Palmer churches unite to offer holiday worship

PALMER – Peter Probasco can’t quite remember the first time St. John Lutheran Church held a special Community Advent service and dinner with four other Palmer churches 37 years ago.

But he knows the fellowship, music and food has always been worth it.

“It’s a very nice event that different churches can get together like this once a year and worship the same God,” said Probasco, a 73-year-old father of four and great-grandfather of 11. “The combined choir is always nice, too.”

St. John Pastor Jonathan Rockey said that although the Palmer Colonists first pushed for St. John Lutheran, St. Michael Roman Catholic Church, and Palmer United Protestant Church to begin cooperating with one another during the Advent season in 1935, the official joint celebration didn’t begin until 1973 when St. Bartholomew Episcopal and Trinity Lutheran churches joined them for the annual event.

This year, it was St. John’s turn to host the potluck dinner and service Dec. 1.

“We rotate it around each year,” said Mary Jo Lentz, whose in-laws were among the Colonists who started St. John Lutheran. “As is usual with the Lutherans, there’s plenty of food!”

On the first page of the Community Advent service program, one paragraph sums it up nicely.

“While we are different churches from different denominations with different confessions, we share a Savior, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the true God. So once a year we join together to celebrate the gift of the Savior and our joint heritage as God’s people in this town.”

Contact K.T. McKee at kate.mckee@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.