Chicago Temple - United Methodist Church

Temple Justice Ministry

admin — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:36:13 +0000

Teams look to address issues from economic justice to marriage equality

By Rev. Wendy Witt

The Temple Justice Ministry team is hard at work addressing a variety of issues that are of critical interest and importance to our members and communities. As we do our work, we seek to dig beneath the surface and to get at the deeper systemic, root causes of many of the problems plaguing our families and neighborhoods.

Currently, we have teams actively working in the areas of economic justice and corporate accountability, marriage equality (SB 10) in the State of Illinois, sensible gun laws, and human trafficking. We are also involved in the campaign to have the Chicago City Council restore the water fee exemption for religious organizations and other not-for-profit agencies.

While we are engaged in these efforts, we do none of this work alone. We are forming partnership and alliances across the city and state and even the nation with those who share our passion for a more just and humane city, state, country, and world. Among our partners are IIRON, Reconciling Ministry Network, Interfaith Coalition, United Methodist Women, General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, and numerous grassroots organizations working on issues of gun violence and neighborhood safety.

We now have a weekly Justice Ministry Table in the narthex, which is staffed with members of our teams as well as information on these issues, and others. Learn more about the issues and become involved in putting your faith into action in the weeks ahead.

Please stop by and engage with us in some stimulating conversations about this important work!

Resounding Pipes: Oh, the joy!

admin — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:26:58 +0000

By Barry Wenger

What are those new sounds in the sanctuary? They are sounds from the pipe organ that have been “off-line” for 5-10 years.

An opportunity arose in February for more work to be done to our grand Harris Memorial pipe organ built by E. M. Skinner. In 2012, we had raised about $25,000 for the organ project; so on Saturday, Feb. 22, about 15 volunteers gathered to remove more than 850 organ pipes. The pipes ranged from 8 feet long to the size of a pencil. We saved nearly $10,000 in labor costs through the work of our wonderful volunteers consisting of Chicago Temple members and friends. We thank you for your time and energy.

While the pipes were out, Berghaus Organ Company came to remove portions of the organ chests that need to be completely redone. These parts will come back in “new” condition and be placed back in the organ. We will put out a call to our volunteers to help us place the pipes back into the instrument. Soon you will hear the Solo Division with Tubas, English Horns, French Horns, Flutes, and Strings resounding again throughout the sanctuary!

To maintain it’s beauty and musical character, we borrowed approximately $10,000 from the current church budget to be repaid in this budget year. If you would like to give to the organ project, you can do so at any time. The Harris Memorial Organ is one of two pipe organs in the Loop and is of similar vintage to the Rockefeller Chapel Organ at the University of Chicago. We hope you enjoy the “renewed” sounds!

‘My Journey with ALS’: A Person’s Testimony

admin — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:34:51 +0000

By Christine Jasch

Disability has always been present in my life. My father had ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). When I was 10 years old, my aunt, my father’s sister, was diagnosed with ALS. It was then that we discovered that ALS ran in our family. My cousin – my aunt’s son – passed away in 2003. I’ve lived with the knowledge that someday my brother, my sister or I might be faced with the same fate. I chose a career where I worked with disability every day, and I married a man with a disability. Disability, for me, has been the norm. My husband Ken and I lived a normal life (college, jobs, parenthood, home ownership) until he passed away unexpectedly in 2009.

Small Signs

In November 2008, I started having muscle twitches in my left knee. I was terrified, but after checking with my doctors and hoping it was a side effect of medication, I resolved to put it out of my head. In July 2009, weakness in my left foot started and panic set in.

In August 2009, we went on our annual camping trip with families from the church. At the beach is a large dune I have climbed multiple times. It’s a glorious feeling to finally reach the summit only to turn around and run down to the bottom. While I wisely did not attempt the larger, steeper dune at the campground, I felt I could certainly handle this one. I started slowly, trying to pace myself, confident I could reach the top. A quarter of the way up I was forced to acknowledge my fatigue, but I continued to climb. At the halfway point I could climb no more. I sat on that dune and wept. I yelled at God. I swore at Him, I screamed, pleaded and begged Him. That was the first time that ALS stole from me and prevented me from doing what I wanted.

Then, in September, a neurologist told me it was not ALS. This, however, offered no comfort, and I feared the worse. I was terrified of what the future held and worried about the impact this would have on my daughter, my husband and my job.

After Ken passed away in November 2009, the progression of my weakness sped up. By February 2010, I needed a cane, by April I needed a foot orthosis, by June a walker, by August a scooter for distances. July 2010 brought the official diagnosis, something I already knew.

Life’s challenges

Each stage brought a new challenge. Moving from the cane to the walker; the walker to the chair. I gradually lost the ability to perform my own self-care: getting dressed, driving my car, writing my name, feeding myself as well as all the other daily tasks we take for granted. Playing in the church’s Bell choir was a source of joy and fellowship. This too was stolen from me.

I referred to these times as transitions. Each one brought denial, anxiety, anger, sadness and a great fear of the future. The denial was the most dangerous; as it led me to continue doing things that I shouldn’t have, often resulting in a fall. Once I began looking at a transition as the loss that it truly was, I was able to acknowledge and grieve the loss and move to the next phase with easier acceptance and less denial.

Regardless, the emotional toll was huge. I was blessed to have a ramp into my home, an accessible bathroom and an accessible van. But these necessities were for Ken, not for me. I wasn’t supposed to need them. I also struggled at work. As an occupational therapist, I have spent years helping other people regain their independence, now I watched my patients get better as I got worse.

Blessings unfold

Today, I can move my head and shoulders. I can still swallow and I can still talk. More importantly, I can still laugh and cry. I can still feel joy as well as sorrow. I can feel a person’s touch, see my daughter smile, hear my cat purr, smell freshly ground coffee and taste dark chocolate. I am able to see that I have more blessings in my life than losses. That may sound strange coming from somebody that has lived through a tremendous number of losses in the last 4 years, but I’ve experienced an unbelievable amount of support, love, and compassion. I don’t know if I would have witnessed them as vividly had I not experienced this.

I have experienced firsthand the power of prayer – how else could I’ve survived the last 4 years? I am not angry at God but know that He is at my side helping me. I have hope that the future will be okay, however it plays out. Not that it will be easy or without sorrow, but it’s going to be okay. We’ll get through it and we won’t be alone. I have discovered a strength within myself I never knew I had. I have also discovered how wonderful the people of this world are and experienced compassion beyond measure. In a very unexpected way, by accepting my need to be helped, I have learned more about life when I worked to the best of my ability to be helpful.

Summer Camping Trip 2013

admin — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:50:05 +0000

Please email Rev. Tanya if your family is interested in joining us or for more information: childrensministry@chicatogemple.org

Download PDF Brochure

Date: June 28-June 30

Where: Starved Rock State Park

Cost: $30/adult (18 and over)

$5/kid (3-17)

kids under 3 are free

The cost includes meals and T-shirt.

We are hopng to have a …
» Continue Reading: Summer Camping Trip 2013

Reflection: Easter season calls for exuberant, exciting living

admin — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:59:29 +0000

Easter is not a day but a season. Actually, more than that, Easter is a way of life. We refer to it as “eternal life,” not simply as an existence that lasts forever, (a quantitative term), but more significantly, as a way of living richly (a qualitative term). That is why we can proclaim, in good, orthodox fashion, that “every day is Easter from now on.”

Living richly is an alien concept for many people these days. Perhaps it was the terrorist attacks early last decade and the economic collapse late in the decade that have scared us into a kind of fearful stinginess. What can be more penny-pinching than the parking meter arrangement in Chicago? What can be more cynical than arguing for a casino in Chicago to bilk the tourists in order to pay for the public education of our children? What can be more cowardly than granting tax exemptions to lure corporations into the city while taxing not-for-profit institutions, including churches, synagogues, mosques, and missions, for water usage in the service of addressing poverty in the city?

Find time to check out “Monty Python and the Charity Donation” on YouTube. At least it will reassure us that we Americans are not the only people who have trouble discerning the value of things. John Cleese is a merchant banker who claims that he is “very, very, very, very, very, very rich.” A man enters his office to ask for a donation for an orphanage.

“How much do you want?” the banker asks.

The man says, “One pound.”

“Well, I think that we can arrange the loan if you just let me go down to the legal department . . .”

“No, sir, not a loan. A gift. I want you to give me a pound, and then I will go away and give it to the orphans.”

“What is my incentive?” the very, very, very, very, very rich man asks.

“To make an orphan happy,” the volunteer replies.

“To make an orphan happy? Why would I want to do that? I don’t get it.”

There are a lot of people who do not get it, how to live richly, beyond the mean tight-fistedness that fear produces. One of the constant proclamations in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments, and one that the risen Lord had to use over and over to calm the disciples trembling behind locked doors after the crucifixion, is, “Fear not!” We cannot live eternally here and now with our eyes shut, our ears covered, our hands clenched, and our knees wobbling.

To live as Easter people is bravely and confidently to calculate the worth of things with a sense of God’s generosity. What is the worth of teaching our children the stories of Jesus? What is the worth of conducting a confirmation class for our older kids? What is the worth of a young adults group, a parents class, Bible study groups, the Mabuhay Fellowship, the United Methodist Women? What is the worth of the music produced by our Gospel Choir, our Chancel Choir, our bells, our woodwinds, and our strings? What is the worth of having our sanctuary open seven days a week and hosting at the Temple 65 to 70 church and civic events throughout the week?

How do we calculate the impact of our work in the Philippines and Chile? What about our connection with all of the other United Methodist churches in Northern Illinois? What about feeding, clothing, honoring, and praying with a person who is destitute? What is the price tag on that?

And when we surround a person with love who is ill, who is facing surgery or recuperating, who is mourning a death, who is grieving a divorce, who is despondent over the loss of a job, who is terribly lonely in the city, how do we justify that in dollars and cents?

When we speak out on behalf of the silent and the silenced, when we stand for justice in the public square, when we seek to shape public policy, when we risk “speaking truth to power” (we have a very good corner from which to do that), is that worth the cost that the retribution it might bring?

Easter living, the resurrected life, is exuberant, extravagant, and exciting. It draws upon the depth of God’s love made known to us in Jesus Christ, realizing that the cost already has been covered on our behalf. So now we can live freely, fearlessly, not counting the cost because God’s economy is generous in ways that we cannot calculate.

Peace,

Phil Blackwell

Concert to showcase boogie woogie and classic blues

admin — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:52:28 +0000

“Celebrating a Tradition: Boogie Woogie and Classic Blues” with Lila Ammons (vocals) and Axel Zwingenberger (piano), with special guests Erwin Helfer.

Vocalist Lila Ammons and pianist Axel Zwingenberger plan to share the complexity of classic blues and boogie woogie music during a concert at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 6 in the Chicago Temple sanctuary.

The duo brings their noteworthy talents to audiences both collectively, and on an individually. Zwingenberger, who has more than 30 albums to his credit with legends such as Big Joe Turner and Lionel Hampton, has developed his own individual style by drawing inspiration from the likes of pianists such as Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons.

According to his biography, he has acquired a faithful following around the world of aspiring boogie woogie piano entrepreneurs, gained through the more than 4,000 concerts in more than 50 countries and four continents.

Ammons brings to the performance her skills honed in classical recital work as well as opera. But she also has experience with singing jazz. Her musical roots run deep, with influences coming from her late uncle, Gene Ammons, the tenor saxophonist and her late grandfather, Albert Ammons, the grandmaster of the boogie woogie piano.

The two began collaborating in 2007, when they performed at the 2007 Blues Fest in Cincinnati. Since then, they have performed in Brazil and throughout Europe. They’ve also created a joint CD, “Lady Sings The Boogie Woogie.” Each brings a unique lens to their work – Ammons, a Chicago born singer, and Zwingenberger, a pianist from Hamburg, Germany.

In addition to their concert, Ammons and Zwingenberger will perform during the the 11 a.m. service. A free will offering will be collected at the concert.

Christianity’s narrative to unfold throughout significant dates ahead

admin — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:39:33 +0000

Very soon we will be living the basic Christian story. Holy Week serves as a pageant of sorts, during which we recreate the story of Jesus so that we might understand it, and not only to understand it conceptually, but also to experience it spiritually.

We begin with false hope. What is the triumphal entry into Jerusalem if not a colossal misunderstanding? Jesus knows what is at stake as he enters the realm of the powerful and important. His entire ministry has been about a different kind of power than that wielded from the throne, and it is conducted among those of little importance as seen from the throne — the poor, the dislocated, the outcast, the child, the widow, the alien and the alienated. But the crowd greets him as the conqueror riding on — what is this, a donkey? A clever ploy, they think, for the savior of the world.

As soon as he makes it through the gate of the city wall, the plot to kill him takes shape. Those whom his power of truth most directly challenges, that is, those governing under the hard gaze of Rome and those managing the religious establishment to their own advantage, look for ways to accuse him, convict him, and crucify him.

So, on Palm Sunday in our worship services we move quickly from the exuberant entrance when we wave palm branches and sing, “All Glory, Laud, and Honor,” to a prolonged and agonizing reading of the gospel account of what happens next. In my childhood church, we went right from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, ignoring Lent and paying no attention to Maundy Thursday or Good Friday. But the narrative of our faith makes no sense if we ignore these; the empty tomb is pointless without the cross.

The cross — the minister of a megachurch was asked why the congregation’s sanctuary, which looked like an assembly hall, had no cross. He responded, “We want people to be happy when they come to church. We want to look like a shopping mall and have someone ask, ‘Hey Dude, where’s the cinema?’”

Well, happiness cannot be found at the expense of ignoring the truth. The truth is that there is pain, disappointment, treachery, and sacrifice in our lives. If that is all there is, then we will be defeated. But if there is hope in the midst of it all, then there is reason to carry on, to even celebrate a “victory” of sorts. Without the admission of pain and sorrow, there is no authentic expectation of a hope that matters.

So, we move deliberately through the Last Supper of Maundy Thursday and the three-hour agony on the cross of Good Friday, so that when we see the glimmer of light in the midst of darkness on Easter Eve we can imagine that life can be different, that things, including us, can change.

On Easter morning (initially for us early up in the Sky Chapel) the word of the Resurrection, of the triumph of life over death, begins to spread. By the full light of a new day we gather in the sanctuary to sing “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” and affirm John’s assertion in his gospel that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

That is the story we will live as we enter into Holy Week on March 24. It is best to experience every facet of it and to do it together. In so doing, we learn even more about our own personal story.

Peace,

Rev. Phil Blackwell

Holy Week and Easter Schedule

admin — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:10:04 +0000

Wednesday, March 27

12:10 p.m. in the Sanctuary with Bishop Sally Dyck preaching

Maundy Thursday, March 28

12:10 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Symbolic Washing of Feet and Holy Communion

Good Friday, March 29

12 noon-3 p.m. in the Sanctuary

“Seven Last Words”

6 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Tenebrae

Saturday, March 30

5 p.m. Easter Vigil in the Dixon Chapel on the second floor

Easter Sunday, March 31

6 a.m., 6:30 a.m., & 7 a.m. – Sunrise Services in the Sky Chapel

8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-Festival Services in the Sanctuary

9:30 a.m.-Easter Breakfast

Ash Wednesday, February 13

admin — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:24:08 +0000

Between 7:30 and 9 a.m. - Holy Communion with Imposition of Ashes and prayer with the pastoral staff. Come in when you can and leave when you must.

12:10 p.m. -Wednesday Noon Worship Service with Imposition of Ashes

6 p.m. -Ash Wednesday Worship Service with the choir, Holy Communion, and Imposition of Ashes

Our Wednesday Worship Services begin at 12:10 p.m. with a meditative prelude starting at noon. Service will finish at 12:40 p.m. with an opportunity for Holy Communion. All are invited.

Guest Speakers for our Wednesday noontime worship services during Lent:

February 20

12:10pm

Rev. Dr. John Buchanan, Pastor Emeritus of the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago and Editor/Publisher of “The Christian Century” magazine

Musician: Jack Cimo, Guitar

February 27

12:10pm

Rev. Julian DeShazier, senior minister at University Church in Chicago

Musician: Brian Von Rueden, Baritone

March 6

12:10pm

Rev. Al Sharp, Former Executive Director of the Protestants for the Common Good

Musicians: Miguel De La Cerna, Piano and Sylvia De La Cerna, Violin

March 13

12:10pm

Rev. Dr. Larry Greenfield, Executive Minister, American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago

Musician: Sarah Van Loon, Soprano

March 20

12:10pm

Rev. Dr. Elizabeth J. L. Davenport, Dean of Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago

Musicians: Jason J. Moy, Harpsichord and Karen Nussbaum, Soprano

March 27

12:10pm

Bishop Sally Dyck, Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church

Musician: Brenna Boncosky, Mezzo-Soprano

Download a pdf file of this schedule

Download “Behold, I Make All Things New,” a devotional guide prepared for the 2013 Lenten Season.

Young Adult Fellowship

admin — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:09:42 +0000

A fully inclusive community of individuals that seeks to build relationship with God and others through prayer, study, service, and fellowship.

3 new options for young adult fellowship are as follows:

YOUNG ADULT BIBLE STUDY

The young adult Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the West Loop. The Bible study attempts to take a more in depth look at Scripture by taking into account the context in which it was written. After studying the Scripture, the group tries to apply the meaning of the Scripture and how it applies to today. The study also seeks to build community between other young adults in the Chicago land area through thoughtful discussion, prayer, and fellowship. For more information please contact Mike (mvahidtari@gmail.com).

HOMELESS MINISTRY

The homeless ministry group volunteers one Saturday morning a month at Grace place. Grace place is a space that serves the homeless. Volunteers prepare and serve food from 7:30 am to 11:00 am. Through service, the group is able to serve others and God. After serving, the group has fellowship and gets coffee or brunch. For more information please contact Cammeo (cammeomedici@gmail.com) or Matt (mjmauntel@gmail.com).

RESTAURANT GROUP

The restaurant group gathers monthly to try some of Chicago’s best eateries. This group allows individuals the ability to get to know one another better while taking advantage of the wonderful food in Chicago. Young adults are encouraged to develop community with other young adults as they wine (optional) and dine together. For more information please contact Shawna (shawnaneuro@gmail.com) or Mike (mikemalkoff@hotmail.com)

CAFÉ and Young Adult Trivia Night

CAFÉ, the young adult Sunday school class at the Chicago Temple, meets at 10:00 a.m. every Sunday morning. Subjects cover a wide range of topics with literature including Scripture, books on religion, the economy, and history.

Join us for Young Adult Trivia Night on the last Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Come meet and mingle with other young adults of the Chicago Temple. Meet us at Vines, 3554 N. Clark Street in Chicago.