THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (January 4-January 11)

Tuesday 1/6 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Epiphany Service 7:00
PM
Wednesday 1/7 - Choir Practice 7:00 PM
Thursday 1/8 - Council Meeting 7:00 PM
Sunday 1/11 - Sunday School 9:00 AM
Communion Service
10:00 AM

"From Heaven Above"

A Christmas hymn that we never ever sing is Luther's classic "From Heaven Above." Undoubtedly we do not sing it because it is fourteen verses of a slightly foreign sounding rhythm and melody. But really Luther wrote this hymn for children and it really is a great summary and teaching on Christmas.

I was looking over it earlier and the eighth verse caught my attention.

Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest,
Through whom the sinful world is blest!
Thou com'st to share my misery;
What thanks shall I return to Thee?

The idea of Christ as our noble guest who blesses this world was striking. I am used to thinking primarily of Christ as gift here at Christmas, but in this hymn, Luther brings about the notion of Christ as our guest. Granted, Christ is a surprise guest, coming when and how he did. But nonetheless here he is, knocking on our door, disrupting our routine. And how do we respond to the disruption? Like any other disruption that messes up our sense of the order of the day? Hopefully not. Here is one of those interruptions that changes our world.

My great grandmother told the story of one day as she was doing stuff around the house there was a knock on the door. She went to answer it, and standing on the stoop was a young man. He said, "Hi. I'm John, your brother." They had been separated at a young age at the orphanage where they had been dropped off by their father after the death of their mother. Their oldest brother had fled the orphanage. And she and John were split up. Only here comes this disruption that changes my great grandmother's world. So too with Christ. His arrival changes the world, the way we look at it, and the way things now are supposed to be.

What thanks shall we return to Christ, indeed.

Advent 4 -- Luke 1 -- Have Yourself a MARY kind of Christmas

Readings:
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Luke 1:47-55
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

The fourth Sunday of Advent focuses on the move to Christ's birth. With Mary's assent to God ("Here I am, the servant of the Lord. Let it be with me according to your word.") we are reminded that Christ's coming into our lives is not just a passive event. We too are reminded of our calling.

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New sermons...

New sermons are being posted again... old sermons seem to have disappeared into the aether. The new system is a bit odd, so I doubt I will go back and rework all of the old posts to update the sermons. I might change my mind, but it's unlikely.

Peace.

Advent 3 -- John 1 -- Good News

Readings:
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Psalm 126
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28

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Advent 2 -- Mark 1 -- Expecations

Readings:
Isaiah 40:1-11
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
2 Peter 3:8-15a
Mark 1:1-8

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Advent 1-- Mark 13 -- Apocalyptic Imagination

Readings:
Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37

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Christ the King -- Matthew 25

Readings:
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Psalm 95:1-7a
Ephesians 1:15-23
Matthew 25:31-46

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THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (December 21-December 28)

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - Office Closed
Wednesday 12/24 - Family Service 6:00 PM
Festival Service 11:00 PM
Thursday 12/25 - Christmas Day Service 10:00 AM
Sunday 12/28 - Communion Service 10:00 AM

Faith and the Environment

 

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, February 10, Noon to 1:30 PM to discuss energy conservation and climate justice.  The Mon County Ministerial Association, An Interfaith Organization, will host a meeting to discuss the future of God’s creation on earth; the nature and durability of our economy; our public health and public lands; and the quality of life we bequeath our children and grandchildren.  This interfaith discussion will be held in the Tait Room of Mon General Hospital’s Conference Center.  Bring your own lunch, or go to the hospital cafeteria (or try out Jazzman’s Terrace Café off the main lobby) and bring your tray into the Tait Room.  This is an open meeting and you do not need to be a member of the ministerial association to attend.  Seating is limited, so please RSVP to Brian Bennett, Secretary, so we can save a seat for you.  For updates, visit http://moncountyministerial.blogspot.com/.  Please forward this message on to anyone you know who may be interested in this topic on February 10, 2009. 

 

Help with Food Drive Needed!

Dave Stiles sent us this message:

At some point or another I received email from each you volunteering to help with the food drive.

We have around $1,000 to use for purchasing food. I would like to purchase the food in the next couple of days and then organize it the same day it's purchased or the next day and deliver by the end of the week if it works out.

Will tonight or tomorrow night around 7:00 work for anyone to go shopping?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

If you are able to help out, please contact Dave via email at dave(DOT)stiles(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Please replace the words in Dave’s email address above with the appropriate symbols. We don’t want Dave’s email to get swamped with spam because spambots have harvested his address from the blog.

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (December 14-December 21)

Tuesday 12/16 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Jesus Over Java 7:30 PM
Wednesday 12/17 - Vespers 7:00 PM
Choir Rehearsal (after vespers)
Sunday 12/21 - Sunday School 9:00 AM
Communion Service 10:00 AM
Confirmation Class 11:45 AM
Christmas Program 4:30 PM
Circle of Friends

Creator of the Stars of Night

Last night during Vespers, we sang the ancient hymn, "Creator of the Stars of Night." We sang it as the chant that it was. And I know that there are some people in the church who would argue against such kind of things... "It's awkward to sing. It makes folks uncomfortable..." et cetera and and so on. Whatever.

Maybe it is just me, but the simplicity of the music (even with the piano accompaniment) let the text of the hymn shine through. I was struck at how easy it was to sing the proclamation of the gospel. The second and third stanzas read:

In sorrow that the ancient curse
should doom to death a universe,
you came, O Savior, to set free
your own in glorious liberty.

When this old world drew on toward night
you came; but not in splendor bright,
not as a monarch but the child
of Mary, blameless mother mild

For me the awkwardness of the chant, which to be honest can still be awkward at times even for me, was lost as I fell into these words. I was reminded that this creator of the stars and all worlds, stooped down to save me (along with the rest of you, I guess). And I wonder if my being off-balance from the music kept me open to hear the words, as I focused to cling to them as the melody hauntingly moved. I don't know. I suppose, as in the sermon, the Holy Spirit flits around the room like a dove and lands where I know not. Last night I think I felt those wings, reminding me of the wonder of God's story.

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (December 7-December 14)

Tuesday 12/9 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Jesus Over Java 7:30
PM
Wednesday 12/10 - WELCA 2:00 PM
Vespers 7:00
PM
Choir Rehearsal (after vespers)
Thursday 12/11 - Council 7:00 PM
Sunday 12/14 - Sunday School 9:00 AM
Communion Service
10:00 AM
Confirmation Class 11:45 AM
Hanging of the Greens 4:30 PM

Silent Expectations

During Advent, we will be observing a period of silence during the distribution of Holy Communion. After we sing the Agnus Dei, we will remain in silence until the end draws near and then we will sing a hymn. In our world, when we are bombarded constantly with noise and clamor, here in silence we find a place for us to wait and yearn for Christ to come. Gone are the distractions. Present is Christ Jesus in bread and wine. Here we may pray more fervently for his coming into our world all the more.

Our silent waiting is not just sitting still and keeping quiet. We should be engaged in the silence. In 1998, John Paul II wrote a pastoral letter that said,

"... active participation does not preclude the active passivity of silence,
stillness and listening: indeed, it demands it. Worshippers are not passive,
for instance, when listening to the readings or the homily, or following the
prayers of the celebrant, and the chants and music of the liturgy. These are
experiences of silence and stillness, but they are in their own way
profoundly active. In a culture which neither favors nor fosters meditative
quiet, the art of interior listening is learned only with difficulty."

Let us engage this Advent in the silent but active expectation.