Greetings St. John’s Lutheran Church!

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him. –Matthew 2:1-3

This is a perfect time to ponder the mystery of the liturgical calendar, the seasons of the church year.

IN ADVENT,
the beginning of the church year, we wait with hope and longing for the coming of Christ. This is a time of reorienting our lives and drawing closer to God. At the darkest time of the year, the Advent wreath glows brighter with each passing week as another candle is lit and the day of Christmas and Christ’s birth draws closer.

ON CHRISTMAS EVE,
we all light candles in worship and sing with praise and thanksgiving for the gift of God’s Son come to earth. The light of Christ is among us!

ON THE DAY OF EPIPHANY,
the light of Christ shines brightly in the form of a star that leads wise men, ancient scholars, from far away to the town of Jerusalem where Jesus lives with his parents. From the start, it is apparent that Jesus’ life has significance for people from all over the world. It is also clear that the light Jesus brings will challenge those in power.

DURING THE SEASON AFTER EPIPHANY,
the readings from scripture will cast light on who Jesus is. Facets of Jesus’ character and of his mission on earth will be revealed in the Gospel lessons. At the same time, we will hear lessons from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians that will cast light on who we are as the church, as followers of Jesus. How does who Jesus is inform who we are as a community?

Fittingly, we will gather as a congregation at the end of the month on Sunday, January 27th for our annual meeting. We will reflect on our ministry from the past year, elect new leaders for the coming year, and dream together about where God is leading us next.

Let God’s light reveal the path forward for us as a congregation!

In Christ, Pastor Kat