The Lord blessed us with a perfect Fall day for the Up and Going members and guests to enjoy our annual
Thanksgiving luncheon. Twenty people excitedly gathered in the Fellowship Hall carrying wonderfully tasty
Thanksgiving dishes for our Enjoyment; and Enjoyed we did! The food was delicious. Helen Lindler, Team Leader, gave the devotions from the booklet entitled “God’s Little Devotional Book For Women”. The Bible Reading was from Psalm 77 and we closed with prayer and the Blessing of Thankfulness for Our meal.
After Lunch, Lynn spoke to us about the “Mercy Bags” project. He graciously answered our Questions and Informed us about “WE CARE” and the urgent need the “Mercy Bags” provide.
Lynn spoke of the needs and benefits of “Mercy Bags”. Relating to neighboring communities. There is a big request for helpers to assemble bags and shop for needed items. Please check your schedule and see if you can help out. Let Lynn know if you can help.
Up and Going made a contribution to the “Mercy Bags” Project as our Thanksgiving Project. A Special Thank you to Lynn Shealy for graciously taking the time to inform us of this most worthwhile project.
The December meeting will be held on Thursday, Dec 14th at 11am in the Fellowship Hall. Lunch will be party foods so bring a favorite for sharing. As our Christmas gift, please bring paper goods, cleaning supplies, and/or Personal hygiene items for WE CARE. A sign-up sheet will be posted on our Bulletin board.
Helen, Team Leader
Bible Study Archive
Up and Going
Posted December 13, 2023 By adminLife-to-Life Discipleship Experience
Posted December 11, 2023 By adminThe North American Lutheran Church Life to Life Discipleship Team has developed a resource for congregations to engage in life-to-life disciple making. All Christians are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ. To begin this experience at St. Jacob’s, an initial informational meeting will be scheduled for January. All who are interested in exploring a deeper faith are encouraged to contact Pastor David to make plans for participating in the Life-to-Life Discipleship Experience.
From Your Pastor’s Heart
Posted December 10, 2023 By admin The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight!” Mark 1:1-3
With the first Sunday of Advent behind us, the Church has begun a new year in her liturgical cycle. For the past twelve months we have heard the truth regarding Jesus Christ from Matthew’s perspective. This year we will primarily dwell in Mark’s gospel as he shares with us his account concerning God’s saving grace made available through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
On a personal note, the year we read Mark is perhaps my favorite within our lectionary cycle. Mark’s gospel is different, he does not begin his account like the other gospel writers; he skips over what we now call the birth narrative of Jesus, and gets straight to the heart of the matter, recalling the words of the prophet Isaiah concerning God’s promise of a Savior and Messiah who is Jesus of Nazareth.
I think that at least once every three years, this is an important step in our earthly journey. It allows Christians to avert so much attention from our worldly Christmas activities and busy-ness, and focus our hearts and minds on the Advent of our Lord, his coming at his nativity, yet also his coming again in glory. From the beginning of Mark’s first chapter and at the dawn of Advent, we hear the words from the prophet “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight!” (Mark 1:3).
This exhortation, whether we hear it from the prophet Isaiah, or from Mark’s gospel as quoted by John the Baptist, calls God’s people to action. Israel’s prophets foretold of his coming. Then for centuries, the people of God waited for the fulfillment of his promise to send a savior, yet God seemed distant and quiet. Then as if from nowhere and following four hundred years of silence, a strange looking fellow wearing camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist prophetically shouted out what we now consider a familiar Advent refrain: “Prepare the way of the Lord!” John called God’s people to repent of their sins and ready themselves for the coming of God’s Messiah.
Now, two thousand years removed from this scene, we hear these same prophetic words: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight!” The question becomes, “How do we do that?” What does it mean for Christians today to make the Lord’s paths straight? Traditionally, congregations begin the liturgical year making preparations for the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord at Christmas. Our most visible preparations include hanging evergreens, setting up Christmas trees, lighting extra candles and singing a fair number of Christmas songs. Yet, listening to John the Baptist as he cries out in the wilderness, I’m not so sure this is what he is talking about. It seems that in order to prepare the way of the Lord, we are to be about preparing ourselves and actually doing the work of the Lord.
Our world and the non-believers who live in it are separated from God by the great chasm that is sin. No matter how much we try, we cannot escape the consequences of human disobedience without the grace provided by God through our Lord Jesus. Our Advent preparations, therefore, must include repentance, thankfully receiving the forgiveness made possible through Christ, and sharing the good news that is the Gospel of Jesus.
Our response to God’s gift of grace calls us to take Christ’s commandments seriously, to love God and love our neighbor. We offer our lives in service for the sake of others, exhorting others to prepare themselves to receive their Lord and King. This evangelical mission culminates with inviting others to join us in worship, take their place at God’s table of grace, and assist them in making their preparations for receiving the gift of Christ.
I invite you to make this Advent a time of preparation of self. Dwell in God’s Word, give thanks for His mercy and grace. Then, as we celebrate with one another, let us all join in worship and praise upon the Nativity of our Lord and the joy of heaven and earth at Christmas.
Grace to you and peace during this time of Advent preparation, and may you and your family have a very blessed Christmas!
Grace and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Mid-Week Bible Study
Posted December 8, 2023 By adminOur Mid-Week Bible Study has resumed with the topic of Scriptural Retirement. Join us as we explore what retirement means for life in the church. The Study is adapted from a Bible study written by Pastor Brad Hales, Director of the NALC Aging Ministries. All are welcome. Mid-week Bible study meets at 9:30 a.m. On Wednesdays in the Church Office.
December Pastoral Devotion – Let There Be Light
Posted December 4, 2023 By adminRead Genesis 1:1-3
Have you seen something wonderful today? Have you noticed the beauty of God’s creation all around you? The world we live in is filled with beautiful things, trees, lakes, rivers, animals; the list goes on. All of these and everything else is the result of the creating love of God. Sometimes I wonder if we can even imagine the conditions before God said “Let there be…” We humans cannot begin to understand the formlessness and void of creation in the beginning. Yet God said, “Let there be…” And it came to be. As Christians all over the world begin to observe the Advent of our Lord Jesus, we do so by recalling the history of our salvation through Christ, which begins of course, in the beginning. As we read Holy Scripture, we believe Christ was present in the creation of all there is. The opening verses of the Gospel according to John teach us “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4). The Creation narrative teaches us that apart from God there is no life or light. Still, even today so many continue to discount God’s creating love in the beginning. Many also continue to deny the presence of God in the world or in their lives. Yet, the simple fact remains, without God there is nothing. Without God humans have no purpose. Without the love of God in Christ Jesus, the people of the world walk in the darkness of their sin and their reality is such that they have no hope for salvation.
Jesus is the light of the world; he is the one in whom we find hope. Through Christ, God’s Word incarnate, the people of God once again walk in the light of God’s mercy. Our lives are not formless, they are not void, rather, they are filled with the purpose of proclaiming the gospel and the vocation of love for our neighbor. Today we find ourselves at the beginning of Advent. We find ourselves as sinners awaiting the celebration of our Savior’s entrance into earthly life in order to rescue God’s people from sin and death. Today we find ourselves at the beginning, understanding Christ’s presence in the beginning of time and the creative nature of God’s love.
Prayer: Thank you God for this beautiful world in which we live. Thank you for each person you have created in your image. Most of all, thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is our light and our life. Amen.
From the Pastor’s Heart
Posted November 11, 2023 By admin“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
As I write this installment, we are only a few days beyond our Homecoming celebration of October 15th. Yet, even after a few days, the warmth of the day continues to well up in my heart and mind. What a great day we had. It was good to see so many folks from our St. Jacob’s church family who took the opportunity to “come home.” The welcoming of Pastor Andy Eargle and his family was simply icing on the cake.
The many stories and conversations shared, and the smiles, hugs and well wishes extended to all our guests will live on in our hearts for quite some time. I know it will live on in mine. You see, a pastor’s congregation occupies a special room in their pastor’s heart. You may have noticed this as you greeted Pastor Andy and his reaction to being back among you. His smile is one that I immediately recognized as a pastor’s genuine heart-felt love and gratitude for the blessing God has bestowed upon him. Truly, I have experienced this emotion firsthand.
Later, in the week as I write this, I am preparing to officiate at the wedding of a former youth group member from my first call as pastor. It’s been over twelve years since I left St. Barnabas in Charleston, and I am delighted that Emily has asked me to be a part of her special day. The congregation is closed now, but I do anticipate seeing several members who will gather as friends of the bride’s family. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Angela and me as we are reunited with them.
I think I can speak for most pastors who have served in other places when I say, the love shared by pastor and people never fades. Former congregations and church family members continue to occupy that special room in their pastor’s heart. To see what this looks like, simply recall seeing Pastor Andy at our homecoming and picture his reaction to being among you. Simply put, in his heart, as well as in yours, he remains the shepherd who loved you for many years. Why? Because Jesus first loved him.
Each week, I am afforded the opportunity to share with you a message from God concerning his love that is poured out through his Son Jesus Christ. I am blessed to be called by our heavenly Father to stand among you as his disciple sharing with you the love Christ so deeply shared with us. When we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion, I am afforded the opportunity to look upon everyone with the compassion of our Lord and place in your hands our Lord’s precious body and blood which he has given for you.
While Angela and I were away in September, the one thing that remained in my thoughts was how much I missed worshiping with you on Sunday. As I watched the live streams of our services, your faces and names were brought to the forefront of my heart and mind. Yes, I truly missed you. I truly missed being with you here in this place and sharing the love that Christ first shares with us.
Through Scripture, our Lord Jesus reminds us that his command for us is to love one another as he has loved us. This isn’t always easy, but it is essential. When the evidence of such love presents itself, we should always take the opportunity to remind one another of this love and its source. Love’s source is Christ Jesus in whom all loves exist.
The special room in my heart reserved for the church family members of three congregations and the many folks to whom I have ministered along the way is not yet full. There will be more, I’m sure. They will take their place among you as those whom I have been blessed to serve, just as I am blessed to love and serve you, my church family. This is what is on your pastor’s heart today and quite frankly, every day. God bless us all as we share this time and space together in Christ’s name.
Grace and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Pastoral Devotion for November – God Is Love
Posted November 7, 2023 By adminRead 1 John 4:7-21
The tired old man was perched on the steps leading into the church. He sat there every day. He had no other place he needed to be. He had no place to go; no particular circumstance required his presence. He was homeless, jobless and for the most part, invisible. No one noticed him, except for the pastor who supplied breakfast and the newspaper a few times per week. The two were friends; brothers you could say. In the beginning, we would sit rather quietly, so obviously different, yet so much the same, but soon we became bound together in great friendship.
In the text before us, John has but one message; Jesus Christ came as the manifestation of God’s love. “For God so loved the world,” John would write in his gospel, “that he gave his only Son” (John 3:16). God’s love is realized through Christ, so that humanity may be saved through him. God’s love is perfect, undeserved, and everlasting. It is the love shared by his people. Those who abide in his love, abide in him, and he in them. Such a friendship in Christ lasts forever.
As I sat with my friend there on the church steps each morning, we both recognized the love that united us; we spoke of it often. As we shared the news of the day, we+ shared something even more fulfilling – our friendship that had its roots deeply planted in the love of God through Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Holy God, fill us with your love, that together, we may abide in you and you in us. Amen.
Mid-Week Bible Study
Posted November 7, 2023 By adminOur Mid-week Bible study has resumed with the topic of Scriptural Retirement. Join us as we explore what retirement means for life in the church. The study is adapted from a Bible study written by Pastor Brad Hales, Director of the NALC Aging Ministries. All are welcome. Mid-week Bible study meets at 9:30a.m. on Wednesdays in the church office.
Mid-Week Bible Study
Posted October 14, 2023 By adminOur Wednesday Morning Bible Study will resume on Wednesday, October 18th at 9:30a.m. The Bible Study will meet in the newly renovated Church Office. The topic of study will be announced at least one week prior to the beginning. All are welcome to join in. Please invite others who may enjoy reading and learning more about the Scriptures while discussing them in fellowship with others. No special materials are needed, just you, your Bible, and a desire to meet with others while hearing of God’s promises and love for his people.
Pastoral Devotion for October – The Truth in Us
Posted October 9, 2023 By adminIf we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8.
Early in his first epistle, John states clearly to the Church that, although through Christ our sins are forgiven, no Christian lives without sin. Salvation is not found through moral perfection, but through the sacrifice of God’s only Son. This truth is realized when the children of God strive to walk in the light of Christ.
Sometimes we bear grudges. We remember the sins committed against us and are wary of the sinner lest they repeat the offense. Other times we fail to realize how our actions hurt someone else. John teaches us that people who practice such behavior really do not understand the concept of grace. If we claim forgiveness through Jesus, but cannot forgive others or confess our sin, we are not walking in the light of Christ. The best we can do is stumble in the darkness.
John reminds us of who we are, people who have known the Father. Knowing the Father means knowing the Son, through whom we are forgiven. So too are we to forgive as we have been forgiven. Christ died for our sake and also for the sake of those who sin against us. Through him only is their salvation. This is the truth in us.
Prayer: Holy God, help us to live in the light of Christ, forgiving others as you forgive us. Amen.
