FAITH
BASICS
is a study group to teach the foundations of the Christian
faith. These sessions provide a freshlook into the unchanging Word. Long-life members may brush up on thebasics, prospective members gain
valuable insight Sundays at 9:45 a.m. inconference room 1
SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILDREN 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
We meet in the church for an opening devotion and then are off to classes. Classes are for children aged three and older. Childcare is available for children under three.
The
setting is warm and friendly – the lessons invaluable – the opportunity
very important for your children’s growth and development. We
encourage you to join us this Sunday.
For more information, contact Elizabeth Kruse, through the church office.
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The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom
abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon
shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon . They shall see
the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. (Isaiah 35:1-2)
Isaiah is the poet of all poets of all the Old Testament prophets. As
Israel sits in the ruins of exile, Isaiah sings of restoration. While
all of Israel looks at the devastation in front of them, Isaiah weaves
words of what is possible with God.
To me, this is the job of all who keep Advent, to speak of what is
possible with God while others only see a ruined landscape. Those who
only see a collapsed economy in our country and in our own lives.
Those who may have family or work stress. Those who are thinking, “Will
I find a job in 2010?” Those who only see that they owe more on
their house than it’s worth.
As a parent, I have spent countless moments reassuring my children that
everything will be okay. I have kissed scraped hands in order to make
them better. While listening to the concerns of the day, I have
promised that tomorrow will be brighter. When my kids were babies and
were crying, letting loose their infant anxieties, I would sing this
rhyme to my boys; Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Papa’s going to
buy you a mockingbird. My wife offers gentle words of encouragement to
our daughter today. To me, this is the job of all who are parents, to
speak words of hope while children are only facing pain and anguish.
Advent is all about making a way for God, in our anguish, in our exile,
in the places of our lives that seem to be ruined. Our heavenly Father
wants to speak words of hope to you, just as we do for our children.
As Jesus quietly arrives as an infant, then who preaches and lives
God’s promises, we see the fulfillment of Isaiah described as the glory
of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
Advent allows us to make room for Jesus arriving on the scene, as we
recall the messenger that prepared for him, for John the Baptist, and
for his earthly parents, Joseph and Mary.
Pray. To keep Advent, I encourage you to pray.
Spend time in silence, reading God’s Word, seeking God’s voice. Come to
pray around the Cross at our Wednesday Weekday Services at St. Thomas
Lutheran, to pray and sing with others.
Wait expectantly. This is a tall order for us, while
shopping and party going make demands on us. Spend the first ten
minutes of the day or the last ten minutes making room for Christ in
your life.
At St. Thomas Lutheran in worship, let’s spend more time in silence and
prayer for each other. Be generous. Consider how your gift-giving will
bring joy to others, rather than fulfilling an obligation. Look at the
opportunities at STL to bring hope to refugees or those in our STL
community with the gifts that are being suggested on our Christmas
Giving Tree. Seek out those who need a kind word, who need someone to
hold their hands as you listen to their pain, hurts, and even their
joys.
Wait with hope. Worship with your St. Thomas Lutheran
family. The company of others in song and communion will connect
you to those like Isaiah and John, who paved the way for all things
new. It will connect you to Jesus the author and perfector of your
faith.
In Christ, who came, who comes, and who will come again,
Deacon Jerry Corbet
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the name of Jesus. This autumn has been a time of
great changes! School is back in session, bringing homework,
sports, new friends and new activities. Kids aren’t the only ones
back in school; as many of you already know I’ve begun the journey to
become an ordained pastor through our St. Louis seminary. As much
as I thought I was busy before couldn’t even compare to what’s going on
now. Being in the seminary through the Specific Ministry Pastor
program means that I am also now a vicar and no longer a deacon.
In a way this is very sad; the deacon program and being able to serve
as such has been an incredibly life-changing circumstance for me.
But God has a way of not keeping us still for very long, constantly
bringing on new challenges and new opportunities.
As vicar I am serving my vicarage at Genesis Center. We are all
very excited about everything going on. People ask what is
Genesis Center about, and this tells me we haven’t done a good job of
making our purpose clear. Let me answer that question as clearly
as possible. Genesis Center exists to connect people to Jesus
Christ through serving the community. That’s it. Our goal
is to serve others and use these service opportunities as a means to
spread the Gospel of Jesus. We are doing this in a number of ways.
We hold weekly worship services on Sundays at 1pm. The services
are a real blending of old and new; we have a traditional liturgy with
songs and hymns that are performed with more modern
instrumentation. We use a combination of both old hymns and newer
praise songs. We are starting small, working on getting the word
out to the community and growing the services. We’re not
necessarily interested in stealing from other churches; we want to
reach the unchurched.
One of the biggest needs in Metro Detroit is the need for work.
In order to help people find employment we have computers available for
people to use to find work, we are putting together classes on job
hunting skills, interview skills, and resume writing. We are also
putting together a clothing closet so people can have a good set of
clothes to wear to an interview.
Families are also in strife. We are attempting to help through
counseling at little to no cost, offering classes on money management
and parenting skills. We are also working at putting together a
food pantry to help with emergency needs.
We don’t do this work to proclaim ourselves, but rather to proclaim
Christ. We are the servants He uses (2 Cor. 4:5). Is there
some way you can see yourself helping in this work? As any
organization in these times we have many needs. These include
computers (including at least 1 laptop), nonperishable food items,
clothing suitable to be worn to an interview, and of course financial
contributions are always welcome. Perhaps you can help us by
spreading the word about Genesis Center. We have flyers that can
be distributed. Can you hang one on the bulletin board of your
grocery store? Maybe you can hang one where you get your
hair done or at the station you regularly fill your car up at. As
we continue to move forward we are going to need people willing to
donate their time. I hope you will prayerfully consider how you
might be able to help. Please feel free to contact me at
586-925-3260 if you have any questions or would like to help.
Serving Him,
Vicar Rick VanBriggle
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