We move into the second week of our Advent worship series called Christmas Is Coming this week. Our worship series will be rooted in the Hebrew Bible readings from the lectionary (collection of appointed readings) for this season. We will look back to these ancient writings as we prepare for the coming of Christmas.
We’ve received so many people interested in supporting teen mothers this Christmas through Teen Success that we’ve decided to reach out to Tubman House & offer gifts to the young families there as well. Since we’re adding more families, we’ll give folks until December 13 to bring gifts to the Sanctuary. Thank you for watching over young mommies & their children in love this Christmas.
Christmas Is Coming Outline
November 29: Jeremiah 33.14-16 (Hope)
December 6: Malachi 3.1-4 (Love)
December 13: Zephaniah 3.14-20 (Joy)
December 20: Micah 5.1-5 (Peace)
5pm & 11pm Candlelight Christmas Eve: Luke 2
In his sermon last Sunday Matt mentioned 4 ways that folks might consider reaching in love this Advent:
- Begin conversations about partnering with Opening Doors to sponsor a refugee family in the coming year.
- Sign-up to serve for Winter Sanctuary.
- Make a Christmas offering to support Winter Sanctuary & Tubman House.
- Track your Christmas giving to family/friends and share the same amount to our Christmas offering or to something you are passionate about.
Which of these ways of reaching in love feel most exciting for you?
Worship this Sunday will be rooted in Malachi 3.1-4. Anne Stewart writes, “Malachi gives notice: a radical change is afoot. We are refined by the fire of baptism: washed as by the workers, named ‘fullers,’ who clean wool to ready the fibers for cloth. Only in the coming one is there the power to refine us, to make clean what is unclean, and to ready us to offer what will be ‘pleasing to the Lord…’ This refining and washing power is beyond our imaginings, and for that reason requires many images to disturb our preconceived — and perhaps too comfortable — notions. This power makes rough ways smooth. Advent is a time of deep thinking about ultimate things.”
Read Malachi 3.1-4.
Wonder out loud about the ways in which you might need “refinement.” How does the love of God smooth our rough edges? How might the love of God and the smoothing of our rough edges prepare us to love our neighbor in new and challenging ways this Advent?