Hjertilig Velkommen alle sammen!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
FALL/HØST 2017
Pastor’s Message
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President’s Report
4
Pins for Sale
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Festsalen Fixed Up
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Upcoming Events
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Visitors from Norway Norsk Museum
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Laugh a Little...
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Pictorial Review
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Visit Minnekirken’s website: www.minnekirken-chicago.org Visit us on facebook! Minnekirken-Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church Visit us in Person…. 2614 N. Kedzie Blvd., Chicago Service every Sunday at 11 a.m.
For where two or three gather in my name, I am with them.—Matthew 18:20
Top 10 Reasons to Attend Minnekirken this Fall 1. 2. 3. 4.
Inspiring and purposeful sermons by Pastor David Schoenknecht. Hearing the Norwegian language in prayers, hymns and conversations Awesome concerts and guest speakers Sunday School
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Taste of Norway Yeeseon Kwon’s amazing musical performances Sunday School You might see yourself in an upcoming issue of Kontakt You will surround yourself in beautiful architecture You know you’ll always be welcome
Remember, these are only 10 reasons. We can certainly think of thousand of others. But we hope you’ll make it over this fall so you can experience the excitement, renewal and energy of the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial church in person. Lots of exciting things happening. We’d love to share them with you!
DID YOU KNOW…. KONTAKT magazine is published by the congregation of the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, 2614 N. Kedzie Blvd. Chicago, IL 60647 (773)252-7335 Email: office.nlmc@gmail.com Editor: Leandra Trifunovich. (847)292-9999, leandrart@sbcglobal.net
Minnekirken has a bell tower mystery? For details, see page 4 Norwegians are happier than Americans?
For details, see page 7
The Norsk Museum was added to the IL list of historic buildings? Details on page 10 One of Minnekirken’s own was honored with the Medal of St. Olaf. Details on page 8 Minnekirken will be featured in the 2017 Open House Chicago? Details on page 10 1
Pastor’s Greeting Being the “house pastor” of The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church is unlike anything else in my ministerial experience. In case you didn’t know, I am part-time—a “worker priest.” That is, someone who serves a congregation while deriving the majority of their income from another occupation, or in my case occupations! At the beginning, serving at Minnekirken didn’t seem to be much of a stretch; but honestly that’s been changing. Minnekirken is growing—in our ministry, membership, and notoriety! What I do for the church in the name of Jesus, seems less and less like a part-time gig and more and more like true vocation—a calling. I write this on the tail-end of my summer sabbatical. For the past month and a half preachers from Norway have been filling Minnekirken’s pulpit and serving in pastoral capacities. That’s good for me and my family as well as for the church in that allows for moments of reconnection. The congregation reconnects with its Norwegian roots, and I reconnect with being a husband, father, and grandfather. It’s not really a vacation since as a “worker priest” I’m still working my other jobs. But being away from the pulpit, does allow the aquifer of God’s living water to regenerate. Ministry is difficult in that pastors often feel like the conduits of the Gospel into the lives of others. That’s a beautiful thing, but since the needs can be so great and God’s workers so limited, our spiritual wells can run dry. After our 2017 Confirmation Sunday in June, I felt joyously spent. Yet over the past few weeks of July I have felt my spiritual well refilling. I know that’s happening when I look at the assigned Scripture readings for the Sundays to come and themes for sermons start swimming about my soul. (My family has spent a lot of time in, on, and beside the water over the past few weeks; hence all the watery metaphors, I think.) At the moment the following words of Jesus to the Pharisees and all of His parables and miracles that forward our understanding of the “kingdom of heaven” have been pressing upon this preacher’s heart: Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with [a]signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” ~ Luke 17:20-21(NASB) Between now and mid-September we’ll be exploring the implications of Jesus; oft used phrase “the kingdom of heaven is like…” The kingdom parables and miracles of Jesus are essential for Christian meditation at a time when many Christians and their churches are finding themselves challenged, and even conflicted, by political, cultural, and economic upheavals. To many it feels as if the tectonic plates of a previously rock steady Christendom are moving, shifting, quaking. It is in such times, that we need to turn to promises of God’s Word, Hebrews 12:28 for instance: We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. Please do join us for worship at Minnekirken. Come for a Sunday in Logan Square, take the Blue Line, enjoy one the many great restaurants on the Square, take in the Sunday Farmer’s Market or a festival—all happening right across the street from church. Better yet become a member or friend of Minnekirken, if you are not already. We need you, your ongoing presence and support, to help make Minnekirken all it can be—by God’s grace—in the heart of Logan Square, one of Chicago’s most vital neighborhoods/most important mission fields. In our Expedition Norway Vacation Bible School promotions say that: “Vi snakker Norsk! Nosotros hablamos Español! We speak English! We're working on our reindeer!” We praying that the Lord might raise Minnekirken up on our Norwegian roots to be a church for the whole community! For as Jesus said: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches! Consider our pews as a perch for your soul! A velkomm-ing place to find spiritual rest and refreshment for the whole family. I do hope this letter reaches you in time for your littlest fledglings to participate in our Vacation Bible School. If not, do keep Minnekirken’s VBS in mind for next year. But we have much more to offer. Come September we plan to begin again our Logan Square Crescendo! community kid’s choir practices – contact director, Evelyn Hilleren Finne for details at lscrescendo@gmail.com; we are planning another round of Fantastick 4th fourth Sunday of the month family worship services and Sunday School at Minnekirken; I would like to begin preparations for First Communion/Confirmation at Minnekirken, 2
so please contact me if you have interest in that for your children. Families should also look forward to our Leif Erikson Adventure Day over Columbus Day weekend—last year we went on a church outing to Starved Rock! Do keep in touch and join us if you can. Our official @thenorwegianlutheranmemorialchurch Facebook page is the best way to keep up on the latest news. Included in the events for Fall of 2017 we are planning some special Reformation 500 activities mixed in with Minnekirken’s traditional offerings: September 24 1 p.m.: We are working to bring Hallgeir Elstad, Professor of Theology at the University of Oslo over for another “Great Minds @ Minnekirken” event. He plans to speak on “Careful Reformation: The History of Reformation in Norway.” October 1st, Sunday: Concert with Julie and David Coucheron. Julie wrote me an email in June saying: “I am a Norwegian pianist now living in the US. My brother David Coucheron is the concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and we perform a lot throughout the States. I went to Minnekirken in Chicago last year for the May 17th celebrations and concert and met a lot of wonderful people both visiting and working for the church. I had spoken to a few members of the church about the possibility to do a concert of Scandinavian music at Minnekirken.” As you can imagine we enthusiastically said “Yes!” to Julie and David. October 29th, Reformation Sunday: We will celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation at Minnekirken with gusto! This will, of course, include a German “Oktoberfest” sausage supper hosted by the Schoenknechts! And, yes, Lynn’s planning to bring her Kartoffelsalat! And I am hoping to lean into this monumental day with a special sermon and study series based on a new book called “By Heart.” November 18th, Taste of Norway: With Christmas cookies, ertesuppe, Norwegian waffles, crafts, sweaters, and more our Saturday before Thanksgiving Taste of Norway tradition is Minnekirken’s biggest FUN-raising event of the year. Be sure to mark it on your calendar. If you think you have something you’d like to contribute do let us know. And keep in mind that over the weeks before we’ll be baking, baking, baking at church. Cookie bakers are welcomed to join in on the action! December will bring our annual Scandinavian Christmas Concert; our Reverse Advent giving campaign; and special Sunday’s like Luciadagen which we’ll celebrate on December 10th, Christmas Day Service, and Juletrefest Sunday on December 31st! Though we are in the midst of summer as we prepare this Kontakt, we are thinking ahead to all the wonderful events that make Minnekirken, Minnekirken. I am thinking back, as well, to the blessings of the past couple years of service to this incredible congregation. This reverend would have never have imagine roosting in the branches of such amazing place. It’s so great to see the flock gathering in support of its great traditions and new ministry opportunities. I love it when special guests fly in and perch among us for a while. Thinking back on 2017, I recall Dr. Irwin Lutzer talking about Martin Luther and the Reformation and David Furholmen speaking on Carpetbagger missions that supported Nazi occupied Norway come to mind. We were blessed to host the Nidaros Cathedral Jentekor on Palm Sunday and a group of high school students from Oslo last spring, one of whom wrote a lovely blog post about her experience at Minnekirken that you can also read in this Kontakt. Looking ahead to the Coucheron’s Concert and Dr. Elstad’s talk, I’m reminded how The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church on Logan Square has become like Jesus’ tree from a mustard seed to which the birds happily flock. Whether your experience is just a moment among us or a lifetime, we pray that we can be a blessing to you and that you will be a blessing to us. Mange takk i Kristus Jesus, Pastor David Schoenknecht
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Church Business Update From church President Bev Coyveau
It has been a busy summer at Minnekirken. We have enjoyed having Kenneth Andresen and Arne Ekra and his family visiting us from Norway. Sadly, we also said farewell to our beloved Rotheim family who returned to their home in Norway. We look forward to them visiting as Bengt will be traveling for business and Chicago will be his hub. Under the leadership of Pastor David our church has seen positive growth from our Logan Square neighborhood. The Lunch and Learn new member and friend orientations continue to generate interest in Minnekirken. We continue to have on-going renovations on the church as well as the parsonage. Our front foyer, stairway and balcony have been repainted. Peeling paint and falling wallpaper have been removed and repainted. Handrails and posts that have been described as “standing up by habit” have been secured. The old wallpaper in the fellowship hall has been removed and painted. Our Trustees organized a dunag in spring and the entire church was cleaned from top to bottom on a Saturday. Thank you to all of our volunteers who participated in this. We all worked hard and enjoyed pizza afterwards. Tuckpointing has been completed on the parsonage and on the front of the Church. Although unplanned, we needed to immediately address water coming in the 2nd & 3rd floor apartments over the front windows. Maintaining our beautiful property is an on-going process. Sponsoring our monthly Logan Square Preservation meetings is a great source of learning what is new in the neighborhood. These are held every 3rd Thursday of the month at 7 pm. Our neighboring building, the Grace Furniture, originally “David Moving and Storage” (see photo) building has apparently been sold. Supposedly there will be a 40 room hotel with a restaurant on the first floor and a rooftop bar. We have our never ending concerns regarding our parking in front. We are staying on top of this and expressing our needs in this situation. Logan Square Preservation is looking for any memorabilia from the old neighbor-
hood. Pictures of the Norske club, Church etc. would be much appreciated. And here’s a mystery! We have a bell tower with no bell. Does anyone know if Minnekirken ever had one? It would be fun to see if we could get one do-nated. Speaking of donations, we are in need of volunteers with special talents to help with our website and other computer projects. We have many things to be thankful for and look forward to another “Taste of Norway” this November. Sincerely, Beverly Covyeau Do not miss
TASTE OF NORWAY
Cookies are scrumptious
Pea soup is delicious
White Elephant shopping is enjoyable
Raffles are fun Saturday, November 18
Sunday School is Back! Begnning Sunday, September 24 Jonah and the Whale, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, The Walls of Jericho… Sunday School is the best place to learn these great stories and lessons through games, songs, stories, and crafts. We’ll meet every fourth Sunday of the month in the festsalen during the 11:00 a.m.
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Minnekirken Lapel Pins Pastor David Schoenknecht came up with the idea to design a lapel pin that represented Minnekirken, in the hope that everyone interested in purchasing one would proudly wear them to show their pride and support in our church. It was decided that the lapel pins would be sold as a standalone pin to be worn all the time, or with either a red or blue the ribbon attached to the pin to be worn for special occasions such as Syttende Mai. We also decided that the proceeds of these pins would benefit the restoration of our church. As we are an older church, there are many areas of the church that need to be fixed or restored to previous glory. To date we have sold around 100 pins! Anyone interested in the purchase of these pins can contact the church office either by phone (773-2527335) or by email (office.nlmc@gmail.com). Please make sure to leave your name and phone number so I can promptly get back to you. The price for purchas-
ing the pin at the church is $5.00, and $7.00 for the pin with the ribbon attached. Anyone interested in having their purchase mailed to them the price will be $7.00 for the pin, and $10.00 for the pin with the ribbon attached. The difference in the prices is due to the shipping costs. We hope everyone who see these pins will want to have one and support our church. Thank-you! Susan Tokich Parish Administrator.
Attention Bakers, Bakers-in-training, Baker enthusiasts and Baker-wanna-bees: TASTE OF NORWAY NEEDS YOU!!! Baking for Minnekirken’s annual Taste of Norway, scheduled for 11/1 begins now. Only the finest, freshest ingredients are used to make the scrumptious, buttery Norwegian treats that are sold at the “Taste”. Because we make them just like our mor mor’s did we need to start baking now to meet the demands of our cookie fans! To please Susan
Fall 2017 Kontakt Kontributors: Pastor Schoenknecht, Bev Coyveau, Kari Diesen-Dahl, Betty Geilen, Bob Anderson, Lynn Sove Maxson, Susan Tokich
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help, contact Tokich.
Festsalen Fix Up You might notice that one of our favorite gathering spots in the church—the festsalen, is a little brighter, more appealing and updated-looking lately. Due to the efforts of many of our members we have a newer, fresher, inviting place to enjoy our coffee and showcase our collection of Norwegian artwork. Thanks to Metta, Lisa Cleveland, Bob Andreason, Andy Bruli, Ingrid, Christian, Karena, Pastor, Kay and Ted Long, Susan, Bev Coyveau and the Rotheims. A special thanks to Kris Cosentino who had the initial vision for the project and started the ball rolling with fundraising. Also thanks to all the people who contributed funds for the redecorating. Here’s a sample of some of our vintage artwork newly on display. To see the full collection, come on down any Sunday!
Glimpse of Norway, Hardangerfjord by Emil Espeland, 1968
Karl Johansgate, leading to Royal Palace, Oslo, late 1930's by Anton Meyer
Oslo Cathedral, Var Frelsers Kirke 17th Century Baroque, restored 1950 Boy and Girl Wearing Setesdal Bunads
Painting by Anton Meyer, c. 1950
Late 19th Century
Whaling Ships in Sandefjord Harbor Norwegian Winter Scene by Emil Espeland
by Hans Holman, c, 1952
Stavanger Fire Tower, market and harbor, c. 1920
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Honorable Perry Gulbrandsen Awarded Medal of St. Olav At the church concert on May 17th, the honorary counsel general, Paul Anderson, announced that Minnekirken’s own Perry Gulbrandsen was recently awarded the Medal of St Olaf. The honor was presented by the Norwegian Ambassador Kaare Aas by the order of His Majesty King Harald V on April 29 at the Norwegian Embassy in Washington DC . Excerpts from the award presentation… Perry, this evening, it is my honor and indeed my distinct pleasure to fulfill the instruction of His Majesty King Harald V to bestow upon you the insignia and diploma that serve as proof of your recognition. The St. Olav Medal is a very important reward as it is only bestowed upon Norwegians or foreign national in appreciation of their outstanding service in advancing knowledge of Norway abroad and for strengthening the bonds between expatriate Norwegians and their descendants and their country of residence. In his decision, His Majesty pointed to your instrumental and personal engagement in supporting the interest of the Norwegian and Norwegian-American community in Chicago and throughout Illinois. You have served on several Boards including the NACC,, Vesterheim Museum, Norwood Crossing, Minnekirken and the Norwegian-American Hospital in Chicago. You have been a leader and driving force both financially and socially in Illinois for many years, including your most recent engagement with the Friends of the Viking Ship. Your commitment and passion have and will continue to contribute to strengthening the ties between our two countries for generations to come.
Judge Gulbransen accepts applause from the congregation for receiving this special honor
Being recognized is proof of your commitment and Norway’s appreciation for your efforts and achievements. Perry, it is my honor to now bestow upon you the Medal of St. Olav. The Medal of St. Olav was founded by King Haakon VII on 17 March 1939. It is conferred as “a reward for services in advancing knowledge of Norway abroad and for strengthening the bonds between expatriate Norwegians and their descendants and their country of residence”. Both Norwegian and foreign nationals are eligible to receive the Medal of St. Olav.
Who’s Happy, Who’s Not: Norway Tops List, US Falls The United States was 14th in the latest ranking, down from No. 13 last year, and over the years Americans steadily have been rating themselves less happy. By SETH BORENSTEIN “It’s the human things that matter. Mar. 20, 2017 If the riches make it harder to have WASHINGTON (AP) — A new report shows Norway is the hap- frequent and trustworthy relationpiest country on Earth, Americans ship between people, is it worth it?” asked John Helliwell, the lead are getting sadder, and it takes author of the report and an economore than just money to be mist at the University of British happy. Norway vaulted to the top slot in Columbia in Canada (ranked No. 7). the World Happiness Report de- “The material can stand in the way spite the plummeting price of oil, of the human.” a key part of its economy. Income Norway moved from No. 4 to the in the United States has gone up top spot in the report’s rankings, over the past decade, but happi- which combine economic, health ness is declining.
and polling data compiled by economists that are averaged over three years from 2014 to 2016. Norway edged past previous champ Denmark, which fell to second. Iceland, Switzerland and Finland round out the top 5. “Good for them. I don’t think Denmark has a monopoly on happiness,” said Meik Wiking, chief executive officer of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. “What works in the Nordic countries is a sense of community and understanding in the common good,” Wiking said. Still, you have to have some money to be happy, which is why
The following report has been edited from its original version for size to fit Kontakt:
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most of the bottom countries are in desperate poverty. But at a certain point extra money doesn’t buy extra happiness, Helliwell and others said. The report ranks 155 countries. The rankings are based on gross domestic product per person, healthy life expectancy with four factors from global surveys. In those surveys, people give scores from 1 to 10 on how much social support they feel they have if something goes wrong, their freedom to make their own life choices, their sense of how corrupt their society is and how generous they are.
Minnekirken Welcomes Visitors from Lycée Français René Cassin d’Oslo Last January, Paul Anderson, the Honorary Royal Norwegian Consulate General for Chicago, wrote Pastor Schoenknecht an email about a group of thirty high school students, teachers, and chaperones who were planning to come to Chicago in April of 2017 from Lycée Français René Cassin d’Oslo. This led to conversations with teachers and students, a visit to Minnekirken to interview Bengt Rotheim, Mette Pettersen, Kari Diesen-Dahl, and Pastor. Minnekirken also hosted this groups for an evening of Chicago-style Hotdogs (with special thanks to the Vienna Beef Factory Outlet) and other activities. Estelle Allaire was the student who led the group researching Norwegian immigration to America. Estelle’s Initial Email from March 26, 2017... Hello David Schoenknecht, My name is Estelle Allaire (center of picture) and I'm a student in 10th grade from the French school Renée Cassin Oslo in Norway. This year, our class is doing a project about the stories of migrants in Chicago. My group is focusing on migrants from Scandinavia living in Chicago. In this project we are working on a radio show and are looking for people with Scandinavian roots to interview. Our class will be in Chicago from 24th to 29th of April. It would be a great help if you would kindly agree to do an interview with us or if you could help us find people with Scandinavian roots to interview in Chicago. Thank you in advance for your help. Kind Regards, Estelle Allaire The resulting blogpost—“Meeting Norwegian immigrants in Logan Square: Estelle’s story” The project around the trip to Chicago was to study migration from diverse parts of the world to the US, but in particular to the third largest city in the country. Our goal was to observe and reflect upon American multi-culturality through the stories of its inhabitants (all immigrants, except for Native Americans). Throughout the whole project (a journey from the start really), we recorded radio shows where we collected stories, including our own. Earlier in the year, we were divided into small groups and each chose a specific ethnic group that migrated from their homeland to the United States. We did a lot of research about the history of migrations to North America. With my group, we had decided to concentrate on Norwegians. We had interviewed Norwegians in Oslo whose ancestors had crossed the Atlantic Ocean. We also had done some research on Norwegian emigration (second biggest emigration in Europe compared to the land’s population) at the National Library in Oslo. For our visit in Chicago, we had been planning for a long time to get in touch with different people who were immigrants or had family members who migrated to the city. We found out that Minnekirken in Logan Square, located on the Northwest side of the City of Chicago, still played an important part for many members of the Norwegian / Norwegian-American community. When we arrived in Logan Square with the subway (or the L train as they call it in Chicago), the church was impossible to miss. There was a big sign with Norwegian writing which made it obvious it was where the Norwegian community gathered. Pastor David greeted us, I was surprised to see how lively and friendly he was, because in my head I always thought that pastors are only serious and calm. We also met two other people from Norway, one blond middle-aged woman who had come to Chicago and married an American man. There was also a man who looked like he was in his early 30s and who had been here for a few years for his work. They looked very Scandinavian and had a “Norwegian vibe”. We all sat at a big table. The atmosphere in the church was very cozy not like in typical churches where you feel a cold and dark feeling. We all introduced ourselves and started talking. We noticed that the pastor was gone for a few minutes. When he came back, he was carrying several big boxes filled with “Cheetos”, “Doritos”, chips and drinks. We all got so excited by the food we almost forgot we were doing an interview. Although, we had prepared specific questions to ask, we were not confident with our questions as we thought they were boring. Before the interview started, we ate the food and our interviewees talked about their lives and their experiences. It was very interesting and it did not even feel like an interview anymore. They told us their stories of how they moved to Chicago, their lives and their experiences. It just felt like a group of friends talking about life around a table full of good food. While we were just chatting, Tobias, Sarah and I realized that they had answered every question we had planned to ask them for the recording of our radio show. We started panicking a little because it meant we had no questions for the actual interview we had come here to do. When our teacher asked us to ask the questions, we had to improvise. Although we weren’t prepared, we managed to ask questions as the conversation went on. Now that I think about it, it was a lot more engaging that we didn’t read a list with specific questions to ask them. We just asked question that came up as we went along with the discussion. The interview was very natural and enjoyable. I didn’t even see the time pass when our teacher already told us we were out of time and it was time to leave…. Luckily we were invited again to the church on Friday night for drinks, a chat, sports….and some real Chicago Hot Dogs! Thank you Pastor Schoenknecht and to the Norwegian community in Chicago for their time, their kindness and making us feel at home! Blog Post from: https://chicagostoriesofmigrants.wordpress.com/2017/04/28/discovering-pilsen/ School Website: http://www.rcassin.no/
School Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/denfranskeskolen/ 8
Paul Gaugin Inspired by Norwegian Wood Carving The Art Institute of Chicago is hosting an exhibition (until Sept. 10, 2017) of artworks by Paul Gaugin, famous for his boldly-colored paintings of people on the South Sea island of Tahiti. It may come as a surprise to Norwegians visiting the exhibit that Gaugin was inspired early in his career by Norwegian wood carvings. He spent two years in the merchant marine and probably like many sailors in the late 1860’s took a knife to wood as a hobby on board ship. Two of Gaugin’s early paintings depict a beautifully carved Norwegian wood tankard or Tine (1740—antique even then) from his Danish in-laws, now actually in the exhibit. That inspiring Norwegian tankard was painted in 1880, Still Life. And in 1884 in Clovis Sleeping, the tankard appears near his young son’s head. The background is dreamy, a theme in later Tahiti paintings—that the background somehow symbolically depicts some of the dreamy thoughts of the people shown. This theme is connected to the tankard as Clovis touches it while sleeping.
Sunday Church at the Cathedral in Oslo An easy mile ramble downhill on the broad avenue Karl Johans Gate, from the Royal Slottsparken, takes you to the Lutheran Cathedral, Oslo's state church for big events. It originally opened c. 1700, and follows a Baroque rather than a Gothic plan. Indoors you can see the old Baroque organ façade on a balcony. More modern organ pipes are hidden behind that. Notice the elaborate pulpit. Dramatic modern ceiling art done by painter Hugo Louis Mohr between 1936 and 1950 is a feature of the renovated cathedral, finished c.1950. Among other themes, the ceiling shows the St. Olaf theme of foot on the head of a serpent, using the cross as a sword. Many sacred images to meditate upon during the service, which also features a sermon and fine choral sacred music and hymns. Service over, everyone files out! 9
Visit Norway, Illinois, 70 Miles SW Of Chicago, To See Norsk Museum The Norsk Museum in Norway Illinois, the former Hauge Lutheran Church, was added to the list of Illinois Historic Buildings last October, and has since been nominated to the National Register of Historic Buildings! The church was built in 1848 by old-fashioned carpentry methods, from materials hauled from Chicago in wagons pulled by oxen. You are invited to visit and see many new exhibits on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5pm June through September at 3656 E. 2631st Street, Sheridan, IL 60551, tel. 815-343-5070, located directly behind the Norway Store on Highway 71. Private tours are available by reservation. Larger groups such as school field trips, senior groups, and European tour busses are asked to send early notification. The church is a showpiece of early settlement by Norwegians in America. Although individuals emigrated from Norway earlier, Cleng Peerson and “The Sloopers” were the first to come as an organized group and eventually went west from New York and founded a church in Illinois. The sloop ship they sailed to America was overloaded, so they were blessed to have made it alive. Followers of the Hauge religious movement, they looked forward to more religious freedom in America. Rev. Elling Eielsen, who organized the building of the church, was the first Norwegian Lutheran minister in America. Dave Johnson, the Norsk Museum Board President, has extended an invitation to readers of Kontakt to “step back in time” into the l70 year old building and “come visit us.” On some special occasions, food is served and the Chicago Leikarringen Heimhug Norwegian Folk Dancers, Lynn Maxon, master rosmaling artist, Inger’s Norwegian Gifts and others sometimes visit and perform at the museum. Check what is happening at www.norskmuseum.org and www.enjoylasallecounty.com They also have a new Viking war ship model, the Skagerrak, 1/3 scale, to show. Dave Johnson Norsk Museum Board President 415 Lewis Street Marseilles, IL 61341 815-343-5070 Dave.norskmuseum@gmail.com 200 COOL PLACES. 48 HOURS TO GO. IT’S FREE. OCTOBER 14-15, 2017
The Chicago Architecture Foundation’s Open House Chicago is a free public festival that offers behind-the-scenes access to more than 200 buildings across Chicago. Explore the hidden gems and architectural treasures of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods— all for free. Have your ever walked by a building and thought, “I wish I could see what’s inside?” Now you can. Tour soaring skyscrapers, repurposed mansions, opulent theaters, exclusive private clubs, private offices and breathtaking sacred spaces. Minnekirken will be one of the buildings featured in the 2017 tour! Go to www.openhousechicago.org for details. 10
Fun Fact...
Bluetooth logo with runes H and B, referring to Harald Bluetooth. "Bluetooth" now commonly refers to the Bluetooth wireless specification design started by Ericsson, Nokia, Intel and Toshiba to enable cable-free connections between computers, mobile phones, PDAs, printers, etc. The Bluetooth communications protocol in these devices is named after king Harald Bluetooth because he unified Denmark and Norway much like the technology whose goal was to unify computers and cellular phones.[26] The Bluetooth logo consists of the younger futhark runes, also known as the Nordic
runes for his initials, H (
hagall)
berkanan) (Long-branch runes version).[27]The younger futhark rune and B (
names have been documented; "hagalaz" and "berkana" etc. are posited elder futhark rune
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IMPORTANT DATES Sunday September 10: Pre-service bible studies resume with pastor at 9:30 a.m. Note all are invited to this weekly meeting.
Sunday October 12, 12 noon: Semi-annual Congregational meeting right after the 11 a.m. service.
Sunday September 24: Sunday School Begins! All elementary school-age children are welcome. Meet at 11 a.m. in the Festhalen.
Monday October 9 Pastor is planning a youth lock-in and/or Leif Erickson Adventure Day activity. Watch church bulletins for more information.
September 24, 1 p.m.: Hallgeir Elstad, Professor of Theology at the University of Oslo will join us for the next “Great Minds Sunday October 15: Weekly adult choir practice begins at @ Minnekirken” event. He plans to speak on “Careful Reforma- 10:15 a.m. in preparation for the Christmas concert—all are tion: The History of Reformation in Norway.” welcome! Sunday October 1: Concert with Julie and David Coucheron. Julie is a Norwegian pianist now living in the US and her brother David Coucheron is the concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. They are planning a variety of Scandinavian music for our congregation.
Sunday October 29: Reformation Sunday celebration with German “Oktoberfest” sausage supper hosted by the Schoenknechts! A special sermon and study series based on a new book called “By Heart.” Saturday November 18 beginning at 10 am: Taste of Norway with Christmas cookies, ertesuppe, Norwegian waffles, crafts, sweaters, raffles and more
Sunday October 8, 10am: Leif Erickson Day Commemoration at the statue in Humbolt Park, Chicago
Mindfulness By Lynn Sove Maxson
Your church needs you!
Look around, there are books, cds, etc. on the “new” fad mindfulness for morning, night and any other time of the day . When we really get down to it, we have been exposed to it most of our lives. In our homes and even in the Bible we have learned about the principles of mindfulness. My parents didn’t go to church, but my brothers and I were brought up with the meaning of religion. I did end up being confirmed and attended church. How many times were we shown the beauty of the earth, animals and people? “Stop and Smell the Roses !” ,“Look at the Rainbow”, “Listen to the Birds” We were told to respect ourselves and our neighbors and all people of the earth. “Sit still and breathe, relax and see!” Most important, feel that you can do anything. Use your senses and appreciate all in the world. In the Bible we learn to respect, meditate, love, see, taste and feel – the senses are all spoken about. Respect and help your neighbor.
Keeping our old Minnekirken building operating while beautiful and safe costs lots of time and money. Visitors will notice a newer, fresher entrance when they enter the church double doors. The festhalen has many new upgrades and is brighter and more open. The upstairs sanctuary has required a lot of plaster, paint and repairs. And the parsonage is starting to require some serious attention. This fall while the kids from your local schools stop by to solicit support for their various causes, we hope you’ll remember the Minnekirken cause as well. We won’t knock on your door to sell popcorn or cookie dough. We simply ask that you use the enclosed envelop to send in your support.
But, if you’d like to buy our cookies —make sure to stop by and visit us at the Taste of Norway on 11/18. Think about the things that are good, and worthy of praise. We’ll be happy to sell you all kinds of goodies!
Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and re-spected. – Philippians 4:8
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Laugh a Little... If College Students Wrote the Bible... The Last Supper would have been eaten the next morning—cold. The Ten Commandments would actually be only five— double spaced and written in a large font. A new edition would be published every two years in order to limit reselling Forbidden fruit would have been eaten because it wasn't cafeteria food. Paul's letter to the Romans would become Paul’s e-mail to abuse@romans.gov Reason Cain killed Abel: they were roommates. Reason why Moses and followers walked in the desert for 40 years: they didn’t want to ask directions and look like freshman. Instead of God creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh, he would have put it off until the night before to get it done.
The following are actual headlines from newspapers around the world…
Missing Woman Unwittingly Joins Search party Looking for Herself Stolen Prosthetic Arm Discovered in Secondhand Shop County to Pay $250,000 to Advertise Lack of Funds 4-H Training Scheduled for Shooting Instructors Police: DUI Charge for Woman Celebrating End of Earlier DUI Suspension Federal Agents Raid Gun Shop, Find Weapons Statistics Show Teen Pregnancy Drops Off Significantly After Age 25 Self-Proclaimed Invisible Man No-show at Court Hearing Red Cross in Search of donors with Low Blood Supply Police Arrest Naked Man with Concealed Weapon One-Armed Man Applauds the Kindness of Strangers Red Tape Holds up New Bridge High School Dropouts Cut in Half Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendants
The Bible says to have an answer for why you believe to those who ask you. For example… A man went to a barber shop to have his hair and his beard cut as always. He began to have a good conversation with the barber who attended him. They talked about so many things and various subject. Suddenly they touched on the subject to of God. The barber said: “Look, I don’t believe that God exists.” “Why do you say that?” asked the customer. “Well, it’s so easy, you just have to go out into the street to realize that God does not exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God exists, there would be no suffering nor pain. I can’t think of loving a God who permits all of these things.” The customer thought for a moment, but he didn't respond because he did not want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left, he saw a man in the street with long hair and a beard. I was a very long time since he had his hair cut and he looked dirty and unkempt. The customer entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: “You know what? Barbers do not exist.” “How can you say they don’t exist?” asked the surprised barber. “I am here and I am a barber. Why I just worked on you!” “No!” the customer exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist because if they did there would be no people with long hair and beards like that man who is outside.” “But barbers do exist, what happens is that people don’t come to me.” “Exactly!” affirmed the customer. “That’s the point! God does exist. What happens is people don’t go to Him and do not look for Him. That’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.”
So True... It’s never the end of the world. It’s already tomorrow in Australia—Charles M. Schultz Why can’t life’s problems hit us when we’re seventeen and know everything?—A.C. Jolly Depend on the rabbit’s foot if you will. But remember it didn’t work out for the rabbit.—.R.E. Shay A perfect summer’s day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing , the birds are singing and the lawn mower is broken—James Dent For every action there is a reaction. The minute they invented windows, they had to invent shades—the Daily Herald 13
Confirmation Class of 2017 We are so pleased to present our newest confirmands: Audrey Nilsen, Kole Andersson, and Bengt, Freida and Sunniva Rotheim. Our confirmands kayaked the Chicago river, challenged their nerves at Great America, camped in tents and on living room floors and walked in the woods, all while learning what it means to be a Christian and to recommit their baptismal vows on June 18, 2017.
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Exciting, musical, busy, fun, food and fellowship-filled are just some adjectives that only begin to describe 2017 at Minnekirken so far. We hope to see you in the next issue of Kontakt. And if you are, we guarantee you’ll be smiling too!
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Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church DEN NORSK LUTHERSKE MINNEKIRKE 2614 NORTH KEDZIE BOULEVARD • CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60647
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