I have been home but a few days and that land still lingers within my memory. That “Holy” Land. I lay in bed at night with my window open. The cool and freshness of the night air fills my room. I no longer hear the usual sounds of the night. The rubber meeting the road on the highway, the dog barking off in the distance, the whistle blow of the night train have all been replaced. I lay in my bed and remember the sights, sounds and the people of that place. I hear the call to prayer high on a mountain top and remember the people. I hear the church bells echoing off the thick, stone walls of the old city in Jerusalem and remember the people. I still smell the aroma of the market place in Nazareth and Bethlehem, remembering the people. I see the River Jordan where John baptized Jesus and remember the people. I see the clear water of the Sea of Galilee and remember the people. I hear the waves of the Mediterranean Sea and remember the people. I remember the sites we have seen, where Jesus was born and the rolling hills where the shepherds watched. The place where Mary lived and the angel came. I remember the ground that Jesus and the disciples walked and temptation by Satan occurred. I remember the place where Jesus was nailed to the cross as those who loved him were witness. I remember all of this and much more but still what I remember most are the people.

Anyone who has teens (or works with teens, or has even just driven past a high school or middle school lately) knows that no matter how cold it is, they avoid wearing winter coats. Instead, they want sweatshirts and hoodies—either pullover or zip-up.

It is a rare quiet moment on a Sunday morning. Thanksgiving is in just a few short days, people are already talking Christmas and it is cold outside but for a moment it is still and quiet. As I consider the things I am thankful for this year, I can’t help but think of those who live in Jerusalem, or Paris, or Beirut, or Mali or any of the other myriad places where violence has struck and be thankful that all whom I love are safe and living. My heart breaks for this world and for those caught in the crossfire of hatred and power. Sometimes it is overwhelming and I wonder what I can possibly do to make a difference. In fact, I have heard people say: well, there is nothing I can do so… The reality is there is something we can all do but unless we all invest in peace, the Prince of Peace whom we call for during Advent, has no hope of making inroads into the violence that seems to be everywhere.

Greetings to you from Hungary! I have now been living in Hungary for three months as a volunteer with Young Adults in Global Mission! When I arrived in August, I spent the first two weeks with six other YAGMs and our new country coordinator at a Lutheran Retreat Center in Révfülöp, a small town on the beautiful Lake Balaton. We spent these weeks learning Hungarian, studying the Bible, bonding and exploring the area. After our time in small town Hungary, we traveled to Budapest for one last week together before going to our individual sites. We attended a workshop with Phiren Amenca (a network of Roma and non-Roma volunteers and voluntary service organizations creating opportunities for non-formal education, dialogue and engagement, in order to challenge stereotypes and racism), explored the city and even went to see a performance of the Georges Bizet’s opera, Carmen. On our last day in Budapest, we were met by our site mentors and after a sending worship, we said goodbye and traveled to our individual sites.

Christmas lights are everywhere in December, they are in and on homes, at the mall, on the street posts and even in our parks. Driving through lighted neighborhoods is something I enjoy this time of year. Seeing how people decorate their homes is alway fun. Some homes decorate extensively, others just right and some just a little bit. I love seeing all the lights of Christmas. My favorite show is going to the Rotary Lights and slowly driving through looking at all the wonderful light displays. Seeing Christmas tree lights in the windows of homes is another favorite of mine. Looking at my own Christmas tree with it all lit up, when it’s dark outside and the TV is off and I can just enjoy this simple pleasure of lights.

It is that time of year to enjoy traditions that the Christmas season brings. One of our Christmas traditions we are busy preparing for here at First Lutheran is our Sunday school Christmas Worship. It is a wonderful time of year and a great way for our kids to spread their Christmas joy!

Below are some of the details that will hopefully help clarify any questions you may have.
Please pay particular attention to the details for each age group on December 16!

Meet at the church on December 11, from 6–7pm down in the Fellowship Hall to decorate Christmas cookies. The cookies will be handed out as gifts to residents that we visit when the church goes caroling on December 13. Parents are more then welcome, even encouraged to attend, the cookie decorating event!!

The holiday season is always a good time for fellowship with friends old and new as we prepare for the birth of Christ. The OWLs have developed a couple of traditions for the holiday season. The details are below and as always will look forward to including new people in our activities. December is a great month to give us try, Christmas spirit abounds and the fun is continuous.

Many of us have had jobs where we had to stay on our feet pretty much all day. Mechanics in the pit, nurses walking between rooms at a quick pace and restaurant servers come to mind. Even more of us can think of jobs we’ve had that are labor intensive: farming, construction work, teaching… at the end of a long day at work, it feels good to sit down to the table with loved ones where you can take a deep a breath and leave the fever pitch of work and activities and life in general.

First Teen Clothes Closet is a busy place. While most members may not notice it, the upper level of “the house” next door has been visited on at least a weekly basis over the last four months by young people in need of simple clothes to get them through. More than 60 individuals have been able to find the things they need — a total of nearly 600 clothing and footwear items, plus toiletries, feminine products and items such as belts, purses and accessories. Through your donations, both of gently used age-appropriate clothing and funds to be used to purchase toiletries and undergarments, we have provided 165 shirts, more than 70 pairs of jeans and pants, 83 pairs of shorts, 55 pairs of shoes, 23 dresses and much more.

Let’s pray for beautiful weather so that we can use this verse to guide and remind us that God is always there watching over us especially as we try to find our way through the Hidden Trails Corn Maze. The young youth will be venturing to Hidden Trails Corn Maze on October 10th from 3-6pm. The cost is yet to be determined. It’s bound to be a fun afternoon filled with adventure!! The more the merrier so I hope to see you there!

September began with a fun potluck and music from the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s sitting on the deck at the Narvesons. It was a beautiful day and fun was had by all. The month was completed with a tour of Mayowood Mansion and Gardens in Rochester.

I remember the days when my daughters where in school. It was so exciting getting everything ready for the new school year: new clothes, new shoes, new school supplies. My girls would line up all their school supplies in their rooms for a month before school started. Then, when we got the school calendar and other events calendars, we would mark everything down on our family calendar. I would have a different color for everyone: LeAnn would be red, Sarah green, I would be pink, and Perry would be blue. I would mark down everything, so nothing was missed. Church worship and activities were so important to us, and we would try not to miss anything. I know we get so busy that sometimes we forget how important it is to pencil in serving at church.

Throughout this program year, you will hear a lot about tables. You will hear about God’s constant welcome at the altar table. You will consider how God is present at your own kitchen table. And you will be asked to use your imagination in such a way to see how our congregation acts as a table where those in need come to be fed with God’s word, with clothes from our teen clothes closet, with assistance and spiritual strength.

Many people may think of the clothes closet as blessing its clients simply through giving them needed clothing. But our hosts have also seen clients blessed by being able to give back. One such client, a 20-year-old woman, visited the closet in search of black pants and a black shirt. Caught in a catch-22, she was starting a new job in which that wardrobe was required, but until she had worked and gotten a paycheck, she couldn’t afford the new clothes. While we were able to bless her with the simple things she needed to start her new job, she in turn blessed the clothes closet by donating other items of clothing from her wardrobe and offering to use some of her new income to purchase undergarments for the closet.