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Saturday, December 26, 2020

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!
Financial Update
Next Sunday's Bible Readings
1 Kings 3:4-15; Ephesians 1:3-14; Luke 2:40-52
Worship Leaders 12/27
Lector: Beth Nicolaus
Communion: Mike Toney
S/V: Ken Clark
Bible Class S/V: Tony Petzoldt
Usher: Mike Toney
Worship Leaders 1/3
Lector: Marcia Hempel
Communion: Andy Ortstadt
S/V: Mike Toney
Bible Class S/V: Mike Murphy
Usher: Mike Murphy
The Word Within the Word

Worship Bulletin


Welcome to Glendale Lutheran!

Pastor Scott Jonas would love to talk to you. You can contact him via cell 805-345-6658 or email scottjonas314@gmail.com.
Women’s Tuesday Morning Bible Study is studying Prophets and Kings. They meet weekly in FLC at 9:15. Women’s Thursday Evening Bible Study meets the first and third Thursday of each month at 7:00pm. All women are welcome!

Men’s Bible Study is currently studying Walking Where Jesus Walked, visiting Holy Land sites. We meet Mondays at 7:30am.
First Sunday after Christmas
9:15am
Prelude

Greeting and Welcome

Lighting of the Candles

Hymn of Invocation – Angels We Have Heard on High (LSB 368)

Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains. Refrain

Refrain:  Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heav’nly song? Refrain

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Refrain

+ Preparation +

Invocation
P:  In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C:  Amen.

Opening SentencesLuke 2:30, 32; Psalm 71:19, 23
P:  Alleluia! My eyes have seen Your salvation,
C:  a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel. Alleluia!
P:  Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens.
C:  You who have done great things, O God, who is like You?
P:  My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to You;
C:  my soul also, which You have redeemed.

Confession and Absolution
P:  People redeemed by the Lord, let us now make confession of our sins to God, our heavenly Father.
C:  Merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We repent of having sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. We have left undone those things we ought to have done; we have done those things we ought not to have done. We have not lived our lives fully in the freedom won for us by our Lord. We have not always shared the bounty You have given us as stewards of Your creation. We sincerely repent of our sins and humbly ask Your grace and forgiveness in Jesus, our Savior. By the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, lead us to change what is sinful in our lives that each day we grow in righteousness and godly living to the glory of Your holy name.
P:  God has promised pardon, life, and salvation because of the atoning sacrifice of His beloved Son, who has replaced slavery to sin with a priceless inheritance of freedom and joy. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. As you believe, so may it be.
C:  Amen.

+ Word +

First ReadingIsaiah 61:10—62:3
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

P:  This is the Word of the Lord.
C:  Thanks be to God.

Epistle Galatians 4:4–7
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

P:  This is the Word of the Lord.
C:  Thanks be to God.

Holy Gospel – Mark 1:1–20
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face,who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.                                                                                                  

Children’s Hymn – Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (LSB 380)

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the_angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!” Refrain

Refrain:  Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the_incarnate Deity!
Pleased as Man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel! Refrain

Hail, the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth. Refrain

Children’s Sermon

Hymn of the Day – O Little Town of Bethlehem (LSB 361)

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary,
And, gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the king
And peace to all the earth!

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Immanuel!

Sermon

Apostles' Creed
C:  I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life + everlasting. Amen.

Prayer of the Church

+ Celebrating birthdays this week: 30 – Karen Frimel; 31 – Andrew Grossenheider; 1 – Frank Gaal; 2 – Maggie Bach, Kadyn Hempel
+ Wedding anniversaries: 29 – Jon & Sue Schultz

Special Celebrations and Needs:
+ Church family members: Judy George, recovering from heart surgery; Judy Thielker
+ Friends of our congregation: Gary Brugere, undergoing hip surgery; Donna, friend of the Brugere family, experiencing vascular health issues
+ Those who are homebound or in nursing facilities: Mary Guion, Corinne Gutzler, Anne Hammann, Bettie Welch, Joan Winkler, Ruth Wussler

Offertory
Offering
We are excited to announce a new option for electronic giving using your mobile device. Please scan the following QR code or visit https://tithe.ly/give?c=815174 to make a donation.
+ Sacrament +

The Words of Our Lord
P:  Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My + body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My + blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Lord’s Prayer
C:  Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Pax Domini
P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C:  And also with you.

Distribution

Blessing

Benediction
P:  The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.
C:  Amen.

Closing Hymn – Go Tell It on the Mountain (LSB 388)

Refrain: Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and ev’rywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!

While shepherds kept their watching
O’er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light. Refrain

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo, above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Savior’s birth. Refrain

Down in a lonely manger
The humble Christ was born;
And God sent us salvation
That blessèd Christmas morn. Refrain

Postlude
+ + +

+ WORSHIP LEADERS +
Preacher/Celebrant/Liturgist – Pastor Scott
Pianist/Organist – Jim Thielker
Communion – Mike Toney
Sound/Video – Ken Clark
Lector – Beth Nicolaus
Usher – Mike Toney
Bible Class Sound/Video – Tony Petzoldt

+ + +

Altar Flowers this morning are given by Jack & Janet Hurley
In thanksgiving to God for blessings received

Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.