and differently. In fact, although there were 75 people participating, there were several items in the box that none of us could remember! The exercise was a vivid reminder that our interpretation of the “same” event can be very different.

Kirsten concluded by talking about the six different levels of conflict that can be experienced in a congregation. She

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Our Healing Work with KIPCOR

By Laurie Yoder

For a moment, look closely at your hand. Now imagine you are looking through a microscope. Magnify 10x, then 100x then 1000x… zoom past the cells, molecules, electrons and beyond. Now return to your hand. This time zoom out, past your home, city, continent, planet, galaxy and beyond. This year’s Advent theme, “Bursting in and breaking out,” draws us to contemplate the vast scale of God’s redeeming work. You can view the classic film Powers of Ten, with images encompassing the cosmos (centered on Chicago!), at www.powersoften.com.

Our opening Advent gospel reading sets the stage for one who bursts in upon our world and breaks us out of the status quo: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on

By Evan Richards

Brent and I welcomed Robert Yutzy and Kirsten Zerger, from the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, into our church life in early October with a sense of hope. I believe that with the 93 completed surveys, 20 interviews, and the positive worship and learning experience of October 4, we are truly on our way to understanding what took place this past spring and summer and what it will take to continue the healing process.

Robert’s sermon, “Living the Sacred Story”, based on Luke 7: 36-48, set the tone and direction for that day. During the Sunday School hour, Robert reflected on how other congregations have successfully navigated times of

Advent 2009: Bursting In and Breaking Out

conflict and loss. After highlighting some of the lessons learned from resilient congregations, Robert and Kirsten led the group in naming the ways that some of these characteristics of resiliency are already present in our community. They challenged each of us with a question: “What is one thing I can do to make LMC a more resilient faith community?”

After a potluck meal, Kirsten facilitated an afternoon session downstairs in the Fellowship Hall. In an activity called “What’s In the Box?”, she gave each person 10 seconds to look into a shoebox containing forty items. We then wrote down a list of the items we remembered. Kirsten led a reflection on how we all remember incompletely

the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Luke 21: 25-26)

The distress and fear described in these words speak to our own experience—from global economic

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Congregational Meeting for Building Project

We will have an important congregational meeting on November 22 during the Sunday School hour to discuss the status of our building project. Please plan to attend. In preparation for this meeting, the Building Committee, Completion Team and Finance Team have prepared a Q&A handout, which will be distributed with the meeting agenda in mailboxes on November 8. 

Thank you to all who have continued to faithfully fulfill capital campaign pledges. We have received $215,609 in capital campaign contributions to date, including interest income of $1,760. Expenditures total $100,709; our balance in the bank is $116,660. As previously reported, we will be borrowing around $37k to fund the new roofs on the church and Madison parsonage.          -Katharine Richert

Kirsten Zerger and Robert Yutzy

Creation: Separated Light from Darkness; digital montage image by Naomi Pridjian, 2009. Used by gracious permission of the artist.