Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

It seems early, but Lent is coming. Our time of repentance and reflection begins with Ash Wednesday on February 10^th this year.

The season of Lent are the forty (excluding Sundays) prior to Easter. It is a time for solemn reflection and preparation for the death and resurrection of Christ. Beginning with the ashes of repentance and mortality, it culminates in the death of Christ. It has been traditional for adult converts to spend this period studying the faith and preparing for Baptism.

The best known tradition of Lent is fasting. Historically, some form of fasting has been a component of the days of Lenten discipline. The notion that a physical discipline of asceticism will focus one’s mind more fully on God is a common tenet in many religions. The Lenten fast is the basis for the common disciplines of “giving something up” practices and fish on Friday. Even the tradition of Easter Breakfast is a product of historically sharing a communal feast following a period of fasting.

Any discipline can have the effect of focusing on God if that is the intent. Other common Lenten Disciplines are meditation, thematic devotions, prayer practices, and giving alms (charity).

Opportunities for meditation, devotions, and prayer practices are available in various states of technological ability. Christ in our Home booklets are available in both narthexes in regular and small print. Luther Seminary provides a daily devotional series called ‘God Pause’ (RSS link is listed on the ‘study & encourage tab’) and will e-mail this series to you daily. YouVersion, a free app and online Bible source, also has an abundance of devotional materials available.

Our Midweek worship series this year focusses on change in our own lives, the world and the lives of the disciples in the days leading up to the Crucifixion. Below is the official introduction to this series from the worship architects of at Sundays & Seasons (Augsburg Fortress).

Change is a constant in our lives. Some changes mark gradual transitions, as when daytime shifts toward twilight or winter turns to spring. Others happen in the blink of an eye, separating time into “before” and “after”. We choose to undergo some changes after carefully considering our options, while others are forced upon us.

In the weeks, days, and hours before Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples also experienced change: a change of venue as the gates of Jerusalem approached; a change of plans as their long-awaited. Messiah was arrested and tried; a change of circumstance as the crowds shouted “Crucify!”

Change is hard. We long for the expected and familiar, but all too often find ourselves in the midst of uncertainty and the unknown. We cannot predict how things will turn out. The hymnwriter Joachim Neander proclaimed God’s steadfast love in the midst of life’s inevitable changes: “All my hope on God is founded who will all my trust renew, who through change and chance will guide me, only good and only true. God unknown, God alone, call my heart to be thine own”

In addition to this worship opportunity, we will also have the opportunity for almsgiving through a project in collaboration with Lutheran World Relief, a pan-Lutheran organization striving to “provide lasting solutions to poverty, injustice and human suffering.’ ‘Baskets of Promise’ is a ‘Lenten Journey’ focused on collecting items for and assembling Personal Care Kits. LWR then distributes these kits through local partners in places of need.

Whatever discipline you choose to practice throughout your Lenten journey, the purpose is to focus your attention and ultimately our lives on Jesus Christ. Lenten disciplines are techniques to deepen and nurture your faith. They serve to draw you closer and delve deeper into your relationship with Christ and other believers.

The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the crucified and risen Christ Jesus through all the seasons of the year and your life. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:44-46)

 

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. (Matthew 2:9-10)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

On January 6^th, the wise men make their appearance. Most likely gifted astrologers, they have followed an emerging star in the sky to Judah and asked the ruler for further directions to find the King of the Jews.

An epiphany is a sudden observation or realization of a concept or idea. Epiphany specifically refers to a “manifestation of a divine being.” Most commonly it refers to the revelation of the Jewish Messiah to the Gentiles – known more commonly as – the wise men visit Jesus.

The promise of the Messiah was extended to those who were not Jewish. The gift of the Savior was bestowed on both the Jews and the Gentiles. Jesus was recognized and acknowledged by foreigners as the true King come to save the world. God invited and went to the trouble of guiding non-Jews to celebrate and benefit from His gift to creation – His Son.

The joy of Christ’s incarnation, God made flesh, extended past the immediate community and into the whole world. ^“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” (John 1:14,16)

The blessings of Christ’s birth have been extended to us. They were not given exclusively to one nation or people, “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13) You are recipients of the amazing gift of the manifestation of Jesus Christ. God makes Himself known to you in Jesus Christ. God enters into your darkness to shine His light. God gives you eternal life, forgiveness of sins and salvation. You are now the children of God. Christ comes to you and is given to you.

You have your own Epiphany to spread to the rest of the world. Jesus Christ is come. God has guided you to Himself. Along with the wise men, you are privileged to worship the Lord, praise His name and know Him. The Day of Epiphany is a reminder of the light Christ shines in our own lives to claim us as His own.

Along with feasts, festivals, and grand epiphanies that make up our lives, we also have normal, everyday, run-of-the-mill days. The same is true of the church year.

As can be seen on the graph, the number of Sundays after Epiphany varies between four and eight. This variation is due to the set date in the Julian calendar of Epiphany and the lunar date calculation of Easter (based on the Jewish calendar determining Passover). This year, the season consists of a total of five Sundays between the Day of Epiphany and Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent).

The remainder of the Sundays fall into the category of ‘ordinary time.’ Ordinary Time consists of the non-commemorative Sundays between Epiphany and Lent and later between Pentecost and the end of the year. Basically, ‘ordinary time’ refers to any Sunday that is not reserved for any feast or festival days. It is a way that the larger liturgical church has compensated for the fixed date of Christmas and the more transient date of Easter. ‘Ordinary Time’ fills in the gaps caused by integrating the Julian and Lunar calendars.

The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus through all the seasons of the year and your life – the feasts, the fasts, and the ordinary. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.