Friends-
Take a deep breath... Now let it out slowly... Now do it again...
You might need to follow these instructions a few times- maybe a few times a day- in these days heading up to Christmas.
No matter how we say we are going to simplify our holidays- fewer gifts, fewer parties, less travel - it seems that the frenzy finds us, and we get caught up in it without really knowing that we have. Take a breath... let it out slowly...
I want to make a case for building silence and stillness and slowness and maybe solitude into your preparations for, and celebration of, Jesus' birth. It really is holy time. It's why keeping the sabbath is one of the commandments. You didn't know that? It is!! It's why Jesus invites us to come to him for rest. He knows we need downtime. And holidays tend to steal it away. And leave us feeling drained, or frustrated, or even empty.
Don't let that happen. Make sure that Jesus is in the middle of all you are doing to celebrate his coming. Listen and obey when he tells you to take a break. Help out those who seem to be overwhelmed. Even mere moments can be revitalizing when they are used to remember that the God who is with us- Immanuel- really is, and longs for us to be peace-full, rested, joyfull, childlike, and full of wonder and awe.
So make your plans, make your preparations, look for the perfect gift for your nephew- and focus on the one who invites us to rest, to be renewed, to remember. And who offers us the best gift of all... Himself. Take a breath... let it out slowly... now do it again...
Eager to celebrate these days with you!
Gary
PS Normally, I find a time during the week to come out to the church to pray, prepare, etc. During advent, I'm coming out late afternoon/early evening, to savor the beauty and peace of the sanctuary. It's one of the ways I'm grabbing peace during the season, and I encourage you to join me... no program, no music. Just silence and beauty. Or come on your own. It's really too beautiful to savor only on Christmas eve. Don't have a key? We can get you in...
Calendar
Wednesdays - Bible Study - 7 p.m. via Zoom. Every Wednesday except 12/24 and 12/31.
12/10 - Women's Book Study - 6 p.m. - Church Basement.
12/24 - Christmas Eve Service - 4:30 p.m. - in person in the Sanctuary and via Zoom.
Thursdays - 12/4 - Church Board Meeting - 7 p.m. - via Zoom.
Sundays - Every Sunday - Worship Service - 10:30 a.m. in person and via Zoom.
12/7 - Second Sunday in Advent Worship and Communion Service.
- Congregational Meeting after worship.
12/14 - Third Sunday in Advent Worship Service
- Special Christmas Fellowship in the basement after worship.
12/21 - Fourth Sunday in Advent Worship Service
12/28 - Final Worship of 2025 and Final Coin Collection of 2025
Zoom - Contact Gary at [email protected] for Zoom link.
Other News -
Advent devotionals We have quite an assortment of Advent devotionals available to anyone who would like to borrow one for the season. They will be on display in the library.
Congregational Meeting - 12/7 - Please plan on staying for a short congregational meeting after worship this coming Sunday, December 7. Decisions on the budget, specifically the Pastor's salary, will be discussed. Grab some coffee and a treat, then head back into the sanctuary. Everyone's input is valuable.
Special Holiday Fellowship - 12/14 - Judy Murphy is planning a special time of food and fellowship to celebrate the season after worship on Sunday, December 14. She will be hosting this in the church basement. This will be a wonderful time to enjoy one another's company and to enjoy some holiday treats. We have access to the basement now for everyone with our new lift. So use the stairs or the lift if you need to, but just come on down. Talk to Judy if you want to help.
Holiday Helping - We have several ways to help during the holidays. Pick one or all to participate in.
1. We are collecting non-perishable food for the food pantry. There is a bin in the entryway of the church to drop off your donations.
2. We want to send a few baby gifts to Stephanie Taylor for her new daughter, Georgia. That bin is in the fellowship room. Gift cards are welcome too.
3. We typically help a family from the Caledonia School. Tim Murphy has been working with the school and has been in touch with a family that the school suggested. The mother is a single mom of two, who is out of work as a school bus driver due to a broken wrist. Her kids are 9 and 17 years old. The mom is asking for a gift card so she can pick out the gifts and food that are needed. If you want to help, we are looking for monetary donations. We will accept those in the offering plate. Just be sure to designate that it is for the Caledonia School family Christmas gift.
4. Also, did you know that every year the church board puts together baskets to deliver to our shut-ins and anyone who might benefit from this kind of gift? Such a generous act for people who might feel left out.
Christmas Eve Service - 12/24 - We will gather together for our Christmas Eve service at 4:30 P.M. this year. It is always a beautiful time to hear the Christmas story, sing favorite carols, and enjoy the beauty of the sanctuary. We hope to see you there. It is the perfect time to bring guests.
Coin Collection - 12/28 - Our last coin collection of the year is Sunday, December 28. This collection is used for our benevolence fund. Please bring your coins. Bills accepted too!
Thanks - Thanks to the faithful few who helped decorate the church for Advent/Christmas. It is beautiful as usual.
Thanks to an anonymous donor, Joel McGinnis has a new laptop to use for Sunday morning Zoom worship. Thanks to Joel for his faithful commitment to that endeavor.
Our lift celebration and PieLuck were a huge success. Thanks to everyone who helped make that day a very special day. Thanks again to all the trustees who made the lift happen. Thanks to Tim Murphy, who did lots of extra cleaning before several events in the basement.
Looking Ahead -
Annual Meeting and Potluck - 1/11/26 - We will gather for our annual meeting and potluck after worship on Sunday, January 11. If you attend this church, you are welcome and encouraged to attend. We start with a potluck and then follow with a business meeting. We look at 2025 and do some planning for 2026. Everyone's ideas and input are needed. Plan on bringing a dish or two for the potluck. More information will be in the January newsletter.
Take a deep breath... Now let it out slowly... Now do it again...
You might need to follow these instructions a few times- maybe a few times a day- in these days heading up to Christmas.
No matter how we say we are going to simplify our holidays- fewer gifts, fewer parties, less travel - it seems that the frenzy finds us, and we get caught up in it without really knowing that we have. Take a breath... let it out slowly...
I want to make a case for building silence and stillness and slowness and maybe solitude into your preparations for, and celebration of, Jesus' birth. It really is holy time. It's why keeping the sabbath is one of the commandments. You didn't know that? It is!! It's why Jesus invites us to come to him for rest. He knows we need downtime. And holidays tend to steal it away. And leave us feeling drained, or frustrated, or even empty.
Don't let that happen. Make sure that Jesus is in the middle of all you are doing to celebrate his coming. Listen and obey when he tells you to take a break. Help out those who seem to be overwhelmed. Even mere moments can be revitalizing when they are used to remember that the God who is with us- Immanuel- really is, and longs for us to be peace-full, rested, joyfull, childlike, and full of wonder and awe.
So make your plans, make your preparations, look for the perfect gift for your nephew- and focus on the one who invites us to rest, to be renewed, to remember. And who offers us the best gift of all... Himself. Take a breath... let it out slowly... now do it again...
Eager to celebrate these days with you!
Gary
PS Normally, I find a time during the week to come out to the church to pray, prepare, etc. During advent, I'm coming out late afternoon/early evening, to savor the beauty and peace of the sanctuary. It's one of the ways I'm grabbing peace during the season, and I encourage you to join me... no program, no music. Just silence and beauty. Or come on your own. It's really too beautiful to savor only on Christmas eve. Don't have a key? We can get you in...
Calendar
Wednesdays - Bible Study - 7 p.m. via Zoom. Every Wednesday except 12/24 and 12/31.
12/10 - Women's Book Study - 6 p.m. - Church Basement.
12/24 - Christmas Eve Service - 4:30 p.m. - in person in the Sanctuary and via Zoom.
Thursdays - 12/4 - Church Board Meeting - 7 p.m. - via Zoom.
Sundays - Every Sunday - Worship Service - 10:30 a.m. in person and via Zoom.
12/7 - Second Sunday in Advent Worship and Communion Service.
- Congregational Meeting after worship.
12/14 - Third Sunday in Advent Worship Service
- Special Christmas Fellowship in the basement after worship.
12/21 - Fourth Sunday in Advent Worship Service
12/28 - Final Worship of 2025 and Final Coin Collection of 2025
Zoom - Contact Gary at [email protected] for Zoom link.
Other News -
Advent devotionals We have quite an assortment of Advent devotionals available to anyone who would like to borrow one for the season. They will be on display in the library.
Congregational Meeting - 12/7 - Please plan on staying for a short congregational meeting after worship this coming Sunday, December 7. Decisions on the budget, specifically the Pastor's salary, will be discussed. Grab some coffee and a treat, then head back into the sanctuary. Everyone's input is valuable.
Special Holiday Fellowship - 12/14 - Judy Murphy is planning a special time of food and fellowship to celebrate the season after worship on Sunday, December 14. She will be hosting this in the church basement. This will be a wonderful time to enjoy one another's company and to enjoy some holiday treats. We have access to the basement now for everyone with our new lift. So use the stairs or the lift if you need to, but just come on down. Talk to Judy if you want to help.
Holiday Helping - We have several ways to help during the holidays. Pick one or all to participate in.
1. We are collecting non-perishable food for the food pantry. There is a bin in the entryway of the church to drop off your donations.
2. We want to send a few baby gifts to Stephanie Taylor for her new daughter, Georgia. That bin is in the fellowship room. Gift cards are welcome too.
3. We typically help a family from the Caledonia School. Tim Murphy has been working with the school and has been in touch with a family that the school suggested. The mother is a single mom of two, who is out of work as a school bus driver due to a broken wrist. Her kids are 9 and 17 years old. The mom is asking for a gift card so she can pick out the gifts and food that are needed. If you want to help, we are looking for monetary donations. We will accept those in the offering plate. Just be sure to designate that it is for the Caledonia School family Christmas gift.
4. Also, did you know that every year the church board puts together baskets to deliver to our shut-ins and anyone who might benefit from this kind of gift? Such a generous act for people who might feel left out.
Christmas Eve Service - 12/24 - We will gather together for our Christmas Eve service at 4:30 P.M. this year. It is always a beautiful time to hear the Christmas story, sing favorite carols, and enjoy the beauty of the sanctuary. We hope to see you there. It is the perfect time to bring guests.
Coin Collection - 12/28 - Our last coin collection of the year is Sunday, December 28. This collection is used for our benevolence fund. Please bring your coins. Bills accepted too!
Thanks - Thanks to the faithful few who helped decorate the church for Advent/Christmas. It is beautiful as usual.
Thanks to an anonymous donor, Joel McGinnis has a new laptop to use for Sunday morning Zoom worship. Thanks to Joel for his faithful commitment to that endeavor.
Our lift celebration and PieLuck were a huge success. Thanks to everyone who helped make that day a very special day. Thanks again to all the trustees who made the lift happen. Thanks to Tim Murphy, who did lots of extra cleaning before several events in the basement.
Looking Ahead -
Annual Meeting and Potluck - 1/11/26 - We will gather for our annual meeting and potluck after worship on Sunday, January 11. If you attend this church, you are welcome and encouraged to attend. We start with a potluck and then follow with a business meeting. We look at 2025 and do some planning for 2026. Everyone's ideas and input are needed. Plan on bringing a dish or two for the potluck. More information will be in the January newsletter.
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