Rejoice
I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever.
- Psalm 89:1a
Advent is a preparation for Christmas, which is a time of celebration and rejoicing. We celebrate the birth of Jesus by singing joyful songs, eating delicious food, and enjoying the company of our friends and family. It can be easy to forget that Jesus was sent by God not as an excuse to celebrate, but as a gift of love.
Think of the gifts that you have received on previous Christmases. Which ones are most memorable? Perhaps it was something unexpected, and the surprise of receiving made a lasting memory. Or maybe it was a handmade gift, created with love and care. Or is your favorite present something that was just perfect, that you never would have known to ask for, but once received, cherished for years.
All of these can be true of God’s gift of Jesus. Born in a lowly manger to an unremarkable young woman and her carpenter husband, could there be a more unexpected place for the king of all heaven and earth to be born? Yet it is in coming as a humble, unassuming mortal that Christ prepares to sacrifice for our sins.
Christ came with love and care for all. He did not meet with kings and rulers, but with the poor, the shunned, the sinners. He taught lessons in kindness, faith, devotion, and charity that still guide us to good and meaningful lives. His life was made as a gift for all of the world, given freely with love.
It is something that we could never ask for, that another would give up their life so that we may live. Yet Christ did that and more, for his sacrifice gave us not a mortal life, but an eternal life in heaven with God. This was beyond the unaskable, and was instead the unthinkable.
This great gift, coming to live and die a mortal life so that we may be given a divine life in heaven, was given out of love. As it says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal.”
And so we rejoice this week, singing our praises to God’s gift of steadfast love.
- Psalm 89:1a
Advent is a preparation for Christmas, which is a time of celebration and rejoicing. We celebrate the birth of Jesus by singing joyful songs, eating delicious food, and enjoying the company of our friends and family. It can be easy to forget that Jesus was sent by God not as an excuse to celebrate, but as a gift of love.
Think of the gifts that you have received on previous Christmases. Which ones are most memorable? Perhaps it was something unexpected, and the surprise of receiving made a lasting memory. Or maybe it was a handmade gift, created with love and care. Or is your favorite present something that was just perfect, that you never would have known to ask for, but once received, cherished for years.
All of these can be true of God’s gift of Jesus. Born in a lowly manger to an unremarkable young woman and her carpenter husband, could there be a more unexpected place for the king of all heaven and earth to be born? Yet it is in coming as a humble, unassuming mortal that Christ prepares to sacrifice for our sins.
Christ came with love and care for all. He did not meet with kings and rulers, but with the poor, the shunned, the sinners. He taught lessons in kindness, faith, devotion, and charity that still guide us to good and meaningful lives. His life was made as a gift for all of the world, given freely with love.
It is something that we could never ask for, that another would give up their life so that we may live. Yet Christ did that and more, for his sacrifice gave us not a mortal life, but an eternal life in heaven with God. This was beyond the unaskable, and was instead the unthinkable.
This great gift, coming to live and die a mortal life so that we may be given a divine life in heaven, was given out of love. As it says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal.”
And so we rejoice this week, singing our praises to God’s gift of steadfast love.
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March
March Wellness Focus: Spiritual WellnessDay Camp at All SaintsDonate for Easter FlowersWork in Progress: Redo, Rewrite, Restore - Kids Connection for MarchClara Schumann PiecesPB&J (Pizza, Beverage & Justice) NightMarch PlaydateIntergenerational Serving at Feed My Starving ChildrenInspired Life Series: Ann PierceBehold the Darkness - Good Friday CantataAll Saints Increasing Partnership with ICAJoin Our Dedicated VolunteersThe Road: Featured Guest Alison YoungHoly Week ServicesCommunity Garden - Kids Connection for April
April
April 2023 NewsletterJoin Us for Our Easter EggstravaganzaLearn About Mental Health Connect ResourcesApril Wellness Focus: Intellectual WellnessApril PlaydateInspired Life Series: Beth DooleyRev. Kelly Chatman on April 30Thank You from ICAIntergenerational Serving Event this SaturdayInspired Life Series: Erin SharkeyStaff NewsMen's Breakfast Group ResumesUrban Ventures Spring Clean-Up DayParents Night Out - MayMental Health Connect Stories of Hope Breakfast
May
May 2023 NewsletterWhat is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month?May Wellness Focus: Physical WellnessSaints on Bikes Are Rolling Again!Raise Your Game - Kids Connection for MayMay PlaydateWhy is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebrated in May?Help Host Counselors During Day CampRainflower Project#MoreThanEnoughInspired Life Series: Rudi HargesheimerHow does the ELCA support multicultural ministries including those for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans?Final Week to Register for Day CampJoin the All Saints Knitting, Quilting and Crafting GroupSign Up as a Coffee HostWho are Some Notable Asian and Pacific Islanders in the ELCA?Postal Food Drive ResultBike & Ice Cream – Doesn’t Get Better Than That!
June
ICA Volunteer OpportunitiesJune 2023 NewsletterHelp All Saints Garden Come to Life This SummerJune Wellness Focus: Social WellnessGet Outside for Your Mental Health'Come Together' Virtual GatheringsJune Parent and Child PlaydateEnd of Fiscal Year Giving ReminderBubble Dance Party and Ice Cream SocialParents Night Out - July
July
Summer 2023 NewsletterAll Saints GardenUpcoming Study - Civic Life and FaithMHC Fundraiser – Bluegrass Music FestivalSaints on Bikes - Sovereign EstateJuly Wellness Focus: Financial WellnessOvergrown - New Sermon SeriesJuly PlaydateUpcoming Study – Civic Life and FaithSaints on Bikes - Gateway/Brown Creek TrailFree Online Theology Class from St. Olaf CollegeFamily Fun: Forest Bathing♪♫ Join the Music Program ♫♪
August
August Wellness Focus: Emotional WellnessIntergenerational Potluck at the ParkFree DonutsSing with the Open ChoirAugust PlaydateSaints on Bikes - North Cedar Lake TrailWatch Meditation Videos on the All Saints AppServe at All SaintsFun at the Intergenerational PotluckHarmony – Kids Connection for SeptemberRegister for Crossroads ConfirmationJoin the Racial Justice GroupIntergenerational Fall PotluckVolunteer with Kids or Youth
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