Hope Lutheran Church - Current News!

The Newsletter Middle Country Lutheran Parish - December 2005

Current News and Events at Hope Lutheran Church
Pastor Hills's "Vision of Hope" Christmas Worship Schedule Music & Worship News Christmas Caroling and Decorating	Advent News The "Surprising"Christmas Pageant Congregational Meeting Information Church Financial Update Internship Information

ADVENT SEASON LAUNCHES NEW YEAR

IN HOPE’S LIFE

With the arrival of the first Sunday in Advent on November 27, Christians around the world began a new church year, and at Hope this season is being celebrated on Wednesday evenings as well as Sundays.

On Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings Pastor Hill is preaching a series of messages on the theme: “The Questions of Advent.” Each week he will focus on a question that is posed by the scriptures assigned for that weekend. He began with the question “What are we watching for?” The remaining questions for Advent weekends are: “What are we waiting for?” “What are we working for?” and “What are we wishing for?” The series will conclude with the messages on Christmas Eve, “What are we worshiping for?” and “What are we witnessing for?”

On the Wednesdays in Advent, we celebrate each week with a half-hour Vespers Service beginning at 7:30 p.m. Because each of these services coincides with a commemoration date of an important figure in Christian history, each service will focus on their lives as part of the Advent observance. The commemorations are: November 30 (St. Andrew, Apostle), December 7 (St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan), December 14 (St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, Renewers of the Church), and December 21 (St. Thomas, Apostle).

In addition to these services, on Saturday, December 10 the teens of Hope will lead a Service of Lessons and Carols for Advent with Holy Communion in place of the “Praise and Thanksgiving” service that night. Special readings and music will be provided by the teens.

Sunday, December 18 has been chosen as the day for decorating the church for Christmas and for our annual Christmas Caroling activity. Volunteers are needed to decorate the church following the 11 a.m. service, and adult drivers are needed to accompany the teens, children, and other adults on the caroling journey. Please call the church office to suggest persons who may be visited by the carolers on that day after 3 p.m.

Four Christmas Eve services will be held again this year. A Family Service of Holy Communion will begin at 4 p.m. Special music will be presented by the Kids’ Choir Club during this service. Later that day we will have Traditional Christmas Eve Candlelight Carol Services at 7, 9, and 11 p.m. Candles are distributed at these services.

Because Christmas occurs on a Sunday and because the first Sunday after Christmas is New Year’s Day, the worship schedule for those days has been changed. We will have one service only on Sunday, December 25 at 10 a.m. and we will have two services on New Year’s Day, at 9:00 and 11 a.m. with a coffee hour between services. An Epiphany Celebration will be held on January 6 at 10 a.m. with a brunch following the service sponsored by the XYZ Fellowship.

Other activities included with this season are the annual XYZ Christmas party on Friday, December 9 and two Anchor Nursery School Christmas programs on December 19 and 20 at 10 a.m. During the week after New Year’s, the Youth Drama Team will be offering a program, “The Surprising Christmas P

ageant” on the Feast of the Epiphany, Friday, January 6^th,with dinner at 6:00 p.m. followed by the program at 7 and dessert afterwards.

“The Crossroads of History and Hope”

The other day I saw an envelope that caught my eye. It used the slogan “Bearing Witness at the Crossroads of History and Hope.” That slogan struck me as a great description of what the season of Advent is all about.

Advent is the time when we recall God’s faithfulness to the human race in taking on flesh and blood and coming among as the Christ, the One who came with the mission of reconciling the whole world to God. It is also, however, a time when we look forward with hope and expectation to the full coming of the reign of God promised so long ago.

As Christians we stand now and always at the “Crossroads of History and Hope,” for that is the place where God dwells. We serve a God who has been part of human history from before the creation of the world, and we trust in the God who has promised in Christ to “make all things new.” We celebrate the past with great joy, and we look forward to God’s future with great anticipation. We do not abandon what came before us and we will not lose sight of what God has promised us. That is what the word “faithfulness” is all about.

I realize, of course, that every metaphor has its built-in limitations, and so does this one. By definition, a “crossroads” is a fixed point. It is where two lines meet, and we normally think of such a place as a point on a map that we can locate and get to. But in this case, such an image will not work for us. Although we think of “history” as being a “fixed” body of information, we all know that it is not. History is dynamic. It is always changing because it is inextricably connected with the passage of time, and time always “marches on.”

I was a history major in college about 40 years ago. If I were a history major today, there would be “more” history to study now than back then. At the same time, by definition the future, like history, is also unbounded and dynamic.

How then can history and the future ever meet? They meet in the person of Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word of God through whom all things were made, and the King of Kings who will reign forever and ever. In other words, it is Jesus who is always at the crossroads of history and hope. He brings meaning to those events that brought us to this day, and he reveals the purpose of God for the events that are yet to come.

There are many today who err on one or the other side of this metaphor. Some reject history completely, saying that we must cling to the past and adapt ourselves to a new reality. Such folks have an uphill climb as members of a Church that claims a history of at least 2,000 years (not to mention the Old Testament period). How does one ignore the wisdom of those who have gone before us without making repeating the mistakes of the past? On the other hand, there are some Christians who have abandoned any hope for the future and wish to live at some other period in history, whether that be the “Early Church,” the “Reformation Church,” the “Pre-Vatican II Church,” or some combination thereof.

At the risk of sounding like a “pietist,” I would prefer to simply say, “Remain close to the Living Lord of the Church, and take the risk of living in the ambiguity that comes from staying there.” Or, to put it differently, cherish the treasures of the past, learn from our mistakes, and embrace the promises of God for what He will yet accomplish. Advent is the time to grasp again the mystery of God and His presence among us.

With love,

Pastor Hill

The Worship & Music Page

Worship Services—Saturday Evenings, 6 p.m. ,

Sundays 8, 9:30 & 11 a.m

ADVENT—A SEASON OF HOPE

<> Advent — four weeks when we look for the coming of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. We hope, we dream, we dare to imagine, we contemplate our future. We sing, Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel, knowing that GOD IS WITH us now but we still long for the time when God will be visible to us. This Advent dare to allow Emmanuel to come into your life through times of worship, times of silence, times of learning, and times when we give of ourselves to those around us whether in the form of gifts, food or just our company.

ADVENT WEDNESDAY EVENING PRAYER

The Season of Advent is filled with special opportunities to worship. On Wednesday Evenings at 7:30 p.m., end your busy day by taking time to worship with Evening Prayer: a special musical setting, Joyous Light by Ray Makeever. The first service is on November 30th.

SERVICE OF LESSONS AND CAROLS

On Saturday, December 10th at 6 p.m. A Service of Lessons and Carols with Holy Communion will be led by our teenagers in place of the evening service. This English tradition of a service with a series of lessons, this year based on the theme, The Forerunner, with songs and special music is the perfect time to just and allow God’s light to shine on you and renew you.

DECORATING

Decorating the church for Christmas is always a time of fun and fellowship — Plan on staying after the 11 a.m. service on December 18th or come back at 12:30 p.m. to help us decorate.

Poinsettias plants are the tradition that comes from Mexico joining the birth of Jesus with his blood shed for us. Donate a plant to beautify our sanctuary—$12.00 each. After the 11 p.m. Christmas Eve service you are welcome to take home your plant or bring it as a gift to someone.

CHRISTMAS CAROLING

It’s such fun to sing Christmas carols as a group — on Sunday, December 19th at 3 p.m. we will leave for caroling to various homes of shut-ins from our congregation, an adult center and others in need of cheer. All voices are invited to come along!

THE SURPRISING CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

All children and teens are invited to be a part of the play, “ The Surprising Christmas Pageant” which will be performed on Friday, January 6th at 7 p.m. with a dinner at 6 p.m. and dessert afterwards. Rehearsals are on Sunday, Dec, 4th and 10th at 3 p.m. and Monday, January 2nd at 3 p.m. For more details speak with Donna Haller, 696-8550.

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS CHOIR

Singing at Christmas is a joy — won’t you join us for just this short time to sing with the choir! Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings from 7:30—9 p.m. If you are interested in rehearsing Wednesday evenings please speak with Joyce Stahl.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES

4 p.m. Family Service of Holy Communion

7 , 9 & 11 p.m. Candlelight Services of Holy Communion

CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE

10 a.m. Service of Holy Communion

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS—JANUARY 1ST

ONLY TWO SERVICES at 9 & 11 a.m.

There will be NO Saturday evening services on New Year’s Eve.

EPIPHANY SERVICE

On Friday, January 6th we celebrate the Epiphany of Our Lord, when the Wise Men brought their gifts to honor the baby Jesus. At 10 a.m. a special Epiphany Service of Holy Communion will be celebrated followed by fellowship hosted by our XYZ Fellowship Group.

JOY TO THE WORLD

“Joy to the World” a one hour ABC television special produced by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is scheduled to air in the New York area on Christmas Day at 5 A.M. This holiday worship service includes a joyful mix of music and praise from ELCA African American, Asian, American Indian, Arab and Middle Eastern, and Latino congregations. The rich and diverse cultural blend begins with a Santa Lucia celebration in the Swedish Lutheran tradition. Make sure you tape it and enjoy this Christmas celebration.

SPECIAL CHIMES/HANDBELL CONCERT—JANUARY 29TH

On the afternoon of January 29th join us for a special Chimes/Handbell Concert to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of our Handchimes. Concert in the afternoon with reception following. Look for more details.

OFFICIAL NOTICE:

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE

CONGREGATION

ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2006

BETWEEN THE 9:30 & 11:00 SERVICES

The Congregation Council has called a special meeting of the congregation to vote on a proposal to request the assignment of a seminary intern to Hope for the period of September 2006-August 2007.

This meeting is the result of the work of the Internship Committee formed after the Annual Meeting of the congregation held in May, 2005. The Committee has recommended to the Congregation Council that we submit an application for a seminary intern through Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Council has called for this meeting so an application can be submitted in early January prior to the February 1st deadline.

Hope has had two interns in the past, Estelle Lloyd and Andrew Arnold, both of whom went on to be ordained as pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Seminary interns usually serve during their third year of preparation for ordination and then return to seminary for their final year of study prior to being approved for ordination. Their internship year provides them with practical experience under the supervision of an experienced pastor and with the assistance of a local internship support committee. The goal of the program is to offer the full range of opportunities to serve in a congregation like ours so they can be as ready as possible for the important role they will be playing after they are ordained.

Costs for the program include a monthly stipend, housing and automobile expenses, and some other fees required by the seminaries of the church for all interns. The committee’s initial estimate is that $25,000 will be required over the twelve month period to meet such expenses. As we did in the past, the Council proposes that members be asked to make specific pledges of financial support for the internship program. If the program is approved at this meeting, donations will be received this spring so the fund can begin accumulating prior to the outlay of any money for the program.

Steve Swift is chairing the Interns.

A CHRISTMAS PRAYER

Loving Father, help us to remember the birth

of Jesus, that we may share

in the song of the angels,

the gladness of the shepherds,

and the worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and

open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindness come from every gift

And good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing

which Christ brings,

and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy

to be Thy children, and the Christmas evening

bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,

forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen!

———— Robert Louis Stevenson

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT INTERNSHIP AT HOPE

(and ANSWERS)

Q. What is an internship program?

A. An internship program is a 12-month training period during the four-year seminary program to become a pastor. Normally, all candidates for ordained ministry in the ELCA will complete a one year full-time internship in a congregation/agency of the church as part of their theological education. The intern is usually supervised by an ordained pastor of the congregation in which the intern is placed with the assistance of a specially appointed/elected committee of lay persons chosen to provide complementary guidance and support.

Q. Who are seminary interns?

A. Seminary interns can be men or women who have completed at least two years of training in preparation for becoming a pastor. They can be between the ages of 25 and 70. Some may be recent college graduates and others may be “second career” students. They may be single or married with children.

Q. What do interns do?

A. Interns are given an opportunity to work on a wide range of activities to experience the work that a pastor carries out in a church. The intern works under the supervision of an ordained pastor and a committee of lay persons. Duties include preaching, teaching, visitation, attending meetings, etc. Also, an intern at Hope would be encouraged to focus on the specific gifts that he/she brings to the ministry.

An intern is expected to participate in the various dimensions of ministry as one who is learning what it means to be and to function as a pastor. Attention is to be given to the development of a pastoral identity as well as to the acquisition or refinement of pastoral skills. Regular participation in the life of the congregation in the roles of preacher, worship leader, teacher and pastor visitor should be possible. Experience in the areas of counseling, administration, and outreach ministry should also be facilitated. As a student, the intern should have opportunity for study and reflection as well, both alone and with the supervisor. The intern will also be expected to regularly take time off and will be given a two-week vacation period.

Q. How do we get an intern

A. After the congregation votes to apply for an intern, the application is submitted to the seminary and, if approved by the seminary, Pastor Hill will go to the seminary in February to interview prospective interns who indicate an interest in our congregation.

Q. What does it cost to have an intern?

A. The church provides a monthly stipend, housing, a car allowance, and some other fees that are required by every seminary. We expect this will cost approximately $25,000.

Q. Why should we have an intern at our church?

A.    · Our church is able to provide a large number of learning and service opportunities that many churches simply do not have.
            · We are a larger church, and there are many opportunities for an intern to experience ministry.
            · We have had two interns in the past, and both had very favorable experiences.
          · Our pastor has over 30 years experience as a pastor and has had training in Supervision as part of his doctoral training. He also has a considerable
            background in evangelism that he can share.
            · Our congregation is at the forefront of churches in our synod in developing new forms of ministry; i.e., our “Total Life Caring Ministry.”
            · Our members have many gifts to share with a prospective pastor and they will also learn from their interaction with another pastoral leader.