St. Andrew's Church / December Newsletter 2023

December 2023

Shepherd's Column

New Church Year and Solemn 70th Anniversary – Looking to the Past and the Future

Dear parishioners,

We enter the new church year with gratitude for the past and anticipation for the future in our hearts. This year is especially meaningful as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of our church, which has been filled with blessings, community, and God's grace.

A new church year brings with it the promise of a new beginning, opportunities for spiritual and communal growth, and a deepening of the love of Christ. We look back, thanking God for all he has done among our church. Many have served, loved, and shared joys and challenges.

The theme for the coming year is "In Constant Gratitude". It is an invitation to see God's hand in all things and to give thanks for joys as well as trials. At the same time, we are preparing to celebrate the 70th anniversary of our church in a spirit of shared thanksgiving, joy and gratitude.

Solemn 70th Anniversary: We invite you to join us in celebrating our 70th anniversary, which will be held on January 7 at 12 in our church. The programme includes a celebratory mass where we look back on past years and thank God for His faithfulness. The festivities begins with a shared coffee, music and socializing. This day is an opportunity to celebrate the history of our church together and look to the future with confidence.

New Church Year: The Church Year begins on 1. advent and we celebrate it as a new beginning, and we pray for a blessing for the coming year. This is a time for new opportunities, personal growth, and walking together in the light of Christ's teaching.

Approaching events provide an opportunity for connection, gratitude, and anticipation. I invite everyone to participate enthusiastically and to thank God together for the past achievements of our church and what He is preparing for the future.

We are grateful for our community and look forward to these celebrations and the new church year, rich in God's grace and love.

Blessed festive winter!

Sami-Shepherd

Bishop Jukka Keskitalo

Christmas of War and Peace

Christmas is a celebration of peace and love in a special way. Therefore, it feels bad that there is a war going on in Jesus' birthplace just before Christmas. The war was sparked by a brutal attack by Hamas terrorists on civilians in Israel. The fate of those taken hostage breaks heartbreaks.

Understandably and justifiably, Israel has responded to the attacks. As a result, civilians living in Gaza who have no involvement in terrorist acts have found themselves in the middle of the war. The situation is extremely difficult from a human point of view. People living in the area need food and drink, medicine and shelter.

Lord, an armada of people at the feet of war. Bring your peace to the midst of war. Awaken hope that all bitterness can be reconciled and left behind. However, the ongoing war in the Holy Land does not negate the nature of Christmas as a celebration of peace. On the contrary, the situation only underlines the core message of Christian Christmas. That is, that Christ, the Son of God, is born as a man to live human life and suffer beside us. God became man in Jesus to save us because He loved humanity immensely. God does not forsake us, but He walks with us even in our darkest moments. Lord, bring Christmas into our hearts. Let Christ enter the darkness of our lives, as a light for us. Calm our restless minds and kindle compassion for one another in us. The war in the Holy Land will continue as an open war or smouldering conflict, possibly for a long time to come. The history of the conflict is already quite lilac long. The conflict needs peacemakers and fertile ground for the leaders of nations. Few of us can influence the world's crises, yet we can all do a lot. We can build peace in the middle of our everyday lives, in our daily encounters. Everyone's heart attitude matters. This Christmas, my hope and prayer is that the Christmas message of peace and hope in Jesus Christ will awaken us to a new love for one another.

Lord, you who in Christ came very close to our brother. Give us Christmas peace. Bring peace to this whole world of yours. Amen.

Advent in Oulu in 2023

Jukka Keskitalo

Bishop of the Diocese of Oulu

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THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LINEAGE OF JESUS.

Josef's confession of Jesus as his child is a significant moment in the biblical story and Christian theology for several reasons. The importance of Jesus' lineage is linked to several theological and biblical aspects that emphasize the fulfillment of God's plan and Jesus' unique position as Savior. Here are some reasons why Jesus' lineage has special significance:

Messianic promises: There are numerous promises in the Old Testament that the Messiah would come as a descendant of David. God's covenant with David (2. Samuel 7:12–16) contained the promise that David's descendant would become an everlasting king. Jesus' Davidic lineage fulfilled these messianic promises.
City of David: Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, was the city of David, and it was in this city that David was born. Jesus' birth in Bethlehem highlighted his accession to the royal house of David.
Messianic identity: Jesus' lineage emphasized his role as Messiah and Savior. When people knew he was a descendant of David, they could link him to their messianic desire for the promised Messiah.
Historical continuity: Jesus' lineage creates historical continuity between the Old and New Testaments. It connects Jesus to the history of the people of Israel and God's plan of salvation, which dates back to the time of the patriarchs.
Catechism: Jesus' lineage qualified him to become king and priest of Israel. According to the Bible, the Messiah would come from the house of David and at the same time be a priestly king (Zechariah 6:12–13).
The fulfillment of God's plan: Jesus' lineage is part of the larger fulfillment of God's plan that led to the coming and salvation of the Messiah. Through Jesus, all promises and prophecies made through the lineage were fulfilled.

Jesus' lineage closely links him to the history, promises, and prophetic expectations of the people of Israel. It emphasizes God's caring plan for the salvation of mankind and highlights Jesus' unique position as savior and Messiah.

Tarja Pastorinna

I can't believe that in only a few short weeks I'll need to learn to write 2024!! The time has gone by so fast here in the Florida sun. It's always a Saturday even if it was just a Sunday. How can it be!

The past year has been wonderfully busy. The first year was full of learning all things new and this past year I've been able to enjoy the familiar routine we've built. I've thought of a lot of new ways for the church to broaden its activities. Some of them require some refining according so Sami and some of them require more volunteers to help make them work. It remains to be seen which ones if any grow from an idea into a reality! I'm grateful that we've been surrounded with an extended family! It feels like I can ask for help with anything and everything! The lovely community around me has supported me on the cloudier days. Equally they have shared my joys! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to each and every one of you.

I wish you a very merry Christmas and a blessed New Year 2024!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23