Mary’s Song

Magnificat

 

 

 

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

[And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."]

Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

Please click on the following link and scroll down:

https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/slides/Cx_FourthSundayofAdvent.pdf

 

 

 

 We are all meant to be

 

 

 

Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love,

a time when the love of God and

the love of our fellow men should prevail

over all hatred and bitterness,

a time when our thoughts and deeds

and the spirit of our lives

manifest the presence of God.

~ George F. McDougall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memories of Thanksgiving, 2018

shall make a return with candid shots next week.

 

 

Annual Vickstrom Christmas Party

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Anne and Mark Vickstrom

 

Will and Lizzie Vickstrom, two of their three children.

Their third daughter, Caroline, is in Europe … and they are all

 there now to be with her!

 

Jeff Brekke, Curt Harris

 

Annual Painted Toe Christmas Party

Monday, December 17, 2018

Linda Bradford, our wonderful hostess, with Pat Foster

 

Bob Sims, one of our three male members!

 

Christmas Breakfast

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

at the Blackbird Cafe in Kittredge

David Cuin modeling his White Elephant gift

 

Kathi LaTourette was THRILLED to get Charlie McCarthy, my white elephant gift!

I had not realized it, but Kathi has a puppet collection.

 

Christmas Luncheon with our Church Book Club

Thursday, December 20, at Lynn Gilbert’s home

Lynn had our lovely luncheon catered by Mimi Nelson!

 

Thank you, Lynn Gilbert!

 

Carolyn Alexander, Van Farnsworth

 

Delicious Christmas Luncheon for Six

Friday, December 21, 2018

Our hostess, Nancy Priest, with her young neighbor, Max.

Max just dropped in to greet us.

 

This was Max on December 21, 2013!

He looks just about the same except he is about two feet taller.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Alfred Delp:  was a German Jesuit priest and philosopher of the German Resistance. A member of the inner Kreisau Circle resistance group, he is considered a significant figure in Catholic resistance to Nazism. Falsely implicated in the failed 1944 July Plot to overthrow Adolf Hitler, Delp was arrested and sentenced to death. He was executed in 1945.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Delp

 

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

 

 

 

Annunciation to the Shepherds

VOGELER, Heinrich

1902

Haus im Schluh

Worpswede

Germany  

 

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20181222189303514&code=ACT&RC=56750&Row=9

 

 

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

Click below to hear

Ed Herrman with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Longfellow’s Christmas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXfzp296zhA

 

 

 

 

A Long Winter’s Nap

Painting by Tom Newsom, one of the Tuesday Breakfast Group.

Click the link below for more of Tom’s amazing Santa products!

newsomsantashop.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Micah 5:2-5a
Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 80:1-7
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-45 [46-55]

 

 

 

Christmas Eve, 2018

Lectionary citations:
Series I:
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

Series II:
Isaiah 62:6-12
Psalm 97
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:[1-7], 8-20

Series III:
Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98
Hebrews 1:1-4, 5-12
John 1:1-14

 

 

 

 

 

Micah 5:2-5a

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
   who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
   one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
   from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
   when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
   to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
   in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
   to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.

Luke 1:46b-55

[And Mary said,] "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Psalm 80:1-7

Give ear, 
   O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned
   upon the cherubim,
shine forth before Ephraim
   and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
   and come to save us!

Restore us, 
   O God;
let your face shine,
   that we may be saved.

O Sovereign God of hosts,
   how long will you be angry
with your people's prayers?
You have fed them
   with the bread of tears,
and given them tears to drink
   in full measure.

You make us the scorn
   of our neighbors;
our enemies laugh
   among themselves.

Restore us, 
   O God of hosts;
let your face shine,
   that we may be saved.

Hebrews 10:5-10

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
"Sacrifices and offerings
  you have not desired,
but a body you have prepared
   for me;
in burnt offerings
   and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said,
'See, God, I have come to do your will,
   O God'
(in the scroll of the book
it is written of me)."

When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "See, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

[And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."]

Christmas Eve

 

“For outlandish creatures like us, on our way to a heart, a brain, and courage, Bethlehem is not the end of our journey but only the beginning - not home but the place through which we must pass if ever we are to reach home at last."

~ Frederick Buechner

 

Proper I

Isaiah 9:2-7

The people who walked in darkness
   have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of
   deep darkness —
on them light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation,
   you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
   as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.

For the yoke of their burden,
   and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
   you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all the boots of the tramping warriors
   and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire.

For a child has been born for us,
   a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
   and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His authority shall grow continually,
   and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.

He will establish and uphold it
   with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Psalm 96

O sing to God 
   a new song;
sing to God, 
   all the earth.

Sing to God, 
   bless God's name;
tell of God's salvation
   from day to day.

Declare God's glory 
   among the nations,
God's marvelous works
   among all the peoples.

For great is God,
   and greatly to be praised;
God is to be revered 
   above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples 
   are idols,
but God made the heavens.

Honor and majesty 
   are before God;
strength and beauty 
   are in God's sanctuary.

Ascribe to God, 
   O families of the peoples,
ascribe to God 
   glory and strength.

Ascribe to God the glory 
   due God's name;
bring an offering,
   and come into God's courts.

Worship God in holy splendor;
   tremble before God, 
all the earth.

Say among the nations, 
   "God is ruler!
The world is firmly established;
   it shall never be moved.

"God will judge the peoples;
   God will judge the peoples 
with equity."

Let the heavens be glad,
   and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, 
   and all that fills it;

let the field exult,
   and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest
   sing for joy before God;

for God is coming,
  for God is coming 
to judge the earth.

God will judge the world  
   with righteousness,
and the peoples 
   with God's truth.

Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and 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 heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

(When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.)

Proper II

Isaiah 62:6-12

Upon your walls, O Jerusalem,
   I have posted sentinels;
all day and all night
   they shall never be silent.
You who remind the Lord,
   take no rest,
and give him no rest
   until he establishes Jerusalem
and makes it renowned throughout the earth.

The Lord has sworn by his right hand
   and by his mighty arm:
I will not again give your grain
   to be food for your enemies,
and foreigners shall not drink the wine
   for which you have labored;
but those who garner it shall eat it
   and praise the Lord,
and those who gather it shall drink it
   in my holy courts.

Go through, go through the gates,
   prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway,
   clear it of stones,
lift up an ensign over the peoples.

The Lord has proclaimed
   to the end of the earth:
Say to daughter Zion,
   "See, your salvation comes;
       his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him."
They shall be called, "The Holy People,
    The Redeemed of the Lord";
and you shall be called, "Sought Out,
   A City Not Forsaken."

Psalm 97

God is ruler! 
   Let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!

Clouds and thick darkness
   are all around God;
righteousness and justice 
   are the foundation 
of God's throne.

Fire goes before God,
   and consumes God's adversaries
on every side.

God's lightnings light up 
   the world;
the earth sees and trembles.

The mountains melt like wax
   before God,
before the God of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim God's righteousness;
   and all the peoples behold God's glory.

All worshipers of images 
   are put to shame,
those who make their boast 
   in worthless idols;
all gods bow down 
   before God.

Zion hears and is glad,
   and the towns of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgments, 
   O God.

For you, O God, 
   are most high
over all the earth;
  you are exalted 
far above all gods.

God loves those 
   who hate evil;
God guards the lives 
   of God's faithful;
God rescues them 
   from the hand of the wicked.

Light dawns for the righteous,
   and joy for the upright in heart.

Rejoice in God, 
   O you righteous,
and give thanks 
   to God's holy name!

Titus 3:4-7

But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Luke 2:[1-7] 8-20

[In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.]

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and 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 heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!'

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Proper III

Isaiah 52:7-10

How beautiful upon the mountains
   are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
   who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, 
   "Your God reigns."

Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
   together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
   the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
   you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
   he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
   before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
   the salvation of our God.

Psalm 98

O sing to God
   a new song,
for God has done 
   marvelous things.

God's strong hand 
   and holy arm
have gained the victory.

God has made known 
   God's victory;
and has revealed God's vindication 
   in the sight of the nations.

God has remembered having steadfast love 
   and faithfulness to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth 
   have seen the victory of our God.

Make a joyful noise to God, 
   all the earth;
break forth into joyous song 
   and sing praises.

Sing praises to God 
   with the lyre,
with the lyre 
   and the sound of melody.

With trumpets and the sound 
   of the horn
make a joyful noise 
   before the Ruler, the Sovereign.

Let the sea roar, 
   and all that fills it;
the world and those who live in it.

Let the floods clap their hands;
   let the hills sing together for joy
at the presence of God,
   for God is coming 
to judge the earth.

God will judge the world 
   with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.

Hebrews 1:1-4, 5-12

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,
   "You are my Son;
     today I have begotten you"?
Or again,
   "I will be his Father,
    and he will be my Son"?
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
   "Let all God's angels worship him."
Of the angels he says,
   "He makes his angels winds,
      and his servants flames of fire."
But of the Son he says,
    "Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever,
        and the righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.
     You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
        therefore God, your God, has anointed you
           with the oil of gladness beyond your companions."
And,
    "In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,
        and the heavens are the work of your hands;
     they will perish, but you remain;
        they will all wear out like clothing;
     like a cloak you will roll them up,
        and like clothing they will be changed.
     But you are the same,
        and your years will never end."

John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.