OUR GOALS: • TO ENGAGE • TO ENRICH • TO EDUCATE • TO ENTERTAIN

OCTOBER 2018

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O u r P e o p l e U p T o S o m e t h i n g :

W h e r e B e i n g A c v e I s O u r W a y O f L i f e

Dear Friends - What a treat to begin my time serving at Grace by reading through the September Our People Up to Something (OPUS) newsletter. Wow! You truly are up to something and, with the Spirit's help, you are following Jesus' command for ac-tive discipleship. I remember that "Go" and "Make" and "Teach" were in Jesus' last instruc-tions (Mt 28:19-20) - not very passive at all.

My husband and I were both blessed to grow up with active disci-pleship modeled for us as a way of life. Now, even though our mothers are reaching their 8th and 9th decade of life, we see the benefits that remaining active can provide. Thank you for the many ways you encourage one another to use your hearts, hands, feet, and voices together and on behalf of God's kingdom on earth. Please don't be surprised (or offended) if I pop into one of your gatherings. It will be a joy to meet you, hear your stories, share in your laughter/sorrow, and join you in serving the community. A little warning: It may be a while before you meet Darryl. Because of our commuter marriage and weekend-centered vocations, we have two homes and our family works in unique ways.

In the meantime, I invite your prayers for Grace's courageous vi-sion we all are being invited actively and sacrificially to share, for the inevitable grief many are experiencing at Pastor Said's depar-ture, and for this challenging time of pastoral transition. "And so there is no division in the body, but all its different parts have the same concern for one another. If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness." (1 Cor. 12:25-26, TEV) Soli Deo gloria! In Christ's grace and peace, Pastor Betty

MONDAY MOVIE TOO

THE MARTIAN OCTOBER 8, 2018

(2015) 141 min. PG-13 Fellowship Hall

1:30 PM

VISIT the GLC LIBRARY

2nd Floor Review

Page 13 for reading

suggestions

Join Us For JUST LUNCH See page 10

EDITORIAL ADDITION

Soli Deo gloria is a Latin term for Glory to God alone. It has been used by artists like Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Christoph Graupner to signify that the work was produced for the sake of praising God. The phrase has become one of the five Solae propounded to summarize the Reformers' basic beliefs during the Protestant Reformation. As a doctrine, it means that everything that is done is for God's glory to the exclusion of mankind's self-glorification and pride. Christians are to be motivated and inspired by God's glory and not their own. SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soli_Deo_gloria

L ed by Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), the Ares 3 space mission has

been tasked with collecting soil samples and data on Mars. An unexpected dust storm launches debris at the crew, impaling bota-nist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) with a rogue satellite and cutting their mission short. Lewis and her crew (Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, and Aksel Hennie) have no choice but to leave the presumed-dead Watney behind and escape the planet before the storm irreparably damages their spacecraft. Watney awakens the next day, injured but still alive, and treks back to the crew's home base. All contact to NASA has been lost in the storm, and Watney soon realizes that not only is he stuck on the Red Planet with limited supplies and infrastructure, but that it could be years before the next manned mission will arrive to save him come join us and see how/if this gets re-solved. This is not just your average sci-fi thriller! Possibly among the best "survival against all odds" movie made. Free popcorn as usual, and discussion after the films COMING ATTRACTIONS

Nov 12, 2018: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

2 A SIGN IN A SHOE REPAIR STORE: WE WILL HEEL YOU, WE WILL SAVE YOUR SOLE, WE WILL EVEN DYE FOR YOU.

Bane, Janeen 4 Bruce, Annette 17

Becker, Kim 5 Busse, Walter 20

Stephens, Mike 6 Kuntz, Karen 20

Christopher, Sue 7 Quas, Bob 20

Smith, Arthur 8 Svoboda, Daniel 23

Broz, Leonard 10 Jones, Jeffrey 24

Johnson, John 11 Moquin, Wayne 24

Kunkle, John 11 Truckenbrodt, Margi 25

Mally, Charles 11 Dobricky, William 26

Stanger, Barbara 13 Olson, Monika 27

Starr, Nita 15 Patras, Mara 28

Busse, Susan 16 Norman, Steve 29

Johnson, Natalie 16 Gustafson, Maxine 30

Schroeder, Dana 16 Hattle, John 30

Bruce, Annette 17

STEP UP AND STEP IN!

Whether you have a sliver of time or are ready to commit for the entire year, there is a place for you and your God-given gifts. We're especially in need of team members for: Worship Altar Care Team; Ushers (11am); Choir Mem-bers; Hospitality Welcome Center Greeters; Children's Ministry Leaders/Assistants /Greeters; 3H: Helping Hands and Heart - Sunday Morning drivers This year, won't you make a commitment to follow Jesus? Serving in a ministry here at Grace can make a difference in the lives of others - be a part of it! Should you be able to help or just want to hear more about oppor-tunities before committing, contact Karen Janik, Director of Out-reach and Communication at k.janik@gracelg.org

BLESSINGS CAN BE FOUND IF YOU ARE OPEN

I n Scotland, where the collection plate is rarely full, a pastor in a small church was taking the offering. When the plate came back to the pastor to pray over the offering, he saw that the few pennies in it were even less than

usual. He held the plate up in front of him and said, "Well Lord, we thank you for he safe return of the plate

N ational Mental Illness Awareness Week is October 7-13, 2018 .The purpose of the observance is to

educate the public about mental illness and to reduce the stigma that motivates society to discriminate against people with mental illness. This observance en-courages people with mental illness and their families to seek treatment for mental health problems with the same urgency as they seek treatment for physical health prob-

lems. Did you know that approximately one in every 5 persons has an experience with mental illness? Did you know one in four families is touched by mental illness? Our congregation will have a candle lighting service during worship on October 7th to ask God for Truth, Healing, Understanding, Hope, Thankfulness, Faith and Stead-fast Love in dispelling the stigma of mental illness. Prayer is one way to open our hearts to understanding mental illness. The National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding is Tues-day October 9th. The prayer will be in the bulletin. A table with Mental Health resources will be in Fellowship Hall during Mental Health Awareness week. Keep those individuals with mental illness and their families close to your heart in prayer especially the week of National Mental Illness Awareness Week.“

W e are excited to be restarting 3H: Helping Hands and Hearts of Grace where members

reach out to connect with those in our faith com-munity that have needs for a compassionate com-panion. Our members greatest needs are for compassionate companions that can provide a friendly phone call or

visit and rides to Sunday worship. If you are interested or know of a member that has the special gift of caring 3H would like to invite you or that individual to share that gift in helping others. If you know of a member in need of connecting with a compassionate companion from 3H contact Ann Gornik, Parish Nurse or Dr. Leland, Pastor of Caring Ministries.

Annual Congregational Health Screening: Saturday, November 3rd from 7:30 -10:15 am held at

Grace Lutheran in Fellowship Hall. REGISTRATION REQUIRED

I thank my God every time I remember you.” (Philippians 1:3) Submitted by: Ann Gornik RN MSN Parish Nurse

3

A HEALTHY SIMPLE TIPS FOR OVERALL HEALTH & WELLNESS

YOU…

A SIGN ON A WINDOW TREATMENTS TRUCK: BLIND MAN DRIVING.

SUNDAY SERMON FACEBOOK PARTY

WHAT’S A FACEBOOK PARTY? A Facebook party is a fast, fun way to connect online. There’s no house to clean, no food to make and no orders to deliver! HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: You can go to Grace’s Facebook page any-time, click on Events and join the event. The “party” will begin at 7pm every Sunday night. The online conversation starts with an ice-breaker comment and is then followed by posted questions about the sermon for that day and how it applies to our lives.

During the event, through posting com-ments, active, real-time discussion happens from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. You can post com-ments or simply read what’s posted.

“Party guests” can come to the Facebook event wall and browse the discussion and questions, leave comments, etc. until Wednesday evening at 9:00 p.m. We’ll close the party on Wednesday night and get ready for the next party on Sunday!

EMBARRASSED MOM

M y friend Sam Caldwell swears this really happened to him. Sam is an

old retired country preacher who fills in regularly in our parts. Sam doesn't hear well at all, so everyone, even the children, know to speak loudly to him. One Easter Sunday, all the children came up for the children's message. Sam said to one little girl, "My that's a lovely dress. Is it new?" And the girl shouted, "Yes, and my Mommy says it's a bitch to iron!"

EPISCOPAL HOUSE OF BISHOPS MEETING IN RETREAT ACCEPTS STATEMENT ON GUN VIOLENCE

T he House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church are meeting in retreat at Camp Allen in Navasota, TX. On March 7 2018, the House of Bishops unanimously

accepted the following statement on gun violence. “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19) At this critical moment young people of the United States are inviting us to turn away from the nightmare of gun violence to the dream of choosing life. The young people of Parkland, Florida are calling for elected officials to: • ban the sale of assault weapons • prohibit the sale of high capacity magazines • close loopholes in background checks (https://marchforourlivespetition.com) Others are seeking to: • ban the sale of bump stocks • raise the age to 21 years to purchase firearms • challenge the National Rifle Association to support safe gun legislation. We, the bishops of The Episcopal Church, wholeheartedly support and join with the youth in this call to action. At the same time, we acknowledge that black and brown youth have continuously challenged the United States to address the gun violence that they and their commu-nities are experiencing. We repent that, as bishops, we have failed to heed their call. As bishops we commit to following the youth of the United States in their prophetic leadership. To that end we will observe a day of Lament and Action on March 14, one month to the day after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. (Bishops United Against Gun Violence: http://bishopsagainstgunviolence.org ) We pledge ourselves, and we invite our dioceses, to participate in the “March for our Lives” on March 24 in Washington DC and in cities and towns across the United States. We recognize the urgency of this moment and we recommit to working for safe gun legislation as our church has called for in multiple General Convention reso-lutions (https://episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/acts/acts_topic_search.pl?topic=Gun+Control.) In addition, we pledge ourselves to bring the values of the gospel to bear on a society that increasingly glorifies violence and trivializes the sa-credness of every human life. We will walk with the youth of the United States today and into the future in choosing life. Source: mhttps://www.episcopalchurch.org/posts/publicaffairs/episcopal-house-bishops-meeting-retreat-accepts-statement-gun-violence

CHRISTOGRAM (BLESSING)

T his is a gesture known as the

Christogram, and is considered the original “sign of the cross.” The fingers are posi-tioned to form the Greek letters ICXC, an abbreviation of the Greek name of Christ: IHCOYC XRICTOC. This gesture is ubiqui-

tous in Renaissance images of Christ and the apostles, as well as in por-traits of Saints and clergy. The Christogram is used today as a traditional ges-ture of blessing by priests in the Eastern Ortho-dox Church. Curiously, the same gesture is known in Hindu and Buddhist

traditions as the prana mudra, a symbol of healing. At left is a repre-sentation of a Mudra, or sign of power, used in the Buddhist and Hindu

religions. Each hand position repre-sents a different spiritual truth; they are used during meditation, on statu-ary, and in sacred dance, often in conjunction with asanas, or body-postures. SOURCE: http://symboldictionary.net/

Christ blessing by Hans Memling

$15,582.53 IN CONTRIBUTIONS GIVEN BETWEEN APRIL & AUGUST 2018 TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED WITH THANKS!

Our congregation has donated to: • Beds Plus • Helping Hands • Interfaith Community Partners • Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago • Lutheran Social Services of Illinois • Pillars • Rebuilding Together • Refugee ONE

4 AT A PROPANE FILLING STATION: "THANK HEAVEN FOR LITTLE GRILLS.

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said? I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

“FINDING GOD IN FILM” Pastor Ben Sloss has a passion for finding inspir-ing and thought-provoking short films and then pick-ing them apart to find the theology within. While these films are very rarely “Christian films” there is

always a glimmer of God at work just below the surface. Pastor Ben reviews a different film each month.

“THE SHINING STAR OF LOSERS EVERYWHERE”

A film about a horse. Haru

Urara is a Japanese racehorse that has never won a race. Despite racing unsuccessfully for several years her owner couldn’t bear to sell her off. Despite her unre-

markable record, something strange hap-pened to Haru, people began cheering for her. News channels started following this strange phenomenon to see if Haru would ever win and just how big her following would get. The story of Haru Urara is a rare example of when the script of life gets flipped up-side down and people discover that there are things more important than winning or being traditionally successful. Again and again Jesus saw God at work in the people and places no one thought God could be. Each day God calls us to see beauty and talent in unexpected places and people. To see if Haru Urara ever wins a race and to learn more about the media frenzy surrounding this seemingly unremarkable horse visit tinyurl.com/pastorben10

UNDERSTANDING GRACE LEADERSHIP ROLES

A t Grace, the Senior Pastor’s role is to serve God by leading the Congregation in the areas of spiritual growth, worship and programming. The Senior Pastor

serves as the leader of Grace Staff, as well as, a leader of the Congregation Council. The eight member Grace Council is elected by the congregation to serve as its gov-erning body. Council’s focus is both strategic and fiscal. Through a process of com-munication, monitoring and evaluation, Council serves to foster excellence in ministry work. They work to achieve this by encouraging open communication and regular feedback from Ministry Teams and Staff to achieve the Church’s mission, to help the Church focus on its goals as adopted by the Council, and to ensure that all Church leaders adhere closely to Council polices. Grace staff has the responsibility to ensure that Grace Ministry teams’ goals and func-tions align with the overall vision and mission of the congregation, as well as, monitor and ensure that teams operate within budget parameters.

INTRODUCING TWO OF OUR GLC COUNCIL MEMBERS - JOE O’CONNOR AND VAL KADEN

Our GLC Council members are instrumental in guiding the growth and development into the future.

J oe O’Connor and Mary Lynn VanDyken joined Grace over 20 years ago when their daughter was preparing for her

first communion. Both their children, Katharine (31) and Ian (28) aDended Grace Sunday School and were con-firmed at Grace. Joe enjoyed leading several small group discussions when his children were in Sunday school and became involved with the Social Ministry CommiDee. As a professional graphic designer he has contributed his de-sign experIse to web design, print design, banner design

and liturgical decoraIons at Grace. He has served two terms on the Grace Church Council and is currently serv-ing a three-year term. This year, he is the council secretary challenging his spelling ability. He became Stephen Minister four years ago and conInues to parIcipate in that Ministry. He also has parIcipated in the Men’s Minis-try Pancake breakfast the last three years (he is the one who always over cooks the sausage). He conInues to be involved at Grace as an assistant minister and communion assistant and enjoys Bible study with John HaDle. ParIcipaIng at Grace has been an important part of his faith journey.

V al followed her parents to Grace in her early 20's and stayed. She officially joined the church prior to being

married here in 2001. “ My husband was raised Jewish and I wanted to find a church where we could get married and he would feel welcome and comfortable raising our future kids.” Another example of "All are Welcome" is a part of our DNA. Val has been an acIve volunteer in many Grace ministries including; LOGOs, Choir, Lector and VBS. In addiIon, she

served on the Preschool Advisory Board for 9 years! Val says, “there is liter-ally something for everyone, if there is something you are passionate about there is a group at Grace for you.” Val and her husband Roger sons, Jack (13) and Charlie (8) are both in-volved in the youth programs. “I love that through Grace Place Kids and Genesis, my kids are learning about service for others, what it's like to be part of a larger community and are having fun at the same Ime.”

Joe O’Connor

5

I don’t mind Disney lying

about my Prince Charm-

ing. But I am upset about

the forest animals not

coming in to clean my

house.

Val Kaden

A BOOK TO CONSIDER Virtuous Magic: Women Saints

And Their Meanings by Sara Maitland & Wendy Mulford

S ince the earliest centuries the saints

were woven into the fabric of people's lives. Through the rituals of the church year, the extraordinary and holy days of feasts, the 'red letter days', the presences of patron-saints and protectors in church buildings,

communities and organizations such as the medieval guilds the saints were venerated, and pilgrimage was an important part of that veneration. Pilgrims set out to follow the way of the saints, their goal to arrive at the earthly location of spiritual power, hoping to draw on that power for them-selves and attain a closer relationship with God.Wendy Mulford and Sara Maitland argue that the saints today are potential spiritual resources whose presences through the traces they have left behind in the minds of the whole community of the faithful can be tapped by contemporary searchers. Here hagiography -- the writing up of saints -- has taken on the metaphori-cal shape of a pilgrimage a chronology and a geography of the boundaries, the bor-ders and of the unboundaried, the wild space beyond the boundaries. Forty four saints, all women, are looked at on two levels; historically and through imaginative interiority. A variety of forms -- poetry, story, sermon, quotation and com-mentary -- have been used to make acces-sible the lives of these saints, and in doing so a rich mix of history, theology and a profound spirituality illuminates some of the meaning of saints in both the lives of individuals and in the incarnation. Source-h t tps : //www.goodreads .com/

6 BURN THE CANDLES, USE THE NICE SHEETS, WEAR THE FANCY LINGERIE. DON'T SAVE IT FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION. TODAY IS SPECIAL.

Women of Grace Lutheran - La Grange

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

S eptember 11 saw began of the 10:15 am Women’s Bible study in the Luther room. You are welcome to join our

discussion at any time. We are reading “It’s Good To Be Queen” by Liz Curtis Higgs. A study on the Queen of Sheba. When it comes to famous queens of the Bible, we know the good one, Queen Esther, and the bad one, Queen Jezebel. Now meet the wise one, the queen of Sheba, who traveled to Jerusalem to test the mind and heart of a king. The book is available in the church office for $14..

PROJECTS DAYS &WOMEN’S CIRCLE: QUESTIONS?

NEED TRANSPORTATION? Projects Days:

Debbie Granger 708-352-3425

Women’s Circle: Gladys Schroeder 708-352-1235

A n invitation from Grace's Prayer Shawl Minis-try: Please join us for cake during Coffee Hour

on Sunday, October 14th, as we celebrate the com-pletion of our 1,000th shawl. Our Ministry began in September, 2005, and hundreds of shawls have been presented to fellow Grace members, as well as friends, relatives, and neighbors. We will have a dis-

play of our shawls, which will be available if you know someone who might benefit from knowing that we are praying for them. (Please check our list of recipients first, since we try to limit it to one shawl per person.) If you would like to be a part of our Ministry, there is no need to attend our meetings in Fellowship Hall at 10:00 on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday mornings each month. Attendance is not mandatory, and no expectations are set. There is no pressure to produce; we all knit at our own pace, Why not join us and see if being a part of this Ministry speaks to you?

Wrapping those in need with a hug Imagine the comfort that comes from a hug at the time when you need it most. That’s the feeling shared with an LWR Quilt. Through a simple combination of fabric and thread, volunteers are reaching out to people in their time of greatest need with a strong message of hope — you are not alone.

First and foremost, recipients use their LWR quilts to shield against the cold and rain, and for warm bedding. But their versatility also makes quilts useful as simple tents, floor coverings, or a wrap to hold a baby on a mother’s back.

Quilts sewn by our own Grace volunteers, will be blessed on Sunday, October 14 before they are shipped to join the nearly half a million quilts donated by Lutheran World Relief annually.

If you would like to be a part of this enriching ministry please contact member Debbie Granger.

LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF GLC QUILT DISPLAY

SEE PAGE 15 FOR A UNIQUE WORSHIP OPPORTUNITY

common but serious mood disorder that may cause severe symptoms. Depression affects the ability to feel, think, and handle daily activities. Also known as major depres-sive disorder or clinical depression, a man must have symptoms for at least two weeks to be diagnosed with depression. Both men and women get depression but their willingness to talk about their feelings may be very different. This is one of the reasons that depression symptoms for men and women may be very different as well. For example, some men with depression hide their emotions and may seem to be angry, irritable, or aggressive while many women seem sad or express sadness. Men with depression may feel very tired and lose interest in work, family, or hob-bies. They may be more likely to have difficulty sleeping than women

7 SIGN OVER A GYNECOLOGIST'S OFFICE: "DR. JONES, AT YOUR CERVIX.

MEN’S BIBLE STUDY: Men’s Morning Bible Study Resumed September 10th at 7:45 am

R.O.M.E.O.:(RETIRED OLD MEN EATING OUT) This group meets for an informal "Dutch Treat" luncheon at 11:45 a.m. on the first Thursday

monthly. NEW LOCATION-J.C George’s, 181 Countryside Plaza, Countryside, IL (near Home Depot) Good fellowship, Good conversation, and Good food.

ALL MEN ARE WELCOME.

“BREAKFAST CREATORS” OF THE GLC PANCAKE BREAKFAST

RETURN OCTOBER 21 8:30 - 11:00 AM

Proceeds f rom th is yummy breakfas t support : CROPWALK 2018

(feeding the hungry locally and globally)

MEN’S BOWLING LEAGUE GRACE LUTHERAN MEN’S BOWLING LEAGUE

BEGAN THE 2018-2019 SEASON IN MID AUGUST Join us for fun and fellowship each week or when you are able.. The league

welcomes all men and friends of Grace to join the team. Games are bowled every Tuesday at 6:45 PM at Forest Lanes, 7700 W. 47th St, Lyons, IL. from

Mid-August 2018 to mid April 2019. Substitutes are often needed, so join us when you are able to bowl as a “sub.”

Looking forward to welcoming you! CONTACT DAVE JOHNSON AT swed61436@gmail.com

�

HE'S GOING TO HEAVEN

F ather Murphy walks into a pub in Don-egal, and says to the first man he

meets, "Do you want to go to heaven?" The man said, "I do Father." The priest said, "Then stand over there against the wall." Then the priest asked the second man, "Do you want to got to heaven?" "Certainly, Father," was the man's reply. "Then stand over there against the wall," said the priest. Then Father Murphy walked up to O'Toole and said, "Do you want to go to heaven?" O'Toole said, "No, I don't Father." The priest said, "I don't believe this. You mean to tell me that when you die you don't want to go to heaven?" O'Toole said, "Oh, when I die, yes. I thought you were getting a group togeth-er to go right now."

THIS IS THE INITIAL ARTICLE OF A CONTINUING SERIES ON

MEN AND DEPRESSION Introduction Men and women both experience de-pression but their symptoms can be very different. Because men who are de-pressed may appear to be angry or ag-gressive instead of sad, their families, friends, and even their doctors may not always recognize the anger or aggression as depression symptoms. In addition, men are less likely than women to recog-nize, talk about, and seek treatment for depression. Yet depression affects a large number of men. What is depression? Everyone feels sad or irritable and has trouble sleeping once in a while. But these feelings and troubles usually pass after a couple of days. Depression is a

who have depression. Sometimes mental health symptoms appear to be physical issues. For example, a racing heart, tighten-ing chest, ongoing headaches, or digestive issues can be signs of a mental health problem. Many men are more likely to see their doctor about physical symptoms than emotional symptoms. Some men may turn to drugs or alcohol to try to cope with their emotional symp-toms. Also, while women with depression are more likely to attempt suicide, men are more likely to die by suicide because they tend to use more lethal methods. Depression can affect any man at any age. With the right treatment, most men with depression can get better and gain back their interest in work, family, and hobbies. be very different. Because men who are depressed may appear to be angry or aggressive instead of sad, their families, friends, and even their doctors may not always recognize the anger or aggression as depression symptoms. In addition, men are less likely than women to recognize, talk about, and seek treatment for depres-sion. Yet depression affects a large number of men. SOURCE: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/men-and-depression/index.shtml#pub1.

�

THE CHAIN METHOD TO OBTAIN THE PERFECT PASTOR

T he Perfect Pastor preaches exactly 10 minutes. He condemns sin roundly,

but never hurts anyone's feelings. He works from 8 a.m. until midnight, and is also the church janitor. ....The Perfect Pastor makes $40 a week, wears good clothes, drives a good car, buys good books, and donates $30 a week to the parish. He is 29 years old and has 40 years' worth of experience. Above all, he is handsome. ....The Perfect Pastor has a burning desire to work with teen-agers, and he spends most of his time with the senior citi-zens. He smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his parish. He makes 15 home visits a day and is al-ways in his office to be handy when need-ed. ....The Perfect Pastor always has time for parish council and all of its commit-tees. He never misses the meeting of any parish organization, and is always busy evangelizing the unchurched. ....The Perfect Pastor is always in the next parish over! If your pastor does not measure up, simply send this notice to six other parishes that are tired of their pastor too. Then bundle up your pastor and send him to the parish at the top of your list. If everyone cooper-ates, in one week you will receive 1, 643 pastors. One of them should be perfect. Have faith in this letter. One parish broke the chain and got its' old pastor back in less than three months. THE IMPORTANCE OF PROOF READING

A lady was getting married and she was very apprehensive about her honey-

moon. Some of her friends in the church sent her a telegram, simply quoting 1 John 4:18 ("There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love"). But someone omit-ted the 1 before John. So it just read: John 4:18 ("For you have had 5 husbands and the one you have now is not your hus-band...")

A DIFFICULTY WITH GETTING OLDER “Sugar why don’t you sit down by the table and we’ll start supper.” Said Dorothy to her Husband of 50 years. “Sure thing,” said her husband settling himself down. “Now darling, would you like the soup first or the salad?” Questioned Dorothy. “Umm I guess I’ll take the soup.” He responded. After a whole meal of one endearing term after another, their guest Bob couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer. Bob snuck into the kitchen and asked, “Dorothy do you always talk to your husband like that?” “Bob, I’ll be honest with you,” Dorothy replied. “It’s been five years now, I just can’t remember his name, and I am just too embarrassed to ask him!”

WORSHIP STREAMING LIVE Join us Sunday mornings, no matter where you are experiencing the beauty of God’s amazing love.

L ook for this “logo” on the GLC web site under the header of “Worship/Live” for access “live streaming “ of each of our Sunday Worship Service’s. You will be enriched! You may also review a pre-vious weeks sermon under the same header “Worship/Sermons” You will be enriched!

TAIZÉ SERVICES A Taizé worship service involves sung and chanted prayers, meditation, a period of silence, & liturgi-

cal readings, There is no preaching.

H eld the second Friday monthly; alternating between GLC and St. Francis at 7:30 pm

Next service: October 12, 2018 at Grace Lutheran

8 IN A PODIATRIST'S OFFICE: "TIME WOUNDS ALL HEELS.

GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE AND BE ENGAGED WITHIN OUR FAITH COMMUNITY

NEW MEMBER CLASSES WILL MEET OCT. 29 & NOV. 12

7:00-8:15 PM NEW MEMBERS WILL BE RECEIVED

ON SUNDAY NOV . 18

ASSIST THE FOOD PANTRY

H elp those in our community who have fallen on difficult times or need a bit of

additional support. FRESH NON-PERISHABLE food items such as peanut butter, canned tuna, and dry cereals are the most requested items. Items may be given at anytime by placing them in plastic bags, in the basket in Fellowship Hall.

The food items are then given to the Saint Francis Food Pantry.

COUPONS CANNOT BE USED PLEASE DO NOT OFFER OUT-DATED FOODS

T he next "packing event" is scheduled for November, in time to deliver bags to Hines before Veterans Day. Unused hotel toilet-

ries saved from recent trips are perfect for this project; please drop items at the Welcome Center marked Veterans Ministry. For more information on the Veterans Ministry Team please contact Cari Hermann at cahermann01@gmail.com or Amy Vedmore at

amyvedmore@gmail.com. The Veterans Ministry Team is collecting: Toothbrushes & toothpaste, deodorant, combs, emery boards, hand towels, washcloths, small note pads, and new white socks, paperback books, disposable razors, Shaving Cream or Gel - Decks of playing cards, Hand & Body Lotion, Lip Balm, Denture Cleaner, Denture Ad-hesive, Crossword / Word Find / Sudoku Books, 2019 Calendars

Homebound Members Lois Angstadt; Nadine Carlson; Eleanor Ettestad; Martha Karlovic; Harry Krueger; Betty Lundy; Bernice Olson; Virginia Reidel; Betty Rossbach

Strength & Healing Concerns Jim Bornhoeft Bonnie Brown Joyce Ciner William Dobricky Katelyn Duffy Allan Ewert Jim Granger Ken Hall Natalie Johnson Marge Jung David Anthony Kopp Jim Kopp Helen Kwiatkowski Maria Lobato-Martinez Al Mungai Bill Olson Alice Oscarson Joan Sessions Rachel Settlage Frank Spatafore Elizabeth Squires Lloyd Squires Heidi Svoboda Gary Thoss Bill Wenig All families who have lost loved ones in school shootings and for those students and school staff who do not feel safe within their schools. Those suffering from the effects of men-tal illness and addiction, their families & caregivers. Those cared for by Stephen Ministers at Grace and the ministers serving them. Prayers for Missionaries: Philip Knutson & family-missionaries in Southern Africa;

Current as of 9/16/18

PRAYER CONCERNS

“GOD’S WORK. OUR HAND’S.”

STEPHEN MINISTRY is a GLC congregational program that equips lay persons to provide one-on-one care to those ex-periencing challenges such as, grief, divorce, job loss, strained relationships, or chronic or terminal illness. Use this link: http://gracelutheran-lg.org/stephen-ministries to learn more about how this program might be of benefit to

you or someone to whom you are close.

CARING MINISTRIES

SEE PAGE 15 FOR A UNIQUE

WORSHIP OPPORTUNITY

THE VETERANS MINISTRY TEAM

9

“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine…” Ephesians 3:20

Appeal Kick-Off October 21

A NEW IDEA FOR MINI-TRIP PLANNING - YOU, AS MEMBERS, ARE IN CHARGE! Mini-Trips are intended to encourage members to remain active, regardless of age and to best accommodate physical ability. Attendance in recent months has been poor. At our most recent Team OPUS planning meeting it was thought to limit mini-trips to only one per month. On further reflection Klaus suggested, in view of the fact that there is so much to do in the Metropolitan Chicago area, it would be difficult to select only one trip. So, based on Klaus’s suggestion, it was decided to continue to issue "sign-up sheets" for multiple trips with detailed descriptions of the event. OPUS members/guests will then decide which trip will be selected for that given month. The greatest number of sign-ups for a trip will activate that trip -- actually the plan offers to do better than that, any trip that gets 6 or more "participants" to sign up will be a "go". So make your choice (s) as soon as the sign-up sheets are placed in the "Yellow Book," to reserve your seat in the van. Provisions will be made for those that prefer to follow in their own vehicles. Directions and maps will be provided to all planned stops for each trip. Tuesday, October 2, Leave GLC at 2:00 PM "The Yard" Theater, home of the Navy Pier Chicago Shakespeare Theatrical Troupe. Barbara Gains, Artistic Director, and Rick Boynton, Creative Producer will present an overview of the 2018/2019 Program, fo-cusing on why and how the various plays were selected, and what is being done to put them on the Chicago stage. Lunch at Riva's their Lunch menus are typically around $15.00. We will have plenty of time to see the newly remodeled Navy Pier before the program begins at 6:15 PM. We expect to be back at church before 9:00 PM. We have only reserved 6 seats (maximum allowable for group reservations) for this event so sign-up soon. Saturday, October 13, and/or Sunday, October 14, Open House Chicago returns that weekend, featuring free tours of 250 buildings not normally open to the public. Once the details are available 2-3 potential places to tour with details TBA (posted in sign-up sheets) in the OPUS YELLOW Book. Sheets with the most signa-tures above 6 will be the places we visit. Thursday, October 18, Leave GLC at 9:00 AM. First stop will be at "Canal Origins Park" Ashland Ave & the South Branch of the Chicago River, which was the eastern

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IF YOU W ISH TO ATTEND ANY OF THE FOLLOWING EVENTS PLEASE SIGN-UP IN YELLOW BOOK LOCATED AT THE VISITOR CENTER

CELEBRATING HALLOWEEN WITH A SPOOKY STORY TELLER

OPUS MONTHLY LUNCHEON OCTOBER 10, 2018 AT 11:30

THEMED FOODS OFFERED

“JUST LUNCH” AT HAUNTED COUNTRY HOUSE 41 W 55th St. Clarendon Hills, IL 60541 630-325-1444

Friday, October 19 at 12:30 Please sign up in the Yellow Book at the Welcome Desk.

If you wish a ride, let us know when you register.

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The YARD” Theater

10 ON A SEPTIC TANK TRUCK: YESTERDAY'S MEALS ON WHEELS.

11 AT AN OPTOMETRIST'S OFFICE: "IF YOU DON'T SEE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE.

terminus of the I&M Canal. The park con-tains much historical information about the

Canal, its design, construction, operation, and final closing, in numerous text plaques and art objects contributed by both profes-sional and amateur Chicago artists; and af-fords a spectacular view of the new Jeannie Gang designed Eleanor Boat Houses in

Park 751. Time permitting, we will also drive to "Canalport Riverwalk Park" to actu-ally step on the ground where thousands of immigrants boarded the canal boats on their journeys west. From there we drive to LaSalle, Illinois for lunch at the Lock 16 Res-taurant. After lunch we board a replica of one of the original canal boats (a passenger packet, as they were known) for an hour

and a half mule-pulled “cruise” along the restored portion of the old canal. Senior fare for optional boat ride $13.00. It costs nothing to see the boat and walk along the towpath with the mule, or just sightsee in the lovely old town of LaSalle. Moderate walking at your own discretion. We drive by a few other interesting spot along the old canal on the way home where the drive promises to be an Autumn Spectacular. Objective is to return to Grace before 6:00 PM. Note, this will constitute our OPUS Fall Color Trip. Sunday, October 28, Leave GLC parking lot at 12:00 noon, after our Contemporary worship service completes, to enjoy the 1:00 PM tasting tour at Lagunitas Brewery. After-wards, we will drop you off at the nearby National Museum of Mexican Art for the Día de los Muertos Xicágo (day of the Dead celebration) from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm. We won't stay to the end, just long enough to get a feel for the taste of the event, and an exposure to the wonderful art on exhibit in the museum. Everything, except for the Dutch treat lunch at the Brewery (bring about $15:00) is free. As usual, donations to the museum are grate-fully appreciated. Looking ahead! Were you aware that long before Detroit became the car capital of the USA, Chicago was USA's Bicycle Capital within 10 years after the first bicycle factory opened on the east coast in the middle of the 19th century? Schwinn eventual-ly became the largest bicycle producer in the world! A new exhibit will open in downtown Chicago end of October, running through early March 2019; focusing on the intriguing history of Chicago's participation in bicycle design and production. TeamOPUS will check the exhibit out after it opens and prepare an OPUS trip this winter or early spring if it looks interesting. Stay tuned for more details next month. TeamOPUS will spend the day at Pioneer Day in Goose Lake Prairie for a possible future trip.

Classical Music Appreciation Get an introduction to the music and style of the great classical composers, from Bach, Beethoven and Mozart to Chopin, Liszt and Rachmaninoff. Engage in discussion of their most inspired and popular compositions, while also explor-ing the genre as a whole.

Instructor: Bob Kucaba HUMNT-0001-72 Classical music Appreciation

Mondays 10/29 -12/03(6 weekly classes) 10:00 – 12:00 noon $159 Individual registration required: call the college at 630-942-2208

COLLEGE OF DU PAGE ADULT ENRICHMENT AND LIFE LONG LEARNING http://www.cod.edu/academics/conted/adult/index.aspx

www.facebook.com/CEatCOD www.twitter.com/CEatCOD

An extensive web and social media catalog of classes are conveniently available at COD’s Glen Ellyn Campus.

The above web address will take you to the listings. The Sage Series, exploring behind the scenes at COD and exploring Black Holes and the Twilight Zone are FREE Lifelong Learning allowing pursuit of such areas as: Bridge, history, politics & policy, literature & music, special Interest Groups, Living Well Series, special programming for community members over 50 examining interests of the memory, healthcare knowledge, and related areas. Adult Enrichment, offers art, computer, photography, foo and bev-erage home and gardening, languages, makeup and more. These are but a few of the category opportunities available to interest-ed LifeLong Learners found at College of Du Page.

Review the catalog recently received home mailed catalog for more!

A KNOWLEDGE QUIZ OF NASA AND SPACE PROTOCOL PART 1 OF 2 PARTS

1 – What is a “cosmic year”? Select one a – the amount of time between reversals of the Earth’s magnetic poles b – the amount of time it takes for the sun to circle the Milky Way c – the amount of time it takes for all the planets to circle the sun d – the amount of time between Burning Man festivals 2 – What is NASA’s rule for dealing with a dead body in space? Select one a – wrap it in the U.S. flag and put it out the airlock b – return it to Earth to be disposed of by family c – store it on the ship for scientific study d – there is no protocol 3 – Okay, so why can’t NASA astronauts just put a dead body out the air-lock? Select one a – it’s a potential biohazard to life on other planets b – the body would float alongside the ship indefinitely c – it would contribute to “space junk” d – it’s just disrespectful 4 – But if we actually create a colony on Mars, can we just bury bodies in Martian soil? Select one a – yes, it’s no problem b – no, the soil is too hard c – no, the light gravity wouldn’t allow it to stay underground d – no, it would introduce microbes into Martian soil that would compromise studies of Martian geology 5 – What is the name of NASA’s new, fully reusable space plane? Select one a – Dream Chaser b – Dream Liner c – Space Farer d – Now Voyager Answers on page 16

12 ON A PLUMBER'S TRUCK: "WE REPAIR WHAT YOUR HUSBAND FIXED.

Event proceeds will benefit BEDS Plus’ south shelter operations.

Shelter Supply Drive October 1st marks the start of our 2018-2019 Shelter Season. We are in need of supplies to stock our pan-tries as well a basic client supplies such as socks and underwear. Can you help? Click here to view our flyer. For more information call 708-354-0858 or email

volunteer@beds-plus.org. Volunteers Needed! We never tire of singing the praises of our volunteers. They are the heart and soul of our mission. They donate countless hours of their time to those in need in our community. Most volunteers have been serving for 5 years or more, developing deep friendships along the way. Interested in joining us? Working in teams, Site Volunteers staff our shelters throughout the night and serve meals at dinner and breakfast. During the week, volun-teer Cook Teams prepare and deliv-er delicious meals together. Working from home, Laundry Volunteers help by washing sheets and blankets at home. We also have administrative and fundraising roles to fill. All prospective and new volunteers must attend one volunteer orienta-tion. You'll learn how you can help plus you'll meet great people with similar interests! Volunteer Orientation Dates Orientations are held the second Monday of each month in La Grange or in Worth on the fourth Monday of the month, beginning at 7pm. Please contact Flo Breitbarth at breitbarth@beds-plus.org or Erin Molek at volunteer@beds-plus.org for more information.

SAVE THE DATE! NOVEMBER 2, 2018 6:30 PM Village Club of Western Springs 4221 Lawn Avenue • Western Springs Advance tickets: $40 per person or $75/couple Join us as the Lions Club of La Grange hosts its annual Lions Share wine tasting event benefiting BEDS Plus of La Grange. It’s a festive, holiday themed party with live music and featuring more than a half a dozen wine ven-dors and lite bites. Sunday Night Host Site Do you know of a church who would be willing to host Sunday night shelter for men this fall in Worth, Palos or Orland Townships? Please contact Flo Breitbarth at breitbarth@beds-plus.org.

10 FACTS ABOUT YOU 1. You’re reading this right now. 2. You’re realizing that is a dumb fact. 4, You didn't notice I skipped three. 5. You’re checking now 6. You’re smiling. 7. You are still reading this though it is dumb. 9. You didn’t realize I skipped eight. 10. You’re checking again and smiling about how you fell for it again 11. You’re enjoying this. 12. You didn’t realize there’s only sup-posed to be ten facts.

Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva

Shakespeare in Love meets A Christmas Carol in this trans-porting debut novel set during the whirlwind period in which Dickens wrote his beloved classic, as he embarks on a Scrooge-like journey of his own. For Charles Dickens, each Christmas has been better than the last. His novels are literary blockbusters, and he is famous on the streets of London, where avid fans sneak up on him to snip off pieces of his hair. He and his wife have five happy children, a sixth on the way, and a home filled with every comfort they could imagine. But when Dickens’ newest book is a flop, the glorious life he has built for himself threatens to collapse around him. His publishers offer an ultimatum: either he writes a Christmas book

in a month, or they will call in his debts, and he could lose everything. Grudgingly, he accepts, but with relatives hounding him for loans, his wife and children planning an excessively lavish holiday party, and jealous critics going in for the kill, he is hardly feel-ing the Christmas spirit. Increasingly frazzled and filled with self-doubt, Dickens seeks solace and inspiration in London itself, his great palace of thinking. And on one of his long walks, in a once-beloved square, he meets a young woman in a purple cloak, who might be just the muse he needs. Eleanor Lovejoy and her young son, Timothy, propel Dickens on a Scrooge-like journey through his Christmases past and present—but with time run-ning out, will he find the perfect new story to save him? In prose laced with humor, sumptuous Victorian detail, and charming winks to A Christmas Carol, Samantha Silva breathes new life into an adored classic. Perfect for fans of Dickens, for readers of immersive historical fiction, and for anyone looking for a dose of Christmas cheer, Mr. Dickens and His Carol is destined to become a perennial holiday favorite. Box of Butterflies: Discovering the Unexpected Blessings All Around Us by Roma Downey An Instant New York Times Bestseller

Roma Downey—best known as the beloved angel on the TV show Touched by an Angel—has created a beautiful book filled with encouragement and hope, assuring us of God’s comforting presence in our lives. Ever since she was a little girl, Roma has seen butterflies as a reminder of God’s presence. They have appeared to her in mo-ments when she needed encouragement and reminded her she is not alone. In this deeply personal book, Roma shares stories from her life, alongside quotes, poems, scripture, and artwork that she prays will uplift you as they have her. Each grace-filled chapter of this beautiful full-color book covers topics such as courage, strength, gratitude, love, and kindness.

Reminiscent of the message of her popular television series, Touched by an Angel, this book’s central theme is that there is a God, He loves you, and that even in your most difficult moments, He is by your side. That though you may feel alone, you are never truly alone. The subtle butterfly theme reminds us that the wonder of

God’s love and kindness is sometimes reflected in the gentle whispers of his creation and that we all have the power to transform from simple caterpillars into exquisite butter-flies. Written in a way that encourages you to “dip in and out” of its flowing content, this inspiring book invites you to return to its pages again and again, as life brings new challenges or you find yourself in need of new inspiration. Sam's Letters to Jennifer

by James Patterson Grief-stricken by a recent tragedy, Jen-nifer returns to the resort village where she grew up to help her beloved grand-mother. There, Jen-nifer will discover new meaning in life and experience not one, but two of the most amazing love

stories ever. Source-https://www.goodreads.com/

Each selection is available in the GLC library

“Libraries are the original recyclers.”

13 ON ANOTHER PLUMBER'S TRUCK: "DON'T SLEEP WITH A DRIP. CALL YOUR PLUMBER.

YOUR GLC LIBRARY SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUR READING

ENJOYMENT BY OUR GLC LIBRARIANS

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Since a typical commercial jetliner cruises at around 30,000 feet (higher than Mt. Everest), where the air is very rarified, is there a mechanism to concentrate the air around the engine intake?

T here certainly is such a mechanism. The air at a jetliner's cruising altitude

is much too thin to support life so it must be compressed before introducing it into the airplane's passenger cabin. The compressed air is actually extracted from an intermediate segment of the airplane's jet engines. In the course of their normal operations, these engines collect air entering their

intake ducts, compress that air with rota-ry fans, inject fuel into the compressed air, burn the mixture, and allow the hot, burned gases to stream out the exhaust duct through a series of rotary turbines. The turbines provide the power to oper-ate the compressor fans. Producing the stream of exhaust gas is what pushes the airplane forward. But before fuel is injected into the en-gine's compressed air, there is a side duct that allows some of that compressed air to flow toward the passenger cabin. So the engine is providing the air you breathe during a flight. There is one last interesting point about this compressed air: It is initially too hot to breathe. Even though air at 30,000 feet is extremely cold, the act of com-pressing it causes its temperature to rise substantially. This happens because com-pressing air takes energy and that energy must go somewhere in the end. It goes into the thermal energy of the air and raises the air's temperature. Thus the compressed air from the engines must be cooled by air conditioners before it goes into the passenger cabin. SORCE: http://howeverythingworks.org/home.html

ENVIRONMENTAL STYROFOAM RECYCLING Styrofoam Collection in Western Springs

WHEN? FIRST SATURDAY of each month, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. WHERE? Western Springs Recreation Center, 1500 Walker St., Across from the W.S. Theatre. A BIN will be provided, and there will be volunteers present to help you un-load. WHAT? All food related items such as clam shells, cups, plates, food trays from meat and produce, egg cartons, AND

All Packing Styrofoam/type #6 blocks and wedges.

STYROFOAM ITEMS MUST BE CLEAN.

Please put all food related items in the same bag.

Please put all packing Styrofoam items in a separate bag.

Village of Western Springs and DART Container in North Aurora are co-operating it this effort

NO PEANUTS accepted. UPS, Fed EX stores and Pack, Wrap &

Send will accept clean peanuts

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14 AT A TIRE SHOP IN MILWAUKEE: "INVITE US TO YOUR NEXT BLOWOUT.

THIS MAY MAKE SENSE?

W ith the average cost for a nursing home care costing $188.00 per

day, there is a better way when we get old and too feeble. I've already checked on reservations at the Holiday Inn. For a combined long term stay discount and senior discount, it’s $59.23 per night. Breakfast is included, and some have happy hours in the afternoon. That leaves $128.77 a day for lunch and dinner in any restaurant we want, or room service, laundry, gratuities and special TV movies. Plus, they provide a spa, swimming pool, workout room, lounge and washer-dryer, etc. Most have free toothpaste and razors, and all have free shampoo and soap. Hey treat you like a customer, not a patient. There's a city bus stop out front, and sen-iors ride free. The handicap bus will also pick you up (if you fake a decent limp). To meet other nice people, call a church bus on Sundays. For a change of scenery, take the airport shuttle bus and eat at one of the nice restaurants there. While you're at the airport, fly some-where. Otherwise, the cash keeps building up. It takes months to get into decent nursing homes. Holiday Inn will take your reservation today. And you're not stuck in one place forever -- you can move from Inn to Inn, or even from city to city. Want to see Hawaii? They have Holiday Inn there too. TV broken? Light bulbs need changing? Need a mattress replaced? No problem . . . they fix everything, and apologize for the inconvenience. The Inn has a night security person and daily room service. The maid checks to see if you are ok. If not, they'll call an ambulance or the undertaker. If you fall and break a hip, Medicare will pay for the hip, and Holiday Inn will up grade you to a suite for the rest of your life. And no worries about visits from family. They will always be glad to find you, and probably check in for a few days mini-vacation. The grandkids can use the pool. What more could I ask for? So, when I reach that golden age, I'll face it with a grin. To all of you approaching 50 or have REACHED 50 and past, this note is espe-cially for you...... How do we know Cain took a nap when he left Eden? He went to the land of Nod.

WHAT IS JAZZ? Jazz is a kind of music in which improvisation is typically an important part. In most jazz performances, players play solos which they make up on the spot, which requires consid-erable skill. There is tremendous variety in jazz, but most jazz is very rhythmic, has a forward momentum called "swing," and uses

"bent" or "blue" notes. You can often hear "call--and--response" patterns in jazz, in which one instrument, voice, or part of the band answers another. (You can hear Ella Fitzgerald and Roy Eldridge do "call and response" in Ella's Singing Class.) Jazz can express many different emotions, from pain to sheer joy. In jazz, you may hear the sounds of freedom-for the music has been a powerful voice for people suffering unfair treatment because of the color of the skin, or because they lived in a country run by a cruel dictator. THE NATURE OF JAZZ Jazz musicians place a high value on finding their own sound and style, and that means, for example, that trumpeter Miles Davis sounds very different than trumpeter Louis Armstrong (whose sound you can hear in Louis's Music Class.) Jazz musicians like to play their songs in their own distinct styles, and so you might listen to a dozen different jazz recordings of the same song, but each will sound different. The musicians' playing styles make each version different, and so do the improvised solos. Jazz is about making some-thing familiar--a familiar song--into something fresh. And about making something shared--a tune that everyone knows--into some-thingpersonal. Those are just some of the reasons that jazz is a great art form, and why some people consider it "America's classical music." SOURCE: http://americanhistory.si.edu/smithsonian-jazz/education/what-jazz

15 ON AN ELECTRICIAN'S TRUCK: "LET US REMOVE YOUR SHORTS.

SEPTEMBER 30TH, OCTOBER 7TH & 30TH! WINTER CLOTHING DRIVE FOR REFUGEE ONE!

We are accepting clean, new or gently used Winter Coats, Hats, Gloves, Mittens, Winter Socks & Boots only for all ages, all sizes (from Infant to Adult)!

Drop off items in the boxes provided for the collection in Fellowship Hall.

JAZZ WORSHIP SERVICES

J oin us on Sunday, October 14, at 9:30 or 11:00 when Jon Ailabouni

(Pastor Saïd’s son) will help us to ex-perience jazz worship. Trumpeter, jazz musician, and educator, Jon di-rects the Luther College Jazz Band, Luther jazz combo program, and teaches improvisation, jazz theory and arranging, jazz history, and studio im-provisation and trumpet lessons. He also performs with the Luther College faculty brass quintet. Under Jon’s leadership, our own mu-sicians will play all of the music for the day in jazz style. It should be an excit-ing and enriching morning. Be sure to attend and bring a guest!

Grace Lutheran Church We're fighting hunger together! Grace Lutheran Church is helping to end hunger one step at a time by participating in this year's La Grange CROP Hunger Walk. Please support us by making a donation

and join us for the walk on October 21! -Grace Lutheran Church

Donate https://www.crophungerwalk.org/lagrangeil/gracelutheran What does CROP stand for?

CROP was an acronym for the Christian Rural Overseas Program. Its primary mis-sion was to help Midwest farm families to share their grain with hungry neighbors in post-World War II Europe and Asia. Fundraising events sponsored by Church World Service and organized by CWS local offices across the U.S.

whether to downsize to a town 10 hrs drive from your house or to the other side of the world. You can ask recommen-dations from friends or relatives, or even to those people you know living to that town/city you are bearing in mind. Or if not, you can surf in the internet and voila! It could help you, too, on choosing the best place for you. Places with the best weather you wanted, with houses near the beach, apartments, the best medical care, affordable community with excep-tional homes, and many more! Discover Various Alternatives Every night, you keep on thinking of leav-ing home and moving to another place would be something to look forward for? You start asking yourself whether it’s nec-essary to leave when you are still en-grossed with your current life along the neighborhood? You wanted to travel yet at the same time, you don’t want to give up your house. Explore tons of options! You can definitely travel around the world without the need of selling your house. You can rent it out, save the house and earn money even! You can also downsize your possessions. Although this might be quite laborious since it demands time as well as effort. But before downsizing all the things you own when you are indeed ready to move, make sure to start reduc-ing your belongings ahead of time – more or less 4 months or so. As much as possi-ble, only bring with you the things that really MATTER. Don’t Overvalue Your Present Home’s Worth You may be enthralled by what your friends previously said about how expen-sive their house cost and fortunately got sold. And then you, too, instantly drop few extravagant prices for your own home without reevaluating some “things”. Prob-ably things you fail to see, like for instance, how their house differ from yours in fea-tures prospective buyers most value or if the real estate market that time was better or worse than today. You

16 IN A NON-SMOKING AREA: "IF WE SEE SMOKE, WE WILL ASSUME YOU ARE ON FIRE AND WILL TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION".

This the initial article of a 5 part series on the PRACTICAL GUIDE

TO DOWNSIZING FOR SENIORS Leaving a place you used to live in could be a bit bittersweet, especially if all you could ever take with you are the memories you’ve made with the people you hold close to your heart and the moments you’ve garnered with them in it. Moving for retirement is both emotionally stressful and at the same time, elating. Many older adults decide to sell their cur-rent house and move to another place for economic reasons. However, they usually find the idea distressful. From sorting your baggage out, packing, deciding what date you are going to move, and setting up your new home; which I might add, down-sizing for seniors is exasperating. Plus the nerve-racking process of moving to a smaller place since it obliges you to bring only the “essentials”. Due to such time-consuming plan, sometimes, you would end up having second thoughts on leaving. But in spite of the never-ending process, older adults are usually in for downsizing after retirement. With two main goals in mind; reducing such high-maintenance at home and utility costs for the following years. There are so many benefits of downsizing for seniors who are in the retirement stage For instance, you may have gotten tired of mowing your wide lawn every Sunday afternoon, tired of cleaning such spacious house daily, and you may have noticed how so much stuff in your home attract dust and contribute to clutter. There have been significant positive feed-backs from seniors saying their life started to improve the moment they began to downsize after their retirement. Unlike before, their life has become much healthi-er and happier. Plus the fact that their usual expensive way of living few years ago has finally changed, made it more convinc-ing for others to do the same.

5 Tips on Downsizing to a

Smaller Home It has been a year since the day you decid-ed to retire and finally enjoy life with your significant other, family, or with yourself. But something is hindering you, usually questions that are starting with “Where”, “When”, and “How”. Here are some few tips on downsizing to a smaller home for your new yet simpler life! Timing is Everything! Just as we thought downsizing as early as possible is a good idea, however, you might consider many factors before doing it so. There are so many factors that you might need to take into account before deciding to downsize your home. These factors may include the current state of real estate market, interest taxes, costs of houses, and most importantly, your life-style goals. Your lifestyle goals is the most important factor you badly need to recon-sider even if the rest are stable if you are still not yet ready to leave the old routine behind, might as well delay it further more. There’s always a right time for everything. What Exactly are Your Goals for Downsizing? You are getting hype about moving to a new place, meeting new people, and living a new life, this might be one of your goals but are these the only stuff you need to establish for downsizing? How about your financial state? Have you reassessed how much money moving to another place could cost you? Why are you moving to a certain place? Does the place could benefit you in certain aspects? Does this place offer free healthcare services? Would this move get you closer to your family and friends? Is it the weather and the routine of the people there you are running after? You might need to keep this all in mind before doing any sort of engagements related to moving and downsizing your home. Pick up the Best Yet Affordable Place for Your New Home You have so many ideal places and houses in mind but can either pick one. You are even having a hard time deciding

Each of us need to pro-actively age forward, not just wait for circumstances to lay out our paths for us. Over the next several issues ideas involving aging forward will be presented for your review. Source of selected information will be taken from trusted websites such as government and academic organizations.

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can call agents of your local real estate to help you estimate your home’s current value. Downsizing could help you for the addition-al income you normally get from your re-tirement, however, before deciding to downsize your home consider all the fac-tors and things that might help you find other alternatives to save money Next month we will explore “Stages of

Downsizing for Seniors: What Your Checklist Should Look Like” Source: https://www.seniorliving.org/lifestyles/downsizing-for-seniors/

17 ON A MATERNITY ROOM DOOR: "PUSH. PUSH. PUSH.

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ADULT EDUCATION LED BY PASTOR LELAND ALBRIGHT

A dult Education began September 12, and is based on the video series, The Storied World of the Bible, by Professor N.T. Wright. In it, he

connects stories of the Bible—stories of creation, of Israel, of David and his family, and the Gospel story—into an overarching Grand Story of God’s faithfulness. We will listen to and discuss the video series on Wednesday mornings at 10 am in the Luther room Professor Wright is Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, and an internationally known Bible teacher and scholar, the author of over 70 books

The Storied World of the Bible • The Story of Creation and the Fall: In the Beginning Gen. 1:1-5 & 2:3, Learning to read the Bible as a story Gen 2:15-25, Humanity’s place in God’s creation • The Story of a Family: Creation Project Back on Track Gen. 12:1-9, God’s promise to Abraham and his family Exod 14:21-31, The story of Passover and God’s rescue of his people Deut 26:16-19 The covenant and expansion of the original command • The Story of God: Divine Image and Presence Col 1:12-20 Restoration of the original human vocation John 1:1-18 Revelation of the divine glory and the new temple • The Story of a Kingdom: Rise and Fall of the Monarchy 2 Sam 7:1-17, God’s promise to David and his family Psa 72, Solomon builds the temple and a vision of the coming king Psa 89:1-18, The road to exile and the faithfulness of God • The Story of Rescue: Hope for the Future Isa 40:1-11, Comfort in exile and promise of return Isa 52:7-53, A new exodus through the suffering servant Ezek 37:1-14, The divine presence leaves the temple • The Meaning of the Story: New Creation Daniel 9:20-24, Bearers of the promise and carriers of the problem Matt 5:1-12, A reformed and renewed Israel in Jesus Christ Luke 1:67-80, The culmination of the great story in Jesus Christ • Taking the Story Forward: New Eden Eph 3:1-13, The church as the new temple Rev 21:22-22:5, A vision of the new Eden

ferrying cargo up to the ISS. The other, made for manned flights, can carry up to seven astronauts. Watch for the second half of the quiz in the November

OPUS newsletter

ANSWERS PART 1 OF 2 Quiz to Test Knowledge of NASA and

Space Protocol 1-b – the amount of time it takes for the sun to circle the Milky Way When we think of celestial revolutions, we think of moons revolving around planets, and planets revolving around the sun. But the sun itself travels around the perimeter of the galaxy. The last time it was in the position it’s occupying now, there were dinosaurs roam-ing the Earth! 2-d – there is no protocol In sci-fi dramas, people who die in space are usually given a touching memorial in a landing bay, and then put out the airlock in a flag-draped coffin. But that probably won’t hap-pen with a NASA mission (more on that in a minute). The issue hasn’t raised its head yet, because all the fatalities in NASA were ones that killed an entire crew — like the Chal-lenger disaster in 1986. 3-b – the body would float alongside the ship indefinitely The main reason the favored protocol in sci-fi dramas wouldn’t work in reality is that the body and its coffin wouldn’t break out of the ship’s trajectory and float away, creating a morbid reminder of the crew’s loss. So is there a concept under development for how to handle a death onboard? There is: it’s a kind of space cremation called “promession.” It’d take too long to explain here, but we’ve linked to the article detailing how it’d work.

4-d – it would introduce microbes into Martian soil

that would compromise studies of Martian geology Soil and gravity wouldn’t necessarily present problems. However, one of the purposes of a Mars mission would be to study the composition of the soil. Burial of biological material on Mars would potentially skew the re-sults of such a study. 5-a – Dream Chaser The Dream Chaser is a beautiful craft that will replace the now-retired Space Shut-tles. There are two versions of the space planes. One is only meant for

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18 AT A CAR DEALERSHIP: "THE BEST WAY TO GET BACK ON YOUR FEET - MISS A CAR PAYMENT.

WHY GOD CREATED ANIMALS

A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer to "Where do pets come

from?" Adam said, "Lord, when I was in the garden, you walked with me every day. Now I do not see you any-more. I am lonesome here and it is difficult for me to remember how much you love me." And God said, "No problem! I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how

selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourself." And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam. And it was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal." And God said, "No problem! Because I have created this new animal to be a reflec-tion of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG." And Dog lived with Adam and was a companion to him and loved him. And Adam was comforted. And God was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail. After a while, it came to pass that Adam's guardian angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam has become filled with pride. He struts and preens like a peacock and he believes he is worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught him that he is loved, but perhaps too well." And the Lord said, "No problem! I will create for him a companion who will be with him forever and who will see him as he is. The companion will remind him of his limitations, so he will know that he is not always worthy of adoration." And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam. And Cat would not obey Ad-am. And when Adam gazed into Cat's eyes, he was reminded that he was not the Supreme Being. And Adam learned humility. And God was pleased. And Adam was greatly improved. And Dog was happy. And the Cat didn't give a hoot one way or the other.

CUTTING PET CARE COSTS

A s responsible pet parents, we have an obligation to care for our furry friends

in sickness and in health. But as pet care costs rise, how do we do what’s best for our pet? Here are a few tips to help you save money on your pet’s health care. Schedule Regular Check-Ups Don’t skip your pet’s yearly exam. It’s

much more expensive—and risky—to treat illnesses than to protect against them. It’s also a good idea to shop veterinary practices by comparing fees for preventative care. Personalize Your Pet’s Vaccines Some vaccines are optional, while others are essential in preventing serious diseases. Never skip any shots required by local laws or mandatory for your pet’s protection, but do talk to your vet about personalizing your pet’s vaccine protocol. Spay or Neuter Your Pet Spaying or neutering your pet can save a lot of money by preventing serious health problems, including uterine, ovarian and testicular cancers. Many local shelters pro-vide resources for low- or no-cost spay/neuter surgeries. Brush Your Pet’s Teeth Dental disease can lead to heart and kidney problems and expensive procedures.

Start a dental routine to keep your pet’s teeth and gums healthy. Ask your veteri-narian what products to use and how of-ten. Don’t use toothpaste made for peo-ple, which contains fluoride and may irri-tate your pet's stomach. Protect Your Pet from Parasites Flea and tick infestations can cause a host of costly medical problems from minor skin irritations to life-threatening blood loss. Stick with a topical flea and tick solu-tion to keep the critters at bay. Make sure to only use products as directed. Never use a product intended for a dog on a cat. Toss the Cigarettes Secondhand smoke is no joke for pets—it can cause asthma, bronchitis, lymphoma and oral, nasal and lung cancers. Quit now and you’ll save money on vet bills. At the very least, avoid smoking around your pet. Consider Pet Health Insurance If the cost of an emergency veterinary visit or serious illness would be a financial strain, consider investing in pet health insurance while your pet is healthy. Be sure to read the fine print, though—not all plans are created equal. Buy High-Quality Pet Food A good quality pet food—formulated un-der the guidelines of the American Associ-ation of Feed Control Officials—is often more cost-effective than a homemade diet. Avoid overfeeding your pet, which can lead to obesity and other health problems. Groom Your Pets at Home Save the price of a visit to your groomer with regular nail-trimmings and brushings. It’s good for your pet, it will reduce the amount of hair floating around your home, and your cats will have fewer hairballs SOURCE: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/cutting-pet-care-costs

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ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS

19 IN A CHICAGO RADIATOR SHOP: "BEST PLACE IN TOWN TO TAKE A LEAK.

The Bald Eagle, representing the United States, holds a red streamer in its beak. The State motto, "State sovereignty, na-tional union" means that Illinois governs itself under the government of the United States. In the Bald Eagle's talons is a shield with thirteen bars and thirteen stars repre-senting the original thirteen colonies. The date Illinois was admitted to the Union and the date of the State seal are printed on the boulder. The ground around the boul-der symbolizes the rich soil of this prairie State. Mrs. Ella Park Lawrence died on March 17, 1924 and is interred at Hope Cemetery in Galesburg. One of the design proposals that was not chosen during the flag contest was submit-ted by newspaperman, poet, and author Wallace Rice. He envisioned a design con-sisting of horizontal white-blue-white stripes with twenty blue stars and one large white star, representing Illinois's posi-tion as the 21st state to join the Union. Mr. Rice was not deterred however and his

later proposals for Illinois' Centennial flag and the original version (two stars) of Chi-cago's municipal flag met with success. In both of these flags, Rice's horizontal blue and white stripe theme is repeated. Source: http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flags/il_flag.htm

THE ILLINOIS STATE FLAG

M rs. Ella Park Lawrence, of Galesburg, was elected Illinois State Regent of the Society of the Daughters of the

American Revolution (D.A.R.) in 1911. As State Regent, she was required to attend the National Congress at the D.A.R. headquarters in Washington, D.C. each year. While attending a meeting in Memorial Continental Hall, she noticed that the State flags hanging in the hall, there was none representing Illinois. Mrs. Lawrence determined to remedy this situation.

She found that Illinois had no official State flag and, in 1912, she began a vigorous cam-paign to adopt a design for an official State ban-ner for the State of Illinois. Mrs. Lawrence visited D.A.R. chapters across the State and lobbied State officials and members of the Illinois Gen-eral Assembly in her efforts to promote interest in an official State flag. She sent a letter to every D.A.R. chapter in Illinois, offering a $25.00 prize to the organization that submitted the best de-sign for an official State flag. Four judges, led by Secretary of State Lewis G. Stevenson, evaluated thirty-five designs in 1913 and 1914. They eventually selected the entry

submitted by Miss Lucy Derwent of the Rockford Chapter. Miss Derwent's design featured the pictorial content of the 1868 Great Seal of the State of Illinois on a white field. State Senator Raymond D. Meeker introduced the flag bill in the Illinois Senate. The design was approved by both houses of the General Assembly and became official on July 16, 1915 when Governor Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne allowed the bill to be-come law without his signature. The law stipulated that the design be reproduced in black or in color on the white background. Mrs. Lawrence requested five hand-made flags. Three by five feet in size, they were made of silk taffeta and bound with a yellow fringe. The design was painted on each flag using oil-based paints. One flag was given to the National Headquarters of the D.A.R. and another given to the State organization. The remaining three were dis-tributed to Secretary of State Stevenson, Governor Dunne, and the Illinois State Historical Society. One of these original flags currently hangs in the Henry Knox Room at the Knox County Courthouse. While serving in Vietnam, Chief Petty Officer Bruce McDaniel of Waverly became concerned over a perceived deficiency of design of his Illinois State Flag. One of many State flags that hung in his mess hall, its identity was consistently questioned. McDan-iel requested that the design of the flag be amended to include the State's name. A bill to amend the original act of 1915 was sponsored by State Representative Jack Walker of Lansing. It was approved by the General Assembly and signed by Gover-nor Ogilvie on September 17, 1969. This bill authorized a new flag to carry the State's name. Governor Olgilvie appointed a committee consisting of the State Historian, the Di-rector of the Illinois Information Service, and the State Records Archivist to develop specifications for the new flag to ensure uniformity in production and color by flag makers. Mrs. Sanford Hutchison of Greenfield was brought in to assist. Mrs. Hutchison had previously done extensive research on the design for the State seal and she submitted a design for this new flag that was accepted by the committee, the Secretary of State and the Governor on July 1, 1970. The flag includes the emblem of the Illinois State Shield on a white field. The name of the State represented by the flag, Illinois, is printed below the emblem in blue upper case letters.

Original Flag-Knox County Courthouse

T his scroll fragment preserves parts of the Book of Leviticus, in which God prom-ises to reward the people of Israel if they observe the Sabbath and obey the 10

commandments. Credit: copyright The Schøyen Collection, Oslo and London, MS 4611 More than 25 previously unpublished "Dead Sea Scroll" fragments, dating back 2,000 years and holding text from the Hebrew Bible, have been brought to light, their con-tents detailed in two new books. The various scroll fragments record parts of the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Samuel, Ruth, Kings, Micah, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Joshua, Judges, Proverbs, Numbers, Psalms, Ezekiel and Jonah. The Qumran caves ― where the Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered ― had yet to yield any fragments from the Book of Nehemiah; if this newly revealed fragment is authenticated it would be the first. Scholars have expressed concerns that some of the fragments are forgeries. These 25 newly published fragments are just the tip of the iceberg. A scholar told Live Science that around 70 newly discovered fragments have appeared on the antiquities market since 2002. Additionally, the cabinet minister in charge of the Israel Antiquities Au-thority (IAA), along with a number of scholars, believes that there are undiscovered scrolls that are being found by looters in caves in the Judean Desert. The IAA is spon-soring a new series of scientific surveys and excavations to find these scrolls before looters do. The Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered between 1947 and 1956 in a series of 11 caves by the archaeological site of Qumran in the Judean Desert, near the Dead Sea. During that time, archaeologists and local Bedouins unearthed thousands of frag-ments from nearly 900 manuscripts. Some of the Bedouin sold their scrolls in Bethlehem through an antiquities dealer named Khalil Iskander Shahin, who went by the name "Kando." Shahin died in 1993 and his son William Kando now runs his business and estate. Many scholars believe that the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden in the Qumran caves around A.D. 70, during a Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire. They may have been written by a Jewish sect known as the Essenes. Qumran and its caves are located in the West Bank, a territory captured by Israel from Jordan during the Six-Day War in 1967. Jordan at times has asserted that the Dead Sea Scrolls belong to them. Although the term Dead Sea Scrolls usually refers to the scrolls found at Qumran, there have been scrolls found in caves at other sites in the Judean Desert that are considered Dead Sea Scrolls. Collecting scrolls The 25 newly published scroll fragments were purchased by two separate col-lectorsBetween 2009 and 2014, Steve Green, the owner of Hobby Lobby, a �

25 NEW 'DEAD SEA SCROLLS' REVEALED chain of arts and crafts stores, purchased 13 of the fragments, which he has donated, along with thousands of other artifacts, to the Museum of the Bible. Green is helping to fund construction of the museum, scheduled to open in Washington, D.C., next fall. (A fly-through of the museum can be seen on YouTube). A team of scholars has published details of these donated fragments in the book vol-ume "Dead Sea Scrolls Fragments in the Museum Collection" (Brill, 2016). The provenance of this batch of scrolls is not certain. "Some of these fragments must have come from Qumran, probably Cave 4, while the others may have derived from other sites in the Judean Desert," wrote Emanuel Tov, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in the book volume. "Unfortunately, little is known about the provenance of these fragments because most sellers did not provide such infor-mation at the time of the sale." Antiquities dealer William Kando told Live Science that he doesn't know where the donated fragments originated. Scientists are conducting tests on the do-nated fragments to help determine if any are forgeries, said Michael Holmes, execu-tive director of the Museum of the Bible Scholars Initiative, in a statement sent to Live Science. The results will be combined with an anal-ysis of the writing to help determine what the chances are of the different fragments being forgeries. "The results will be incorporated in our future museum exhibits, inviting visitors to grasp and engage with issues involved with assessing authenticity," Holmes said. Biblical manuscripts Martin Schøyen, a collector from Norway, owns the other batch of the recently re-vealed Dead Sea Scrolls. The texts from those fragments are detailed in the book "Gleanings from the Caves: Dead Sea Scrolls and Artefacts from The Schøyen Collection" (Bloomsbury, 2016). Also detailed in the book are other artifacts related to the scrolls, including a linen wrapper in which one of the Dead Sea Scrolls was found. Schøyen, who has a vast collection of an-tiquities, began collecting biblical man-uscripts in 1986. "The ultimate chal-

20 OUTSIDE A MUFFLER SHOP: "NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY. WE HEAR YOU COMING.

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21 IN A VETERINARIAN'S WAITING ROOM: "BE BACK IN 5 MINUTES. SIT! STAY!

lenge had become to acquire a fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls with a biblical text," Schøyen wrote in the book. "It was for me a 'Mission: Impossible.'" His determination paid off as, gradually, he was able to track down scroll frag-ments that were for sale by a number of sources. He bought several from a family collection that is now in in Zurich (the name was not published) and several more from the descendants of tourists or collectors who had purchased scrolls from Shahin's shop in Bethlehem in the 1950s. He also purchased a few frag-ments that were once owned by two scholars who had worked in the Qum-ran caves as students in 1948 (the stu-dents got the fragments as gifts from a bishop who supported the work). "The quest that started as a 'Mission: Impossible' in 1986, gradually proceeded to become a collection of [about] 115 fragments from around 27 different scrolls," Schøyen said. He added that some of the fragments in his collection come from caves 1, 4 and 11 at Qumran, while some come from other caves in the Judean Desert. Nehemiah A highlight from the newly published Museum of the Bible collection is a frag-ment from the Book of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:13-16). The fragment tells of a man named Ne-hemiah who lived during the fifth century B.C., at a time after Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. The Persian Empire had taken over Baby-lon's territory and the Jews, who had been forced to leave Israel by the Babylo-nians, were allowed to return home. The fragment records Nehemiah's visit to a ruined Jerusalem, finding that its gates had been "consumed by fire." Ac-cording to the fragment text, he inspects the remains of the walls before starting work on rebuilding them. Scholars have noted in previous studies that archaeologists hadn't found any cop-ies of the Book of Nehemiah in the Qumran caves. How this fragment came to America is unknown, and scholars say they can't be sure it's from Qumran. "It is assumed to come from Cave 4 [at Qumran], but in the final analysis it must be said that the provenance of the fragment remains unknown," wrote

Martin G. Abegg Jr., a professor at Trinity Western University who led the team that analyzed the fragment, in the book "Dead Sea Scrolls Fragments in the Mu-seum Collection." Leviticus A highlight from the Schøyen Collection is a fragment containing part of the Book of Leviticus. In the fragment text, God promises that if the Sabbath is observed and the Ten Commandments are obeyed, the people of Israel will be re-warded. "If you walk according to my laws, and keep my commandments and implement them, then I will grant your rains in their season, so that the earth shall yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit," part of the fragment reads (translation by Torleif Elgvin). "I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down untroubled by anyone; and I will exterminate vicious beasts from the land, and no sword shall cross your land," the fragment continues. "I will look with favour upon you, and make you fertile and multiply you." Schøyen published a note from William Kando saying that the Leviticus scroll fragment was once owned by his father who got it from Bedouin in 1952 or 1953 and it was sold, along with other frag-ments, to a customer in Zurich in 1956. Source: https://www.livescience.com/56428-25-new-dead-sea-scrolls-revealed.html

posture, and it makes my heart happy to see people in my congregation, especially children, put out their arms with their palms up toward the sky. Kneeling is another common prayer posture, but it’s not one I’ve ever been comfortable with – I appreciate it as a physical manifesta-tion of humility, but my knees do not! As a teenager, my favorite prayer posture was just standing in the congregation during the prayers of the church – noth-ing special, just standing, with my eyes focused on the stained-glass window and images of Jesus in front of me. I liked the feeling of standing shoulder to shoulder with people, all praying together. I’d encourage you to explore different prayer postures and think about what each one means and how it feels to you. There are many different ways to pray as a Christian, and there are many interest-ing and beautiful prayer postures used in other religions, too. Rosanne: What we do with our body in prayer often indicates the attitude of our hearts and the urgency of our needs. The prayer posture that you have men-tioned is one that is often associated with reverence before God. There are, how-ever, many other possibilities for bodily posturing in prayer. We read in the bibli-cal accounts that Abraham fell on his face. Moses prayed with hands outstretched. Solomon knelt in prayer, and Jesus prayed looking up into heaven. Bowing our heads, folding our hands and closing our eyes has become perhaps the tradi-tional prayer posture, especially in church, but it doesn’t have to be the only way! SOURCE: http://www.elca.org/Living-Lutheran

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Following is one of many questions received by the ELCA related to our practices and litanies. They are answered by ordained ELCA pastors

SHOULD I FOLD MY HANDS TO PRAY? “Why is it that we bow our head, fold hands and close our eyes when we pray?” – Anne: My grandma taught me the pray-er posture you describe. The bowed head/folded hands/closed eyes prayer posture helps me focus when I’m praying. It helps me tune out some of the extra noise going on around me and turn my full attention to prayer. Especially when I was little and easily distracted, my grand-ma would remind me: “Fold your hands and bow your head.” That reminder would get me back on track when I wan-dered. I use many other prayer postures, now. In worship I use the orans

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D eath Valley is the largest U.S. National Park outside Alaska at 3.4 million acres. Nearly 1000 miles of paved and dirt roads provide access to locations both popu-

lar and remote. Even so, 91% of the park is protected as officially designated Wilder-ness. That wild country includes low valley floors crusted with barren salt flats, rugged mountains rising as much as 11,000 feet, deep and winding canyons, rolling sand dunes, and spring-fed oases. Whether you have an afternoon or a week, careful planning will help make your visit safe and enjoyable.. Death Valley is famous as the hottest place on earth and driest place in North America. The world record highest air temperature of 134°F was recorded at Furnace Creek in 1913. Summer temperatures often top 120°F in the shade with overnight lows dipping into the 90s°F. . It is very important to drink water year round. Always carry water with you and keep an abundant supply in your vehicle in case of emergency In contrast to the extremes of summertime, winter and spring are very pleasant. Win-ter daytime temperatures are mild in the low elevations, with cool nights that only occasionally reach freezing. Higher elevations are cooler than the low valley. Sunny skies are the norm in Death Valley, but winter storms and summer monsoons can bring cloud cover and rain. Wind is common in the desert, especially in the spring. Dust storms can suddenly blow up with approaching cold fronts. Death Valley is famous for its spectacular, spring wildflower displays, but those are the exception, not the rule. Only under perfect conditions does the desert fill with a sea of gold, purple, pink or white flowers. Although there are years where blossoms are few, they are never totally absent. By blooming enmasse during good years, wildflowers can attract large numbers of polli-nators such as butterflies, moths, bees and hummingbirds that might not otherwise visit Death Valley. The Devils Hole pupfish, one of the world’s rarest fishes, have been isolated 10,000 to 20,000 years, longer than any other in the Death Valley system. Devils Hole itself is a water-filled cavern cut into the side of a hill. The cavern is over 500 feet (152 m) deep and the bottom has never been mapped. Devils Hole provides its resident pupfish with conditions of stable water temperatures and salinity, Death Valley is home to a great diversity of wildlife. Hard-learned, clever adaptations enable desert animals to thrive in this unlikely place. Like bighorn sheep, kangaroo rats do not have to worry about dehydration. In fact, they are so perfectly adapted to arid environments, they do not need to drink water their entire lives! They can survive on water digested from their seedy, vegetarian diet..

Desert tortoise can live up to 80 years. The desert tortoise is a champion of avoiding the heat. Unable to regulate its own temperature, the tortoise spends most of the year in its burrow. Death Valley Nation-al Park harbors some of the darkest night skies in the United States. That dark sky is key to its certification as the third International Dark Sky Park in the U.S. National Park System. "Death Valley is a place to gaze in awe at the ex-panse of the Milky Way, follow a lunar eclipse, track

a meteor shower, or simply reflect on your place in the universe. The International Dark-Sky Association certification illustrates the park's commitment to protect natural darkness and supports the wider mission to protect nightscapes in the entire National Park System." Source: National Park Service

22 AT THE ELECTRIC COMPANY: "WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED IF YOU SEND IN YOUR PAYMENT ON TIME. HOWEVER, IF YOU DON'T, YOU WILL BE DE-LIGHTED

NATIONAL PARKS OF THE UNITED STATES

Ubehebe Crater

Golden Canyon at sunset

Flee ng Wildflower Beauty

Devils Hole Pupfish “Life size”

Death Valley Night Sky

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK- SE CALIFORNIA @ NEVADA BORDER AREA: 53,125 SQUARE MILES: 3,400,000 ACRES: VISITORS 1,294,827 (2017)

PUBLIC PARKS & ARBORETA IN UNITED STATES

T he Denver Botanic Gardens is a public botanical garden located in the Cheesman Park neighborhood of Denver, The 23-acre park contains a con-

servatory, a variety of theme gardens and a sunken amphitheater, which hosts vari-ous concerts in the summer. 2017 saw 1.3 million visitors enjoy the gardens There are three diverse locations that are part of the Denver Botanic Gardens as a whole. The main location, and the formal garden, is the York Street location in east-central Denver. Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield (near Chatfield State Park) fea-tures natural meadow and riparian areas, as well as a historic farm and homestead. Mt. Goliath, on the route to Mount Evans, is an alpine wildflower garden (along hiking trails). The Denver Botanic Gardens, along with nearby Cheesman Park and Congress Park, sit atop what used to be Prospect Hill cemetery. Although the majority of bodies were removed in 1893, the interred continued to be removed as late as the 1950s. As recently as 2010, graves were uncovered during renovation of the park's irrigation and sprinkler systems. The Denver Botanic Gardens were one of the first to practice water conservation, biological pest management, and the cultivation of native plant species. The rectilinear 23-acre site is parsed into 43 unique gardens connected by wide straight paths. Nar-rower meandering paths wind through the distinct gardens, which include a Japanese Garden designed by Koichi Kawana with Kai Kawahara, a South African garden, rose and lilac gardens, and numerous spaces dedicated to diverse native ecologies and cul-tures of Colorado. There is also an orangery and a large lawn amphitheater formed by tilting planes of close-cropped grass. A signature feature of the gardens is the modern-ist Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservancy designed by Denver architects Victor Hornbein and Ed White Jr. and opened in 1966. Its plexi-glass and arcing interlaced concrete dome houses tropical and subtropical plants. The Waring House and the Boettcher Conservancy were declared Denver Landmarks in 1973. The organization also has two larger facilities at Chatfield and Mount Goliath. Denver Botanic Gardens features North America's largest collection of plants from cold temperate climates around the world, as well as 7 diverse gardens that mostly include plants from Colorado and neighboring states. The world's first Xeriscape Demonstration Garden was created at the Gardens in 1986, and 2 years later its name was changed to Dryland Mesa. It was based on the "7 Principles" of Xeriscape, and includes drought-tolerant plants from the arid West and Mediterranean areas. Source: https://www.botanicgardens.org/ CORRECTION: September OPUS newsletter, the article on the Morton Arboretum. The river identified as “Salt Creek” is in reality the East DuPage River. Our apologies!

23 IN A RESTAURANT WINDOW: "DON'T STAND THERE AND BE HUNGRY; COME ON IN AND GET FED UP.

THE DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS

DENVER , COLORADO

Crevice Garden

Sunken Amphitheater, Empty

Boettcher Tropical Conservatory

Dryland Mesa.

Japanese Garden

Conifer Garden Sunken Amphitheater, Full

Grace Lutheran Church of La Grange 200 North Catherine Ave. La Grange, Illinois 60525

708-352-0730-

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NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID

LAGRANGE IL PERMIT NO. 66

THE OPUS NEWSLETTER IS DEDICATED TO ENGAGE, ENRICH, EDUCATE, ENTERTAIN OUR COMMUNITY OF READERS. WE HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW A PRAC-

TICE OF AVOIDING THE REPORTNG OF ISSUES VIEWED AS CONTROVERSIAL WITHIN OUR GREATER GEOGRAPHIC COMMUNITY. DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS ARE IMPORTANT AND ARE BEST ADDRESSED THROUGH PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS AND THE VARIETY OF MASS MEDIA OUTLETS. THIS PUBLICATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. ALTHOUGH IT IS INTENDED TO BE ACCURATE, NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR ANY OTHER PARTY ASSUMES LIABILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE DUE TO RELIANCE ON THIS MATERIAL. IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL QUESTION, CONSULT YOUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. TEAM OPUS