Pilgrim Lutheran Church 1730 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, California 90403 “Come, My Soul, with Every Care” Come, my soul, with every care; Jesus loves to answer prayer. He himself bids you to pray, and will never turn away. You are coming to a King– Large petitions with you bring! For His grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much. With my burden I begin: Lord, remove this load of sin. With Your blood for sinners spilt set my conscience free from guilt. Lord, Your rest to me impart, Take possession of my heart; There Your blood-bought right maintain and without a rival reign. Pilgrim’s stained glass window, Albrecht Durer’s “The Praying Hands” is also known as a “Study of the Hands of an Apostle.” While I am a pilgrim here, The family was poor and one of Durer’s brothers financed his let your love my spirit cheer; Nuremberg Art School Academy tuition. When Durer finished As my Guide, my Guard, my Friend, lead me to my journey's end. the Art Academy, he said it was now his brother’s turn to at- tend. However his brother's hands were crippled from the hard Show me what I am to do; work he did to support his brother Albrecht, therefore his Every hour my strength renew. dream of also attending Art School was gone. In appreciation, I would have Your will, not mine, Albrecht Durer created the world famous image of his brother’s for it's perfect, good, and kind. crippled hands, in honor of his brother. Text: John Newton, alt., Public Domain “Pilgrim’s Progress” January 2021 Rev. Nathan R. Kilian Pilgrim Lutheran Church The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (310) 829-4113 [email protected] www.pilgrimlutheranchurch.org Sunday Worship Service Schedule in January 9:00 a.m. Bible Classes deferred until further notice. 10:00 a.m. Worship Service Outdoors and on Facebook Midweek Weekly Bible Study via Facebook will soon resume. Worship Services in January Outdoors & On Facebook) January 3 Second Sunday after Christmas Worship Service at 10 a.m. Outdoor Worship & FB January 10 The Baptism of our Lord Worship Service at 10 a.m. Outdoor Worship & FB January 17 Second Sunday after the Epiphany Worship Service at 10 a.m. Outdoor Worship & FB January 24 Third Sunday after the Epiphany Worship Service at 10 a.m. Outdoor Worship & FB January 31 Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany Worship Service at 10 a.m. Outdoor Worship & FB January Worship Schedule at Pilgrim, Outdoors and on Facebook Pilgrim’s Worship Schedule ~ Bible Classes for children and adults will temporarily be cancelled until further notice due to the Covid virus. Sunday School is being done via the US Mail. Outdoor Worship Service begins at 10 a.m. We will temporarily suspend our after Worship Service Fellowship until further notice, as per CDC. We will continue to hold our Sunday Sermons on Facebook, in addition to our Outdoor Worship Services. Although the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled Houses of Worship may hold in-house Worship Services, with masks and Social Distancing, Pilgrim’s Church Council decided we will only hold outdoor Worship Services at this time. We want to thank all who have been attending our Out- door Sunday Worship Services, and also those who have been watching our Worship Services on Facebook via live streaming and also later in the day. It has been a challenge to continue our Worship Services but we are thankful for the opportunities to learn how to do more preaching of the Gospel via “modern technology.” It has been ten months since the Covid Pandemic abruptly changed the way we Worship, and the way we go about our daily schedules. Wearing a mask now seems “normal” and so does working from home. What does NOT seem normal, is not attend- ing in-house Worship Services in our beautiful Sanctuary. This was especially difficult when we held our Midweek Ad- vent Worship Services on line and also our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Worship Services online. Alt- hough the Advent and Christmas Worship Services were beautiful when viewed on Facebook, the feeling of not actually being in the Sanctuary, singing Christmas hymns, listening to Kimshelley’s beautiful voice, having fun watching Pastor Kilian hand out gifts to children and adults, having each of us lighting a candle while we sang “Silent Night,” worshiping and praying together was missed. The quiet time, of sitting in the pews, with only can- dle light and the Christmas tree lights, while we prayed together, and the joyful noise of us all singing together, was deeply missed. Nevertheless, the Lord is always good and supplies us with what we need most, the for- giveness of sin and His Word and Sacrament! Blessed be the Name of the Lord! The Mission of Pilgrim Lutheran Church is to be an incarnation of Jesus Christ to people of all ages in the Santa Monica area and throughout the world. Focus on Epiphany, January 6th Today the Epiphany emphasis in the West is on the manifestation of the Incarnate Lord to the world. This emphasis begins with the Feast of the Epiphany January 6th which commemorates the visit of the Gentile Wise Men to the Babe of Bethlehem. This festival is one of great rejoicing and gladness, since the light of the world is revealed to the nations, “A light to lighten the Gentiles” (Nunc Dimittis.) The manifestation theme continues on the First Sunday after the Epiphany, which celebrates the Baptism of Our Lord, when the voice from Heaven revealed Him as “My Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17.) The Sundays after the Epiphany continue to illustrate the manifestation of God in Christ Jesus. The Epiphany season culminates in the festival of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, when Jesus revealed His divine glory to the inner circle of His Disciples. Like Christmas, the color of the Epiphany and its season is white, the color of divinity, purity and joy. One the eve of the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, the paraments may be changed to green, since these Sundays, until the Eve of the Transfig- uration, are considered by the dominant liturgical tradition to be “ordinary time.” For the Festival of the Transfiguration the paraments are again changed to white. The so-called “Moravian Star” recalling the star which led the Wise Men to the Infant in Bethlehem, may be used as an appropriate additional appointment for the Epiphany Service. On the First Sunday after the Epiphany, the Baptism of Our Lord, the Church’s Baptismal font may be filled with water for the faithful to dip their finger in and cross themselves as a reminder of their own Baptism. The Church Office and Campus will be Closed Monday January 18th in Observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day Dr. King’s original name was Michael, but his father, after a visit to Germany, where he learned about the Reformer, Martin Luther, was so impressed that he changed his name and his son Michael’s name, to Martin. On this day we cele- brate the reforming work of Dr. King for the sake of Social Justice. Westside Youth Group Plans Pastor Kilian has been attending virtual Westside Youth Group Meetings. A January Youth Group meeting, including parents, has been planned on January 17th. This meeting would be via Zoom, and it would be a Bingo game. Contact the Church Office if you are interested Adult Bible Classes, Worship Services and more… “Wednesday Night Live” and “Prime Time” Bible Study NOTE: Due to the COVID –19 Virus Pandemic, Pilgrim will not hold Worship Services or Bible Study Classes in the Church until further notice. We will be using the CDC Guidelines when we reopen. We are holding outdoor Worship Services in our Pilgrim Park, and they are live streamed on Facebook for those unable to at- tend in person. We will soon resume Virtual Bible Studies. We are Re-Printing Pastor Kilian’s Excellent November 20, 2020 Daily Devotional: PASTOR'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL- NOVEMBER 20, 2020 (FRIDAY) PRAYER "O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who delight in reverie Your Name. Give Your servant success today by granting Him favor..." Nehemiah 1:11 This is the prayer of Nehemiah who led the third return to Jerusalem after the exile in Babylon and who also led the rebuilding of the walls of the city, completing it in a miraculous 52 days. He calls out to God on behalf of the exiles who are now facing great trouble and disgrace as they return to the plundered city of Jerusalem. Nehe- miah calls for God's attentiveness to not only his prayers, but also to the prayers of all believers. Nehemiah asks for God to give them success and His favor. This is a wonderful prayer for all of God's people to be given every day. God is always attentive to us when we call out to Him and it is His desire to give us success and His favor. Nevertheless, He wants us to ask for this. He wants us to come to Him in the act of prayer knowing that prayer strengthens our faith and directs us to His will. We might feel like exiles in this fallen world where we face great trouble and disgrace. How wonderful to know that our God is mindful of us, is attentive to our prayers and grants us true, everlasting success and favor.