This Wednesday — Evensong: The Longest Night @ 7 pm

Everyone is invited to for a special Evensong service to commemorate "The Longest Night." We will come to God in contemplation and community, acknowledging that not everything is sugar plums, fairies, and sweetness. We all experience grief, stress, and moments of overwhelm — and even the most joyful season can make us feel tired. Some of us experience low moments simply due to the longer nights. We are blessed that God accepts all of us - even our tired or sad selves. Join us with your real selves. We will set up a single camera for a simple broadcast on Zoom (link on website).

Dear Kris,

When I graduated from college, I went to work as the Gender Justice Intern at the Presbyterian United Nations Office. I already had a sense of the state of gender justice around the world, and the internship gave me even broader exposure to some of the challenges women and girls faced. I came home for the holidays and shared much of what I had learned with my parents. After dumping statistics and stories on them, my dad said into the silence, "so, what gives you hope?" I have my answers, of course. I suspect many of us have similar stories of learning what is wrong and what is hopeful, and we will explore this a bit more together on this coming Sunday, when we hope to find Advent joy in the midst of all that is happening in the world.

Peace, 

Laura

Please join us immediately following the post-Sunday service carol sing for our Advent Lunch in the gym. Online Coffee Hour will begin after the carol sing.

bit.ly/SVPCCoffeeHour

Theme for Sunday

a poem is pure energy

horizontally contained

between the mind

of the poet and the ear of the reader

if it does not sing discard the ear

for poetry is song

if it does not delight discard

the heart for poetry is joy

if it does not inform then close

off the brain for it is dead

if it cannot heed the insistent message

that life is precious

Excerpt from "Poetry" by Nikki Giovanni

• What small steps toward repair/healing of the world do you or could you take? 

• Where do you find joy in the mundane work of the everyday?

Luke 3:7-16 

John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

And the crowds asked him, “What, then, should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Isaiah 58:9b-12 

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

you shall cry for help, and he will say, “Here I am.”

If you remove the yoke from among you,

the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,

if you offer your food to the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,

then your light shall rise in the darkness

and your gloom be like the noonday.

The Lord will guide you continually

and satisfy your needs in parched places

and make your bones strong,

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water

whose waters never fail.

Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;

you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

you shall be called the repairer of the breach,

the restorer of streets to live in.