Sunday, December 12, 2021, is the third Sunday of Advent: We light these candles as a sign of our joy in the beautiful things of this season – not just the things that glitter and flash, but the deeper things, the beauty of the heart and the soul, the beauty of love shared in service and hospitality. We light this candle of joy because company is coming. O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
Sunday, December 19, 2021, is the fourth Sunday of Advent: We light these candles with peace in our hearts for the promise of proximity, the nearness of God. Even when we forget to listen, to lean into that presence, God is as close as our own breath. This, in a confused and confusing world, is a peace that passes all understanding. It is the peace that knows that company is coming. O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
December 19, 2021 our Year-End Church Meeting is being scheduled at noon via Zoom.
Agenda / Prayer / Verification of Quorum / Minutes of the Last Church Meeting / Pastor's Reflections / Diaconate Ministry Reflections, / Trustee Ministry Reflections / Budget and Finance Commission Presentation of the 2022 Budget / Investment Committee Report / Projected Calendar of Events for 2022 / Appointment of Nominating Committee / Conclusion and Adjournment
Friday, December 24, 2021, Candlelight Christmas Eve Service at 6:00 pm via Zoom, with a special program presented by our Sunday School.
Friday, December 31, 2021, Watch Night Service to conclude the year at 6:00 pm via Zoom.
We believe that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. II Corinthians 5:19. Advent hope moves us; Advent love leads us; Advent joy stirs us; Advent peace stills us, that we might affirm that we have been redeemed, restored, and reconciled by the life of Christ Jesus the consummate expression of God’s love and an example of our potential of creatures made in God’s image and likeness.
May this special season of the year lift you beyond the limitations imposed by life, generally and particularly, so that you will soar above the storms caused by sinister situations with emboldened belief, fortified faith, and sustained strength. Let the music of this particular season of the year fill you with enthusiasm, excitement, and expectation about the positive possibilities of the future.
Happy New Year. Be well and be safe. See you in 2022.
-Pastor
Dr. William S. Epps, Senior Pastor
