May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be always with you!
The countdown to Christmas continues... 2 weeks today!
I sit on a regional committee for the church (the Pastoral Relations Committee - we oversee churches who don't have a minister or are in the process of calling their next minister, as well as the relationship between ministers and their churches in the Region which includes New Brunswick, PEI and part of the Gaspé) and we meet on the 2nd Tuesday of every month over Zoom.
Our meetings always begin with a short devotional, and yesterday it was my turn to lead the devotional time at the start of the meeting. I talked about Advent, and more specifically about the Advent Candles that we light at the start of each service. This year (and most years), we are lighting candles for hope, peace, joy, and love.
I had two questions that I invited the group to ponder and to share with each other; and I want to invite all of you to ponder these same questions:
1) On the first Sunday in Advent, we lit a candle for hope. It is sometimes said that hope is only possible when everything is hopeless - we don't need hope on the Summer Solstice when the daylight seems to stretch on forever; instead we need hope at the Winter Solstice when it seems as though the world is enfolded in shadows. When we have nothing left, hope is all that we have to cling to. What places or situations do you see in the world (either close to home or further afield) that are in need of hope right now?
2) This coming Sunday (the third Sunday in Advent), we will be lighting a candle for joy. Joy is different than happiness because joy doesn't depend on our circumstances, but rather is a gift from God. It is something that we can tap in to any time, no matter what is going on in our lives. Is there a time recently when you have been surprised by joy? In what (expected or unexpected) places have you encountered joy recently?
And we pray:
God of our Advent waiting,
we pray for all places in need of hope.
Shine your light in to all of the shadowy places in the world,
so that we can trust that the worst times we encounter
are never the end of the story.
God of our Advent waiting,
we give thanks for the gift of joy.
Help our hearts to be open to noticing joy
in all of the expected or unexpected places
we encounter it.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ,
the one for whom we wait.
Amen.
In terms of announcements this week - since it's still Advent, there is still a lot going on around our churches!
Worship on Sunday will be at 9:15 at Summerville and 11:15 at Westfield and on Facebook Live. As I mentioned earlier, we will be lighting our 3rd Advent Candle this week - a candle for joy. Mary's story will continue this week, and we will hear about her visit to her kinswoman Elizabeth. "Two women, one too old and the other too unmarried, yet both of them somehow expecting a baby." If you want to read the story ahead of time, you can find it at Luke 1:39-45 (and for Elizabeth's background story, go to Luke 1:5-25). This week will also include the Christmas pageant in the Westfield service!
UCW Christmas Communion Service - if it is still Wednesday when you are reading this, a reminder of the UCW Christmas Communion service this evening at 7pm at Westfield United Church. As I've said before, you don't need to be a UCW member (or even identify as a woman) to attend this service. It is a lovely way to begin the shift from Advent towards Christmas. (And I know that there will be UCW goodies following the service!) (And if you are worried about the parking lot, Elaine phoned and asked for it to be sanded at 6pm, so we should be OK.
Westfield United Church Choir Concert - this is happening tomorrow evening (Thursday December 12) at 7pm at the church. This is a do-not-miss concert for many - if you want your favourite pew, make sure to get here early! Admission is by free-will offering.
Asking the Big Questions - our December gathering will be next Tuesday, December 17, from 4:30-6 in the parlour at Westfield United Church. Our December "big question" will be "Why bother with Christmas?" This is a safe and open space to share our thoughts with each other; and, as always, thank you to the UCW for providing pizza for us!
Blue Christmas - our annual Blue Christmas will be next Thursday, December 19, at 7pm at Long Reach United Church. This is a service not designed to make you feel sad, but it is a safe place to acknowledge that Christmas isn't always "the most wonderful time of the year" for everyone. We have a chance to acknowledge any sadness that we might be carrying in this season while still finding hope in the Christmas message.
Bonfire Caroling - (weather permitting) we will gather on Saturday December 21 at Long Reach United Church in the parking lot around a bonfire to sing some Christmas Carols and hear the Christmas story.
Christmas Services:
Dec. 24, 4pm, Summerville United Church
Dec. 24, 6pm, Long Reach United Church
Dec. 24, 8pm, Westfield United Church
Dec. 25, 10am, Westfield United Church
New Year's Day Levee - as in previous years (except for a couple of Covid-years), I will be hosting an open house on New Year's Day. Feel free to stop by my house (address redacted - contact Rev. Kate directly) between 2pm and 4pm on January 1 to celebrate the new year with your church family and enjoy a mug of warm cider!
I hesitate to say "that's it" this week, since I know that it is a lot of announcements!
For a closing thought this week, even though we will be holding an in-person Blue Christmas service next week, I know that not everyone will be able to get there. I have links to a couple of on-line Blue Christmas services to share with you:
Affirm United: Blue Christmas on the Margins
The Many: A Gathering for the Longest Night (this one is music-focused)
Blessings to you and yours, today and always,
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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