CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR IN THE WARRNAMBOOL LUTHERAN PARISH

I must admit to usually feeling a bit sorry for myself around this time of year. "Is there anything left for me to say about Christmas?" I ask.  "I have previously spoken about the Baby Jesus. I have spoken about the manger, the shepherds, the wise men, Mary and Joseph, the inn and the innkeeper. I even spoke one year about the nappies in which Mary wrapped her child.  You name it, I've spoken about it."  While looking through our Christmas service orders for this year, I realised that while I had spoken about the wise men, I had not specifically spoken about the star that they followed.  The star will this year be the focus of the address during our "Christmas with the children of the Sunday School."  It was while watching, a few years ago, a CD produced by the BBC, that my attention was drawn to the fact that it is now possible for scientists to reconstruct what could be seen in the skies of the Near East in the Year 6 BC, namely an unusual conjunction (= the appearance of two or more objects in the sky close to each other). This particular conjunction, involving the proximity of Jupiter (the king’s star) and Saturn (the star of the Jews) occurs only once every several thousand years.  You are welcome to come and hear more at "Christmas with the children of the Sunday School" (dates and times listed below) DWB. 

Saturday December 22nd at St John's, Ayrford, 8.00pm
"Christmas with the children of the Sunday School"

Sunday December 23rd at Immanuel, Hawkesdale, 11.00am
"Service with Holy Communion for the fourth Sunday in Advent"

Sunday December 23rd at Trinity, Warrnambool, 7.30pm
"Christmas with the children of the Sunday School"

Christmas Eve at Immanuel, Hawkesdale, 7.30pm
"Christmas with the children of the Sunday School"

Christmas Eve at Trinity, Warrnambool, 10.00pm
"Carols by Candlelight" (Parish Service)

The role of Joseph in the Christmas story is pitifully undervalued.  He knew that the child Mary was carrying was not his.  He nevertheless reacted with honour, decency and dignity and did not want her to come to any harm. Despite what to him must have seemed like a massive act of betrayal, Joseph was concerned only for Mary's well being.  Even though he knew that he was not the Father, Joseph was prepared to make it appear as if he was the one who had made Mary pregnant and had left her in the lurch.  You are welcome to come and hear the full story at our Christmas Day Service.

Christmas Day at Trinity, Warrnambool, 9.00am
"Christmas Day Parish Service with Holy Communion"

The Gospel for the first Sunday after Christmas (Luke 2:41-52) is the only account we have of Jesus between the first months of his life and his later appearance as a thirty year old adult.  Come along and hear more about the important significance of this incident.

Sunday December 30th, the First Sunday after Christmas, at Trinity, Warrnambool, 9.00am
Service of the Word

Sunday December 30th, the First Sunday after Christmas, at Immanuel, Hawesdale, 9.00am
Service of the Word

Sunday December 30th, the First Sunday after Christmas, at St John's, Ayrford, 11.30am
Service of the Word.

Monday, December 31st, New Year's Eve at Immanuel, Hawkesdale, 7.30pm
Service with Holy Communion

Tuesday, January 1st, New Year's Day at Trinity, Warrnambool, 9.00am
Service with Holy Communion

End of the World, December 21st

We are told that, according to the “Mayan Calendar,” the world is to come to an end on Dec. 21^st 2012.  The supposed prediction in the Mayan Calendar was brought strongly to our attention by the science fiction blockbuster film “2012.” Produced by Roland Emmerich, the film first hit the screens in 2009. If Christ does, indeed, return on the 21^st December 2012, it will have nothing to do with some Mayan Calendar, which does not even say what the film 2012 says it does. The Maya have 400 year periods, one of which is ending on December 21^st 2012. The Maya have never said that the world is going to end. We are repeatedly warned in the Scriptures against calculating precise dates concerning the end of the world.  We simply do not know how many days we have left on this earth. We do, however, have many opportunities to prepare ourselves for the day, whenever it arrives.  Thank God that He has given us His Word, His Sacraments, which enable us to live in a state of constant readiness for His return, whenever it may be. Let us continue to make use of these means.

Services for Sunday December 16th (Third Sunday in Advent)

Service Times:
Warrnambool 9am Service of the Word
Hawkesdale 9am Service of the Word
Ayrford 11.30am Service with Holy Communion

Readings:
Zephaniah 3:14-17,20 "The Lord will renew us by his love"
Philippians 4:4-7         "Rejoice! The Lord is near"
Luke 3:7-18                 "What must we do"

Sermon:
Philippians 4:4-7 "Rejoicing, thanksgiving, peace"

"Well, in ten days' time it will be over.  Christmas will finally be behind us for another year. We can then heave a sigh of relief.  The task of running around, trying to find suitable presents for everyone, will then be done.  Let's hope that we will be able to get through all the big meals and copious amounts of booze, without inflicting too much damage to our bodies.  If everything goes well, harmony within the family will not be too severely challenged.  In ten days' time it will all be over. Hooray!..."

Events this week:
Sunday 16th December: 
Study/Fellowship Group at the home of Lorna Schultz, our last study for the year in the Letter of James.  We begin at James 3:1.

Saturday 22nd December:
Walking Fellowship. We meet at the Surf Life Saving Club in Warrnambool at 8.00am.

Services for Sunday 9th December

Services this Sunday (December 9th):

Hawkesdale 9:00am - Service with Holy Communion
Warrnambool 11:00am - Service with Holy Communion (followed by an Advent lunch)

Readings for this Sunday:
Malachi 3:1-4
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 3:1-14

Sermon for this Sunday
Luke 3:1-14

Remaining Events during the week beginning December 2nd:
Monday: Study Fellowship Group 7:30pm at the manse
Tuesday: Study Fellowship Group 10:00am in the Chapel of the Mercy Place Rest Home
Wednesday: Final meeting of The Women's Guild 1:30pm at the hall
Wednesday: Parish Confirmation Class in Warrnambool 4:15pm at church hall
Wednesday: Study Fellowship Group 7:30pm at the home of Pastor Ray and Nerida Schulz
Friday: The Women's Guild / Men's Fellowship Christmas Breakup 6:30pm in the church hall

Events during the week beginning December 9th:
10th: The Ayrford Guild End of Year Function in Timboon
11th: Church committee meeting at 7:30pm

Services for Sunday 25th November

Services this Sunday (November 25th):

Warrnambool 9:00am - Service of the Word

Hawkesdale 9:00am - Service with Holy Communion

Cobden Miniature Railway 11.15am - Service of the Word

Readings for this Sunday:
Daniel 7:9,10,13-14 "A vision of God surrounded by His court"
Revelation 1:4b-8 "Christ is coming in the clouds"

John 5:21-29 "The Son's authority to judge and to save"

Sermon for this Sunday (Warrnambool)
Matthew 25:31-46 "Where were You and where are You, God?"

Sermon for this Sunday (Hawkesdale, Cobden)
John 5:21-29 "Bad news for some, good news for others: there is no escaping God's inevitable judgment"

Remaining Events during the week beginning November 18th:
Wednesday: Parish Confirmation Class 4.15 in Warrnambool church hall
Wednesday: Study Fellowship Group at the home of Ern and Marie Rentsch

Events during the week beginning November 25th:
25th: Sunday School/Congregational Outing at the Cobden Miniature Railway
We begin with a service on site at 11.15,  followed by a BYO shared finger food lunch (crockery, cutlery, tea, coffee, juice provided), before commencing the afternoon's activities, which will include as many free rides on the miniature trains as you want, minigolf, other activities;
25th: Study/Fellowship Group at Terang, continuing our work in the letter of James.
28th Parish Confirmation Class 4.15.
29th Parish Camp Planning Committee 5.00pm;
30th Parish Youth Fellowship End of Year Break Up - Lawn Bowls, Barbecue. Further details will be distributed over the weekend on the 24th/25th.

THE LAST SUNDAY IN THE CHURCH YEAR

The following are some notes from the Commission on Worship of the Lutheran Church of Australia

The 'Last Sunday of the Church Year' (November 25th in 2012) may be seen as a day when the focus is on God's 'fulfilment' of his judgment and salvation. For us Christians, this is at the same time the 'fulfilment' of the hope to which we were called at our Baptism.

Lutheran churches since the Reformation continued to refer to this Sunday as the Last Sunday after Trinity. When the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) was adopted by the American Lutheran churches, they also adopted the 3-year lectionary which had been developed by Roman Catholics, including the festival of 'Christ the King'. This festival had first been introduced by Pope Pius XI in 1925 to emphasise the supreme authority of Christ and his church over against what he perceived to be the increasing atheism and secularisation of society. In the 1970 revisions of the lectionary, the feast was renamed 'Christ, King of the Universe' and took on a stronger cosmological character.

The Lutheran Church of Australia did not adopt the feast of Christ the King. There are several reasons for this:

*     The Lutheran church has generally used this Sunday to focus on the last things at the end of the age.

*     There are already several other major festivals of the Church Year which emphasise the kingship of Christ, notably Transfiguration, Palm/Passion Sunday, and Ascension.

*     There may be a note of 'triumphalism' in the festival of Christ the King which sits uncomfortably with Lutheran theology.

*     Lutheran churches in Europe and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in America (among others) have not adopted this festival.

The LCA opted to use the same name for this Sunday as that used by the Missouri Synod in Lutheran Worship: 'The Last Sunday of the Church Year (Day of the Fulfillment)'.

With the adoption of the new Revised Common Lectionary, the LCA faced this question once again, especially as the readings for the Last Sunday of the Church year have obviously been chosen to fit with the festival of Christ the King. The Commission on Worship did not wish to make radical changes to the lectionary for use in the LCA, in order to keep it as ecumenical as possible. It therefore recommended only two changes (namely the addition of preferred alternative gospels for year B and year C) and that the name for this Sunday continue to be 'Last Sunday of the Church Year (Day of the Fulfilment)' rather than 'Christ, the King'.