Salem Lutheran Church – shalom * salaam * salem * peace

Welcome to Salem!

“We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. Liberated by our faith, we embrace you as a whole person questions, complexities and all. Join us as we do God’s work in Christ’s name for the life of the world.”

Salem Lutheran Church extends a welcome to believers and questioners, and to questioning believers.
Join us as we share our joy through praise and service.

What's Happening This Week

Here’s What’s Happening at Salem

TENTATIVE WORSHIP SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS:

11/29 – Worship at 9:30 via zoom and facebook

November 29, 2020

Last Sunday, Christ the King Sunday, was the last Sunday of the church year. This Sunday is the beginning of a new church year. It is the 1st Sunday in Advent

How does the church determine when the 1st Sunday in Advent is each year? You could just count Sundays going back from Christmas day. But there is a definition for when that Sunday is. Advent begins on the Sunday nearest to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (30 November) and lasts until Christmas Eve.

The term “Advent” is adopted from the Latin word “adventus” (“coming, arrival”), and is a translation of the Greek word “parousia”. In the New Testament, this is the term used for the Second Coming of Christ. Thus, the season of Advent in the Christian calendar anticipates the coming of Christ.

Normally the season focuses on waiting – waiting for light in the midst of a growing darkness.

This year, however, it seems like we have done nothing but wait – wait for the pandemic to be over, wait for reemployment, wait for money to pay the bills, wait for racial justice, wait for bipartisan leadership, wait for hope, wait for peace, wait for joy.

It’s as if we’ve been in Advent since March, and because we still must wait for many things, we’re not going to wait for Christmas. This year we will have a different kind of Advent, as we focus right in on the Christmas story, and sing Christmas carols from this Sunday right up through Epiphany. Right now the plan is this:

Nov 29 – The Promise of Christmas

Dec 06 – Joseph

Dec 13 – The Best of Lucia

Dec 20 – Mary

To do our part to tamp down the pandemic, we will continue to worship primarily online – either on zoom or on Facebook and YouTube.

Click here for links to Sunday worship