December 24th
6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Your invited to our
Services
There will be two worship services on Christmas Eve. The 6:00 pm service will be geared toward families with children, and will include Holy Communion and the singing of Silent Night by candlelight. The 10:00 pm service will be a festival liturgy of Word and Sacrament as well as the singing of Silent Night by candlelight.
Sunday, January 4th Worship @ 9:30 p.m. plus our annual Blessing of our House will follow outside
January 4, 2015 is the first Sunday of the new year. It is also the Second Sunday after Christmas. We will observe the close of the Christmas season with our 9:30 am with a service of Word & Sacrament. Following the service we will move outside, as was done last year, to do an Epiphany blessing of our ’house’ for the new year. Look for an appearance of the three kings!
Sunday, January 4th @ 4:00 p.m.
Lancaster Heritage Chorale Concert
Once again we are privileged to host the Lancaster Heritage Chorale as they present their final concert of the Christmas season on Sunday, January 4th beginning at 4:00 pm. This is a wonderful way to bring the Christmas season to a close. Light refreshments will be served following the concert. Everyone is welcome to attend.
November
We are now at the end of the current church year. Following our observance of All Saints Sunday, we conclude our year with three weeks of parables and teachings from Jesus which give us much to think about going into our future. The texts during this last month of the church year refer to the topic of last things, and how we are to wait for this last judgment.
The three texts from chapter 25 of St. Matthew’s gospel contain remarkable context for the end of the year, but they also anticipate the themes for the new church year which begins with Advent, and that seasons’ own themes of anticipation and hope and promise.
The three texts we will hear this month provide guidance on how to wait for the next coming of Christ. This question of “how” brings with it several ethical considerations.
For example, think about the things you do now while you wait for something. How do you make use of your time? Have you (to use the text from Matthew 25:31-46) recently fed, provided water, clothed, visited, or hosted someone? How have you spoken about another person? Have you been faithfully applying yourself to the principles of the 8th commandment? How have you loved your neighbor as yourself?
These are questions we ask both as individuals and corporately as a congregation. During this coming month we should be exploring this question of how we wait in anticipation of the return of Christ. It may lead us into new areas of service, or witness, or sharing, or invitation. Let’s see.
CLIFTON D. ESHBACH
Pastor
November 26, 7:00 p.m. held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Thanksgiving Eve Worship
The annual community Thanksgiving Eve Service will be hosted by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 222 North George St., Millersville on Wednesday, November 26th at 7:00 pm. Pastor Eshbach will be preaching and special music will be provided by the choirs of Holy Sprit, Concordia and St. Paul’s. This worship is a meaningful way to begin your Thanksgiving holiday.
