1

Voice of Redeemer

Volume 50—Number 01

Redeemer Lutheran Church

January 2020

Anne Robertson writes about a renewed appreciation

for Epiphany after a visit to Germany in January of !979:

“Epiphany falls on January 6, the day we commonly remem-

ber the arrival of the Wise Men in Bethlehem. In Germany and a number of other coun-

tries, this is a big event. Children dress up as kings and travel from door to door–much as

we do on Halloween–only instead of collecting for themselves, they collect for the poor,

remembering that the wise men brought gifts to the poor Christ child.”

Epiphany in the early church was one of the great feast days–second only to Easter in its im-

portance. Christmas was observed but didn’t really come into prominence until the fourth

century.

For the Church in the West the focus of Epiphany was on the visit of the Wise Men (and still is)

but there is more to it than that. The word Epiphany means “manifestation” or “revelation.” So

the Wise Men are celebrated on Epiphany because they represented the revelation of Jesus to

the Gentiles.

In the days when Epiphany was a great church feast, it also celebrated the revelation of Jesus

in his first miracle–changing water into wine at Cana–and the manifestation of Jesus as the

Son of God at his baptism. Those three things–the Wise Men, Cana, and the Baptism were all

lumped together to symbolize the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, and such revelation was

cause for great celebration. (We observe that today in the Church calendar. The Sunday after

Epiphany celebrates the baptism of Jesus and the changing of water into wine at Cana is al-

ways the gospel lesson on the following Sunday.)

That a baby was born in a manger is important, but the events that proved to the world who

that baby was are also important. The authority of Jesus was validated by the signs he per-

formed–like changing water into wine–by the voice of God and descending dove at his bap-

tism, and through signs in the heavens that could be interpreted by the Gentiles. Those signs

were God’s way of saying, “Pay attention!” and Epiphany was the church’s way of saying, “And

we can never be the same again.”

( Continued on page 2)

2

General Norman Schwarzkopf once recalled when he was the Assistant Commander for Personnel at the Pentagon. He had been in this assignment for two weeks when his superior left for an eight-week trip to the Orient. General Schwarzkopf expressed concern about his ability, even as a major general, to handle this new responsibility. His superi-or told him to follow "Rule 13." When Schwarzkopf asked what "Rule 13" was, his superior told him, "When given command, take charge." "But what if I don't know what to do?" asked Schwarzkopf. The reply was that he should follow "Rule 14 - Do what is right." Sometimes Christians are in a similar predicament, especially concerning actions based on feelings. We do many things in the Christian life because they are "right," not because we necessarily want to do them or feel like doing them. Nowhere is this more true than concerning our giving. Even when perhaps we do not feel like giving, mature Christians give because doing so is "right" and because God has motivated our hearts to give. Unfortunately, some people follow the life principle of giving only when they feel like it. The problem is that they seldom feel like it. Oh, they might give to a special project now and then or respond to a special need that appeals to them. Otherwise, though, they usually fail to give unless they happen to feel like it. In some ways, such individuals who give only when they feel like it fit Abraham Lincoln's description of those who achieve financial success but little else in life. "Financial success," he once said, "is purely metallic. The person who gains it has four metallic attributes: gold in his palm, silver on his tongue, brass in his face, and iron in his heart." "In contrast," writes Randy Alcorn, "the Macedonian believers earnestly 'begged us and pleaded for the privi-lege of having a part in helping God's people' (2 Cor. 8:4). When we catch a vision of God's grace, we will give according to our duty, yes, but far more, we will give beyond our duty, voluntarily captivated by the grace of our ever-giving Lord."

(Cont. from page 1)

The early church was a church full of excitement and expectation. They anticipated the re-

turn of Jesus at any time, and the persecutions which they endured forced them to be

aware of their faith and sometimes to die for their faith at all times. Many of us today have

lost that sense of excitement and expectation. For the church, the point of Epiphany was

not to remember history, but to be reminded that God appears miraculously to us in places

and in ways that we don’t expect. If we keep remembering that God seems to thrive on un-

expected appearances and if we keep expecting to see God everywhere we turn, then we

will be less likely to miss it when it happens again.

May our celebration of Epiphany this January prepare us for God’s revelation in unexpected

ways in our lives.

Blessings to all!

Pastor Jon Christenson

3

REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH

COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

DECEMBER 19, 2019

Working Capital $9,313.45

Loan repayment is down –$5,535 short as of November financial report

Pastors Report

Anna Nelson passed away on December 17, 2019 @ Hoffman Hospice

Bruce Torgerson is at Hoffman Hospice

Audrey Albitre’s husband Ernie is in need of prayers as he is homebound

Adult Bible Study next will focus on Numbers and Deuteronomy

Wednesday night bible study will resume the first week of January

Charities

December – Mercy Ship

Annual Reports due no later than January 5, 2020

Annual Meeting -January 26th,2020

Nominating Committee need to meet:

consisting of Donella Silveira, Rhett Spillers, Laura Haywood and Nate Olson: with Jan L. and Linda C as out-

going council member

We have 3 positions to fill

Audit Committee need to meet:

consisting of Audrey Albitre, Caroline Reid, John Lemley and Bill Silveria (as an alternate)

Nominations/ Budget/Council Reports need turned in by January 5th to give time to present to congregation by Janu-

ary 12th

*As a reminder please be mindful of locking the doors and turning off the lights and the air conditioning.

-Nori Eakes, Council Secretary

Pictured left Jan Lemley with Pastor Jon as he blesses the shawls, hats,

ear warmers and gloves, made by the Prayer Shawl Ministry. The hat-

glove-ear warmer project started early in the spring of 2019 as a contin-

uation of the 100+ hats (pictured below) that were completed for Ever-

green school for Christmas 2018. This year, 363 hats were made for the

school so that now most of the students have received a gift of their

choice. The shawls are presented to members or friends of members

who are ill or in need of special peace and comfort.

Ed Saltzman has donated three knitting machines (his late wife Lois had

her own business of selling and teaching the

use of these knitting machines) which we use

for our projects, besides doing some hand knitting and crocheting . If you are

interested in joining this rewarding ministry, please contact Karen Musgrove—

412-1370, or Jan– 664-9404. We will be happy to teach anyone who wishes to

become part of this ministry. You will be blessed!

4

January 16

6 pm

DATES TO

REMEMBER

Sat. January 11

9 am

WORSHIP & MUSIC TEAM

Monday January 13 - 6 pm

WINE & DINE is Thursday 1/23/20 6:15pm at The Yard House, 10308 Stockdale Highway. Everyone is invited, but please make reservation with Linda Cohen.

JANUARY

ACTIVITIES

LUNCH BUNCH is Thursday 1/2/20 -11am at The Y ard House, 10308 Stockdale Highway. Everyone is invited, please make a reservation with Judy Olson-Peterson.

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 8th from 9 am to 2 pm in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome to join us for knitting/crocheting prayer shawls, blankets or quilts. Bring a sack lunch and enjoy fellowship with friends. Judy will provide snacks.

Gladys Johnson

James Spillers, Jr.

Dann Johannesen

Jerry McKnight

Richard Rivers

Bob Lansford

Kathy Allen

Paige Schonewise

Mark Rice

Gracelynn Uecker

Judy Cantrell

Rodney & Suzie Bruce

RUTH CIRCLE will meet on Monday, Jan. 6, 6:30 pm at Jan

Lemley’s home. Pastor Donella will continue to lead our study of women of the Bible. Everyone is invited. For information call Jan at 664-9404.

AFTERNOON CIRCLE is Wednesday 1/15-/20,

1:30pm in the Fellowship Hall. We will begin to study We

Are Called: Hearing God’s Voice from I Samuel 3, Isaiah 6,

II Kings 22, Judges 4&5, Jeremiah 1, & Gather magazine.

Judy Olson-Peterson will lead the discussion, and Phyllis

Elrod will furnish refreshments. All ladies are invited.

05

07

14

15

15

16

24

25

27

29

31

17

SUNDAY JANUARY 26

AFTER 10:30 WORSHIP

PLAN TO ATTEND

FOOD SIGN UP IN THE NARTHEX

SAVE THE DATE February 7 ,2020

BUNCO FUNDRAISER

RELAY FOR LIFE

FUN—FOOD—FABULOUS PRIZES

S.S. & T.

will resume again on Wed.,

Jan.22 @12:00 - bring your

lunch. Friends welcome!

5

REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA

2525 BELLE TERRACE, P O BOX 13132-93389, BAKERSFIELD, CA 93304

Pastor: Rev. Jon Christenson ………... 832-7881 ……………. Secretary: Phyllis Elrod

E-mail address: rlcbakersfield@sbcglobal.net Web site address: www.bakersfieldlutheran.org

On Saturday, December 7, Jan Lemley and I went to synod office to join others

from around the synod to meet the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Eliza-

beth Eaton. She came with no agenda or prepared remarks as her purpose was to hear

from us.

Among the questions asked was how the ELCA is doing financially. As an organiza-

tion, the ELCA is in good shape. There is always a need for financial support for the

ministries of the Church such as our work feeding the hungry, work with immigrants,

etc.

Someone expressed concern about the rising number of people who identify them-

selves as “NONE’S”. Bishop Easton referred us to Acts 17:22-28, in which Paul addresses an altar to an un-

known God. She reminded us that while these people may not belong to a particular religion, they are not

without a god of some kind, and are perhaps seeking one true God. The Church has a message for these peo-

ple that no other organization has, and we need to proclaim it boldly.

Another concern was about the slow growth of the Lutheran Church in the Southwest. Her response was to

remind us that while Lutherans have been in other regions of the US for three hundred years, we have a history

of a little over one hundred years in the Southwest. She said she can tell a Lutheran joke in other parts of the

country and everyone gets it. She says that here, people say, “Huh??”, because so little is known about

Lutherans. Again, she cautioned patience, because we have a unique Gospel message of hope and grace. She

also said the Southwest has the most diverse congregations in the US, growing particularly among Blacks and

Hispanics.

When asked about relations between the ELCA and other faiths, she said we are in dialogue with Roman Cath-

olics, Jewish and Muslim faiths, as well as other protestant denominations, to increase understanding of each

other.

Bishop Eaton’s responses were quick, direct and articulate. She had facts and figures easily at hand.

At a time when so much seems negative, it was a joy to hear such a positive message about the Church.

-Pastor Donella Silveira

Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

NEW YEAR - NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Please stop by the sign-up table

in the Narthex to select areas where you can

offer you talents for the coming year .

YOUR HELP IS APPRECIATED!

6

THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

“...and they found Mary and

Joseph and the baby, who was

lying in a manger.” Luke 2:16

Mary was played by Maia Olson

and Hudson Hairfield was Joseph,

a doll played the baby Jesus in the

manger.

Pictured above; Darynne Coomer, (an angel)

Maia Olson, Leo Olson in front of Maia, Leith

Coomer (the star), Jersey Zimmerman (a

king) ; front left, Drew Zimmerman, (horse)

and far right, Guy Hairfield (shepherd).

Pictured below: from left: Darynne,

Hudson Maia, Leo, Leith (the star)

and Jersey, (King).

Pageant cast: from left—Leith (a star),

Maia (Mary), Leo, Darynne (angel), Hud-

son (Joseph) and Jersey (king).

Everyone did a fine job in acting out the

Christmas story and singing Christmas

songs! Good work!

7

Bunco Party!!!

When: Friday, February 7

6:30 pm

Where: Redeemer Lutheran Church

2525 Belle Terrace

Cost: $15 per person Sign up in the Narthex or

Contact: Linda Cohen -599-0799

Sponsored by

Redeemer’s Mighty Fortress

Relay for Life

8

IN HIS SERVICE

PLEASE REMEMBER TO SIGNUP FOR

VARIOUS VOLUNTEER OPORTUNITIES

SIGN UP SHEETS ARE IN THE NARTHEX.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Fern Alfred has moved from Bakersfield to Arizona. Her new address is:

Fern Alfred

Alta Vista; 916 Canterbury Lane

Prescott, AZ 86301 Phone: 928-772-6000

January 5 January 12 January 19 January 26

Becky Grove and Lisa

Phyllis Elrod Judy Peterson Becky Grove

Jan Lemley Pastor Donella Jan Lemley

Karen Musgrove

Jan Lemley Judy Peterson Michael Jacobsen Nate Olson

Phyllis Elrod

Becky Grove Caroline Reid Thompsons Pot luck

Area of Service

Altar Guild

Flowers

Assistant Minister

Communion Assist.

Lector

Greeter

Coffee Hour

PLEASE NOTE THIS SCHEDULE DOES NOT REFLECT CHANGES MADE AFTER

DECEMBER 27

Following is a list of our friends

who have been lifted up in prayer

by our faithful Prayer Warriors.

Please know that your prayers are

so very much appreciated.

Thanks and Blessings to all!

Debby

Gladys

Mike

Anna

Phyllis

Family of

Anna Nelson

Dear Redeemer Friends,

We wanted to let you know of our recent move to the Sacra-

mento area to be closer to all our family. We didn't get a

chance to say goodbye to many of you as our house sold

quite quickly and we made the move on December 4th. We have thor-

oughly enjoyed our time at Redeemer and have appreciated all the

many kindnesses we've received, as well as the warm friendships we've

made over the years. If you are ever in the Sacramento area, please

look us up. Our address is:

4826 Winter Haven Way, Roseville CA 95747. 661-444-5896

May God bless you richly now and always,

Gary & Jan Gillespi

The new flower chart is up….please

select a Sunday you can provide

flowers. $38.00

9

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THRUSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1

2

Pacifica 10:15

Lunch

Bunch 11

am

3 4

5 Praise worship

8:30

Sunday School

9:30

Traditional

Worship 10:30

Fellowship 11:30

6

Ruth Circle

6:30

7

Pacifica 3 pm

8

Prayer Shawl

& Quilting

9-2

5:30

B.Y.O.S.*

Bible study 6

9

10 11

9 am

12 Praise worship

8:30

Sunday School

9:30

Traditional

Worship 10:30

Fellowship 11:30

13

Worship &

Music 6 pm

14

Pacifica 3 pm

15

Afternoon

Circle 1:30 pm

5:30 B.Y.O.S.

Bible study 6

16

Pacifica 10:15

Council 6

17

18

19 Praise worship

8:30

Sunday School

9:30

Traditional

Worship 10:30

Fellowship 11:30

20

21

Pacifica 3

pm

22

S.S.& T

12 noon

5:30

B.Y.O.S.

Bible study 6

23

Wine &

Dine 6:15

24 25

26 Praise worship

8:30

S.S. 9:30

Traditional

Worship 10:30

Pot luck/annual

meeting 11:30

27 28

Pacifica 3 pm

29

5:30

B.Y.O.S. Bi-

ble study 6

30

31 *B.Y.O.S.—

(Bring Your

Own Brown

Bag Supper)

When they saw the star, they

rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

Matt. 2:10