Christmas Day, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas!

We had a traditional Christmas Eve Family Service on Monday evening. The weather cooperated and there was a good attendance from members, family, and friends. The church was beautifully decorated and several families or individuals contributed to the service by reading Scripture lessons, singing or playing the piano. The congregation also sang Christmas carols. It was great to see everyone at this special event.

A service of Holy Communion was held on Christmas morning. This is always a service that’s more intimate and reflective, which is appreciated after all the excitement of the evening before. If you are interested in the message, use the link on the right.

I will have a week off, but something special is being offered next Sunday on the 30^th. At 9:00 a.m. the Christmas Cantata Mary, Did You Know? will be performed. The Palmyra Covenant church will be our guest that day and there will be a potluck brunch following the cantata. Several members of the choir will be coming from the Olivia area and Deb R. will be conducting.

I wish you and yours a season blessed with the awareness of Christ’s presence.

In the name of Jesus, our Savior

Pastor Stewart

The Week of December 23

Merry Christmas…on a very blustery winter day. Today, it was even windier than usual on the Swedlanda hill. But the fellowship was warm inside. We began our service with an unexpected prelude from Ralph and Corrine’s daughter Julie L. and granddaughter Sophie—very beautiful. Our choir also sang today; Megan S. had a flute solo. Numerous special family events are being celebrated this week, including birthdays for Lynn P., Matt S., Kasey P., Joe W., and Doris J. and anniversaries for Charles & Nancy S. (31), Gary & Gail D. (37), Adam & Janine B. (6) and Kurt & Sue S. (23).

The Swedlanda sanctuary is looking very festive with numerous poinsettias. As usual, the message for the day is available from SkyDrive (link on the right).

I thought I would include a few photos from the past Wednesday, a very frosty morning. That evening, the Luther League met and our Men In Mission filled Christmas bags for the Christmas Eve service.

We are looking forward to that and to a service on Christmas Day. A few announcements can be found below.

God’s blessings and keep safe.

Pastor Stewart

Announcements:

The Swedlanda Christmas Eve Family Service is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and will include offerings from our members.

The Christmas Day Service of Holy Communion will be held at 9:00 a.m.

The Swedlanda Church Council has voted to designate the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day offerings as follows: ½ Renville County Food Shelf; ½ Lutheran Social Services.

On Sunday, December 30 at 9:00 a.m., the 2007 Christmas cantata, Mary, Did you Know? will be performed at Swedlanda by members of the Olivia area choir as directed by Deb R. Members of the Palmyra Covenant Church will also be our guests that day. The program will be followed by a potluck brunch hosted by our Church Council. Please join us and invite others to come.

The Annual Meeting for Swedlanda Lutheran is scheduled for Sunday, January 13, beginning with the Cemetery Association meeting at 12:30. A potluck will be held immediately after worship on that day. The alternative date in case of bad weather is January 20. All officers of auxiliary church groups (W-ELCA, MIM, LL) and committee chairs/directors are reminded that their reports should be submitted to the church office as soon as possible.

Congratulations to Nick P. who graduated from SCSU with a Bachelor’s in Business Management.

The quilters of Swedlanda have a great ministry of providing quilts for various needs--Lutheran World Relief, local families in need, the fundraiser for Renville County domestic abuse prevention to name a few. Since we can't all quilt, perhaps we can support this ministry by a donation of funds. The jar on the narthex table is now accepting donations to help fund the quilters’ projects. Thank you.

Tonight the CBS television network will air a two-hour prime time program entitled "In God's Name." This special will feature extraordinary footage of 12 of the world's most influential religious leaders, including our very own Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and president of the Lutheran World Federation. Tune in at 8:00 p.m.

A Christmas Message from the Stewart Family

The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
the power of the Highest hover over you;
Therefore, the child you bring to birth
will be called Holy, Son of God.

– Luke 1:35, The Message

As we reflect on the Father’s love for us delivered by the Spirit and revealed in flesh of our Savior, we are filled with gratitude. May God draw us closer to Him day by day, surrounding us with His presence.

The Holy Trinity by Andrei Rublev

God bless us with an increased awareness of this love, that our relationships might always reflect that love. And may we make our home in Jesus Christ.

Pastor Charles and Nancy Stewart and family

The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ,

the extravagant love of God,

the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit,

be with all of you.

– 2 Corinthians 13:14, The Message

The Week of December 16

Greetings on the Third Sunday of Advent!

Today we had a Christmas Program presented by our young folks at Swedlanda. I was called “The Carpenter’s Dream” based on a story called “Where Love Is” by Leo Tolstoy. The classic Christmas tale is about a toy maker who encounters several people in need. He doesn’t realize that they represent the Lord. It was well done, thanks to Gail Dean and Brian Lamb, who staged it. Because of the program, there was no sermon for the day, although we did have communion.

There were quite a few visitors in church, including some that came for the program and some in town for family gatherings. It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just over a week away. The Church is decorated and some poinsettias have been appearing.

Lyndon A. is celebrating a birthday on Wednesday, so we sang to him. The choir also sang today during the offering.

A few announcements follow. Have a blessed week.

In Chris,

Pastor Stewart

Announcements:

The Swedlanda Christmas Eve Service is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and we would like to encourage members of the congregation to bring their gifts to share. We will need readers and special music, in addition to offerings from the choir. Family groups are welcome, but so are individuals or instrumentals. If you would like to offer something, please let Deb Rath or Pastor Stewart know. Thank you.

The Christmas Day Service of Holy Communion will be held at 9:00 a.m.

The Swedlanda Church Council has voted to designate the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day offerings as follows: ½ Renville County Food Shelf; ½ Lutheran Social Services.

Looking for a great Christmas Gift? Habitat For Humanity Raffle tickets are now available!! This year, the Grand Prize is a candy apple red 2008 Ford Mustang convertible. Other prizes include a 15” Lap Top Computer, $500 cash, Apple I Pod 80 GB Video, and 27” Digital Color TV. Tickets are $50 and may be purchased from HFH Board members, Joyce Nyhus or Pastor Stewart. The drawing will be held on SouperBowl Sunday, February 3, 2008.

A 30-day calendar and coin box has also been placed in mailboxes. Families are encouraged to use the calendar during the month of January and return them on February 3.

The Annual Meeting for Swedlanda Lutheran is scheduled for Sunday, January 13, beginning with the Cemetery Association meeting at 12:30. A potluck will be held immediately after worship on that day. The alternative date in case of bad weather is January 20.

The Week of December 9th

God’s Blessings from Swedlanda,

I hope all is well with you during this season of so much “busyness” (and business). I was just reading an article about this subject as a part of my coursework at the seminary, Taking Care of Busyness by John Ortberg. The basic premise is this: “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” Spiritually, our time and schedule-obsessed lifestyles distract us from what is really important, a life-giving connection with God. Jesus, you might remember, was a master at withdrawing for purposes of solitude and prayer. It is not a waste of time. This is something I need to re-learn from time to time and Advent provides the perfect opportunity to focus on this.

At Swedlanda this Sunday, we took time for God’s Word, prayer and praise. It was also a time for preparing. Instead of our usual Church Family Sunday School, rehearsal was under way for the Christmas Program which will be presented next Sunday. Gail D. has been organizing this and I look forward to seeing the program, which will be part of our regular 10:15 a.m. worship service.

Several Swedlanda members are celebrating their birthdays this week, including Kyle B. (21), Julie H., Bernice C., Keith P., and Jordan A. (14). Bernice, by the way, had a successful surgery and is recovering at her daughter’s home.

For those looking ahead to Christmas, the Christmas Eve Family Service is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and on Christmas Day there will be a 9:00 a.m. service of Holy Communion.

As usual, the sermon for Sunday is available on SkyDrive through the link on the sidebar. Announcements and the calendar for the week are below.

Have a great week as you reflect on what is truly important in your life.

In Christ,

Pastor Stewart

Announcements:

The Swedlanda Christmas Eve Service is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and we would like to encourage members of the congregation to bring their gifts to share. We will need readers and special music, in addition to offerings from the choir. Family groups are welcome, but so are individuals or instrumentals. If you would like to offer something, please let Deb R. or Pastor Stewart know. Thank you.

Megan S. was last week’s Terrific Teen on KOLV radio. Congratulations, Megan! We’re proud of you.

The Swedlanda Men In Mission will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 8:30 p.m. to fill Christmas bags. Hosts are Dave J. & Brian L. Please note that this meeting has been delayed a week.

The Luther League will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 7:00 p.m. Kasey P. is serving.

Thanks to all who contributed to the Swedlanda Advent Event. The silent auction took in $4654.00. The lunch (including jar) offering for the India Library project was $518.99; this plus 1/2 of the MIF interest ($196.60) was sent to support the project.

Looking for a great Christmas Gift? Habitat For Humanity Raffle tickets are now available!! This year, the Grand Prize is a candy apple red 2008 Ford Mustang convertible. Other prizes include a 15” Lap Top Computer, $500 cash, Apple I Pod 80 GB Video, and 27” Digital Color TV. Tickets are $50 and may be purchased from HFH Board members, Joyce N. or Pastor Stewart. The drawing will be held on February 3, 2008.

The next HFH meeting will be on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lion’s Den, BL. All are welcome to attend.

The Annual Meeting for Swedlanda Lutheran is scheduled for Sunday, January 13, beginning with the Cemetery Association meeting at 12:30. The alternative date in case of bad weather is January 20. All officers of auxiliary church groups (W-ELCA, MIM, LL) and committee chairs/directors are reminded that their reports should be submitted to the church office by December 15.

The Swedlanda Church Council has voted to designate the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day offerings as follows: ½ Renville County Food Shelf; ½ Lutheran Social Services.

The Week of December 2

Winter has arrived at Swedlanda! I know, because I’ve been moving it around out in our driveway and on the church sidewalks. As you might imagine, it had the effect of limiting our Sunday attendance a bit. I don’t have any snow pictures, but you know what that looks like.

We are now in the season of Advent. The choir sang an Advent song as a prelude and Brady Z, our acolyte, lit the first candle of the season. The sanctuary is beautifully decorated, after our Advent Event. Speaking of which, Kevin, our treasurer, reports that the silent auction took in $4654.00. Thanks to all who participated.

Gail D. was recruiting young people (and possible a few older ones) to participate in the Sunday School Christmas Program, which will be presented during our worship hour on Sunday, Dec. 16. They will be practicing for this next Sunday.

A highlight of the day was the dedication of the Habitat For Humanity house in Buffalo Lake. Many were there to surround the Batson family with their love and prayers. It is a beautiful home and the dedication was very moving. Those involved in the project say that they have received much more than they have given. If you want to support our local chapter of HFH, consider purchasing a raffle ticket.

We added some folks to our prayers, including Deb C., who had a successful hip surgery last week, and Bernice C., who will be having a follow-up surgery on Tuesday. We also prayed for Pastor Becki Mathe from South Africa. I met him while there and hosted workshops at our Synod Assembly this year. His brother was killed in an auto accident recently.

My family and I did have the opportunity to attend Christmas In Christ Chapel at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. The weather conditions were poor, but that didn’t prevent a good attendance. Here’s a photo taken by someone else (I forgot my camera). It was as beautiful, as usual, and the hymns and message all inspired.

Have a great Advent season as you prepare your heart for the coming of Christ.

Pastor Stewart

Here are some announcements from the bulletin:

The Swedlanda Church Council will meet on Tuesday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m. Todd P. is the host.

The Women of the ELCA will have a Unit Meeting on Thursday, December 6 at 12:00 p.m. Louise S. from Renville County Public Health will give the program at WELCA Unit meeting on Thurs., Dec. 6, 2007 to be held at noon beginning with at Potluck dinner. WELCA members are to bring their World Hunger offerings

Swedlanda has pledged $300 per year for 5 years to build a library for Melpattambakkam Girls School in India through Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry. The Advent Event lunch offering for the India Library project was $518.99 + 1/2 of the MIF interest of $196.60 was sent. The total was $715.59.

Habitat For Humanity Raffle tickets are now available!! This year, the Grand Prize is a candy apple red 2008 Ford Mustang convertible. Other prizes include a 15” Lap Top Computer, $500 cash, Apple I Pod 80 GB Video, and 27” Digital Color TV. Tickets are $50 and may be purchased from HFH Board members, Joyce N. or Pastor Stewart. The drawing will be held on February 3, 2008.

The next HFH meeting will be on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lion’s Den, BL. All are welcome to attend.

The Swedlanda Men In Mission will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 8:30 p.m. to fill Christmas bags. Hosts are Dave J. & Brian L.