Advent Excitement

As I look at the December calendar, my heart skips a beat. Even though I enjoyed the freedom and rest that Advent 2020 awarded us, I am grateful to celebrate and gather this year. We will have our first music concert in our sanctuary (since Covid began) on December 12 at 4pm. I’m looking forward to, once again, hearing music created by several of our congregation members. We are going to sing carols together! How fun! Even through our limitations, we sing on.

On December 19 at 4pm, we will share together in the Service of Remembrance. This is a special time to acknowledge that the Christmas season is not always holly and jolly. For many of us, Christmas is a time when we remember great family traditions. Within these memories, we find ourselves grieving the loss of significant loved ones and friends who have gone before us. This service creates space to remember, give thanks, and share with others. It is a uniquely intimate and healing time. It is important to remember that joy always comes in the morning.

In the midst of it all, we will provide an online handbell concert. Did you know that the Christmas Handbell Concert has 1,489 views on YouTube, as of this publication? People LOVE handbells during Advent. We look forward to hearing what the First Ringers have in store for us this year.

And then, there’s Christmas Eve. We didn’t host any in person services last year, but enjoyed an online version from home. I can’t wait to be together in our worship spaces again this year. We did our best at home – had communion, lit our candles and raised them high, and enjoyed hearing the children tell the Christmas story. This year, we will again offer an online service at 4pm. We will have a contemporary Christmas Eve service in the gym at 5pm, and a traditional service later in the sanctuary at 7pm. All will include Communion, Candle lighting, and Carol singing.

And then, there’s the Christmas mission offering. It is so meaningful to me that we join together as a congregation to give our resources to help others within our community. This congregation is so very generous. It warms my heart to know that through this offering, people’s homes will be warm and children will be walking around in brand new shoes. Our mission this year goes to the Heating and Oil fund, and to buy shoes for children who shop at Clothes to Kids and are in need when being cared for by DSS. You can also donate new or like-new shoes to the church and we will be sure to get them where they need to go.
I hope to see you soon, for one of the extra special times to come together this Advent Season. May our hope lead us to love, and your joy bring us peace.