December 18, 20168 am eucharist in the chapel

9 am coffee hour 9:45 church school

10 am eucharist in the churchThe Reverend David Klutterman: Rector@stjohnswausau.org,

715.432.4685Administrative Assistant: Communications@stjohnswausau.org

330 McClellan St., Wausau, WI 54403www.sjwausau.com

715.845.6947

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Whatever your religious background, and however you have come to be here, we’re glad to have you join in our praises of God today. We hope you will feel comfortable here and fulfilled, and strengthened spiritually to meet the challenges of your daily life. We also welcome you to join us at coffee hour in Memorial Hall every Sunday after this service.

WHILE WORSHIPING WITH US Please remember to silence your cell phone, pager, or electronic

device prior to the service. Children’s worship bags with activities are available to use

during the services. They are found in the back of church.

THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS – WEEK OF DECEMBER 18th

8am ServiceReader – Sommi

Prayers – CarlsonChalice & Crucifer – Strampe

Usher – Bliss

10am ServiceReader – NeededPrayers – Everson

Chalice – VeldhuizenCrucifer– Aziz

Acolyte – J MarquisBook Bearer – Needed

Usher – GallantCounting -MartensOrganist – Burgess

Coffee Hour – Crispell

December Altar Guild – Klutterman & Miller

Gifts received this past week: $3,237.04Amount needed to meet budget, $3,653

A Reader and Book Bearer will be needed for 10am services on December 18th. Please email or call if you are available. Thank you!

An Advent PilgrimageUsing the Windows of St John’s

The Advent season has powerful symbols and memorable people. They all point to God, who announces that our

darkness will soon be over, and all creation will be restored to life in and with God. John the Baptist is one of the

memorable people of Advent. His is the story of how God uses one man to announce the birth of hope for all people,

for all creation.

St John’s is dedicated to John the Baptist, and the windows in our nave tell the story of John. It seems fitting during the

Advent season to recall the Baptist’s life, and thereby enter into the spirit of Advent.

“An Advent Pilgrimage” follows the form of the traditional Lenten Stations of the Cross, but instead of using Jesus’

steps leading to his crucifixion, we use the life of John. Our pilgrimage will hopefully lead us to an anticipation of the

coming of Christ, both as a child in the manger, and as our savior. It is intended to be used either as in devotion by an individual or by a group. Simply follow the windows as they

are described in this booklet.

The Gathering

In the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isaiah 40:3Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel:

he has come to his people and set them free.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the most High,

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,To give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.The Leader says the following:Almighty God, by whose providence your servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of your Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his teaching and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and, following his example, constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth’s sake; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.Leader Our king and savior draws near:People Come, let us adore him.

The First Pair of WindowsEastern wall, closest to the chapel doors.

The Announcement of John’s Birth

A reading from Luke 1:5-20In the day of King Herod of Juda, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendent of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

Once when he was serving as a priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”

Leader Show us your mercy, O Lord;People And grant us your salvation.

Prayer

Almighty God, you came to Zechariah announcing he and Elizabeth would be parents; open our hearts and lives to you; let your faith in us live, and bring forth faith from us. May we trust you to take us to new places and new experiences we would not expect, in the anticipation that you are bringing us into new life with you and each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Leader Our king and savior draws near:

People Come, let us adore him.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,and ransom captive Israel,

that mourns in lonely exile hereuntil the Son of God appear.Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuelshall come to thee, O Israel!

The Second Pair of WindowsEastern wall, second pair from the front

Mary and Joseph Visit Elizabeth and Zechariah

A Reading from Luke 1:39-46In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

Leader From the rising of the sun to its going down;People let the Name of the Lord be praised.

Prayer

Father in heaven, by your grace the virgin mother of your incarnate Son was blessed in bearing him, but still more blessed in keeping your word: Grant us who honor the exaltation of her lowliness to follow the example of her devotion to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,who orderest all things mightily;

to us the path of knowledge show,and teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuelshall come to thee, O Israel!

The Third Pair of WindowsEastern wall, third pair from the front

John’s Family Shortly After His Birth, Preparing for His Circumcision

A Reading from Luke 57-66Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “No, he is to be called John.” They said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.” Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child become?” For indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.

Leader Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.

People And you child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.Prayer

Almighty God, who fulfilled your promise to Elizabeth and Zechariah with the birth of John, and open the mouth of your servant when he gave the child the name of John; fulfill in us your dreams, and give us the words to proclaim your presence among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O come, O come, thou Lord of might,who to thy tribes on Sinai’s heightin ancient times didst give the law,

in cloud, and majesty, and awe.Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuelshall come to thee, O Israel!

The Fourth Pair of WindowsEast wall closest to the back of Church

The Families of Jesus and John Together in the Carpenter’s Shop

This window has no scripture reference. The artist has created a moment when the two families, John’s and Jesus’, are together. They are gathered around Jesus, who is working as a carpenter with Joseph looking on, much like a teacher to a student. Through this depiction, we are invited to imagine a time when both Jesus and John were part of families, learning a trade (at least Jesus was learning a trade according to the picture). Possibly this will help us remember that Jesus came to live among us, and identify with us. He was born, he was a child, and then a youth, and he lived among others in a small village.

Out of this life, both John and Jesus was arise and begin a journey that would lead to both of them proclaiming God’s kingdom was near, and eventually dying for their message and invitation.

Leader A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,and a branch shall grow out his roots.

People The wolf shall live with the lamb,the leopard shall lie down with the kid,

the calf and the lion and the fatling together,and a little child shall lead them.

Prayer

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O come, thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,free them from Satan’s tyranny

that trust thy mighty power to save,and give them victory o’er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuelshall come to thee, O Israel!

The Fifth Pair of WindowsWest wall closest to the back of ChurchJohn Baptizes Jesus in the River JordanA reading from Matthew 3:1-6, 13-17In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness; Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.”

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness. Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he

came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”Leader I have found David my servant,

with my holy oil I have anointed him.People I will establish his line for ever

and his throne as the days of heaven.Prayer

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

O come, thou Key of David, come,and open wide our heavenly home;

make safe the way that leads on high,and close the path to misery.Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuelshall come to thee, O Israel!

Sixth Set of WindowsWest wall second from the back of the Church

John’s Denunciation of Herod

A reading from Mark 6:17-20

Herod had married Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

Leader Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?

People Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully.

Prayer

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

O come, thou Dayspring from on high,and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;

disperse the gloomy clouds of night,and death’s dark shadow put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuelshall come to thee, O Israel!

Seventh Set of WindowsSecond set from front of Church

John Preaches to the Multitude

A reading from Luke 3:7-18John said to the crowds that out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount

prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water but the one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people.

Leader When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, *then were we like those who dream.

People Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *and our tongue with shouts of joy.

Prayer

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

O come, Desire of nations, bindin one the hearts of all mankind;bid thou our sad divisions cease,and be thyself our King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuelshall come to thee, O Israel!

The Eighth Set of WindowsWest wall closest to the pulpit

John Dies at the Hands of Herod

A Reading from Mark 6:21-29

An opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Leader Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,for he will speak peace to his people,to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.

People Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear himthat his glory may dwell in our land.

Prayer

Merciful God, who sent thy messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,and ransom captive Israel,

that mourns in lonely exile hereuntil the Son of God appear.Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuelshall come to thee, O Israel!

Gathering in the Center Aisle

Prayer

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Peace

Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you. People And also with you. Birthday and Anniversary PrayersThe congregation is invited to join in the prayers, found on the back page of the bulletin.

Holy Communion

Offertory Anthem by Choir

Great ThanksgivingThe people remain standing.

Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And also with you. Celebrant Lift up your hearts. People We lift them to the Lord. Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. People It is right to give him thanks and praise.

The Celebrant proceeds

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

Because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and

Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

The people stand or kneel.

The Celebrant continues

We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.

On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.” After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.” Therefore, according to his command, O Father,Celebrant and People

We remember his death,We proclaim his resurrection,

We await his coming in glory;

The Celebrant continues

And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.

By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.The Celebrant then continues

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

People and Celebrant

Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy Name,thy kingdom come,thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive thosewho trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,and the power, and the glory,for ever and ever. Amen.

Breaking of the BreadA period of silence is kept.

The Celebrant says

The Gifts of God for the People of God.This is God's table, and all God's children are invited to come to the Meal prepared at God's table.

After Communion, the Celebrant says

Let us pray.The Celebrant and People together say

Loving God,we give you thanksfor restoring us in your imageand nourishing us with spiritual foodin the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood.

Now send us fortha people, forgiven, healed, renewed;that we may proclaim your love to the worldand continue in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.

Blessing

Recessional

Dismissal

Deacon Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. People Thanks be to God.

IN NEED OF PRAYER….IN NEED OF CARE?“In case of illness, the minister of the congregation is to be notified.”

-The Book of Common Prayer, p. 453Please let us know when you are in need of prayer and care.

The Rev. David KluttermanNumber: 715.432.4685

The Church OfficeNumber: 715.845.6947

Email: Communications@stjohnswausau.orgWHEN SHOULD YOU CALL?

When you become seriously ill, are dealing with a newly diagnosed disease or condition, or are hospitalized for treatment, surgery or

rehabilitationWhen you are experiencing a spiritual, physical, emotional or financial

crisisWhen you become concerned for the person who usually shares the pew with you because he or she has not been in church for awhile

When you experience one of life’s many transitions:a birth, a death, a job loss/change, a move, an empty nest, retirement,

etc.When you need prayer and care but don’t want to “bother” anyone

with your troubles – please contact us anyway;you will not be “bothering” us!

Intercession ListParish Members: Barb Barrington, Betty Smith, Shirley Southcott, Don Weinkauf, John Sukup, Virginia Sammon, Pat Evenson, Laura Martens, Barb Knutson, Mary Jane Vullings, Peter and Betty Nielsen, Tatiana Ewenko, Milly Meurette, Don Prehn, Jeff Buchholz, Fr David Klutterman, Evelyn Sommi

Those We Have Been Asked to Pray For: Deb, Orlin & Delores, Marissa, Sharon, Judy, Marie, Karen, Larry, Debra, David, Don, Cindy, Linda,

David, Steve, Stu, Nancy, Tim Thompson, John Palmer, Cassandra, Bill, Kris, Linda, Gary, Janet

Those in our Diocese: Vicki, Ken, Bob, Russ, Ray & Katie, Kathy, Bill

CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 18, 2016

18 SUNDAYFourth Sunday of Advent8:00am Eucharist9:00am Coffee Hour 9:00am Lay Eucharistic Visitor Training9:45 Church School (Preparation for Christmas Eve)10:00am Eucharist Decoration of Church 4:00 – 6:00pm Cookie & Gingerbread Nativity Party

19 MONDAYLillian Thrasher, MissionaryOffice Closed 20 TUESDAY7:30am Men’s Breakfast at Mint Cafe5:30pm Choir PracticeMcKinley Lentz (bday)

21 WEDNESDAYSaint Thomas Apostle10:00am Book Study11:30am Eucharist

22 THURSDAYCharlotte Moon, Missionary & Henry Budd, Priest5:00pm Eucharist6:00pm Christmas Eve Service rehearsal in the sanctuary for youth

23 FRIDAY

24 SATURDAYChristmas Eve 4:00pm Family Christmas Service10:00pm Christmas Carols10:30pm “Midnight Mass”

Announcements

Today, we have several special events going on: At 9 am, instead of the adult class, we will have a class for those

interested in being Lay Eucharistic Visitors. Anyone interested is welcome. Memorial Hall.

At 10 am, we will use a devotional based on the windows of St John’s for the first part of the liturgy.

Following the 10 am liturgy, we will be decorating the church, and all are welcome to stay and help!

4 – 6pm Youth Cookie decorating & gingerbread nativity party! Dinner as well!

At 12:15 pm, St James Mosinee will have a Eucharist with Amanda Sampey celebrating her first Eucharist as an ordained priest

If you know of anyone who would like to receive Communion for Christmas but won’t be able to get to church, please let Fr David know. He will take Communion around this week and December 26th.

Christmas Schedule:Christmas Eve

4 pm Family Eucharist10 pm Christmas Carol Sing-a-long10:30 Choral Midnight Mass

Christmas Day9 am Eucharist with Carols in Church

Fr David will be having surgery to place his knee on Tuesday, December 27th. Plans are for him to miss 4 Sundays while healing. In his place, the schedule is:

January 1 Amanda SampeyJanuary 8 and 15 Bishop Jim JelineckJanuary 22 Sue Kruger

In addition, John Roseth will be celebrating one or more of the Wednesday Eucharists at 11:30. Many thanks to Amanda, Jim, Sue and John for helping out in January! Fr David expects to go home on Wednesday, with the surgery being done at the surgery center.If you want your pledges to be counted for 2016, they must be in by Dec. 31. Anything that comes in on January 1 or later will be counted for 2017 gifts.If you would like a giving statement for 2016, please let Bev, our treasurer know. Please specify whether you want the statement mailed or emailed.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry Christmas Message 2016From Isaiah Chapter 9:

For unto us a child is born,

unto us a Son is given;

and the government shall be upon His shoulder;

and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

These words of Isaiah are often seen as words that foretell and foreshadow the coming of Jesus

of Nazareth, born of Mary. The truth is, these words befit Him because this child changed the

world. This child changes lives. This child changes us.

I remember when our oldest daughter was a baby. My wife and I were young. We were footloose

and fancy-free.  It was just the two of us newlyweds, so if we wanted to go out to eat dinner, we

went out to eat dinner. If we decided to go to a movie at the last minute, we just went.  We

actually felt like we had money back then.  And we did have a little bit of discretionary income.

We could pretty much do what we wanted to do, within reason, and we didn’t have to think too

much about the consequences or impact of a spontaneous decision and what we had to do to

make that happen.

And then, all of a sudden, this little, innocent human being, a little child, came into our lives, and

literally gained control over our entire world. Before we could do anything else we had to think

about, “Who’s going to keep the baby?” or “Is this a good time for us to go without the baby?”  We

soon learned that we were not in control of our lives anymore.  Even our sleeping patterns

became very different. We would stay awake when the baby was awake and we went to sleep

when the baby went to sleep. Literally this child began to control our lives and the child didn’t

even know she was doing it. And then we had a second one she did the exact same thing. And

I’ve since learned that that’s what babies do.  When they arrive they take over!  And their parents

begin to develop their lives around this child. To mold their entire lives around this precious needy

baby.

Isaiah wrote, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given . . . and His name will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”   This child who was

born of Mary changes everything. This child born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes

changes how we live. This child born to the sound of angels singing Gloria in excelcis Deo — this

child to whom the wise ones came from afar bearing gifts — this child, changed the way the

entire world works.

And this Jesus, born into a world torn by strife and hatred and division and pain and poverty, this

child is born anew wherever men and women say, “I’ll follow Him. I’ll follow Him as my Savior. I’ll

follow Him as my Lord.”

When this child grew up, He said His reason for coming, again quoting Isaiah, from the 61st

chapter, he said,

The spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach Good News to the

poor, to proclaim release to the captives, the recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty all

those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

This child, when He grew up, came to show us the way to live lives of love, lives of compassion,

lives of goodness, lives of kindness, lives of justice. This child came to show us how to change

the world. So this Christmas, make room for him to change us.  This Christmas help us change

the world.  And make a new commitment, to go out from this day, to let this Christmas Day, be

the first day of a new world.

God bless you. God keep you. Have a blessed Christmas.  A Happy New Year.  And go on out

and change the world!

If you are a regular worshiper or do not currently have a church home and would

like to join our congregation, please contact us today with your name and address at

communications@stjohnswausau.org OR fill out the form below and place it in the plate

Name: _______________________________________________

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THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

Join the St. John’s family!

PRAYER FOR BIRTHDAYS:O God, our times are in your hand; Look with favor, we pray, on your servant N. as he begins another year. Grant that he may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen his trust in your goodness all the days of his life; through Jesus Christ

OUR VESTRY MEMBERSSr Warden: Lisa Alexander (since 2014)Jr Warden: Erik Evenson (since 2014)Clerk of Vestry: Cyndi Royer (since 2016)Vestry: Steve Miller (2019), Travis Jensen (2019), Patti Schaal (2019), Laura Martens (2017)Marsha Meurette (2017), Chandra Witter

PRAYER FOR BIRTHDAYS:O God, our times are in your hand; Look with favor, we pray, on your servant N. as he begins another year. Grant that he may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen his trust in your goodness all the days of his life; through Jesus Christ

OUR VESTRY MEMBERSSr Warden: Lisa Alexander (since 2014)Jr Warden: Erik Evenson (since 2014)Clerk of Vestry: Cyndi Royer (since 2016)Vestry: Steve Miller (2019), Travis Jensen (2019), Patti Schaal (2019), Laura Martens (2017)Marsha Meurette (2017), Chandra Witter