For more financial information, see our Budget and Expenses
page!
Contact us:
13564 St. Andrews Drive
Seal Beach, CA 90740
Phone: (562) 598-8697
Fax: (562) 598-8697
email: redeemer_lutheran@verizon.net
website: redeemersealbeach.com
Sunday Holy Communion Service is at 10:30 a.m.
St. Theodore of Canterbury Episcopal Church
Joins with us in Worship
Midweek Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Thursday, October 3, 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
May God Almighty, the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Giver of Faith bless us and keep us forever.
On this first Sunday in October, the appointed readings will first take us to the opening pages of the Bible in Genesis and the creation of the man and woman, telling us the biblical story of the beginning of humanity. Then Psalm 8 will tell us of God’s intent for these human beings God fashioned from the dust of the ground. Then we will read from the Book of Hebrews how God crowned humanity with glory and honor and how Jesus willingly calls us his sisters and brothers. The Holy Gospel reading from Mark 10 tells us of the deep relationships we humans have with each other and with God. Four wonderful passages of Holy Scripture… a biblical feast for worshippers and preachers this coming Sunday! The sermon title is “Creation, Relation, Salvation.”
Please join us for worship and fellowship as we begin this new month as the people of God.
We give thanks for Susan Avila, Susan Cooper, and Annie Willequer who joined the congregation last week by transfer from another faith community and by affirmation of faith. We thank them for their involvements and participation in the months past and for deciding to join the membership of the congregation at this time.
It was brought to my attention after we handed these new members certificates and a notebook containing the church’s constitution, membership roster, and a few other documents, that in the past some who officially joined the membership of the congregation did not receive a certificate and/or a notebook. We can easily do that retroactively for any and all who like to have a certificate and a notebook. If you would, please let me or one of the council members know of your wish and tell us the year you joined the congregation’s membership.
Wednesday Bible Study from 12:00-1:15 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall downstairs … Our study of the Ten Commandments, (also known as “The Decalogue.”) continues. This coming week we will conclude our conversation on the Fourth Commandment, “Honor your father and mother,” and begin the study of the Fifth Commandment which forbids murder and so much more. The primary biblical texts are Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. We are weaving into our study an
overview of the history of the Israelite nation in order to put the Ten Commandments in their historical and religious context. Please bring your Bible, and also a catechism if you have one. You may, of course, bring your lunch if you wish. Invite a neighbor or friend if you are able. Beverages are provided and often a special treat (cake, pie, cookies, cobbler, etc.) is generously and lovingly shared. All are always welcome!
The peace and love of God be with you all,
The Rev. Murray D. Finck
+The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
Midweek Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
May God Almighty, the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Giver of Faith bless us and keep us forever.
Live Generously. The Scripture readings for the Second Sunday in October, identify a particular group of people that were often the subject of the preaching and teaching of the prophets of old and the New Testament writers, and Jesus himself. The call for us to live generously, caring for the needs of the less fortunate is an often-repeated word to the people of God, as our Lord gives us the privilege of being the hands and the heart of a generous God. Please join us for worship and fellowship. PS. We are going to spend a couple of moments with the Fiddler on the Roof.
Hurricane Relief is being gathered through both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church USA. The links are below for both the Lutheran Disaster Response and Episcopal Relief and Development websites. Click on one or both of the links for more information and the possibility of making a much-needed donation online or through the mail.
htps://community.elca.org/lutherandisasterresponse Hurricane Relief Fund
Certificate and Notebooks. We have heard from several who responded to our awareness that some of our members who joined the congregation in past years did not receive a certificate and/or a notebook. We can get those for you. Please fill out the form below and bring it or send it to us.
Wednesday Bible Study from 12:00-1:15 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall downstairs … Our study of the Ten Commandments, (also known as “The Decalogue.”) continues with the Fifth Commandment, which addresses the sanctity of life. The primary biblical texts are Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. We are weaving into our study an overview of the history of the Israelite nation in order to put the Ten Commandments in their t historical and religious context.
Please bring your Bible, and also a catechism if you have one. You may, of course, bring your lunch if you wish. Invite a neighbor or friend if you are able. Beverages are provided and often a special treat (cake, pie, cookies, cobbler, etc.) is generously and lovingly shared. All are always welcome!
The peace and love of God be with you all,
+The Rev. Murray D. Finck
+The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
Midweek Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Saturday, October 19, 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
May God Almighty, the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Giver of Faith bless us and keep us day by day.
The worshipping community is in for a real treat this coming Sunday, October 20th, as the Reverend Brad Stienstra will be the guest preacher and presider. Pastor Stienstra has been at our congregation before, a little over a year ago in early September 2023. He is a retired ELCA pastor, living with his wife, Carol, in Huntington Beach. Over his nearly 50 years of pastoral ministry, he served at Christ Lutheran in Orange, Trinity Lutheran in Riverside, Newport Harbor in Newport Beach, and he has done a number of interim and supply ministries since his retirement. I am sure he will receive the usual warm welcome as he comes this Sunday as our guest pastor.
The biennial gathering of the ELCA Retired and Former Bishops & Spouses is bringing together more than 100 of our former colleagues and dear friends as we meet in Tempe, Arizona. That takes us to Arizona this week. Rhoda and I have been on the planning team for this event. Our Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, will be with us, as well as teaching theologians and other ELCA staff members. We will be back in California and with our congregation next Sunday, October 27th.
Speaking of next Sunday… the last Sunday in October is always designated as Reformation Sunday, wherein we observe the anniversary of the Protestant Reformation that took a significant turn on October 31, 1517, when Dr. Martin Luther posted on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany 95 theses calling for reform in the church. We will observe this historic day, now 507 years later, as we also continue to pray for unity within Christ’s Church. The color of the day is RED, and worshippers are invited to wear something RED that Sunday.
A reminder… the memorial service for the Reverend Nancy Sinclair, the retired vicar of Saint Theodore of Canterbury, will be Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 11:00 AM at Saint Wilfred of York Episcopal Church, 18631 Chapel Lane, Huntington Beach.
Hurricane Relief is being gathered through both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church USA. The links are below for both the Lutheran Disaster Response and Episcopal Relief and Development websites. Click on one or both of the links for more information and the possibility of making a much-needed donation online or through the mail.
Hurricane Relief Fund
The Wednesday Bible Study will NOT be meeting this week on October 23rd but will continue on October 30th, studying the 5th and 6th commandments.
Certificate and Notebooks. We have heard from several who responded to our awareness that some of our members who joined the congregation in past years did not receive a certificate and/or a notebook. We can get those for you. Please fill out the form below and bring it or send it to us.
The peace and love of God be with you all,
+The Rev. Murray D. Finck
+The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
Midweek Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Friday, November 1, 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
Many blessings to you all on this ALL SAINTS’ DAY!
On All Saints’ Day we remember and give thanks for those who have gone before us in the faith, and at the same time, we celebrate that we are among the living saints today—the “communion of saints” we speak of every week as we profess our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed.
This coming Sunday, we will be observing ALL SAINTS’ SUNDAY. During worship, we will remember those who have lived and died in the sure and certain hope of God’s gifts of grace and new life, and we will revel in the reality that we ourselves are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,” as the writer to the Letter to the Hebrews calls us (Hebrews 13:1) During the service, we will pay special tribute to those from our congregation who have died in the past year. The sermon message will address one of the many images the Holy Scriptures offers us about the Kingdom of God.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR AND ENJOY THAT EXTRA HOUR OF SLEEP OR RELAXATION ON SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE WORSHIP.
The Wednesday Bible Study will continue it meeting this week on November 6th as we study the 6th and 7th Commandments that speak to us about marriage, fidelity and faithfulness, human sexuality, and how we do our part in protecting and preserving the properties of our neighbors.
Hurricane Relief is being gathered through both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church USA. The links are below for both the Lutheran Disaster Response and Episcopal Relief and Development websites. Click on one or both of the links for more information and the possibility of making a much-needed donation online or through the mail.
Hurricane Relief Fund
The first of two congregational meetings will be held next week, November 10th, immediately following the worship service. If you are a member, please plan to stay for a few extra minutes. If you are not a member, you are welcome to stay and observe or leave at that time.
The peace and love of God be with you all of you saints!
+The Rev. Murray D. Finck
+The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
Midweek Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Monday, 04 November 2024 – Sent on Tuesday, 05 November 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
It is Monday and I have been thinking about you today. I wrote a few lines to send to you tomorrow on Tuesday, November 5th, the National Day of Election. Over the past weeks, while we have striven to be totally non-partisan within our congregation, I have spoken to a number of you one-on-one who have offered concerns and commentary from “both sides of the aisle.” Just like the nation of which we are a part, just like my extended family, the people of our congregation are not of one mind and heart when it comes to our political leanings and alliances. That is quite understandable, and, of course, it is completely acceptable in our democracy and in our land of the free.
As I imagine many of you also do, I listen to and watch the news, read the newspaper, open my emails and text messages, and talk with people on the phone. This year, perhaps more than any other year in my own memory, I have heard words and language filled with genuine nervousness, great anxiety, grave concern, even anger, and much uncertainty. This morning, I heard a commentator lamenting that normally we would look to the “facts and the realities” to know what is “true;” but, said the commentator, “in today's political environment half the nation believes in one set of facts and the other half embraces a totally different and opposing set of facts, and both sides believe their differing facts are absolutely true.” Our nation has never been of one mind, but today it is very divided, and for many people, that is unsettling.
We are hearing… “…that it is a time of historic consequences,” “…that it is the wildest national campaign in American history,” “…that it is a time when we may have for the first time a woman as the head of state, or we may have the oldest elected president we have ever had, and never before have we had the same person running in three consecutive presidential elections.” No matter which way the votes go, after all the counting and tabulating has been done, it will be a historic moment for the people of the United States.
I want to send this election day message of pastoral care to our beloved and faithful congregation. We are a tiny microcosm of this nation—not all of the same mind and heart politically. I encourage us to know and believe that God has always been and will always continue to be our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Giver of Faith. This is God's world that our Lord God loves so much that God sent the only-begotten Son to bring hope and love, faith and life to an imperfect world, society, and people. God asks us first to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and might,” and then God asks us to “love our neighbors (our friends, our family members, and everyone else) as we love ourselves,” and that includes loving the person across the street whose political leanings and front yard signs are completely opposite of our own.
Today I am praying for a calm and gentle spirit. I am entrusting the days ahead to God. I know at the end of day, I will have either emotions of great joy and thanksgiving or I will be saddened and deeply disappointed, depending on how the final votes are tallied. I will seek God's grace and mercy and love as we live with the results of today's elections, and I will ask for the Spirit of God to bring calm into our anxieties and bring faith into our uncertainties. I am praying the opening lines of Ray Repp’s hymn which echo the words of Jesus,
“Into your hands we commend our spirits, O Lord,
Into your hands we commend our hearts…”
May the care of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – give you calm and peace,
+The Rev. Murray D. Finck
+The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
Midweek Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Friday, November 15, 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
The grace and peace of Christ Jesus be with you this (windy) Friday. I have a few concerns to share with you today.
It is day two of the Holiday Bazaar going on in the Fellowship Hall downstairs. There has been a continuous flow of people meandering through the more than 20 tables of hand-made crafts, treasures, keepsakes, pottery, jewelry, paintings, artistic expressions, knitted and sewn items, baked goods, and other items, all the while being serenaded by Mickey on the guitar. Many people helped to orchestrate and set up this event. We are thankful to those willing hands and hearts.
This coming Sunday morning, November 17th is the second last Sunday of the Christian Church’s calendar. The appointed scriptures for this week remind us that Jesus told his followers that after he returned to his heavenly home, he would indeed return again at the end of time. Sunday’s focus will remind us that as we profess our faith in the words of the creeds, we proclaim Jesus’ promise “that he will come again to judge the living and dead.” We will contemplate the meaning of this as we live day by day not knowing when he will return or when we will enter into our eternal rest.
The Wednesday Bible Study which meets from 12:00-1:15 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall downstairs is taking a break from its study of the Ten Commandments—The Decalogue. For several reasons as we move into these holiday seasons, the class will not meet until Wednesday, January 8, 2025. We will then continue and finish our study of the Ten Commandments and decide on the next focus of our weekly gatherings.
Have you noticed the new pens in the pew racks. Thank you to Nancy and Bruce for ordering these and replacing the worn-out pens and pencils. Another set is being ordered that will highlight St. Theodore of Canterbury Episcopal Church.
One final word and picture. Leisure World resident, Edward Hickman, presented us with a very old and well-preserved Bible. Inside the cover of the Bible is a label indicating that it may have been presented to someone or owned by a man named Joseph C. Bruce in 1846. We thank Mr. Hickman for thinking of us and for his kind generosity. The Bible as been placed on the altar in the back corner of the sanctuary.
The peace and love of God be with you all,
+The Rev. Murray D. Finck
+The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
Midweek Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Friday, 22 November 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
God’s care, grace, and love surround you all! Today I am sending a short communiqué of “one liners.”
+Rhoda and I are in Virginia with our daughter, her husband, and our sweet 18-month-old grandson.
+This coming “Christ the King Sunday,” Nov. 24, is the last Sunday in this year’s Church Calendar.
+Next Sunday, December 1, is the First Sunday of Advent and is the first day of a New Church Calendar.
+The congregation is blessed again to have Rev. Brad Steinstra preaching & presiding these two Sundays.
+We are thankful to Pastor Steinstra as we welcome him again into our community and worship.
+The Wednesday 12:00 p.m. Bible Study is taking a break until January 8, 2025.
+There will be two Advent Gatherings on December 11 & 18, beginning at 3:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
+The theme this year for the coming Advent Season and the Gatherings is “Let There Be Light!”
+The Advent Gatherings will begin with an hour of inspiration and the singing of favorite seasonal hymns.
+Following the first hour, there will be a shared meal beginning at 4:00 p.m. at the Advent Gatherings.
+All are always welcome to attend the worship, Bible studies, and other events and gatherings.
+A blessed Day of Thanksgiving to all as you celebrate this national day of gratitude and appreciation!
+As the sun sets earlier each day, may our God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – give you light and hope,
In thanksgiving and appreciation for you,
Pastor Murray
+The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
PS. One of the main reasons we are in Virginia these days.
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Thanksgiving Time, The Last Days of November, 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
We hope you are all have had a holy and blessed time of Thanksgiving. We are having wonderful days with our daughter, her husband, and their 17-month son, our beloved grandson.
One of our celebrations this week was little Ethan Alexander’s day of baptism as we gathered on the James River in Williamsburg where Ethan was brought into the anointed family of God in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It was a beautiful day! Rhoda had prayed that God would assure us of God’s presence among us that afternoon. As we finished the baptism and looked out over the river emptying into Chesapeake Bay, there on a perfectly warm and sunny day was a rainbow in the sky. We knew God was near.
We will be heading for Washington DC early next week, then we will be flying home
midweek and will be back with you on Sunday, December 8th. Again we give thanks for
Pastor Brad Stienstra who will be again preaching and presiding over the service on
December 1st, the First Sunday of Advent.
This is a prayer of Thanksgiving we prayed this week.
Dear Lord, today we give you thanks for your bounty and abundance,
and at the same time we pray for those in need.
We pray for those who are lonely as we give thanks for our family and friends.
We pray for those who are confined or oppressed as we give thanks for the freedoms
we are privileged to enjoy.
We pray for those who are ill or injured as we give thanks for our health and wellness.
We pray for the hungry, homeless, and those without the necessities of life, as we are privileged to enjoy.
Help us, Oh Lord, to share our blessings with others at this time and throughout the
year.
May the love of God, the Father enfold us, may the peace of Christ Jesus dwell within us, and may the joy of the Spirit of God + uplift us. Amen.
God’s peace and safekeeping be with you all,
+Murray D. Finck
The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
The First Days of Advent & the First Days of December 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
Grace and peace to you as we are on the move…
WSWDWWW?
WSWDWWW?…moving into the last month of the year
…moving through the season of Advent &
&…moving every day closer to Christmas
…moving forward as people of faith and hope. LTBL!
LTBL!For the next 30 days, we will move through and into The month of December
three seasons in the Christian Church calendar, and all will have
will havethree of these times emphasize the Light of Christ and two interconnected themes
two interconnected themeshow our gracious God has again and again ushered light and these two acronyms into the shadows and darkness of universal chaos and might help
and these two acronyms into the shadows and darkness of universal chaos and might helpinto the shadows and darkness of universal chaos and us to remember them.
especially into a fallen humanity in need of mercy and love.
The first word of God as recorded in the Holy Scriptures (Genesis 1:3) is
Let there be light!
The Light of God will be the primary focus of our two Advent gatherings on
Wednesdays, December 11th and 18th
as we gather in the Fellowship Hall at 3:00 pm for study, devotions, and singing.
At 4:00 pm we will share a meal together.
As always, all are welcome. Please invite a neighbor, friend, or family member to join us as we celebrate and experience the
Light of God.
The worship services at 10:30 am in the sanctuary for the next 30 days will have a common theme (WSWDWWW)
What Shall We Do While We Watch?
Second Sunday of Advent – December 8
What Shall We Do While We Wait?
Third Sunday of Advent – December 15
What Shall We Do While We Want?
Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 22
What Shall We Do While We Wonder?
Nativity of our Lord-Christmas Eve-December 24
What Shall We Do While We Work?
First Sunday of Christmas – December 29
What Shall We Do While We Wander?
Sunday of the Epiphany – January 5
The theme of “Light” will also be woven into these Sunday services and the service on Christmas Eve.
God’s peace and safekeeping be with you all,
+Murray D. Finck
The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Wednesday, the 11th of December 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
May the grace, love, and joy of God be with you this day.
LTBL!
The first word of God as recorded in the Holy Scriptures (Genesis 1:3) is
Let there be light!
This brief message today is a reminder about the
first of our two midweek
Advent Gatherings
starting today and then another next Wednesday, December 18th. Here are the details…
The Light of God will be the primary focus of our two Midweek Advent gatherings on
Wednesdays, December 11th and 18th
as we gather in the Fellowship Hall at 3:00 pm for study, devotions, and singing.
At 4:00 pm we will share a meal together.
As always, all are welcome. Please invite a neighbor, friend, or family member to join us as we celebrate and experience the
Light of God.
For the next four weeks, as we will move through and into three seasons in the Christian Church calendar, the Light of Christ will be emphasized in our Scriptural readings and in our worship as we hear of our gracious God ushering light into the shadows and darkness of universal chaos and especially into a fallen humanity in need of mercy and love.
The theme of “Light” will also be woven into our
10:30 a.m. Sunday Worship services
for the next four weeks and also during the
10:30 a.m. service on Christmas Eve,
December 24th.
God’s peace and safekeeping be with you all,
+Murray D. Finck
The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Saturday, December 21, 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
May the waiting and watching of these Advent days, fill you with expectation and hope as we draw near to celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus
Tomorrow, the Fourth Sunday of Advent gathers us for worship as we continue to ask the nearly identical question over this six-week period from Advent, through Christmas, and on to Epiphany…
What Shall We Do While We
Wait?
Watch?
Want?
Wonder?
Work?
Wander?
Please join us for worship at 10:30 a.m. which, as always, will offer Holy Communion.
Thank you to the congregation for the Wedding Anniversary you gave to Rhoda and me this past Wednesday as we celebrated our 53rd anniversary. Also we thank you for the pastoral appreciation and affirmation card and gift you gave several weeks ago. We are deeply grateful for your kindness and your generosity.
The Midweek Advent Gatherings the past two Wednesdays were very well attended. We came together to focus on the “Light of God,” to learn, to sing, to pray, and to share a meal. We thank those who planned, prepared foods, set up and cleaned up the Fellowship Hall. Many willing hands and hearts made for wonderful events during this special season in the life of the church.
We will worship on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24th, at 10:30 a.m. and all are welcome. The service will be a tapestry of Christmas readings and Christmas carols, woven together as we celebrate the birth of the Son of God, Christ Jesus. Immediately following the worship service, a Christmas lunch will be offered in the Fellowship Hall downstairs. The theme of the day will focus on the Light of Christ and following that theme, luminaries of light will enhance both the worship and the lunch. All are welcome!
God’s peace and safekeeping be with you all,
+Murray D. Finck
The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Saturday, December 28, 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
I pray that God is ever with you (Emanuel) as we draw near to the end of 2024, giving you health, safe-keeping, and joy.
Thank you! Rhoda and I thank you for the many different ways you expressed your care toward us these past days as you showered us with both Christmas greetings and anniversary well-wishes. Your kind and thoughtful words, cards, and unexpected generosity is deeply appreciated. Thank you! Thank you! You are a wonderful congregation of God’s beloved people!
Sunday worship. This coming Sunday, December 29th, takes us into the early childhood of Jesus and how his family faithfully observed the celebrations of their faith (just as we celebrate in special ways Christmas and Easter and other important observances in the Church Calendar.) At a young age, Jesus is already going about the mission he came to bring to a people and a world God dearly loves. As we worship this Sunday, let us go with Jesus, at age 12, into the House of God, to listen and learn and be filled with God’s Spirit and presence. You may wish to read Luke 2:41-52 before worship this week. I hope to see you Sunday morning as we ask the fifth question in our sermon series… What Shall We Do While We Work?
A reminder. As New Year’s Day falls on Wednesday this coming week, our midweek activities, including our Wednesday Bible Study will not be meeting. We will gather again for our ongoing study of the Ten Commandment on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall downstairs.
God’s peace and blessings be with you all,
+Murray D. Finck
The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
Happy New Year! I hope this beginning of a new year finds you in good health. May God surround you with grace, peace, and love.
We hold in our hearts and prayers the people grieving and suffering in New Orleans, (and all of us across our nation) following yet another tragedy at the hands of those who bring chaos and evil into our world and lives. Let us pray that God’s Spirit will move hearts and minds toward a better way for us to live one with another.
January 1st. While the Bible does not specify the exact date of Jesus' birth, early Western Christians chose December 25th to align with existing festivals which celebrated the winter solstice. By coinciding with these observances, it became easier to integrate and promote Christianity within the Roman Empire. If Jesus was born on December 25th, then, according to Jewish law, it was 8 days later, on January 1st that Jesus would have been taken to a synagogue or the temple wherein he would enter into his conventional relationship with God through circumcision, and during that ritual, he was officially given his name. (read Genesis 17 and 21 for more about this.) Both Mary and Joseph had been told by angels in separate visions that the baby was to be named Jesus, which means, “the one who saves.” Today, the eighth day after we celebrate Jesus’ birth, is a very important day in nativity narrative.
Sunday worship. This coming Sunday, January 5th, is one day before the Festival Day of Epiphany… the day in the calendar of the Christian Church when we observe the story of the Sagas from the East—the Wise Men—who traveled long distances, following biblical prophecy and a bright light in the heavens, to find the baby and his parents. (Please see the photo below.) That story from Matthew 2 and other biblical passages that foretold the Visit of the Magi will be the focus of the readings, hymns, and sermon on this coming Sunday morning, January 5th. The sermon, the final in a series of six sermons, is entitled, “What Shall We Do While We Wander?” Any and all are always invited and welcomed.
A reminder: The Wednesday Bible Study will gather again for our ongoing study of the Ten Commandment on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall downstairs.
God’s peace and blessings be with you all,
+Murray D. Finck
The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
