January 3, 2021
First Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-14
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14
Gospel Reading: John 1:1-18
December 27, 2020
Join us for a Stories and Carols Christmas Service. This service was produced by the Southwest Washington Synod of the ELCA in conjunction with the several of the congregations within the Synod.
Our Annual Congregational Meeting will be on January 17th at 11 am. Keep an eye out for how to participate.
–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath, you begin to clear your mind.-
-Continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.-
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Luke 2:8-20 AKJV
“On earth peace, good will toward men.” This is the greeting the angels gave the shepherds as they were in the field watching their sheep. We want peace on earth, and in our own lives. Both of these forms of peace do not come easily. It takes work to have peace. Sometimes it takes more work to have peace than to have chaos.
I have found that when I catch my heart racing, or find myself worrying about things I cannot control it is time for me to stop, take a few deep breaths, and relax. This is my answer to Psalm 46, which says, “Be still and know that I am God.”
In between the breaths, I can find God.
In between the breaths, I can find my calm.
In between the breaths, my heart begins to stop racing.
-Please take a moment.-
-Take some deep breaths.-
God of peace, thank you for being with me in my anxious moments. Thank you for reminding me that I need to breath during these times. Thank you for being with me in between my breathing. Amen