Author: FELC Office

While Advent is a Christian season of hope and Christmas is a season of joy, not everyone feels hopeful or like celebrating.  Grief, illness, aging, depression, loneliness, unemployment, underemployment, and loss are magnified. Even those who are not struggling with losses may experience the stress of preparations and expectations around Christmas time.

The Blue Christmas gathering provides a  time and place of solace during the days surrounding the celebration of Christmas. We come together seeking healing and room to share grief, sadness, loneliness, confusion, and joy when emotions may feel out of place during the holidays. In the Northern Hemisphere, December 21 is the winter solstice. It marks the shortest day of the year, the official start of winter. Tradition says that nature and all her creatures stop and hold their breath to see if the sun will turn back from its wanderings, if the days will lengthen and the earth will once again feel the sun’s warmth. As we approach this longest night of the year, we come with darkness and light, for ourselves and for the whole world, and we come longing and hoping.  Join together this Sunday at 5 pm, onsite or online.

On November 9 we began a seven-week series called “Out of the Blue” – a time before and during the Advent season in reflective waiting for Christ’s coming into the fullness of life. The bible stories in this series follow the regular lectionary (set of readings) that are offered in many Christian churches. On December 14 we gather in the theme “Beyond the Superbloom” where we can experience the color and diversity of divine life even in the mundane. This Third Sunday of Advent takes its name from the scriptures and the Latin word Gaudete (“Rejoice”), the first word of the ancient opening song from 476 CE. Call it pink — or, more fittingly, rose — a traditional color on this Gaudete Sunday shows a glimpse of the joy that awaits us at Christmas.

On November 9 we began a seven-week series called “Out of the Blue” – a time before and during the Advent season in reflective waiting for Christ’s coming into the fullness of life. The bible stories in this series follow the regular lectionary (set of readings) that are offered in many Christian churches. On December 7, the Second Sunday in Advent, we gather in the theme “Wild New Life” where new growth refuses to be contained. At the heart of our Advent preparation stands John the Baptist, who calls us to repent and make a new beginning. As the darkness increases, we turn toward the approaching light of Christ. 

The Season of Advent: We announce the presence of God who welcomes us to name our blessings, our hurts, our need for healing, and our hopes for what is to come. The Advent liturgy reflects the mood, color, and themes of Advent, allowing us to enter this time of waiting, preparation, and hope. The primary color blue points toward expectation. The Advent wreath helps us mark time and contemplate patience even as we trust in God to act. The lighting of candles on an Advent wreath was a tradition imported from northern Europe in the nineteenth century and is now a common practice.

Join Repertory Chorus on Monday, December 8, 8:00 pm at FELC in a program themed around LIGHT. Graduate students Hunter Mullen and Adrienne Pedrotti and Undergrad music education major Jade Granderson will conduct. Free admission. FELC partners with UT’s Butler School of Music to provide a laboratory, rehearsal, and venue experience for these professional, educational vocal leaders. Additional UT holiday concert information coming up on December 6 & 7 is found at https://music.utexas.edu/events/5191-butler-holiday-concert.

Join FELC music partner Austin Cantorum on Saturday, December 20, 7:30 pm at FELC for an evening of Lessons and Carols with an Austin twist! Pairing classic holiday favorites and sing-along carols with new choral works by local composers and heartfelt memories shared by Austinites. This relaxing and intimate concert will explore some of the many ways that Austin celebrates the season AND comes with free holiday cookies! Featuring special guests Flutist Adrienne Inglis and Pianist Benjamin Dia. Free admission with suggested donation of $25. RSVP at austincantorum.com to secure your spot today! 

On November 9 we began a seven-week series called “Out of the Blue” – a time before and during the Advent season in reflective waiting for Christ’s coming into the fullness of life. We hope to discover together the astonishment of God’s work and God’s purposes among us. The bible stories in this series follow the regular lectionary (set of readings) that are offered in many Christian churches. On November 23 we gather in the theme “Love at the Last” – at the end of things there’s love with grace and forgiveness. The Feast of the Reign of Christ, established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 to counter rising authoritarian rule, reminds Christians to acknowledge Christ’s sovereignty publicly and privately. We are not to give ultimate allegiance to any earthly ruler.

Last Sunday we began a seven-week series called “Out of the Blue” – a time before and during the Advent season in reflective waiting for Christ’s coming into the fullness of life. We gather for shared imagination around moments of surprise, occasions of awe, and instances of inspiration. We hope to discover together the astonishment of God’s work and God’s purposes among us. The bible stories in this series follow the regular lectionary (set of readings) that are offered in many Christian churches. On November 16 we gather in the theme “Days to Prepare, Seconds to Cook” – the sudden fulfillment of old preparations, dramatic changes long in the works. Endings are near and there is no doubt about it. The warnings are dire. The tone of these bible readings remains ominous. And yet, Christians are strengthened for the living of these days in word, sacrament, and community.

On Sunday, November 9, we begin a seven-week series called “Out of the Blue” – a time before and during the Advent season in reflective waiting for Christ’s coming into the fullness of life. This is a time for new beginnings. We gather for shared imagination around moments of surprise, occasions of awe, and instances of inspiration. We hope to discover together the astonishment of God’s work and God’s purposes among us. The bible stories in this series follow the regular lectionary (set of readings) that are offered in most Lutheran, Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and United Church of Christ congregations. On November 9 we gather in the theme “Beginning at Broken” – broken expectations, changed perspectives, and new life after smaller deaths and after bigger ones.

On November 2 we commemorate a three-fold feast in one. All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day (Oct. 31, Nov. 1, Nov. 2) serve as a call to all God’s people to remember everyone. The gift of All Saints’ Sunday is that all our sorrows become bearable as we recall the stories of those who have died and how their stories point to the greater story of God’s enduring love with all creation and humanity. On All Saints’ Sunday, we read aloud the names of loved ones who have died from this congregation in the last year. We call them saints, not because they were perfect, rather because they were loved by God and by us. We acknowledge that all people, being simultaneously sinners and saints, lead complex lives full of joy and sorrow. We are confident in the sure promise that at the end of our bodily life, God welcomes our loved ones and us to the fullness of eternity.