First Epistle. First Lutheran Church, Newton IA. From the Pastor...

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1 From the Pastor... First Lutheran Church, Newton IA 2014 Sunday Worship 9:30 a.m. First Epistle We are waiting for the Lord, the Messiah, to come that s what Advent is all about. But who exactly are we waiting for? And what s so special about this Messiah? The word Messiah is Hebrew for the anointed one (our word Christ comes from the Greek translation of Messiah) and originally referred to the anointed king or ruler of Israel. As Israel s history developed and the various kings of Israel and Judah became corrupt or failed to lead the people or even were forced to abdicate their thrones due to aggressive foreign powers, the people began to look for a new anointed one a new Messiah from God who would eliminate the enemies of the Jews and reestablish a strong and independent nation. Looking back in their history, the Jews saw King David s reign as the height and epitome of their nation. David was their ideal king, the country was never so good as it was under David, or so they saw it. The Messiah they were looking for would return them to this glory day of old. The Messiah would remove the threat of foreign oppression and reestablish a new Israel. As Christians, we faithfully declare that Jesus is the Messiah. We declare that Jesus is this one who has come to save Israel, to remove the threat of foreign oppression, and reestablish a new Kingdom. But Jesus arrived as a baby boy to peasant parents in a barn and then died as a political prisoner of the Roman empire. How can he be the awaited Messiah? Here is what I think: The Jews, like we do so often, looked back into their history for something they remembered as wonderful and good. If only we could get back to that time, they would say. If only someone would fix everything today so that it would be like it was. They wanted the days of King David as well as an independent and secure Israel. They wanted their Messiah to do that. Jesus doesn t fit this mold. Jesus ministry was not about a return to the past. Rather it was about a transformation of the future. Instead of turning back to a place that never truly existed (David s reign was not as wonderful or amazing as the collective Judean memory would claim), Jesus moved forward into a new future. Israel was scared of the power and resentful of the authority these foreign people had over them. Rather than destroying Israel s enemy, Jesus came to reshape their world so that the Jews would no longer see the foreigners as outsiders, but as insiders people who were part of us rather than people antithetical to who we are. Jesus mission and ministry was not about creating an insular community completely cut off and protected from everyone outside, but rather to create a far grander community where all people everywhere are full citizens, where all people everywhere are sisters and brothers in one family. Jesus life, subsequent death, and redeeming resurrection tells a story of removing the threat and oppression of foreigners upon Israel, not by eliminating those others, but by bringing them into the same grand and awesome and powerful story of the Messiah coming to save and restore. Through Jesus the Christ, we all share a common story. And those who share a common story are family, friends, and a community. The barriers, obstacles, fears, uncertainties between us all come crashing down through the work of the Messiah through Jesus; they are no longer needed. And the void left by relinquishing those stumbling blocks is filled with the unconditional compassion and love given by God as seen through Jesus. Our story is now a story of restoration, of bringing people together, of finding the thread that binds us as one. This is what the Messiah does. And through these actions we find salvation. We find a gathering of people who see the Messiah in the tiniest and most helpless members of our communities. We find the Messiah in those who critically challenge the status quo. We find the Messiah that lives within everyone. Open your eyes this season. Keep watch for the Messiah coming in unexpected ways. Open your eyes this season. Jesus is coming. Amen. Pastor Zach Sunday Fellowship & Education 10:30 a.m.

2 First Evangelical Lutheran Church 309 E. 3rd St. N., Newton, IA Phone: Fax: Pastor Zach Bey President Kip Peters Vice President 12/2 Blake Baumgartner Connor Hayden 12/3 Cailyn Grabe 12/6 Darcy Van Dam 12/7 Suzanne Von Seggern 12/12 Vicki Porter Pat Putz 12/14 Morgan Allen Jim McVey 12/16 James Greve Lynette Marvelli 12/19 Mary Greve Al Orsund 12/22 Kathie Johnson Kendra Odland 12/24 Linda LoRang 12/26 Charles Elliot Tom Hayden Bob Sandquist 12/27 Craig Peterson 12/28 Deb Line Ashley Swartz 12/29 Zach Bey 12/30 Garnet Beenen Mae Van Dam Secretary Mark Monroe Treasurer Bruce Coyle Administrative Assistant Kellie Kramer Pastor s Office Hours Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday 9:00-Noon or by appointment The Food Pantry would like us to emphasize a specific item for May. Remember, you may bring any item you wish, but spreading this among the contributing congregations keeps a steady supply of their most basic needs coming each month. For the month of December, paper products (towels, napkins, toilet paper), sanitary care items, and diapers; have been requested. There is a basket in the narthex for all food pantry items. Thank you for being so generous. Chancel Flowers Dec. 7 - Putz Dec George Dec trees & poinsettias Dec trees & poinsettias Fellowship Dec. 7 - Jane Johnson Dec Gloria, Candy, Ing, Cammie Dec Dec Please sign up to provide flowers and fellowship.

3 OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Thank you to everyone who filled a box! The youth enjoyed going shopping for Operation Christmas Child. With the $ donated we were able to fill 18 boxes! Thanks to all who donated and went shopping! THANK YOU First Lutheran! Generous members gave $5000 to the church during October to support the Children's Hospital at Zinga. Thanks to the Choices in Mission program, the church matched this with another $5000, resulting in a $10,000 gift. This gift is already being used to purchase doors for the first hospital building. The gift couldn't have come at a better time. Sele's construction crew had used up all the materials available for hospital construction, and he had to divert his crew to other projects. Now work resumes on the hospital, making the opening day sooner. Imagine building a hospital with no pre-arranged financing, relying on gifts from around the world to purchase materials for every phase of construction. It would be crazy to do a modern American hospital like this. But it seems right for the Children's Hospital at Zinga. The hospital will open with no debt for its patients to pay off. And hospital supporters have strong faith that people will be inspired to make this hospital reality. In Paula Lofstrom's words, "Trust God, and show up for work." Wednesday Night Community Dinners: THANK YOU to the people that helped with our Wednesday Night Community Dinners all year! Due to the holidays we are not scheduled for any Wednesday Night Community Dinners for December. Please join us again on January 28th to continue this very important community service.

4 WOW (Worship on Wednesday) continues Wednesdays in December! All kids in Kindergarten through 6th grade are welcome to join the fun continuing December 5th at 5:00pm in the downstairs youth room. We will meet from 5:00-7:00 PM, with a meal at 6:30 each night. WOW will run for the first 3 Wednesdays in December. This gives a break for holidays. Please come and bring a friend! Parents and confirmation kids are very welcome to also assist anytime! Extra hands are always useful! If you have questions, please contact Robyn Friedman at or robynpt@iowatelecom.net. Salvation Army Bell Ringing Saturday, December 6th Poinsettias for Christmas Congregational meeting Dec. 7th All confirmed members are encouraged to attend to elect three new council members and to approve the 2015 budget. We plan to decorate the Sanctuary with Poinsettias for the Christmas season and invite your help in providing the plants. If you would like to order a poinsettia, please complete the form below, attach your check, fold together, and place it in the offering plate. You may also mail or bring your check and order form to the church office. You may pay with cash or a check payable to Hy-Vee Floral in the amount $9.00 for each poinsettia ordered. The deadline for turning in order and payment is Friday, December 19th. Poinsettias may be taken home after the Christmas Eve Service. **************************************************** Name Phone Poinsettia(s) $9.00/each (Check payable to Hy-Vee Floral) Given in honor of Given in memory of

5 Christmas at Careage First Lutheran will once again be giving Christmas gifts to residents at Careage nursing home. Gifts are to be $5 $10 and suggestions for gifts will be on the chart in the narthex. Wrap the gift and be sure the resident s name is on it. The gifts are to be brought to church by December 14th. A box will be in the narthex near the sign up sheet for wrapped gifts. Thank you on behalf of the Careage residents. Chili & Caroling Dec. 14th, 5pm We will gather at church, then set out to carol for minutes. Then meet back at the church for chili. A sign up sheet will be in the narthex. Please come join us! Children s Christmas Program December 21st, during service Practices for the children s program will be held on December 7th and 14th during the regular Sunday School time, 10:30-11:30. Sunday School will not be held on these dates. The children s program will be performed during regular service at 9:30a.m. on December 21st. For more information contact Robyn Friedman at or robynpt@iowatelecom.net. Office Help Needed First Lutheran is looking for occasional office help. We need someone who can cover vacations or sick days. Experience with computers and the Microsoft Office suite would be preferred. Training will be provided. If you are interested please call the office at Notice of Door Changes You may have noticed a change in hardware on the interior door of the East Office entrance to the church building. A new lock is in place. Don t worry, if you have a key, it still works. Usually the door will be left unlocked during office hours. However since occasionally unknown people have been found throughout the building the door may sometimes be locked when work flow does not allow for frequent monitoring of the door. If you find it locked, please ring the door bell and someone will come open the door for you.

6 December Choices in Mission Salvation Army s Wednesday Night Community Meals One of the Salvation Army s many tasks is supporting the Newton Wednesday Night Community Meals. We take part in these every 4 th and 5 th Wednesday of the month. During the school year these are held at the Methodist church and during the summer at the McCann center at Sacred Heart church. All meals are free will offering for anyone who attends and are provided by volunteers. In December, Choices in Mission will match donations to First Lutheran for the Wednesday meals up to $ Offering Envelopes Your 2015 offering envelopes will be available for pick up in the narthex later this month. Please take them home for use starting in January Will You Help Usher at Church? As the winter season progresses and our snowbirds fly South, we will find ourselves short an usher every Sunday at church. Ushers help the church service run smoothly and on time, so having a full staff of ushers on a regular basis is a quietly important aspect of our service. Would you be able to help one Sunday a month? Please contact the office. If you can help occasionally, please talk with one of the ushers when you come in to church to offer your assistance. Prayer Corner Please pray for all our family and friends. Pray for the lonely, the sick, the discouraged, the heartbroken, the hungry and the homeless. During this time of seeming abundance, remember those doing without. Remember our many blessings with great thanksgiving. Please continue to pray for our congregation, our leaders, our community and our world.