|
|
|
|
The big day is almost here. You might still have a Christmas party of two, some house cleaning to finish, some packing yet to accomplish, or even a last-minute gift or two to get. But in the midst of the last days before we celebrate the arrival of Christ, let us allow a prayer from the 10th Century to help us thank our Heavenly Father for the gift of the Light of the World.
Before you head to the prayer, don't forget - we have both a morning Worship Gathering and an evening Candlelight Service this Sunday, Dec 24. The two gatherings will be different and meaningful, so if you are in town, we hope to see you at both Gatherings. It's not too late to invite someone to attend one or both services with you!
|
|
A big thank you to all who gave toward our Impact Gift on Sunday. If you were wanting to give toward Josh & Hillary Smith but didn't get the chance, you can still give online.
|
|
|
A Gregorian Prayer for Epiphany
|
This week's final post in our Ancient Christmas Prayers series is from a Gregorian Sacramentary from the 10th Century. If you don't know what a sacramentary was, it was a book used for liturgical services, providing the words to be spoken or sung by the leader of the worship service (usually a priest or bishop). To learn more about the particular Gregorian Sacramentary from where this prayer comes, head over to Wikipedia.
|
Before you jump to this week's ancient Christmas prayer, I encourage you to first read through the words below, then go through them a second time, using them as a guide to connect with your Heavenly Father, who gave us the indescribable gift of His Son.
|
Almighty and eternal God,
Brightness of faithful souls,
You brought the Gentiles to your light,
and made known to them Him who is the true Light,
and the bright and morning Star.
Fill the world with Your glory,
and show Yourself by the radiance of Your light to all nations;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Christmas Eve
|
|
This Sunday, come for our regular service at 9:30 as we wrap up our Advent series, then come back at 4:30 for a special family-friendly candlelight service. Please note: there will not be a Worship Gathering on Christmas Day.
|
|
|
Impact Gift
|
Thank you to those who gave last Sunday! We will announce how much we will be able to send to Josh & Hillary Smith this Sunday. The online giving for the Impact Fund will be open until then if anyone was still wanting to give. dlakjfladjflakdsjfljdsklfj
|
|
|
|
|
21 Days of Prayer
|
|
We will begin 2024 with 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Our theme for the year is "Surrender." Ed will kick off these 21 Days on Dec. 31, so make sure you grab your booklet from the lobby. (They will be available Sunday!) During this time we encourage you to fast, so be giving thought to what you might fast from during these 21 days of surrender.
|
|
|
Just For Fun
|
|
If you haven't had enough of Christmas music yet, here's Tim Hawkins (Christian comedian) breaking down some of the lyrics in one of our beloved Christmas classics.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
