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Last Sunday we kicked off the Advent season by sharing about hope. We will continue the series “God With Us” this Sunday with a message on the peace that Christ’s birth brings. This week we had our “Everything Christmas” Oaks event on Tuesday with lots of Christmas trivia, singing, and great fellowship. On Wednesday, we had a busy Roots night and last night the ladies enjoyed the Pine Trail. Tomorrow of course is Christmas in Q-ville and one week from tomorrow is Journey to the Nativity. The Advent/Christmas season is here with less than three weeks now to Christmas Day.

Tomorrow our girls and some of their friends are coming down to bake Christmas cookies before we head out to Christmas in Q-ville in the afternoon. We have been busy making plans for Christmas and when we can all get together. It is becoming more of a challenge as our children are older and now living away from us. I talked on Tuesday at Everything Christmas about traditions at Christmas. Our family has some wonderful Christmas traditions (like Cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning!) that we are finding harder to keep. Perhaps it is time to start some new Christmas traditions.

We are planning for the Candlelight Communion service for Sunday evening, December 22nd as well as for Christmas Eve service. Details are coming together, and I am looking forward to sharing in these special worship services with you. At our Wednesday evening Bible study this week, we looked at Luke 1 and 2 and shared how the account of Christ’s birth is such a beloved passage. Next Wednesday night, we will conclude our Great Passages series by looking at John 20 and the resurrection of Jesus. It may seem odd that we are studying the Easter story just two weeks before Christmas. But it is the story of the resurrection that makes the story of Jesus’ birth worth celebrating. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11) are not just mere words of an angel to some ragged shepherds outside of Bethlehem. It is a promise of God that is confirmed in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Join us at 6:30 on Wednesday evening as we look at the resurrection in light of the miracle of Christmas.

I was able to visit with Charlotte Miller this week. I talked with Joyce Wagner on the phone after her surgery and everything went well but she was struggling with pain. Jim Kreider still needs to be prayed for as does Kim Graver Sullivan. Next week on Tuesday, Ben Wenger and Jim Showalter are having surgery. I also learned that Terry Kreider will be having knee replacement surgery that day. Ruth’s uncle Jack is improving from the stroke and is looking to be transferred to rehab for several weeks of therapy any day now. 

This week I was living in the Christmas story in my devotions. Each day I read the accounts from Matthew 1 and 2 and Luke 1 and 2 but from a different translation each time. It was interesting to see how the story is told in each translation. I made the comment on Wednesday night that most of us wouldn’t know what a manger is if it weren’t for the birth of Jesus. My prayer is that we spend time in the Christmas story again this Advent and embrace the wonder of Emmanuel—God with us.

One of my goals this weekend is to get our Christmas cards ready to go. Did you know that the custom of sending Christmas cards began in 1843 when a wealthy Englishman, Sir Henry Cole, ran out of time to write personal letters to his friends at Christmas?  He commissioned an artist, John Calcott Horsley, to design a card instead. Horsley drew a picture of a group of merry-wishers raising their glasses in toast. Underneath were the words, “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you.” The card created much controversy, as critics complained it encouraged holiday drinking. But the custom of sending cards at Christmas caught on, nonetheless. We don’t send Christmas cards, but we do send a Christmas letter which shares what God has done for us in the last year. It is a tradition I am ready to hand off to our daughters, but neither is willing to continue it. So once again I will send out our annual Christmas letter that will encourage all to experience the joy of Christ’s birth.

Friends, Jesus’ birth is still good news of great joy and for all people (Luke 2:10). We have a wonderful opportunity to share that good news this week with the Journey to the Nativity on Saturday and over the next several Sundays culminating in our Christmas Eve candlelight service. Let’s be just like those shepherds, who after seeing the Christ child, returned glorifying and praising God. We got every reason in the world to celebrate—Emmanuel, God with us. Joy to the world our Lord has come!

Have a great weekend. I will look for you tomorrow in Q-ville but more importantly on Sunday as we continue our Advent journey together. Just like the shepherds, we got some glorifying and praise of God to do. Remember, it is Friday, but Sunday’s coming!

Pastor Kevin