Rejoice! I’ll say it again: Rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord always! That’s Paul’s encouragement to us in these final days before we celebrate our Savior’s birth. Paul wrote those words from prison! How can he rejoice? Because he knows that in Jesus, there is nothing that can truly harm us, nothing that can separate us from God’s love. John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord by pointing everyone to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Behold! The Lamb of God! That’s who we come to see this weekend as we celebrate the Fourth Sunday in Advent. And because Jesus is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, we’ll rejoice!
Immediately after the Divine Service on Sunday, we’ll have our CHRISTMAS SINGING AND PROGRAM. We’ll pick our favorite Christmas songs and sing them. After some singing, our youth and children will tell the Christmas story. Afterward, join us in the gym for some Christmas treats and fellowship!
We’ll also be going CHRISTMAS CAROLING on Sunday afternoon. Meet at church at 1:00 and we’ll visit some of our homebound members to bring them some Christmas cheer! We’ll end with a snack/light supper provided at our last stop.
While you’re at church the weekend, make sure to grab something from the ZPN BAKE SALE in the Narthex. There’s all kinds of treats to be had for the price of a free will offering.
Once more, the times for our holiday worship services are as follows:
Christmas Eve: 3 PM, 7 PM, and 11 PM (same service; all with candlelight)
Christmas Day: 9 AM
New Year’s Eve: 7 PM
NOTE: No Wednesday evening services on December 25 and January 1.
I hope and pray that you will have a merry and blessed Christmas as we celebrate our Savior’s birth. Please remember in your prayers all those who struggle during the holidays with loneliness, financial difficulties, unemployment, family problems, and grief. Take time to check in on them and see what you can do to be there for them. That’s all part of the love that Christ gives, reflected in His Body, the church.
Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Get ready! Jesus is coming! He was there at the manger. He’s there at the altar. He’ll be here on the clouds of heaven. See you in the Divine Service!
In Christ,
Pastor Buetow
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