There was a great turnout on a beautiful September day for the pie and ice cream social.  As you can see from the pictures below, everyone had great choices of pie and some very tasty homemade ice cream provided by Wendy Westerberg and Margaret Coleman.  The Madson Family and Friends provided music during the worship service.

Sunday School starts on Sunday, September 13.  Please register now to help with planning.  The registration form is on the website (and paper forms are available at church). We still need teachers — confirmed high school youth and adults who love working with children are invited to sign up to volunteer.  Sign-up forms are on the website and paper forms are at the church.  Teacher training is on September 9th.  More information to follow.

The choir has begun rehearsal and is looking for new members to sing major new works for Sunday worship including a Buxtehude cantata for the blessing of the new church bell. Choir rehearsal is Wednesday nights at 7:30 in Fellowship Hall.

Conversation and Cuisine is a casual evening of getting better acquainted while enjoying a meal in our homes (or choice of a restaurant). Groups of 5-7 members and friends of Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church gather for three meals during the course of the year.   Four groups were formed this past year and from all reports, it sounds like they really enjoyed their time together. New groups will be formed so that everyone will have a chance to get to know some more Lake of the Isles members. If you would like to participate in the 2015-2016 groups, please let Janna Haug know by September 30th at the latest. You can talk to her during church coffee or contact her by phone (651-497-0099) or email (jannahaug@yahoo.com).

The molten bronze for the new church bell was poured in late August at the Paccard Foundry in Annecy, France. The bell mold is shown in the picture. Although the pouring takes only a minute, the bell cools slowly for 2 to3 days before the mold is removed and the bell is polished. The bell will then make its journey across the Atlantic to the Christoph Paccard Bell Foundry home city in Charleston, South Carolina. From there it will be transferred to Minnesota.

The blessing of the bell ceremony will be held on Sunday, October 25th.

Lars Olson coordinated and organized LOTI volunteers for the 2015 Paint-a-Thon this year.  LOTI volunteers helped paint Goldie Peterson’s house in the Longfellow neighborhood and cleaned up her yard and gardens.  The following people participated:  Chanda and Henrik Olson, Steve Hoyt, Larry and Cheri Moe, Jennifer Cook, Lauren, Taylor and Maddy Rondestevdt, Jim Gilroy, Arden and Janna Haug, Pauline Haug, Ross and Wesley Bartels, Brad Anderson and Linda Nelson.

Thank you, Lars, and all the volunteers who participated in this event.

Taylor, Maddie and Lauren Rondestevdt

Goldie (home owner) and Chanda Olson

Jim Gilroy and Lars Olson

Henrik Olson and Wesley Bartels

Pauline Haug

Lars Olson, Jim Gilroy  and Brad Anderson.

Janna and Arden

Ross Bartels

The Women’s Bible Study group concluded its last session of Beth Moore’s study of James earlier this summer.  Plans are to start up again in September with another study for women lasting approximately 8-10 weeks.  Please let the church office know if you are interested in participating.  The meeting date and time will depend on the schedules of the women who enroll for the fall study.

We have volunteers for the shelter meal at Our Saviour’s scheduled through the end of the year. The following families are scheduled to serve through the end of 2015:

September 4 – the Kappel Family

October 2 -the Mechels Family and Amann Family

November 6 – the Sundeen Family

December 4 – the Moe Family

All months in 2016 are available and Cheri will take reservations for the first Friday of any month starting now.

Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Children often return to their homes when things start getting tough- at least they return in spirit. We return to sentimental memories when life seemed simpler and more meaningful. It happens when young men and women head off to college. For some, it is when they complete college and they begin life outside of a dorm room. For others, it is when a marriage ends and they begin life anew.  Or it is simply when the physical, emotional and financial stress of daily life takes its toll. Some people dream of returning home in spirit, and then there are some who actually make the move- often to the surprise and consternation of their parents. When a recent college graduate returned home, I overheard a family friend ask, “Well, haven’t you uncovered the thorns yet?”   It was a colorful phrase, and I had to know what they meant.

Bird watchers, and those who live along the Mississippi River or in northern Minnesota may know this, but uncovering the thorns is a pattern of nurturing and care practiced by eagles toward their young. Eagle parents are very attentive and keep their eaglets warm and protected until after the young eagles have grown all their feathers. Then the parents will “stir up the nest” uncovering the thorns, the briars and stickers that form the building structure of the nest. This stirring means tossing out all the soft nesting materials, rabbit fur, feathers, down and grass, so that the young eagles must stand on their own. This allows the eagles to strengthen their muscles and talons in preparation for adult life. The young eagles must learn to stand before they can fly.

But uncovering the thorns has another purpose as well. It forces the eagles to leave the comfort of their nest. When the young eagles are old enough to fly, they do not realize they are capable of flight. In fact, they are often terrified of falling out of the nest. Inevitably, the day comes when the parents have to” kick” them out for their own good. Some eaglets are terrified and become paralyzed by the thought of leaving the nest. The mother eagle must physically push them out, while the father eagle circles nearby waiting to catch them if they fall. This is the meaning of the song, “On Eagle’s Wings.” And I will raise you up, on eagles’ wings, lest you dash your foot against a stone. Uncovering the thorns allows the young eagles to grow strong, to learn to fly and to become independent. Without the thorns they would never fully mature.   “To uncover the thorns” is an act of love, of independence, and of growth.

Life is not always easy, nor fair. Scripture teaches us that if you wish to meet the challenges of life, you need to renew your strength. At times, it may seem that God is trying to push you out of the comfort of your nest. Perhaps he is. Perhaps you too need to uncover the thorns that are making you comfortable, to stand up, and to venture out and to discover God’s creational all around you. But what a sight you shall see from eagles’ wings.