REDEEMER REPORT NEWSLETTER OF VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4 REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH, IOLA, WI DECEMBER 2015

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‘Tis the Season by Pastor Michael Lilienthal

December is equated in most Western minds with Christmas. Especially in the Midwest December means snow and

cold and everything that comes with it. The first four weeks of December seem to trudge in an ever-uphill journey,

through the ice and frost, to that bright holiday of gift-giving and family and love. That’s not by accident.

In the Church it’s what we call the season of Advent, the preparatory time in which we look forward to Christ’s

coming—his first coming which is represented by the holy day of Christmas, and thereafter his coming at the end of

the world. But in the pagan, pre-Christian Roman Empire, the entire week of December 17th-23rd contained the

celebration of the festival Saturnalia. It was a highly joyful festival, including brilliant feasts, gift-giving, and games.

Sometime after A.D. 300, Christians took over this pagan holiday and caused it to signify the birth of Jesus, in the

nighttime between December 24th and 25th. You’ll hear people make fun of Christians for celebrating Jesus’ birthday

in December, when the best history can tell us seems to indicate that he was actually born sometime in April. They’re

probably right that Jesus had a springtime birthday, but that doesn’t matter. There’s great significance to the fact that

we adopted and reappropriated Saturnalia for the birth of our Savior.

This month is the darkest, coldest, gloomiest time of year. For this reason the Romans sought to brighten it with the

joyful festival of Saturnalia. Christians saw these benefits, too, and realized that they could use this festival to signify

the gracious light and warmth and salvation brought on the earth by the coming of Jesus. And so, leading up to the

celebration of Jesus’ birth, we observe Advent.

Wherever the time and even some of the symbolism of this celebration began (the history of the Christmas tree is an

interesting subject), just let it point to the truths of Scripture. The traditions only matter insofar as they indeed teach

the truths of Jesus Christ, and draw us into an ever-deeper communion with him.

’Tis the season when our Savior came to bring light to our darkened world, to bring warmth to our frigid lives, to

bring salvation to our sinful souls. This is the truth of God’s inspired word, telling us the reason Jesus came: “to save

sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15), “not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17), “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10),

“to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28), “to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37), “so

that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46), “that they may have life and have it

abundantly” (John 10:10).

We hear, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” That’s only half the truth. Jesus is the reason insofar as we are

concerned. But insofar as God is concerned, we are the reason for the season, so that this salvation might come to

us. In Advent we light candles to brighten and warm our dark days, as the Son of God came for us, to brighten and

warm our dark world. So this season we focus our eyes on him, singing and rejoicing that he cared for us so that he

sent his Son to save us.

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God Shows Himself Through

Symbols By Rick Hutchison

Perhaps you’ve noticed a new addition above the west

facing door in the sanctuary at Redeemer. This ‘new’

addition is really more of a ‘replacement’ of something

that had been part of our worship area for some time.

Unfortunately, as with many projects as extensive as

our remodeling, there is sometimes ‘collateral damage’.

Such was the case with the plaster plaques that used to

hang on the wall behind the lectern/pulpit.

Actually, the plaques survived the majority of the

project intact and had been relocated to the spot above

the door when one of them fell and was irreparably

damaged. A plan to replace them with stained glass

facsimiles soon followed.

One might ask, why were the plaster plaques placed up

by the altar in the first place, what was their purpose.

This question strikes to the point of the purpose of

anything we include in our worship area. Why is it

there? If it doesn’t direct our hearts and minds to God

in our worship, it is in the wrong place. So, what was

the original purpose of these objects and in what way

did they edify our worships services?

I’m sure all of you know that the three plaques in

question represent one important aspect of the God

we worship. They are symbolic representations of the

triune nature of God which He reveals in His Word.

But what exactly does this mean. For one thing, they

direct our thoughts to a particular attribute of God. He

is one God, but within that oneness, He presents

Himself to us in three distinct ‘persons’. And so:

God the Father is symbolized by a hand reaching

down to us from His heavenly abode. A hand gives

gifts, it offers help (hey, can I give you a hand?),

and it reaches out to us because we could not, and

would not, reach up to Him. In His Word, the

hand of God is often used to describe His grace,

providence and power. We know that God is spirit

(John 4:24) and doesn’t really have hands, but by

looking at this symbol we can understand

something about our loving Father.

Jesus, God the Son, is symbolized by a lamb.

Often, in our liturgy, we sing; “O Christ the Lamb

of God, who takes away the sin of the world”. We

can be comfortable by our use of symbols because

God Himself uses them in His Word as He tries to

describe Himself in some way that we can grasp.

So, as long as we stick to the pictures and symbols

that God provides, we are on solid ground. Christ

holds a cross and a banner that bring to mind the

sacrifice He offered for our sins and His glorious

resurrection from the dead and victory over sin,

death and the Devil.

The third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is

symbolized by a descending dove. Again, this

symbolism is taken directly from God’s Word. At

Jesus’ baptism (an event at which all three persons

of the God-head are distinctly present), John the

Baptist states; “I saw the Spirit (cont. on p. 3)

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(cont from p. 2) descend from heaven like a dove, and

it remained on him.” (John 1:32) Coming out from

the circle form (tri-radiant nimbus is the technical

term) around the doves’ head are seven flames of

fire. These are symbolic of the seven-fold Spirit of

God (Rev. chap.1) and the description of the Spirit

of the Lord given in Isaiah 11. They also bring to

mind the tongues of fire that descended upon the

Apostles at Pentecost.

One of the facets of stained glass not present in the

previous version of the plaques is color. Here is a brief

explanation of what each color is representing:

White- symbolizes the absolute purity and holiness

that only God possesses

Blue- the color of heaven that points us to our real

home

Green- the color of life and the glory of God on

His heavenly throne (Rev 4:3)

Brown- seen only in the cross that the Lamb holds.

The cross was real and retains the color of blood

stained wood

Red- the color of fire, seen in the flames around

the head of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3), and if you

look closely, in the eyes of the Lamb (Rev 1:14)

So, hopefully, as the beautiful stained glass symbols of

the means of grace that adorn our altar direct your

hearts and minds toward the love of God, these

replacements will help you reflect on the Glory and

goodness of our triune God.

(Please Note: There was no cost to the Congregation

for the replacement of the plaques.)

This Month’s Hymns

As we observe the Advent season, we will pay special

attention to the canticles, or songs, God inspired His

people to sing through the ages. We pray that these

hymns may be a useful addition to each member’s

personal devotional life. Perhaps it will be a chance to

dig deeper into the text by examining why a hymn

might have been chosen.

Wednesday, December 2nd: o 46, “Sing Praise to the God of Israel” o 89, “Jesus Came, the Heav’ns Adoring” o Canticle: Benedictus, p. 113 o 88, “Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come” Sunday, December 6th: o 91, “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates,” vv. 1-3 o 96, “Hark, a Thrilling Voice Is Sounding!” o 102, “Comfort, Comfort Ye My People” o 98, “Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending” Wednesday, December 9th: o 47, “My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord” o 268, “On Mary, Virgin Undefiled, Did God Bestow

His Favor” o Canticle: Magnificat, p. 123 Sunday, December 13th: o 106, “On Jordan’s Bank the Herald’s Cry” o 105, “Rise, Children of the Kingdom” o 328, “Soul, Adorn Thyself with Gladness,” vv.1 & 6 o 98, “Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending” Wednesday, December 16th: o 35, “All Glory Be to God on High” o 103, “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” o Canticle: Gloria in Excelsis, p. 64 o 114, “Angels from the Realms of Glory,” vv. 1, 2, 4 Sunday, December 20th: o 109, “Hark the Glad Sound! The Savior Comes” o 110, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” vv. 1-4 o 121, “Behold, a Branch Is Growing” o 98, “Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending” Thursday, December 24th, Christmas Eve: o 123, “From Heav’n Above to Earth I Come,” vv. 1-

3, 13-15 o 113, “A Great and Mighty Wonder” o 127, “I Am So Glad When Christmas Comes” o 140, “Silent Night” Sunday, December 27th: o 138, “Joy to the World” o 148, “Praise God the Lord, Ye Sons of Men” o 320, “Lord Jesus Christ, You Have Bestowed,” vv.

1, 4, & 5

Thursday, December 31st, New Year’s Eve: o 160, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” vv. 1-4, &8 o 579, “Abide in Grace, Lord Jesus” (cont on p 4)

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o 313, “I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table,” vv. 1, 10, & 11

o 561, “Abide with Me; Fast Falls the Eventide, “ vv. 1, 2, 7, & 8

December’s Offering Hymn: 447, vv. 4 & 5, “We, Lord, Would Lay at Thy Behest”

Singing the Gospel: Lutheran

Hymns and the Success of the

Reformation

by Christopher Boyd Brown

Reviewed by Rev. Michael G. Lilienthal

Lutheranism and hymnody

are intimate bedfellows. It

is safe to say that without

the influence of Martin

Luther, churches today

would likely not be singing,

but would sit in silence and

just listen (as many

Catholic churches did

before Vatican II). But

because Luther wished to

make the Gospel available,

he emphasized also the act of congregational singing,

so that they might feel that Gospel in their own hands

as they proclaimed it in a fun way, challenging their

voices to sing.

Luther’s emphasis on hymns with clear doctrinal lyrics

and a variety of tunes that could become ingrained in

the memories of the singers attached to the doctrines

being taught by the songs created a church that was

firm in her doctrinal beliefs—and not just among the

clergy. This led to the Lutheran church being known

as “the singing church.” Other denominations were

impressed by the variety of challenging hymns the

“unrehearsed choirs” of Lutheran congregations could

sing, and how well these hymns taught them the truths

of Scripture.

It is some of the history of this Lutheran hymnody and

tradition of song that Christopher Boyd Brown’s

Singing the Gospel concerns itself with. If you ever

wonder why we sing some of the hymns we do, or why

our hymns sound different from the hymns of other

churches, Brown begins to answer these questions and

more. In fact he boldly asserts that the success of the

Reformation is one “of which the Lutheran hymns

were both the means and the measure” (25). In short,

if it weren’t for the hymns, there would be no Lutheran

church.

Singing the Gospel: Lutheran Hymns and the Success of the

Reformation, by Christopher Boyd Brown. 298 pp.

Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2005.

A copy of this book is available in the narthex. Please

feel free to borrow it, but please leave your name.

December Birthdays Sarah Lilienthal .............................................................. 9th Faith Loken .................................................................. 10th Luke Hoyord ................................................................ 11th Seth Loken .................................................................... 15th Jessie Ross..................................................................... 24th Barb Steinle .................................................................. 29th

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Announcements Christmas Poinsettias

We would like to adorn our chancel with poinsettias

for Christmas. If you would like to contribute to the

poinsettia display, please sign up on the sheet in the

kitchen. Please note that poinsettias may be brought

to the church after Wednesday, December 16th.

Game Night

Adam Garvey has graciously offered to host this

month’s game night. Please join us at his home (E2996

Lake Rd.), 6 PM on Friday, December 11th.

Christmas Hymn-Sing

Join us Saturday, December 19th, at 6 PM to celebrate

the season with song. Be sure to submit your hymn

requests in the box in the narthex by December 13th.

Thank You

We thank all the ladies who gave of their time to

beautify our church building for Christmas.

Pastor Lilienthal’s Office Hours

You can expect to find Pastor in his office at church

during the following times if you find yourself needing

to speak with him for unscheduled reasons:

Tuesday, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM

Wednesday, 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM

Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

In the case of emergency, or to schedule a meeting with

Pastor outside these times, feel free to contact him via

email or telephone.

Newsletter Submissions

We welcome your input, announcements, and articles

for the Report. If you would like to submit anything for

publication in our newsletter, please give it to our

editor, Sarah Lilienthal, by the 21st of month.

The Mission of Redeemer Lutheran Church is to:

Reach out to all people who do not know the

Good News of the forgiveness of sins, won for

them by the perfect life, death, and resurrection

of Jesus Christ and freely offered them through

God’s grace.

And, to strengthen and encourage those who

walk in true faith through the life-giving Word

and Sacraments of God our heavenly Father.

Have a blessed and merry Christmas.

Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELS) 125 North St. | PO Box 95 | Iola, WI 54945

(715) 445-3172 | Pastor Lilienthal’s Cell: (715) 295-4020

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DECEMBER 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1

7:30 AM Office of

Prime

6:30 PM Choir

Rehearsal

2

6:30 PM Advent

Vespers

3 4 5

9 AM Men’s Bible

Study

6:30 PM Office of

Compline

6

Second Sunday in

Advent

8 AM Worship

7 8

7:30 AM Office of

Prime

6:30 PM Choir

Rehearsal

9

6:30 PM Advent

Vespers

10 11

6 PM Game Night

at Adam’s

12

6:30 PM Office of

Compline

13

Third Sunday in Advent

8 AM Worship with the

Lord’s Supper

14 15

7:30 AM Office of

Prime

6:30 PM Choir

Rehearsal

16

6:30 PM Advent

Vespers

17 18 19

9 AM Men’s Bible

Study

6 PM Christmas

Hymn Sing

20

Fourth Sunday in Advent

8 AM Worship

9:15 AM Fellowship

Potluck

21

Feast of St. Thomas

the Apostle

22

7:30 AM Office of

Prime

6:30 PM Choir

Rehearsal

23

24

6:30 PM Christmas

Eve Vespers

25

9 AM Christmas

Day Service at

Messiah, Omro

26

Feast of St. Stephen

the Martyr

27

First Sunday After

Christmas

8 AM Worship with Lord’s

Supper Feast of St. John the Apostle

28

Feast of the Holy

Innocents, Martyrs

29

7:30 AM Office of

Prime

6:30 PM Choir

Rehearsal

30 31

6:30 New Year’s

Eve Vespers with

the Lord’s Supper

Eve of the Circumcision

and Name of Jesus

1 2