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This coming Sunday, we celebrate Reformation Sunday – commemorating the day that Martin
Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the doors of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, inviting discussion of the issue of indulgences. As we know now, this led to the Protestant Reformation and was the beginning of the Lutheran church. We are reminded that it was founded to be ever-reforming, changing to meet the needs of the communities in which it found itself, always striving to better proclaim and exemplify the Word of God. We are reminded that faith is not a static thing that reaches some point at which growth is no longer necessary, but that faith continues to grow and mature throughout our lifetimes. In keeping with the Reformation theme, we will be playing Reformation Jeopardy during the education hour. Brush up on your Reformation history and come prepared for some fun! Who knows, there might even be prizes (if I get around to thinking about some). We will continue the celebration after worship with a potluck lunch. Show off your culinary skills and bring your favorite dish(es) to share will the rest of us! It will be a celebratory day. Remember to wear RED!
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October is almost over – November and the holiday season are almost upon us. This time of
year is filled with special times for many of us – Reformation Sunday, All Saints Sunday, Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas. I have been planning out the rest of the year so I want to give a short summary of what to expect so you can mark your calendars and participate as much as you can or want to. October 30 – Reformation Sunday Wear RED! We will have a potluck luncheon after church. Bring your favorite dish(es) to share with the rest of the Grace community as we take time to enjoy one another’s company. November 6 – All Saints Sunday We will remember those faithful ones who have gone before us, who taught us and inspired us with candles. Feel free to bring pictures of those whom who remember as important in your faith/life journey. We will also remember our own baptisms with the Thanksgiving for Baptism during the service. November 24 – Thanksgiving Day Enjoy spending the day with friends and family, and remember all that God has given you (which is EVERYTHING)! November 27 – Advent begins We begin to prepare for the arrival of the Christ, the light of the world. Our theme for the season will be “Awaken to New Life.” November 30 December 7 December 14 December 21 – Evening Advent Services During this special season, we will take some extra time to reflect on the gift that has been given to us, the gifts that are given to us each day, and the gifts that the future holds. We will gather for a simple meal at 5:30 followed by a short service at 6:15. December 24 – Christmas Eve We will have a service of Lessons and Carols to mark this very special night of the church year as we celebrate the light that has entered the world and the new life that is promised by that light. December 25 – Christmas Day Because Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, we will also celebrate a Christmas Day service. This is a busy day for everyone, but we hope that you will take some time to join us as we celebrate the Christ child. There will be much going on in the next few weeks. Come join in the fun! Cooler mornings give me hope that the hot weather is behind us and Fall is finally settling in. The days approaching hold many celebrations for the church. Reformation Sunday falls on October 30, and on the following Sunday, November 6, we will celebrate All Saints Sunday. Of course, Thanksgiving happens at the end of November and then we enter the season of Advent, when we prepare for the Plans are being made for marking these celebrations – they aren’t finalized yet, but watch this weekly email for announcements of upcoming events and plans! It is an exciting time of the year, and we want to enjoy it together.
I have returned from Vermont, rested and ready to go! I’m looking forward to seeing all of you
again on Sunday. We will continue getting to know each other during the adult education hour as I seek to get to know Grace better – its history, its highs and lows, its hopes and dreams. Come join us and let your voice be heard. I’ll bring some sort of a breakfast snack that we can share. This week, as we look at the stories of Naaman and the healing of the ten lepers, we will reflect on what it means to see something and how we respond to what we see. Gratitude plays a role in both of these stories. What does gratitude have to do with our faith? Reformation Sunday will be coming up on October 30. Let me know what traditions you have that surround this day and perhaps we can plan some sort of celebration/fellowship opportunity for that Sunday. |
AuthorSAWL Darlene Hopkins Archives
December 2022
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