GLIMPSES OF GLENDALE: Weekly Newsletter

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Weekly Newsletter

Glimpses of Glendale

Glendale Lutheran Church Newsletter

December 23, 2020

Christmas is a time for hospitality. In years past we invited family, friends and co-workers over to our house. This year the list will be pared down for most of us but gathering is still crucial. Hospitality was a part of the first Christmas as well. Luke 2:7 is mistranslated, “There was no place for them in the Inn.” The word translated “Inn” is the greek word Kataluma. That word can also be translated “Guest Room.” In fact, in Mark 14, Jesus tells his disciples to find a place to have the Passover meal. Jesus said “Say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room (Kataluma), where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’" Mary and Joseph were given hospitality by relatives in Bethlehem; the guest room was already taken, but they were welcomed to stay in the front room where the animals were brought in for the night.

Mary and Joseph weren’t outcasts. Their extended family in Bethlehem loved them. The house was stacked with people. God provided for their needs through family and hospitality. We are called to do the same, even in a time of pandemic. Hospitality is one of Glendale Lutheran’s best assets. I experienced this personally this month when I needed a place to stay. Grace called us up from Nebraska right before Thanksgiving and said she had Covid. She and Faith drove home the next day. Ann had the great idea that I stay elsewhere, otherwise I’d have to be quarantined. She supports my calling as a pastor and this was the only way I could continue leading services. I called our head elder Mike Toney and asked if he thought the church would pay for a hotel for me. He said, “Of course, but if you wish you could bunk at my house.”

For the next two weeks I stayed in Mike’s guest room (Kataluma). He treated me as part of his family, sharing his meals with me, watching westerns and talking into the night. Mike even brought me over to his son’s house for Thanksgiving. I was very grateful to have Mike. He is a great man of God and blessing to me. He is an example of the kind of brotherly hospitality we should show as a congregation. I know many of you would have done the same. It’s beautiful to think that we have our home family and our church family. Sometimes the two come together. Merry Christmas.

Please wear a mask during worship services.

Daily Bible Reading

Glendale Lutheran Food Drive Results!

About the first of December, Joan Schlichter called me because she wanted to see if I had ideas to use her last Thrivent Action grant of $250 for the year 2000. She suggested there might be a project for using this money before the year is out. I (Marcia) thought about it and ran it by Cathie Albers. We decided a food drive could work. We decided to ask for contributions as well.

I called Kirk Care to see if they would be able to accommodate whatever amount we would bring. They said they would appreciate having the contributions by the week of December 21 since they had many deliveries to make. That meant we had three weeks to complete the project.

After the article in Glimpses and the announcement in church, groceries started to fill the table in the hall and several people contributed money. It became much larger than we thought it would be. The table was filled, as was the floor around it, and the shopping cart we use for Kirk Care. What a blessing...and then we had a total of $930 donated!

The first load to be transported to Kirk Care was the donated food in the hallway of the church--over 5500 pieces. Cathie and I took a tour of their facility and found out that personal care items are often overlooked. What does a family or individual do with no laundry soap, cleaning products or bars of soap, toilet paper, Kleenex, etcetera? We took the Thrivent card and used it to buy as many of these items as we could.

On the 17th Cathie, Joel, Jeanne and I went to Sam's Club to spend the cash donated. The vehicles were full when we left for Kirk Care with the last big load. They were amazed with how much was there.

Larry Watson from Kirk Care said ,"You knocked it out of the park! This was an outstanding Food Drive from Glendale Lutheran Church. Thank you so much."

Here are the statistics:

2255 items will serve 90 food insecure families for a month.
These 90 families consist of 262 people. 105 of them are children under 18 years old.

This was an amazing project covering three weeks time. Thank you for stepping up to the tragedy of hunger in our city.

2021 Flower Chart

The Flower Chart for 2021 is posted near the church office. Sign up or simply email Michelle your preferred dates for altar flowers and she will reserve those Sundays for you. Thank you!