December 22, 2013 - Advent 4 - Love

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 Hall
F  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

Minister
Spirit West United Church
780-481-1406
Spiritwest.minister@telus.net

Spiritwest.org