Dear Friends in Christ, Greetings in the name of our crucified and risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! As we begin a new Church Year on Sunday, December 1, we begin the “Time of Christ- mas” with the “Season of Advent.” For a proper understanding of Advent, the Advent of Christ has three parts. God’s Word tells us that Jesus not only came to earth as a man at Christmas, but that He comes to be with His church through His Word and Sacraments. Finally, God’s Word reminds us that He will return in judgement on the Last Day. One of the ways we can identify with the new Church Year and seasons of Advent and Christmas is the change in the colors of the paraments – blue for Advent and white for Christmas. As these colors identify with the seasons of the Church Year, they’re also a teaching device. So, included (as a handy reference) are the colors used for the altar, pul- pit, and lectern paraments, and pastor’s stole throughout the Church Year: White: Symbolizes joy, celebration, gladness, light, purity, innocence. Used for Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter and their seasons. Associated with festivals of Christ and of saints who presumably died a natural death. Green: The color of growth, leaves, foliage, fruit, and life, suggesting a time of spiritual growth. It is used for the season after Pentecost and for the Sundays during the Epiphany season. Red: Symbolizes fire, blood. For Pentecost and for days commemorating martyrs. Also ap- propriate for festivals of renewal in the Spirit like Reformation, church dedications, anniver- sary of a congregation, Confirmation, and ordinations. Purple: The royal color, the costliest with primitive dyes. For Lent – and as an alternate color for Advent. It symbolizes penitence and self-discipline and therefore also fits a Day of Supplication and Prayer. Blue: Represents hope, anticipation, royalty. From a Swedish Lutheran tradition and from the ancient Mozarabic (Spanish) liturgy. Helps distinguish Lent and Advent. Black: Color of mourning, death, ashes. Now reserved for Good Friday; an alternate for Ash Wednesday. Scarlet: A favored color for royalty (deep scarlet or maroon) and a variant of red and pur- ple. For the Passion of Our Lord, preferred for Holy Week (Sunday through Thursday) sug- gesting deeper intensity, triumph, and victory. Gold: Associated with riches and kingly attire. Reserved for Easter Day and Evening, the greatest of festivals. Note: For a full treatment when the various colors are used, see The Church Year: Sundays and Seasons, page x; Feasts and Festivals, and Occasions, page xi in the forefront of the Lutheran Service Book. Join us this Advent/Christmas, as we gather together (worship service schedule can be found on the backside of the calendar in the newsletter) – for our Sunday worship services, Advent Midweek services, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day – to praise this Christ, Who will come to us as truly as He came to earth on that first Christmas. On behalf of Tammy and myself, God’s richest Advent and Christmas blessings to you. Pastor Erdman “But with a man who belongs to an everlasting kingdom all is well and it is fitting that he should dance through life forevermore. ” Martin Luther (1543) St. James and St. Paul’s Lutheran Churches December 2019 St. James and St. Paul’s River’s Edge December at-a-Glance 14 th : LLL Breakfast 8-10am 9 th : SP Ladies Aid Mtg. 6pm (All ladies are welcome!) 14 th : Necedah Christmas Parade 15 th : SP Family Christmas Svc. 8am 15th : SJ Children’s Christmas Svc 10:30 24 th : Candlelight Service, SJ 7pm 25 th : Christmas Services: SP at 9am (Full Advent & Holiday Worship Schedule in newsletter & also on De- cember calendar)
Transcript
Dear Friends in Christ,
Greetings in the name of our crucified and risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
As we begin a new Church Year on Sunday, December 1, we begin the “Time of Christ-mas” with the “Season of Advent.” For a proper understanding of Advent, the Advent of Christ has three parts. God’s Word tells us that Jesus not only came to earth as a man at Christmas, but that He comes to be with His church through His Word and Sacraments. Finally, God’s Word reminds us that He will return in judgement on the Last Day.
One of the ways we can identify with the new Church Year and seasons of Advent and Christmas is the change in the colors of the paraments – blue for Advent and white for Christmas. As these colors identify with the seasons of the Church Year, they’re also a teaching device. So, included (as a handy reference) are the colors used for the altar, pul-pit, and lectern paraments, and pastor’s stole throughout the Church Year:
White: Symbolizes joy, celebration, gladness, light, purity, innocence. Used for Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter and their seasons. Associated with festivals of Christ and of saints who presumably died a natural death.
Green: The color of growth, leaves, foliage, fruit, and life, suggesting a time of spiritual growth. It is used for the season after Pentecost and for the Sundays during the Epiphany season.
Red: Symbolizes fire, blood. For Pentecost and for days commemorating martyrs. Also ap-propriate for festivals of renewal in the Spirit like Reformation, church dedications, anniver-sary of a congregation, Confirmation, and ordinations.
Purple: The royal color, the costliest with primitive dyes. For Lent – and as an alternate color for Advent. It symbolizes penitence and self-discipline and therefore also fits a Day of Supplication and Prayer.
Blue: Represents hope, anticipation, royalty. From a Swedish Lutheran tradition and from the ancient Mozarabic (Spanish) liturgy. Helps distinguish Lent and Advent.
Black: Color of mourning, death, ashes. Now reserved for Good Friday; an alternate for Ash Wednesday.
Scarlet: A favored color for royalty (deep scarlet or maroon) and a variant of red and pur-ple. For the Passion of Our Lord, preferred for Holy Week (Sunday through Thursday) sug-gesting deeper intensity, triumph, and victory.
Gold: Associated with riches and kingly attire. Reserved for Easter Day and Evening, the greatest of festivals.
Note: For a full treatment when the various colors are used, see The Church Year: Sundays and Seasons, page x; Feasts and Festivals, and Occasions, page xi in the forefront of the Lutheran Service Book.
Join us this Advent/Christmas, as we gather together (worship service schedule can be found on the backside of the calendar in the newsletter) – for our Sunday worship services, Advent Midweek services, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day – to praise this Christ, Who will come to us as truly as He came to earth on that first Christmas.
On behalf of Tammy and myself, God’s richest Advent and Christmas blessings to you.
Pastor Erdman
“But with a man who belongs to an everlasting kingdom all is well and it is fitting
that he should dance through life forevermore.” Martin Luther (1543)
St. James and St. Paul’s Lutheran Churches
December 2019
St . James and
St . Pau l ’s R iver ’s Edge
December at-a-Glance
14th: LLL Breakfast 8-10am
9th: SP Ladies Aid Mtg. 6pm
(All ladies are welcome!)
14th: Necedah Christmas Parade
15th: SP Family Christmas Svc. 8am
15th : SJ Children’s Christmas Svc
10:30
24th: Candlelight Service, SJ 7pm
25th: Christmas Services:
SP at 9am
(Full Advent & Holiday Worship
Schedule in newsletter & also on De-
cember calendar)
Dear Brothers & Sisters,
Greeting’s at “this most wonderful time of the year…” I am still in disbelief that it’s really the last month of 2019!
Here at St. Paul’s we are thanking the Lord for the blessing of two new members! Kristen Hoffman and her daughter Brook-
lynn have joined us. Brooklynn is also a 7th grade confirmation student. I am especially rejoicing over this, as they are my
daughter and granddaughter! This month will be busy with Christmas programs as well as the other busyness that precedes
this holiday. Besides Advent services, Christmas programs and Sunday services at our churches; the calendar recognizes
the 7th
as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the 21st as the first “official” day of winter, and of course, Christmas Day and
New Year’s Eve. Here at St. Paul’s, Monday the 9th is Ladies Aid/LWML. This month will be our Christmas party. We are all
contributing for a festive menu. On Wednesday the 11th is Soup N’ Sandwich. We were overwhelmed with the attendance to
our first luncheon of the season! We are grateful for the help of Shelley and Donna! Note: we need to change the time from
this month forward to 11:30 to 1 p.m. The trend is that everyone who attends is here and done by then. As always, all are
welcome! I want to thank Denna for the inspiration for this month’s newsletter feature. We are all familiar with the song, “The
Twelve Days of Christmas.” Did you know there’s a lot more to it? The beginning of each verse starts with “my true love
gave to me.” “My true love” is a reference to God and the “me” is reference to anyone who was baptized. Day 1: The par-
tridge in a pear tree represents Jesus. Day 2: The two turtledoves represent the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Day
3: The three French hens symbolize faith, hope and love. Day 4: The four calling birds represent the four Gospels (Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John). Day 5: The five golden rings represent the first 5 books of the Old Testament, also known as the He-
brew Torah or the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). Day 6: The six geese a-laying
represent the six days of creation. Day 7: The seven swans a-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
(prophesying, serving, teaching, exhortation, generosity, leading, mercy/compassion-Romans 12: 5-8). Day 8: The eight
maids a-milking represent the eight Beatitudes (Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hun-
ger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted for right-
eousness’ sake. Matthew 5: 3-10). Day 9: The ladies dancing represent the nine fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, pa-
tience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5 :22-23). Day 10: The ten lords a-leaping
are the Ten Commandments. Day 11: The eleven pipers piping represent the 11 faithful Apostles (Simon Peter, Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot and
Judas son of James. Luke 6: 14-16). Day 12: The 12 drummers drumming symbolize the 12 points of the Apostles Creed: 1.
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, 2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, 3.
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, 4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and
buried: He descended into hell, 5. The 3rd
day He rose again from the dead, 6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the
right hand of God the Father Almighty, 7. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead, 8. I believe in the
Holy Ghost, 9. I believe in the holy Christian church: the communion of saints, 10. The forgiveness of sins, 11. The resurrec-
tion of the body and 12. Life everlasting. Amen!This song dates back to the 1700’s, a time of severe religious persecution.
The 12 Days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day and end on eve of The Epiphany on January 5th.
Well, that’s it from me for this year…have a blessed Christmas!
Love and prayers,
Deb
St. Paul’s News and Notes
St. Paul’s will be making crochet praycloths and collecting items for a birthday box to send to Bethesda home. We will be collecting these items until June or until we get a box filled to send to Bethesda. If you would like to know about Bethesda you go to this website for more information. https://bethesdalc.org/If you would like the crochet pattern go to https://www.bethesdalc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Volunteer-Handout-Prayer-Cloth.pdf?_ga=2.213904336.550474242.1574210934-265334795.1573349535.I also found a knitting pattern for this If you would like to contribute there will be a box in the back of the fellowship hall. Thank you for supporting this mission project. God bless you. St. Paul’s will be holding a Noisy Sunday on Sunday, Jan-uary 26, 2020. Noisy Sunday is in regards to collection of mites to be used towards the grants. Metal ckets are used to collect the mites. After the regular offering, this may be gathered by Lutheran Women in Mis youth, or children in the church. So everyone start saving your change to make a big noisy impact on Sunday, January 26, 2020. as well, please let me know if you would like a copy. Birthday box includes the following. (On the insert attached)
Reaching Up, Reaching Out, Reaching In With the Lord
We’re on the web:
www.stjamesnecedah.com
St. James Church Library News
Twelve Days of Silent Nights: The story behind the most popu-
lar Christmas carol, the birth of Christ, and what it means for
our lives is one of the newest additions to our Church Library!
Written by Peter Celano, this book tells the story of the most
popular Christmas song in the world, the Nativity of Jesus
Christ, and how to carry the beauty and wonder of the Bethle-
hem stable into our lives as a new year begins. Celano reflects
on “Silent Night, Holy Night”—how it came to be, its continued
importance, and its message of contemplation, hope, and love.
The year 2019 marks the 200th anniversary of the first major
performances of the carol. Includes more than a dozen repro-
ductions of classic period woodcut and engraved illustrations.
(Amazon)
Also for the Christmas season is a new children’s DVD “The
Star.” Bo is the story of a small but brave donkey. Bo and his
new friends follow the Star of Bethlehem on an exciting adven-
ture and become part of the greatest story ever told.
Come “check it out!”
Are You Taking Advantage? SCRIP
This month we are asking: Are you a shopper regularly using scrip cards? If you answered “No” then we appreciate you telling Dan, Cyn-thia or a stewardship committee member why not.
Scrip is a fantastic program that has brought in around $15,000.00 to St. James in the past years. This is free money waiting to be brought to our church where we put it to good use spreading the gospel by doing God’s work.
Why would people not use it? It is definitely part of being a good stew-ard which God wants each of us to be.
Everybody has an opportunity to shop. Yet, Dan says that probably only eight or fewer people are presently using the program. If eight people brought back $2,500.00 this year, just imagine what 25 people could bring in! Scrip is much easier and quicker to use than using a credit or debit card which reveals your account number. It does not cost you any extra money. For example, if you purchase a $10.00 card you will get $10.00 of merchandise PLUS the church gets back up to 10%.
Just a few of the businesses in the scrip program:
![The gospel according to MATTHEW [5 : 4] Part 12 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. M ATTHEW 5 : 4.](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/56649e7c5503460f94b7e620/the-gospel-according-to-matthew-5-4-part-12-blessed-are-those-who-mourn.jpg)
