Click on the Nativity Lutheran Church Calendar Link below if you would like an "easy-to-read" full size view of the month.

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Monday, January 1 - Happy New Year!

7:00 PM - Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting

Tuesday, January 2

9:30 - 11:00 AM - Out of Office Hours

Rock City Coffee, Main St. Rockland

Thursday, January 4

8:00 AM - Morning Prayer, via Zoom

Sunday, January 7

9:00 AM - Choir practice in Sanctuary/Adult education in Meeting room

10:30 AM - Worship in-person and online

Assistant: Ann Walker

Reader: Sue Ann Moore

Usher: Tina Huntley

Monday, January 8

7:00 PM - Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting

Tuesday, January 9

9:30 - 11:00 AM - Out of Office Hours

Seafolk Coffee, 22 Central St, Rockport (If they’re open Tuesdays)

Thursday, January 11

8:00 AM - Morning Prayer, via Zoom

Sunday, January 14

9:00 AM - Choir practice in Sanctuary/Adult education in Meeting room

10:30 AM - Worship in-person and online

Assistant: Kim Murphy

Reader: Sandy Abate (remote reader)

Usher: Sherry Cobb

Remember to bring your donations to add to AIO's Fill the Strand project.

Monday, January 15

7:00 PM - Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting

Tuesday, January 16

9:30 - 11:00 AM - Out of Office Hours

Dot’s, Rt 1, Lincolnville

Wednesday, January 17

6:00 PM via Zoom - Theotalk

Thursday, January 18

8:00 AM - Morning Prayer, via Zoom

Remember to bring your donations by this day to add to Mimi Moore's Thrivent Action Team project: “SOS {Socks or Sweatshirts) for the Homeless in Portland".

Sunday, January 21

9:00 AM - Choir practice in Sanctuary/Adult education in Meeting room

10:30 AM - Worship in-person and online

Assistant: Fred Walker

Reader: Judy Pelletier

Usher: Ollie Jones

Monday, January 22

7:00 PM - Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting

Tuesday, January 23

9:30 - 11:00 AM - Out of Office Hours

Bagel Café, Mechanic St, Camden

Thursday, January 25

8:00 AM - Morning Prayer, via Zoom

Sunday, January 28

9:00 AM - Choir practice in Sanctuary/Adult education in Meeting room

10:30 AM - Worship in-person and online

Assistant: Ted Long

Reader: Jane Monhart

Usher: Jennie Dynesius

Following worship: Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen at St. Peter's in Rockland

See Donna Perry if you would like to help.

Monday, January 29

7:00 PM - Men’s Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting

Tuesday, January 30

9:30 - 11:00 AM - Out of Office Hours

Jan 30 Atlantic Baking Company, Main St. Rockland

Month of January

Altar Care: Sue Ann Moore

Flower Arranger: Sue Ann Moore

Acolyte: Jennie Dynesius

Note For midweek prayer via zoom - there is a separate Zoom link.

Email Pastor at office@nativityrockport.org if you would like the zoom link. Please also email Pastor if you do not have the Sunday link.

Why do we do that? Exploring our liturgy

As God’s people we gather each week to worship together. In the Lutheran tradition, at Nativity we use “liturgy” each week—sometimes familiar, sometimes not. Even when the words and tunes of our worship are familiar, do you wonder why we sing or say some of the pieces? Why are some pieces included sometimes and not other times? Over the next several months here in The View we’ll explore the pieces of our worship and “why do we do that.” Let’s begin with a broad view and in the coming months we’ll focus in on individual elements.

What is liturgy? The word comes from the Greek leitourgia, which is a combination of two other words: people (laos) and work (ergon). Literally, a liturgy is a “work of the people,” or a “public service.” If we go back to its origin words what is the “work” we God’s people do when we gather? We gather to hear the word, to pray for those in need, to offer thanks to God for the gift of salvation, to receive Holy Communion, and to be renewed for the daily witness of faith, hope and love.

Any church that worships has a liturgy. Churches that claim to be “non-liturgical” still follow a pattern of worship. Maybe it begins with announcements, then singing, a sermon, and some more singing, before concluding with a sending prayer. That is a liturgy. What sets our Lutheran tradition and others similar (the closest are Episcopal and Roman Catholic) apart from those is that our worship service is not something the pastor and a worship band do while the people watch. Instead, it is something which is an action shared by all who assemble to worship. The ordained pastor or priest guides the people and for the sake of good order presides over the sacraments. But singing, prayers, and reading Scripture are the work of all the people. Sermons are most often offered by clergy because they have been formally trained in proclamation and interpreting scripture; but well-prepared reflections or sermons by lay people can also play an important role in the work of the people. Musicians are also an important factor in the work as they lead the people in participatory song and musical responses.

Our Sunday worship still follows a pattern established in the earliest days of the Church. The basic elements of gathering, word, meal, and sending (which were revealed in the New Testament [Luke 24:27, 30-31a; Acts 2:42], writings of the early Church such as the Apology of Justin Martyr, the Lutheran confessions [Augsburg Confession VII, 1530], and ecumenical documents such as the Constitution on the Liturgy from the Second Vatican Council in 1963) are still the basis of our worship. But freedom and flexibility in worship is a Lutheran inheritance and there is room for ample variety in ceremony, music, and liturgical forms. This is amplified especially for Nativity by our congregation’s love for music and Charlie’s talent and versatility. Also, digital resources available at the click of a computer key open up possibilities of sharing Christian culture from around the world along with contemporary language changes to enrich the beloved, familiar liturgical texts we have grown to love. Our liturgy, our “work,” can feel both familiar and comfortable, and new and fresh. If done well, it doesn’t feel like work at all. Stay tuned as we explore familiar and not so familiar pieces in the coming months.

The Theotalk discussion group will hold its second meeting of 23-24 on Wednesday, January 17 at 6:00 PM via Zoom to consider the book The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions by Marcus Borg and N.T. Wright. The book is available on Amazon and from other sources.

Both authors are acclaimed biblical scholars who were in regular conversation about the Christian faith throughout their lives, but they came to have different understandings of what the Bible tells us about Jesus – hence the “two visions.” They share these two visions in eight discussions about Jesus birth, ministry, death and resurrection, as well as the implications of his life for us.

Everyone is welcome to participate in one or more of our discussions this year. About a dozen people are currently on the Theotalk mailing list, and if you would like to be added as a possible participant contact Ted Long (longte1507@gmail.com or 717-468-6472).

RETHINKING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CREATION

The book, Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders and the Healing of the Earth, has been a valuable resource for those of us on Nativity’s Sustainability task force, and has, in addition, given me new ways of thinking about Nativity’s Creation Care work. Author Debra Rienstra describes the natural world in the vicinity of her home and her journey of learning to pay attention to things she had been ignoring, things as common as the songs of birds in her yard. She became intentional about educating herself about the natural world and about our relationship to it, as humans. She explains the biological concept of “refugia” as pockets of safety from which growth and renewal emerge after times of crisis and destruction, and poses the question: how can we as Christians become people of refugia?

Rienstra’s experience is one we can relate to. As humans, we often find ourselves disconnected from the natural world (by ‘natural world’, I mean the other-than-human world, even though humans are also part of nature). This disconnect may stem from advances in our standard of living and technology which insulate and separate us, or from simply not fully knowing or seeing the world around us. As our survival no longer depends on understanding the natural world to the extent it once did, that world becomes more of a backdrop to the rest of our daily lives. Beyond these factors, however, there’s another significant contributor to our disconnect, found in the Christian doctrine that God created humans to be distinct and superior to the rest of creation. I remember learning this in Sunday School, as I bet many of us did. It was the established Christian theology and had already become the dominant understanding in our wider western culture, to the great detriment of much of the natural world in the past and to this day. Rienstra asserts that as we move forward as Christians, there are things we must leave behind, and this hierarchical theology is one such thing. She points to Bible passages that reveal God’s loving relationship with the many non-human parts of creation, passages that point to the inherent value of all parts of creation, regardless of their worth to humans. It will take effort, individually and as communities and societies, to deconstruct what she refers to as ‘bad theology’, but Christians and Christian communities must do so, if we are to become people of refugia. Fortunately, Rienstra offers us an alternative, a more life-giving theology of “kinship” among all creation. The kinship theology recognizes that we are but one part of the relationship web that God creates and loves. Every part is important. Humans are no longer the center, rather we are made partners with creation in its thriving, as well as in its restoration and healing.

There is much we can learn from other traditions, from science and from nature itself. Many indigenous Americans have understood the importance of connectedness, honoring the relationships between all parts of creation. The beings that are part of the natural world give us their gifts, and we in turn express our gratitude and give something to them, forming a kind of sacred reciprocity. In the world of science, we are steadily adding to our understanding of how the pieces of creation are connected. Who knew that trees and fungi in a forest actually communicate and support each other, rather than existing as individuals in competition? Fields of scientific study and practice such as Restoration Ecology are taking on greater importance. Yes, progress is being made, refugia are appearing, and it is important that Christians are looking for the new things God is doing, not standing in the way, but lending

our hands and voices.

A SECOND HELPING OF WATER: Nativity’s Creation Care Team met again in December and continued our discussion of the focus for the coming months and year. Following last year’s series of presentations on watershed stewardship, we have found ourselves returning to the gift of water, feeling that there is still more we can learn from it and about it. What does water give to humans, and what can we give water in return? Team members will be reaching out to people in our communities who can help us explore these questions, and we hope to be able to offer further events for the congregation and community aimed at learning about our human-water relationship. Meanwhile, this winter the team will identify and track bills in the upcoming Maine legislative session and offer new opportunities to the congregation to practice and grow our legislative advocacy skills from last year.

Along the way, I encourage you to continue living into our Congregational Care for Creation Covenant. Think about where you see refugia and kinship around you. Zero in on water in your life and notice how many times in a day it provides you with something you need. The next time you feel thirsty, offer a prayer of thanks right then and there. As you go out and about, notice bodies of water and explore them if you can. Again, say thanks. Take a photo or two and share them with a Creation Care team member, with Kim for the VIEW or with others. Share a vegetarian recipe and/or make a vegetarian meal to reduce your carbon footprint and your water footprint. We plan to continue sharing recipes with you throughout the year. Finally, keep your ear out for water issues in your communities or nationally, and let the team know what you are learning. Remember that the big work and big-scale changes are important, but so are the small work and small changes.

In this season when we celebrate the incarnation, we can know that God is always doing something creative. We’ll get better at noticing it and finding ways to lend a hand. Should we become discouraged, Debra Rienstra offers this perspective: “When I am filled with doubt, when I need to find some handhold on the unfathomable mystery of God, I try now to think of Christ as the nexus between the divine source of all life and the person of God speaking to me in my unique, infinitesimal flash of life on this earth. When Jesus feels abstract and distant, I can feel my own heartbeat and look up toward a tangle of branches with their trembling galaxies of new green leaves. I hear the birds sing and know: this life, all of it, this is where Christ-in-whom-all-things-hold-together is revealed. Entangled in this kinship, how can I help by empty out my human arrogance and learn to rejoice?”

Thank you for being partners in Nativity’s creation care work!

- Elaine Isakson, for the Creation Care Team

Replacing a meat-based meal, especially a beef meal, with a vegetarian meal reduces your impact on climate change. Yes, it’s just a small reduction, but with all of us making those replacements on a regular basis, we can have a much bigger impact.

Here’s a vegetarian recipe, courtesy of Sue Dawson, for Creamy Butternut Squash and Apple Soup. Sue suggests that it would go well with a grilled cheese sandwich. Thank you, Sue! https://ethnicspoon.com/creamy-butternut-squash-and-apple-soup/

In the book of Genesis, Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew. I found this recipe for Jacob’s Lentil Stew from the Bob’s Red Mill company. It’s total comfort food. Marty and I especially like the texture of barley with the lentils. I notice that the recipe has been updated from barley to bulgur. I’m going to try it that way next time. https://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/jacobs-lentil-stew/

Please send me your vegetarian recipes to include in the upcoming months. Thank you.

– Lynne Taylor for the Care for Creation Team.

ltaylor0101@gmail.com

You are welcome to join Pastor Anderson on Tuesdays, 9:30 - 11:00 AM, for casual and spontaneous conversation. Come and go at whatever time works for you.

Jan 2 - Rock City Coffee, Main St. Rockland

Jan 9 - Seafolk Coffee, 22 Central St, Rockport

Jan 16 - Dot’s, Rt 1, Lincolnville

Jan 23 - Bagel Café, Mechanic St, Camden

Jan 30 - Atlantic Baking Company, Main St. Rockland

Kathy Ash-Flashner leads Adult education and Bible Study before worship on Sundays. Adult education continues in December, each Sunday at 9:00 AM.

Project Name: SOS (socks or sweatshirts) for Portland's homeless.

Action: Nativity members and friends will purchase warm wool or wool blend socks and/or warm thick hooded sweatshirts and bring to Nativity. The items collected will be delivered to the Preble Street facility on January 19, weather permitting, by whomever would like to go to Portland that day. Donators are encouraged to check their website to see what sizes are in high demand or just go ahead and purchase large sizes for men and women which are always needed. DO NOT BUY "Heated Socks" for $10 that the manufacturer says are good for -10 temperatures. Mimi bought a pair to test and her feet were freezing after being outdoors for two hours at 32 degrees. If you would like to donate $ instead of buying items, please put cash in an envelope marked Thrivent SOS Project and put in the offering plate or mail to Nativity, Attn: Mimi or give directly to Mimi Moore.

Deadline: bring items to church before January 18 and leave in the designated box in the Narthex.

If you are interested in helping Mimi shop with the $250 seed money from Thrivent, please call her at 354-0394 after December 25 and we will pick a time to visit local stores, shop til we drop and then get a pizza to share back at the church.

Many thanks for your generosity to those in need.

Mimi R. Moore

Project SOS Team Leader

Pictured below:

Phil and Karin Pratt share the bounty of the Harvest Festival tag sale with our neighbors. Here they are presenting a check to Tom Amory, KCHC board member.

Thank you to Karin and Phil for spearheading this successful event!

...to everyone who donated mittens, scarves, and hats to our Mitten Tree Project. Items were delivered to Warren Elementary School, Lincolnville Central School, Rockland's South School, Thomaston Grammar School and Appleton Elementary School. Everyone was thrilled to receive them!

- Mary Ann Hawkins

Pictured below: Charlie and Messiah performers at La Cave in Camden, Dec. 16th. Many members from Nativity attended and we all had a great time!

Help “Fill the Strand” for AIO! Let’s see how many seats Nativity can fill. Each bag of groceries is one seat, or you can sponsor a seat for $25. Bring your bag of groceries to Nativity by January 14 and we will count up our total and deliver them on the 15th . Make checks payable to Nativity and we’ll give one check with the total. No grocery items in glass , please.

For more information on Fill the Strand - click here https://www.aiofoodpantry.org/strand

Editor's note: Did we miss your birthday? Please email your birthday date to kmusicorama@gmail.com so that we can add you to our monthly salutation.

• 2024 offering envelopes are available but are only being prepared for those who request them. If you would like envelopes, please contact Carol Brazier. Please note that your envelopes will be “repurposed” leftovers from previous years so dates will not match this year. Donations are always credited in our records the week they are counted.
• The Pastor’s Discretionary Fund: Please remember that an extra $5 or $10 each month may make a huge difference to a family in need! Please indicate any additional donations as "Pastor's Discretionary" when you mail in your monthly offering.
  
• Don't forget: One simple way to help care for creation is to download the weekly bulletin onto your smart phone or tablet and then bring that device to worship or use it when you zoom at home saving paper and resources. Need help figuring that out? Call Pastor for Android help or Denise Stadler for Apple help.
  
• Your aluminum pop tabs can help keep families with sick children close to each other and the care and resources they need. Look for the paper bag on the Social Ministry bulletin board in the Narthex. Place your tabs in the bag and take your container home and fill it again! The tabs are donated to the Ronald McDonald House.
  

Last month we had pictures of members with some interesting, perhaps unknown facts. Next month - let's "match the pet with the owner"! Send separate photos of yourself, and one of your pet(s) to Kim Murphy so that we can share our love of pets in February!

Connect with ELCA greater church

Read Bishop Eaton’s monthly article:

https://www.livinglutheran.org/

https://www.elca.org/Resources/Presiding-Bishop-Messages

A Note from your editor, Kim Murphy

Reminder - send articles and photos by the 20th of each month.

Email kmusicorama@gmail.com

Photos this month: Elaine Isakson, Pastor Anderson, Barbara Alberda, Coffeeshop Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash, Bible Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash, Balloon Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash, Liturgy Photo by Grant Whitty on Unsplash, Internet resources, Canyon Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash, Photo by Boxed Water Is Better on Unsplash, Mitte Photo by Eli Pluma on Unsplash

Sunday Worship (Sept -May) 10:30 AM

Summer Sunday Worship (June - August) 9:30 AM

Email: office@nativityrockport.org
Website: www.nativityrockport.org
Location: 179 Old County Rd, Rockport, ME, United States
Phone: 207-594-4665
Facebook: facebook.com/nativitylutheranchurch.rockport.maine