Dear Fellow Children of God,
The Saturday night after
Thanksgiving I was privileged to give the invocation at the candle light vigil
in downtown Palmer for MyHouse – MatSu.
Many of you know that MyHouse works to help homeless teens in the
Valley. The figures I have heard say we
have around 700 homeless teens in the Mat Su.
That doesn’t include the adults with no place to stay. While MyHouse helps homeless teens, Family
Promise is a ministry that works in the Mat Su to help homeless families get
permanent housing. I’ve heard the
stories. An Alaskan winter night spent
in a baseball dugout or a car or a sleeping bag can be very cold!
For the invocation at the vigil I read from the Christmas
story. In Luke 2:6-7 we are told about
Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, 6 While they were there, the time
came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She
wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for
them in the inn.
Every year people’s hearts are touched that there was no room
for the baby Jesus. People are moved
that Jesus had to be laid in a feed trough for animals. Couldn’t someone find a place for this family
at the urgent time of bringing a new child into the world? We wonder that someone in Bethlehem did not
see their predicament and find a way to house them.
Actually, this humble birth also shows the depth of the
love of God for the people of this world.
This baby is the Son of God himself, born as a human through Mary. This baby is the Creator and Lord of the
universe. But, He is also Jesus. The name Jesus points to this child as the
promised “Savior.” So, God Himself, the Lord
of all, humbled himself to be born human with no place to stay and laid in a
manger. He did this because He loves us
and came to earth to save us. We can
begin to understand the depth of this love of God for us, but we can only
begin.
What we deserve from God is punishment for our
selfishness, our greed, our rebellion, our hatred, and our pride. However, God does not give us what we
deserve. Instead of punishment He first gives
us love. Instead of what we deserve, God
gives His Son, born in a manger.
Every year millions of hearts are touched again as they
hear about the baby who was born in a stable because there was no room in the
inn. They wish they could have been
there to provide a place. But, Jesus
calls us to love Him by loving others. So,
if we want to help the baby who had no room in the inn, one of the best ways to
do this is to help the homeless in our area, in our time.
As you buy Christmas gifts this year, maybe you can make
a donation to MyHouse so a homeless child has help in finding a place to
stay. Maybe you can give a gift to
Family Promise so families can find a place to stay this Christmas as they get
their lives together. Or, you might put
a nice donation in a Salvation Army kettle.
By serving those without a home we are serving our Lord, Jesus, who was placed .
. . in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. The Offering at this Wednesday’s Community
Advent Service will be given to MyHouse.
P.P. S. Another
Opportunity to help the Homeless - We have a request and an opportunity to
possibly help with homeless families this Christmas season. The Palmer
United Protestant Church is hosting Family Promise families, the week of
December 7-13. St. John has agreed to partner with them in helping
homeless families. They have holes in
their schedule and need someone to stay overnight at the UP Church with the
family or families staying there on Monday night, December 8, and Thursday, or
Friday, or Saturday night, December 11, or 12, or 13. If you can help, please call Judy at St. John
and let her know. Better yet, The UP contact is Barbara Brown and her
home phone is 745-7784.
****
ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS
FROM THE PASTOR’ - I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully
weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have. (I am
always adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving
this e-mail for the first time.) However, if you don’t want to receive
this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list
for this message. . . Or, if you know someone who would like to receive one
of these e-mails, please send me their
e-mail address.
****
ANNUAL VOTERS’
MEETING AND POTLUCK-
Every year we hold an annual
Congregational Meeting to plan our work for our Lord Jesus Christ. This
year our Annual Congregational Meeting will be held with a pot luck meal after
late worship on Sunday, December 7. Among the issues we address at these
annual meetings are our budget for the coming year and the election of those to
serve in leadership.
Please bring a main dish and side dish
to the pot luck. Please pray for God's blessings as St. John works for Him, please look
at the proposed budget, and please plan to attend the Congregational Meeting on
December 7.
DONATIONS AND VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!
· We are in need of someone to help with PLOWING
the parking lot. Please call Judy at
church.
·
We need a 4th and 5th grade Sunday
School Teacher, and substitute teachers. Please see Jamie
if you can help.
·
Boards will be asking people to serve the Lord at St. John by serving
on one of our 11 boards and planning ministry and activities. Please
consider serving if you are asked.
·
The 80th Anniversary Committee is seeking someone
to coordinate volunteers for the float at Colony Days parade in June.
Our Theme, “St. John Lutheran – 80 years of sharing God’s love with Palmer,
AK.” See Barb Thomas or Diana Christensen if you can help.
SPECIAL ADVENT AND
CHRISTMAS WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES – St. John provides many special worship
services held to help God’s people celebrate God’s love in Jesus and share that
love. Please see the list of special
services below.
WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
- MID WEEK ADVENT WORSHIP SERVICES will be held in December on Wednesdays December 3, and 17. These services help us to prepare our hearts for the coming of God’s Christmas gift of His Son, our Savior, Jesus. This year’s services are based on Jesus’ call to be prepared, “Repent and Believe.” These services will be held at 7:00 p.m. following the Advent Meal.
- MID WEEK ADVENT MEALS will again be offered. A sign up sheet will be placed on the
table in the Narthex. These meals
become a real time of fellowship for our congregation.
·
THE
COMMUNITY ADVENT SERVICE will be held on Wednesday, December 10, at 7:00
p.m. at St. John Watch the bulletins for
more details. A meal will be served at
5:30 p.m., and the Worship Service will take place at 7:00 p.m.
Also, everyone is asked to bring ‘Christmas
goodies’ to share after the worship service.
Offerings at this year’s service will go to a local charity.
·
THE
CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM will be held in late worship on Sunday,
December 14. Practice for the program is
happening during the Sunday School. Plan
now to attend!
·
CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLE-LIGHT WORSHIP will
be held again at St. John on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24. A Children’s Christmas Eve Service will be
held at 6:00 p.m. A Traditional
Christmas Carol Candle-light worship will be held at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. Plan on attending and inviting your friends!
·
CHRISTMAS DAY WORSHIP – Christmas Day worship
will be held on Christmas morning, Thursday, December 25, at 11:00 a.m. Our worship is a quieter opportunity to share
with one the good news of God’s Christmas love.
Often, after the large Christmas Eve services, the quiet meditation of
Christmas Day provides a time of peace and quiet joy. Pastor Allen will be preaching at this service
this year. Plan now to attend.
·
NEW YEAR’S EVE WORSHIP will be held at
St. John on Wednesday night, December 31, at 7:00 p.m. This is a good way to end one year and begin
another, with the Lord and His blessings.
This also will be a communion service.
OTHER OPPORTUNIES
FOR CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS
- Offering for the Needy - A SPECIAL OFFERING WILL BE TAKEN FOR THE NEEDY AT ST. JOHN after worship on December 7, and 14! This offering is used to help people in our congregation and in our community during life’s difficult times.
- Christmas Baskets – St. John has encouraged members to make donations to the Palmer Food Bank to help provide holiday food baskets to the needy.
- Christmas Caroling - A Christmas
Caroling Outing will be held on December 14, beginning at 2:00 p.m. Watch for more announcements. These caroling events have been times of
joy which have brought the Christmas joy of God’s love to people who are housebound. We have many people to sing for this
year. Come and join us!
- A SPECIAL MANGER SCENE IS AGAIN
DISPLAYED THIS YEAR IN THE ENTRY WAY.
A stained glass manger scene was donated to St. John by long-time
Palmer resident,
DEVOTIONS FOR 2014 - This
year I am encouraging everyone to use “Who I Am in Christ" by Neil
T Anderson as a devotion to use once a week with other devotional materials you
may be using. The first 3 devotions are
“I am Accepted,” “I Am God’s Child,” I Am Christ’s Friend.” I have found these devotions personally
helpful.
However, 2 years ago I asked people to read The
Today’s Light Bible for daily devotions.
This Bible takes two years to complete, but sometimes longer. Using “Who I am in Christ” will allow
folks to continue to finish the Today’s Light Bible, and do devotions
with other members of God’s family at St. John.
There is a special unity of faith and mission
that happens when a whole congregation of God’s children study His Word
together.
WEDNESDAY
WORSHIP continues. However
. . . from November 26 to December 31
Wednesday Worship will change for a time as mentioned above. Below
are our Wednesday worship options starting November 26.
·
November 26 7:00
p.m.
Thanksgiving Worship
·
December 3, 10, 17, 7:00 p.m. Mid-Week Advent
Worship
·
December 24, 6, 8, and 10 p.m. Christmas Eve Worship
·
December 31, 7:00
p.m.
New Year’s Eve Worship
Regular Wednesday worship will continue on
Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30 p.m..
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DID YOU KNOW THAT
MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT ST. JOHN is available on our church website? On
our web page you can find sermons, newsletters, and these weekly
devotions. The link is: http://www.stjohnpalmer.org/
In fact, IF
YOU WANT TO RECEIVE YOUR MONTHLY CHURCH NEWSLETTER BY E-MAIL please e-mail Judy
Stahancyk and let her know. You can call at 745-3338, or e-mail Judy
at judy@stjohnpalmer.org. If you receive
the newsletter by e-mail it saves printing, postage, and time compiling the
newsletter. Also, you receive the monthly newsletter more quickly!!
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