‘This is my son, my Beloved.’
All Saints’ schedule for Jan. 6, the Baptism of our Lord:
Worship
8:15 a.m., Sanctuary, Pastor Bonnie Gerber, Carol Choir, organist Tom Gerke.
9:30 a.m., Sanctuary, Pastor Mike Weaver, Jubilate Chorus, organist Ellen Cutting. Holy Communion.
11 a.m., Sanctuary, Pastor Bonnie Gerber,Chancel Choir, organist Tom Gerke. Holy Communion.
11 a.m., Parish Hall, Pastor Glenn Zorb. Three 23 .
On this Sunday, the church recalls Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan River, the start of his public ministry. At the same time, Christians are called to remember their own baptism and the call it gave them to be faithful disciples.
This week’s lessons
Jan. 20 lessons
Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 40:1-11
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-42These lessons will be the basis for the Jan. 16 Pastors' Bible Study.
Education
Sunday School: 9:30 and 11 a.m.
Cross Training (adult education): 9:30 and 11 a.m.
Volunteer opportunities
All Saints welcomes the many volunteers who make worship special by devoting their time and talents, which include gifts of music, oratory, organization and hospitality.
Click here for opportunities to become more involved in weekly or special worship. Volunteers are especially needed to usher, greet and staff the nursery for special services during the holiday season.
Lent: 'Journey to the ends of the Earth with Jesus'
With Easter the earliest it can be, Lent will be upon us much more quickly than most of us expect. But despite its somewhat somber reputation, there is reason to be excited about this year’s Lenten theme at All Saints: “Journey to the ends of the Earth with Jesus.”
On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 6, All Saints will have its traditional “simple supper” before a traditional liturgical service. In the following weeks, Lent will be observed in a way that focuses on our Global Mission partners. Each following Sunday and Wednesday of Lent will invite Christians of all ages to not only hear about the changes the Gospel is bringing in countries around the world but also to experience different cultures through food, pictures, crafts and dance. The focus will be our mission partners in Slovakia, Cameroon, India, Tanzania and, of course, the United States.
A very exciting addition to our Lenten observations is family-oriented sessions from 4 to 6 p.m. each Sunday during Lent (Feb. 10 through March 9.) These evenings will allow families to sample regional food, enjoy regional music and games, view displays of items that represent the countries and possibly participate in a craft. Wednesday evening Lenten services (Feb. 13 through March 10) will feature a pre-service dinner featuring regional foods, photos and information about our missions along with the Holden Evening Prayer, written by noted composer Marty Haugen.
Planning is currently under way to represent each of the countries that will be represented during our Lenten observations. An individual task force has been set up to design the experience for each. Each would appreciate your help. To share information about one of the countries listed to assist in planning, please contact Kay Labosky to be connected with the appropriate task force.
All Saints recently modified its schedule for Holy Communion, one of the two sacraments that mark Lutheran theology and practice (the other being Holy Baptism), offering it each week during the 11 a.m. service in the Sanctuary.
Why: A review of our historical roots and our understanding of the sacraments led All Saints to the decision to offer the Eucharist more frequently. Martin Luther never thought of having a Sunday morning service without communion because he understood that Christ was present in both the visible and the spoken Word of God.
Some history: It was when our ancestors came to the “new world” and had too few ordained pastors to celebrate the Eucharist on a weekly basis that we started the practice of having it less frequently. Since the 1970s, the trend in Lutheran churches across the United States has been to increase the frequency of communion. This has been reflected in the past two hymnals that gave us liturgies that include communion as part of each service.
Other services: All Saints offers communion at its 8:15 a.m. service on the first and third Sundays of each month, and at its 9:30 a.m. service and the 11 a.m. Gathering on second and fourth Sundays of each month. On fifth Sundays, all three services feature a service of healing.
