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CHRISTMAS DAY WORSHIP
This year we will again celebrate the birth of Jesus with our friends at Central Lutheran Church, 512 S. Bernard (5th and Bernard). Pastor Betty will be the preacher. Come and worship on Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25 at 10:30 am at Central Lutheran Church.
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CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE
Celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn king.
Our Christmas Eve candlelight worship service will be held on Wednesday, December 24 at 7:00 pm. This is a very beautiful and spiritual worship service. Come, and invite your friends and relatives for this joyous celebration.
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Augsburg Fortress is pleased to announce the upcoming publication of the new Lutheran Study Bible. This exciting new Bible features the NRSV translation as well as introductions, notes, and articles written by over sixty Lutheran pastors and teaching theologians. This resource is designed to invite readers to experience the Bible and its message through solid background material, unique Lutheran insights, and opportunities for faith reflection. Reader-friendly, inviting, and engaging, this is the perfect study Bible for both youth and adults who want to encounter Scripture in a fresh and new way!
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Reader-friendly: With an attractive page layout and easy-to-read study notes, Lutheran Study Bible presents the biblical text in a fresh, approachable format. Plain-language notes assume little to no prior understanding of theological terminology, making it accessible to the youth and adults alike.
Inviting: The rich study notes of the new Lutheran Study Bible invite discovery, providing helpful background information while actively encouraging the reader to directly engage the biblical text.
Engaging: The combination of biblical text and study notes enable the reader to learn about the Bible's content and to hear God's Word as it was encountered by people in the Bible as well as how in now encounters us.
Study notes are grouped into four categories:
The World of the Bible explores the historical, cultural, and geographic background of a particular passage.
Biblical Concepts explain key words or themes in the context of other parts of Scripture.
Lutheran Perspectives highlight Lutheran theological insights and catechetical connections drawn from particular passages.
Faith Reflections provide commentary and questions that encourage life application.
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ADVENT: THE TIME OF PREPARATION
A baby is coming! In the midst of a world that is dying we have the promise of new life! Into a world that is falling into deeper and deeper darkness, we have the promise of a child who is the Light of the World.
How shall we prepare for this child?
In this time of Advent (coming), we acknowledge the darkness, much of which is the result of human sin, human selfishness and human greed. The darkness and the cold that we experience here mirrors in many ways the darkness and coldness of the society in which we live. God has an answer to this darkness: a baby with radiant beams shining from his face.
God’s light which shines in the darkness penetrates human sin and overcomes it. This child, Jesus, goes into the deepest and darkest places of human society in order to redeem it. In the words of the Christmas carol, “this child is born to die.” Jesus will die in order to live again and in the resurrection to life, darkness, sin, death and the devil will be overcome. They will no longer be the rulers and owners of people. Life lived in the light of God becomes a real possibility because of this child, Jesus.
I invite you to take this journey toward Christmas. On Sunday mornings, as the days get shorter and darkness seems to gain the upper hand, we light more and more candles: the light in the Church contrasts with the darkness outside. We will also place the empty manger in our sanctuary in preparation for the coming Christ Child.
On Sunday, December 14, our Sunday School children will present the story of Christmas. As they tell us about the light of the star, we will add more light to our sanctuary by lighting our Christmas trees.
On December 3, we will begin our Wednesday Evening Advent Suppers and Worship at 5:30 and 6:30 pm. Again, we focus on the themes of light and darkness and the child that is coming. We use the Holden Evening Prayer liturgy, lots of candles, and have Holy Communion to strengthen us on this journey. Food and Fellowship is also important. On December 3, we will have a Baked Potato Bar (the Young Disciples are furnishing the potatoes). On December 10 we will have chili and hot dogs and on December 17, there will be a taco bar. The “Greening of the Church” will take place after the worship service and our St. Lucia girls will serve dessert.
Our days of preparation will conclude with the joyous celebration of Jesus’ birth on December 24 at 7pm. Please plan to come to the candlelight worship service.
May God bless you in this holy time.
Pastor Betty,
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ANNUAL MEETING JANUARY 25, 2009
The Annual Meeting will be held after the 10 am worship service on January 25, 2009. Annual reports are due to the Church office by Monday, December 29, 2008.
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