On this 4th of the 12 days of Christmas, I hope all are still basking in the Light of the Christ Child and reflecting on the wonder of Christmas.
Just a couple notes this week: Since New Year's Day is Saturday, we will not have our regular Saturday service at 6pm, and since the schools are still on Christmas break, there will be no Sunday School this coming Sunday, January 2.
At the 8:30 and 11am services this coming Sunday, January 2, we will be celebrating Epiphany with the procession of three kings, incense and all! This is the day that we celebrate that Jesus, the Christ Child, was the Messiah and God's Light for the whole world, Jews and Gentiles! What better way to start the New Year than gathering around that!
Our regular schedule of Saturday worship at 6pm and 8:30 and 11am worship with Sunday School at 9:45 will resume on January 9, and our Wednesday suppers will resume January 5.
May these 12 days of Christmas and the beginning of the New Year be filled with God's Lightand Peace and Love for you and yours.
See you in church!
Pastor Jack Diehl
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
It's been a wonderful journey through Advent! Many thanks to our Sunday School children and parents who brought the Advent season to a culmination yesterday at our 11am service with their annual Christmas Program. What a wonderful celebration. A special thanks to Charlotte Elizabeth Roble, born October 3, (Dr. Linda Aiken's granddaughter) who was Baptized at the 8:30 service and came back to be "baby Jesus" at the 11am service. She truly lived out in a hurry what Martin Luther said that each of of our callings is as a Baptized child of God, that is to be a "little Christ" in the world!
We now stand on the threshold of the Christmas celebration.
On Christmas Eve we have 2 candlelight communion services: one at 6pm with our Handbell Choir ringing and one at 9pm with our Chancel Choir singing. There will be preservice music beginning about 1/2 hour before each service.
On Christmas Day there will be a service with Holy Communion at 11am followed by our annual Home Alone Christmas Dinner at noon. The menu will be mashed potatoes, gravy, roast beef and all the fixins! This is our gift to the community. If you'd like to make a reservation, reply to this email and we'll save a seat for you.
Since Christmas Day is on Saturday this year, there will be no regular 6pm Saturday service, but there will be two services of Lessons and Carols on Sunday at 8:30 and 11am.
At Christmas we celebrate that God has not stayed far off in an unknown distance, but has come to be with us in the person of Jesus. May these holy days be filled with the Peace, Joy and Love of the Christ Child for all of you.
Pastor A.C. 'Jack' Diehl III,
We now stand on the threshold of the Christmas celebration.
On Christmas Eve we have 2 candlelight communion services: one at 6pm with our Handbell Choir ringing and one at 9pm with our Chancel Choir singing. There will be preservice music beginning about 1/2 hour before each service.
On Christmas Day there will be a service with Holy Communion at 11am followed by our annual Home Alone Christmas Dinner at noon. The menu will be mashed potatoes, gravy, roast beef and all the fixins! This is our gift to the community. If you'd like to make a reservation, reply to this email and we'll save a seat for you.
Since Christmas Day is on Saturday this year, there will be no regular 6pm Saturday service, but there will be two services of Lessons and Carols on Sunday at 8:30 and 11am.
At Christmas we celebrate that God has not stayed far off in an unknown distance, but has come to be with us in the person of Jesus. May these holy days be filled with the Peace, Joy and Love of the Christ Child for all of you.
Pastor A.C. 'Jack' Diehl III,
Monday, December 13, 2010
"Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, oh Israel." During these weeks of Advent we have been singing this refrain every time we prepare to hear the reading of the Gospel. It is especially fitting at that point in our worship, because there is one of the places where Emmanuel, Jesus, the Word become flesh, comes to us…through God's Word.
But that's not the only place God comes to us. Along with coming to us in worship, in His Word and in Holy Communion, God also comes into the dark places of his creation and of our lives…the places where people are hurting or sick or suffering or lonely. As the one verse in "It Came upon the Midnight Clear" goes, "And you, beneath life's crushing load, whose forms are bending low, who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow; look now, for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing; oh, rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing!" God doesn't leave us alone, forsaken. God comes among us. And that is our reason for Hope, for Joy and for Peace in this wonderful season.
As the last weekend in Advent approaches, the Sunday School children will be helping us hear the Christmas story at the 11am service this coming Sunday, December 19. There will be shepherds, angels, Mary, Joseph and some wonderful singing by the children. This is a wonderful way to experience the wonder and joy of the Christmas message…through our children helping to tell the story. At the 6pm and 8:30am services Pastor Jack will be sharing "An Advent Monologue" by Walt Wangerin Jr. (If you get "The Lutheran" be sure to read "Jesus. Him." on page 28 of the recent December 2010 issue by Wangerin.)
Because of the upcoming Christmas Home Alone Dinner here at church and all of the other preparations and activities at this time of the year, our Wednesday suppers are taking a little recess, but will resume on Wednesday January 5.
As we enter the last days of Advent, may they be filled with Hope, Peace and Joy for you and yours. See you in church!
Pastor A.C. 'Jack' Diehl III
But that's not the only place God comes to us. Along with coming to us in worship, in His Word and in Holy Communion, God also comes into the dark places of his creation and of our lives…the places where people are hurting or sick or suffering or lonely. As the one verse in "It Came upon the Midnight Clear" goes, "And you, beneath life's crushing load, whose forms are bending low, who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow; look now, for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing; oh, rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing!" God doesn't leave us alone, forsaken. God comes among us. And that is our reason for Hope, for Joy and for Peace in this wonderful season.
As the last weekend in Advent approaches, the Sunday School children will be helping us hear the Christmas story at the 11am service this coming Sunday, December 19. There will be shepherds, angels, Mary, Joseph and some wonderful singing by the children. This is a wonderful way to experience the wonder and joy of the Christmas message…through our children helping to tell the story. At the 6pm and 8:30am services Pastor Jack will be sharing "An Advent Monologue" by Walt Wangerin Jr. (If you get "The Lutheran" be sure to read "Jesus. Him." on page 28 of the recent December 2010 issue by Wangerin.)
Because of the upcoming Christmas Home Alone Dinner here at church and all of the other preparations and activities at this time of the year, our Wednesday suppers are taking a little recess, but will resume on Wednesday January 5.
As we enter the last days of Advent, may they be filled with Hope, Peace and Joy for you and yours. See you in church!
Pastor A.C. 'Jack' Diehl III
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
This past weekend, one word which rose to the surface in our worship was "Hope". In the middle of desperate times for Israel, Isaiah spoke a word of hope. Over the centuries, God's people, trusting in God's promises, have been a people of hope. And the hope we share is not just wishful thinking, but is in that One, the "…shoot that shall come out from the stump of Jesse…", Jesus himself, who came among us to bring us God's Light and Truth and Life.
Among the images of hope that Pastor Shelly shared, was that of Nancy Ogonoski's Christmas tree last year, which began sprouting forth new growth, much to everyone's surprise! That's a picture of hope, where life springs up in a most unexpected way. (So, what ultimately happened to that tree, many have asked? Well, not only did new growth sprout forth from the branches, but as Spring approached, little critters which had been laying dormant in the tree, also "sprung forth" from the tree and began flying all around inside the house! The tree was out of there! :-) But wasn't that also another sign of life springing up in an unexpected way?!) Hope is sometimes surprising!
Along with that image of hope, Pastor Shelly also told the story of Christa Brelsford who lost a leg in the earthquake in Haiti, but who out of that tragedy has helped build a new school in cooperation with Haiti Partners where the former school was destroyed in the earthquake. If you click on the following link, you can see and hear more about Christa's story, and hope springing up in the midst of the destruction and rubble of a country cut down to the stump.
http://www.haitipartners.org/2010/12/christa-brelsford-on-nbcs-today-show/
Another local way of living out the hope God gives us, this past weekend, our Men in Mission held their annual Christmas Gift fundraiser by providing some wonderful food after each worship service. Here's a message from our Men in Mission leader, Jack Mill, which he sent out to the guys after this weekend's event.
"God's grace never ceases to amaze me! What a great group of Men in Mission and what a wonderful and generous turnout from Our Savior Lutheran Church for our BBBS (Big Brother Big Sister) Christmas Fundraiser! ALL the food was delicious and well received by the congregation. A total of $1902.83 was raised so that needy children can have a Christmas present this year. THANK YOU very much and may God bless you all!"
(A big thank you to Jack Mill for heading up this great project up and to all the guys who make it happen. This coming Wednesday evening the Youth Group will be taking the money and going Christmas shopping for these children. They will then come back, wrap the gifts and make arrangements for the families to get them. What a wonderful cooperative way of sharing God's love in this season!)
As this week unfolds, may we all be a people of hope, seeing God's new life springing up in all kinds of unexpected ways and places, as we wait and watch for the clebration of the coming of the Christ Child in that unexpected way and place, in a lowly manger, for you and for me.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 15:13)
See you in church!
Pastor Jack
Among the images of hope that Pastor Shelly shared, was that of Nancy Ogonoski's Christmas tree last year, which began sprouting forth new growth, much to everyone's surprise! That's a picture of hope, where life springs up in a most unexpected way. (So, what ultimately happened to that tree, many have asked? Well, not only did new growth sprout forth from the branches, but as Spring approached, little critters which had been laying dormant in the tree, also "sprung forth" from the tree and began flying all around inside the house! The tree was out of there! :-) But wasn't that also another sign of life springing up in an unexpected way?!) Hope is sometimes surprising!
Along with that image of hope, Pastor Shelly also told the story of Christa Brelsford who lost a leg in the earthquake in Haiti, but who out of that tragedy has helped build a new school in cooperation with Haiti Partners where the former school was destroyed in the earthquake. If you click on the following link, you can see and hear more about Christa's story, and hope springing up in the midst of the destruction and rubble of a country cut down to the stump.
http://www.haitipartners.org/2010/12/christa-brelsford-on-nbcs-today-show/
Another local way of living out the hope God gives us, this past weekend, our Men in Mission held their annual Christmas Gift fundraiser by providing some wonderful food after each worship service. Here's a message from our Men in Mission leader, Jack Mill, which he sent out to the guys after this weekend's event.
"God's grace never ceases to amaze me! What a great group of Men in Mission and what a wonderful and generous turnout from Our Savior Lutheran Church for our BBBS (Big Brother Big Sister) Christmas Fundraiser! ALL the food was delicious and well received by the congregation. A total of $1902.83 was raised so that needy children can have a Christmas present this year. THANK YOU very much and may God bless you all!"
(A big thank you to Jack Mill for heading up this great project up and to all the guys who make it happen. This coming Wednesday evening the Youth Group will be taking the money and going Christmas shopping for these children. They will then come back, wrap the gifts and make arrangements for the families to get them. What a wonderful cooperative way of sharing God's love in this season!)
As this week unfolds, may we all be a people of hope, seeing God's new life springing up in all kinds of unexpected ways and places, as we wait and watch for the clebration of the coming of the Christ Child in that unexpected way and place, in a lowly manger, for you and for me.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 15:13)
See you in church!
Pastor Jack
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