The four weeks leading up to Christmas Day are called Advent—meaning coming or arrival. It’s a season of waiting and preparing before the birth of Jesus, a time to prepare our hearts and our homes for the arrival of the baby Jesus. This time of waiting invites us to take time to slow down and reflect. To help facilitate that waiting, preparing, and reflecting, we’re offering Holden Evening Prayer at 6:30pm on Wednesdays—the 2nd, 9th, and 16thon Zoom (Meeting ID: 4159243782). This is in addition to our regular Sunday morning worship on Zoom at 9:30am, our YouTube Worship Videos and twice weekly Devotions. Please Join Us!

And to celebrate the Birth of Our Savior—Christmas, we are offering two services:

o 12/24 at 4 pm—Christmas Eve Family Service—joining together with Elim Lutheran Church in Petaluma and led by Pastor Tom Gable and Pastor Kathryn Gulbranson. This will be live, on Zoom—Meeting ID: 4159243782.

o 12/24 at 6 pm—Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols. This worship will be televised on our local community access cable stations: Channel 26 (Comcast) and Channel 99 (AT&T U-verse), livestreamed at www.marintv.org and shown on our Marin Lutheran YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClEvlmnS72YKEIgw6laMRwA.

Please make every effort to invite you neighbors, friends and relatives in the area and around the country to join us for one or both of these services. They will be special times to celebrate the birth of our Savior who brings hope and joy into our world!

I close with a prayer: As we wait for the birth of Jesus, we pause and think about what we want this season to be: a season of hope, a season of peace, a season of joy, a season of love, a season of family togetherness, a season of reflection. Amen.

Peace, Pastor Tom Social Action MLC donations – final trip!

A big thank you to all the supporters of our recent SF/Marin Food Bank Drive. Your generosity was much appreciated by the food bank volunteers and recipients alike. My car was filled to the brim with MLC donations multiple times (please note picture). The need for food support has skyrocketed during the epidemic and is especially acute during the holidays so, Thank you!!

Because of the restrictions guiding group work and gatherings, the Social Action Team needed to make a change to our usual Annual Shelter Renovation Project (aka Brown House). We contacted Homeward Bound, the administrators of the Family shelter and learned that it has been a very stressful time for them. The usual supplies and equipment used to serve multiple families with children have markedly been depleted. Given the many needs, Social Action decided sponsoring a Kitchen/Household/ Food SHOWER would be a good way to help them resupply their extensive wish list. With Bev's amazing help, we have emailed everyone an invitation to participate in the shower by donating lightly used or new items on the list. Your items can be brought to the bins in the narthex or the office. If you would prefer a pick up at your home, please let Bev know or email Sandy Seeger at rodnsan@aol.com. It won't be the same as working together to do our usual spectacular fix up, repair, paint, landscape renovation effort but we hope you agree this is a good alternative to meet the great needs of the shelter while remaining safe and healthy.

Brown House Shower “Registry”

KITCHEN ITEMS HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

 Dozen [tableware] forks  Bath towels (New)  Dozen [tableware] spoons  Bathroom rugs  Cooking utensils  Twin sheet sets (e.g. spatulas, ladles, nonstick  Twin blankets stirring spoons, whisks, wooden  Queen sheet sets spoons, tongs, knives, meat forks)  Queen blankets  Kitchen rugs  Pillows for beds (New)

FOOD ITEMS  Warm hats/beenies & gloves for men, women & children  Canned soups  Sturdy umbrellas  Coffee, teas & hot chocolate  Diapers (size 6 months to size 6)  Baby wipes

Ritter Center also needs to revise the usual Angel Tree project at Christmas time because of the pandemic. They are holding a fund raiser, Hope for the Holidays. Their goal is to raise $150,000 in donations to ensure they will still be able to meet the needs of local families and individuals living in poverty, equitably and safely. Please make donations directly to Ritter Center at www.rittercenter.org. Sandy Seeger Christmas Eve NOTEBOOK

Congratulations! This year Christmas Eve will be very different for us as we are not gathering together in our Katharine & Will beautiful sanctuary to celebrate Christ’s birth. Peck welcomed Donovan Given the circumstances we hope the worship Kilpatrick to their family! experiences we have will be meaningful and He was born on November celebratory as we welcome the Christ child. th 9 late in the evening and 4:00pm Family Service on Zoom weighed 8lbs. 4oz. All We will join together (on Zoom) with Elim, in members of the family are Petaluma. Pastor Tom & Pastor Kathryn will doing well, save for some lead this service together. The format will be lack of sleep for mom and similar to our regular 4:00pm Christmas Eve dad. God’s continued blessings for service – Carols, readings, prayers and an Donovan and his parents. interactive message for the children. Holy

Communion will be celebrated as it is on Seth Kamphoefner Sunday mornings. Although this is publicized as a family service, everyone is welcome to & Mandy Lomnicky attend. were married on November 13th in Zoom Meeting ID: 4159243782 San Diego. Needing to drastically scale 6:00pm Service of Lessons & Carols back their plans, the Our service of Lessons & Carols will be ceremony was a broadcast at 6:00pm online. It can be beautiful small accessed on: affair held outside  Channel 26 – Comcast in a park. Jim had  Channel 99 – AT&T U-verse the honor of officiating the wedding.  Livestreaming at Wishing them love, laughter and many http://www.marintv.org adventures in the years to come! It will also be available on Marin Lutheran Church YouTube.

The taping for this service was done on Moved November 21st by Community Media Center of Marin, The readers, instrumentalists and This fall the Meisel family – Karl, Lauren, Pastor Tom came to church to be taped. Our Greta & Elsa moved back to Michigan. choir members, bell ringers and congregation We enjoyed having them as part of our members have submitted their music to church family while they lived here, and Andrei who is hard at work mixing it all now wish them all the best as they settle together. in to their new home and new routines in

The service we watch at 6:00pm promises to the Mid-West. be wonderful, filled with carols, readings and anthems. We will celebrate Holy Communion and can sing Silent Night with candlelight in our homes.

Marin Lutheran Church Women

Women’s December Devotional Thursday, December 3rd at 10:00am on Zoom (Mtg ID: 4159243782). ALL sisters & brothers are invited to attend. The topic for this month is: Advent rituals for uncertain times. It’s a wonderful devotional involving singing, writing, moving, connecting. The devotion was sent via email. If you need it resent, please get in touch with the church office.

Our devoted quilters continue to work from home, sewing quilt tops and putting quilts together. If you are able to help, please get in touch with Jane at [email protected].

MLCW members will be finalizing their benevolence Christmas gift list for distribution this year.

I wish you all a blessed Christmas!

Jane McKenzie

Council Highlights, November 9th Meeting:

o MLC will have 2 Christmas Eve Services:  4:00pm – Family Service on Zoom  6:00pm – Service of Lessons & Carols broadcast on community TV channels, as well as livestreamed and available on YouTube o SOH will worship in person on Sundays for the remainder of the year. o Another series of small group gatherings of up to 10 people will be offered. Details will be sent via email. o Property issues:  Accepted proposal to install ADA automatic door opener on front door. We are getting bids from electricians for the wiring necessary prior to installation.  Council voted to increase the threshold required above which multiple bids are required for improvements/repair work: < $10K, 1 bid // $10-25K, 2 bids // > $25K, 3 bids. In all cases, if possible, multiple bids are still desired. o Council is working to develop a policy to help decrease our carbon foot print. Discussion is ongoing. We thank Dale Miller for his input and guidance. o Upcoming meeting dates:  Dec 6th at 10:30am on Zoom – Election Meeting to approve slate of candidates for leadership positions and to do final approval of constitutional changes.  Annual Congregational Meeting tentatively scheduled for 1/31/2021.

Denise Halloran Adult Education on Sunday Mornings

We conclude our study of the book, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Race, by Robin DiAngelo this month.

While this is a book study, you don’t necessarily need to have read the entire book. Each session we’ll review the main points of the chapter on which we’re focused. Then we’ll respond to a few questions from the facilitator. Everyone is welcome to join in the conversation.

The goal is to learn about the concepts the author presents in the book and grow in our Christian understanding of personal and systemic racism and white supremacy.

Each session we will strive to create a safe space to discuss these difficult issues with mutual love, grace and mercy.

Upcoming Class Schedule: Until further notice, classes will be on Zoom (Meeting ID: 4159243782)

Sundays Topic Presenter 11 to 11:45 am December 6th Chapter 12: Where Do We Go From Here Pastor Tom December 13th Conclusion and Next Steps TBA December 20th NO CLASS December 27th NO CLASS

Our Confirmation Ministry continues this month with only one class—Sunday December 6th from 5 to 5:45 pm. Continuing through our three-year curriculum we move from our study of the Old Testament to a learning about Lutheran history and Luther’s Small Catechism. We will begin meeting again in the new year—on Sunday, January 10th from 5 to 5:45 pm.

This month we meet on Sunday, December 6th—from 5 to 5:45 on Zoom (Meeting ID: 4159243782).

To Contact Pastor Tom:

Text or Call Pastor Tom on his cell phone at 916-479-3308 Call Pastor Tom at the office 415-924-3782 Email Pastor Tom at [email protected]

Worship and Music

Thanks to all who helped decorate the church for our taping of the Lessons and Carols Christmas Eve service Saturday, November 21. The church and narthex looked beautiful. Stop in to see the tree and all the Christmas decorations. Many thanks to those who supplied the poinsettias for the church. Please pick them up to enjoy at home.

Thank you to all who participated in the service; the readers, Laura, who played all the songs, the instrumentalists, Andrei, Pastor Tom, and Bev, (who knows where everything is!) The taping went smoothly, and I know it will be a beautiful and meaningful service. The service will be televised at 6 pm Christmas Eve. Please set this time aside so we can worship “together.”  Channel 26 – Comcast  Channel 99 – AT&T U-verse  Livestream at http://www.marintv.org  Marin Lutheran Church YouTube

Thank you to the choir for taping the songs and anthems for this service, as well as for every Sunday service. Their voices add so much to the meaning of the word.

Thank you to Andrei for putting in many hours of work, editing and arranging the songs we will hear and sing along to this Christmas. He has helped put together a beautiful service of music that though we cannot worship together in person, we can feel everyone’s presence.

Speaking of Andrei, please watch the video John Bischoff sent out, The Year That Zoomed By, (found on MLC’s YouTube channel). It is really amazing how all the parts of the service are put together, and what it takes to combine all the voices. A second video has just been added from John – a conversation with Laura that includes how she prepares music each week for Z

Have a blessed Christmas.

Carol Cunliffe

December Birthdays

7 Isaiah Clark-Hexter 12 Jim Bedilion 21 Anna Bischoff 8 Adelaide Shunk Monica Bergman 27 Mette Wong Lindsey Theobald 15 Hannah Kim 30 Vivienne Chan 11 Susan Schmidt 19 Michele Peck 31 Rick Cunliffe

M e r r y B i r t h d a y ! STEWARDSHIP But our schēma has certainly changed! Now, rather than a room full of 3-D people and MLC: Morphē and Schema surround sound we show up on 40-45 little windows on a computer screen in what feels I was reviewing the 4th and final issue of the like 2 dimensions or we watch our service on Giving magazine MLC subscribes to and was You Tube. What should sustain us through attracted to a couple of articles. Quite a bit the times so far and the continuing times of the issue is devoted to a thought from undoubtedly yet to continue for a while is Philippians 2 that Karyn Nancarvis in her that MLC remains that same congregation – article “Loving Generosity: Our Pivot just presented in a much different schema. Point” quotes as “loving generosity is I’m sure when all this madness is over, we’ll defined as a generosity that is loving, not be able to pivot back to our more familiar loving generosity in and of itself”. The pivot schema. point she describes is like a playground see saw with the pivot point in the middle. You can see in the faces on the screen, that same essence – the morphē – is alive and She goes on to say this: well at MLC! “To describe the very essence of Jesus, two Greek words can be used to describe his nature: morphē Meanwhile, in the other article “A Parable on (mor-fay) and schēma (skhay’-mah). There is a Loving and Giving” by Laura Newbury she subtle difference between the two which is important. writes: “Loving generosity flows from the abundance Morphē is the inward form that never alters. Schēma of the heart, not the wallet. Paul describes this is the outward form that changes from time to time. beautifully in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each of you For instance, morphē means the nature of a human should give what you have decided in your heart to being is humanity and this never changes, but give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God outward nature—schēma— is continually changing. loves a cheerful giver.” We can inspire more joyful A baby, a boy, a youth, a man, always have the giving by putting love at the center of our stewardship morphē of humanity, but the outward schema changes activities.” with time. The word Paul uses to describe Jesus as being in the nature of God is his morphē: his un- The love is there, the pledge cards are there, changeable being as divine. However, his outward I can still feel the commitment is there and schēma alters, growing from boy to man.” I’m hoping whether pledge cards are in your expression of generosity or not, we continue This got me thinking of the big 7 day pivot to sustain MLC into 2021 and beyond. I we made in March from worshiping in really can’t see it coming out any other way! person to our zoom services. But deeper THANKS than that, the realization that the MLC morphē has not changed over the year. The May the Christmas congregation and leaders are still the same season bring about a people who gathered each week in person – peaceful and heartfelt with the same big hearts and generosity that end to 2020 and a help people living in the Brown house or on launch into 2021, the streets, send quilts to the needy, and hopefully and show so much compassion for the members eventually pivoting to and friends of MLC. our original schema!

John Bischoff Beautiful Angel

“Beautiful Angel, this news that you bring Fills me with happiness, makes my heart sing! God has been faithful, and soon we will greet The Child God has promised, the baby so sweet”

Shoulder to shoulder, our family cozied up in a pew to attend the “Kids of the Kingdom” Christmas Pageant, “Touch of an Angel”. It was 2007 and Michaela’s turn to be Mary, she was 10. I’ll never forget the tune or lyrics as she sang “God has been faithful and soon we will greet”. Her singing touched me as I thought about my parents as they were so proud of their granddaughter. As their years were starting to slow them down, they soon “would greet” their faithful God.

Council reviews the financial report monthly. We are so grateful to the many 12 step groups that continue to make a donation even though they are unable to meet in person. This building, its location and beautiful grounds are a refuge for so many. The Parish Hall has brought shelter and warmth to those that so badly need it and are reaching out for support. This ministry at MLC is vital to the greater community, maybe even more so during this pandemic. We depend on their donations to make our ministry plan – code for “budget”.

The property and building enables us to gather. Together we worship, sing, pray and enjoy fellowship. So many memories of loved ones surround us. The pulpit, in memory of Bill Qvistgaard, the bathroom nook off the narthex in memory of Amy Haxton and her husband, the expanded narthex in memory of Sammie Sanford Dunn – whose grandfather in 1949 parceled a section of their land to build the church, the hand bells on loan (now a gift) from Christ the Victor, now Victory Village Fairfax, Joan Barry’s wishful patio, Judy’s dream kitchen. Soon we will have an ADA compliant automatic door in memory of Bonnie & Clint Bell. I’m sure Bonnie never would have imagined that in 2020 that oversized button will be used to avoid touching the handle!

The Memorial Fund continues to slowly grow on our balance sheet as contributions come in from members and friends. They too give thanks for the memories. A portion of those funds could be used to take care of some high priority property needs. Maybe the good from the 2020 pandemic is how much we miss our church home.

This year we will not be able to gather and celebrate our traditional Christmas Eve services. Thanks to an angel among us, the production costs of filming and editing the Service of Lessons and Carols will bring us back to our church home. In the comfort of your own home – dress up or put on your jammies. Enjoy a glass of wine or a hot chocolate and cozy up with your loved ones. Watch it as often as you want on the MLC YouTube Channel. I am confidant you too will be touched by an angel.

Ann Marymor Joint Marin Lutheran & Shepherd of the Hills Ministries for December

Shepherd of the Hills is offering in-person worship each Sunday this month. This is a service open to all Marin Lutheran folks! During the month of December:

o Pastor Kathryn will be leading worship on 12/6th & 13th at 11:30 am o Pastor Tom will be leading worship on 12/20th and 27th at 11 am.

We follow all of the health rules for safe indoor worship. We’re socially distanced throughout the sanctuary, do not sing or speak together, and celebrate Holy Communion with prepackaged communion sets. Kathy Bayler (12/6) and Sibel Demirmen (12/13, 20, 27) are the soloists and Richard Stevens (their regular accompanist) plays the piano. While it definitely feels different from “the old days” back in March, it’s wonderful to see folks and worship together in person!

Marin Lutheran also continues to worship together on Sunday mornings (9:30 am) through live online Worship Services (using the Zoom platform—Meeting ID: 4159243782 (Call Pastor Tom if you have questions). We also offer worship videos of our Sunday service and video devotions on the Marin Lutheran YouTube channel and Facebook.

Pastor Tom Financial Notes

As you all know, this has been a very unusual year. We have all been affected by COVID-19 in one way or another. Most of us may know people that have had COVID, and hopefully recovered. I am extremely thankful, that to my knowledge, all our MLC family has been spared getting the virus.

Our church finances have also mimicked the uncertainty of this year. Through June, our giving stayed right on target with the ministry plan (budget). For the months of July- September we experienced a $10,000 giving shortfall. In October we rebounded and were slightly above our plan in giving. November however, was not a good month – it is among the lowest giving months of this year, at a time when our giving usually trends up. We are an estimated (Nov books are not closed) $7,300 short of our giving plan for this month alone.

Understanding everyone’s different circumstances, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I ask that, if you are able, you give above and beyond your normal giving, or if you are behind in your pledge, that you become current. It is still our hope to end the year in balance. We are all part of this wonderful church, and we will get back to “normal” hopefully soon; but in the meantime your help in keeping us financially solvent so our ministries can continue will be heartfelt and deeply appreciated.

With my gratitude, and in hope and joy, Jim Kamphoefner, Finance chair Let's Keep It Burning (author unknown)

A man, who regularly attended meetings suddenly without any notice stopped participating. After a few weeks, one very cold night the leader of that group decided to visit him.

He found the man at home, alone, sitting in front of a fireplace where a bright fire burned. The man welcomed the leader. There was a great silence. The two men only watched the dancing flames around the logs that crackled in the fireplace.

After a few minutes the leader, without saying a word, examined the woods that formed the fire and selected one of them, glowing most brightly of all, removing it to the side with a pair of tongs. Then he sat down again.

The host was paying attention to everything, fascinated. Before long, the lone member flame subsided, until there was only a momentary glow & the fire soon went out. In a short time what was *previously bright light and heat* had become nothing more than a black & dead piece of wood. Very few words had been spoken since the greeting.

Before preparing to leave, the leader with the tongs picked up the useless piece of wood & placed it again in the middle of the fire. Immediately, the member piece of wood was rekindled, fueled by the light & heat of the burning coals around him.

When the leader reached the door to leave, the host said: "Thank you for your visit and for your beautiful lesson. I'll return to the group soon."

Why is a group important? Very simple: Because each member that withdraws takes fire & heat from the rest. It's worth reminding group members that they are a part of the flame.

It's also good to remind us that we are all responsible for keeping each other's flame burning and we must promote the union among us so that the fire is really strong, effective and lasting.

It doesn't matter if sometimes we are bothered by difficult times with scant resources.

What matters is to be connected. We are here to meet, learn, exchange ideas or simply to know that we are not alone.

Let's keep the flame alive.

헧헛헔헡헞 헬헢헨 헙헢헥 헕험헜헡헚 헔 헣헔헥헧 헢헙 혁헵헲 MARIN LUTHERAN FIRE! WORSHIP in December

December 6, SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT John calls people to repent, to clear the decks, to completely reorder their lives so that nothing gets in the way of the Lord's coming. The reading from Isaiah gives the context for this radical call: the assurance of forgiveness that encourages us to repent; the promise that the coming one will be gentle with the little ones. Isaiah calls us all to be heralds with John, to lift up our voices fearlessly and say, "See, your God is coming!" We say it to one another in worship, in order to say it with our lives in a world in need of justice and peace.

December 13, THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT "Rejoice always," begins the reading from 1 Thessalonians. Isaiah and the psalmist make clear that God is turning our mourning into laughter and shouts of joy. "All God's children got a robe," go the words of a spiritual. It is not so much a stately, formal, pressed outfit as it is a set of party clothes, clothes we are happy to wear. We receive that robe in baptism, and in worship we gather for a foretaste of God's party.

December 20, FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT God keeps the promise made to David to give him an everlasting throne. The angel tells Mary that God will give David's throne to her son Jesus. She is perplexed by Gabriel's greeting and by the news of her coming pregnancy, but she is able still to say, "Count me in." We who know that Jesus is called king only as he is executed still find it a mystery hard to fathom, but with Mary today we hear the news of what God is up to and say, "Count us in."

December 24, NATIVITY OF OUR LORD, CHRISTMAS EVE In winter's deepest night, we welcome the light of the Christ child. Isaiah declares that the light of the long-promised king will illumine the world and bring endless peace and justice. Paul reminds us that the grace of God through Jesus Christ brings salvation to all people. The angels declare that Jesus' birth is good and joyful news for everyone, including lowly shepherds. Filled with the light that shines in our lives, we go forth to share the light of Christ with the whole world.

December 27, FIRST SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS The psalmist calls on the natural world, celestial bodies, fire and earth, creatures, and all humanity, to praise God. The voices of Simeon and 84-year-old Anna join the chorus today, recognizing what God is doing in Jesus. Simeon's song is often sung after communion, for we have seen God's salvation in the assembled community and have held Jesus in our hands in the bread. Then, like the prophet Anna, we tell of Jesus to all who look for the healing of the world.

COMMUNITY PARTNER UPDATES MOC and MIC are two of our community partners. Everyone is invited and encouraged to come to the following events:

MOC is a broad-based, non-partisan and non-profit organization of churches, synagogues and non-profits located throughout Marin County. MOC’s core mission is the building of a power organization through the identification, development and mentorship of leaders from member institutions.

Marin Organizing Committee (MOC):

Mark your calendar for our next MOC Leaders Meeting on Tuesday, November 10th from 7pm-8:30pm. Join us to reflect together, hear from our research teams, and discuss our next steps moving forward. Register at www.bayareaiaf.org/calendar (click on the meeting link in the calendar).

Registration is also now open for our MOC Fall Training Series: The Habits and Practices of Organizing. In this four-part series, you'll learn about leadership, power, relational meetings, and how to organize your institution. Use the web address at the bottom of the graphic, to register. Please note that this registration is not through Zoom, but you will be emailed the link for each Zoom meeting as the date approaches.

Marin Interfaith Council (MIC) Update:

MIC Monthly Meditation with Zachary Twist Wednesday, November 11, 2020: 5:30 – 6:30 pm on Zoom

Zachary has been a highly active member of the Bay Area Muslim community for over 20 years and has been a member of the MIC Board of Directors since September of 2019. He also serves on the board of directors of the Islamic Center of North Marin, as well as numerous other boards in the Bay Area. He has been fortunate to learn and benefit from some of the world’s most prominent Muslim scholars. He is passionate about sharing the wisdom of the Islamic tradition and creating a more thriving and just planet for all. He resides in San Rafael with his wife and three children.

To join the online meditation with video, go to Marin Interfaith council website for link: www.marinifc.org/mic-monthly-meditation. A Love Offering is gratefully received.

Christmas Eve December 24, 2020 Celebrate HOPE with Marin Lutheran Church

Family Service Carols, Readings, Interactive Children’s Message

4:00pm on Zoom www.zoom.com – Meeting ID: 4159243782

Lessons & Carols Readings, Carols, Choral Anthems

6:00pm  Comcast—Channel 26  AT&T Uverse—Channel 99 Community TV  Livestreamed at: www.marintv.org & Online  Marin Lutheran Church YouTube www.marinluthern.org