"Occupy Church"

 

A big thank you to all who contributed to make worship so special this past weekend!   First, to our guitarist Ron Sample who led the music at our Saturday service, and to Sarah Lanyi, a member of our Youth Group who was “Mary” at both the Saturday and 8:30am Sunday services. That was a wonderful, meaningful portrayal.  Also, a big thank you to our Sunday School children and families and to Karen Diehl and Jennifer Hall leading and accompanying the children as they once again told us the Christmas story,  God’s plan to “occupy earth” through the Christ Child, to bring us Light, Love and God’s Peace that passes all understanding.  An added dimension which made the weekend all the more special was that little William Charles Nesper, who was baptized at our Saturday service, was our baby Jesus for the children’s program on Sunday.  So grateful for everyone’s participation.

 

Now, looking ahead, we will have two Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion services at 6pm and 9pm.  On Christmas Day there will be one service with Holy Communion at 11am followed by our Home Alone Christmas Dinner at noon.  If you would like to join us for that dinner you can reply to this email or call the church office at 772-567-2253 and we’ll save you a place.  This is our gift to the community.   Also, we need pies!   If you can donate a pie for our dinner, please bring pies by the church office on Wednesday or Thursday between the hours of 9am and 3pm  or around 3pm Friday, when the crew will be gathered to set up for the dinner.  If you’d like to help with the set up, you can stay and help with that as well!  Many hands make light work.  Many thanks. 

 

As I mentioned above, and as I mentioned in church this past weekend, the message of Christmas is that when God looked at the world he made and loves and saw things going wrong  (the abuse of power and wealth at the expense of the vulnerable, and the lack of love) God had a plan to turn that around that I like to call:  “Occupy Earth”.  That’s what Christmas was; God coming among us to set up camp among us by becoming one of us, so that we could become like him.  This is the wonderful, Life giving event which the world celebrates each year at this time.  One of the ways we can become a part of God’s plan to “occupy earth” is to “occupy church”!  While God can and does touch our lives and speak to us in many ways, when we “occupy church” we gather to hear that story again, to thank and praise God, to lay before God our needs in prayer, to receive God in the bread and wine.  By “occupying church” we are a witness to a world floundering in the darkness of God’s Life giving Light, and a support to those who gather to worship with us.  And what better time of the year than now to invite that friend or neighbor or family member to come and “occupy church” with you and to share in the celebration of Christmas!

 

Finally, our “Tree of Life” in the north end of the new lobby continues to grow.  Not all “leaves” are on the tree yet.  More are still in the works.  If your “leaf” isn’t there yet, it is still at the engraver or we don’t yet have your information.  But it is “growing” and unfolding as we speak.   Thanks to those of you who continue to help it grow.  It is definitely a living, growing tree and it’s never too late to add a leaf. 

 

See you in church!      Pastor Jack Diehl +       www.oursaviorelca.com