Suggestions for living as a disciple in today's world.





Reflecting the Face of Jesus 
  
.A few weeks ago, the members of the Saturday morning men's Bible Study volunteered to ring the Salvation Army bell in front of the Kroger's on Diamond Causeway.  We collected nearly $700.  It was a nice day as I was wearing shorts with my Santa hat.  I hope you have experiences to give back during this season of giving.

This newsletter is to provide ideas to encourage you with your walk with Christ.  On this issue, we are focusing on the upcoming Christmas holidays.   Our vision at Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church is to help people "reflect the face of Jesus to the world."  What have you done this week to honor Jesus and further his kingdom? Thanks for reading.

Pastor Jeff
Longest Night Service on December 18th at 6 PM

On December 18, Messiah Lutheran will join us at Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church for our annual Longest Night Service. This is a service that involves the Stephen Ministers of the two churches.  We come together during the time of the year when the nights are the longest to remember those who have lost loved ones.  This is a special contemplative service of healing.  If you know someone in grief, please not only invite them to this service, but offer to pick them up and bring them.  
Why We Need a Little Christmas

Do you ever get tired of Christmas?  The baking and cooking and shopping and decorating and parties and the list goes on?  Sometimes it is enough to make us want to give up.  We wonder what does this holiday have to do with Jesus' birth?  But before we thrown in the towel (or throw out the trees), we should ask ourselves what we'd be missing? Jennifer Graham, writing for the Dessert News (Salt Lake City) highlights the things we need from Christmas (giving, family, reverence, storytelling,music, tradition and hope).  To read the article, click below:   
The Legend of Mistletoe 

My first memory of mistletoe was at my grandparents home.  My granddaddy would shoot it out of a tree with a shotgun.  It was a way to harvest the parasite that grows in trees, but you sacrificed the berries by such a method. A sprig of mistletoe was often hung in the doorway and my father (not Santa) would kiss my mother under it. In the winter mistletoe is easily spotted, especially on Skidaway Island.  Sadly, it doesn't grow in many places I lived and it is comfortable to see it in such abundance around here.  To learn more about how mistletoe became a holiday legend, check out the article below:   
We continue our Advent Journey this week, reflecting on what it means that God came to us in Jesus Christ.  My text this week is John 10:22-39.  Click below to read the sermon and this week's SIPC newsletter. 
A closing chuckle: 

Funny Christmas Religious Jokes

Source: http://www.guy-sports.com/humor/christmas/funny_christmas_religious.htm
Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church
50 Diamond Causeway
Savannah, GA 31411
(912) 598-0151
www.sipres.org
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