Comment December 2018

Transcription

1 Comment December 2018 Mystery. Silence. Awe. Awe. Wonder. Being okay with not understanding. Having questions, yet finding peace. Mystery. Silence. I find it particularly funny that radios begin playing Christmas music shortly after Halloween, yet by Christmas night many return to regular programming. There has been enough Christmas that seems to say, even though Jesus has just only arrived. The radio stations begin to return to their usual routine before the shepherds are finished listening to the angels. By the time they arrive at the stable, our airwaves are back to business as usual. But doesn t anyone realize that it can t be business as usual anymore? In our own worship cycle, the celebration is only beginning on Christmas day. Contrary to popular belief, Christ is not born on Christmas Eve, even though it is such a lovely night filled with mystery and love. Christians around the world begin their celebrations as we are packing away ours. Puzzling, isn t it? Remember the twelve days of Christmas? Those are the days between December 25 and January 6. Epiphany, or the celebration of the magi coming to worship Jesus is the last day of the celebration. What are we doing by January 6? Many of us are preparing ourselves for the cold, brutal slog of post-christmas snow and feeling crabby about taxes. Why is it that we cannot sit and wait through December for the Christ Child? Why do we make ourselves so busy that we cannot sit and contemplate the mystery and wonder of it all? As you all know, Madeleine L Engle is one of my favorite authors. Her words, along with those of C.S. Lewis, have been the place I go to find a reconnection to the wonder and mystery in my faith in Christ. Below is part of the foreward of one of Madeleine s books called Bright Evening Star: Mystery of the Incarnation. The foreward is written by Addie Zierman. As Madeleine writes, Perhaps it takes moving through a good deal of chronology to know how thin the world of facts is, how rich the unprovable love which made it all. Or, in other words, it takes time to get comfortable with mystery. At Christmastime, we get a gift. The world opens, just slightly to the possibility of mystery. We haul pine trees indoors and string lights across the darkness. We tell our children stories about Santa Claus, who is, of course, a paradox himself---not a fact, clearly but a kind of deep truth just the same. The virgin conceives and gives birth to God made flesh. The angels rend the sky open with their light and invite the mangiest among us to see the baby king, and in doing so, to see the face of Love.

2 Christ comes here, to this tiny planet, in a universe of expanding galaxies. He comes wrapped in swaddling clothes and mystery, hidden from the harsh light of pomp and popularity. It is a fitting birth for a paradoxical God---the all-powerful God who gave power away. The Creator of innumerable galaxies who loves us each with a fierce particularity. The God who does not change but whom we continue to see differently as science and chronology change our perspective. This is the God who defeated death by dying, who is everywhere and right here, who is with us because of a love beyond our comprehension and can be known only through our own love. Certainty, it turns out, can only take us so far. It fails us eventually, and when it does, it doesn t mean that the story is false. It just means that we need a different vehicle for the rest of the journey. If you find yourself on the other side of certainty this season, do not despair. This is the exact right place to be. In this place, Jesus ceases to be the proof and becomes something more: the Bright Evening Star, leading you forward into the mysterious dark. I do not understand the Incarnation, Madeleine L Engle writes. I rejoice in it. Take these words as the gift they are: an invitation to an impossible, unprovable love---which, in the end, is the only kind that matters. 1 Mystery. Awe. Wonder. Hope. Peace. Love. Joy. Grace and Peace, Pastor Jen 1 L Engle, Madeleine, Bright Evening Star: Mystery of the Incarnation. Convergent: New York, 2018, Forward by Addie Zierman.

3 Christmas Joy Offering The season of Advent is time for many things, including the Christmas Joy Offering. The Offering helps students develop their gifts and find their calling to serve God in their community, as well as help families of active and retired church workers. You will be seeing inserts in your bulletins sharing stories of those who have been helped by the offering. The Sunday School children will be bringing home coin banks, and there are special offering envelopes in the pews. The Christmas Joy Offering will take place on December 16 and 23. PLEASE do NOT water the poinsettias. We have a person designated to take care of them, including watering. THANK YOU!! OUT AND ABOUT.. Miss our taco meals??? Bennett American Legion is serving a similar meal every Wednesday through March from 5 8 p.m. for only $7.00. You have a choice of a taco salad, nacho plate, taco potato or beef rite. For more information, please see Terri Becker. DEACONS SESSION 2018: Tom & Laurie Maurer 2018: Steve Bockwoldt, Jennifer Glover, Rod Ochiltree 2019: Marilyn & Stephanie Kean 2019: Glen Swanson 2020: Mark & Julia Peterson 2020: Terri Becker, Brad Garrett, Mike Norton Website address: address: fpcpastor@netwtc.net Secretary's fpcsec@netwtc.net Prayer Ministry: smnorton@netwtc.net

4 CELEBRATE WITH OUR CONGREGATION December Anniversaries 16-Rod & Thea Ruden 31-Kevin & Jackie Callahan December Birthdays 3-Kerry Jennings 15-Nancy Ochiltree 3-Elizabeth Nelson 16-Diane Mutz 4-Laura McDonald 20-Morgan Maurer 7-Brenda Ochiltree 20-Emma Pulliam 9-Bruce Giese 21-Nathan McDonald 10-Terri Bockwoldt 23-Jensen Boorn 14- Zoe Rangel 23-Maria Huston 14- Lela Glover 30-London Martindale December Greeter Schedule December Usher Schedule 2 - Mark & Julia Peterson 2 Suzy Rangel, Zoe Rangel 9 Tom and Laurie Maurer Doug Hora, Jonathan Glover 16 Marilyn & Stephanie Kean 9- Doug Hora, Jonathan Glover 23 Mark & Julia Peterson Lori Brown, Nolan Townsend 30 -Tom and Laurie Maurer 16 - Lori Brown, Nolan Townsend Amy Hurd, Casey Sawvell 23 Amy Hurd, Casey Sawvell Frank & Kristi Townsend 30 Frank & Kristi Townsend Bill & Joyce McCrabb

5 SCRIPTURES & SERMON TITLES FOR DECEMBER Sunday, December 2, 2018 Sunday, December 9, st Sunday of Advent 2 nd Sunday of Advent Communion Scripture: Jeremiah 33:14-16 Scripture: Malachi 3:1-4 Psalm 25:1-10 Luke 1: Thessalonians 3:9-13 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 21:25-36 Luke 3:1-6 Sermon: Certain Hope in Sermon: Making Preparations Uncertain Times That Count Sunday, December 16, 2018 Sunday, December 23, rd Sunday of Advent 4 th Sunday of Advent Children s Christmas Pageant Scripture: Micah 5:2-5a Zephaniah 3:14-20 Psalm 80:1-7 Isaiah 12:2-6 Hebrews 10:5-10 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 1:39-55 Luke 3:7-18 Sermon: Leaping for Joy Sermon: The Lord is Near Sunday, December 30, 2018 (Mika Rangel) 1 st Sunday after Christmas Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Psalm 148 Colossians 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52

6 FOR OUR YOUTH 6 th grade - College Youth Group will meet in December on Sundays, 9 th & 16 th. 6:00-8:00 pm. Young Life WyldLife December 5 The HUB December The HUB 7:37 7:15-8:00 Greetings from Sunday School This year s Children s Christmas program will take place on Sunday, December 16 th at 10:15 am during the worship service. Any donations for the Christmas treats may be given to Mel or Michael Norton. Also, we are looking for donations of cookies or bars for after the program. THANKS!!! Christmas Eve Christmas Eve services on December 24 th will begin at 7:00 pm, That evening, Sugar Creek will also be having a service at 10:00 pm. Christmas Caroling If you would like to join us for Christmas Caroling on December 16th, please be at the church by 4:30pm.

7 Advent Luncheons The Wilton-Durant Ministerial Association will be sponsoring the Advent Prayer Luncheons again this year. Join us for prayer, fellowship, and lunch on the Tuesdays in Advent. The meeting time is 12:10 pm. The remaining schedule is as follows: Dec 4 United Methodist Dec 11 Gloria Dei Dec 18 1st Presbyterian Tis the Season Christmas Angels ~Angels have been distributed on the tables in the vestry. The wrapped gifts are due back to the church by Sunday, December 9 th. Volunteers will sort gifts at Methodist Church on Wednesday, Dec 12 th at 6:30. Families will pick up gifts at Methodist Church on Saturday, December 15 th between 9 & 11 am. Please make sure you tape your angel on the package so the information is showing. Thank you for sharing the Christmas Spirit. Congressional Meeting We will be holding the congressional meeting right after worship on Sunday, December 9 th with a potluck to follow the meeting. THANK YOU!!! Jane Kreimeyer would like to thank everyone who helped, came to eat or provided food for this year s Thanksgiving meal! A thank you also to the church for allowing her to use the facilities. 92 people attended!!! Coming Up-Mark your calendars! January is our month for the Food Pantry. January can be difficult times for those who are hungry... please seriously consider making a donation! In February we send Valentine Boxes to those away at college or in the military. Get those addresses ready! If you have any questions, contact Susan Norton.

8 Found on Facebook Source unknown 1 st Corinthians 13 (A Christmas Version) If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I am just another decorator. If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I m just another cook. If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing. If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir s cantata, but do not focus on those I love the most, I have missed the point. In other words, Love stops the cooking to hug a child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn t envy another s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love doesn t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can t. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But the gift of love will endure.

9 Poinsettias 2018 IN HONOR OF: Pastor Jen, Kerry & Grace Jennings FROM: The Congregation IN THANKFULNESS FOR: Loving Family & Friends Friends & Family Family & Friends in Christ IN LOVING MEMORY OF: Doug Kean, Albert & Nellie Asmus, Jeffrey Mutz, Clair & Florence Kean Rolland & Gloria Bockwoldt Richard, Retha & Rick Waltman Oscar & Alberta Swanson John & Erma Kundel Grandpa & Grammy Maurer Grandpa & Grandma Sawvell Carole, Lonnie & Clella Walton Family that have passed away Don Neipert Cathy Hughes & Myron Jennings Denise Thede Darrell & Dorothy Brown Howard & Betty Maurer Ron & Kathy Gradert, Howard & Betty Maurer Nic Peterson, Leah Maurer, Paul Maurer Edna Maurer, Herschel & Margret Flater Ron Gradert, Joyce Hurd FROM: Marilyn & Stephanie Kean Becky Hansen Kerry, Jen & Grace Jennings FROM: Marilyn & Stephanie Kean Steve & Terri Bockwoldt Glen & Judy Swanson Casey Sawvell Vern & Caryl Walton Jane & Rick Watson Becky Hansen Mike & Susan Norton & family Kerry, Jennifer & Grace Jennings Her Family Steve & Lori Brown Tom & Laurie Maurer Petersons & Hurds