Thanks to Noah Fritz and contributions from Missio Dei, the TVs are being put to use for the first time for Wednesday worship.
New Use of TVs for Wednesday Worship
News
In With the New
Gary N. McCluskey, Pastor
If it is Happy New Year, must something be new? You know, “Out with the old, in with the new…all that kind of talk. Or is just the fact we now date the year 2020 new enough?
New Year reminds us nothing is static. Not time, not life, not even faith. Sometimes we really do not need such reminding. Change and newness seem to confront us at most every turn. Yet, what is it you will be doing January 2nd or January 6th or January 7th? I suspect for most of us we will be doing what we typically do on Thursdays, Mondays or Tuesdays. Our morning routines will be the same. Maybe there will be the diversion of de-decorating the house and taking down the tree and lights. Yet we will perform our usual tasks and encounter the usual people.
Newness and change do not deny the importance of our daily life. What we do every day was once new to us. What we do every day is how we have patterned our life to serve ourselves and others as we use our days to work, volunteer, read, paint, sew, create, and live our lives. It need not be boring or unimportant to continue as we have. It can be a form of service as we live out our calling to love the neighbor and serve those in need.
There is always much about ourselves and our lives that ought to be made new. Yet we cannot discount what it is we do day after day, week after week, and even year after year. Discipleship has its need to be made new. Discipleship also has its need to plod along trusting we plod neither in vain nor alone. Celebrate, make some changes, take down the decorations and keep chugging along. May it all make for a Happy New Year!
Tales of the Prayer Shawl Trails
Notes from Lori Zurcher:
Mary Ann Salz finished a new prayer shawl just in time to send it to Will’s cousin JoAnne, who has been given a short future due to leukemia. It was recently identified, though she has been dealing with bone marrow problems for awhile. This shawl went to Minnesota!
Lynn Becker completed a prayer shawl and gave it to a teacher’s elderly mother, who was so grateful for the warmth and the message it gave her. It had a metallic thread running through it and she appreciated the beauty of the shawl.
Our regular attender and friend and unofficially adopted sister of Will and Mary Ann Salz, Faye Bridgman, knitted a pretty green shawl and handed it to me to put on our shelves. I was sharing the story of my cousin, 63 years old, who was just diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery December 24th this year. She reminded me that my cousin would probably love a prayer shawl (duh on me!). I took it over the other day, and she adores it! In fact her husband wants one, too! He gave me the puppy dog eyes and told me he prays and needs prayers, too! I’ll have to get him a shawl.
T-Shirts
New, LCM T shirts have arrived! you will love the fabric! They are designed by our own folks and are available for sale for $20.00 each. Part of their purchase was underwritten by an Action Team Grant from Thrivent. See Pastor Gary or Amy if you are interested in purchasing a shirt.
Thank you, Choir!
Thank you, choir and director Aiko Yamada Mancini for another wonderful Taize worship service. What a tremendous way to begin the Advent season and set the tone for this year’s observance. Thank you!!