December 2006

Is it not almost unbelievable that the Creator, on whose freedom and power we all depend, should allow himself to be bound, and to lie in helpless weakness in the straw?

—John Stott via Sojourners

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

The Mission Committee’s UMCOR Coffee Project has expanded it’s selection of Chocolate Bars. The following fairly traded, organic chocolate bars are now offered:
Dark Chocolate with Almonds
Mint Chocolate
Chocolate Espresso Bean
Very Dark Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
Dark Chocolate with Pure Cocoa Nibs

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

A parsonage open house has been scheduled for Sunday, December 17, 2006 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. This is a come-and-go affair and dress is casual.

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

There will be no Wednesday Gathring on December 27, 2006. We’ll try to remember to give reminders later.

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Because services were cancelled yesterday, we’ll be receiving a special offering for the United Methodist Global Aids Fund this coming Sunday (December 10, 2006).

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

“Generosity without orthodoxy is nothing, but orthodoxy without generosity is worse than nothing.”

—Hans Frei, quoted in A Generous Orthodoxy

I am quite convinced that we need a generous orthodoxy.

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Advent is upon us. During my years in ministry my thoughts on what hymns should be sung and what sermons should be preached during Advent have shifted. I believed and still believe that Advent is important in helping Christians prepare for the Christmas holiday. We cannot fully appreciate and enjoy Christmas unless we are properly prepared. Because our society starts celebrating Christmas before Halloween, we, as a culture, are so wrung out by the time Christmas day arrives that we can only look forward to it all being over by December 26. We have no energy left to observe the twelve days of Christmas (December 25 through Epiphany (January 6)).

I used to believe that it was important to reinforce the preparatory nature of Advent by singing Advent and not Christmas hymns and preaching on Advent and not Christmas texts. More recently, I’ve come to recognize that regardless of what the season it is in the church’s liturgical year, the season of our society at large is already Christmas. And because Christmas is already being observed by society at large, many members want to inject some aspect of their faith into the ongoing secular celebration. For that reason we’re going off the lectionary this Advent season to give in-depth treatment to Luke’s Christmas story and to sing as many favorite hymns as we can squeeze in.

We want to make sure that we sing everyone’s favorite Christmas hymn at least once during the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany season. For that reason we’ll be publishing a hymn schedule next Sunday. There are slots left for any favorite hymns we left out. Please let us know if one of your favorites needs to be added.

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

No finance committee meeting tomorrow. It’s been rescheduled to next monday at 7:00 p.m.

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

After careful consideration, Dave Larimore, Jenny, and I have decided to cancel worship services, Sunday school and youth tomorrow. Stay home and keep warm!

{ Comments on this entry are closed }