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The Chimes nline
Newsletter of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta
SUNDAY Schedule
December 18 & 25, 2011 Christ at the Center
Sunday, December 18 Fourth Advent Sunday • Prayer breakfast for Homeless persons - 6:30 am, Fifield Hall • Communion Service 8:30 am, Winship Chapel • The Mustard Seed Bookstore 9:00 am - 1:00 pm • Worship Service - 9:00 am, Sanctuary • Sunday School for All Ages - 10:05 am • Fellowship Hour - 11:00 am Fifield Hall • Worship Service - 11:15 am, Sanctuary • Fellowship Hour - 12:15 pm, Reception Room • Nursery/Preschool Staff Christmas Lunch - 12:30 pm, Women’s Bible Classroom • Youth Musical Rehearsal 12:30 pm, Fifield Hall
Saturday, December 24 Christmas Eve • Church Family Candlelight Service 4:00 pm, Sanctuary • Holy Communion and Candlelight Service - 6:00 pm, Sanctuary • Christmas Oratorio – Saint -Saëns and Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols Saint Cecilia Consort and Chancel Choir - 10:30 pm, Sanctuary
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his Sunday, as we worship God t o g e t h e r, t h e sermon title is “What the World Needs Now – Grace.” The Scripture is from the first chapter of the Gospel of John, a very different gospel December 18 f r o m Ma t t h e w a n d Craig Goodrich to preach Luke which contain the narratives of the birth of Jesus in the Bethlehem manger. John takes a more cosmic approach, with echoes of Genesis, dramatic imagery and familiar phrases such as, “In the beginning was the Word,” “light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it,” “the Word became flesh and lived among us… full of grace and truth,” and “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” Although there are no angels or shepherds or wise men in John’s gospel, these images have found their way into our life of faith and our Advent and Christmas hymns. Consider these phrases: “Light and life to all he brings,” “Word of the Father now in flesh appearing,” “He rules the world with truth and grace,” and finally “with the dawn of redeeming grace.” Can you name those hymns? On this Sunday before Christmas, the light still shines in the darkness and “redeeming grace” is what this world and every one of us needs, now and always. So let me ask you, are you open to receiving God’s grace? “Let every heart prepare Him room.” See you Sunday.
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hen an actor like Marlon Brando or James Stewart or Meryl Streep takes over the screen in a film, it is said that they have real ‘presence. The great ones have December 25 - the ability to truly Kevin Knab to preach make it seem like they are ‘in the moment’ occurring in the movie. It is a joy to watch. At Christmas time, we speak of the real presence of Jesus on this earth. It is a fully human presence, steeped in the messiness of emotion, physical reality, and person to person interaction. Jesus existed, fully present, each and every moment he lived. And yet the writer of the Gospel of John also speaks of God’s very presence existing in this man named Jesus. Join us at 10:15 for a Christmas morning message exploring what Christmas Presence might mean for us on a practical, spiritual, and transformative level.
Kevin Knab
Sunday December 25
Faithfully,
Craig
6:30 am - Prayer Breakfast for Homeless 8:30 am - Communion Service in Winship Chapel 9:00 am - No Sunday School 10:15 am - Worship Service in the Sanctuary 11:15 am - Fellowship Hour in The Reception Room