December 4, 2020 - Advent Devotion
Join us for worship this Sunday, 9:30 a.m., "And This Will Be A Sign For You…A Sign Made Ready!"
As we follow the latest information and recommendations regarding gatherings, please join us in doing everything possible for the health of one and all! Please stay home, if you do not feel well, if you or someone close to you has been exposed, if you or someone close to you has been tested. We will keep you informed with further updates!
Thanks be to God for those who have given their time and leadership as we worship in our sanctuary, and as we together do everything possible to honor, serve, & care for one and all!
You will find more details below, including signing up for worship, signing up to volunteer, what to expect, and children's activity sheets. You can also access these details on our website and on our Facebook page!
Worship each Sunday will be a 30-minute service including live music by our worship leaders, a children's message and a message from Pastor Jamie. Holy Communion will be offered as the service ends. If you prefer, if your timing is better, from 10:15-10:30 a.m., you are invited to drive up to the curb of the sidewalk in front of the building, and receive Holy Communion in your vehicle.
Each Sunday we will make every attempt to live stream the service for you at 9:30 a.m.
We hope you join us for worship this Sunday! We look forward to seeing you soon!
You can access a mobile version of the bulletin for this Sunday, December 6, here.
You can access a printable version of the bulletin for this Sunday, December 6, here.
You can access children's activity sheets for this Sunday here.
You can sign up to attend worship in December, including Christmas Eve here.
You can access details and what to expect as we share worship here.
You can access the signupgenius and ways to assist our services in December here.
Access the bulletin for this week here, on our website, or on our Facebook page!
(The link today has the song sung by Chris Brunelle.
Here are the words to the first verse.)
The King shall come,
When morning dawns,
And light triumphant breaks,
When beauty gilds the eastern hills,
And life to joy awakes.
“(Jesus proclaimed, saying) Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. From the fig tree, learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.”
When was the last time somebody made you a promise? We hear them all time in advertising, from politicians, from friends and family. Life teaches early on; the importance of the promise. Life does not take long after that lesson is learned to teach us promises are easily broken all the time.
If one wanted to, one could give the benefit of the doubt to one and all, and say that most promises are shared with no intent at all in breaking them. Life happens. Circumstance. Timing. Money. Energy. Health. The list is real. The list makes us cautious. The list makes much of life conditional.
The glory of this season of Advent, God's gift of this season of Advent, the promise of this season of Advent for you is, "this will be a sign for you": God's grace is not conditional! The promise of the Messiah has been prophesied and fulfilled. The promise announced, the promise given to us that "The King shall come," that we will see "the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory," that "he will send out the angels and gather his elect," this promise will be kept, and is being kept, without condition, in every sign of God's grace!
Let us pray: Faithful God, today I put my trust in you and your Word alone once again. I know and believe you keep your promises, without condition. Stir up your power through your Holy Spirit to renew my promise to make you first. As I celebrate your promise kept in your birth so long ago, keep me awake and on watch for your every sign, while I wait, trusting in your promised return. In the promise of your faithful Word, I pray. Amen.