Plans are being made for the 42nd annual Advent Choral Service, to be held at 3 p.m. on December 8 in our sanctuary. Mark your calendars now! Rehearsals are scheduled for November 8, 18, and 25, and December 2 and 5. All rehearsals are at 7 p.m. If you love to sing, we always need [...]
Mary’s Song, also known as The Magnificat, could probably stand alone, it is so powerful. The Magnificat magnifies the Lord in abundant thanksgiving. Important meaning to lives of faith is embedded throughout. We, who all have enough to live on adequately or well beyond, may get a little nervous over this song’s focus on the poor and downtrodden. Mary sang this song after she went to visit her relative, Elizabeth, after the angel Gabriel came to her giving her the news that she would be impregnated with a son who would become the Messiah. Elizabeth recognized that Mary’s baby would be a very special baby. She became quite emotional as she cries out to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” […]
Monday, December 24 worship, 11 P.M.: Midnight . . . Candlelight . . . “Silent Night” . . . That’s Christmas Eve. Please don’t miss our beautiful 11 P.M. to Midnight Candlelight Christmas Eve service. We will tell the Christmas story in lessons and carols, featuring much special music and the series of Bible readings [...]
Join the laughter at 6:00 on Sunday, December 16 for the fun-filled Puppet Christmas Musical, featuring the program “Star Search,” in which some of heaven’s stars are doing their best to stand out and shine brilliantly, so they will be chosen to help announce the birth of a Savior down on Earth. What qualities is [...]
Today we begin by taking a look at two famous figures of the Christmas season, two people we hear about every year at this time. The first . . . is Santa Claus – yes, in a church service! Santa Claus is a happy man, “jolly Old Saint Nicholas,” who dresses in a bright cheery colorful suit, all red and white. Santa doesn’t turn away from a fine meal or favorite goodies, apparently; he’s also been described as “plump,” and many people have to use a carefully-placed pillow or two to dress up like him. In fact, he sort of represents the good foods we all indulge in at Christmas time – the candy canes and Christmas cookies and egg nog and, according to one song, “figgy pudding,” whatever that is. At this time of year, we share in Santa’s fondness for goodies. […]