-Cindy Joy 2019

In this very short, extremely busy, and somewhat chaotic Advent Season, one thing that has stood out to me so much has been the ways I’ve seen people working and serving together! Putting up and decorating the Chrismon Tree;  preparing our sanctuary for special services of worship; children, youth and adults giving of their time to prepare the beautiful music of this season for services and programs; those who have pitched in to help with all kinds of tasks, great and small,  around the church; but most of all, the many, many  ways people reach out to support, love, and care for one another!

In I Corinthians 12, we read about the ‘body of Christ’ which is the clearest statement about teamwork in the Bible.  The ‘body of Christ’ is all of us sharing our time, talents, gifts, skills and abilities as we work together in unity!  It takes many willing hearts and hands to do the work of the church as we build the kingdom of God on this earth!

As we move through the final days of this Advent season, I pray that we will strive to prepare in our hearts a worthy dwelling for this Christ Child.  It is only through this Child, that we can truly experience the eternal hope, deep peace, indescribable joy, and fullness of the love He brings to each one of us!

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given.
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him, still the dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us we pray.
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today!
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell.
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel.

~Phillips Brooks, 1865