In a month the majority of the world celebrates the New Year. After much preparation–cleaning up after Christmas, cooking, and baking–parties and celebrations will be held to welcome the New Year.

The church begins its new year four Sundays before Christmas with the season of Advent. Advent, from a Latin word meaning he comes, refers to the anticipated coming again of Christ at the end of time. It is a way of saying each year that we look forward with anticipation to the coming of Christ. This time it will not be to suffer and die, but to be rescuer and ruler of all.

Preparation for such a coming will be in some ways the same, and in some ways a bit different, from the way the world prepares for New Year!

New Year may be approached with celebration because we’re glad to see the last year gone–we may have seen it as awful. It had too much war, too much ill health, too much economic woe. It may be celebrated because there is always the hope that the coming year will be better. It may, then, have a bit of solemnity about it.

Advent has that same quality about it. Our world, and we in it, have enough of the dark side of life with its anguish that we long for the rescuer to help make life better. That makes the preparation solemn. It is a time of longing and hoping for that which is better.

As with the New Year, so with Advent, there is a bit of cleaning up to be done. This is not about cleaning house, but cleaning up our lives. Aware that not all of the mess in our world is “out there,” but lies deep inside our very being, we want to be ready for this rescuer/ruler.

But it is the King who comes! The color of the decorations is deep royal blue. Not because of the solemnity. Not a dark color almost like the blackness of death and mourning because of the mess inside and outside, or even a dark color because of the bleak time of year. Rather, the royal blue in anticipation of royalty like no other.

How do we know that this rescuer/ruler/king won’t be teed off at us?

Each new year in the church, we rehearse for ourselves that God came once before–invaded our messy world and lives. But, came precisely because he knew who and what we were and are. In that rehearsal, we see again each year God’s grace re-enacted. Each year we are reminded that God cares about, even loves, people who do not have their act together, whose lives do not work out well all the time.

We hear that story of God’s love for us in the word shared each Sunday. We taste it in the meal of Jesus’ life–body and blood–given for us. We see it enacted in a bit of water used to give new birth and life to undeserving people.

So, we remember that he came once and lived out God’s love. We see and hear that love coming to us again and again in word and water and meal. The result is a new year full of grace and endurance, anticipation and hope, and new life in the face of death.

Advent is not a time of preparation for Christmas, for all the buying of gifts, and throwing parties. It is a time of preparation for the coming of the Christ as King. Use the Sunday and Wednesday worship experiences to help make the most of the rehearsal of those events which bring hope and anticipation to our lives each year.

Pastor Paul

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Announcements

The next Congregational Meeting will be December 9 after worship.

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The Christmas tree will be decorated after the Congregational Meeting on December 9.  All are welcome to participate or watch the fun.

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Help us make the best use of the parking area by pulling in close to other cars.

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Calling all Help! We need volunteers for Altar Guild. Please contact Joan Hamada, Nancy Gregory, Pat Brunner, or Mary Hansen for details.

Coffee Hour Contributions
The Coffee Hour fund made two contributions in November:

• $100 to Concordia Lutheran School 11/21
• $150 to Ted Engelbrecht (Hanoi Mission and Far East) 11/26

~ Gordon Meeske

Only Three Shopping Days Until Christmas!
Only three SCRIP shopping days, that is! SCRIP will be available for purchase on December 2, 9, and 16. Bring your cash, checks, or money orders, and stock up for your holiday gift giving and stocking stuffing! We have lots of new merchants participating in the program – Macaroni Grill, Cold Stone Creamery, and Cabela’s, to name just a few! If you want to check the complete line of available SCRIP, go to www.glscrip.com. Special orders will be accepted through Sunday, December 9. If you have any questions, please contact Joanne Matson by phone at 206.789.7634 or email at matsonjp@hotmail.com. Thank you for supporting Concordia Lutheran School through this fundraising effort!

Help Decorate Our Christmas Tree With Hats!
We are collecting hats again this year for the Compass Center. Knit hats, crocheted hats, sewn hats, and baseball caps – they are all accepted. The only request is that they be NEW, as they are wrapped and given as Christmas gifts to those who utilize the Center. Adult size hats for both men and women are needed. Bring your hats no later than Sunday, December 16.

Interested in Playing Handbells?
Emerald City Ringers are intermediate ringers who have formed a new community hand bell choir in the Seattle area.  Under the direction of Brian Tervo, this group is designed for intermediate to advanced hand bell ringers who want to challenge their abilities and improve their skills.  For more information, please visit www.emeraldcityringers.org.

Remembering Price Cochran

Born in Savannah, GA on August 5, 1942, he was called home to heaven on November 20, 2007. He attended the University of Georgia and was a proud supporter of the Bulldogs Football Team. He moved to Seattle in 1999 and started a walking tour named “Stroll Seattle” and also worked with the cruise ships. He was an active member of  Trinity Lutheran Church and asked that memorials be sent to Trinity at 1200 10th Ave. E, Seattle, WA 98102. Price’s memorial service will be held on December 16 at Trinity. Our regular Worship Service will be held at 10:00 am, followed by a Fellowship Reception at 11:15 am and Price’s Memorial Service at noon. 

The Reception at 11:15 am will afford an opportunity to meet with Price's relatives and friends to celebrate Price's life. Everyone is invited to be part of the Reception.

The reception will be a pot-luck; so, bring some goodies to share.

Thank You!
We thank God for you and your gift of $235.00 to support Ted & Jacqueline Noel Engelbrecht.

~ LCMS World Mission Development Services

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Thank you for your contribution of $420.00 to the Compass Center.  Your gift signifies your congregation’s commitment to serving the members of our community who are most in need of assistance.

The Compass Center provides a wide variety of essential human services to homeless and low-income members of our community, including meals, emergency and transitional housing, hygiene facilities, banking, and phone and postal services, as well as access to case management and referral services. Through these programs, we are working to promote the health and well-being of the poor and under-served members of our community.

As autumn settles into the Pacific Northwest with winter in close pursuit, the need for our services continues to grow.  Here at the Compass Center, we remain committed to growing our capacity to meet this increasing need.  The generous support of your congregation will help immensely in this process.

Thank you again for your generous support.

With sincere gratitude,
Cindy Jackson, Director of Development

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Thank you so much for your help with our sock drive.  “Sock It to the Homeless” has generated over 11,000 pairs of socks so far, and more socks are on their way.   We believe we will reach our goal of 15,000 pairs of socks.  These will be distributed to homeless people over the winter.

There’s nothing like a clean, dry pair of socks in the night!

We appreciate your help and concern for our work.  Every night we’re seeing 140-160 homeless people, providing food, shelter, blankets, basic toiletries.  And socks!

Blessings on you all from the staff at Operation Nightwatch.

God Bless your Ministry and Members,
Rev. Rick Reynolds

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Trinity Preaching Schedule

12/2	David Lund
12/9	Paul Winterstein
12/16	Paul Gossman
12/23	Paul Stone
12/24	Andrew Potsko Christmas Eve
12/25	Andrew Potsko Christmas Day
12/30	Andrew Potsko

Choir Schedule

12/2	Rehearsal—all
12/5	Sing for joint Advent service at Trinity
12/9	Rehearsal—all
12/16	Rehearsal—all Sing for Price's Memorial
12/23	Rehearsal—all Sing with Sunday School
12/24	Sing for Christmas Eve service

Choir practice will resume on the 3rd Sunday in January (the 20th).

Meet Dr. Dale Meyer
Zion Lutheran Church in Tacoma, WA is proud to welcome Dr. Dale A. Meyer, past Lutheran Hour Speaker and current president of our St. Louis Seminary, on Sunday, January 27, 2008.  Join us and hear this powerful and inspiring speaker as he preaches in both our 8:00 am and 10:30 am services.

Meet Dr. Dale MeyerThe Mt. Rainier High School choir will perform in the 10:30 service. Zion will honor Dr. Meyer with a dinner at noon. Concordia Lutheran School marimba band will perform at the dinner.

Please RSVP to Zion Lutheran Church, 3410 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA 98406, 253.752.1264, or ziontacwa@juno.com.

Ancora Holiday Concert
“Songs of Our Lady” on Sunday, December 16, at 4:00 pm at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Tickets will be available at the door. Adults: $15 & Students/Seniors: $10

We look forward to sharing this wonderful program with you!

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
We cordially invite you to celebrate with us 89 years of God’s Grace to Zion and her members.

To commemorate the closing of Zion as Zion’s Congregation enters into fellowship with Mt. Olive and Our Savior in a newly merged church.

To wish farewell and Godspeed to Pastor Lloyd and Sharon Willweber as they enter Retirement.

The Worship Service will be on Sunday, December 16, at 2:00 pm, followed by a reception with refreshments in the Fellowship Hall (7109 Aurora Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98043).

Please RSVP by December 8, to 206.782.6734 or zionseattle@juno.com.

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Community News

Why is Light on the Hill important? Who benefits from Light on the Hill? What numbers does Light on the Hill bring in as far as Church Growth?

There are agencies that do what I do better in a one-on-one system and with more knowledgeable credentials. Trinity gives a lot to those, like Compass Center!!! We do a lot as a congregation.

Why is Light on the Hill important?

I could be a statistic, someone who the general body of Christ could not connect with. I went through an Alternative Program in the 70’s. I think there wasn’t a Sylvan Program, and I was dropped into an Alternative Program without knowing why.

In the Renton School District, the beginning now called Running Start, was a place where the typical school day was adjusted for the child’s needs. Yep, even before “no child left behind” began. Now, it’s geared for college. This is awesome to see God in this. Renton School District had a Living Skills Program, where I learned to survive the real world. It made things easier. At school, you did the time and no crime, and you ended with a Diploma. Also, it gave me an opportunity to try different things, like Custodian Training, which is mega bucks in the field today. Also budgeting, which is unheard of in school. Renton School District helped me to survive, to endure five years of Special Ed.

I want to thank Trinity Lutheran for the opportunity to share. We who glide through life, without thinking how Grace affected us. Here I am, at an advantage to share Jesus, when most have not walked this journey. Real alternative ways to present Jesus.

If God cares about one sparrow, so should we. I got this opportunity and zeal to watch one kid change. I spoke at Concordia. There was an opportunity to share a little of me, presenting Jesus. In a way, statistics do not mean a lot in church growth. One kid, only one, will hear Jesus. It takes your prayers, your encouragement, an acknowledgement I heard God. Yep, we all are priests. I heard the call. How can Trinity help?

Hearing what I heard, I can go out and talk one on one. I was there, perhaps not as deep and into sin as these young adults, but outside the typical box. By listening to their stories and sharing, I help. I went to San Francisco. It was not a package vacation. I was there as the twin towers blew up, in a youth hostel. A YOUTH HOSTEL where I met people from other countries. 9/11 brought real panic to those people. I was in a real adventure. I came home on a Greyhound, not with a plane ticket, sitting with a smuggled dog on the bus.

Your dollars help me get prescriptions and time out to talk to a young adult. Light on the Hill gives Trinity a presence in the community. What can Trinity Lutheran do? Listen to the stories; hearing from me, you hear the Grace we all have been given.

Give spare change to help my availability to share Jesus. We all are called to be Priests. What needs do I have? Spare change so I can do the alternative. You fill the mission barrel and give small loose change; I get to go out in the rain! Telling those out there that Jesus loves them, soaked and perhaps high. I can go to the mission barrel.

Trinity, thank you so much for letting me share Jesus in an Alternative and Genuine Way, now, during the Holy Season!

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Please join Concordia Lutheran School as we present our 2007 Children’s Christmas Program, The Brightest Star.  The program will commence on Tuesday, December 18, at 6:30 pm in the school gym.

A free will offering will be taken at this event to support our chapel project.  Refreshments will be served following the program.

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The staff and faculty of Seattle Lutheran High School are hosting an Open House on Monday, January 7, 2008, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Seattle Lutheran High School is a leader in holistic education where high academic standards and physical development are balanced with emotional and spiritual growth. Come, learn about our focus on the whole student through our small group ministry, advising program, service learning model, and character education that leads to confidence, hope, integrity, and passion. For information, please call Rachel at 206.937.7722 Ext. 18.

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We are grateful for previous participation in the Wheat Ridge Ministries Christmas Seals program. However, to continue to be good stewards of the gifts with which we are entrusted, we will no longer be distributing Christmas Seals through congregations, schools, and organizations. Unfortunately, increases in production, printing, postage, and administrative costs can make these kinds of decisions necessary.

Today, we invite congregations and schools to consider other ways to continue to participate in the ministry of Wheat Ridge. A variety of innovative ministry projects are available for schools, Sunday Schools, small groups, confirmation classes, Vacation Bible School, a special congregational focus, a Lenten program … the opportunities are limitless!

You can contribute to Wheat Ridge Ministries with your weekly contribution to Trinity. Write “Wheat Ridge” in one of the blank lines on your contribution envelope, and indicate the dollar amount you want to contribute. Learn more about Wheat Ridge programs at http://www.wheatridge.org.

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Children’s Services Wish List
Help fill a Christmas wish list from Lutheran Community Services:For our Foster Care Visitation Room:

• New or slightly used rocking chair
• New or gently used toddler or booster seats
• New art supplies, games and “toy food” for play kitchen