Together to the Manger

The word advent means “coming” and originally had nothing to do with Christmas, but rather, was associated with Christ’s return or second coming. This is why many of the scriptures during this season allude to Jesus’ return and the final redemption of the world. In fact, this is how Advent begins each year, with a warning to “stay awake” for Christ’s return. Our scripture this Sunday, from Mark’s gospel says, “but about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.”

While Advent is now celebrated as a season of preparation for the birth of Jesus, the waiting is not for something that has already happened. The waiting is for what we hope will come. The waiting is about exploring the deep yearning we all have for a world redeemed, for kingdom come. In this season of waiting for the Christ child, we are to bring with us all of our yearning for redemption. We are to bring our sorrow, our pain, our disappointments, our feelings of inadequacy and guilt, our broken relationships, our betrayals, all the things that weigh us down and threaten our faith and hope. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” we sing and in our voices is a tremble born of the difficulties we face. When we sing it with our hearts, it can be more like begging, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” please Lord, please come and remove this pain from my heart, the violence and hatred of this world, this broken heart that will not heal. This is the waiting of Advent and the redemption promised at Christ’s birth gives us hope. So, we journey there, year after year, to remember the audacious love of God.

As we journey yet again to the manger over these next four weeks, I encourage you all to be here for worship. As we lift our voices, as we sing of our heartache and sorrow, as we wait and yearn and prepare for the coming of our Savior. We need each other, we need community, however imperfect it may be. So, let us all join our voices together and sing, in joy and in sorrow let us sing and pray and listen for that good news that is our hope, that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, that the Word became flesh and dwells among us still. 

Grace and peace,

Will

Click on the graphic below to access

Anna-Paige's baby registry.

Advent Bible Study begins Wednesday, November 29th

at 5:00 p.m. in Room 104

under the sanctuary.



We will explore together

Holy Disruption: Discovering Advent in the Gospel of Mark

by Tracy S. Daub. 

Books can be ordered on Amazon or purchased in the church office for $10.00.

Daily Devotionals for the Advent season will be emailed from the church office beginning December 3rd.

In Apocalyptic Advent, Presbyterian Outlook editor Teri McDowell Ott explores the connection between Advent and Christ's second coming.

We often treat Christmas as an end, but it is a new hope, she writes. We celebrate Jesus’ first coming with an eye toward his second coming and the way God is actively at work redeeming and renewing our world.

What word does Jesus have for us in a world full of anxiety, uncertainty and conflict?

Calling All Cookie Bakers! Homemade cookies are needed for the Joy Gift reception. Please make 2 or 3 dozen of your favorites and bring them to the church kitchen before 11:00 a.m. worship on December 10th. Thank you!

Anne Helton is turning 90 and her daughters are throwing a party! Drop by to enjoy some cake and wish her "Happy Birthday" between 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 16th in the Fellowship Hall. She'd love to see you on her special day. Please help us spread the word to her friends who don't attend FPC Greer. Everyone is welcome!! No gifts. Cards only please.

Click the graphic on the right to read Richard Mauney's Jubilate Music and Worship Foundation Newsletter. Richard will be our guest preacher on December 31st.

Young Ladies’ Ensemble will hold a final Joy Gift rehearsal on December 3rd at 9:45 a.m. in the choir room.

Joy Gift Rehearsal Schedule on December 10th:

5:00 Resounding Joy Handbells

5:30 Chancel Choir

6:00 Young Ladies’ Ensemble

6:30 Joy Gift Worship 

All are invited for a time of caroling for our neighbors at Victoria Arms on December 13th at 6:00 p.m. Please meet outside the church office near Door C and we’ll walk over together. 

NEW! All guitarists are invited to play the 2nd Sunday of each month at the 8:55 service starting with January 14, 2024. Please let Lisa Dillard know if you are interested. All abilities are welcome!

Children’s Faith Formation

Upcoming Events

F3 will gather December 10th following 11:00 a.m. worship to have lunch and a small Christmas Celebration, followed by a field trip to do a special service project.  

On December 17th at 3:30 p.m., children of all ages are invited to our annual Christmas Sunday Funday. We’ll watch a movie, do crafts, and have a lot of fun. Pick up at 5:00 pm. 



Please reach out to Maggie Wentzky with questions.

A Word from Ally

Advent takes us back to the beginning: the beginning of Christ’s life and the beginning of the church calendar. As we enter into this new year of the church calendar, we are called to refocus on one of the most central messages of our faith:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and lived among us. 

These familiar words from the gospel of John remind us that at its core, the Christian faith is an enfleshed and an embodied faith. At the center of our faith lies the fact that we worship a God who chose not to sit above human life, but chose to enter it fully in the most vulnerable and unexpected of ways. We might even go as far to say as the birth of Jesus was messy and chaotic for the holy family. Though this is central to our faith, it often makes us uncomfortable as it pushes against the cultural expectations to “have it all together.” We don’t like to think of things as messy and vulnerable, especially when it comes to our faith!

One of my favorite Christmas stories, one that I read every year as a child with my grandmother, is “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Barbra Robinson. The final chapter, in which the mischievous Herdman children finally make it to the pageant, always brings a tear to my eye as the pageant director sees the chaos the Herdman children bring to the show not as a distraction or a failure, but as holy testament to the grittiness of the gospel. Just like the gospel narrative itself, the Herdmans remind us that God shows up in the raw, the messy, and the unexpected realities of everyday life. I hope that this is the image that we can hold this advent season. And I hope that it is this image that invites us to see the ways that God is at work around us.

Peace,

Ally

Upcoming Youth Events!

Kathy and Mac Williams are extremely grateful to the bone marrow donor who recently assisted their grandson, Will. They encourage families to consider signing up for the blood stem cell registry.

Please refer to the national registry site bethematch.org for further information.

Doctors prefer donors in the 18-35 years age group. Testing is a simple procedure using a test kit in mail. Should a match be found, you will be contacted.

Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation is the most common method of collecting blood stem cells for transplant. Please encourage your family members to consider this worthy cause. 

FPC Greer Financial Snapshot

YTD Actual Income as of 10/31/23 = $625,303

YTD Budgeted Income as of 10/31/23 = $639,800

Variance = ($14,497)

End of Year Giving - Items of Note

If you plan to make a contribution before the end of the year, you have several options:

1. You can place your donation in the offering plate any Sunday during the month of December.

2. You can drop your check off at the church office any time during office hours between now and 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 28th.

3. You can mail your check to FPC; however, it must be postmarked by Saturday, December 30th for the donation to show on your 2023 giving statement.

4. You can contribute online (via credit card or electronic check) by going to www.fpcgreer.org and clicking on the Give button at the top of the page.

If you have any questions about your contribution, please contact Christi Yenser at [email protected]. 

We celebrate the birth of Hannah Katherine Saul on November 16th. Congratulations to proud parents, Carly and Justin, and to big brother, Connor!

Prayer Concerns

Louise Ables

Luanne Baker

Judy Brown

Eli Burch

Jim Caldwell

Sarah Cannon

Hugh & Jo Earnest

Barry & Diane Groce

Terri Long

Dave Macer

Dave & Cecile Orr

Jim Pearson

Susan Solomon

We extend deepest sympathies to Terri Long whose father, Richard “Dick” Wood passed away on November 12th, to B.J. Baldwin and family at Dick’s passing on November 18th, and to former FPC Greer Associate Pastor, Reverend Dr. Steve Vance and family at the death of daughter, Elaine, on November 26th.

Dear Ones,

Once again you have proven to be a sweet, caring church. After my hip replacement surgery, I heard from so many of you. You sent beautiful cards, gave me heartfelt smiles, left kind texts and phone calls and brought lots of delicious food when you visited. All of your thoughtfulness made my heart smile. Our reputation of being a caring church always shows up for me and my family during difficult times. I thought many times of how blessed I truly am to be a part of our sweet, loving congregation. 

My heartfelt thanks to all of you!

Love in Christ,

Susan Burch

Dear Church Family,

I cannot tell you how grateful I am for the love and support you have shown us during the illness and the death of my dear sister.  Through your prayers, texts, cards, visits, calls, food, and hugs we have felt the genuine love and concern of this congregation. We give thanks to God for Brenda’s life, for His love, and for all of you.

Sending much love,

Susan Lynn

The next issue of First News is January 3rd. If you have content for the newsletter, please email it to Lisa Johnson at [email protected] by Friday, December 29th.