December 2, 2022
Dear Peace members and friends,
Coming up is the Second Sunday of Advent. We will again light candles on the Advent wreath. It’s a tradition, created by a German pastor in the 19th century as a way to teach children about the coming of Jesus Christ.
The tradition traces back to 1833 in Hamburg, Germany. Johann Hinrich Wichern opened the “Rauhe Haus,” the Rough House, which sheltered orphaned or neglected children. Every night of Advent, he told them stories, prayed, and lit a candle. To hold the candles, a wheel-shaped chandelier was built, around which evergreens were wound. Visitors and supporters were impressed by this display and the custom spread, but those who imitated it reduced it in size to four candles, one for each week of Advent.
On Sunday, we too, will mark the progress of Advent by lighting the second candle on the Advent wreath. The candles represent the coming of Jesus, the Light of the World. Zechariah says as much in the Gospel: “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness…..”
And light is the theme of the day. In our hymns, readings, message, and prayers, we will acknowledge the lack of light in life. We all know about darkness. However, we will also proclaim that there is an inexhaustible source of brightness and warmth in the person of Jesus who first appeared to us as a baby in a manger. It’s a light that is promise of new life for us. As Barbara Brown Taylor writes: “New life starts in the dark. Whether it is a seed in the ground, a baby in the womb, or Jesus in the tomb, it starts in the dark.”
On Sunday, we will also celebrate the baptism of Scarlett Sasse, the daughter of Chris and Maggie Sasse, and Sadie’s sister, too.
And here’s another opportunity. Following worship in Adult Education, Tim Taylor, the managing editor of the Journal of Economic Perspectives, will join us (in-person) for the first of two consecutive Sundays to discuss the economy. His first presentation will be a look at the current state of the economy since the pandemic: growth, employment, inflation. He will lay out the big-picture patterns and describe some of what’s happening behind the headlines. Tim was the winner of the award for excellence in teaching at Stanford University and at the University of Minnesota he was named a Distinguished Lecturer by the Department of Economics and voted Teacher of the Year by the master’s degree students at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. An exciting Sunday ahead!
Other Advent activities are coming up, too. There is the Lefse-Making Congregational event on Saturday, December 10th at 9:00am. The Children’s Christmas program on Sunday, December 18th and the Blue Christmas Service of Evening Prayer on Wednesday, December 14th at 6:30pm. Further information about these and other events and ministries can be found online at www.peacebloomington.org or by calling the Church Office (952.944.6510).
Last of all, in the tradition of the Magi bringing gifts to the baby Jesus, Advent is a time for special giving. This year, the Service and Mission Committee is lifting up for the congregation a number of gifting opportunities. The first is ELCA Good Gifts. If you haven’t received a catalog in the mail, take a moment at church to check out the catalog and add to the Christmas tree. There is the Gift Wrapping Fundraiser done by the Peace Women and Finance group on Sunday, December 18th from 10:30am-1:00pm. Bring your gifts and they will wrap them. Donations will go to support local teens to attend Minnesota Business Venture. And, as always, there is local need for basic necessities such as laundry detergent, toothpaste and tooth brushes, diapers, etc. Donations can be placed in the VEAP bin in the Narthex.
Thank you to all for our life together in Christ at Peace!
Mark