Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year!
As I sat down to write this, I realized that this will be
the last “weekly” email for 2013, and my last for a few weeks. Next
Thursday is Boxing Day, and I am not going to be in the office. The
Thursday after that is January 2, 2014, and I am not going to be in the office
then either, both these days are part of my Christmas holidays. The
Thursday after that is January 9, which is the day after my scheduled surgery
(gall bladder), I will not be in the office, but an email may come out that
week. So I think the next email I will be sending will be coming out on
Jan 16.
That being said, I have managed to keep the email
relatively short!
Worship
Sunday,
Dec 22, - The Fourth (and last) Sunday of Advent. This is
the Sunday of Love and of Light, and is also this year, the day after the
longest night of the year. The time at the Manger will look at the Gift
of Blessing. The Scripture Readings are Isaiah 7: 10-16 and Matthew 1:
18-25. The Sermon title is “Light in the Darkness.”
Christmas
Eve, Dec 24
– The Service is at 6:30pm. It will be the Christmas story in Scripture
and music. We are hoping to have an impromptu pageant as part of the
Service. If there are children (or teens) who would like to participate,
come a little bit early. We will assign roles and arrange costumes on the
spot, but the actors do not need to learn or say in lines.
Cinnamon
Bun Sunday, Dec 29
– Usual time of 10:30 am, come and enjoy a more relaxed Service. As
we gather to sing songs and hear some stories, we share some nice hot cinnamon
buns. The Service is held in the Lower Hall. The theme of this
year’s Cinnamon Bun Sunday is “Songs we sing at Christmas.” I will be telling
stories about three songs we sing at Christmas
that are just a bit strange. One is about a bad date, one is based on
very strange history and one proclaims some impossible geography.
Epiphany
Sunday, January 5, 2014 – Epiphany in Western Christianity, of which we are a
part, is about the arrival of the Wise Men, Magi, or Three Kings in
Bethlehem. There is an ancient legend that when each of the three
approached the Manger, each saw someone different lying there. Who do you
see in the manger? This Sunday will also include the celebration of
Communion.
Christmas
Hampers
Hamper
shopping
will be done on Saturday, Dec 21. Please meet at the Church at 6:00 pm
for pizza before we head out to Walmart to shop. If you have bought children’s
gifts to go with the hampers the gifts must be brought to the church on
Sunday, Dec. 22. For more information call the church office. If
you are sponsoring a hamper, please send in your money as soon as
possible. If you want to put it in the offering on Sunday, make sure that
you indicate on the envelope or cheque that the money is for a hamper
sponsorship.
Men’s
Breakfast
This
Saturday, Dec 21 is Men’s Breakfast. All men associated with Spirit West
are welcome to attend. We meet at 8:00 am in the Lower Hall. We
usually throw in $10 each to cover the food and to build up the “Men’s
Breakfast Maintenance Fund” which is used to fund small maintenance jobs around
the church.
Spirit
West Prayer Chain
As
many of you know, Spirit West has a Prayer Chain, a group of people who have
committed to continue our prayers of concern from Sunday through the
week. To be part of this ministry, email your request to spiritwest.prayerchain@gmail.com . You may also email a request for prayer
to the same email address.
Dates
to Remember
(Y) Youth
of Edmonton United Event
F Saturday , Dec 21– 8:00 am, Men’s Breakfast –
Lower HallF Saturday, Dec 21, - 6:00 pm, Pizza and Hamper Shopping – meet at the church
F Sunday, Dec 22 – 10:30 am, Sunday Service – Advent 4
F Tuesday, Dec 24 – 6:30 pm, Christmas Eve Service – “Let us go to Bethlehem”
F Sunday, Dec 29 – 10:30 am, Cinnamon Bun Sunday – meet in the Lower Hall
F Sunday, Jan 5, 2014 – 10:30 am, Epiphany Sunday – Worship with Communion
Again, Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year!
Larry
(Rev.)
Larry K. Wright, CD, BA, MDiv
MinisterSpirit West United Church
780-481-1406
Spiritwest.minister@telus.net
Spiritwest.org
