Happy Thanksgiving! We’re off visiting family in Kentucky this week and will be back Sunday night. Thank you to the President Allan Buss of the Northern Illinois District who is covering our services on Thanksgiving Eve, and this coming Saturday and Sunday.
Do take time to worship TONIGHT at 7pm. It’s Divine Service for THANKSGIVING EVE. The word “eucharist” is the Greek word for Thanksgiving and it’s also a name of Holy Communion. While we give thanks to God for all He has given us, the best way to give Him thanks is to receive the gifts He has for you!
Happy Thanksgiving from our Zion School kiddos!
This coming weekend, the season of ADVENT begins! A new Church Year. A new year centered on the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and His building up of the church through the Spirit’s work. This coming weekend is Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. That means something big is about to happen: We’re going to celebrate His birth. Advents gets us ready for Christmas, but it also gets us ready for Jesus coming on the clouds of heaven in all His glory. In the meantime, we are made ready by Jesus coming to us in His gifts of Word, water, Body and Blood.
During Advent, we’ll have ADVENT SUPPERS on Wednesday Evenings at 5:30 PM, followed by EVENING PRAYER with COMMUNION at 7 PM. I hope you’ll take some extra time out of the Christmas season craziness to enjoy the fellowship of your church family and the peace and comfort of Jesus’ Word and Supper.
Thank you to everyone who helped put up our Advent and Christmas decorations. We had a great crew and were done in just a few hours!
Don’t forget all the great opportunities for worship and fellowship in the coming weeks of December.
As we move into the Advent and then Christmas season, we have lots of things going on around Zion.
Here are dates for your December Calendar:
Wednesdays, December 4, 11, and 18, 5:30 PM – Advent Suppers followed by Evening Prayer with Communion
Saturday, December 14, 4-7 PM – Live Nativity (Saturday service will be at the manger!)
Sunday, December 22, 10:15 AM – Family Christmas Sing and Program.
Sunday, December 22, 1 PM – Christmas Caroling (meet at church)
Tuesday, December 24 – 3 PM, 7 PM, 11 PM – Christmas Eve Divine Services
Wednesday, December 25, 9 AM – Christmas Day Divine Service
Tuesday, December 31, 7 PM – New Year’s Eve (no service Wednesday, Jan. 1)
One other note: The Church Office will be CLOSED on Friday.
The Lord bless your Thanksgiving celebration and a Happy Church New Year. Here’s a prayer for those who will be traveling over the holiday week.
Lord God our Father, you kept Abraham and Sarah in safety throughout the days of their pilgrimage, You led the children of Israel through the midst of the sea, and by a star You led the Wise Men to the infant Jesus. protect and guide us now in this time as we set out to travel. Make our ways safe and our homecomings joyful, and bring us at last to our heavenly home, where You dwell in glory with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
In Christ,
Pastor Buetow
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