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The Gift above all Gifts

Pastor Lisa Rygiel

During the season of Advent, I have been providing a series of prayers from Jesus Listens--for Advent and Christmas, by Sarah Young.

MERCIFUL LORD JESUS, I come to You, asking You to prepare my heart for the celebration of Your birth. Christmas is the time to exult in Your miraculous incarnation, when You—the Word—became flesh and made Your dwelling among us.

You identified with mankind to the ultimate extent: becoming a Man and taking up residence in our world. I don’t want to let the familiarity of this astonishing miracle diminish its effect on me. You are the Gift above all gifts, and I rejoice in You!

A delightful way of opening up my heart to You is to spend time pondering the wonders of Your entrance into human history. I want to view these events from the perspective of shepherds living out in the fields near Bethlehem, keeping watch over their flocks at night. They witnessed first one angel and then a great company of the heavenly host lighting up the sky, proclaiming: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth Peace to those on whom His favor rests.”

Help me to gaze at the Glory of Your birth, just as the shepherds did, and respond with childlike wonder. IN YOUR BELOVED NAME, JESUS, AMEN

Advent Candles

Some people have asked about the candle colors on the Advent wreath. Here is what the colors represent.

First candle (blue): Hope or Promise: We begin by remembering God’s promise to provide a Savior to the world. This and subsequent candles may be blue to represent repentance. ISAIAH 9:2

Second candle (blue): Preparation or Prophesy: The second candle reminds us that the prophets waited for a Messiah to come and save his people. It also offers opportunity to reflect on your own life, asking yourself how you’re preparing for Jesus’ return. ISAIAH 40:3

Third candle (pink): Joy or Peace: The third candle reminds us that Jesus’ birth brings joy to all who believe in him. This candle may be pink to represent rejoicing. LUKE 2:10

Fourth candle (blue): Love or Adoration: The fourth candle reminds us that God demonstrated his love by sending his son, Jesus, to be born in a manger, to suffer and die for our sins, so we may live forever with him. 1 JOHN 4:10

Christ candle (white): The Christ candle will be lit on Christmas day to remind us that the waiting is over. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is born! The candle is white to remind us that Jesus is the sinless, spotless, pure Savior that makes us whiter than snow. LUKE 2:11

Dec. 21 -- 4th Sunday of Advent
10 a.m. Sunday Worship

Announcements

  • Fellowship: Please join us after worship on Sunday in the Fellowship Hall for coffee and conversation, followed by the White Elephant Christmas Exchange (details below).
  • Advent Soup Suppers: The next supper will be today at 6 p.m., Dec. 17. Sign-up sheets to bring soup, bread, or dessert are in the Fellowship Hall.
  • Blue Christmas Worship: Zion's Lutheran is offering a Blue Christmas service for the entire Trinidad area at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21 in the sanctuary, 510 Pine Street. Zion’s invites all who desire to honor their losses and lift up their concerns in a safe and sacred space. The worship service is a quiet and contemplative experience that respects those who are walking through grief and struggling with loss and sadness. Our featured musician and storyteller will be Jeff Wahl.
  • The Way Ministry: At 1 p.m. each Sunday, Zion’s welcomes the Way ministry to our fenced lower yard as they offer food and worship to the unhoused and others in need. When weather makes dining outside difficult, the meal will be moved to the Fellowship Hall.
  • Yoga: At 5:30 p.m. Friday, join Cora Gardiner for yoga in the Fellowship Hall.
  • Gifts of Giving: Thank you to everyone who contributed to both the Toys for Tots and the FNB Giving Tree programs this holiday season. You do make a difference!
  • White Elephant Christmas Exchange: On Sunday, Dec. 21 following worship, we will have a White Elephant Christmas gift exchange. Bring a new, wrapped present, $20 limit, for exchange. We suggest that you provide items that people will want to use. Numbers will be drawn to determine who gets to pick a mystery gift from the pile or, better yet, stolen from someone who has already opened theirs!
  • Christmas Eve Invitation: The First United Methodist Church – Trinidad, at 216 Broom St., will have an 11 p.m. Lessons & Carol Service on Christmas Eve. All are welcome.
  • Prayer and Coffee: The First United Methodist Church also invited all to join them for prayer and coffee every Thursday at 10:30.
  • Church Directory Updates: Julie Wersal is working on the Zions 2026 Church Directory. She placed a copy of the 2025 directory in a pink binder in the Fellowship Hall. Please take time to look at that directory and make any changes or updates to your information. If you would like to be added to the directory, there are pages in the back of the binder to add your information. Also, if you would like a new photo, please indicate that in your review as well.
  • Worship Assistance: We are preparing the worship assistance lists for 2026 and are looking for ushers, lectors, communion preparation/clean, and worship assistants. We also need people who are willing to step in when we need a substitute. If you are not on the list and are willing help support our worship services, let Jo Moss know.
  • Save the Dates:
    • 21 — White Elephant Gift Exchange — 11:30 a.m.
    • 21 — Blue Christmas Worship — 5:30 p.m.
    • 24 — Christmas Eve Evening Worship — 7 p.m.
    • 1 – Annual Congregational Meeting (after worship)

E-formation

Throughout Advent we acclaim that God comes, in the past in the history of Israel and the incarnation of Jesus, in the present in the word and sacrament of each Sunday, and in the future at the end of all things. Only on this Fourth Sunday do the readings in Advent refer to the story of Jesus’ birth as an arrival of God among us.

Matthew 1:18-25

The Church Year A relies on the gospel of Matthew for many of its narratives. According to Matthew, especially the men in the Jewish tradition are called into God’s plan for salvation, but in this Sunday’s gospel, God’s promises are present through a woman. The child born is named “Emmanuel”: God is with us, in word and sacrament, today and always.

Isaiah 7:10-16

Matthew sees in Christ a fulfillment of the promises in the Hebrew Scriptures. One example is his applying the Isaiah oracle about a newborn infant to the birth of Jesus, since the Greek rendering of “young woman” suggested “virgin woman.” We read Isaiah 7 on this Sunday in order to understand what Matthew wrote in chapter 1. In this reading, we stand with believers of past centuries who place their trust for salvation in God, and we recall the tradition of interpretation upon which we stand, even when our methods of interpretation are different.

Romans 1:1-7

All of Advent, all of the entire Christian year, is summed up in Paul’s opening sentence. On every Sunday throughout the year, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and call one another into the obedience of faith.

Zion's Lutheran Church

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785