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Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Numbers 6:23-26
Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year!
On January 1, we have a service of Christmas Lessons and Carols. Yes, we celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas.
January 1 is also Holy Name of Jesus Sunday. It is the day Mary and Joseph named Jesus. One of the readings for that day is this blessing from Numbers.
If you are a singer, I am sure you have sung a version of this blessing many times. The one I first learned was by Peter C. Lutkin. Here is one version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4C9zVg5X_A There is also a version by John Rutter that is lovely. As a singer, the words just stay with you forever.
And it is a beautiful blessing, isn't it? We ask that God bless you...that God care for you. We ask for God to be generous to you and keep you close in God's care. Finally we ask for God's peace. We know that peace is beyond our understanding and is deep in us.
As we move through this lovely, sacred time, this blessing is my wish for you.
Love,
Rebecca+
Announcements
Please include the following in your daily prayers.
Wendy, Jim, Marie, Tammy, Tootser, Wendy, Zoey, Heather, the Hernandez family, Kierra, Laura, Ken, Gary, Jason, Ann, Father Warne, Fran, Josh, Arthanel, Caverly, Marie, Bob, Julie, Marion, Joanne, Shelby, Will, Terrance, Dick and Lyndsay.
The Church office will be closed from December 26 - 30.
The community level of Covid in Perry County is low. Masks are optional for our service.
Today we take an additional offering for Caring for Nativity’s Neighbors Heating and Health.
Donations are sent to Join Hands, so people in our community have support for their needs.
During 2023, we will be celebrating baptism on January 8, April 9, May 28, November 5.
Let Rebecca know if you or someone you know would like to be baptized on any of these days.
Collections for Neighbor Helping Neighbor Food Bank
In January the food items are Pasta, Pasta Sauce and Parmesan Cheese and personal care items are Shampoo, Body Soap and Hand Soap.
Sean Day will be deployed in January. We will send him a box once we have an address and if there are any restrictions. We will put his address in the newsletter.
Save the Date! Ruth and Esther | Epiphany 2023
The Good Book Club will explore Ruth and Esther, books that explore the faithfulness and courage of two remarkable women. The stories of Ruth and Esther have much to teach us about the Hebrew concept of chesed, which means sacred kindness, as well as the willingness to be in sacrificial relationship with loved ones and our communities. Mark your calendars to join the Good Book Club with daily scripture readings, reflections, and teachings, from Epiphany, Friday, January 6, to Shrove Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
