The boy from Nazareth has made good for himself, and now Jesus makes a rousing return to his childhood temple. But is his shocking brand of preaching too much for the hometown crowd to handle?  He comes proclaiming a kingdom that includes many they didn’t expect, including people like us today.  That message both comforts and challenges us.

Worship with Holy Communion this week:

Saturday – 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

Sunday – 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

9:30 a.m. Sunday School

10:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship

Devotions for this week:

Sermon at Nazareth                                                   January 15, 2017

SHARE:   What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?

READ: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding:

Sunday: Sermon at Nazareth, Luke 4:14-30

Monday: Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit, Luke 4:31-37
Tuesday: Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-Law, Luke 4:38-39
Wednesday: Jesus Heals and Casts Out Demons, Luke 4:40-44
Thursday: The Spirit of the Lord, Isaiah 61:1-3
Friday: Elijah Helps a Widow, 1 Kings 17:8-16
Saturday: Elisha Heals Naaman, 2 Kings 5:1-14

TALK:  Consider some of these ideas:

And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown.”
Luke 4:24

Although Jesus didn’t begin his ministry in his hometown, it was one of the first places he visited during his ministry. Word had already spread to Nazareth that Jesus had been teaching and healing throughout Galilee. At first, people in Nazareth welcomed him openly, marveling at his words in the synagogue. But the tone took a turn when Jesus implied that the good news was not just for them, but for outsiders.

• How does Jesus’ ministry begin?
• Who are the outcasts in your community? How might you welcome and serve them?
• When have you felt pressure to speak harsh or prophetic words to people you are close to? How were your words received? What, if anything, might you do differently the next time?

PRAY: Lord God, You have fulfilled your word in the person of Jesus, your son. Gather us into your adopted family that his proclamation might be ours as well. In the name of Christ, Amen.

BLESS:  Speak your voice. Speak the voices of others. God hears you. Amen.

 

John the Baptist comes with a message that both challenges and promises.  More than anything he proclaims a word that will turn the world around.   As we hear his words are we challenged to ask how these words apply to us?  As Jesus is baptized, he is launched into a ministry of love and service.  Have we heard that voice that affirms God’s love for us, and in turn propels us into lives of love and service?

Worship this week:

Saturday – 5:00 p.m.  Modified traditional worship in the chapel

Sunday – 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

9:30 a.m. Sunday School

10:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship

Devotions for this week:

Jesus’ Baptism                                                                        January ,8, 2017

SHARE:   What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?

READ: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding:

Sunday: Jesus’ Baptism (Baptism of Our Lord), Luke 3:1-22

Monday: Genealogy of Jesus, Luke 3:23-38
Tuesday: Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness, Luke 4:1-13
Wednesday: Comfort, O Comfort My People, Isaiah 40:1-11
Thursday: God Will Restore Jerusalem, Isaiah 52:1-12
Friday: Elijah’s Flight, 1 Kings 19:1-9a
Saturday: Hear, O Israel, Deuteronomy 6:4-15

TALK:  Consider some of these ideas:

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22

There is no quick fix for this world; God’s kingdom is made well slowly, one right move at a time.

• What promises from Israel’s history does Jesus come to fulfill?
• How has your lifestyle contributed to the institutionalization of oppression?
• Does your baptism inform your actions and behaviors? If so, then how? If not, why not?

PRAY: Hear us, O Lord, Your axe lies at the foot of the trees. May we bear good fruit and good news to all the people, in the name of Jesus Christ your Son, Amen.

BLESS:  You are God’s child, God’s beloved. With you God is well pleased. Amen.

Simeon and Anna react with joy when Jesus is brought to the temple.  This is what they’ve been waiting and watching for over the years.  What are we looking to find as we enter  a new year?

Special worship schedule this week:  One service on January 1st at 10:00 a.m.

Devotions for this week:  Simeon and Anna                                                  January 1, 2017

SHARE:   What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?

READ: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding:

Sunday: Simeon and Anna, Luke 2:21-38

Monday: Purification of a Woman after Childbirth, Leviticus 12:1-8

Tuesday: The Law Concerning Dedication of Firstborns, Exodus 13:1-16

Wednesday: Levites Become Substitutes for Firstborns, Numbers 3:40-51

Thursday: God’s Servant, Isaiah 42:1-9

Friday: The Boy Jesus Is Found in the Temple, Luke 2:39-52

Saturday: Laws Concerning Festivals, Exodus 23:10-17

TALK:  Consider some of these ideas:

 Simeon took [Jesus] in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace   Luke 2:28

Two long suffering servants, Simeon and Anna, are about to have the moment for which they have spent their lives waiting.  If we pay attention, we might recognize Jesus in unexpected places in the new year.

• What kinds of rites and rituals are tied to infants in Jesus’ day?
• Where do you see Jesus in the world? Where would you like to see Jesus in the world?
• What’s the meaning of your name? How does your name, title, or identity shape how behave in the world? How does it shape how people treat you? How can you honor your family name? How can your name honor you?

PRAY: O Lord, sometimes we encounter you in unexpected places. May we meet you with joy and honor you in our speaking and acting. In your holy name we pray, Amen.

BLESS:  May God bless you with wisdom to share with future generations. Amen.

Christmas Eve Candlelight worship –

5:00 p.m.  Family Service

8:00 p.m. Traditional Worship with Holy Communio

Christmas Day worship with Holy Communion at 10:00 a.m.

Christmas can be a painful time for some. It may be the first Christmas without a loved family member who has recently died; it may be a time that has always been difficult.
 
The constant refrain on the radio and television, in shopping malls and churches, about the happiness of the season, about getting together with family and friends, reminds many people of what they have lost or have never had. The anguish of broken relationships, the insecurity of unemployment, the weariness of ill health, the pain of isolation – all these can make us feel very alone in the midst of the celebrating and spending. We need the space and time to acknowledge our sadness and concern; we need to know that we are not alone.
 
For these reasons, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mt. Horeb will offer a special “Longest Night” service on December 21^st  at 5:00 p.m. in the chapel.

Come out, and join with us in sharing and hearing prayers, scripture, and music that acknowledge that God’s presence is for those who mourn, for those who struggle  – and that God’s Word comes to shine light into our darkness. Everyone, regardless of church background (or lack of it) is welcome.