December '16 by First Pres

Beloved Here comes Christmas! As the earth cools, the heart warms. Friends come around, parties fill our calendars — it’s time to celebrate. God is good, and Christ has come! In the pages that follow, you will enjoy many voices encouraging you to know the love of God coming toward you. That’s what Advent is about. God is on the move and headed your way. Look to these devotions as you prepare your own heart for Christmas. There is plenty to put on the calendar here at First Pres, but don’t get too busy. Keep your heart focused on Christ and make joyful memories with family and friends. This year’s Advent series is called Beloved. We celebrate the greatest love story ever told, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17) God loves the world. God loves you. The birth of Jesus Christ is a love story like none you’ve ever heard. Song of Songs is a love story right in the middle of the Bible, and it is very romantic. But we have always understood it to have two layers of meaning. First, it is about the consummation of love between a husband and a wife. But second, since all human marriage is only a reflection of the loving relationship between Jesus Christ and the church, so this book is also about God’s passionate love for us. “My beloved is mine and I am his.” (Song of Songs 2:16) Martin Luther wrote about the “marriage” between us and Jesus Christ. In a marriage, all things are shared in common. So, Luther wrote, “if Christ is a bridegroom, He must take upon Himself the things which are His bride’s and bestow upon her the things that are His.” (Freedom of a Christian) When we put our faith in Christ, we are joined with Him. We get all of Christ’s blessings, and righteousness, and life; and He takes on all the debt of our sin. Do not be embarrassed, but be joyful for the glorious exchange. Jesus embraces you freely. Do you know that God is in loving pursuit of you? God is after you with an overwhelming love. God is after your family; He is pursuing your kids. God is coming over the hills to reach you, to save you, to bring you home…and to call you His Beloved. Yours in Christ,

Tim McConnell Lead Pastor

FIRST PRES M

december 2016 contents I’m Coming to You. .. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Rev. Dr. John Goodale I Will Make it Right . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Jim DeJarnette I Will Not Be Stopped . . . . . . . . . . 8 Rev. Katie Fowler All is Forgiven . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Rev. Jennifer Holz Beloved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Rev. Dr. Tim McConnell Are We Ready? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Rev. Dr. John Stevens The Best is Yet to Come . . . . . . . . . 16 Rev. Eunice McGarrahan Advent Season Roundup . . . . . . . 184 Contributing Writers: Jim DeJarnette, Katie Fowler, John Goodale, Jennifer Holz, Tim McConnell, Eunice McGarrahan, John Stevens Contributing Editors: Matthew Fox, Alison Murray Graphic Design: Beryl Glass Proofreading Team: Mary Bauman, Deb Berwick, Christine Dellacroce, Betty Haney, Daisy Jackson, Marty Kelley, Karen Kunstle, Linda Pung, Chris Sebby All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, © 2011 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. First Pres Magazine December 2016, Volume Seven, © First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs, CO. Published by First Presbyterian Church, a non-profit organization. To contact First Pres Magazine: 719-884-6175 or 219 E. Bijou Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903-1392 or magazine@first-pres.org. Printed in the U.S.A.

F i r s t S u n d ay o f A d v e n t

I’m Coming to Meditation by Rev. Dr. John Goodale

his is an unusual Christmas season for the Goodale family. In addition to celebrating the message of Christmas, we’ll also celebrate the wedding of our oldest child the weekend before Christmas! For more than three months this Fall, Matthew has been in seminary on the East Coast, separated from his bride-to-be on the West Coast as she finishes her final college classes. During this extended time apart, Matthew and Meghan have been sustained by faith. Faith in each other’s love, though they cannot fully experience

Advent Candle: 4 | www.first-pres.org 12/16

or express it from a distance. Faith in a future together, though they don’t yet know how these chapters will be written. Faith that a day will soon arrive when their waiting to be together will come to an end. Faith plays a similar role when it comes to our love relationship with our Lord. And faith fuels our Christmas celebration during the season of Advent. It returns us again and again to the truth that God’s love for us caused Him to send Jesus into our world as Immanuel, God with us (Mt. 1:23) — and that we are forever changed because of this gift of Christmas.

The first candle of Advent is faith. During the season of Advent, we light a new candle each week that helps express a part of the journey as we prepare to commemorate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As we light this first candle, we remember the faith of the people who believed in the prophesies and waited, patiently, for them to be fulfilled in the person of Jesus.

o You Looking back to Jesus’ coming as a baby, though, is only one part of Advent. The season of Advent is also a time of faith in looking ahead, anticipating that Christ will one day return again, and will make all things right. Rubem Alves writes, “Hope is hearing the melody of the future, and faith is dancing to it in the present.” Think of your celebration during the season of Advent as a Christmas dance of faith! One day, the one who entered our world as a babe will return again as our Lord. Until that day, faith enables us to trust in God’s love for us, in spite of the distance that separates us from Him. Faith fuels our hope of an eternal future with Him, though we don’t yet know how these chapters will be written. Faith encourages us that a day will arrive when our wait to be together with our Lord will come to an end. The familiarity of Christmas makes it easy to simply continue in all the traditions of Christmas — because that’s what we do each year. This year, take some time to ponder how your Christmas celebration is undergirded by faith in what God has done and will do through the Christ child — then make your journey through Advent a Christmas dance of faith!

Waiting and Faith Go Hand-in-Hand! Read the passage out loud as a family: Matthew 1:18-25

Family Discussion: What were Mary and Joseph waiting for before the angel spoke to them? Did the angel’s message change what they were expecting and what they were waiting for? Where did their faith come from? What’s the longest you’ve had to wait for something? What makes waiting so hard for us? How do waiting and faith go together? Family Activity: Plant Seeds of Faith — Purchase an amaryllis bulb to plant and care for as a family during the season of Advent. Place in a warm spot, the warmer the temperature, the faster the bulb will sprout and grow. Growth generally begins in two to eight weeks. Certain varieties of Amaryllis may take more time to sprout. Take care not to overwater, as it can cause the bulb to rot. Provide ample sunshine as soon as the bulb sprouts, and patiently wait for the bloom to begin growing from the stalk of the plant. Share the Gift of Faith with a “Neighbor”: Give the blooming amaryllis plant to bless a lonely “neighbor” in need.

12/16 | www.first-pres.org | 5

MBE

E DEC

s e c o n d S u n d ay o f A d v e n t

I Will Make it R

Meditation by Jim DeJarnette

ope changes everything. A common assessment of “it’s hopeless” seems pervasive everywhere these days. Our world often feels like an incubator of trouble, injustice and heartache. Martin Luther may have captured it best: “this world with devils filled, threatens to undo us.” In our struggles, God’s word assures us of His understanding and love. The Apostle Paul writes, “…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” The prophet Isaiah writes these cherished words of our Lord, “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.” And if God’s word brings comfort in such

Advent Candle: 6 | www.first-pres.org 12/16

passages, it positively explodes with assurance of His victory and triumph over all that would seem hopeless in our world. Romans 8 tells us nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! Our Divine Lover calls to us with an invitation that literally sings with hope: “Arise, beloved…and come with me. See! The winter is past; The rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; The season of singing has come… Arise, beloved…come with me.” (Song of Songs 2:10-13) So…will we arise and go with Him? Will we give ourselves over to the One who comes to make all things right? He is the Only One

On the second Sunday of Advent, we light the Candle of Hope. The Gospel of John speaks of Christ as the true light coming into the world. So we light the second candle, the candle of hope, we dare to express our longing for peace, for healing and the well-being of all creation.

Right who can. There is a magnet within us that connects our yearning for things to be made right, with our yearning for the Only One who can make it right. This Advent and Christmas season comes with an invitation — the Lover of our souls is asking us to come with Him. If we do, we will discover how things are made right. An extraordinary text from the 15th century (written even before Franz Gruber penned Silent Night) puts it this way: “ Could but thy soul become a silent night! God would be born in thee, and set all things aright.” Whenever we hold a newborn child, something deep within us yearns for this little one to enter the world with hope. They are so vulnerable; fragile; as yet untouched by the “dangers, toils and snares” of the world around them. In baptism, we pray that our children will be brought through the “perils of childhood and the temptations of youth.” All God’s children got trouble… but, all is well. This is the gift of God through the birth of Christ.

Putting Our Hope in God’s Promises! Read the passage out loud as a family: Matthew 3:1-12

Family Discussion: Who was John the Baptist? Where do we first learn about him and his family? Who had spoken of John the Baptist before his birth? As John the Baptist grew into a man and prepared the way for Jesus, how did his words bring hope to God’s people? How long had they been waiting for God’s promise to come true? How were people preparing themselves for Jesus? What are some special ways that we can prepare our hearts for Jesus during the Advent season?

Family Activity: Prepare a “Journey to Bethlehem Meal.” Parents help their children enter into a reflective meal by serving a simple dinner featuring food that Mary and Joseph might have shared on the road to Bethlehem. Here are some ideas: Do some research as a family on what kinds of food to serve at your meal and shop together, sit on blankets on the floor (or at a low table), enjoy dinner by candle light, eat with your hands, dress up in costumes, play Jewish folk music in the background. During your meal, reflect on how Mary and Joseph prepared themselves on the journey to Bethlehem, what do you think they were they hoping for? What are you hoping for in the year ahead? What plans do you have to make that happen? Share the Gift of Hope with a “Neighbor”: Prepare a meal or Christmas treats to deliver to a hungry “neighbor” in need. 12/16 | www.first-pres.org | 7

MBE

E DEC

t h i r d S u n d ay o f A d v e n t

I Will Not Be St W

Meditation by Rev. Katie Fowler

hat would you do in the name of love? The best romantic comedies show us the lengths that people will go to for love. Great displays of affection, extravagant acts of passion and feeling, beautiful offerings of words and sentiment and devotion. And that’s just in the movies. But what about in our world; in the flesh and blood realities of our world? In the mess and mire of life, in the brokenness and beauty, what does love really look like? Scripture gives us a picture of love — the ultimate picture. And it goes

Advent Candle: 8 | www.first-pres.org 12/16

something like this: For God so loved the world that he gave (remember love, true love, is always of the giving kind.) And what did God give? He gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. You see Jesus, God in the flesh, didn’t consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage but actually made himself nothing, by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. But the story doesn’t end there. Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross. As

On the third Sunday of Advent we light the candle of Love. With this flame we signify the love of God that surrounds and fills us at all times, but that we recognize in a special way in the Christmas story. There is no greater power than love. It is stronger than rulers and empires, stronger than grief or despair, stronger even than death. We love, because God loves us.

topped Hebrews 12:3 puts it, Jesus endured the cross, scorning its shame. Jesus endured such opposition from sinners. Endured. It’s a powerful word. Nothing of fleeting fancy or momentary design here. Baring down, going all in until the very end, Jesus endured, until from the cross, it could be said, “it is finished.” As scholar N.T Wright put it, “he put up with the foul torture of crucifixion, a degrading and disgusting as well as excruciating and agonizing death.” Friends, there was nothing that could stop him. What motivated such an act? What compelled such a thing? Love. Jesus endured it all because of love. Love for His Father and obedience to His Father’s will (remember, right, obedience always flows from love). Love for the cosmos. Love for humanity. Love for you and for me. May that truth wash over you. 1 John 3:16 reminds us: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. This is how we know. And even now, even in this moment, Jesus moves towards you in love.

Jesus is Love! Read the passage out loud as a family: Hebrews 12:1-3 Family Discussion: This passage can help remind us of the cross at Christmas. What does it mean to be surrounded by a “cloud of witnesses?” Why do we want to “fix our eyes on Jesus?” How does looking to Jesus help us run our own race? Is running our race a solitary event, or does it involve others? What does the example of Jesus do to inspire us in our own journey?

Family Activity: Read “The Tale of the Three Trees” by Angela Elwell Hunt (if you don’t have a copy of the book, there is a free video of the story on YouTube, just type in “The Legend of the Three Trees — Animated Christian Movie” in the search bar). After reading the book or watching the movie, take a family hike/nature walk, enjoying God’s creation, collecting sticks along the way. Each family member can make a cross ornament out of the sticks using red yarn or ribbon to connect the two sticks in the middle, making a loop at the top for hanging. Place them on the tree as a reminder of Jesus’ beautiful gift of love, freely given to us when He died on the cross for our sins. Share the Gift of Love with a “Neighbor”: Invite a neighborhood friend, or a friend from school, to join in this family activity so that they can hear about Jesus’ gift of love at Christmas.

12/16 | www.first-pres.org | 9

EMB

DEC

f o u r t h S u n d ay o f A d v e n t

All is Forgiven M Meditation by Rev. Jennifer Holt

y first summer job was being a lifeguard. I remember passing my Water Safety Instructor course, getting my shiny whistle and climbing up on the lifeguard chair at the Village 7 pool. I was 16 and ready to save the world. Or at least keep the kids in the baby pool safe. In all my years of lifeguarding, I never had to jump in and rescue someone who was drowning. But I was ready.

Advent Candle:

10 | www.first-pres.org 12/16

During this season of Advent, we enter the holy space of connecting with a God who was not only ready, willing and able to rescue us from certain death, but a God who actually did just that. Christmas is about rescue. Paul writes, “for he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption,

On this fourth Sunday of Advent we light the candle of Joy. This should be the easy one, because joy is all around us — in the children, the lights, the music, the gathering together. But how often do we let our preparations — or our memories — push joy to the side? Joy is like an underground spring that wells up within us, but joy is also a choice, an attitude. Like a muscle, it needs to be exercised. So today we open ourselves to joy, trusting that God has already planted it in us. All we need to do is give it care and offer it to share.

The Joy of Forgiveness! Read the passage out loud as a family: Colossians 1:9-14

the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13) When we were drowning in darkness and sin, God reached out in Jesus to bring us back to life. God has snatched us from the pool of condemnation and immerses us in an ocean of forgiveness. Sometimes, the season of Christmas can feel overwhelming. There are parties and events to attend. We brave the crowds to find gifts for people we love. And on top of all of that, we carry the expectation that somehow we need to feel the “magic of the season.” If we aren’t attentive to our souls during Advent, we can find ourselves drowning in activity and missing the joy of being rescued. Paul’s prayer for the Colossians (and for us) is that they would not miss their new life in Christ. He prays that they would bear fruit and grow in knowledge of God. He prays for strength that produces patience and endurance. He prays that they would be a people of joyful thanks. He wants them to grasp their new identity as holy people, redeemed and forgiven. As we enter this final week before Christmas, meditate on God’s rescuing power in these opening verses of Colossians. Light the candle of joy today and remember how God moved you from darkness to life. Tell your story again. Give thanks for Jesus. Receive the joy of being forgiven!

Family Discussion: What images do you see when you think about the “domain of darkness?” What images do you see when you think about God’s Kingdom? Use some paper and crayons/markers to draw and then describe what you imagine. How does God’s creation fit into these images? What is God’s rescue plan for us? How can we express the joy that comes from being forgiven?

Family Activity: Create a family Joy Jar so that family members will have a place to write down their trials and put them into the jar. After some time has passed, take out pieces of paper and share how you have seen forgiveness and joy in the midst of that trial. Where have you seen God at work in your life? Share the Gift of Joy with a “Neighbor”: Offer or ask for forgiveness to restore a relationship with a “neighbor” in need.

12/16 | www.first-pres.org | 11

MBE

E DEC

christmas eve

Beloved

Meditation by Rev. Dr. Tim McConnell

ast year, I was in San Diego for a few days and had the morning to jog along the harbor. I really didn’t know the place at all, so I was thrilled to come up on the USS Midway and an enormous statue called “Unconditional Surrender.” It’s the statue depicting the famous V-J Day kiss in Times Square. You remember the image. A sailor in dark uniform and white hat embraces a nurse dressed all in white in his arms. She is bent back in surrender as he lays a full kiss on her lips — an icon of the overflowing joy the whole world felt at the end of the war. Anyone who has ever seen or participated in a military coming home

Advent Candle: 12 | www.first-pres.org 12/16

ceremony cannot help but be moved. The homecomings I participated in gathered families on one side of a large hangar when the soldiers marched in on the other side. After a brief speech from the commander and a prayer from the chaplain (I swear, I kept them short!), the formation was released and the families and soldiers rushed across the room into each other’s arms. Try to keep your cheeks dry when that happens. Today we worship. Today we celebrate. Jesus’ birth is like a homecoming. It’s the culmination of a love story. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish

The final candle of Advent is the Christ Candle, which is typically found at the center of the wreath. The flame of the Christ candle symbolizes the eternal presence of Christ, light of the world in the midst of His people. May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.

The Greatest Gift! Read the passage out loud as a family: Luke 2:1-14

but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Across an infinite distance, from heaven to earth, Jesus has come to claim you and call you His own. As I understand it, the sailor on V-J Day just grabbed a random “dame,” and in the joy of the moment she succumbed to a kiss. But today’s love story is different. God knows you through and through. God knows your name. He knows your history, good and bad. He knows your virtues and your vices, your weaknesses and strengths, and He comes in Jesus Christ to take you in a firm embrace and call you His “Beloved.” We are taught in Scripture that marriage is a reflection of the love Christ has for His church. When a husband and wife come together, they hold everything in common. When you are united with Christ by faith, all that is yours is His and all that is His is yours. He takes on Himself any debts, any shame, any lack or fault of yours — that’s all His now. And He shares with you all His fullness, His holiness, His life and righteousness. Christmas is a love story. “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10) War is over. Peace has come. All of the belongings of Christ — joy and peace and eternal life — all are yours as you are His when you come to Him with unconditional surrender. Merry Christmas!

Family Discussion: Why and where were Mary and Joseph travelling when Mary was expecting a baby? What do you find unusual and/or surprising about where and how Baby Jesus was born? Share your thoughts about what the shepherds experienced the night of Jesus’ birth. How would you have reacted towards the angels? What are the different names of Jesus? Describe how Jesus is a gift to our lives. How is Jesus different than the other gifts we receive at Christmas?

Family Activity: Challenge each family member to think of a gift that they would like to give to the family (or a specific member of the family) that cannot be purchased with money. Younger children may need some suggestions to choose from. Set aside a special time for each family member to share their gift on Christmas day! Share the Gift of Joy with a “Neighbor”: Invite a neighbor to Christmas Eve service.

12/16 | www.first-pres.org | 13

MBE

E DEC

c h r i s t m a s d ay

Are We Ready? Meditation by Rev. Dr. John Stevens

he big day, the one we have all been looking forward to and preparing for, has finally arrived. We’ve decorated our homes, bought and wrapped the gifts, baked the cookies and secured the fixings for the family meal — all is ready for Christmas. But are we really ready for Christmas? Are we ready for Christmas in the sense of being prepared for the Lord’s coming? The fact is that on that first Christmas very few people were prepared for the birth of Christ. Most people just assumed that if God was going to show up in their lives it would be such a big deal that they couldn’t possibly miss it. So they just went about their ordinary business believing that if he came they would surely know about it. But then one quiet night in a little out of the way village He came and just about everyone missed it. Only a few people were on hand for His arrival — His mother, Mary, of course, and Joseph and a handful of shepherds. The Wise Men would come later, but on the first Christmas night there were very few who were present for the Lord’s coming into the world as the baby Jesus.

14 | www.first-pres.org 12/16

The shepherds have always interested me. I have wondered about them. Why is it that they saw the Christ when so many others missed His coming? I have come to the conclusion that they saw Christ in their midst when others did not because they had heard the Word of God, which had been given to them. Remember how the angel had said to them, “I bring you good news of a great joy… for today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” They found Christ because they knew what to look for. And so they went over to Bethlehem and they found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. “When they saw Him…they glorified and praised God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” They were prepared to see Him because they had been told what to look for. That’s the key to being prepared for His coming — receiving and believing God’s Word. Those who do not believe are not ready for His coming. They lack eyes to see

Made New in Christ! Read the passage out loud as a family: /colossians 3:12-17

God present and active in the world. They do not know what to look for. The shepherds, on the other hand, had been told where and what to look for, and because they believed the Word God had given them by way of the angel, they had eyes to see the Lord in the most unlikely of places — even in a common manger in their little village of Bethelhem. The incredible thing about those shepherds is that they not only believed what had been told them, but they acted on it. They said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They believed what they had been told and they went forth in faith to see what God had done. Because the shepherds acted in faith on their belief, they would never be the same again, “for they returned, glorifying and praising God for all things they had heard and seen…” They experienced the joy of Christ’s coming because they were ready for Christmas. How about us? Are we ready for Christmas?

Family Discussion: What does it mean to be God’s “chosen people?” As God’s chosen people, who are we to conduct ourselves in the world? What makes it challenging to live out that call in our lives? Can you think of someone you’ve met that embodies the description of God’s chosen people in verse 12? What made them different? Why do we need to be patient with others?

Family Activity: Write down the things you’d like to “clothe” yourself with, the things you’d like to focus on and work on as individuals and as a family in the year ahead. Place what you’ve written in an empty gift box, and give them to Jesus as a gift! Share the Gift of New Life with a “Neighbor”: Sometimes we give toy and clothing donations to different agencies in our city that we’ve already used or worn. Instead, pick out some new items to donate (a new toy, clothing or coat) to a “neighbor” in need.

12/16 | www.first-pres.org | 15

Y UAR JAN

n e w y e a r s d ay

The Best is Yet to Meditation by Rev. Eunice McGarrahan

don’t think I’ve ever really liked New Year’s Day as a holiday. It is almost as if the solution to our personal challenges and the world’s problems will be solved by time. But no matter how much we think turning a new page on the calendar will bring hope for the future, the reset never works. Slavery persists. Tyrants prosper. Disease kills. Children starve. Hatreds kill. Moneytalks. Power corrupts. The list goes on. We could throw our hands up in despair and say, cynically, “Well, the best is yet to come, because it certainly isn’t here now, is it?” This passage from Matthew seems a strange text to consider on New Year’s Day. Yet, its scene of the Last Judgment with its separation of the sheep from goats offers real and lasting hope for the future. The imagery of sheep and goats describes the citizens of different kingdoms. The goats are citizens of the Kingdom of Self while the sheep are citizens of the Kingdom of the Shepherd. If we’re honest, we’ll have to admit that sometimes we’re sheep, and sometimes we’re goats. If, however, the best is yet to come,

16 | www.first-pres.org 12/16

we are to live into our calling to be sheep who not only follow the Good Shepherd, but who also see the world through His eyes and act according to the vision of His Kingdom. These acts are not usually overwhelming, global projects, but are deeds one person can do for another — a meal, a glass of water or a cup of coffee, an invitation, a coat, a visit. You don’t have to be rich or influential. These are things that everybody can do. John Chrysostom, the great Fourth Century bishop and preacher, reminds us that we do not hear Jesus say, “When I was sick, you healed me or when I was in prison, you liberated me.” Just, “You visited me.” But here is why this Last Judgment passage is a hopeful way to begin this New Year. It not only reminds us of what Kingdom behavior is like, it also tells us why the best is truly “yet to come.” You see, key to this passage is the fact that when the sheep moved toward the needy, they were also moving toward Jesus, who tells us that in doing these acts of mercy, we are ministering to Him. Why is the

Come best yet to come? For those who are hurting, the best is yet to come because the tangible love of Jesus is heading their way in the surprising disguise of powerless sheep. And the best is yet to come for those sheep because as they move out toward those in need, they are actually moving toward God and life in the Kingdom of the Shepherd. What could be better than that?

What comes next? Read the passage out loud as a family: /colossians 3:12-17

12/16 | www.first-pres.org | 17

Advent Season The busy Advent season is upon us. In addition to special Advent services and our traditional Christmas Eve services, First Pres has a host of events this holiday season. The following is your guide to all that’s happening at First Pres this Advent! There’s truly something for everyone, so mark your calendars accordingly.

Breakfast in Bethlehem

Saturday, December 3 9 to 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $4 per person to $15 per family This annual event for the whole family is a great kick-off to the holiday season. This year there will again be two seatings in Fellowship Hall. The morning will consist of a pancake breakfast, fun, simple crafts for young children, and an engaging play that will involve the kids in the Christmas story featuring the fifth through eighth grade choir. Seating is limited, so register online at www.firstpres.org/breakfastinbethlehem.

Women’s Christmas Luncheon

Saturday, December 10 • 10:30 a.m. $15 per person The year’s women’s holiday luncheon, “An Old Fashioned Christmas,” will feature a message from Abigail McConnell. Childcare is available for those up to age 5, and is only available by reservation. Tickets are on sale at the main desk in the plaza throughout the week. For more information, call 719884-6144. 18 | www.first-pres.org 12/16

Christmas Joy

Sunday, December 11 2:30 and 6 p.m. Cost is $14, $17 or $22 This annual musical extravaganza will take place at the Pikes Peak Center. This year’s show features Guest Artist Alvy Powell, The Sanctuary Choir, Full Orchestra, 17-Piece Big Band, Pikes Peak Ringers, Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale, Soloists, Celtic Mountain Band, Celtic Steps Dancers, Vivace Ringers and Pikes Peak Youth Ringers. This is a special event that is fun for the whole family and is not to be missed. Tickets are available at Congregational Support, TicketsWest and the Pikes Peak Center Box Office.

Men’s Christmas Brunch

Saturday, December 17 9:30 to 11 a.m. $10 per person Join us for the annual Men’s Christmas Brunch. This year’s speaker is Wess Stafford, former president and CEO of Compassion, International. Tickets are on sale now at the reception desk or online at www.first-pres.org/men.

Roundup Christmas Eve Services

Saturday, December 24 Celebrate the reason for the season this Christmas with our special Christmas Eve services. There will be services and events for the whole family. The full slate of Christmas Eve services includes the traditional children’s service as well as the Celtic Christmas service to cap the day’s events. For a full list of services, see below: Saturday, December 24: 10:30 a.m. Children’s Service 2 p.m. Candlelight Service 3:30 p.m. Candlelight Service 5 p.m. Candlelight Service 7 p.m. Candlelight Service 8:30 p.m. Candlelight Service 10:45 p.m. Celtic Christmas Service

Christmas Day Service

Sunday, December 25 11 a.m. Celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, with a special worship service in the Sanctuary on Christmas Morning.

New Year’s Eve Service

Saturday, December 31 7 p.m. We will again be offering our traditional New Year’s Eve service. Come together for a time of worship, to give thanks and reflect on 2016 as we prepare for 2017. The service includes a time of communion.

New Year’s Day Services

Sunday, January 1, 2017 8:20, 9:45 and 11:10 a.m. Ring in the New Year as we gather for our regular morning worship services. Join us for Traditional/Blended worship services at 8:20 and 9:45 a.m. in the Sanctuary or our Contemporary Services at 9:45 a.m. in Fellowship Hall and 11:10 a.m. in the Sanctuary.

12/16 | www.first-pres.org | 19

SERVICE

RE Q UESTED

10:30 a.m. Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Service 2 p.m. Candlelight Service 3:30 p.m. Candlelight Service 5 p.m. Candlelight Service

7 p.m. Candlelight Service 8:30 p.m. Candlelight Service 10:45 p.m. Celtic Christmas Service

Saturday, December 24

Non Profit Org. U. S. Postage PAID Colo. Spgs. CO Permit No. 419

Christmas eve service times

address

20 | www.first-pres.org 12/16