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What's Coming Up
January Sunday, January 4 -- Communion Sunday Sunday, January 18 -- Elizabeth Searles, Presbyterian Missionary to Romania Saturday, January 24 -- Rev. Ed Neuenfeldt Memorial Service, 2 pm. February Sunday, February 1 -- Communion Sunday Sunday, February 8 -- Voyager Sunday Wednesday, February 18 -- Ash Wednesday, Pancake supper 5:45 pm., Worship 7 pm. Join us as we reach out and celebrate together! |
Emanuel = God Will Be With Us
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God;...” And the one seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also, he said, “Write this , for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end...” from Revelation 21
Jesus, the Giver of new life, says, “I am making all things new.” People have said that there is no end without a beginning; the conclusion of one season of life is also the start of the next. There are two sides to every coin and every story.
Perhaps there has not been so stark a contrast of the two dynamics of life than that of Starbuck and Lizzie, in the play The Rainmaker. Starbuck, the dreamer of dreams that almost never come true, complains to Lizzie about a world in which reality falls far short of a person’s vision.
STARBUCK: Nothing’s as pretty in your hands as it was in your head. There ain’t no world near as good as the world I got up here (angrily tapping his forehead). Why?
LIZZIE: I don’t know. Maybe it’s because you don’t take the time to see it. Always on the go – here, there, nowhere. Running away... keeping your own company. Maybe if you’d keep company with the world...
STARBUCK: (doubtfully) I’d learn to love it?
LIZZIE: You might – if you saw it real. Some nights I’m in the kitchen washing the dishes. And Pop’s playing poker with the boys. Well, I’ll watch him real close. And at first I’ll just see an ordinary middle-aged man – not very interesting to look at. And then, minute by minute, I’ll see little things I never saw in him before. Good things and bad things – strange little habits I never noticed he had – and ways of talking I never paid any mind to. And suddenly I know who he is – and I love him so much I could cry! And I want to thank God I took time to see him real.
Our whole lives are mixtures of vision and realism, Starbuck and Lizzie, probability and potential. As we begin a new year, the truth of Christmas remains: God is with us, here amongst our human potential and the world’s harsh realities. Both are powerfully true, yet even more true is the affirmation that with God, all things are possible. We change; the world changes; and amid all that, God continues to reach out to us, lifting us up and including us in the miraculous work God is accomplishing in our real world.
This new year, in our lives and in our life together as Savage Memorial, things are omega and alpha, ending and beginning. Life becomes new in myriad ways. We can look at life in different and complementary ways. As we open our hearts to seeing our place in God’s new year, we have hope and peace. We share love and joy. Because we know the truth: come what may, God will be with us.
Grace and peace to you, in the name of Jesus Christ!
Church family: for some people, these two words are synonymous. For others, the family in which they grew up included a particular church, the celebrations and familiar feel of church. For some, the words conjure up a closed picture of a clan you have to be born or marry into. But that is not us.
At Savage Memorial, we are proud to be a church family. For us, that means people of all generations are valued and included. That means the ties of love are continually extended to include new life, new people, new experiences. Church family means we eat together, celebrate together, cry together, and grow together in faith.
We welcome folks of every worldly condition into our church family, regardless of race, age, physical ability, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, or economic condition. We are committed to the grace of openness in extending the fellowship of Christ to all persons.
We are members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and as such are a worship-centered, Biblically-ordered, and Spirit-led expression of the larger church. Connections to other believers, congregations, and ministries keep us personally involved with Christ’s worldwide work. In worship, fellowship, and mission, we joyfully give all praise and honor and glory to God.
Our people are connected to the world and our communities. Thoughtful awareness and genuine engagement with the workings of the world are valued here. We come from around the corner, across the country, and the world over, and we relish the diversity of a family with broad roots. Our dedication has long been captured in the line – To the Glory of God and the Service of our Community. Yes, that’s us.
We invite you to join us as we offer ourselves to God and are prepared for God’s service in the world. There is a place for you at our family table.
Shalom – Chris Grewe, pastor
Church family: for some people, these two words are synonymous. For others, the family in which they grew up included a particular church, the celebrations and familiar feel of church. For some, the words conjure up a closed picture of a clan you have to be born or marry into. But that is not us.
At Savage Memorial, we are proud to be a church family. For us, that means people of all generations are valued and included. That means the ties of love are continually extended to include new life, new people, new experiences. Church family means we eat together, celebrate together, cry together, and grow together in faith.
We welcome folks of every worldly condition into our church family, regardless of race, age, physical ability, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, or economic condition. We are committed to the grace of openness in extending the fellowship of Christ to all persons.
We are members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and as such are a worship-centered, Biblically-ordered, and Spirit-led expression of the larger church. Connections to other believers, congregations, and ministries keep us personally involved with Christ’s worldwide work. In worship, fellowship, and mission, we joyfully give all praise and honor and glory to God.
Our people are connected to the world and our communities. Thoughtful awareness and genuine engagement with the workings of the world are valued here. We come from around the corner, across the country, and the world over, and we relish the diversity of a family with broad roots. Our dedication has long been captured in the line – To the Glory of God and the Service of our Community. Yes, that’s us.
We invite you to join us as we offer ourselves to God and are prepared for God’s service in the world. There is a place for you at our family table.
Shalom – Chris Grewe, pastor
