The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. Isaiah 9:2
Amazingly, there are a number of little things that go unnoticed until you can see them with new eyes. Small things, insignificant things. They surround us and cast off a beauty all their own. Until very recently, I have missed so many of these, but thanks be to God, I have been afforded “new eyes” with which to see. Not that I couldn’t see before, but that I simply didn’t notice the wonder of such insignificance.
As we begin the season of Advent, we do so with the opportunity to notice the insignificance of some of God’s smallest blessings, things we most often don’t think about, things we take for granted. The reminders of God’s sovereignty and majesty are all around us. They declare the glory of the One True God who chooses to save his people from sin, death, and the power of the devil. All it takes to see these simplistic icons of grace is to look with new vision, theological vision, having an awareness of God’s presence.
During my first night home following surgery, I was lying back in my recliner trying to fall asleep, but there was a brilliant light shining that just would not let my attention go. It was a small light, insignificant, as I said earlier. It was the little green LED power indicator on my laptop charger lighting up the room. In this instance, I saw this little light in a completely new way. The fact that it was shining meant there was power available. Even as I was weakened after a lengthy surgical procedure, the power of God’s love was lighting up the room.
Lying in that recliner, I could feel something that I had taken for granted for a long, long time. I could feel each beat of my surgically repaired heart. It is much stronger than I remember it ever being. The continued rhythmic thump, thump, thump, played a new song over and over again in thankful praise to our heavenly Father who has the power to save his people.
In Advent, we once again have the opportunity to look with “theological eyes” and see the wonder of God’s mercy and grace made manifest for all believers. It comes to us in a most insignificant way, through most humble means; a baby born into the poverty of a fallen and broken world. A Savior
born into a world in need of saving.
Like that little LED that lit up my room, this Babe of Bethlehem casts a light into the world that commands attention. People who walk in the darkness of this world, seemingly blind to the insignificance of this one child, would one day be gathered into his brilliance simply by seeing him with new eyes. Witnessing his compassion, his teaching, and his love for all that God created, for it was all created through him.
As we complete one more liturgical year exploring the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus, and prepare to embark on the journey once more, I would invite you to take notice of the humble means through which God gets your attention reminding you of his ever-present love. These “icons of grace” as I have called them are all around us. I invite you to enter into a deeper, closer, more intimate relationship with our Lord and God. His is a beauty and wonder that draws us into the brilliance of the light that shines through even the darkest moments of our lives.
This Advent, take time to slow down, pray, and notice the presence of Christ walking alongside as he fills your life with the blessing of his power and love. See the icons of God’s grace with new eyes and enter into the wonder and mystery of the God who takes upon himself human flesh and dwells with his people. He came to save us. He continues to come to love us. His power and glory are made manifest even in the most insignificant ways. He is there for us to notice with every heartbeat and breath we take. To God be the glory forever and ever.
Other Happenings Archive
From Your Pastor’s Heart
Posted December 1, 2024 By adminLutheran Men
Posted December 1, 2024 By adminThe Lutheran Men will be sponsoring a Christmas Meal on Sunday, December 8th immediately following our service of worship. Everyone is invited to attend, dinner will be provided. Please invite your family and friends to celebrate with us.
St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church Council Meeting Briefs – November 5, 2024
Posted November 30, 2024 By adminGood Things at St. Jacob’s for October
• Homecoming Service and Lunch
• Recognition of Golden Agers
• Fall Festival
• Disaster Response: Donations and Volunteers
Pastor’s Report
• Pastor had bypass surgery Thursday, November 8th.
• There will be no Wednesday services for the remainder of 2024 with the exception of the Thanksgiving Eve Service on November 27th.
• Pastor plans to lead worship on Sunday, December 1st.
Ministry Teams
Staff Support: Susan Shealy
• Susan Shealy, Larry Shull and Bob Ziemer attended a meeting called HR Bootcamp. This was very informative and covered topics such as: Employee Manual/Child Safety/Facilities Use Agreement.
Safety: Robert Wessinger / Kevin Pharis
• The Safety Team will meet in November to review safety rules and procedures.
• Emergency phone numbers and the church address will be posted in the narthex.
Christian Education: Sherrie McTeer
• Women’s Bible Study meets the second Monday of each month at 6:30 PM.
• Men’s Bible Study meets on the first Monday of each month at 6:30 PM.
• The Youth Bible Study will now meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM.
Congregational Care: Billy McTeer / David Kibler
• Assisted with Disaster Relief deliveries to NC.
• Homecoming and Golden Agers Sunday, October 6th:
• Gifts for 39 Golden Agers.
• Provided meal for Homecoming.
• Will provide 300 slices of pound cake for the Hub for Thanksgiving.
Discipleship: Lynn Shealy / Julie Stuck
• A trailer load of food and supplies was delivered on October 11th to Glenwood Baptist Church in Marion, NC. Food, clothes, sleeping bags, personal hygiene items and cleaning supplies were included.
• Delivered 13 Mercy Bags to We Care and 220 pounds of other cleaning supplies.
Property: Barry Rice
• Replacing two exit doors: one in the kitchen hallway and one in the fellowship hall.
Stewardship: Doug Sullivan
• Brandon Slice has agreed to work with Doug Sullivan on updating the St. Jacob’s website.
Worship and Music: Marie Slice
• Meeting with the Worship and Music committee to order purple paraments.
Old Business
• Parking Lot Update: Barry Rice
Danny Shealy has to get a certified engineered and bonded drawing for Lexington County. He should have this within a few weeks.
• Church Sanctuary: Susan Shealy / Julie Stuck
Initial plans are being made to determine flooring, wall color, and upholstery fabrics.
• 2025 Budget accepted.
New Business
December Congregational Meeting:
• Approve 2025 Budget.
• Elect Council Members.
St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church Council Meeting Briefs – October 8, 2024
Posted November 29, 2024 By adminGood Things at St. Jacob’s for September
- Rally Day and Sunday School Breakfast. Thank you to all who helped with this event.
- Two baptisms.
- Women’s Spaghetti fundraiser dinner.
- Lutheran Men’s Sunday and David Kibler’s sermon.
- Catechism classes are going well.
Pastor’s Report
- We exist for the world around us—give them Jesus.
- Pastor David will be out of the pulpit for at least three Sundays in November due to heart bypass surgery.
Ministry Teams Safety: Robert Wessinger / Kevin Pharis
- Has requested funds in the 2025 budget for security cameras to be purchased and installed around the church facility and also for CPR and AED training for new Safety Team members.
Christian Education: Sherrie McTeer
- Sherrie and Kayla are in need of teachers to tag-team these classes with them or to be substitutes as needed.
- Women’s Bible Study meets monthly, usually on the 2nd Monday of each month at 6:30 PM.
Congregational Care: Billy McTeer / David Kibler
- Lay Communion Ministry teams visited and administered communion.
- Assisted family with various travel needs.
- Assisted Christian Education with Sunday School Breakfast and Rally Day.
- November – plan to provide 250 slices of pound cake for the Hub for Thanksgiving.
Discipleship: Lynn Shealy / Julie Stuck
- Mercy Bags and miscellaneous foods and cleaning products were donated to We Care. The need in our local community is great and St. Jacob’s continued support of this ministry is greatly appreciated!
- Flood buckets and hygiene kits were sent to NC – the Disaster Relief Shed is empty!
- Discipleship will set up an Angel Tree on November 3rd with gift tags of requested items for children in our local community as identified by We Care. The congregation will be informed and invited to participate in this ministry.
Property: Barry Rice
- The exterior doors in the fellowship hall will be replaced soon.
- Parking lot: still working on county permits.
Stewardship: Doug Sullivan
- Doug will place information in the bulletin again asking for people to assist with website development for St. Jacob’s.
- The Finance Committee sent a note of thanks to Council members for submitting budget requests in a timely manner to assist them in preparing a budget proposal/spending plan proposal for year 2025.
Worship and Music: Marie Slice
- Marie Slice and Tommy Faulk have completed an inventory of items in the sacristy.
- Worship and Music will meet to select and order new purple paraments.
- There is only one remaining set of paraments to purchase: blue. The goal is to purchase those in 2025 so that we have all new paraments by St. Jacob’s 250th Anniversary in 2026.
Old Business Church Sanctuary: Susan Shealy
- Julie Stuck and Susan Shealy plan to move forward with an Interior Designer to provide guidance for the church sanctuary renovation.
New Business
- 2025 Budget Proposal Sherrie reviewed the 2025 budget line-by-line to Council. The proposed budget has an increase in spending in the amount of $19,680.00 over the current 2024 budget. To date, our offerings are $10,000 less than the 2024 budget. Council to review and finalize at November meeting.
Blessing of the Animals
Posted November 25, 2024 By adminPastor David led a special service of blessing and thanksgiving on Saturday, October 19th on the Church Office front lawn. God blesses us with love from so many sources. One source of unquestioned love comes from the pets with whom we share our lives. Our pets are a part of our family and a gift from our Father in heaven. They provide love and companionship asking little in return. We praise God for all the animals that make our lives richer through their presence.
Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. Psalm 148:5
Into Liturgy, part 3
Posted November 23, 2024 By adminIn this third installment of our look into the liturgy of the church, we explore two of the initial liturgical movements.
Kyrie
The Kyrie is a prayer for God’s mercy. Observing the Triune formula Lord [Father] have mercy, Christ [Son] have mercy, Lord [Holy Spirit] have mercy. As we gather in the presence of the One True God, we cry out for that which we do not deserve. God comes to us in divine service, bestowing his gifts of his mercy, help, and provision in our every need. As sinners in need of God’s grace, we are equipped and emboldened through the waters of Holy Baptism to approach God as beggars for forgiveness and renewal. In a plea for mercy, we cry “Help, save, and defend us gracious Lord.” The Kyrie concludes with “Amen” that is “yes, yes, it shall be so.”
Hymn of Praise The Hymn of Praise, also known as the “Jubilant Anthem of Redemption” is the first of two songs of the angels sung in divine service. The “Gloria” sings of God’s glory in the highest heaven and his peace to his people on earth. The Gloria is an elaboration of the song of the angels sung over Bethlehem at the birth of the Christ child. Singing praises once again in the Triune pattern, the three stanzas of the Gloria form a series of acclamations, ascribing all glory to God. The Gloria is most commonly sung when Holy Communion is celebrated during the ordinary times of the church year.
Another song used as Hymn of Praise is “Worthy is Christ” often referred to as “This Is the Feast.” This hymn of praise is a modern composition introduced by the Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW). It draws from the hymns sung by the company of heaven in the book of Revelation. This hymn of praise enjoins the ongoing celebrations of Passover and Easter, carrying with it the theme of God’s redemption through Christ’s victory over sin and the grave. This hymn of praise is sung during the festivals of the liturgical year in which special focus is placed upon the resurrection of Christ.
The leadership of Kyrie and Hymn of Praise falls upon the assisting minister for the day, or upon the cantor. The assisting minister or cantor sings antiphonally from a location away from the altar, but in full view of the congregation.
Mercy Bags for We Care
Posted November 15, 2024 By adminMercy bags are packed on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month. Please come to the Fellowship Hall immediately following worship to help pack bags.
Thanksgiving Eve Service
Posted November 10, 2024 By adminOur annual Thanksgiving Eve service of worship will be held at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, November 27th. Our church family, neighbors and friends are invited to attend as we worship and give thanks to our loving God for the many blessings he pours out upon us. Gather with your church family for this special evening.
Following our service, as is our custom, we will prepare 300 pound cake slices for distribution at the annual community Thanksgiving meal provided by The Hub. Please contact Billy McTeer for more information concerning how you might help.
Responding to Disaster
Posted November 7, 2024 By adminWe all remember what happened when a Hurricane named Helene came to town. Our community endured heavy winds, rains, and many fallen trees, all which knocked out power for days within our surrounding area. Yet, by God’s grace, our normal routine has been restored. Folks in the mountains have not been so fortunate.
As we all know, Helene brought devastation to millions of people in the hills of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Eastern Tennessee. In some instances, complete communities have been swept away by flash floods and mud slides. As a congregation in the North American Lutheran Church, we have been asked to assist in relief efforts, giving aid to people who have lost so much. It has been a tall order, but with God’s help we seem to be up to the task.
The response from our church family has been tremendous. Your generosity and willingness to share with your neighbors has been a blessing. From the beginning of October through October 11th, an avalanche of relief supplies fell upon our Fellowship Hall and Disaster Response Shed. Flood Buckets, Health Kits, clothing, food, hygiene products, and even pet foods were collected and sent to Western North Carolina.
Thank you to all who donated, volunteered, or simply prayed for our neighbors’ recovery. The recovery effort is not yet complete and won’t be for quite some time. The needs in the Mountain communities seem to change day by day. NALC Disaster Response is able to organize mission trips for groups or individuals who would like to volunteer in the clean up and rebuilding efforts. Anyone who is interested in participating in such efforts should contact the church office for further information.
Our Disaster Response Shed is in need of re-supply. You can help by putting together Health Kits or Flood Buckets. See the list included in this newsletter for packing directions for each kit. Your completed kits may be placed on the stage in the Fellowship Hall and will be moved into our Disaster Response Shed.
Flood Buckets
- 1 five-gallon bucket with lid
- 1 jug bleach (1/2 gal. or smaller)
- 2 large trash bags (Contractor 3 mil)
- 1 roll paper towels
- 2 rags
- Comet or scouring cleanser
- Pine Sol or liquid cleaner
- scrub brush
- gloves, 1 pair each, size L preferred
- rubber (reusable, i.e. Platex, dishwashing type)
- leather
- cotton
Health Care Kit (Pack in 2-gallon plastic storage bag or tote bag)
- 1 bath towel
- 1 wash cloth (optional)
- 1 shampoo (2 if travel size)
- 1 bar of soap (2 if travel size)
- 1 toothbrush (individually sealed)
- 1 pack of floss (optional)
- 1 toothpaste (2 if travel size)
- 1 comb
- 1 deodorant
- 1 nail clippers (optional)
Youth Ministry Spotlight
Posted November 5, 2024 By adminMembers of St. Jacob’s Youth engaged God’s mission in a couple of significant ways during October. Several of our youth worked to assemble flood buckets in the fellowship hall to assist people in hurricane recovery. On another occasion, youth members went along with Lynn and Susan Shealy, shopping for Mercy Bag items. They learned about the Mercy Bag ministry and how it impacts people in need within our surrounding area. Thank you also to David Kibler and Susan Shealy for leading a Youth Bible study on Wednesday evenings in the church office conference room. Yes, our St. Jacob’s Youth really is “mission driven.”
