May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be always with you!
One week until Christmas!!!
This is a busy season for so many of us: to-do lists that seem to grow longer instead of shorter; so many concerts we want to attend (and not enough free evenings to get to them all); so many people we want to connect with; so much baking to do, or gifts to buy. I love the busyness of this season, and all of the anticipation that comes in Advent; but I confess that I'm starting to look forward to my week off after Christmas.
Nadia Bolz-Weber says something very comforting about this season - Jesus is going to be born regardless. The "perfect Christmas" doesn't depend on us, or on anything that we do or that we don't do. Jesus was born 2000 years ago. God lay, vulnerable in a manger. The transformation of the world has already begun, and so we don't need to worry about running out of time to buy that last present, or forgetting to make Aunt Hilda's favourite cookies. Jesus has been born, and the perfection of Christmas has been achieved for us.
(She also says something similar about Easter - Jesus's resurrection doesn't depend on anything that we do or don't do!)
And so, in the midst of all of the chaos of the next week or two, if you find yourself getting overwhelmed by everything, I encourage you to take a few moments (maybe with a cup of tea and a Christmas cookie or two) and ponder the manger. Ponder the immensity and the mystery of a God (the creator of all that we can see and of all that we cannot see) choosing to become human, and not a powerful king or wealthy lord, but as a vulnerable newborn, lying in a manger. Ponder the immensity of God (the creator of all that we can see and of all that we cannot see) becoming part of that same creation, and experiencing everything that a human experiences.
Christmas has happened, and Christmas is here (and not just on December 25 or on the 12 days that follow, but always).
This is going to be my last mid-week Message until the New Year, so I'm going to include announcements for everything that is going to be happening in the next couple of weeks in this e-mail! (Aiming for chronological order...)
Blue Christmas Service: Thursday December 19, 7pm, Long Reach United Church. This service is a safe space to acknowledge that Christmas isn't the "most wonderful time of the year" for everyone, while still finding hope in the Christmas message.
Bonfire Caroling: Saturday December 21, 7pm, Long Reach United Church. Gather around a bonfire to sing Christmas carols and enjoy hot chocolate and goodies. Dress for the weather; and bring a flashlight or headlamp if you need to be able to read the words.
Worship on Sunday: 9:15 at Long Reach United Church; 11:15 at Westfield and on Facebook Live. This is the 4th Sunday in Advent, and the second-last part of Mary's story (the conclusion will be on Christmas Eve). This week, we will be reading Mary's Magnificat - Luke 1:46-56.
Westfield Advent Social - a reminder that our last Advent social will be on Sunday after worship. Session members, anyone who missed their week, and anyone who wants to bring goodies for a second week are invited to bring "eats and sweets" to share with the congregation.
Westfield United Church Choir Concert: In a minor Advent miracle, we have been able to re-schedule the choir concert after it was cancelled last week due to the power outage. The concert will be on Sunday December 22 at 7pm; admission by free-will offering towards the work of the church. You can view the (revised) poster by clicking here. Invite your family and friends to join you for an evening of sublime Advent and Christmas music!
Christmas Eve Services:
Summerville United Church - 4:00pm
Long Reach United Church - 6:00pm
Westfield United Church - 8:00pm
Christmas Day Service: Westfield United Church, 10:00am
Worship on December 29 will be at 9:15 at Summerville and 11:15 at Westfield and on Facebook Live.
Community Church Potluck - December 29, 12:00 noon, St. Matthew's Roman Catholic Church. Our worship service on the 29th will be a bit shorter than usual, to give us time to head down the road and join the other churches in Grand Bay-Westfield for a Christmas potluck lunch. (Long Reach and Summerville peeps - you are very definitely welcome to come across the river and join this potluck too!)
New Year's Day Levee - as in previous years, I am hosting an open house on New Year's Day between 2 and 4pm. Feel free to stop by to celebrate the new year with your church family. There will be a pot of cider on the stove, and goodies to share too! My address is [address redacted - contact Rev. Kate directly if you want it].
Epiphany Worship - Sunday January 5 - 9:15 at Long Reach; 11:15 at Westfield and on Facebook Live. We will be reading the story of the magi who followed a star carrying gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. As in previous years, we will be giving out "Star Words" in this service, to guide us through the year ahead.
Like I said, lots going on in the next couple of weeks!
On a related note, I am going to be on vacation from December 26 - January 1. If there are any pastoral emergencies in that time, please call Margaret Stackhouse at [phone number redacted] and she will connect you with the minster who is covering.
For a closing thought this week, I don't normally give you homework before Sunday, but this week I have a bit of homework for you! On Sunday, we are going to be singing a new hymn. (Yes, I know that this breaks every worship-planning rule in the book for the seasons of Advent and Christmas when people want their favourite familiar hymns and carols; but the message of this hymn fits so very perfectly with the message of my reflection that I really want for us to sing it after the reflection. Plus it is a beautiful hymn!) I encourage you to listen to it at some point between now and Sunday (or even more than once!), so that when we sing it on Sunday, it will no longer be a new hymn for you. It is called "There Was a Child in Galilee" (or sometimes it is called "Dreaming Mary") and you can listen to it by clicking here.
And that brings to a close my last Mid-Week Message of 2024. Because of Christmas and New Year's, the next Mid-Week Message will likely be on January 8.
Wishing you and those you love and those you pray for a very blessed Christmas season, and may the hope, peace, joy, and love of Advent rest in your heart through the whole next year.
Kate.
Rev. Kate Jones
Two Rivers Pastoral Charge
(506) 757-2201 (office)
(506) 343-1307 (mobile)
Pronouns: she/her/hers
"Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the law?"
Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "You must love your neighbour as you love yourself."
(Matthew 22:36-39)
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