Still With Us

As baffling as it may sound, there are many people in our midst who actually like winter. Some folks love to go for a run, letting that dry, cold air fill their lungs. Some love to ski or skate, or simply cozy up next to the yellow warmth of a fireplace. No matter how you feel about the season, though, everyone will find it harsh and unrelenting at times. The same storms that give us conditions for play also slow us down and put drivers in danger. Scarce daylight hours can damage our moods. Sometimes the cold is simply too much to handle.

My feelings about winter seem to change with the weather. It can be lovely at times, but I would probably love it more if we could just have a soft blanket of snow on the ground from the moment the last leaf falls to the day the first shoots of spring emerge. When all is overcast and brown, it is hard to get much joy out of a barren landscape. I think this is one reason why so many folks use lights and colorful decorations to liven up the outside of their homes during Christmas. 

So many of us celebrated the good news of Jesus’ life by bringing signs of hope into a world that has turned drab. We brought that hope through decorations, music, generosity, and togetherness. As people of faith, we are called to still proclaim that good news even beyond the holiday season— especially in a world that still feels dim and devoid of vibrance in so many ways. The light of Christ shines in the darkness of night, and we need the warming assurance that Emmanuel is still with us.

This is one reason why we have kept a few decorations up around the building— to remind ourselves that the Messiah we celebrated in December is with us even now. You may have noticed the paper stars in the windows of the Fellowship Hall. We originally chose these because the quilt-like patterns within them worked well with the imagery our Advent devotionals. The confirmation students and I spent a few Wednesdays folding them and progressively filling the building with their color throughout Advent. 

Now that Christmas is behind us, all the stars have relocated to the windows in the Fellowship Hall. We have lifted the blinds to let the light shine through them, filling the space with radiant color. They will probably remain there a little while longer. And while this little installation won’t replace your Vitamin D supplements, hopefully it can lift your mood ever so slightly. And, like the Star of Bethlehem, hopefully these points of color will remind you to continue to seek out the love of Jesus and share that joy with all the world.

Peace, Pastor Chad McKenna

 

Outsiders in the Bible

It is important to discuss the outsiders in the bible for a few reasons.  First of all, many of us have felt like an outsider at some point in our lives. Perhaps knowing there were outsiders in the biblical stories will help us feel better about times when we felt like an outsider. Many of the outsiders in the bible do amazing things and their stories are not a part of our regular lectionary cycles.

On January 19^th 2025 we began our adult forum series the Outsiders in the Bible with a discussion on Tamar, an ancestor of Jesus.  We will continue the discussion through March 2^nd.  During the next several weeks we will discuss Jesus healings of named and unnamed people; Potiphar’s wife, Rahab, Mary Magdalene, and Bathsheba. We will hear their stories and discover the importance of their presence in the biblical story. 

Last Sunday we discussed the story of Tamar.  We looked at her genealogy.  Tamar is an ancestor of Jesus.  Matthew 1:1-3 says, “An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar…”  The majority of Tamar’s story is in Genesis 38.  She is not treated well by Judah and she had to take matters into her own hands to protect her future. 

The genealogy of Tamar and Jesus. 

I encourage you to attend the adult forums to learn about the Outsiders in the Bible and their importance to the biblical story. 

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber

Epiphany

Epiphany - while many know it as the day marking 12 days after Christmas and the time to take down the tree and decorations, it's actually a holiday with significant meaning. Epiphany means “appearance or manifestation.”  Christians throughout the world celebrate the twelve days of Christmas.  On Epiphany, Western Christianity recognizes Christ’s manifestation to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were represented when The Magi visited the child Jesus and showed how God’s gift of the Good News is for everyone.

Epiphany was established by the early church leaders in the third century.  This holiday celebrates and recognizes Christ’s birth, baptism, the adoration of the magi, and the first miracle at Cana.  Observing Christmas and Advent began at the end of the fourth century. 

The church calendar ensures that we cover the entire breadth and depth of the Gospel in a year.  The church year begins at Advent.  From Advent through Pentecost, we concentrate on the life and work of Christ. The six months from Advent to Pentecost covers all six major events: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. The remainder of the year, Pentecost to Advent, the church year focuses on the teachings of Christ. Epiphany is the manifestation of God.  It is a lovely opportunity to rejoice that Christ has appeared to all, regardless of our status.    

Some historical traditions around Epiphany are celebrations focusing on the Magi’s journey, processions and ceremonies, children would receive gifts from the three kings not Santa, baking and enjoying a kings’ cake with a trinket baked inside (whoever finds the trinket is king or queen for the day), and a feast. 

This year we will celebrate Epiphany with worship on January 5^th, 2025 at 6:30 pm.  All the youth will be leading the worship service.  We will begin with a blessing for the new year and the service will focus on Jesus as the light of the world.  This is also a good time to remind us to keep Jesus at the center of our lives, and it is a beautiful way to start the New Year. 

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber