As often happens, Thanksgiving this year runs right up against the first Sunday of Advent. Everything feels rushed, at least to me, and it's hard to shift gears so quickly from harvest/family/giving thanks/fall/home & hearth moments to what, in the Christian liturgical calendar, is a season of preparation for the coming of Christ. It is hard enough to resist the commercialized, sentimental, headlong rush to Christmas without tripping over the turkey feast at the beginning.
But enough sermonizing. May you have much to be thankful for, and may the blessings of family and friends outweigh the struggles of life, at least for a little while.
This year, we will follow the traditional themes of Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Each Sunday we will light another candle on the Advent wreath, and also learn about the decorations on our Chrismon tree.
For those interested in taking some time for personal reflection and group discussion, I will be leading an Advent study group using the book Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas, by Jan Richardson. This is a beautiful devotional resource utilizing poetry, personal anecdotes, and art to explore the movement of the season. We'll meet Tuesdays at 7:00 pm, from Nov. 29 through Dec. 20, at the church. Each session will include time for discussion of the book, reflection and prayer, as well as creative expression. I highly recommend the book to all (whether you come to the group study time or not!), but know also that all are welcome to the group gatherings, even if you haven't read the book. If you'd like to know more, please contact the church to get in touch with me.
Coming this week and next:
Wednesday, November 23: No choir rehearsal! (You can come and sing anyway if you want, but most of us won't be there.)
Sunday, November 27: First Sunday of Advent. Dixie Darr and Maralyn Devlin will bring us a message on the theme of "Hope." Worship begins at 10:00 a.m., with Christian Education for all ages at 9:00 a.m.
Tuesday, November 29: Advent study group meets (7:00 p.m.). We will begin to explore Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas, by Jan Richardson (details above).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment