New Philadelphia News Across the Pastor’s Desk It is hard to believe that the holy day season is upon us, but it is, and I am glad. I say “holy days,” instead of “holidays,” because “holidays” seems to have lost its original meaning in the mind of some. In my family the holy days start with Thanksgiving, which falls on November 28th. I know it is a U.S. holiday, and not a part of the church year, but it is holy to me because we gather extended family and friends around a table at our house and celebrate another year of life and what it has brought, good and not so good, but made better by the people who share the table. We try to make it a day of real thanksgiving to God. Then the Advent season is upon us, and Christmas, and the New Year. In honor of the Holy Day Season I want to do a sermon series entitled, “Spend the Holy Days with Dickens.” The truth is, though I will reference each of the books, and use an illustration from each, I have primarily just borrowed one of Dicken’s great titles. I am notorious for choosing poor sermon titles, and I am claiming this series as Dicken’s gift to me. He has already gifted me in many ways, by the books in their entirety, most of them anyway. Sunday, December 1st will feature, “Great Expectations,” during which we will talk about what the first Advent of Jesus Christ means to those who had been waiting for the King. Sunday, December 8th is “A Tale of Two Cities,” and we will talk about the earthly Jerusalem, and the heavenly one. December 15th we will talk about “Our Mutual Friend,” which is the story of John the Baptist and his friendship with Jesus Christ. I call John, “Our Mutual Friend,” because we know him primarily because we are followers of Jesus, who called his disciples, and us through them, his friends. On Sunday December 22nd, we will have two services, each different from the other. The 9:00 a.m. service will feature a program of special music that we are inviting our 11:10 folks to attend if at all possible. We
want to see the two services get to know one another a little better. I will also preach a fifteen-minute sermon called, “A Christmas Carol.” It is a story of the Holy Spirit’s work in making us over into disciples of Christ. I will do a reprise of the sermon at the 11:10, service and there will be different special music, on a smaller scale, and a fellowship time afterwards, with light refreshments for people who come, a kind of warm up for the lovefeasts. Refreshments are for 11:10 a.m. service only. Finally, on December 29th, I will take my inspiration from “Master’s Humphrey’s Clock,” which is about a group of friends who come together to share stories that are kept in the clock. All our stories are “in the clock,” too. Those we have written, and, those that we have yet to write. Of course, there is one Friend who wants to write each of us more and more into HisStory. Blessings, Pastor Green
Christmas Eve Lovefeast December 24, 2013 4:30PM* & 8:00PM* Band prelude begins 45 minutes prior to each service