The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858

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1 The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod Mount Pleasant, Michigan Zion Lutheran Church & Preschool 3401 E. River Road (989) Christ The King Lutheran Chapel 1401 South Washington (989) December 2017 Jonathon J. Bakker and Benjamin J. Ulledalen, Pastors Volume 53, No. 12 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Zechariah 9:9 November brought us to the end of the Church year, and December takes us into a new one with the start of Advent. Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany make up a significant portion of the Church Year called Christmastide. All Saints Day reminded us of the bliss of our loved ones in heaven who rest in Jesus, awaiting the Second Coming and Resurrection of the Dead. But the other Sundays in November pointed to more sobering realities which will come to pass when Jesus comes back: judgement, eternal destiny, and the final closing of the door to heaven when the time of grace winds down and Christ returns in Glory. These warnings are necessary, for they are true. Though we might not like to think about such topics, our Lord wants to teach us so that we can be prepared. Advent moves us into a new Church year, and gives us a more hopeful though still subdued focus. This season of waiting continues the End Times theme from November, but also looks back to Jesus first coming, while focusing us on how and where he comes to us today namely, in his Word and Sacraments. Christ has already come in the flesh, entered Jerusalem in triumph, reigned from the cross, established his Holy Supper, and promised to come again. Our life on earth is an in-between time. We rejoice, for our Lord has come already. But we know that this world is not our final home. We mourn the evil and sadness all around us. We long for our Lord to return, take us home, and set everything straight once and for all. But again, that time has not yet come. So we wait. But we wait in faith and in hope. Advent has traditionally been a penitential season like Lent although not as serious. Advent puts is in the shoes of late Old Testament believers like Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and John the Baptist, who received special revelation that the Messiah was right around the corner. And so Advent prepares the way of the Lord on Christmas just as John prepared His way long ago. The chief way to prepare is through repentance and faith. In that light, Advent has also traditionally been a time of focus on catechesis; that is, review of the basics of the faith found in the Small Catechism. Advent has been a time to refocus on other basics of the faith, like prayer, works of mercy, reconciliation, attention to God s word, as well as temperance and self-control in relation to the pleasures of this world. So during this Advent, let us prepare for Christmas in sobriety and hope. Let us examine our lives and hearts according to the Ten Commandments, hate our sins, and look to Jesus for forgiveness. Our lives so easily get cluttered. Advent is a good reminder to set things straight. As we wait for the joys of Christmas, we can refocus our prayer life. No matter what our age, we can crack open the Catechism and review it over the course of Advent. We can remember those less fortunate with our gifts and service. Christmas brings us to Jesus Incarnation. Our God took on flesh and became one of us. He is a patient, merciful, humble, and understanding God. We express this joy in the beloved hymns of Christmas. Christmas is a season though not Page 1

2 only in December. The twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany allow us to savor this High Holy Day. And Epiphany extends the joy of Christ s Incarnation, as the Good News goes out to the gentiles. Pastor Ulledalen CHRISTIAN EDUCATION NEWS Three-Year-Old Christmas Service: The preschool staff is seeking volunteers for the Preschool Christmas Service. On Thursday, December 14 at 11:00 a.m. the three-year old preschool class will be holding a Christmas service for their parents and Zion congregation members. We are in need of volunteers to bake cookies or treats, set up treats and beverages in the gym that morning, and clean up following fellowship time. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board at Zion or you may speak to Tina, Linda or Monica. Thank you for your willingness to help. Preschool Enrollment Enrollment for members of Zion, existing students, and siblings of existing students begins January 1, 2018 for next school year in September. Open enrollment begins February 1. Your child must be four years of age on or before December 1, 2018, to enroll in the four-year-old class. You may enroll your child in either the morning or afternoon class. Your child must be three years of age on or before September 1, 2018, to enroll in the three-year-old class FLOWER CHARTS The new flower charts are posted on the bulletin boards at both Zion and Christ The King. Flowers for the altar are $20.00 for each arrangement. You may take them home after the last service of the day. Payment (checks) should be made payable to Zion Women s Guild and can be dropped off at either of the church offices. Children s Christmas Program Children, Sing of Christmas December 17, 11:00 a.m. at Zion Come and join us as we celebrate the birth of our Savior! The Zion Preschool 4-year old class will be joining with us in the celebration. Following the program there will be birthday cake and fellowship. Practices on December 3 and 10 will begin at 10:45 a.m. Practice on December 17 will begin at 9:45 a.m. followed by the program. There will be NO SUNDAY SCHOOL or BIBLE CLASS on December 24 and December 31. Classes will resume on January 7, The following Sunday School Students received an attendance certificate for completing 13 Sundays in September, October and November : Nursery-Kindergarten Evelyn Gilbert - N Andrew Geiger - K 1 st & 2 nd grades Amelia Couturier - 1 st Noah Greenacre - 1 st Tory Avery - 2 nd Keegan Cooper - 2 nd Ryan Zalud - 2 nd 3 rd & 4 th grades Isaiah Greenacre - 4 th Zoe Couturier - 5 th Karleigh Ann Geiger - 5 th Clare Vogel 5 th 5 th & 6 th grades Alton Bailey - 6 th Noah Camp - 6 th Ian Claybaugh 6 th Corbyn Polley - 6 th Page 2

3 STEWARDSHIP CORNER Monthly Income & Expense Report through October 31, YTD Budgeted Expenses $335, $355, YTD Actual Expenses $335, $340, YTD Balance $ (543.08) $ 15, YTD General Fund Income $339, $320, YTD Actual Expenses $335, $340, YTD Income Less Expense $ 4, $(20,147.57) 2018 Envelopes are in the narthex at Zion. Please pick them up as soon as possible. Thank you. Christmas is coming. It is a joyous time of feasting. The Church feasts upon the Word of God in sermon, song, and sacrament. We hear the proclamation of the message of the angels: Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10 11). We mingle our voices with theirs as we sing, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased (Luke 2:14)! We receive the proclaimed Savior, Christ the Lord, not wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in manger, but wrapped in bread and wine placed into our mouths for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. We feast in great joy indeed because of this great blessing from our Lord and God. God s people in ancient Israel also feasted with great joy. The Lord showered His abundant blessing on His people. And He commanded them to feast upon it (Deut. 16). The people were to go to the place appointed, where the Lord would make His name dwell, and give offerings, each man as he was able, according to the blessing of the Lord that He had given them (Deut. 16:10, 15, 17). And there the Lord would bless them with joy as they feasted upon what the Lord had provided. They ate of the choice parts of their offerings. They enjoyed the company of all the people of God as they together heard His promises of blessing, sang of His bountiful goodness, and partook of what He gave. We feast on the Word who became flesh to dwell among us, not just during Christmas, but throughout all the year. We feast not just on the salvation He has wrought for us in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, but we feast also on all the temporal blessings that God gives out of His fatherly divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in us. We enjoy the rich bounty that God provides, not only in Word and Sacrament, but also in house and home, property and income, family and friends. Let us then, as did our brothers in the faith from ancient Israel, give as we are able, according to the blessing of the Lord our God that He has given us. Let us, like them, give generously of the first fruits of our income, which He gives, so that all may know and enjoy the salvation He gives and the joy we have in the Savior born in the city of David, who is Christ the Lord. Mission of the Month Lutheran Child and Family Services LCFS of Michigan is a not-for-profit corporation that provides a range of services for children and families. Services are available through multiple service sites located in the lower peninsula of Michigan. Programs incorporate prevention, intervention and treatment components to provide a continuum of care. By joining Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan with Lutheran Homes of Michigan under the Wellspring Lutheran Services brand, we will be able to serve people and communities in new ways. We'll be able to engage them at every stage of life to help them discover and embrace their own potential. So together, we can bring more of God's love to a world in need. From foster care and adoption to a complete line of senior services, you can be confident that as we work together, you will experience a life-changing difference. Information quoted from their website and brochure. Page 3

4 A big thank you to all of our volunteer ushers and greeters at church! With so many extra special services in the coming month, please know that your help and leadership is a real gift to your church family, and we thank you. Thank you also to the Stewardship board for their efforts with the Stewardship Emphasis. Thank you finally to all who serve Zion as our treasurers, financial secretaries, and also to our counters you render very important services to the congregation and rarely receive any recognition. Know that your work is not in vain and that you are all appreciated! Advent/Christmas/New Year Schedule The Sunday morning schedule will be: December 3 8:30 a.m. Zion 11:00 a.m. CTK December 10 8:30 a.m. Zion 11:00 a.m. CTK December 17 8:30 a.m. Zion 11:00 a.m. Zion Children s Christmas Program December 24 10:00 a.m. Zion December 31 8:30 a.m. Zion 11:00 a.m. Zion Advent Wednesday services ALL will be at Zion December 6, 13 & 20 4:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Services on December 24 Both at Zion 4:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Christmas Day Service Zion 10:00 a.m. New Year s Eve Service Zion 7:30 p.m. There will be a meal following the 4:30 p.m. Wednesday services during the Advent season. The schedule is: December 6 Elders & LWML December 13 Stewardship & Family Life December 20 Evangelism & Trustees Please note that all of the Midweek Advent services will be at Zion. Holy Scripture: Guided Reading December 2017 Esther, Lamentations, and Christmas: As we reach the end of this year, we read a few smaller books and then some Christmas texts as we prepare for the incarnation of our Lord! Esther is an account of courage in the face of danger and the triumph of good in the face of evil. God s name is not mentioned in Esther, but his divine providence is evident throughout. Lamentations is a collection of laments cries to the Lord for mercy and hope in the face of despair. It reminds us that God s faithfulness is forever. The final readings will prepare you further for the celebration of Jesus birth on Christmas! Esther 1 Vashti s Refusal to Obey Esther 2 Esther Chosen Queen Esther 3 Haman Plots against the Jews Esther 4 Esther Helps the Jews Esther 5 Esther Prepares a Banquet Esther 6 Mordecai Honored Esther 7 Haman s Plot Revealed Esther 8 Esther Saves the Jews Esther 9 The Jews Destroy their Enemies Esther 10 The Greatness of Mordecai Lamentations 1 The Lonely City Lamentations 2 The Lord has Destroyed Without Pity Lamentations 3 Great is Your Faithfulness Lamentations 4 Holy Stones Lie Scattered Lamentations 5 Restore Us to Yourself, O Lord Matthew 1:1-17 Genealogy of Jesus Matthew 1:18-25 The Birth of Jesus Matthew 2 Magi, Egypt, Herod, Nazareth Luke 1:1-38 Annunciation Luke 1:39-80 Magnificat, John the Baptist Luke 2:1-21 Jesus Birth, Shepherds Luke 2:22-52 Presentation of Jesus and his Youth John 1:1-18 The Word Became Flesh Page 4

5 New Year s Eve Worship New Year s Eve worship at Zion is Saturday, December 31, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. During the worship service on New Year s Eve, our tradition is to read the names of members who have passed away during the year. Also read are names of members relatives who have passed away during the year. Contact the church office if you would like to verify that we are aware of your relative s name. Subscribe to The Lutheran Witness It is time to order your subscription to The Lutheran Witness for It is the official periodical of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, published 11 times a year, providing stories and information that complements congregational life, fosters personal growth in faith, and helps interpret the contemporary world from a Lutheran Christian perspective. A Michigan District Supplement will be included in each issue. This supplement will contain stories, news, and events along with content that awakens, connects, challenges, and inspires through stories of hope. The new subscription year begins March Contact the church office by Wednesday, December 13, to take advantage of the discounted rate of $12.00 a year, or place your money in the offering plate with a note clearly marked Lutheran Witness. (Individual subscriptions ordered directly from Concordia Publishing cost $19.99 a year and do not include the Michigan District supplement.) YOUTH NEWS Parade Float decorating will be at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 1, at Coyne s Warehouse. On Saturday, December 2, the youth and children will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Methodist Church to line up for the annual Christmas parade in downtown Mt. Pleasant. The parade starts at 6:00 p.m. Caroling On Sunday, December 10 after the 11:00 a.m. service at the chapel we will be going caroling to some of our shut-ins. We will return to Zion for some fellowship following. This activity will be in place of the monthly youth night. All youth are encouraged to participate. It will be fun and rewarding. See Mr. Epple if you have any questions. Thank you to everyone who participated with the apple pie fundraiser in all capacities. Your generosity is much appreciated. Special thanks to Dick and Jan Harless for picking up the apples. We couldn t have done it without all of you! Have a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year! Zion Youth Board SANCTIFIED Higher Things Conference The Higher Things Conference next year will be at Carlton College in Northfield, MN from July 3-6. Youth interested in attending should talk with Jennifer Geiger as soon as possible. You can also contact Jennifer with any questions at FAMILY LIFE NEWS MOVIE NIGHT Join us on Saturday, December 9, at 4:30 p.m. for a movie and pizza at Zion. A Case for Christ will be shown in the fellowship area while a movie for children will be shown in the cry room. Angels as Explained by Children I only know the names of two angels, Hark and Herald. - Gregory, age 5 My guardian angel helps me with math, but he s not much good for science. - Henry, age 8 Angels don t eat, but they drink milk from Holy Cows! - Jack, age 6 Page 5

6 LWML WOMEN TO WOMEN COMING UP: Pie tasting in February. We still need a chair. BIBLE STUDY The regular Bible Study from the LWML Quarterly will not be held in December. COOKIE WALK/CRAFT SHOW IS HERE! The yearly cookie walk and craft show will be on Saturday, December 2 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Trina Palmer has more vendors than ever and has been working diligently to make our only fund raiser of the year a success. Hoping you will help us publicize our event with friends, co-workers, etc. Prices are $6 for a small box and $10 for a large box of cookies. Lunch will be available at reasonable prices. Of course, please bake and bring lots of decorated cookies to the Zion kitchen starting on November 28. Cookie walk set-up is scheduled for December 1 from 2-4 p.m. Come and help us decorate tables and the gym. We will also need lots of helpers during that day of December 2. Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board. ADVENT DINNER December 6 is the date we have been requested to provide desserts at Zion between the two services. A sign-up sheet will be on the bulletin board for serving and bringing desserts. Our Lutheran Women s Missionary League Women to Women group will host the Zone Spring Rally on April 28, 2018, here at Zion. We will be serving lunch and will need some help in cooking and serving. Our general meeting will be on January 13, This will include the wrap-up of the cookie walk. This year our designated charity which will receive 10% of the profit is the Women s Aid Society. Women s Bible studies will be every month on the second Saturday at 10 a.m. Do you need a babysitter? Please let us know at least a week ahead of time so that we can make arrangements. The Michigan LWML convention is in Port Huron in July If you are interested in being a delegate or attending, please contact JoAnn Gust at or by at gust1d@cmich.edu ASAP. We are recruiting two volunteers to take turns coordinating serving cookies and drinks for funeral viewings on the afternoon and/or evening prior to the funeral. Please let us know if you might be interested in doing this sevice for our church. 75 Years Serving Our Lord Faithfully CHRISTMAS PARTY Time for us to have some fun!! On December 11 at 6 p.m., we will have a pot luck (we will supply meat; if you are able, bring a salad, hot dish, or dessert) and a white elephant exchange along with some other fun to treat ourselves for the year s hard work. Bring a new unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots. Okay, so what is a white elephant? Do not go out and buy something to exchange. You know you have something in your home that you would love to give away to someone else, and then you can take home what they bring. Who knows, you may really like what they are not so fond of! Don t forget to wrap your gift. Of course, we will play a little game along with the exchange. Hope you will be able to join us on December 11. Bring a dish to pass, your wrapped white elephant, and an unwrapped new toy to donate for a needy child for Christmas. Page 6 In memory of Catherine Hollenbeck Julie Courtney Yvonne Fitzgerald Ken & Doris Johnson Wayne & Karyn Kiefer Lynn & Audrey Laskowski Patty Pickler Joyce Willis

7 to keep the little Luthers, along with a goodie bag containing CTK promotional material as well as a gift card. Campus Corner The CTK flooring renovation project was completed in late October. The crucifix has not yet arrived, but the word is it should be ready for pick-up in the near future. Candelabras donated from a sister church have been beautifully refurbished. They will be located in the chancel area as soon as the proper preparations are complete. These renovations reflect our belief that our Creator is a God of order and beauty. And again, the crucifix makes it impossible to forget that our God became man in order to suffer for our sins and defeat death. Although the ins and outs of church architecture are not spelled out for us in the Bible, nonetheless it is appropriate that our worship and worship space reflect our theology, remind us of God s holiness and mercy, inspire reverence, and serve word and sacrament ministry. The church spans ages and generations. We give thanks to God for his rich blessings and pray that this beautification effort will serve worshippers for decades to come. Thank you for your generous support of these endeavors. Sixty-five people attended the guest lecture Martin Luther: Hero or Embarrassment? in early November. We appreciated Dr. Ziegler teaching us more about the Reformer. Thank you to everyone who attended, and especially to those who provided a dessert. A handful of Lutherans from other towns joined us, and we even had a Baptist pastor and his wife! Student attendance at our Sunday morning Divine Services has remained consistent. We continue to have new visitors even at this late stage in the semester. This is encouraging, as Word and Sacrament ministry that is, Jesus himself and the forgiveness he offers is the best possible thing we can offer college students at our campus ministry. LCMS U Student Profile LCMS U students from CTK played capture the flag against students from St. Mary s University Parish on the evening of Reformation Sunday. Name: Nathan Bublitz Year: Freshman LCMS U students, along with Campus Board and Zion members, hosted a children s harvest festival. This particular party was one of the best, in terms of attendance, in recent memory. CTK men s and ladies Bible studies have continued to meet. The ladies meet twice a month. The guys had a Bible study in October and again in November, with a bonfire at Pastor Ulledalen s home one evening in late October. Hometown: Fairgrove, MI (East of Bay City) Major: History and Economics Hobbies and interests: Gardening, sports (football and baseball), collecting coins, playing board games, anything history related, and I love a good theological chat. In honor of the Reformation anniversary, LCMS U conducted a Playmobile Martin Luther scavenger hunt on campus. We purchased three of these figurines, hid them on campus with a note promising a prize at the Chapel, and waited. All three eventually made their way back; all three finders really appreciated this gesture. They got How else are you involved at CMU? (Clubs, job, research?) I am in Central Michigan s Honors Program (Centralis), in the College Republicans, and considering (more than likely) studying abroad this next summer. Page 7

8 Why CMU? There are so many great opportunities here to do research and I like that they are a mid-major college, not too big not too small. Also, earning a full tuition scholarship like the Centralis is hard to turn down. Life and Career hopes after graduation: First and foremost I want to get married and raise a family. For my career I want to become a history professor specializing in the American Civil War, so I will be going to grad school after CMU. How did you find out about Christ The King Lutheran Chapel? My brother s wife went to CMU and recommended the church to me. Also, I was just looking for a good Lutheran Church. When do you spend time at Christ The King? I go back home most weekends to teach 7 th and 8 th Grade Confirmation class at my home church so I am usually not in church on Sunday mornings. I tend to always stop by for the Monday lunch; on Tuesdays I normally stop in and talk with Pastor, and then I am sporadic the rest of the week, going whenever I feel like it. How has involvement at CTK impacted your life at CMU? It has provided a type of home-base for me. I know that I am around like-minded people when I am there and it just is nice walking by and seeing the Chapel there. DECORATING AT ZION Everyone is invited to help with decorating at Zion on Friday, December 1. It is also a great opportunity for some fellowship! The evening begins with pizza for dinner at 6:00 p.m. Hope to see you there! Page 8 Nurse s Note Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ. Yet for many of us, the sacred aspects of Advent are lost in the holiday shuffle and it can become the unhappiest time of the year. Let us help one another with prayer, devotion, fellowship and listening. Please reach out to our pastors, to me, or other members if this time of year is difficult for you. Please do not think we are too busy with other things. You are important! God Bless, Phillis Daws RN, BSN zionparishnurse@gmail.com Have Yourself an Awe-full Little Christmas December 2, 2011 in Lutheran Witness Christmas can be difficult for those struggling with loneliness, depression or stress. How can you help your family find joy in Christmas this year? By Dr. Beverly Yahnke Many of us have enjoyed decades of Norman Rockwell Christmases with our families and friends, savoring special music, exquisite meals and festival worship while brightly wrapped gifts wait beneath breathtakingly beautiful trees. Yet, the world observes a different holiday agenda, beginning with Black Friday (a day not observed on our liturgical calendar). The world feeds our seasonal angst and can distract us from godly preparations for Christmas. Many of us will spare neither effort nor expense to craft the perfect Christmas. We will ensure that none of our loved ones will be disappointed. The well-intentioned and healthy souls among us will cook, clean, bake, shop, wrap, write cards and letters, decorate and then shop and clean some more. In the midst of our personal frenzy, we may not notice that for some, Christmas days won t be merry and bright. Beginning with the well-roasted drumsticks at Thanksgiving and lasting well beyond the first tick-tock of the new year, many individuals and families struggle with depression, holiday blues, stress or anxiety.

9 The National Institutes of Health report that the incidence of depression is highest at Christmas. According to a Gallop poll, 96 percent of Americans celebrate the holiday in some way, yet nearly 45 percent of people responding to the survey reported that they dreaded Christmas. During difficult days, many simply long for the quiet nostalgia of Christmas past as they struggle through a series of joyless social and family obligations. Colliding Expectations There s little mystery about the matter. The holidays can be a time of heightened stress for children and adults alike. Families travel, collide, revisit unfinished emotional business and challenge one another with an array of unreasonable expectations. Relationships that have been neglected or bruised throughout the year become a minefield at Christmas. Adults can indulge in excesses of eating, spending, drinking and party-going that result in holiday hangovers of pounds, debts and regrets lasting long into the new year. Children, wanting to miss nothing, fuss in adrenaline-fueled bursts of behavior, requiring precious emotional energy from already depleted parents. Tears, tummy aches and sheer exhaustion invite special comfort. Even when parents set sensible limits on activities and bedtimes and try to maintain the child s normal routines, the sheer excitement of special worship services, holiday play dates and prized visits from Grandma and Grandpa can be exhausting for everyone. For those suffering with depression, it is a time to examine one s life and to review one s losses, failures and inadequacies. The depressed revisit unfulfilled dreams, disappointments and become further mired in despair, all the while comparing themselves to hoards of others all about who seem to enjoy happy and fulfilled lives. For those grieving the loss of a loved one, the painful presence of an empty chair at the family table is nearly unbearable. Worse the inclination to hide one s pain and grief from loved ones only compounds the sadness. We would all do well to be particularly patient and kind to one another in these days when many bear staggering personal burdens that remain invisible to us. Glad Tidings So, what about the season s promised tidings of comfort and joy? The greater our family s desire to embrace the genuine gifts of Advent, the more likely we are to be rightly prepared to receive the godly gifts of Christmas. Advent is an essential time of repentance and prayer. Advent is the time to get the home of our hearts ready for Christmas. Advent underscores the threefold theme embracing the coming of Christ! We embrace the Savior as He comes to earth in baby flesh for the forgiveness of sins. We rejoice in the Christ who comes to us in Word and Sacrament to give us life and salvation, and we await the Triumphant Christ who will return again in glory. Advent repentance prepares us to receive in joy the forgiveness of all our sins, for Jesus sake. We read Scripture, light candles on the Advent wreath, count the days of the season with Advent calendars and wrap ourselves and our family in God s blessings. We prepare to receive all that God has promised. The Perfect Gift Let us spare no effort to remind ourselves and teach our children to look upon His coming with both awe and reverence once again. Advent gives way to Christmas and the perfect gift is given. For those among us who grieve and suffer, there is Good News too, and we can seek to comfort them. No matter how one s heart may ache, worry, or grieve, the hopes and fears of all the years are met in the perfect God-child, and dear Christ enters in. It is Christ, the Perfect Gift, who gives us His peace in the face of all travail, sadness and uncertainty, forgiving us all of our sins and providing everything needed to sustain us one day at a time through each of the days of Christmas and beyond. Christmas is an awe-full time, indeed. Come, Lord Jesus! At the time of writing: Dr. Beverly Yahnke (byahnke@doxology.us) was the chair of Social Sciences at Concordia University Wisconsin and executive co-director of Doxology. Page 9