Pastor’s Pen: Christ the Light [ December 6 ] CHRISTMAS MUSICAL 8:15 AND 10:45 AM YOUTH DESSERT THEATER 6:00 PM
[ December 13 ] CHILDREN’S CHOIRS PROGRAM 8:15 AND 10:45 AM CAROLING 6:00 PM
[ December 24 ] CANDLELIGHT LORD’S SUPPER SERVICE 6:00 PM
Did the switch from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time throw anyone else off? After we moved back on "God's time" (as they used to call it in the farm community where I grew up), I was startled all over again at how swiftly darkness falls each evening. To many people, the cold chill of dusk seems forlorn and unwelcome. I believe our Advent theme, "Christ, Our Light," speaks deeply to the hearts of the lonely, confused and empty. Just this week, I've encountered two very fine people who confessed to me that darkness seems to be hiding God's face, at least temporarily. Perhaps God has brought someone into your life who needs Christ's light. I'm mixing metaphors here, but I truly believe people are hungry for light and hope. One of the praise choruses we sing in our 10:45 service says, "There’s hope for the hopeless/And all those who’ve strayed/Come sit at the table/Come taste the grace/There’s rest for the weary/Rest that endures/Earth has no sorrow/ That heaven can’t cure." So, be on the alert this Advent season for the lonely, the guilty, the weary and those stumbling around in the dark‐‐whether you see them at work, at school, in your neighborhood, in your home or in your mirror! Jesus announced, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). That's our memory verse for the season, and one worth remembering all year long. Grace,