Dear Friends,
Advent once again announces the beginning
of new church year. The spiritual season calls us to a time of reflection,
contemplation, meditation and prayer. On the other hand the secular
season of holiday making which now swirls about us tempts us mightily
to a time of frenzied activity-- decorating, spending, gifting, partying,
overeating and drinking. We will, as we have in the past, participate
in both, the spiritual one, which has to do with Jesus Christ and faith,
and the secular one, which has to do with America and buying and selling.
My caution here to you dear Christian
brothers and sisters is to not allow the secular to overpower the spiritual.
My exhortation is to make the most you can of the Advent opportunity.
Prayer and meditation on a daily basis, the frequent reading of scripture,
weekly worship, random acts of charity and kindness-- all of them are
opportunities afforded to us and to our faith in this blessed season.
May I be as bold to suggest that we
each make the commitment to be at worship every Sunday through this
Advent season. What a marvelous way that would be for First Lutheran
to start the new church year with a visible witness of dedication and
support. And if we are away for the weekend, as many will be, let’s
agree to worship where we are, praying for our congregation at home
and then bringing a bulletin from the church we visit to be placed on
the bulletin board. In this way we will also witness to our solidarity
with Jesus and with one another in our worship.
May the blessings of Advent properly
bring us to the everlasting joy of Christmas, the celebration of the
incarnation of God in Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Peace,
Vernon A Victorson, Pastor
It’s
time to think about sharing Christmas joy with FLC shut-ins.
Please bring your
Christmas cookies and place them in the kitchen by Sunday, December
19th. First Friends will be packing them on Monday, December 20th. Each
shut-in will receive a gift bag containing a tin of cookies, and a calendar.
The gift bag and a poinsettia will be delivered by First Friends, church
and family members.
We thank everyone
who will help bring a little cheer and holiday spirit to these FLC members
who are homebound or in nursing facilities. We are most grateful for
your support.
In Christ,
First Friends
New Member
Sessions
Pastor will hold
a series of meetings for those desiring to become members of First Lutheran
and for those simply wishing to learn more about the church and its
ministry. The session will be held on the following Thursday evenings
at 7:30 p.m. --- December 2nd, 9th, and 16th. We will look forward to
receiving new members on Sunday, December 19th.
Property
Committee News
November has been
another busy month for the Property committee. Several major projects
have been completed:
Church Office –
The office has been painted, new carpet and furniture installed. A few
details remain to be resolved.
Choir Rehearsal
and Robing Rooms (downstairs from the sanctuary) - These three rooms
have been re-painted to freshen and lighten these areas. The robe storage
cabinets have also been re-painted inside and out.
Hot Water Heater
– Unfortunately, another major appliance failed. The hot water
heater serving the first floor restrooms and the refugee apartment failed.
A new commercial hot water heater has been purchased and installed.
Leaves – On
Saturday, November 13th, Dom Colafati, Bob Frost, Colin McKnight, Chris
Fedden and I helped Al Hoyt load his truck with leaves from the Western
Avenue parking lot. Bernie Shafarzek brought his riding mower and cleaned
up the leaves on the lawn and out in front of the iron gate on Western
Avenue. We will schedule another work party to clean up the Cortland
Avenue parking lot.
Tulips – I contacted the City of Albany gardener, Judy Stacey,
to ask her advice on when and how to plant tulips at FLC so that they
would bloom during the city’s Tulip Festival. She came over to
the church, measured our Western Avenue flower beds and stated that
FLC qualifies as a “public viewing space” (since the parade
passes in front of FLC down Western Avenue) and therefore she would
offer us tulip bulbs if we promised to plant them as she instructed.
I quickly agreed and she delivered 1,000 bulbs… 500 red and 500
yellow.
Thanks to Bernie
Shafarzek, who roto-tilled the flowerbeds, and Al Hoyt and his crew,
the tulips are properly planted. Let’s hope the squirrels don’t
get them all and FLC will have a beautiful tulip display and can be
part of the city’s Tulip Festival.
Steve Carlson
Property Chairperson
“For
thine is the power”
As I write this
article, we are close to completing our 2004 Stewardship campaign –
“For thine is the power.” Based upon the response many of
you have made, it appears we are well on our way to a successful year.
For that I want to thank all who have responded. However, there are
still a number of our members who have not as yet given an indication
of their intended giving for next year. If you have not returned a commitment
card for 2005, please consider it. Regardless of what your offering
might be, knowing your intentions is greatly appreciated and means a
lot in planning the work of our congregation.
I would also be
remiss if I did not thank the members of the Stewardship Committee;
Lisa Peters, Judy Greenwood, Carol Manthei, Bill Meredith, and Marvin
Berg. I could not have done this without the support you have given
to putting this program together, and bringing it to the members of
First Lutheran.
Karl Manthei,
Stewardship Chairperson
December
Special Offering Envelopes
In our box of envelopes
there is one special offering envelope for December. It is:
My Christmas Offering
December 25, 2004
The “My Christmas
Offering” envelope has been included in our box assortment for
a number of years and allows us the opportunity to make an additional,
special gift to First Lutheran as we celebrate our Lord’s birth
this Christmas Season.
Naturally, your
use of this Special Envelope is entirely up to you. We all must make
decisions regarding how we spend the financial resources at our disposal.
Please prayerfully consider the use of this envelope. If you have any
questions, or comments, please contact any member of the Church Council
or Pastor.
Alsace Lutheran
Church
2201 Kutztown Road
Reading, PA 19605
October 17, 2004
Dear Pastor Victorson
and Members of First Lutheran,
Today, we rejoice
and give thanks with the congregation of First Lutheran Church, Albany,
New York, on the occasion of rededicating the sanctuary. For the past
fifty years, the beautiful Georgian-Colonial edifice on Western Avenue
has been a holy place for praise, proclamation and prayer..
Barbara and I treasure
fond memories of the internship year spent at First in 1975-76. We were
blessed by both the gracious hospitality and tremendous support of the
congregation. We enjoyed being your tenants in the Friendship House,
and I appreciated the opportunity to serve as a Vicar.
May this special
50th anniversary and rededication of the sanctuary be a memorable occasion.
Today, we thank the Creator God for 355 years of faithful and fruitful
ministry in First Lutheran Church, Albany for her great heritage, and
for the ways her ministry has been a blessing to so many. We recall
the words of the Psalmist, “Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1
Rejoicing with You,
The Reverend Mark and Barbara Brophy
Suggested
Advent Readings
1st Sunday
of Advent St. Matthew 21:1-9
Monday Genesis 3:1-15
Tuesday Genesis 12:1-5
Wednesday Genesis 28:10-15
Thursday Genesis 49:10
Friday Numbers 24:15-19
Saturday Deuteronomy 18:15-22
2nd Sunday
of Advent Psalm 2
Monday 2 Samuel 7:12-17
Tuesday Isaiah 7:13-14
Wednesday Isaiah 9:1-6
Thursday Isaiah 11:1-9
Friday Isaiah 49:1-11
Saturday Isaiah 42:1-9
3rd Sunday
of Advent Psalm 72:1-15
Monday Isaiah 55:1-9
Tuesday Isaiah 60:1-3
Wednesday Isaiah 61:1-11
Thursday Jeremiah 23:3-8
Friday Jeremiah 33:14-22
Saturday Zechariah 9:9-12
4th Sunday
of Advent Malachi 3:1-6
Monday Micah 5:2-4
Tuesday St. Luke 1:5-25
Wednesday St. Luke 1:26-38
Thursday St. Luke 1:39-80
Eve of Christmas St. Luke 2:1-14
Christmas
Eve Worship
Friday, December 24th
7:00 p.m.
Chamber Music by the Eribeth Quartet
7:30 p.m.
Festival Worship with Holy Communion, Candlelight and Special Music