Northfield and the greater metro area of Minnesota are extremely snowy this year … apparently the snowiest since they began keeping records, and more snow is on the way next week. Our cul de sac is shrinking as the snowbanks shoved to the edge by snow plows are over ten feet high and encroaching onto the roadway. This photo of daughter Karin, holding our granddaughter (Karin’s niece) was taken before the latest dump of six inches. Here’s a link to Karin’s own blog post with wood smoke, wintry remembrances.
We attended the last of three candlelight services at our congregation at Bethel Lutheran last evening. The music ministry at Bethel is always spectacular with unbelievable talent within our congregation. Last evening, Anton Armstrong, the conductor of the world renowned college choir at St Olaf and Bethel member, offered an a capella solo rendition of “Sweet Little Jesus Boy”, St Olaf choir soprano and Bethel member Rachel Dahlen offered several solos—as part of a women’s ensemble and also to cello accompaniment, and harpist Rachel Miessler offered harp preludes as well as a solo offering of “Silent Night” between Scripture readings. What is amazing is that different soloists and ensembles, including the full Bethel choir, provided music at the earlier two services.
On Thursday morning at the regular Bethel Men’s group, we shared personal Christmas stories and family traditions. For a group that is mostly Scandinavian, there were a variety of traditional family meals featuring dishes, besides Lutefisk, that were unknown to others (suet pudding??). Retired St Olaf baseball coach Jim Dimick remembered his Christmas away from home in the military, pulling guard duty late on Christmas eve, but the far off strains of “Silent Night” from a nearby chapel eased his homesickness and resulted in a a transcendent moment when he felt the strong presence of God. Reminds me of one of my favorite definitions of divinity: “God is what’s there when there’s nothing else.” Former Northfield High School choir director Wayne Kivell led the men in a harmonized closing of “Silent Night”.
A week ago, thirty-four Pearsons (my wife’s family) gathered at Green Lake Bible Camp in Western Minnesota. Brother-in-law Pastor Keith Pearson (Hector, Minnesota) is on the Green Lake Camp board of directors, and he made the arrangements. The photo is yours truly playing the role of Santa Claus, but my granddaughter Awashima wasn’t real pleased.
Here are a few other Lutheran themed Christmas notes.
Blogger Jim Kline apparently left an Illinois congregation earlier this year when the congregation voted to exit the ELCA. Jim found another ELCA congregation, which he joined on Reformation Sunday, and he reported on his own Christmas Eve candlelight service experience:
As the late afternoon service began, I noted that the light through the windows was slowly waning. As we progressed through the service, the familiar carols and prayers brought a sense of closure to me, culminating with the incredibly moving experience of the congregation singing “Silent Night” to the glow of our individual candles. The familiarity of this ritual, accompanied by communion, brought a sense of peace as I look back on the changes in my religious life during the past year.
Earlier this fall, I attended the Fond du Lac Episcopal Diocese annual convention where I met many new Episcopal friends including Bishop Russell Jacobus. Last evening, an ecumenical candlelight service was offered at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Fond du Lac. Bishop Jacobus presided over the Eucharist and the Rev James Justman, the local Lutheran Bishop (East Central Wisconsin ELCA Synod), offered the Christmas eve sermon. A combined choir from the host Episcopal parish, a local ELCA congregation, and the choir from Community United Methodist Church offered a choral concert just prior to the Eucharist service.
Merry Christmas to all and God bless us, every one.
Thanks Obie and Merry Christmas to you and yours. One of our Christmas letters was from a friend in our former ELCA church in SE Wisconsin. This church has an annual Lutekisk dinner in February. The friend and two of his daughters went to Norway last summer and while in Bergen visted the museum that “had Lutefisk that had been there since the Vikings ” . He wasn’t sure he wanted Lutefisk anymore.
I was a participant in the ecumenical service at Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Fond du Lac. The cathedral was filled to capacity, and it was an inspiring (albeit lengthy) celebration of faith, hope, and unity among 4 local congregation (there were TWO ELCA congregations represented, along with Episcopal and Methodist). Two bishops, along with 5 or 6 additional clergy- quite a “high church” Festival indeed!! Our ELCA Bishop Justman’s sermon was thoughtful and masterfully delivered. There is hope for the church with efforts such as this!!
I found your blog post because a link appeared on my Google alerts – Fond du Lac today! Thanks for your blog – I’ve posted a couple recent ones to my Facebook page.
Merry Christmas!
My hometown church has left the ELCA, so my family, both the out-of-town members like me and the locals who have been very hurt by the turmoil, also had to find a new place to worship this year. While it was sad in a lot of ways to have to let go of our old church, I really loved the service we attended at a nearby ELCA church. The members of the church were pretty curious about us – there were about 20 family members there total – and my local family members are pretty interested in attending services there again. Time to make new traditions!
@Mary Arthur
Mary,
Welcome to the blog, and thanks for sharing your first person experience of the ecumenical service in your community.
Merry Christmas to all. How I wish I had the kind of well-functioning and meaningful church community and traditions you describe.
I enjoy everything you write, but had to comment on “SUET PUDDING” which I hadn’t thought of in years, but which my mother always made for Christmas. Thanks for the memories.