December 18, 2025

Scripture readings

for Sunday, Dec. 21

Isaiah 7:19-16

Psalm 80:1-7. 17-19

Romans 1:1-7

Matthew 1:18-25

• For our community of faith as we seek to do God’s work in the world.

• For those in our congregation and community who suffer silently with illness, financial burdens, and family obligation.

• For all those affected by illness and those who care for them.

• For Marty Hunt, Ann Saar, Judy Kelly, Kay Marker Magneson, Roy Pihl, George Balcom, Thom Shagla, Brenda Wagner, Ellé Terreberry, Dawn Arnet, Mark Kiendl, Tyler LaChapelle, Heather Miller, Bryan Dahlberg, Lois Rumfelt, Nick Johnson, James Dieter, and those serving in the military and law enforcement and their families, including Sean Pecuch, Ben Wickerham, Paul Hebert, and Nicholas Hebert.

• For the ELCZ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe and ELCZa

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Names will remain of the Prayer List for a month - at which

time it will be taken off unless, or course, there is still a continued need

for our prayers and we’re asked to keep the name on.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Calendar

Dec. 21

Dec.22

Dec.24

Our Transition Pastor is Pastor Timothy Hoyer.

His Cell Phone is (716) 490-5731 in case of an emergency. His office hours are Thursday 1-3.

Good News

Sometimes it is hard to figure out what is the right thing to do. We can think up different options. The hard part is choosing which one to do. When we choose, we ask, "Am I doing the right thing?"

As we take steps to make things better, we ask, "Am I doing the right thing?"

When we are done, we ask, "Did I do the right thing?"

We wanted to make things better. How will things turn out?

Joseph thought he was making his life better. He was engaged to Mary. They would soon get married. But now she was pregnant and he knew he was not the father. What should he do? What would be the right thing to do?

He had several options: marry her anyway; publicly break off the engagement and have Mary suffer the humiliation; or quietly break off the engagement. What would be the right thing to do?

Doing the right thing may be more about what would make us healthier, or what would cost us less, or what would be more helpful?

For Joseph, God came and said that the option that would save people from their sins would be to marry Mary and to name the child Jesus. That child did save us from our wrong beliefs by dying and then rising from the dead. Now we live in Jesus, and when we decide what we need to do, we can also ask, "What is the forgiving thing to do? How can I give mercy? In what way can I act with Jesus' grace?"

And whatever we do, we do it in Jesus. And in all things, Jesus forgives us. That is how Christmas happens.

Peace,

Pastor Hoyer

This Sunday, December 21st, Jayson Mena will be visiting St Timothy’s, and will speak after church during our coffee hour. Jayson is one of the original boys from our Honduras Mission Project, and now has his own Mission in other areas of Honduras. Please stay for his presentation.

WE WELCOME OUR SUPPLY PREACHER, PASTOR TIMOTHY MILLER.

For our community of faith as we seek to do God’s work in the world.

For those in our congregation and community who suffer silently with illness, financial burdens, and family obligation.

For all those affected by illness and those who care for them.

For: Marty Hunt, Ann Saar, Judy Kelly, Kay Marker Magneson, Roy Pihl, George Balcom, Thom Shagla, Brenda Wagner, Ellé Terreberry, Dawn Arnet, Mark Kiendl, Tyler LaChapelle, Heather Miller, Bryan Dahlberg, Lois Rumfelt, Nick Johnson, James Dieter, and those serving in the military and law enforcement and their families, including Sean Pecuch, Ben Wickerham, Paul Hebert, and Nicholas Hebert.

5 & 2 PACKING Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 7:00 pm

We can't thank our volunteers enough for all you do to make this happen! If you're looking for a wonderful way to give back to your community, please consider volunteering 1 time a month packing bags of food for area students. We're done by 8:00 pm!

We continuously collect food items for the 5 & 2 Ministry. Bring your donations and place in the black bin in church narthex. Lists detailing items needed are also available in the narthex. Monetary donations welcome! Contact Gale-Svenson-Campbell for details gales1949@gmail.com

Fun Fact: We packed 200 mittens and gloves in the bags of food that went home to the children this week as a Christmas gift. They were donated by the Healthy Bones Group that meet at the church twice a week. THANK YOU!

If you can volunteer, please contact

Gale Svenson-Campbell at the link above. Thank you!!

Anyone that has any pictures or stories that they would like to share?

Send them to sttimothy2015@gmail.com

Worship with Pastor Timothy Miller

Healthy Bones 9 am

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Promises Made Read

Dreams are delicate things, often hanging in our minds only long enough to evaporate in the morning like dew on the grass. Yet dreams can also endure and shape the arc of social movements and the identities of people near and far. Joseph has the rare privilege of an angelic dream, of all things—a visitation from a divine messenger, beckoning a change of heart and a change of direction for him and the person he loves.

It is no small thing to change direction in life, especially when family expectations and social norms can make life harder than it needs to be. Yet, Joseph and Mary do a remarkable thing as they face uncertainty: They trust God’s promise that something incredible is about to happen. They take the angel’s words to heart and lean into the possibility of God’s Holy Spirit doing something neither of them expected.

Joseph and Mary are at a precipice, a pivot point, a threshold, a new beginning. Isaiah’s language reminds us of the relationship that stands at the center of this divine arrival: God is with us, God is with humanity, God is with (and in) the world! Emmanuel!

We stand at a similar threshold every time God gathers us in worship. In word and sacrament, God’s promise unfolds anew, birthing love and grace in our lives. Such mercy may seem like a fever dream, a vanishing vision, an impossibility. Yet it is the very thing that undergirds our lives of faith, turning us time and again to what is most important: God’s promises fulfilled. As God chose to be with Mary and Joseph, God has chosen to be with us, as we together bear witness to the Spirit who brings about a world where sin is forgiven and God is ever near.

From sundaysandseasons.com.

Transition Pastor

Pastor Timothy Hoyer