Our 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.
Other Happenings Archive
Mid-Week Bible Study
Posted December 8, 2023 By adminDecember 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.
Lutheran Men
Posted December 4, 2023 By adminTHANK YOU for supporting the Lutheran Men with your donation from the Pork Sausage sale.
The Lutheran Men hosting congregation Christmas meal immediately flowing the worship service on December 3, 2023. Everyone is invited and asked to bring a dessert. Please plan on attending as we kick off the Holiday Season with wonderful food and good Christian Fellowship.
Filed in Lutheran Men, Other Happenings
Council Briefs for November Meeting
Posted December 4, 2023 By adminGood Things at St. Jacobs:
• Homecoming Service
• Pastor Andy Eargle named Pastor Emeritus
• Cleaning and organizing the Disaster Response Warehouse (Bus Shed)
• Children did a great job assisting with the Reformation Sunday Service
Report of Ministry Teams:
• Property Team met with the Terminix representative to discuss a new termite treatment plan. Council approved the new annual maintenance agreement with Terminix.
• Safety Team – Combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors have been installed.
• Congregational Care – Provided bereavement meal to Ann Slice’s family and AJ Peeple’s family.
• Discipleship – St. Jacob’s represented at Disaster Response Committee in North Carolina. 12 mercy bags (281 pounds of food) delivered to We Care.
Old Business:
• St. Jacobs will provide 250 slices of pound cake for Thanksgiving at the HUB.
New Business:
• Congregation Christmas Meal scheduled for December 3 immediately following the morning service. The Lutheran Men will pay for the meal. Congregation asked to bring a dessert.
• Council voted to have the Christmas Eve Service to begin at 5 PM
Filed in Council Reports, Other Happenings
Choir Notes
Posted December 4, 2023 By adminAnd suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
As we gather this Advent and Christmas season, we will have many opportunities to join our voices with the heavenly host and sing our praises to God. Our choirs have been working hard to prepare music for this festive season. On December 3 our youth will perform Christmas handbell music for the Christmas dinner. Please stay after you finish eating to hear them play. On December 17 our youth and chancel choir with a few guest members will present a Christmas cantata during the worship service. Many members will provide music for our Christmas Eve service which takes place at 5 pm this year.
Christmas caroling will be Sunday, December 17 from 4-6. We will meet at the church and leave promptly at 4. After caroling we will return to the church for hot soup and fellowship. Please contact Angela if you are planning to attend and if you are willing to provide a pot of soup. We need an estimate to be sure we have enough soup for everyone.
Dates to remember:
December 3: Youth handbells play at Christmas Dinner
Youth handbells rehearsal 4pm
December 9: Cantata practice at 9:30 am for all readers, cantata members and youth.
Youth handbells rehearsal after practice. Following practice -Youth lunch and Christmas Party.
December 10: Youth handbells play at Generations at 1:00 pm.
December 17: Christmas Cantata
Youth handbell rehearsal 3 pm
Christmas caroling 4-6 pm with soup supper following
December 31: Youth lead worship
Free Christmas Concert
Posted December 4, 2023 By adminSt. Jacob’s congregation is invited to a free Christmas Concert that my mom and I are doing at St. Andrew’s Baptist Church in Irmo on December 10th at 3:00 p.m.
Thanks!
Sarah
Filed in Other Happenings
Free Christmas Concert
Posted November 20, 2023 By adminSt. Jacob’s congregation is invited to a free Christmas Concert that my mom and I are doing at St. Andrew’s Baptist Church in Irmo on December 10th at 3:00 p.m. Thanks!
Sarah
Filed in Other Happenings
Choirs Notes
Posted November 17, 2023 By adminOh come,
let us sing to the Lord;
Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
King David’s words in Psalm 95 tell us how we are to come into the presence of God, with thanksgiving and making joyful noises to him with songs of praise! Each Sunday as you come in to the house of God, sing out boldly, making a joyful noise. This is a sacrifice and gift that is pleasing to God. Let us make this advent and Christmas season a time of true thanksgiving to our God. There is still time to join the cantata scheduled for December 17 during the service. We are rehearsing from 5:30-6:15 each Wednesday evening in the choir room. Every voice is needed. Please consider if this is a gift you are willing to give God this holiday season.
CHRISTMAS CONTATA
December 17th
10:00 am
Thanksgiving Eve Worship Service
Posted November 13, 2023 By adminOur church family, neighbors and friends are invited to attend our annual Thanksgiving Eve service of Worship on Wednesday, November 23, 2023. We will share the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Following our service, as is our custom, we will prepare cake slices for distribution at the annual community Thanksgiving meal provided by The Hub. Please contact Billy for more information concerning how you might help.
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
