Action (CIA) and 3 of their adult mentors. Mt. Cross is a gift to the larger church, and a ministry that I am proud to say Holy Cross financially supports. It was such a blessing being present with the kids as they grew closer to God and one another. I love their energy and enthusiasm, even when it is shared somewhere around midnight, when adults are cranky and in desperate need of sleep.

One of the highlights of the trip for me was watching our kids tackle the high ropes course. This is much like any other obstacle course, except you are doing it 40 feet up in the air. Each of our kids bravely took their turn at walking the tight rope. It is a feat of trust to climb up the side of a tree, then let go of said tree to walk out onto a piece of wire no wider than 2 inches.

From the ground such an exercise looks so easy. I remarked to Donna Vickroy that the wire looks so low when looking at it from below. This, of course, is not the case when you are dangling four stories high, anchored only by a rope that is hooked into a harness, and controlled by a single person on the ground who is holding the other end of the rope.

The staff running the high ropes course instructed the kids on what to do and what not to do, and reminded them that the whole point of the course is to learn how to let go and trust. Oddly enough, these are as much theological instructions as they are high rope guidelines.

Let go and trust.For each of our kids, once they reached the point where the tree meets the wire, there is a point where they have to manage to step out onto the wire and reach for a rope that is hanging down about six feet out from the tree. There is an anchor in the tree that each kid can hold onto for balance. The dilemma each child faces, especially the short-armed kids, is that in order to take hold of the rope that is hanging down, they have to let go of the anchor in the tree to grab it. What this means, of course, is a brief moment of disequilibrium.

To let go of the anchor on the tree to take hold of the rope hanging down wreaks havoc on the human operating system known as the brain. This marvelous organ is already in conflict trying to figure out why its carrier, the kid, is climbing up the side of the tree to begin with. Moreover, why is it contemplating sliding out onto a two-inch wide wire at all? After all, the kid is under no threat, so there’s no

reason to flee or to throw sound reasoning to the wind. So why do it at all? That’s easy! Because we’re human, and we like to push ourselves, and our limitations.

By the time the kid is contemplating letting go of a sure thing to take hold of a not-so-sure thing, the brain is working overtime. In a matter of seconds, the brain has to give itself to a higher cause, that of moving out and forward, than its first cause, self-preservation. This is the moment that meaning trumps simple biological impulse. Each kid has to make the leap, almost literally, from position 1: I can be safe if I hold on to the tree, and don’t let go; to position 2: but if I hold onto this tree, I cannot move forward. And so, in a moment of sheer trust, and perhaps a little bit of craziness, the child lets go and reaches out to take hold of the rope that lies just beyond their reach. Joy is the emotion that takes hold when the rope is firmly in hand. The looks on the kids’ faces were priceless!

It is interesting to observe from the ground how the kids are tied into a rope, yet still worry that they will fall. It made me think that even though they are tied into a support system, the sensation of not being tied in at all, the sensation of being off-balance, is more powerful, at least at first. It’s almost as if how they feel trumps what they know to be true. Many times I reminded the kids that they had no need to worry because they were tied into a rope, and the person below would not let them fall. Yet each kid had trouble trusting that, because the sensory data from their feet to their brain was telling them otherwise. Plus, the person holding the other end of the rope was out of sight for the most part, so even though they knew they were tied in to a trustworthy source, trusting that source was hard without being able to see.

There are so many theological parallels in our lives to the experience of being on the high ropes course, from having to let go of the tree to take hold of the first rope to taking hold of each rope that followed. Then, finally, to come down from the high ropes, one had to literally lean back and sit down in thin air, trusting that the person holding the rope would be able to support them.

The ropes course was an exercise in leaning into something seen and unseen. The kids could see the ropes ahead of them, but in order to take hold, they had to lean forward to grab them, and they had to let go while they reached out. And in the end, each kid had to lean back so that they could be lowered to the ground, the point where the whole exercise began. Some of the kids kissed the ground once their feet were standing connected to the earth once more.

I could not watch the kids go through the course without words and ideas like God, faith, trust, letting go, embracing,

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Page 2 Volume 54, 2 Issue

and leaning forward, coming to mind. I also thought that God’s church could learn a lot from watching the kids overcome their fears while high up the air. Some might say that overcoming your fears 40 feet in the air is a terrible place to do so. Others would argue that 40 feet up in the air is the only place you can overcome your fears, since the act of overcoming fear always happens when the stakes are high.

In light of the recent Holy Cross Council retreat, I am proud to report that the men and women you elected to lead for, with, and on your behalf are beginning to do so. While Councils are formed in the summer each year, it takes time for them to gel and to settle into one another’s personality and leadership styles. Our Council took a big step in harnessing its oneness at the Council retreat. We spiritually centered ourselves around the words of Paul from Philippians 2 where Paul entreats the Philippians to be of the same mind in Christ Jesus, and to accomplish this act by putting the needs of others before their own needs.

Your Church Council, inspired by the core work of last year’s Living Into the Future Together luncheons, have begun work on focusing our efforts toward a mission and purpose that keeps us tuned in to God, one another, and the people who

live beyond our walls. As we continue to refine God’s mission for Holy Cross and sharpen our focus on what we value the most as God’s people, will you lift our efforts up in prayer? Will you bless our endeavor with your trust and confidence to deliver a mission worthy of our calling as a holy priesthood of believers?

Will you live into the future with us? Better yet, will you let go of the tree so you can lean forward and take hold of the promises of God to carry us into the glorious unknown of his unconditional love and faithfulness?

There is much work to be done at Holy Cross as we live and lean into the future together. There is a mission here that needs to be refined, named, claimed, and enacted. There are values to be lived out. There are goals and strategies to be embraced. There are honest conversations that we need to continue to carve out time for. And at the center of all the movement and momentum, we must not lose sight of Jesus, who is Lord and Savior, and who will not let us fail if we will but trust in him to lead and guide all our endeavors.

God loves you and I do too!

Pastor John

Reflective Worship with

the Imposition of Ashes

Wednesday, March 5, 2014 7:00 pm

Altar Flowers DonationsOur costs for Altar Flowers have not changed in at least seven years but our reserves have almost disappeared. So beginning February 1, 2014, the recommended donation will increase to $50.00. Thank you all for the blessings of beauty you share

through your remembrances throughout the year.

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February is an exciting and busy time at Holy Cross Lutheran School. The children are looking forward to Valentine’s Day and sharing valentines with friends. We will also be making valentines for the Livermore Homeless Refuge and Open Heart Kitchen. It is a perfect time to talk about God’s love for us and loving each other.

We are excited to be offering more program options for the 2014-2015 school year. We will now offer a Monday/Wednesday/ Friday program for preschoolers. Parents will also have the option of sending their children for an extended day. Our extended day program will operate between the hours of 7:00 am -6:00 pm.

Programs Options:

Our currently-enrolled families registered January 29th & 30th and alumni families and church members enrolled January 31st. Open registration will begin on February 4th.

Mark your calendars! On Sunday, March 23rd, Holy Cross Lutheran School will host the annual Ice Cream Social and Open House with a raffle, fun and games and, of course, ice cream. We hope you will join us for this enjoyable annual event. Additionally, if you have an item you would like to donate to the ice cream social as a raffle item, please contact Jenifer Montgomery at (925) 447-1864. Possible donations include a weekend cabin getaway, green fees towards golf, gift certificates to local restaurants, etc. Thank you so much for all the support you provide to the school! We wish all of you a Happy Valentine’s Day. God’s Blessings,

Jenifer Montgomery, Director, Holy Cross Lutheran School

HCLutheran School News

Did you know that Holy Cross surpassed its 2013 goal of a $10,000 donation to the Haitian Timoun Foundation? Among other things, our $14,054 donation helped the HTF pay for a youth summer camp in Jacmel and an optometry clinic in Port au Prince and Jacmel where over 400 Haitians received eye glasses.

Also, January was the fourth anniversary of the devastating 2010 earthquake. The emergency relief phase is long over, and our efforts with HTF assist the longest phase – recovery and renewal. Using trusted, local, credible and local service providers resulted in successful efforts -- they are the fabric of the communities.

Finally, watch for an announcement next month about some upcoming Haitian programs and activities.

Pase on bonn jounen! (Have a nice day!) Donna Pontau 443-2047 pontau@comcast.net

Tuesday/Thursday Child must turn 2 by September 1, 2014

Tuesday/Thursday or Monday/Wednesday/Friday AM or PM

Child must turn 3 by January 1, 2015

Monday/Wednesday/Friday AM or PM Child must turn 4 by January 1, 2015

JR K Monday-Thursday (4 days) AM or Monday-Friday (5 days) AM

Child must turn 4 by January 1, 2015

Tuesday/Thursday Full Day Child must be 3 or 4 by September 1, 2014

Monday/Wednesday/Friday Full Day Children must be 3 or 4 by September 1, 2014

Monday-Thursday Full Day Children must be 3 or 4 by September 1, 2014

Monday-Friday Full Day Children must be 3 or 4 by September 1, 2014

Page 5

Holy Cross Lutheran Church Financial Report for December 2013 Ministry Spending Plan Category Receipts Expenses/Outgo

Current Operating (Salaries, facilities, debt reduction) $33,642 $26,109

BenevolenceMiscellaneous (i.e. World Hunger, ELCA Disaster, HCLS, etc.)

Goal: $1,000 per month$ 2,685 $ 1,753

Mission Support (Synod) Goal: $833 per month $ 1,547 $ 1,547

Emphasized BenevolencesHaitian Timoun and Open Heart Kitchen Goal: $1083 per month $ 3,799 $ 3,799

As of December 31, 2013 we have a bank balance of $ 35,711. This balance is above our starting balance on January 1, 2013. We were above our budgeted monthly goal of $1000 for Benevolences by $ 1,685. Giving for Mission was above our budgeted goal of $833 per month by $ 714. Haitian Timoun Foundation giving was over our budgeted monthly goal of $833 by $ 1,306 and donations to Open Heart Kitchen were above our monthly goal of $250 by $ 1,410. Since December was a wonderful month for giving, we exceeded our budgeted income, Benevolence, Haitian Timoun, and Open Heart Kitchen goals for the year!!

Thank you for your donations!

Council President’s MessageWelcome to 2014! Now that Christmas has passed and the New Year rung in, many of us are thinking about keeping to our new year’s resolutions and 2014 goals. The same is true for the church council. In fact, the council will be spending an entire day this month thinking and discussing the goals for Holy Cross Lutheran Church for 2014. We will be keeping our Biblical leader, Nehemiah, in mind as we brainstorm and discuss ways to continue to make HCLC a wonderful place to worship. We know that Nehemiah had to solve problems when rebuilding the wall. So, as we meet we will be reminded that effective leaders know what problems have to be solved immediately. We have already begun to help solve immediate problems. The council has engaged more with Holy Cross Lutheran School to assist the director, Jenifer Montgomery, in offering ideas and suggestions to increase pre-school enrollment. As we meet for our 2014 planning, I am certain that other problems,

challenges, and obstacles will be identified. But, I am also certain that the 2014 council representatives will be strong leaders to persevere, overcome and solve these problems. As always, if you have suggestions or concerns, we have reserved the first fifteen minutes of the council meeting to hear from you. Perhaps you would like to share what goals you would like HCLC to have for 2014.

Bill Miller Council President

Wednesday Morning Forum“The Christian is always the seeker after truth because his God is a God of truth who must be worshiped in truth. There-fore a Christian is never afraid to learn facts, never afraid that true knowledge will destroy his faith or supplant his God.” -Paul Hessert

This is the basis of our Wednesday Morning Forum. It is not always easy. Sometimes we ask and are asked hard questions. This month we will read and discuss The Zealot, by Reza Aslan. If you have read this book or would like to read this book and discuss it, please join us. We meet at 10 am every Wednesday in the Music Room. All are welcome.

Holy Cross Book Club Feb. 11 Duty, by Robert Gates

Volume 54, 2 Issue

Please keep Holy Cross informed about births, deaths, weddings, graduations, hospitalizations, or a special recognition in your household by calling the church office at 447-8840.

Bev CouttsGloria Wallace

Carole KehlAnna SundbergJeannie McCabe

Donna MapesMike Bennett

Donna VickroyBill BormoliniSue Bormolini

Members in Our Prayers Friends & Family in Our Prayers

AMONGfamily & friends

Page 6

Lois Anderson, sister of Donna MapesDorothy Harder, mother-in-law of Ruth

Devon, grandson of a friend of the GullifordsMartha McInturf, friend of Sally TrautweinPeg Quesada, friend of Sally Trautwein

Natalie, friend of the VickroysLois Rye, sister of Carole Thorngate

MILITARy DePLoyMeNT:Joshua Saucier, to Afghanistan - grandson of Dick & Jean McCabe

INcelebrationJim & Laurie Carlson 2/1/1980John & Phyllis Farrell 2/10/1979

Ron & Gloria Wallace 2/11/1975

FEBRUARY Anniversaries

FEBRUARY Birthdays3 Tom Schaffer 4 Diana Cochran 5 Kareen Knowles Danielle Nguyen6 Nora Kvale 9 Alexa Chelman 10 John Knowles

10 Tom Wolery 12 Gloria Wallace 13 Julice Winter 14 Joyce Correia 16 Jo Johnson Audrey Sato 17 Sue Story

18 Caitlyn Rapport 23 Sharon Lemmon 26 Ed Heuer Kathy Jones 28 Lynn Spencer

Page 7

Time for FISHing!A great way to get acquainted with others at Holy Cross is by participating in a FISH group! FISH stands for

“fellowship in someone’s home.” These small groups of 3 – 4 family units meet once a month through June for fellowship and building friendships. Each family takes a turn hosting their FISH group and can decide what the

group will do – play board games, go somewhere for an activity, share a meal at a restaurant or a park – it’s entirely up to the host or group!

New FISH groups will be forming for February through June 2014. Sign-ups will be after service on February 2 and February 9. If you will not be available on those dates and wish to be in the next round of FISH groups, please

contact Laura Hasaka at (925) 454-1767 or laurahasaka@att.net.

The Stewardship 365 Report

Season: Epiphany Theme: Sacramental Life

One of the most concise ways of defining a sacrament is this: a sacrament is an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace. One theologian remarked that the sac-raments are the moment when God is edged out of heaven to earth. Whatever this might mean, it’s safe to say that it has something to do with the realization that God comes to us and meets us in the sacraments of baptism and commu-nion in a profound and mysterious way. God works through the ordinary in our lives to bring about the extraordinary. Gifts that God has given us - bread, wine, oil - all ordinary, become extraordinary in the hands of God. God invites us into the extraordinary through the ordinary items of life, and makes himself known to us. God asks only that we show up to the font and to the table with open hands and arms, ready to receive.

Spiritual Growth: Consider joining a FISH group (Fellow-ship in Someone’s Home) during the first two Sundays in February following worship or online at www.holycrossliver-more.org. Make a commitment to be in worship every Sun-day in February to prepare yourself for the ways that God wants to use your life as a sacrament to speak to others out-side the church. Sit in a different spot each Sunday as a way to get to know new people. Introduce yourself and share your faith story. Listen and learn from other’s faith stories.

Ministry Spotlight: We focus this month on Leadership and Support ministry at Holy Cross. Week-in and week-out,

we have dedicated leaders who are often working behind the scenes to create the apparatus and framework that support the mission and ministry of Holy Cross, and enable it to do the great work it does. These leaders are often unsung heroes who are frequently underappreciated. Take time to find out who these leaders are, and let them know how much you appreciate the work they are doing.

Financial Health: Consider attending a course in debt management in the area or online. If you are carrying a significant amount of unsecured credit card debt, consider contacting a reputable company like Care One Credit Counseling (www.careonecredit.com).

Outside Ourselves: Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Why not make a list of those who you know could benefit from knowing they are loved. It might be a friend or family member who needs to hear that you love them. You might consider a visit to your local nursing home to spend time with others who are often lonely and forgotten.

God’s Creation: Get serious about recycling. If you are already doing this, then keep up the good work. See if you can go down a size in your trash can by recycling more and more of the items that typically get thrown in your trash. Don’t forget to recycle items from your bathroom. Consider taking on the mind set that for every item that comes into your home, one or more items have to go out. Think about putting on a garage sale later in the spring. Start setting aside items now.

Stay Tuned: Next month we’ll take a look at the theme of discipline and how we order our lives with a special ministry emphasis on all Care and Prayer Ministries at Holy Cross.

Living and thriving in the love and grace of God,

Your Stewardship 365 Team

365

STEWARDSHIP

365

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1-Men’s Ministry

-Mom’s club Valentine’s event

2-Worship Celebration-Spiritual Formation Groups-GS Troop 30279

3-LHR

-Troop 999 meeting

4-Crafty Ladies-Moms in prayer-Music Team -Stephen Ministries-LHR

5-Mid-week forum-Choir rehearsal-LHR-Ash Wed, service

-Community Care Giving meeting

6-Young at Heart-LHR

-Head start meeting

-Church Council

7-AA meeting-LHR

8-Men’s Ministry

9-Worship Celebration-Annual congrega-tion meeting

10-Troop 999 meeting-LHR

11-Moms in prayer-Music Team-Book Club-LHR

12-Mid-week forum-Choir rehearsal-LHR

13-Young at Heart-Venture Club-LHR

14-AA meeting

-LHR

-Valentine’s day

15-Men’s Ministry

16-Worship Celebration-GS Troop 30279

17-Troop 999 meeting-HCLS closed-Church office closed

18-Moms in prayer-Music Team-Crafty Ladies-Finance

19-Mid-week forum-Big band rehearsal-Choir rehearsal

20-Young at Heart

21-AA meeting

22-Men’s Ministry

-Big Band dinner dance

23-Worship Celebration-Spiritual Formation Groups

24-Troop 999 meeting

25-Moms in prayer-Music Team

26-Mid-week forum-Choir rehearsal

27-Young at Heart

28-AA meeting

FEBRUARY 2014Check our website for specific times and locations.

www.holycrosslivermore.org

Feb. 2 10:45 am Youth roomsFeb. 9 No meeting

Feb. 16 No meetingFeb. 23 10:45 am Youth rooms

SuNday ScHooL JuNIor HIGH youTH MINISTry SENIor HIGH youTH MINISTry

Men’s MinistryJoin us every Saturday at 7:30 am – 9:00 am at Holy Cross.

daTE 1ST rEadING 2Nd rEadING GoSPEL

FEB. 1 Mal 3:1-4 Heb 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40

FEB. 8 Isa 58:1-9a [9b-12] 1 Cor 2:1-12 [13-16] Matt 5:13-20

FEB. 15 Deut 30:15-20 or Sir 15:15-20 1 Cor 3:1-9 Matt 5:21-37

FEB. 22 Lev 19:1-2, 9-18 1 Cor 3:10-11,16-23 Matt 5:38-48

We discuss the readings for the following Sunday worship service.

Remember to send yourchange of address or email to admin@holycrosslivermore.org or call 925.447.8840

1020 Mocho StreetLivermore, CA 94550Phone: 925.447.8840FAX: 925.447.4937www.holycrosslivermore.org

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

A monthly publication ofHoly Cross Lutheran Church, Livermore, CA

The Ministers The people of Holy Cross

Senior Pastor John Preston Bost

Office Manager Kate Valley

Director of Music Susan Peterson

HCLSchool Director Jenifer Montgomery

Organist Susan Peterson

Crossroads Production Cheri Brewster & Ronnie KieferCustodian Weston Nale

CROSSROADS DEADLINEfor next month’s issue isFebruary 15, Saturday.

Please email your articles to Kate Valley at

admin@holycrosslivermore.orgor bring to the Church office.

CROSSROADS