November Witness 2023
Dear Wittenberg, It’s that time of the year when our bodies begin yearning for warmth and comfort, cozy clothes and hot meals. It’s also getting to be that time of the year that we get busier and busier. We may find it hard to slow down and appreciate the goodness all around us. So many of us have been taught that the celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas demand unrealistic perfection, a certain meal, a special outfit, a perfect home. I remember my own mother, run ragged from preparations at home and church, never sitting down to enjoy the results of her own labor. I also remember holidays with my own children when I found myself frustrated with the dual demands of home and work, never feeling like I was doing what was needed in either place. I’m sure many of you have experienced these types of holidays. So let’s quit it. Let’s give ourselves permission to experience an imperfect season. Let’s give ourselves permission to focus on the point of the holidays rather than the picture-perfect meal or home or church. Let’s allow for mistakes and surprises. Let’s try to remember that we are all just people trying to get through the winter, to stay warm and safe, to battle loneliness and grief, to get through a hard time in the midst of so much bright light and brittle joy. This month the Council started a new practice of noticing and gratitude. We are paying attention to the acts of kindness and service we see at Wittenberg and we are trying to remember to say, “thank-you.” We are being intentional about expressing gratitude. Our hope is that we will be reminded of the many gifts we have, rather than the things we wish were true. We wrote notes to express our gratitude. They are imperfect notes. Some of us have wobbly hand-writing, some are poor spellers, and some have incomplete punctuation. These small acts are not perfect but they do require us to take the time to notice, to be mindful of how the Holy Spirit is at work at Wittenberg Lutheran Church. Allowing for imperfection, we might spend less time griping and more time enjoying. We might spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying the chaos. We might just find that our presence is more valuable than our work. I know it’s a lot to ask. To be imperfect is to be vulnerable. To express gratitude is vulnerable. But as we prepare for the great gift of Advent we can be sure that imperfect surprises are headed our way. Let’s receive those surprises wholly and with delight. My imperfect prayers and wobbly blessings, Pastor Heather |
Order forms are available in the Sanctuary on the pew by the side door or you may order online by using the link below. Payments can be made with our online giving, just select Poinsettia/Easter Flowers for the account name. Click the link above to purchase your Wittenberg gear! We receive a percentage of each sale and are excited to provide these at no cost to us. https://shop.printyourcause.com/campaigns/WittenbergLutheranChurch
Meals on Wheels-November ’23 Witness Article Many thanks in advance to Kim and Jody Shuping who began delivering meals the end of October and continued through the first week of November. Finishing out 2023 deliveries is Susan and Ronnie Loflin: December 11-15. As soon as I receive our dates for 2024, I will be contacting our dedicated teams. I appreciate ALL who volunteer to support this wonderful community outreach ministry. Joy Fisher
We hold in prayer... Members: Gordy Peeler, Margie Miller, Phyllis Fisher, Renee Wiles, Bill and Kim Fraley, Faye Harper, John Fisher, Mildred Peeler Grieving Families of: Barry Rodgers, Geraldine Hollar, Dwayne Earnhardt, Terry Hahn, Hugh William Bost, Jackie Elliot, Gene Miller, Wesley Lyerly, Barbara Rimer Lewis, Gary A. Goodman, Active Duty: J-Hylton Tucker, Dominic Minor, Noah Wiles, J. Michael Shuping, Adam McCombs, Daniel S. McDonald, Toler Alexander, Bitt Bryant, Jake Earnhardt, Bobby Wheeler Deployed Military: Dorian Pine, Dakota Mace, Isaac Jones, Anthony Burton, Brandon Smith We hold always in prayer the victims of gun violence, chronic and acute illness, mental health struggles, our partner agencies in mercy and assistance to our neighbors and all those who we lift to God’s care in our hearts or aloud.
November Birthdays and Celebrations! 10 Robert Trexler 11 Angie Carman 14 Abigail Honeycutt 17 Eli Fisher 21 Adam Faust 25 Barbara Beck 26 Cole Taylor
|
Wittenberg Lutheran Church 114 West Bank St. GQ P.O. Box 345 Granite Quarry, NC 28072 704-279-4505 www.wittenberglc.org |
Wittenberg Lutheran Church
Here's your monthly newsletter!
Dear Wittenberg, It was my honor and delight to get to deliver Meals-on-Wheels this week as a part of Wittenberg’s service to that agency. (Thanks to Linda Trier, Nancy Trexler, and Sandra Phillips who also delivered this week, and to Joy Fisher for keeping us all coordinated all year long!) You may not know that I worked as the route coordinator for Meals-on-Wheels in Forsyth County for several years; this work is precious and was formative to my understanding of our call as people to reach...
Dear Wittenberg, Even though it’s about 90 degrees as I write this, I hear Autumn is around the corner! You’ll notice that we have a lot coming up at Wittenberg this fall! Information about those events can be found in this newsletter. During this season of new starts and new seasons we find ourselves asking, “How will we get new members?” Those are good questions, but we have to first ask, “Why do we want new members?” This question came up at our recent Executive Council meeting. While we...
Dear Wittenberg, In our scriptures this summer we are dwelling in the parables of Jesus. These stories are important to our faith because they help us identify with the teachings of Christ in deeply personal ways. We can see ourselves in the parables, they can be personal to us. The parables give us good questions, help us to learn what God is calling us to do or to be in our lives. Most importantly, the parable stories help us connect our lives to the living Word of God. Because we've been...