Spire Advent 2023

A D V E N T

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Christmas

ADVENT WITH SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • DECEMBER 2023

The Spire is published seasonally by Second Presbyterian Church 7700 North Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46260 Office Hours M-F 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM Church Office 317-253-6461

Table of Contents A Letter from your Senior Pastor | 3

Advent Sermon Series | 4 Upcoming Events | 5 Advent Week 1: Hope | 6

Do You Hear What I Hear? | 7

Children’s Circle Preschool 317-252-5517

Christmas with Our Northside Neighbors | 8

CenterPoint Counseling 317-252-5518

Advent Service of Wholeness and Healing | 9

CHILD CARE RESERVATIONS SecondChurch.org/ChildCare

Sounds of the Season & Holiday Luncheon | 9

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP HOURS Holiday Hours Vary 8:15 AM • Milner Chapel 10 AM • Sanctuary

Advent Week 2: Peace | 10 Music in Worship | 11 Holiday Pops Debut | 12 Young Adults Christmas Party | 12

SERVICE OF WHOLENESS & COMMUNION 11:15 AM • Milner Chapel

The Best Gifts | 13

LIVESTREAM 10 AM • SecondChurch.org/Live

Music in Worship | 15

SPIRE EDITOR Erica Hewitt Communications Coordinator SPIRE DESIGN Ayrika Gunn Director of Communications

Connect with us!

Advent Week 3: Joy | 14

Finding Joy | 15 Poinsettia Delivery Renews Spirit | 16 CCP Annual Christmas Pageant | 16

International Violin Competition of Indianapolis | 17 Young Adults Winter Retreat | 17 Advent Week 4: Love | 18 Christmas Eve Worship | 19 Happy New Year | 20 Rising and Shining | 21 Managing the Holiday Blues | 22 Support Groups at Second | 23

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A LETTER FROM YOUR SENIOR PASTOR

Dear Friends,

Rev. Chris Henry

We know that Christmas is coming—the date is circled on our calendars, just as it is each year. But here, in the church, we try not to move too quickly through the sacred weeks of Advent, this powerful season of anticipation, preparing ourselves for the wonder and surprise of Christmas.

Advent is like a spiritual waiting room where our expectation grows. It is the anxious silence before the trumpets ring out. It is a deep breath of yearning. We need this season of expectation. We need this waiting room where excitement builds and hope develops and joy is nurtured. We need the voices of the Gospel writers who could not contain their awe or their call to tell this story. This year, we’ll explore each Gospel’s Christmas message—a diverse chorus of faithful voices!

Advent is our annual affirmation that God is not aloof and distant—he is at home in the world we inhabit. The word Advent itself means “coming.” We not only profess that Christmas is coming, but that God is coming, indeed that God is already here.

This Advent, I hope you’ll linger in the mystery of God’s presence and savor this extraordinary good news.

It will change your Christmas.

With Advent hope,

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ADVENT SERMON SERIES WITH REV. CHRIS HENRY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3 Mark’s Messenger Mark 1:1-3, 9-12 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 Matthew’s Family Tree Matthew 1:18-25 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 Luke’s Song Luke 1:46-55 (Sanctuary Worship at 9 AM & 11 AM) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 John’s Vision John 1:1-14 (8:15 AM • Sanctuary Worship)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24 • CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES 11 AM • Child-Led Worship 7 PM & 9 PM • Service of Lessons and Carols 11 PM • Service of Lessons and Carols with Holy Communion

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SECOND ACT HOLIDAY BRUNCH

WELCOME TABLE

December 3 • 11:30 AM Meridian Hills Country Club

December 10 • 11:15 AM

Let’s celebrate the season! Join us for this favorite holiday tradition as we gather for a wonderful meal and fellowship together. Registration details available at SecondChurch.org/Events.

Cost: $25/person

YOUTH UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER PARTY December 13 • 6:30-8 PM Youth Suite Let’s get ugly! Students and friends are invited to wear the most outrageous sweaters, shirts, or costumes for this fun event in the youth suite as we celebrate another fun and fruitful semester together.

Feel free to bring a delicious treat to share with everyone!

(No nuts, please!)

If you’re new to Second Presbyterian and think you might be interested in membership, then we’ve saved a seat for you at the Welcome Table.

Join Rev. Mike Samson and Rev. Madison VanVeelen for a light brunch and conversation with other newcomers to Second.

VISIO DIVINA (SACRED SEEING) December 14 • 10:30 AM • Room 356 Explore “sacred seeing” through art, scripture, and prayer with Lake Fellow Rev. Rachel Klompmaker.

A contemplative, inquiry-based spiritual practice, visio divina is a form of prayer using works of art to help set your mind on prayer. The practice helps us connect to God and notice where God is present in our lives.

Materials provided. Optional: Bring a journal or your favorite drawing materials for personal reflection.

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S U NSUNDAY, D A Y , N DECEMBER O V E M B E R 3, 2 72023 , 2022

ADVENT WEEK 1: HOPE

Mark’s Messenger

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. — Mark 1:1 In December of 2017, my husband and I began the process of in-vitro fertilization. It marked a beginning, but also the end of trying to complete our family without assisted reproductive technology.

Our story is both unique and ubiquitous. This year, our pews will surely include people for whom the theme of Advent hope is painfully and powerfully personal because in Advent, we prepare for a baby.

How does one prepare the way? The Gospel according to Mark begins with the words of Isaiah: Before the Lord comes, a messenger will prepare the way, he says. And how will he prepare the way?

He’ll cry out in the wilderness. He’ll tell us to make the Lord’s paths straight.

Crying out in the wilderness reminds me of the Hebrew people, who cried out “under their slavery.”

The Book of Exodus tells us that their cry “rose up to God,” who remembered the covenant made with their ancestors. God “took notice of them,” putting into motion the series of events that would ultimately deliver them from slavery to freedom. It all began with their cries.

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Could it be that our preparation begins with crying out? It’s not the posture we associate with this merry and bright time of year, but it’s probably the most biblical. Could it be that we only truly receive the blessing of the Christ child when we’ve remembered the depth of our need for him? Could it be that we only make the way clear for the Risen Christ when do the same?

Martin Copenhaver says, “Beginning the liturgical year on the first Sunday in Advent is a way of saying that the Christian story begins with longing.”

I would add that it also begins with hope, the cousin of longing. And hope is no innocuous thing. To hope is to risk a certain peace.

Will you prepare the way this year? What is the cry?

The longing? The hope?

Rev. Sara Dorrien-Christians Associate Pastor of Children and Family Ministries

SACRED ARTS SERIES

DO YOU Hear WHAT I Hear?

DECEMBER 2 • 11-11:45 AM • MCFARLAND HALL

Presented by the Music and Fine Arts Ministry, and accompanied by a string quartet, flute, and harp, Do You Hear What I Hear? is an immersive art and music experience for ALL AGES in which we collectively tell the story of Christmas. Everyone will create a piece of art that will become a gift to share. We hope you will leave this place feeling inspired to share the Christmas story with others.

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Christmas

WITH OUR NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORS Formerly known as Christmas Benevolence, this Deacons ministry focuses on our neighbors in need in Washington Township.

Congregation members like you, pick up tags or sign up online to purchase gifts, clothing, and household needs. All your purchases should be returned tagged and unwrapped by December 3 to Second. Deacons and volunteers then sort, organize, and wrap everything to be ready for pick up Saturday December 16. We will be serving 120 families this year.

These families also receive a holiday dinner, sourced through our NFP. CNN also includes our Winter Warmth coat drive. Thank you for donating warm outerwear in September and October. Our neighbors went coat shopping for their families in early November, to be ready for the winter ahead. As we continue to build community and relationships, thank you for your generosity providing a loving light to our neighbors this Christmas.

DROP OFF DAY December 3

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PICK UP DAY December 16

Advent Service of Wholeness & Healing December 6 • 7-8 PM

As the bustle of life around the holidays blooms and grows, the Advent season helps to slow us down. In this slowing down of our lives, we are reminded of the reality of pain and brokenness in our lives and in the world. We are reminded of the many ways that this Christmas season may feel different or a little less inviting this time around despite everything else continuing as normal. As we engage this Advent season, we are encouraged to hold space for boldly proclaiming the messy feelings of our lives and to seek hope in the life of Jesus Christ.

All are invited to join us for a service of worship where we acknowledge the pain and wait in the darkness together, praying for wholeness and healing to come. United in worship, we will honor the need to slow down and hold space for both darkness and hope through song, silence, prayer, and Scripture. Come, all are welcome.

Sounds of the Season & Holiday Luncheon Enjoy sounds of the holiday season at this year’s December luncheon featuring the North Central High School Kings Court Choir

Women@Second will host their annual December luncheon on Thursday, December 7 in McFarland Hall.

Lunch will be served beginning at 12 PM, followed briefly by ministry and committee updates, with the choral sounds and sensations of this 25-member Ensemble leading us in festive song and celebration. Recently recognized as a 2023 ISSMA Mixed Concert Choir State Finalist, the North Central Kings Court is known for its madrigal, a cappella, and vocal jazz music. How wonderful to host this accomplished Ensemble as our guest at Second! See you in December!

HOSTED BY WOMEN@SECOND DECEMBER 7 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM McFarland Hall $15 per person SecondChurch.org/Women

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023

ADVENT WEEK 2: PEACE

Matthew’s Family Tree

But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

—Matthew 1:20

The idea of peace is something we may agree eludes Joseph in Matthew 1:18-25. Try for a moment to put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. He is engaged to Mary, but before they’ve married or lived together, she becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit. The law at the time would advise Joseph to “divorce her quietly” (v.

19) sparing them both from public shame.

As you can imagine, this was likely not a peaceful decision weighing on Joseph. He was left with more questions than answers, more confusion than security. Feeling confident in his decision, his world is turned upside down again by a visit from an Angel of the Lord. Trusting in this Angel’s message, his questions were answered. Here in verse 24, the presence of peace seems to have reached Joseph.

He listens to the Lord and continues the path of marrying Mary and bringing Jesus into this world.

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What strikes me about this text is how, despite the conflicting news of Mary’s pregnancy, Joseph is quick to trust in the Lord’s message. Jesus is not of Joseph’s blood and his birth stands out as a dramatic contrast from tradition as seen in the explanation of Joseph’s lineage earlier in the chapter. Despite this complex situation and the law’s guidance, Joseph trusts and follows the Lord, faithfully jumping into the journey.

When you feel turned upside down by more questions than answers, do you trust in the Lord as faithfully as Joseph does in this passage? I often have more questions than answers in life. I also know that trusting this faithfully in the Lord can be difficult for us all. May this story of Joseph act as an example of the faith, peace, and trust we can strive for in our relationship with God, no matter how challenging.

Rev. Hannah Ostlund Lake Fellow in Parish Ministry

M usic in Worship Second Winds • December 3

Second Winds will offer Advent Overture as a prelude and will lead congregational hymns with the Sanctuary Choir and organ. During Advent, we not only celebrate and ponder Christ’s initial entrance into the world as a baby two-thousand years ago, but also ruminate on his eventual, triumphant return. Advent Overture explores, quotes, and expands upon hymns and carols relating to Christ’s first and eventual second coming into the world.

How many familiar Advent tunes can you pick out?

Second Winds will also join with the Pastoral Care Department in leading a Service of Wholeness and Communion at Marquette Manor at 10 AM on Friday, December 15.

CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS MUSIC SUNDAY Children’s Choirs and Handbells • December 10 Carol and Cherub Choirs will join forces with the Handbell Ensemble to sing and play Jason Krug’s arrangement of the traditional Advent carol, People, Look East. This song of preparation sets the Advent mood by charging us to prepare our houses, hearths, and tables, for “Love” (Christ) is on the way.

The handbells will ring Michael Helman’s setting of the Advent hymn Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.

Written for both handbells and handchimes, the piece moves through multiple key changes, and uses several different fun handbell techniques.

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SANCTUARY CHOIR

Holiday Pops Debut WITH CARMEL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

DECEMBER 10 • 3 PM & 7 PM • THE PALLADIUM AT THE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Our very own Sanctuary Choir has been invited to sing with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra in this season’s Holiday Pops Concerts! Dr. Michelle Louer, Director of Music and Fine Arts, will conduct the choir and orchestra in works by Vivaldi, Willcocks, and Stopford. The choir will also perform an arrangement of Bobby Helms’s classic Jingle Bell Rock! You will not want to miss this opportunity to celebrate the season with music both sacred and secular!

At Second Church, we believe in the power of music as a bridge connecting the hearts, minds, and souls of a diverse people. This concert is one of many ways that Second Presbyterian Church answers the call to be “a church for the city”, as we proclaim truth, unity, and joy through song.

Let’s revel in this opportunity to support our local musicians and choir, where melodies and song transcend boundaries, crafting an example for our community of how to be in the world. See you there!

SCAN THE QR CODE TO PURCHASE TICKETS.

Christmas Party YOUNG ADULTS

December 15 • 7 PM

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The Best Gifts

At this gift giving time of year, possessions—too many of them—have been on my mind.

I’ve always known I have too many possessions. It takes only one look in the kitchen pantry or closet to know that! I tell my family we don’t need anything for Christmas and it’s true. But it really hit home this Summer when my sister and I began cleaning out our parents’ condominium after my Dad’s passing in June.

Even though my parents had downsized 10 years ago, and even though my Dad hardly purchased a thing in the 7 years since my mother died, there was a lot of stuff to sift through. Sweaters and jackets we’d given Dad for Christmas and Father’s Day hung in his closet, tags dangling. We found a huge pile of unused gift cards stacked together with a rubber band. One drawer held 30 pairs of snowy-white athletic socks still attached to their plastic hangers. His needs were small but his priorities loomed large. What he cared about was his family, his church, and the welfare of others.

My sister and I shared as much of those possessions as we could. My grandmother’s turquoise bracelet went to a dear friend who was thrilled. A chair from a family farm went to a niece who will treasure it. My son took the little rocking chair that had been my mother’s for a future generation she will never know.

Some things were sold. Lots went to Goodwill to be recycled and re-loved.

Such life passages are times to reflect on what matters and I discovered (again!) that it isn’t how many possessions we have, or what gifts we get or receive—in the end, it’s really just “stuff.” Instead, it’s about making God the focus of our lives, loving and being with our families, and share our gifts with others to repair what’s broken in the world.

My Dad held gifts lightly—more lightly than we knew!

What was important to him in the end, was time spent with family. When we hold the gifts with which God has blessed us as if we are but temporary stewards, and share them generously with others, we come full circle. From God’s hands to ours. From our hands to the organizations, causes and people who need our help to do God’s work in caring for others and in building God’s kingdom. Now that’s a gift that won’t hang in the closet.

Nancy Frick Director of Stewardship and Endowment

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2023

ADVENT WEEK 3: Joy

Luke’s Song And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord...”

—Luke 1:46 How might you define joy? What words come to mind? How might you describe joy? What experiences in your life come to mind?

Take a moment and ponder these questions.

I wonder how Mary might respond to these questions? Her joyful and joy-filled song found in Luke, seems to offer us some clues.

It means those on the margins - those on the outside - are brought to the inside, brought to the center. It means bodies, experiences, and voices that have typically been ignored, marginalized, and silenced are now given center stage. The microphone is now there’s and those of us who have long held the microphone must step to the side to listen and to learn how we can joyfully amplify the voices and experiences of those long silenced.

As you ponder joy, here’s a practice of prayer for you to try this Advent - offer a daily prayer of “JOY!” Here’s how it works:

When it comes to joy, Mary seems to be pointing us to an experience of profound depth.

J - offer thanksgiving and praise to Jesus/God.

Joy seems to be the coming together of our incarnate bodies with God. It is the intersection of our spirit with the Spirit of God; an experience when our “Spirit rejoices with God.”

Y - offer prayers for Yourself.

O - offer prayers for Others.

In this way, joy is a spiritual practice, an intentional way of being and operating in the world. Thus, joy becomes an act of resistance to a world that constantly feeds us a diet of division.

Joy is an embodied and fleshy experience. It is the kind of experience that comes from genuinely living and sharing life together.

For Mary (who, by the way, was a teenager!), joy didn’t simply mean the birth of this beautiful baby. It meant the coming of God’s Kin-dom on earth as it is in heaven. It meant a complete flipping of the script.

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Tom Markey Director of Youth and Families

Music in Worship

SANCTUARY CHOIR AND FULL ORCHESTRA “MY SOUL MAGNIFIES THE LORD”

Mary excitedly exclaims these words in telling Elizabeth about the good news of Christ’s impending birth. We, too, are called to share this news! Invite friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues to experience God’s divine presence through proclamation, prayer, and praise in our annual

CHRISTMAS MUSIC SUNDAY WORSHIP TIMES 9 AM & 11 AM Worship in the Sanctuary

Finding Joy

Joy is a hard thing to hold onto, especially in this day and age. But God will always have your back with the community you find within God’s faith by creating you to be a person who radiates joy and happiness.

Though that doesn’t mean you are guaranteed joy, God makes it so that you have a backboard to fall back on with the power you hold from the Holy Spirit and in your soul. You are just an extension of God and his work, giving your soul the sugar to make your hard days a little bit brighter.

But even if you lose your way, God’s mercy is abundant and will lead you back on path. God will always help us through his promise to Abraham, even when we do wrong. It’s what connects us as people of Christ, besides our loving personalities. As people of faith, we thrive on the joy we get when we help others in need. It gives us the soul sugar to have a sense of happiness through the rocky road of life.

Maddie Kaltenmark High School Senior

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Poinsettia Delivery Renews Spirit

Support the Memorial Flower Fund with Donations in a Loved One’s Name Many of our members and friends remember their loved ones at Christmas by making a donation to the Memorial Flower Fund. This fund provides chancel flowers for the Sanctuary every Sunday, poinsettias at Christmas, and lilies at Easter. After worship, our deacons distribute the chancel flowers to hospitalized members. At Christmas and Easter, the fund also provides poinsettias and lilies to members who have experienced a loss in the last year, or who are homebound or living in senior living facilities, or who might appreciate a reminder of their church family’s love and prayers.

Names of those being remembered or honored will be published in the Christmas Music Sunday bulletin on December 17. Donations honoring or in memory of loved ones can be made online at SecondChurch. org/Flowers. Paper forms are also available at the receptionist desk. Memorial Poinsettia donations must be received no later than Sunday, December 10.

CHILDREN’S CIRCLE PRESCHOOL

Annual Christmas Pageant December 19 & 20 • 1:45 PM • Sanctuary

The third week of December, the children of Children’s Circle Preschool will present their annual Christmas Pageant. CCP Families and friends will join us in the Sanctuary to hear the children tell the story of Jesus’ birth through song. Each child chooses a costume representing a special part of the story. It is a special way for our 3-5 year olds to share in the joy of the Advent season.

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INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION OF INDIANAPOLIS 2022 JURIED EXHIBITION OF STUDENT ART Now - January 2, 2024 • McFarland Hall Art Gallery The Fine Arts Advisory Team presents the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis 2022 Juried Exhibition of Student Art. One of the most far-reaching, multi-disciplinary art projects for grades one through twelve in the state of Indiana, the Juried Exhibition of Student Art is held in conjunction with the Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, involving over 21,000 school children and 160 art teachers throughout the state.

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE YOUNG ADULTS

Winter Retreat

A Time to Rebuild: Rhythms of Rest February 2-4, 2024 Mark your calendars for the Winter Retreat at Bradford Woods, February 2-4, 2024. An opportunity to get away into the stillness of winter, make and deepen friendships, and grow in faith. Grab a friend and come enjoy meals around a crowded table, games, Bible study, and time around the fire. This year we will dig deeper, in this time to rebuild, on how God is inviting us to Build a Faith of Our Own. Cost: $100. Registration is now open.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2023

ADVENT WEEK 4: LOVE

John’s Vision The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.

—John 1:14

WHERE IS GOD? When I was young, my mother would read from a children’s Bible to me. Every time I was drawn to the pictures on the page. I was curious about where God was in the pictures, but my search was always disappointing because I found everything but God. One night, I unknowingly asked my mother a theological question: “Where is God?” She pointed up, saying, “God is in heaven, but God’s Spirit is within us.” This was too abstract for a ten-year-old boy to grasp. All I could feel was ice cream sitting in my little tummy—her answer only provided confusion. About twenty years later, I encountered the same question while serving as a hospital chaplain.

dwell among people below on earth? As Augustine puts it, “You were more inward to me than my most inward part; and higher than my highest.”

God’s capacity to surpass our greatest heights proportionately enables God to be a comforting presence in our lowest moments of our life. In other words, God can meet us wherever we are in this Advent season—this season of longing, of searching for God in this heavy world. Have we found where God is in our lives, or does God still seem too far from us?

One evening, as my mother read to me, she pointed to the sorrowful back of a man weeping outside the tomb of his friend Lazarus. She told me, “Here is God.” In this world, Jesus meets many who mourn as he did. He wipes the tears of those whose spirits are crushed by the weight of this life. The same Jesus from my childhood Bible is turning to us now, the people of waiting hope, to dwell within us—even when our Advent is filled with life’s sorrow and hardship.

“Where is God?” Often the presence of God seems far away, especially when the weight of our lives seems unbearable.

In the Message version of this passage, we read, “the Word became flesh and moved into our neighborhood.” I nostalgically remembered my mother’s answer, and yet the childlike confusion remained. How can a God in the high heavens also

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Rev. David Kim Lake Fellow in Parish Ministry

Christmas Eve

CHILDREN AND FAMILY WORSHIP • 11 AM CHILDREN’S CHOIRS

Patrick Pauloski & Carol Baker, Directors • Dawn Waddell, Organist Carol and Cherub Choirs will offer Daniel Kantor’s perennial favorite, Night of Silence at the 11 AM Christmas Eve Service. Imagine a frigid, dark, snowy landscape. It is so cold that all you can do is tremble in the shadows. Yet even in the cold snow lie roses that will echo the beauty of the sun yet to rise. Author and Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis, so beautifully depicts this idea in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. A world without Aslan, Lewis’ representation of Christ, is cold, frozen-solid, and unmoving. When Aslan does come, the world thaws, day arrives, and the flowers can finally bloom and echo the warmth and light of the morning sun.

A SERVICE OF LESSONS & CAROLS • 7 PM & 9 PM Sanctuary Choir, Brass, Percussion & Organ Dr. Michelle Louer, Director of Music & Fine Arts Dr. John Allegar, organ

A SERVICE OF LESSONS, CAROLS & COMMUNION • 11 PM Sanctuary Choir Section Leaders, Harp, String Quartet & Organ Dr. Michelle Louer, Director of Music & Fine Arts Dr. John Allegar, Organist

ORGAN • DECEMBER 24 Our church year begins with the season of Advent. We celebrate Advent with watchful anticipation of the arrival of Jesus. The word Advent means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival.’ As we wait for the coming of Christ, we celebrate Advent with music centered on the word “come” such as Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland (Savior of the Nations, Come), Veni Emmanuel (O Come, O Come Emmanuel), and Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus. Over the centuries the body of organ literature has been steadily augmented with chorale preludes based on these beloved hymns.

There is an abundant supply of choices old and new, and only four weeks to fit them in. What a feast of riches! “Come” celebrate with us at Second to hear a variety of music that survives the test of time, and contemporary works that show God’s creative power in this time and place.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023

Happy New Year!

We are on the cusp a New Year, with seemingly endless possibilities — knowns and unknowns, things to which we are looking forward and situations we may wish were not ahead of us. “Que Sera, Sera,” a song made famous in the mid 1950’s, imagines a series of conversations between loved ones on the cusp of an unknown future, anxiously inquiring about what the lies ahead: success or failure, smooth sailing or rough seas, and so on. The wise sage repeatedly answers the inquiries with the words of the song’s refrain: “que sera, sera; whatever will be, will be.”

Joshua 1:9 has been hanging in various places in our house since we moved “back home again” to Indiana, anchoring us with God’s promise in times of transition.

This verse occurs as God’s people are on the cusp of a new season. They stand on the banks of the Jordan River, about to enter an unknown land, ripe with God’s promises. As they carry with them the joys and sorrows of the road behind them, and as they hold within them the worry and anxiety of what lies ahead, God offers them words of comfort and assurance for the journey:

It’s true that there is so much ahead of us that is outside of our control, a fact with which the wisdom imparted in song’s chorus aims to help us come to terms. Scripture’s reflections on the future take the unknowns and uncontrollable factors into account, yet they transcend these with a vision of hope. While we don’t know what joy or sorrow awaits us, we know who waits with us and accompanies us each step of the way. The old adage remains true: while we don’t know what our future holds, we know who holds our future.

“I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Rev. Michael Samson Associate Pastor for Engagement

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 7, 2024

Rising and Shining

Each year, on Epiphany, I’m awed by the stories we recall: a star thrown in the sky, the glory of the Lord rising over the people, the people’s hearts throbbing and swelling with delight (as translated in the Jewish Study Bible), Magi marching afield just to have their mission transformed by our swaddled Savior. There he is, at the center of every story, Jesus Christ – the Son of God – on a bed of straw. And our visitors, who have seen a vision, are transformed forever. Their cruel charge, to report the child’s location to Herod, is changed by an encounter with Christ. The Magi may have felt within themselves the words spoken

by Thomas Aquinas at the end of his life, “I have seen things that make all my writings seem like straw.”

These stories we speak over one another annually may cause our spirits, like the Magi, to spring to action; exhibited by fresh resolve for new lives and goal-setting, because we have seen things that invite us to lift our eyes. To arise and shine. To be worthy of the Light that shines upon us. I do not believe this is merely a sign of secularism working upon us, as some

religious sirens may sound, but instead a desire to marry God’s faithfulness with our fidelity.

Perhaps the dawning light of Christ, and the vision of Epiphany, has given you fresh sight this year. Sent you searching your life for meaning, for holiness, for Christ who is at the center of all our stories. May you not shy away from the vision but “lift up your eyes and look around.” Notice the sacredness of your own journey.

Witness the gathering of God’s people around you.

Give thanks. And, if the light illumines a new path, you can always vow to go home by another way.

Rev. Gracie Payne Director of Young Adult Engagement

Journey with the Magi IN A SERVICE OF MUSIC, ART, AND PRAYER! January 7 • 3 PM • Sanctuary

Professional Choir and Baroque Orchestra with festive trumpets and drums ground the service as we reflect on Christ’s light that has led us to the manger and ponder our gift of heart, soul, spirit, and mind to our Saviour for the year ahead. Music will include Carols for Epiphany and the final cantata of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.

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Managing theHoliday Blues

As the holiday season draws near, we are often enveloped in the romanticized image of Christmas - a time of warmth, joy, and shared merriment.

However, for some, the festive season can stir feelings of melancholy, stress, and isolation. This emotional rollercoaster, often referred to as the “Christmas blues,” is a very real experience for many.

CenterPoint Counseling offers these specific tips to help you navigate and alleviate these holiday blues and embrace the season with a serene heart.

1.

Reach Out to Loved Ones: The embrace of family and friends can be a soothing balm to ease the chill of loneliness. Reach out, whether by phone, letter, or a heartfelt conversation around a warm fire.

2. Set Realistic Expectations: Let go of the burden of perfection. Embrace the moments that matter most and remember that it’s the love and togetherness that truly define the holiday spirit.

5. Create New Traditions: If old traditions evoke painful memories, craft new ones that fill your heart with joy and light.

6. Limit Social Media: Instead of falling into the digital abyss, focus on tangible connections with loved ones, enjoying the simplicity of shared moments.

7. Seek Professional Support: Remember, it is okay to seek help. CenterPoint Counseling offers a warm and supportive environment to assist you on your path to emotional well-being during the holidays.

The Christmas blues can cast a shadow on the season, but with these strategies, you can find solace and rediscover the magic of the holidays.

CenterPoint Counseling stands ready to guide you on this journey, providing a pastoral haven for those in need.

3. Prioritize Self-Care: Nourish your soul with rest, wholesome meals, and gentle exercise. In caring for your body, you nurture your emotional wellbeing.

4. Volunteer and Give Back: The act of giving is a source of deep contentment. Consider joining our church or a community volunteer program and lending a helping hand to those in need or contributing to a charity close to your heart.

Say

hello to our newest CenterPoint therapists

Erica O’Neil 22 | Advent 2023

Dr. David Chaddock Director of CenterPoint Counseling

Katie Wilson

Support Groups at Second GRIEF GROUP

1st and 3rd Sundays – 11:30 AM

PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP 1st and 3rd Wednesdays – 11 AM

CARING FOR AGING PARENTS 2nd Monday – 6:30 PM

ALZHEIMER’S/DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS 3rd Wednesday – 1:30 PM

FERTILITY, PREGNANCY, AND INFANT LOSS 4th Tuesday – 7 PM

Contact Ashley McNamara, AMcNamara@SecondChurch.org, for more information.

DON’T FORGET TO RAISE YOUR HAND AND JOIN THE 2024 COMMITMENT CAMPAIGN! Make your pledge today at SecondChurch.org/Commit24

In Our Hands Rebuilding community, abundant life, and bridges to our neighbors is in our hands!

HOLIDAY BUILDING HOURS Christmas Day, December 25: closed • New Year’s Eve, December 31: closing at noon.

New Year’s Day, January 1: closed.

Advent 2023 | 23

Email Change?

7700 North Meridian Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46260-3699 SecondChurch.org ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

If you have recently changed your e-mail address, please contact the church office at 317-253-6461 or 2Church@SecondChurch.org to update our records!

Connect with Us! SecondChurch.org

New M ember Class Sunday, January 21 • 11:15 AM

If you are considering membership, we’d love for you to come to a New Member Class so we can get to know you better.

This 75-minute class will provide an orientation to life at Second and the PCUSA denomination.

Lunch will be provided.

24 | Advent 2023

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 1512 Indianapolis, Ind.