On the INSIDE Fellowship/CE ..................... 2-4 Mission ................................ 4-6 Stewardship/Youth................. 6 Birthdays/Milestones.............. 7 New Members..................... 8,9 Vespers On Sunday, December 21, at 4:00 p.m., all of the choirs will present a Christmas Vespers Service in the Sanctuary. Come and be inspired by the telling of the Christmas story through music, dance, and congrega- tional singing. A Publication of The Presbyterian Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia Lamp Led by the Holy Spirit, we glorify, nurture, witness. December 2014 The Big Wait This time of year seems to have been commandeered by the merchandisers and materialist culture around us; it is sometimes difficult to imagine any other day or perspective. We agree that for shoppers and children, these weeks seem to be a countdown: How many days until school is out? How many days left to purchase gifts? How long before the presents appear under the tree? The church has asked significant questions of its own during Advent (from the Latin adventus – the coming toward, the advance – the same root as our word “adventure”). Through the ages, during times when the Church was persecuted, powerful, pervasive, marginal, obscure, isolated, growing, and culturally enmeshed, we always used the four Sundays before Christmas as a time to ask about the wait. It is a time to recollect the hope of the coming of Christ, and to look forward to Christ’s coming again. Our scripture lessons will move from a focus on the second coming of Christ to the Good News of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. It is a journey worth taking. These are questions worth asking. This is the only Messiah worth waiting for. How long will the wicked prosper? How much suffering will we have to endure before the coming of the Lord? Why do illness and pestilence, war and violence seem to be the order of the age? When is the dawn of peace? The church in Advent, rehearses the most impor- tant big wait – the coming of the Lord. Advent is a season of hope, a season of anticipation, a time of waiting and yearning. “Come Lord Jesus!” See you in worship. Peace,
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Transcript
On the INSIDE
Fellowship/CE ..................... 2-4
Mission ................................ 4-6
Stewardship/Youth................. 6
Birthdays/Milestones.............. 7
New Members ..................... 8,9
Vespers On Sunday, December 21, at
4:00 p.m., all of the choirs will present a
Christmas Vespers Service in the
Sanctuary. Come and be inspired by
the telling of the Christmas story
through music, dance, and congrega-
tional singing.
A Publication of The Presbyterian Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia Lamp
Led by the Holy Spirit, we glorify, nurture, witness.
December
2014 The Big Wait
This time of year seems to have been commandeered by the
merchandisers and materialist culture around us; it is sometimes
difficult to imagine any other day or perspective. We agree that for
shoppers and children, these weeks seem to be a countdown: How
many days until school is out? How many days left to purchase gifts?
How long before the presents appear under the tree?
The church has asked significant questions of its own during Advent
(from the Latin adventus – the coming toward, the advance – the same
root as our word “adventure”). Through the ages, during times when
the Church was persecuted, powerful, pervasive, marginal, obscure,
isolated, growing, and culturally enmeshed, we always used the four
Sundays before Christmas as a time to ask about the wait. It is a time
to recollect the hope of the coming of Christ, and to look forward to
Christ’s coming again. Our scripture lessons will move from a focus
on the second coming of Christ to the Good News of Christ’s birth in
Bethlehem. It is a journey worth taking. These are questions worth
asking. This is the only Messiah worth waiting for.
How long will the wicked prosper? How much suffering will we
have to endure before the coming of the Lord? Why do illness and
pestilence, war and violence seem to be the order of the age? When is
the dawn of peace? The church in Advent, rehearses the most impor-
tant big wait – the coming of the Lord.
Advent is a season of hope, a season of anticipation, a time of
Celebration of Women – A Selection of Words and Paintings, Helen Exley
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy, C.S. Lewis
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, C.S. Lewis
In This Mountain, Jan Karon
The Glenbrooke Series – Secrets, Robin Jones Gunn
Cosmic Christmas, Max Lucado
A Skelton in God’s Closet, Paul Maier
True Believer, Nicholas Sparks
The Last Disciple, Hank Hanegraff
Plain Perfect, Beth Wisemen
The Annie Dillard Reader – Selections from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Teaching a Stone to Talk, Holy the Firm, An American Childhood and The Living, Annie Dillard
Missing Library Books (Continued from page 3)
Advent Study Let us begin our watch this Advent season by joining a discussion during Church
School of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens which begins on Sunday,
November 30, and runs through Sunday, December 21, with repeat sessions on
Tuesdays, December 2, 9, and 16 at 7:00 pm. Please join us for discussion and