Tuesday, December 24 • Christmas Eve Worship

The Nativity of Our Lord will be celebrated at two services of Holy Communion along with special music and carols as well as candlelight during “Silent Night.” Children of all ages will be the focus at the 5 p.m. worship. The 9 p.m. service will feature the adult choir.

Pastor’s Piece: The work and grace of setting an intention

Time for daily devotion is a precious resource and intention. Setting an intention is an action. Advent, with its themes of expectation, promise and waiting, invites us to reflect and pray. Both are Advent intentions. Perhaps Jim Manney’s devotional, which I introduced in an earlier newsletter article and is available in the sanctuary, is an aid to your prayer life. It is an aid to mine.

Here is a recent entry:

Experience proves that in this life peace and satisfaction are had not by the listless but by those fervent in God’s service. And rightly so. For in the effort they make room to overcome themselves and to rid themselves of self-love, they rid themselves of the roots of all passion and unrest. And with the acquirement of habits of virtue they naturally succeed in acting easily and cheerfully in accordance with these virtues.

St. Ignatius Loyola, The Letters of St. Ignatius of Loyola, William S. Young, SJ

Advent Wednesdays with our theme of “Let your Light so Shine” will gather the congregations of St. Paul’s and Ascension to reflect and pray, in Word and in the song of Marty Haugen’s Holden Evening Prayer liturgy. Lighting a candle on the Advent wreath each Sunday of Advent and involving ourselves in our many expressions of prayer and good deeds during these Advent and Christmas days of preparation beg for our best intentions. When we intend and commit to self-care, there will be room. There will be room enough for what and for whom we wait.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1

In the peace of Christ, which passes all human understanding,

Pastor Rebecca

WELCA to share devotional and cookies

Women of the ELCA (WELCA) will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 17, in the upper fellowship hall for an Advent devotional and a cookie exchange. Then on Tuesday, January 21, at the same time and location, the group will begin a four-part Bible study titled “We are called!” Session 1 “Hearing God’s call” will focus on men and women in the Old Testament. For information, contact Shirley Toppenberg at 634-4946.

Raffle to raise money for Global Mission

Keren Meister-Emerich and Denise Martin purchased items in Tanzania and Rwanda during their recent trip to witness how our mission dollars are used and wanted to share those unique items with the congregation. But there wasn’t enough room in their suitcases to bring something for everyone, so during Advent you’ll have to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win something with the proceeds going to ELCA Global Mission. If you just want to make a special donation to ELCA Global Mission, you can do that, too. Check the bulletin for more information about purchasing tickets.

The church office will be closed

Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Volunteer help will cover the office on December 23. Pastors Wes and Rebecca expect to travel to Southern California and be gone the weekend of December 28–29.