Dear Friends in Christ,
  Grace & peace to you!   As you pick up your newsletter it is the Advent season.  Advent is the season of darkness, with every day growing shorter until December 21, the 4th Sunday in Advent.  Christians of earlier times observed fasting and prayer in these weeks before Christmas, just as they prepared for Easter with the disciplines of Lent.  They knew the light of Christ was coming, as surely as the long nights of the northern hemisphere would slowly yield to day.  They lit candles in the darkness, candles of hope and expectation, and they practiced the presence of God in the midst of the darkness. 
Some of you remember singing the mournful hymn, "Abide with Me."  Here is faith unafraid of the darkness. 
  Abide with me, fast falls the eventide.
The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide.
Take time this Advent to come to terms with the darkness.  Join our worship at American Lutheran Church on Sunday Mornings at 9:30 a.m. and on Wednesday Evenings at 7:00 p.m.  The violence of war spreads its shadow on the daily news; a young man from nearby Willow Lake dies and is brought home for burial.  Even our prayers are acts of faith.  We do not curse the darkness.  We do not cry agains the dying of the light.  Rather we look into the darkness, peer beyond it with the eyes of faith.  On the other side of Advent darkness, the approaching light shines forth from the manger of the Christ child.
May God bless your season of faith and expectation.                           Pastor John
Parts of the above adapted from "Approaching Light."

Sometimes when we sing unfamiliar hymns, even as we try our best (and we do try) we can feel a scowl escaping from deep inside and maybe a silent cry that says, "This is hard.  I wish we were singing a song I know.  Then I could worship so much better."
Learning new hymns can be a blessing.  Just think, all of the hymns that are favorites now, were new at one time and even new to us at one time.  So it's a good thing to work at, and finally some of the good ones will become favorites.
Nevertheless, we like to sing favorites, too.  So, here is our opportunity.  We ask (beg, plead, exhort) every worshipper to list 5 of your very favorite hymns.  If they are in our hymnals, it is helpful, but not necessary, if you can include hymn numbers.  Hymns not in our hymnals are fine, too.  And if you just can't stop with 5, give us more.  Or if you can't squeeze out 5, but could give us 2 or 3 or 4 or even 1, do that.
When you have your list, put it in the basket on the narthex cupboard marked "Favorite Hymns."  Then worship every Sunday and at special services and join enthusiastically in the singing of your favorites and those of your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Also, continue to do your best with those that are unfamiliar.  Our singing is excellent; let's keep growing at it.  It's almost a sacred language!
Thank you.

Augustana College offers Parish Nurses Training in two series of seminars in 2004.  It could be an excellent ministry.  Interested?  Contact Pastor or Dr. Mary Auterman at 605-274-4929 or mary_auterman@augie.edu for more information.