Join us at one of two candlelight services on Christmas Eve!

Family Friendly Service @ 5 p.m.

Lessons & Carols Service @ 8:30 p.m.

(Choir of Bells Prelude @ 8 p.m.)

Dear Kris,

We’re almost to the end of this Advent journey with God. We’ve heard about how we are all meant to be blessings, about how God intends for us to create peace by committing to care for each other, and last week Pastor Laura spoke to us of committing to work for joy with God.

Now, as we come close to Christmas and the end of all our waiting, I want to ask us to really think about the reality of God coming into the world to be with us. Can we imagine how much God risked, to be born as a child in a time of turmoil and trouble? Why would God do such a thing? What was it meant to accomplish? And how should we respond?

Let’s gather and marvel at the holy mystery of the season, so that we can be ready when the special day comes. I look forward to closing out this Advent season with you all!

In Christ’s peace,

Hardy

Please join us immediately following the Sunday service for our Coffee Hour

(in-person in Trinity Court or online via Zoom).

bit.ly/SVPCCoffeeHour

Theme for Sunday

Love’s the secret! Love’s the secret! Love is God’s risk and God’s reason, God’s rule and God’s rhyme, and God’s rhyme.

Pull back the curtain on Bethlehem’s stable; strip off the tinsel and peer through the dark; look at the child who’s a threat yet in danger, homeless and helpless he first makes his mark.

“Pull back the veil on the dawn of creation,” by John L. Bell and Graham Maule

• When you think about the word “risk” what comes to mind for you? Do you think of “risk” as having a good or a bad connotation?

• When was the last time you remember taking a risk? What did you hope to gain?

Matthew 1:18-25  

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

“Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.

Luke 1:46-55 

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.

Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name;

indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones

and lifted up the lowly;

he has filled the hungry with good things

and sent the rich away empty.

He has come to the aid of his child Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”