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BURLINGTON LUTHERAN CHURCH
THE BRIDGE December 2017
Greetings, Beloved BLC,
Every year, it seems, Christmas begins sooner and sooner. This year there were Christmas decorations in the stores before Halloween!
I am not a Scrooge and you can decorate whenever your little heart desires as far as I am concerned, as long as you do not miss the rich blessing of Advent.
Advent is the season in which we acknowledge the darkness in the world, in our hearts and yearn and wait for the Light and Life of Christ. Sometimes, if we get too caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holi-days, we can forget to sit and wait and contemplate what the gift of Jesus means to us and to the world.
Take this prayer and meditation to heart when you are tempted to fo-cus on the hustle and bustle and skip the hard work of waiting, hoping and praying for God’s Light to be born anew in you:
TOWARD THE LIGHT
Too often our answer to the darkness is not running toward Bethlehem but running away. We ought to know by now that we can’t see where we’re going in the dark. Running away is rampant… separation is stylish: separation from mates, from friends, from self. Run and tranquilize, don’t talk about it, avoid.
Cont.’d on next page
Run away and join the army of those who have already run away. When are we going to learn that Christmas Peace comes only when we turn and face the darkness? Only then will we be able to see the Light of the World.
-from, Kneeling in Bethlehem, by Ann Weems
Many blessings as you seek the Light of the World.
Much Love, Pastor Bethany
Christmas prayer
Loving Father, help us to re-member the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the wor-ship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift, and good desires with every greeting. De-liver us from evil by the blessing which
Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy chil-dren, and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen! —Robert Louis Stevenson
1ST BREAKFAST
Join us in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, December 3, 8:45 to 9:45 am! All proceeds will go to the Christmas Basket fund. On the menu: Make your own Burritos! With sausage, cheddar cheese, sour cream, sal-sa & homemade guacamole! Also, fresh scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, assorted pastries & muffins, coffee & juice. And remember to shop at the craft fair happening at the same time!
+ Christian Symbols +
Holly
Holly is a popular decoration at Christmastime, not just for its beauty but also for its religious significance. Holly’s thorny leaves and red berries symbolize Jesus’ Passion and blood, reminding us of the fate awaiting the Christ child. According to old Christian legends, holly first sprang up under Christ’s footsteps, and his cross was made from the wood of holly.
DIRECTORY UPDATES Deanie Ring: [email protected] Gretchen Thomas: [email protected]
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS POTLUCK
Ed & Marsha Knutzen’s home
15865 Josh Wilson Road
Burlington, WA
Sunday, December 10, 4 pm
Bring a dish to share and join in the festivities!
JOIN US FOR A BABY SHOWER!
You are invited to a baby shower for
Lindsey Rosales and her son, Daniel!
Monday, December 11,
6 pm, in the Fireside Room.
Lindsey is registered at Target.
BLC WOMEN (BLCW) ANNUAL CHRISTMAS POTLUCK
The women will hold their annual Christmas Potluck on Tuesday, December 5, at 10:30 a.m.
All women of Burlington Lutheran Church are invited! Bring a dish to share and meet in the Fellowship Hall.
For more info, contact Avis Robinson or Fran Hansen.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR
Mark your calendar for the Annual Christ-mas Craft Sale on Sunday, December 3! All proceeds from the sale support the Christmas Basket Project. For more infor-mation, please contact Janice Burwash.
BURLINGTON LUTHERAN QUILTERS
The quilting group will meet on Thursday, December 7, at 9 am in the Fellowship Hall. This group makes quilts for those in need, and those celebrating milestones in their lives, such as our graduating seniors. If you are interested in helping in any way, please join us. No sewing experience is necessary!
RECONCILING IN CHRIST FORUM Our last RIC forum will be held in the Fellowship Hall directly after the worship service on Sunday, December 10. Members of other Lutheran congregations in our Synod will speak about their experiences with their churches going through this process.
CHRISTMAS BASKETS
Burlington Lutheran Church will once again be support-ing 20 families in our community. A shopping list of the suggested staples and other items that we give each fami-ly can be found on the table in the Narthex and in the Fireside Room (off the Fellowship Hall). Donations can be left on the table in the Fireside Room. If you would like to help, we will be packing the baskets on Thursday, December 14 at 6 pm in the Fellowship Hall, and delivering them on Saturday, December 16. Meet in the Fellowship Hall at 9 am. Contact Janice Bur-wash or the church office for more information!
CALLING ONE AND ALL TO COME AND
CHECK OUT BOOKS IN OUR BLC LIBRARY!
Please stop and see all the Christmas books
we have in our Church library. They are on
display in the window and on the shelves
above the checkout box.
We also have Karen Kingsbury's
newest Novel: In This Moment
Book #4 and #5 are out in
The Miracles of Marble Cove
Series:
Beacon's Call by Leslie Gould
Autumn Light by Dan Walsh
First day of winter
is
December 21!
LONGING FOR THE LIGHT Rev. Kirby Unti, Synod Bishop, Northwest Washington Synod Article from The Spirit, December 2017
We are living during the wet and rainy winter of the year that longs for the light to return to the world. A cold world that has seen far too many mass killings, sexual assaults, bullying, war and murder. One of the things I admire most about Luther was his capacity to embrace the winter of his own life by acknowledging his own personal depravity. It was in coming face to face with his own shadow that he discovered the light of God's grace. I have always counted it a great gift that I had the privilege of doing my Clinical Pastoral Education under the supervision of Dr. William A Miller. Bill wrote the book, "Making Friends With Your Shadow" where he makes the case that all of us have a shadow side to our lives. The classical understanding is that our shadow side is opposite and equal to what we display in pub-lic.. This is why it is so shocking when we discover the shadow of someone we hold in high regard. When people refuse to own their shadow and reveal it to the light it grows in intensity. We see this in the "goody two shoes" types who are often the most critical of their neighbors while ap-pearing to be without fault. Such people work over time sup-pressing the full truth of their lives and often act in secret. Jesus was very clear about the importance of knowing your own shadow. He would say things like, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Or he would say, "Remove the log from your own eye before you remove the speck from your neigh-bors." The church ought to be the one place in the community where we can struggle more honestly about the challenges of be-ing human. It ought to be a place that both helps us come to grips with the all of what it means to be human and holds us ac-countable for addressing our whole lives in healthy ways. If acknowledging one's shadow improves the likelihood that one will not act on isn't it equally true that church and country must do the same? I think the answer to this is Yes. Cont.’d on next page
This is why the churches of the Northwest issued a letter of apology to the tribes for the horrible and unjust ways we have treated these brothers and sisters. This is why the 500th Commemoration of the Reformation was a time for Lutherans to confess the horrible ways Luther de-picted the Jews and for contributing to the violence that spread across Europe. It is why delegations from the United States have gathered at Hiroshima and Nagasaki to commit to one another that never again will we unleash such deadly force upon another. If we take seriously the Lutheran understanding of Saint and Sinner than we need to take more seriously how this same ten-sion manifests itself in corporate ways as well as individual ways. These are challenging times that we are living in. If we want to change let's begin with ourselves and own the truth of our own short comings. It is not just the other who needs to see the light. We all do. The light came into the world and the darkness could not overcome it. This is the true gift of Christmas. Come Lord Jesus!
The serious side of Christmas The brilliant German clergyman, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who opposed Adolf Hitler and was killed because of it, made many insightful statements. Concerning Christmas, Bonhoeffer said that modern Christians take only “the pleasant and agreeable out of it and forget the serious aspect, that the God of the world draws near to the people of our little world and lays claim to us.” He meant that when the presence of the holy light of God is revealed, we should see the seriousness of the magnificent rev-elation. Bonhoeffer put it this way: “The coming of God is truly not only glad tidings, but first of all frightening news for every-one who has a conscience.” An example of this is found in Luke’s description of the shepherds’ encounter with an angel: “… the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified” (Luke 2:9, NRSV). Christmas is about God’s immeasurable love invading Earth. It is also about the holy God being revealed among Earth’s people, all of whom fall short of the glory of God.
DECEMBER SCHEDULE
Dec. 2: FAE meeting,10-11:30 am, Library Dec. 3: 1st Breakfast, 8:45-9:45 am, Fellowship Hall Dec. 3: Craft Fair, 8:45 am, Fellowship Hall Dec. 5: BLC Women Potluck, 10:30 am, Conference Rm Dec. 7: Quilters, 9 am, Fellowship Hall Dec. 10: RIC Forum directly after worship, Fellowship Hall Dec. 10: Annual Christmas Potluck, at the Knutzen’s, 4 pm Dec. 11: Lindsey Rosales Baby Shower, 6 pm, Fireside Room Dec. 14: Christmas Basket packing, Fellowship Hall, 6 pm Dec. 16: Christmas Basket delivery, Fellowship Hall, 9 am Dec. 24: Family-friendly Christmas Eve Service, 10 am Dec. 24: Candlelight Christmas Eve Service, 10 pm Dec. 27: Deadline for January Bridge
Every Sunday: Adult Bible Study, 9 am BLC Praise Team practice, 9 am Worship Service, 10 am El Camino worship service,12 pm
Every Wednesday: Praise Team rehearsal, 6:30-8 pm, Sanctuary
Burlington Lutheran Church 134 E. Victoria Avenue, Burlington, WA 98233
360-755-0729 + [email protected] www.burlingtonlutheran.org
Office hours: 9 am-3:30 pm, Tues-Wed-Thurs
Pastor Bethany Hull Somers 360-202-7333 + [email protected]
Check in and “Like” us on Facebook. Follow the church on twitter: @blc_pastor
BLC Staff Rev. Bethany Hull Somers, Pastor
Sean Bendickson, Worship & Music Leader Sheri Logan, Office Administrator
Lynne Berg, Organist Matthew Ranten, Sound Technician
Selena Guadamuz, Nursery Attendant Randy Dalaba, Custodian
