December 2023

Pastor’s Message

Deaconess Betsy Karkan writes:

From the Latin word for “coming”, Advent is a time of preparation and anticipation for the coming of Christ both in the past in His incarnation as the baby Jesus, but also in the future with His promised second coming as Christ Triumphant. Furthermore, Advent is a time to focus on His present coming to us in the Word and Sacraments. In the Lutheran church there have been many traditions observed during Advent that help Christians to both prepare for and anticipate His coming at this time.  Martin Luther encouraged families to observe Advent as a time for them to teach their children about the coming of Christ.

https://lutheranreformation.org/get-involved/lutheran-advent-traditions/#:~:text=From%20the%20Latin%20word%20for,second%20coming%20as%20Christ%20Triumphant

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I look forward to celebrating this Advent Season with you.  One way I look forward to doing so is by sharing with you some “Resources for Reflection and Meditation” for each of the four Sundays of Advent.  These resources will be posted on our Parish weblink: https://neighborsinchristmn.org/

Advent comes during the time of the year when there is less and less light. We are a long way, as far away as we can be, from the rays of the sun.  It is getting colder, not warmer. 

          And yet we dare to hope at the time of year when darkness comes to us.  We dare to hope when the days are cold. 

That we dare to have hope says a lot about our faith.  We dare to look at difficult things with faith—“faith” which is a short word for trust in the Goodness of God.  These Sundays of Advent, we are called to make penance--to repent from sinful ways and to turn to holy ways.  These days are a time to look at what needs to be straightened out inside of ourselves and in the world around us. 

May our faith increase so that we may trust in the Light of God.

This Season of Advent, let us pray for many things.  

And may God stir up in us new hope in this new year.

Pastor Leonard Hummel