Monday, December 23, 2024 - Advent Devotion
REWATCH! - The Fourth Sunday In Advent
Lighting of the Advent Wreath - The Angel/Star Candle
Be sure to check out the rewatch of yesterday’s service on YouTube!
This Tuesday:
Festive Christmas Eve Worship
Tuesday, December 24, 2024, 4pm
Carols, Children’s Message, Communion, Candlelight, “One Solitary Life”
We hope you join us!
Find a bulletin for this week’s service using the link below!
Upcoming Events:
Go Tell It On the Mountain
Work, Jr.
Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born
While shepherds kept their watching
O'er silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light
“The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.””
One more day. Still many details before us. Here is one opportunity not to overlook: Is there a person on your giving list, at your work place, in your friendship circle, who would be blessed by you taking one minute or five minutes to wish a "Merry and Blessed Christmas"? We can so easily get so caught up in the big things, that we can easily overlook the biggest things, God's people still out searching in their fields, praying there would shine a holy light.
The people God sends our way are the biggest most important mountains and hills awaiting for us to announce to, to go and tell that Jesus Christ is born!
The shepherds that holy night heard the same words Mary heard from the angel who visited her, "Do not be afraid." The world, the world you live in every day is listening to hear this same assurance announced. We know the assurance of all God gives birth to. We know His name. We know in grace Who favors us. We know Who the greatest is. We know Who will reign forever. We know of His kingdom there will be no end. We know unto us a child is born. Over these precious days ahead, every day, let us go like shepherds with haste, let us go and tell, let us repeat the sounding joy, He rules the world, with truth and grace, heaven and nature sing!
Let us pray: Son of God today I pray to you and ask you to send me your angels. Calm all that I fear. Calm my fear to announce, to repeat the sounding joy, to go and tell others all I know and believe, thanks to all that is given life in my life, in Jesus. Send me out, to go with haste, in these two days and all my days, to go to the mountains and hills, to go everywhere praising and singing, Jesus Christ is born! In your name I go unafraid and I announce, as I pray. Amen.
Here is the extended and added devotion for today:
Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful
Wade
Oh come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
Oh come ye Oh come ye
To Bethlehem
Come and behold him
Born the King of angels
Oh come let us adore him
Oh come let us adore him
Oh come let us adore him
Christ the Lord
“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea,
to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. ”
How does your schedule look today, for the next week? Do you have a few extra places to be, people to see, stops to make, things to get done? The season can include parties, get-togethers, family gatherings.
Will you get everywhere you need to be? Will you be able to attend every function? Will you be able to honor and answer every invitation?
Mary and Joseph left what they knew best, where they lived, where they were comfortable, who they knew best. Mary and Joseph came. They were so faithful. They came to Bethlehem, not just to answer the call of the government, but to answer the call of God.
I am told that if you and I were to visit Bethlehem today, and if we were to tour the site most scholars and most believers believe to be the place of Jesus' birth, we would need to get down on all fours and crawl through a small doorway to enter the stable that held the manger. Most who visit say it is very humbling to come, crawling, bowed down, to adore him.
In the midst of all the places we are trying to get this season, in the midst of the invitations we are trying our best to honor and to answer, let us be like Mary and Joseph and leave what we know best, may we come and join the faithful.
As we share these most blessed and holy days, as our time and focus move quickly to tomorrow, let us answer God's invitation first, to come and see and receive The One who rules the world with truth and grace, The One who ushers in joy to the world, The One who makes us one, and is one with us, as heaven and nature sing!
So come with all the faithful, come to Bethlehem in your own humble way this year, come and behold him, o come, let us adore the One who so faithfully comes to us first!
Let us pray: Today, Lord, faithfully come to me once again. In you alone I hear heaven and nature sing out. Invite me again. By your Holy Spirit humble me, renew my spirit to join the faithful and to leave what I know best so I come to you. In the midst of all the places I must go this time of year, I will faithfully come to you and adore you first. In your name I humbly come, bowing down as I pray. Amen.
