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This Week at First

January 11th: A Covenant for the People

    Baptism of the Lord Sunday: This week, we will be reading from Isaiah 42:1-9 and Matthew 3:13-17 as we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord Sunday. We will be examining the covenant relationship between God and ourselves and the task we have been assigned by God to serve others. The message is titled “A Covenant for the People.”


    See you Sunday.


    Grace and Peace,

    Pastor Jim


    Isaiah 42:1-9

    42 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.2 He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.4 He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

    5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:

    6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people,[a]a light to the nations,7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.8 I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols.9 See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.

     

    Matthew 3:13-17

    13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 

    14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 

    15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 

    16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 

    17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved,[a] with whom I am well pleased.”








    December 28th: O God, Where Are You?


      The First Sunday of Christmas: One of the Christmas-related stories we rarely read in United Methodist Churches is found in Matthew 2:13-23. It is the ugly story of the slaughter of the Holy Innocents. Why is this story in the Bible? How can we make sense of senseless acts of violence? In addition to Matthew, we will read from Isaiah 63:7-9 as we ask, “O God, Where Are You?”


      See you Sunday.


      Grace and Peace,

      Pastor Jim


      Isaiah 63:7-9


      God’s Mercy Remembered

      7 I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,    the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,because of all that the Lord has done for us,    and the great favor to the house of Israelthat he has shown them according to his mercy,    according to the abundance of his steadfast love.8 For he said, “Surely they are my people,    children who will not deal falsely”;and he became their savior9     in all their distress. It was no messenger[a] or angel    but his presence that saved them;[b]in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;    he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

       

      Matthew 2:13-23


      The Escape to Egypt

      13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”  14 Then Joseph[a] got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt,  15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

       

      The Massacre of the Infants

      16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men,[b] he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.[c]  17 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

       

      18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,    wailing and loud lamentation,Rachel weeping for her children;    she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”

       

      The Return from Egypt

      19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,  20 “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.”  21 Then Joseph[d] got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.  22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.  23 There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”










      December 24th: Go, See, Share


        Christmas Eve: Our Christmas Eve services are scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM. The 3:00 PM service will feature both the Bell Choir and our vocal choir with Preston Ziegenfus playing the organ. The 7:00 PM service music will be played by Shirley Fortna. Both services will include the sacrament of holy communion and the traditional candle lighting.


        As in previous years, we will hear the story of the first Christmas from Mary’s perspective. We’ve heard the story so many times we can practically recite it from heart. But the Christmas story means nothing unless we take some action. Our readings will be Isaiah 9:2-7 and Luke 2:1-20, and the message will be “Go, See, Share.”


        See you on Christmas Eve.


        Grace and Peace,

        Pastor Jim


        Isaiah 9:2-7


        2 [a] The people who walked in darkness    have seen a great light;those who lived in a land of deep darkness—    on them light has shined.3 You have multiplied the nation,    you have increased its joy;they rejoice before you    as with joy at the harvest,    as people exult when dividing plunder.4 For the yoke of their burden,    and the bar across their shoulders,    the rod of their oppressor,    you have broken as on the day of Midian.5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors    and all the garments rolled in blood    shall be burned as fuel for the fire.6 For a child has been born for us,    a son given to us;authority rests upon his shoulders;    and he is namedWonderful Counselor, Mighty God,    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7 His authority shall grow continually,    and there shall be endless peacefor the throne of David and his kingdom.    He will establish and uphold itwith justice and with righteousness    from this time onward and forevermore.The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

         


        Matthew 1:18-25


        The Birth of Jesus

        2 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.  2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.  3 All went to their own towns to be registered.  4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.  5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.  6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.  7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

         

        The Shepherds and the Angels

        8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,[a] the Lord.  12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”  13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,[b] praising God and saying,

         

        14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”[c]

         

        15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”  16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.  17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child;  18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.  19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.  20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.









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