NEWSLETTER December 2017
Peace Talk
House of Prayer on Parker and Main
“A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’” Luke 1
From the Pastor’s Heart Repentance Paves the Way to Love, Peace, Joy and Faith. We live in a crazy day where we are almost daily seeing powerful and influential members of our society called out in their very bad behavior, and their lives and careers upended and cut down. Everyone expects the perpetrators of sexual harassment and abuse to make their litany of apology and suffer the consequences of their actions. But no one is connecting the dots in all of this to the Lord God… No one
is calling this sin! Why is it that sexual harassment is evil? It is sin because our sexuality is holy and sacred and is intended to be fulfilled within the bonds of marriage - not as a tool of power and influence. It is so ironic that the very entertainment industry that has sexualized every aspect of our lives, which has benefitted the most of the “Sexual Revolution”, is now suffering so. But why is this surprising? Sin comes back to bite. It literally is a DESERT and wasteland that we live in. And we are inevitably caught up in it. Who is going to lead us to a better land? John the Baptist calls out repentance in the wilderness of Judea… The same Advent call to repentance is the church's today. But this is the promise that comes with repentance and a turning from our ways: Love, Peace, Joy, Faith - the themes of our Advent worship this year. Let us be encouraged as we await the birth of our Savior, to remember His holiness and His FAITHFULNESS to us. He does not harass us or use what is holy to lord it over us. He comes humbly and with pure love and mercy, born of a virgin with the singular purpose of accomplishing our salvation - even in His death on a cross. In Jesus, Pastor Bjornstad
If you find yourself unable to attend worship on Sunday, head over to Facebook and during the readings and sermon portion of the service we will go LIVE on Facebook. Now you can stay connected to God’s word and and Pastor message each and every Sunday. The last few Sundays are available now on social media.
The Immanuel Preschool and The Lutheran Academy! Working in partnership with God's people to raise up a new generation of faithful Christian men and women! Visit and share the Academy website at anytime at www.thelutheranacademyscranton.org CHOIR PERFORMS On Friday, November 17 The Academy Choir asssited in the Vespers service held as part of the American Guild of Organists program held at the Lutheran Ministry Center. The students contributed greatly to the music of the service and beautifully represented their school and in turn our church.
WE PRAISE GOD for the new MUSIC ROOM! Mr. BJ is VERY VERY happy with how it turned out! We still need a a new door with a window, and something of a vent with a fan to keep the place ventilated! If you would like to help with those items, please let us know in hopes it can be installed over the Christmas break. TECH NEED: The Academy is in need of a TV (36�-40�) with HDMI hookup for one of our classrooms. If you, or someone you know have one to donate or sell for a few bucks, please let us know.
BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION Supporting The Lutheran Academy can be as simple as saving Box Tops for Education. Box Tops are found on almost 200+ items. Each Box Top when turned in earns the Academy 10 cents. These Box Tops can really add up. A collection box is located in the back of the church. Please save your Box Tops. Spread the word and turn them in!
Pray without ceasing - 1 Thes. 5:17 Remember to ask: "How can I pray for you?"
CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES: + SPECIAL PRAYERS For Frank Schulze. Waiting in jail 22 months for a trial. He has been through so much and remains faithful to God. The hardest part is being away from his son. Continue to pray for spiritual growth, his daily safety, and mental health especially at the holiday season. For Bonnie Cornog as she navigates the upcoming tests, procedures/ surgery, and ultimate recovery for her medical issues. For Beverly Gedrimas as she is still looking for part-time employment. + GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING Ky Betts has been busy window painting for some businesses in the area. If you happen to be downtown, check out the windows of Carl’s Prime on N Washingon and Linden, and in S Abington at Paoli Dental. Sarah Bjornstad performed in her holiday violin concert on December 2nd with the Valenches Youth Orchestra. Nora Betts will perform in the production Sound and Song: Holiday Edition at the Actor’s Circle in Scranton, December 14-16th. She has a solo and a duet in addition to the many full ensemble songs. Marja Bjornstad completed two productions this fall at the university. She was in Luther, and Agnes of God, which incidentally also featured the voice of Hannah Bjornstad (recorded to fill in for an actor who could not sing) Both Marja and Hannah Bjornstad are members of the University Christus Chorus and performed during concert weekend, Dec 2-3. They are both also part of an elite, 8-member jazz group, called VOX9 and will perform their concert the weekend of Dec 8-10. + DEACON INSTALLATION On Sunday, Nov 12, John Babbitts was installed as the Deacon for Peace Lutheran Church during the 10:30am worship service. You will find a message from Deacon John each issue of the newsletter on page 4. He also currently leads the Adult Bible Study at 9:30am Sunday morning, and you can hear him preach 1-2 Sunday’s a month.
+ THANKSGIVING MEAL Around 20 members of Peace, friends and neighbors enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving meal together in the Peace fellowship hall.
ADVENT WEDNESDAY WORSHIP Wed, Dec 6th 6pm Soup Supper and Advent Devotions 7pm Decorating the Church Wed, Dec 13 7pm Festival of Lessons and Carols (led by the student of the Academy and held at Immanuel Lutheran Church) Wed, Dec 20 6-7:30pm 100th Anniversary Caroling Meet at Peace and we will take the Peace Van to sing and bless members in our neighborhoods CHRISTMAS PAGEANT On Sunday, December 24th at the 10:30am Worship Service, the youth will present their Christmas pageant “We’re Having A Baby!” Practices will be held during Sunday School hour Dec 3, 10, and 17 with a final dress rehersal on Sat Dec. 23rd. A LOOK AHEAD . . .
The 45th annual March for Life
+ HOW ARE YOU SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY? Susan Crosbie has taken over the role of Academy secretary and faithfully gives of her time and talents 3 days a week. The students and staff are so thrilled to have her at the school. In addition, Susan and her sister, Jane Borchin (also an Academy volunteer, in the classroom) spent time organizing and labeling the LMC kitchen and tidying the rather disheveld janitor closet. Pictured to the right is Susan in the very tiday and organized janitor closet. We thank and praise God for her service. Church website: www.yourpeace.org
+ HOMELESS BACKPACKS MINI-MINISTRY! Thank you to Elizabeth Kramer for answering God’s call to help the homeless in our area. The collection will be blessed on Sunday December 3rd. THIS is our FIRST example of a ‘MINIMINISTRY”! What is God calling YOU to do in YOUR community and what is on YOUR HEART?
The annual March for Life, the largest pro-life gathering in the world, takes place in Washington, D.C., each year on or near Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The 2018 March for Life will take place on Friday, January 19. The theme this year is Love Saves Lives. If you are interested in participating, please let Pastor or Amy Betts know. The Peace van will leave early that morning and return after the march.
email: pastor@yourpeace.org, amybetts@yourpeace.org
LMC: 570-703-0607
From the Deacon’s Desk Grace, Mercy and Peace to you from God Our Father and Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. One of my favorite Christmas shows is The Little Drummer Boy. The little boy in the story, Aaron, has lost everything. He has been taken advantage of. He received all the thorns the world can give and at a young age has become very bitter. He hates people, all people. Through God’s hand of mercy he crosses paths with the three Magi as they journey to find the Christ child. Later on, his beloved pet lamb is injured and dying. He seeks out the Magi. They are wise they will know what to do. The Magi do know what to do. They direct him to the Christ child. There are so many in our world today who have taken it that the right path in this world is to be angry with the imbalance of the world. Some are angry at those who have more materially. Some are angry at those who have better health or physical beauty. Some, strange as it may seem are angry at those who enjoy a relationship with God. Foolishness! We think. Anyone can have a relationship with God! Everyone is welcome at the manger. Everyone is welcome at the foot of the cross. Everyone welcome to receive the blessings of God. But, the world has taught them God only cares about his followers. Many atheists will tell you about a tragic event in their life when they stopped believing in God because their prayers for healing for a loved one were not answered the way they hoped. The are embittered further every time a Christian posts a prayer of thanksgiving for a successful surgery, someone rescued from death or some other blessing. It is the devil’s goal to rob God of the glory that is do him. It is the devil’s goal to separate his children from their Heavenly Father by sowing envy for what others enjoy but is absent from our own lives. Many think things should be more evenly distributed, that would only be fair. God, however, has decided who is to receive what they have. The gift he has designated for all is His Son, Jesus. We have that gift already. He is ours and we are his. We bring our losses, our struggles, our pain, our joys, and our thanksgiving to him. We lay these things before him even as the Little drummer boy laid his wounded and dying lamb before the infant Jesus. We have no gift to bring, he has given everything to us. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the hope that only he can bring, think of a person you can invite, someone you can introduce, or direct to the child in the manger. Someone who needs to lay their cares and weakness at his feet just as we have done and continue to do. Aaron’s life is changed after he plays his drum for the Christ child. He sees people differently when he sees them through the eyes of the Savior. Christ still changes lives, removes bitterness and pain and helps us see our world through his eyes. May God bless you, your family and friends and the person you will lead to the Christ child this as we celebrate Jesus’ birth! ~ Deacon John
Adult Bible Study There is a simple way to support Peace Lutheran Church when you shop online. If you have an Amazon.com account you can chose to have 0.5% of the purchases you make go to a charitable organization of your choice. Good news, Peace is now on that list! * Log on to your Amazon.com account * Click the “Your Amazon Smile” under the Your Accounts tab. * Search for “ Peace Lutheran Church Scranton” * Confirm your choice and you are done. Now you are all set to impact Peace with every purchase you make. To be sure Peace gets the 0.5%, you will need to begin your shopping experience at smile.amazon.com If you have any questions or need assistance setting this up, please call Amy at the church office and she will be more than happy to help you. If you plan to shop with Amazon.com and don’t have an account set up, she can also assist you in the process. Thank you for your part in support the work of Peace Lutheran Church.
Luther said of the Epistle to the Galatians “That is my Epistle.” It may have been Luther’s favorite but Paul doesn’t seem too happy with the churches in Galatia. Hmmm wonder why that is? What did they do that got him fired up? Then there are the gifts of the Spirit that Paul rattles off in the fifth chapter. Love, Peace, Patience, etc. Do they have to be in that order? If so Why? Join us in Adult Bible Study starting December 10 as we explore Galatians and dig deep, really, really, deep into those gifts God gives.
Why does the church year begin at Advent, what is the history of Advent, and what is the history behind the Advent candles and wreath? The word “advent" is from the Latin word for “coming,” and as such, describes the “coming” of our Lord Jesus Christ into the flesh. Advent begins the church year because the church year begins where Jesus' earthly life began — in the Old Testament prophecies of his incarnation. After Advent comes Christmas, which is about his birth; then Epiphany, about his miracles and ministry; then Lent, about his Calvary-bound mission; then Easter, about his resurrection and the sending of the apostles; and then Ascension (40 days after Easter) and Pentecost, with the sending of the Holy Spirit. The first half of the church year (approximately December through June) highlights the life of Christ. The second half (approximately June through November) highlights the teachings of Christ. The parables and miracles play a big part here. That's "the church year in a nutshell," and it should help reveal how Advent fits into "the big picture." Advent specifically focuses on Christ's "coming," but Christ's coming manifests itself among us in three ways — past, present, and future. The readings which highlight Christ's coming in the past focus on the Old Testament prophecies of his incarnation at Bethlehem. The readings, which highlight Christ's coming in the future, focus on his "second coming" on the Last Day at the end of time. And the readings that highlight Christ's coming in the present focus on his ministry among us through Word and Sacrament today. The traditional use of Advent candles (sometimes held in a wreath) originated in eastern Germany even prior to the Reformation. As this tradition came down to us by the beginning of this century, it involved three purple candles and one pink candle. The purple candles matched the purple paraments on the altar (purple for the royalty of the coming King). The pink candle was the third candle to be lit (not the fourth) on Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent. "Gaudete" means "Rejoice!" in Latin, which is taken from Phil. 4:4. ("Rejoice! ... the Lord is near"). Hence a "pink" candle was used to signify "rejoicing." Some also included a white "Christ candle" in the middle to be lit during the 12 days of Christmas (Dec. 25 to Jan. 5). ~ Article from the LCMS website To read more about church history or parts of the church year, visit https://www.lcms.org/about/beliefs/faqs/worship-andcongregational-life#advent
EVENT SPACE FOR RENT!!!! BIrthday or Anniversary Party . . . Family Reunion . . . Baby Shower. . . Retreats . . . and more Please consider the Lutheran Ministry Center Fellowship Hall (with spacious kitchen) for your next event. Did you know members of Peace get a “member” price on the rental? Share the news of this great space. Priced to fit even the tightest budget. Reservation form available on the website and at the back of church. Call the church office to reserve your date. The lights stay on and the heat flows when we have revenue coming in to the LMC, so please help by spreading the word about our lovely space at 1546 Monsey Ave!
Veterans Bible Study We are incredibly grateful to the men and women who serve and have served in our armed forces. We would like to start a special Bible study just for Veterans and those currently serving in the military in our area. That study is Warriors of Faith created by Lutheran Hour Ministries. The description from their website is: Warriors of Faith -- Military Men, a Men's NetWork Bible study written especially for these servicemen and women, explores the issues of anger, grief, guilt, forgiveness and love, as they impact the lives of those who have served, or are now serving, their country. Study leaders are being organized now and more information will be coming highlighting times and location for this Bible Study. If you are a veteran who might like to attend, or know current soldiers or veterans who might like to attend, please let Pastor Bjornstad, Deacon John or Amy Betts know.