It’s never been my habit to do a lot of baking during the Christmas season. It may be I was traumatized by the notoriously unreliable ovens in seminary apartment kitchens. (Apartment maintenance was not a priority for LSTC back in the cash-strapped 1970’s.) Or it may be as I started out in the parish there never seemed to be time for baking and other holiday activities. Or it may be I know if I bake, and we have goodies in the house – we will eat them
Start the New Year with the Men’s Breakfast, Tuesday, January 4 at 8:30 a.m. The pancakes and all the trimmings will be served in Henderson Hall.
As 2021 comes to an end, either on New Year’s Eve or any time, we invite you to use our meditation from 2020 to take time to look to the new year as you listen to music played by Anne Krentz Organ as you view images of St. Luke’s. You may wish to choose readings and reflections that have meaning to you or to use this guide for scripture and reflective reading.
Nativity scenes are all around us. Over the years in my parish ministry we had children’s processions at the beginning of each Advent liturgy. On the first Advent Sunday they would bring in the stable, the straw, and light the first candle. In successive liturgies would come the animals, the shepherds, the wise men, the mom and dad. And then the baby.
Thursdays at 12:00 p.m. via Zoom, beginning January 6. The focus of the Bible Study would remain the same: a study of the texts for the coming Sunday. Teaching and studying scripture is one of the great joys of Pastor Bouman’s ministry. Epiphany is a great time to grow in God’s Word! If you are need of a zoom invitation link, please contact Pastor Bouman.
Once every three years, our lectionary gives us Mary’s song. A joyous proclamation of her faith in what would become a defining moment for her as she stands in the doorway of Elizabeth’s house. And every three years, there seems to be debate and conversation on social media regarding the song, “Mary, did you know?” This year was no different. And as we move into this 4th week of advent and hear Mary’s song, I can across a reflection on this exact topic from Timothy Marcus Smith, ELCA Bishop of the North Carolina Synod that I wanted to share as a part of this week’s Pastors Blog:
If you love to read, you’ll want to join the Page Turners Book Club. They are gearing up for the new year with a brand new book for each month of the year.
In Advent we wait for the light…
A sign above the door tells you to “wait for the light” when you get off the bus in Manhattan. But when you get off the bus on the Lower East Side the sign is also in Spanish and says, “espere la luz.” In English, “wait” is not as rich, lush and romantic as the Spanish “esperar,” which means to wait, hope, expect and anticipate all at once. The light for which we wait is Jesus Christ. And we not only wait for the light, but hope for it, anticipate it, work toward it, and long for it.
As a child, I always enjoyed a holiday – any holiday. It meant that we would decorate the house with appropriate garb and it always looked festive whether it was spring blooms or fall leaves. The one thing I did not like, however, was the cleaning that went into the preparation of the arrival of holiday guests.
Due to pandemic restrictions, the annual Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols will be held online again this year. Our musicians have created a wonderful program that you will not want to miss. Read more for the details.