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On Advent Hymnody
By Elisabeth Urtel Savior, Show Thy Power and Glory Yea, amen! Let all adore Thee, High on Thine eternal throne; Savior, take the power and glory, Claim the kingdom for Thine own. The above quotes the last verse of “Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending,” a 1758 Charles Wesley hymn cherished especially in the Anglican tradition, imparted to Lutherans through modern English hymnals. Residing in either the Advent or End Times piece of your service book, it may be used to teach several facets of the resurrection and second coming of Christ. However, understanding this part correctly is crucial to preserving the personal union. In singing “Savior, take Thy power…
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Advent and Discipline
By Amanda Markel It seems people are talking about New Year’s resolutions before the Christmas wrapping paper has been cleaned up (if not sooner). There’s something about the start of a new year that inspires people to make a fresh start, to try something new, to improve something about themselves. I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions (how many of them are still kept by the time you get to spring?), but I do think focusing on some new disciplines at the beginning a new church year church year is a great practice. The first Sunday in Advent has ushered in that new church year…have you considered how…
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A Few Thoughts on Expectations and Disappointments
By Mary Abrahamson The trouble with others (and ourselves)… is that we are all sinful humans bumbling through a sinful world Have you ever been deeply disappointed or hurt by something someone did or said to you? Or even simply by how events played out? I know I have. And I also know that I’ve been the cause of disappointment for others. Parents. Teachers. Friends. Husband. In-laws. Perhaps sometimes the members of my husband’s churches. And even my own children. We all have been disappointed. We all disappoint. In my own life, I have noticed three primary sources of such disappointments. Firstly, I tend to place my trust on…
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Birth Fears, Redux
By Allison Hull It’s a birthday! Everyone’s excited for the first birthday, right? Can’t wait to see the cake smashing and the icing covered face. Can’t wait to see them try to rip into a present and probably pass out from the sugar coma. Birthdays are supposed to be joyous times filled with eagerness for the years to come. For some moms it’s not all joy. Some births are not always joyous and some are downright scary. As I near a first birthday I’m reminded of that time for me over and over again. And I’m reminded of this article Holly posted in July. https://katieluthersisters.org/2015/07/birth-fears/ When she first wrote it…
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The Many Interwoven Seasons of Womanhood
By Mary Abrahamson Often when we talk about seasons of life, we talk about things like young adulthood, which might include college or single life. Adulthood might include being a wife or mother or being single. It might include being a homemaker and/or having a paying career outside the home. And then perhaps later our children might leave our next empty, but give us grandchildren. And finally retirement. Old age. Perhaps assisted living or full nursing care. And the deathbed. The seasons I’m going to describe are less linear and more universal. My seasons are the kind that occur constantly and repeat throughout our lives regardless of the particular work…
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Another Take on Advent Preparations
By Allison Hull I’m going to talk about something controversial. It might get some very heated so you may want to click back to another page. Seriously, you’ve been warned. I’m talking about Advent. How to celebrate it as opposed to Christmas. Now, I’ve been talking to a number of people and this subject gets everyone riled up for some reason. Everyone thinks they’ve got the right idea about how to celebrate it, especially if you’re religious. One thing we can all agree on is that it’s a time of preparation. My husband is a huge Christmas fan. He listens to the music in July, watches Elf and Jingle All…
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Why All This Crazy Violence?
By Keri Wolfmueller Where on earth did all the crazy people come from? And, for goodness sakes, how did they get guns? These seem to be the two platforms people land on when discussing the current rise of violence in our country. The argument sways between more gun control laws or between mental health issues. Well, I’d like to offer up a third alternative. We’ve got to dig a bit deeper, go back a little further. Our country is in LOVE with death. Sound weird? What if I say it like this, our country places NO value on life. Making more sense? I’d like to argue that we have…
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Stuff Some Rolls in your Purse (on bringing the liturgy home)
By Emily Cook It’s time for the Divine Service! Our Sunday Feast! Here, the gifts of God are poured out in so much abundance that one can hardly take it all in! It’s going to be a party! Oh wait, I have children. Never mind. It’s going to be a battle. If you have children, you know they aren’t exactly interested in taking it all in. They’re not there for the “food,” so to speak. They are their to wave to their friends, to drop the offering with a loud clatter on the floor, to lick the hymnals, and to color on their dress pants. So what’s a mother to…
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Why to Attend Advent Midweek Services
By Amanda Markel Today marks the first Wednesday in Advent, and that means most Lutheran churches will have a midweek service tonight. These services often take the form of Vespers or Evening Prayer, which are services especially appropriate to this time of year. Both services use the Magnificat, Mary’s beautiful song, which she sang after being visited by the angel, as the main Canticle. What better time of year to sing along with Mary the words: “For the Mighty One has done great things to me, and holy is His name; and His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.” In addition to the Magnificat, the…
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Jesus, mental health, and shame
By Heidi Goehmann The choice to take any medication is a big one. Popping a Tylenol in for a headache in our daily life may not weigh heavily on us, but even deciding to give our child an antibiotic or drag our adult selves to the doctor is a big one. Breadth of need, side effects, and co-pays all factor in to our decision to take or avoid a medication. But I see a not-so-new trend rearing its head in the matter – shame. The reality is that we all have an opinion. We want to care for ourselves and our families, the very best that we can. We want…
