This Week at First Lutheran Today 8:30-12 noon Childcare Provided - Downstairs 8:30 a.m. Meditative Worship - Sanctuary 9:15 a.m. Sunday School - Downstairs FLY (Youth) - Youth Room Adult Forum - Library Choral Eucharist - Sanctuary 10:30 a.m. Tuesday 6:30 p.m. Wednesday 6:00 p.m. Thursday Friday Next Sunday January 11, 2015 Readings for today Genesis 1:1-5 Out of chaos, God brings order. Out of the primeval darkness, God brings light. This familiar story was good news for the Israelites, who experienced much chaos in their history. It remains good news for any person living in the chaos and darkness of despair. God created and continues to create new life. 10:00 a.m. Social Ministry Committee Meeting Parish Hall New Property Task Force Committee Meeting - Parish Hall Lectio Divina - Library 6:00 p.m. First Kids Choir Supper - Parish Hall Acts 19:1-7 In Ephesus, Paul encounters people who had received John's 6:30 p.m. First Kids Choir Rehearsal - Downstairs 7:30 p.m. Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary baptism of repentance but had never heard of the Holy Spirit or of baptism in the name of Jesus. After Paul baptized them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and empowered them with gifts of the Spirit. 8:00 p.m. San Francisco Early Music Society concert—Sanctuary Childcare Provided - Downstairs 8:30-12 noon 8:30 a.m. 9:15 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Mark 1:4-11 Mark's gospel reports the story of Jesus' baptism with some irony: the one on whom the Spirit descends is himself the one who will baptize others with the Holy Spirit. Meditative Worship - Sanctuary Sunday School - Downstairs FLY (Youth) - Youth Room Adult Forum - Library Choral Eucharist - Sanctuary 4@1st concert - Sanctuary FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH 600 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-322-4669 - www.flcpa.org The Rev. Bernt Hillesland - pastorb@flcpa.org The Rev. Katherine Marshall - pastork@flcpa.org Church office - office@flcpa.org Office Manager - Debbie Boles Music Director - Allen Simon, interim Organist - Jin Kyung Lim Youth Director - TBA Childcare - Rachel Voight First Kids Choir Director - Julia Simon Psalm 29 President - Mark Bogott Vice President - Holly Pearson Secretary - George Knudson Treasurer - Vince Barich Financial Secretary - George Knudson Readings for next Sunday: 1 Samuel 3:1-20 Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 • 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 John 1:43-51 We Remember in Prayer “Are there any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should ask the church to pray for them.” James 5:13       Sick: Janet Gomez, Peter Rice, Pat Nolan Homebound: Julia Rock, Ellen Dietrich, Mary Lawry, and Martha Nylund. David Lundeen, Rand Rockwell and all serving in the military. Mark Bertelsen and his family as they mourn the death of his sister, Karen. Our Partner Ministries: African Cradle, Ecumenical Hunger Program, Lutheran Social Services of N. California, Mount Cross Lutheran Camp, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Palo Alto Food Closet/ Neighbors in Need, ReconcilingWorks Our Sister Parish, Rios de Agua Viva, El Salvador, Pr. Vilma LEADING IN WORSHIP 8:30 AM Today Assisting Minister Next Sunday - Jan. 18 Julia Ball Jill Knuth Assisting Minister Tami Fletcher Karl Hillesland Lector Richard Gillam Christian Mandudzo Crucifer Lucas Simon Lindsey Bogott Sacristan Tami Fletcher Stephanie Leong Verger Stephanie Leong Stephanie Leong Usher Linda & Larry Hogle David & Jackie Holmkvist Yoichi Hariguchi Linda & Larry Hogle Channing House Escort 10:30 AM Channing House Escort Altar Flowers Coffee Hour Upcoming Events San Francisco Early Music Society concert will be this Friday, January 11 at 8:00 p.m. The performance will be “Pallade Musica, A Mia Modo: Stile Moderno to Stylus Phantasticus.” For more information and to purchase tickets go to www.sfems.org or call 510-528-1725. “The Many Lives of Cinderella” is our second 4@1st Concert. It will be Sunday, January 18 at 4:00 p.m. Please see below for more information. SAVE THE DATE! Our semi-annual Congregational Meeting is Sunday February 1st at 12:00 noon. Please email Barbara Erickson Barb8155@comcast.net if you are interested in attending our annual family ski trip in Tahoe. Let her know if you would prefer to go either Jan. 23-25 or Jan. 30-Feb. 1. Please remember that children below high school age must be accompanied by a parent. If there is enough interest then Barbara will arrange the trip. So dust off those skis and let’s go have some fun in the snow! Sunday mornings in the Library from 9:15 to 10:15. January 11, 18 and 25: Adult Forums in January "The Freedom of a Christian," a spiritual classic and good introduction to Lutheran spirituality and theology copies available in the fellowship hall ($14). Topic today: "Basic Lutheran Spirituality." How might the people around us understand what makes for a good spiritual life? How did Martin Luther see the spiritual life and purpose of worship? We'll focus on pgs. 49-65 of his book "Freedom of a Christian," but come even if you haven't finished the reading. We'll talk about how he used words which may seem ordinary - like faith, God's word, and Christ - and understood these words in surprising ways. Next week, January 18: Luther pg. 65-79. What does Luther mean by freedom, royal and priestly? Do we think of Christians as liberated people, or just the opposite? Why? How do we navigate life in the real world? What's the place of spiritual discipline? January 25: pg.79-96. One of FLC’s congregational goals is: “we want to increase the service we provide for the local community; while we’ve always been very good at ministering within our own walls, there’s a feeling that there’s an entire community we could be better serving just outside the doors.” (from congregational profile). Can Luther’s thoughts on life lived in freedom and love for the neighbor help us to explore this idea further? If you have an issue that you would like Forum to take up, whether you would like to develop information and lead a discussion or have a suggestion for others to follow up on, please contact Ken Schreiber (talk to him before or after Forum, call him at 853-1049 or e-mail him at krsplan@mindspring.com.) Make it your New Year’s resolution to put First, first. Be the first to volunteer to lead or to help where needed (don’t assume that someone else is already doing it); give more than your pledge (you have made a pledge, correct? – it’s not too late); and tell a friend (or invite a friend) to the best church at Homer and Webster in Palo Alto!