OSE: News Christmas

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OSE: News Christmas December 21st, 2012         As we approach this final weekend before Christmas here is some schedule information that may be helpful.  Our regular worship schedule will continue with 4th Sunday in Advent services on Saturday at 6pm and Sunday at 8:30 and 11am.     Following the 11am service we will be setting up for the Christmas Day dinner.  If you can stay around after worship for a time to help, that would be much appreciated.  Also, we can use a few more pies for Christmas.  If you can provide a pie, please bring it to church with you this weekend.  Thanks!   On Christmas Eve we have two candlelight communion services at 6pm and 9pm.  For your information, both services are very similar, however the 6pm service is usually overflowing, as more families come to that one.  The 9pm service is also full, but not as overflowing.  Also, prior to the 9pm service, special Christmas music begins at 8:30pm.  So, you can come early and enjoy some of the sounds of Christmas before worship begins.   On Christmas Day there is a service with Holy Communion at 11am followed by our annual "Home Alone Christmas Dinner" at noon in the Fellowship Hall.   This year once again the main course will be mashed potatoes and gravy and roast beef, with all the trimmings.  Many thanks to Bob Evans Restaurants for providing the main part of this wonderful meal.   Don't be home alone on Christmas.  Come join us for dinner and some great company.     The weekend of December 29-30 worship at 6pm on Saturday and 8:30 and 11am on Sunday will be Lessons and Carols, as we continue the Christmas celebration during the 12 days of Christmas, which will culminate the following weekend, January 5-6 as we celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord with the procession of Three Kings and the celebration of God's Light shining to the nations.   Finally, as has become a tradition among the staff here at Our Savior, instead of getting each other gifts, we have all contributed to one gift which will be divided between a gift to the Sunshine Physical Therapy Center in memory of Winnie Whitney, a beloved member of Our Savior and chairperson of our bereavement team as well as a board member at Sunshine.  The other part of our Christmas Gift is a contribution to the ELCA Good Gifts project.  This gift will provide 5 ducks, 2 goats, one pig and a partridge in a pear tree...well, I'm kidding about the partridge...for people in the Global Mission Field.     May the Peace, Joy, Love and Light of the Christ Child fill your hearts and homes in this Holy Season and into the New Year!                              Pastor Jack Diehl and Staff of Our Savior          www.oursaviorelca.com

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OSE News - Advent 3

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OSE: News Advent 3 December 17th  2012              "The best Christmas Program ever!"   Those are the words I heard several times after worship this past weekend, from both long time members of Our Savior and visitors.  As one of our long time members said, "We've always had great Christmas programs with our children, but this was the best!"   And having "baby Jesus" (1 month old, Janson William Smith) asleep in the manger, a true picture of peace on earth, for the rest of the service following the children's telling of the Christmas story (especially as people came forward and walked past him for communion) made it all the more meaningful.     A full length video of the program is available for viewing on our website!  Use the link at the bottom of this e-mail!    I'm thinking that part of the reason this was such a special service is that we gathered just a couple days after that horrendous, unthinkable evil that was unleashed in that elementary school in Connecticut last Friday.  We truly needed to hear a Word of hope, of comfort, of peace.  We needed to hear a Word that is stronger than the forces of darkness and death.  And for our children to share that Word with us in the telling of the Christmas story, made it all the more meaningful and powerful.     Listen to the words of our communion liturgy during these days of Advent and how especially meaningful they were this past weekend,  "Holy God, the Beginning and the End, our Salvation and our Hope, we praise you for creating a world of order and beauty.  When we brought on chaos, cruelty and despair...your Son Jesus came to bring us your love and to heal all the suffering world."   All we can say is, "Come, Lord Jesus."   And so we came together, and continue to come together, to worship, to gather around that Word made flesh who came to dwell among us and bring us God's Light and Truth and Love.  At this time of the year, as Christians of all denominations and traditions gather around this Christ Child, may He find a home in our hearts and lives and communities and disperse the darkness that would do it's best to swallow us up.  Come, Lord Jesus, as we continue to work and pray for those families in Connecticut, for solutions to unleashed evil, and mental illness, to guns getting into the hands of people like that, and more.     "What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it."   John 1:4-5   See you in church.    Pastor Jack Diehl +       Online Video of the Sunday School Program

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OSE News - Advent 2

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OSE NEWS - Advent 2 December 10th   2012           Dear oslcvero.,        Awesome, inspiring, beautiful, peaceful, reflective, wouldn't want to be any other place...just some of the words that tried to capture the "Advent Lessons and Carols: Savior of the Nations Come" at 7pm, Sunday night. This was the first of it's kind at Our Savior, but certainly won't be the last.  Many thanks to Ryan for putting such a wonderful worship experience together and to all the singers, bell ringers and musicians who shared their gifts.  That certainly brought us to the heart of Advent.     We continue our Advent journey this coming weekend with a peak ahead to the Christmas story as we will hear it told by our Sunday School children, within the context of our 3rd Sunday in Advent worship.  The main group of Sunday School children will be sharing the Christmas story at the 11am service, but a smaller group of our young people will be sharing it at the 6pm Saturday and 8:30am Sunday services as well.  If all goes well, we have 3 new babies in the congregation who will be baby Jesus each of the services.     Below are times and dates for upcoming services and other events during this Holy, Hopeful season of Advent and Christmas, or check our church website at www.oursaviorelca.com  for more information.      As these days unfold, may the Hope and Promise of God coming to us and among us, be for you a source of comfort, strength, peace and joy.      See you in church!      Pastor Jack +       Our Savior Lutheran Church 772-567-2253 1850 Sixth Ave. Vero Beach, Florida 32960 www.OurSaviorELCA.com

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Where in the World............

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Where in the World......  December 4th  2012    "Where in the world" are the people of Our Savior and "where in the world" can we make a difference?          At this time of the year especially the people of Our Savior are everywhere!   They are out there, in our community and in the world sharing their gifts and doing all kinds of good things, "letting their light shine".       Coming up this Saturday our "Run for God" group will be running/walking in the "Rudolph Run" at South Beach.  The run starts at 7:30am.  If you haven't signed up but would like to be a part of this, be there about 6:30am!   Also, for anyone interested in products which are socially and environmentally responsible,  this Thursday and Friday you can do some Christmas Shopping at a "Fair Trade Center" bazaar here in our community.   See below for more information.     If you love music, there are plenty of musical offerings at this time of the year with Our Savior people involved all around the community.  Of course one of the best will be right here this Sunday evening at 7pm (Dec. 9) for our Advent Lessons and Carols.  But in addition there will be a musical program at the Community Church on Tuesday Dec. 11 at 7pm, featuring the Atlantic Ringers and the Vero Beach Choral Society concerts on Dec. 14 at 7:30 and again on Dec. 16 at 3pm.     These are just a few examples of "where in the world" the people of Our Savior are, living out their calling as God's people and sharing their gifts.   "Where in the world" can you be found doing the same?   God bless you all in this Holy, Hopeful season!     Pastor Jack +

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OSE NEWS - Advent 1

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OSE NEWS December 3rd  2012        "The best of times, the worst of times".       Not only is that the opening line of a famous novel, but those words fit this season of Advent/Christmas as well.  For so many, this is a happy time of gatherings of family and friends and celebrations.   But at the same time, for so many it's a very difficult time, a time of sadness, missing those who have gone before, or remembering happier times now past.  Then on top of that, it's also a time when we begin to hear a lot of bemoaning the commercialization and secularization of Christmas.  So many thoughts and feelings surrounding this time of the year.     So, what's a person to do?   As Pastor Shelly mentioned in her welcoming words at worship yesterday, one of the best ways to come in out of the craziness or sadness or hyper-activity or loneliness of the season is to come to church.  As we gather to worship we come to the heart and core of what the season is about.   We hear God's Word of Promise and Hope.  We are grounded and centered on the Word becoming Flesh and coming to dwell among us.  In Him + our celebrations and activities have meaning.  In Him + we receive comfort in our sorrows or sadness.  In Him + we can experience God's Peace in the middle of all of the good and bad, the craziness or loneliness of it all.   So, take note of the special worship opportunities in this season, especially including our "Advent Lessons and Carols" Sunday evening, December 9 at 7pm.   This is an especially good opportunity to invite a friend or neighbor to come and experience with you the heart and core of Advent's message of Hope and Promise. How awesome it would be to have a full sanctuary for our first Advent Lessons and Carols.   Come Lord Jesus!    For these and other events and activities around Our Savior, please check out some of the specific links to our website below.      See you in church!       Pastor Jack Diehl +     Wednesday Night Dinner   Sermons   Upcoming Events

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