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Dear Friends in Christ, I want to say a word of thanks to our Chancel Choir, Orchestra, Bells and Alleluia Choir for the Festival of Carols Service last Sunday evening. It was a remarkable evening of worship and praise! To Gregg Bunn, James Wells and the rest of our Worship & Arts team, and to all of our musicians, we say thank you for using your gifts in ways that inspire us, and draw us closer to Christ. As we are now a week away from the day that brings tidings of great joy, let us continue to pray especially for those in difficult places: for brothers and sisters in Christ who are being persecuted because of their faith; for Syrian refugees who have been displaced by war, tyranny and terrorism; for people among us, who are treated as inferior because of their ethnicity, gender, religion, class or creed; for goodwill and wisdom in our political leaders; for Christ-likeness in our spiritual leaders; and for our enemies who wish us harm, we pray. In a time of global division and discord, we need the peace of Christ. As followers of the Prince of Peace, we are called to be peacemakers. The One whose birth we are celebrating said in his signature sermon: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons and daughters of God." As we continue to anticipate and give thanks for the many ways God comes to us, may our lives become a nativity through which others find hope, peace, joy and love. I appreciate Luci Shaw's song of incarnation, called Descent: Down he came from up, And in from out, And here from there. A long leap,
An incandescent fall From magnificent To naked, frail, small. Through space, Between stars, Into our chill night air, Shrunk in infant grace, To our damp, cramped Earthy place. Among all The shivering sheep. And now, afterall, There he lies, Fast asleep. Finally, it was good to welcome as new members Chris Jessey, Madelyn Claire Flournoy, and Rusty, Lindsay and Jace Flaherty to our Brentwood campus. Welcome to our church community. I'm grateful for our partnership in ministry! Merry Christmas! Yours in Christ,
Davis