January 2024
POHOCCO LUTHERAN CHURCH
GOOD NEWS LETTER JANUARY 2024
Here we are – at the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Christ is God’s “Yes!” breaking into a world that too often says “No!” The angels sing it. The shepherds visit the manger and tell the good news. The Magi travel from afar and bring gifts. It’s Christmas!
And we’re at the beginning of a new year. A year full of possibilities and hopes. We don’t know what the year will bring, but we do trust that God walks with us into each new day and brings joy and hope.
As we worship together, grow together, and serve together, may the blessings of Christ continue with you day by day.
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
Pastor Terry
THE TIME OF CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS AND ITS SEASON
Begins with evening prayer on Christmas Eve (December 24th)
and ends with the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord on January 6th.
Christmas tells the story of Jesus as the long-awaited King who has finally come to save us. Jesus, God’s Son, the King of heaven and earth is born in Bethlehem – the Son of God is a baby lying in a manger.
The evening services of Christmas Eve mark the beginning of the Church’s celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord. The season continues after December 25th over a period traditionally known as the twelve days of Christmas. This season includes a number of lesser festivals: The Festival of Stephen, the first martyr, occurs on December 26th. John, apostle and evangelist, is remembered on December 27th. The death of the babies in Bethlehem (Matthew 2.16-18) is observed on December 28th as the Festival of the Holy Innocents. The circumcision and naming of Jesus on the eighth day after his birth (Luke 2.21) is celebrated on January 1st.
CHRISTMAS PRACTICES AND TRADITION
- We sing the Gloria in Excelsis and join the angels at Christmas in their Hymn of Praise: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
- The color for Christmas and its season is white, symbolizing the divinity, eternity, purity, light, and joy of Jesus Christ.
- The Feast of the Epiphany (“manifestation”) of Our Lord concludes the Christmas season with a celebration of God’s glory revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. Like the light of the star that guided the magi to Jesus, the light of Christ reveals who we are: children of God who are claimed and washed in the waters of baptism. We are sent out to be beacons of the light of Christ, sharing the good news of God’s love to all people.
THE TIME OF CHRISTMAS
EPIPHANY AND ITS SEASON
Coincides with the celebration of the Epiphany or Our Lord (January 6th)
and ends the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Epiphany is one of the oldest seasons in the Christian Church Year, second only to the Easter season. This season of lights emphasizes Jesus’ manifestation (or epiphany, from the Greek epiphaneia) as God and man. The earliest Christians called the Feast of the Epiphany the Theophany (“revelation of God”). When the Gentile Magi come to worship Jesus, they show that everyone now has access to God. Now all people, Jew and Gentile, can come to God’s temple to worship, because Jesus is the new temple: God in the flesh. The Epiphany of Our Lord (January 6th) marks the celebration of the visit of the Magi.
Epiphany may include as many as nine Sundays, depending on the date of Easter. (This year will count a total of six Sundays.) The season is marked at its beginning and at its end by two important feasts of Christ.
EPIPHANY PRACTICES AND TRADITIONS
- Like Christmas, the Epiphany of Our Lord, the Baptism of Our Lord, and the Transfiguration of Our Lord are feast days of Jesus. The color for feast days is white, the color of divinity, purity, and joy. The Sundays after the Epiphany focus on the growth of Jesus’ ministry, and the color green is used to symbolize that growth.
- On the First Sunday after the Epiphany, the Church celebrates the Baptism of Our Lord. The Father sent Jesus to bear the sins of the world. So, Jesus steps down into baptismal waters so that he can soak up the sins of the world: he is baptized into our sins so that our Baptism might be into his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins.
- The Feast of the Transfiguration, celebrated on the last Sunday in the Epiphany season, is a significant and uniquely Lutheran contribution to the Christian calendar. This festival commemorates the moment on the Mount of Transfiguration when three of Jesus’ disciples glimpse their Lord in divine splendor, seeing him as the center of the Law (Moses) and the Prophet (Elijah). Jesus proclaims to his disciples, then and now, that he is the long-awaited one who has come to die for the sins of the world and be raised again in glory.
- The Transfiguration of Our Lord is the last Sunday before Lent. Because we give up singing Alleluia during Lent, as the close of the service on Transfiguration we say farewell to Alleluia with the hymn “Alleluia, Song of Gladness” (WOV #654).
POHOCCO ANNUAL VOTERS’ MEETING – JANUARY 21, 2024
SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, will be Pohocco’s Annual Voters’ Meeting immediately following the worship service. We ask all organizations to submit an annual report to the church office by Sunday, January 14. These reports can be emailed to pohoccolutheranchurch@gmail.com . Those running for office along with the 2024 mission projects will be announced by Sunday, January 7.
Absentee Ballot – If you would like to request an absentee ballot, you must contact Mary Romanelli (402)317-4182 or grandmagertiesgh@aol.com to request a ballot. Ballots will be available by January 14th for the January 21th Annual Meeting.
JANUARY VOLUNTEERS
Social Committee – Weekly Volunteers
Council Helper – Roger Vogel
Altar Guild – Mary Petersen & Gwen Oltmanns
Altar Flowers provided by Tom & Chris Ondracek
Pohocco Lutheran Church Council Minutes
These minutes have not been approved
The council met on December 5, 2023. All members and Pastor Terry were present. Vicki called the meeting to order. Pastor said a prayer.
Jim made a motion to accept the minutes from the November meeting. Scott seconded the motion. The motion passed.
Mary made a motion to accept the financial report as presented. Roger seconded the motion. The motion passed.
Vicki purchased a restroom sign. No one has agreed to be put on the ballot for the coming term.
The missions that are on the ballot are Sara’s Boutique (Lutheran Family Services), American Cancer Assoc., Saunders County Backpack, Dodge County Backpack, Doctor without Borders, and Midland Campus Ministry.
We will get new concrete bids for next summer. Todd Petersen will do the electrical work for the new lights.
Reviews were done for all employees of the church. Jim is going to check with Century Link about faster service or we will need to purchase a new computer.
The next meeting will be January 3, 2024.
Mary made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Jim seconded the motion. The motion passed.
Mary Romanelli, PLC Council Secretary