The Bethany Bullet - Week of November 22, 2020

 Advent & Christmas Chimes 2020

 

“Lo, how a rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!

Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as prophets long have sung,

It came, a flow’ret bright, amid the cold of winter, when half spent was the night. 

 

Isaiah ‘twas foretold it, the rose I have in mind;

with Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind. 

To show God’s love aright, she bore to us a Savior, when half spent was the night.

 

This flow’r, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,

Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere,

True man, yet very God, from sin and death he saves us and lightens ev’ry load. 

 

O Savior, child of Mary, who felt our human woe;

O Savior, King of glory, who dost our weakness know:

Bring us at length we pray to the bright courts of heaven, and to the endless day.”  

 

 

    

Patient waiting and joyful expectation are hallmarks of this Friedrich Layriz’s hymn; even as they are hallmarks of Advent. 

 

A deep peace unlike anything the world can offer and gracious forgiveness that only heaven can render are the promises the hymnist reminds us of; even as they the gifts Christ brings. While it is admittedly a lesser used and sung song, “Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming” is a one stop hymn of Advent observations and Christmas celebrations. 

 

The purpose of this Advent/Christmas Chimes is to serve as a one stop source of information regarding worship during the Advent and Christmas seasons. 

 

Our Advent observations this year will include… 

WEDNESDAYS of Advent (12/2, 12/9, 12/16):

¨ A 7:00PM Wednesday evening off campus, at home worship service via Zoom.

¨ To Join Zoom Meeting:                                                                                                                                         https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88210795871?pwd=akRUSW5mdytSZ3hTWmIzNThVVkpzUT09

Meeting ID: 882 1079 5871 Passcode: Jesus

 

SUNDAYS of Advent (11/29, 12/6, 12/13, 12/20):

¨ Our Sunday morning Advent worship will include in-person on-campus worship at 8:00AM & 9:30AM on our field (weather permitting); weekly registration will continue via the weekly Special Bethany Bullet. 

¨ We will also continue to have an on-line/pre-recorded worship service through Advent available on our website by midday Saturday. 

¨ This Advent we will also introduce a recorded service of the live on-campus field worship from earlier in the day; this will be available Sunday afternoons and is accessible through the “Worship Resources” link on Bethany’s website. 

 Our Christmas worship celebrations this year will include Christmas Eve Services held in Friendship Square. Registration will be required and will be taken through our website (www.bethanylutheran.org), as we currently do for Sunday on-campus worship. Face masks will be required and attendance will be limited for health and safety reasons during Covid. Registration IS REQUIRED TO ENABLE US TO MAINTAIN social distancing requirements. WE REALIZE that on Sunday mornings on the field there is plenty of space and so on occasion many of us have  shown up having forgotten to registering and it hasn’t been an issue. In Friendship Square however this will not be the case and thus registration is essential for our Christmas Eve worship services.

News of when registration opens for our on-campus Christmas Eve Worship will come via a SPECIAL Bethany Bullet the week of December 14th.

 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Worship at Bethany Lutheran

¨ Thursday, December 24th will be in-person, on-campus services in Friendship Square at 1:00PM*, 2:30PM, 4:00PM and 5:30PM.  Registration is required to attend these services in person. Registration will close on December 22nd.

¨ For those who have preferred to remain in their cars for worship...Only the 1:00PM* service will be   available through your car radio on 87.9 FM. REMINDER...if you are worshiping from your car you DO NOT need to register for the 1:00PM service. Parking by Friendship Square is very limited and on a first come basis. 

¨ For those wishing to worship from home...Please note that the 1:00PM* service will be LIVE streamed. To join the live stream, go to our website at www.bethanylutheran.org and click on “Worship Resources” link.  ALSO… families will be able to worship with a recorded version of the live streamed service anytime after 7:00PM on Christmas Eve; links for this recorded version will be posted on our website too. 

Christmas Day - There will be NO in-person, on-campus worship for Bethany Lutheran. 

¨ HOWEVER, there will be a pre-recorded Special Christmas Service of Lessons, Carols and Prayers.  

¨ This service will be available on Bethany’s website by Monday, December 21.  

You and your family are invited and encouraged to use this service of Lessons, Carols and Prayers for your Christmas morn worship and anytime else over the 12 days of Christmas. You might even want to invite a neighbor or friend to join you for this service or send a link to your family and friends as a gift this Christmastide.

Each of these worship services will empower and equip us to embrace the heart of Advent’s observations and Christmas’ celebrations which cries, “Bring us at length we pray to the bright courts of heaven, and to the endless day.”

 

 Worship Resources for Sunday, November 29^th will be up on Bethany’s website by midday Saturday, November 28^th.