Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
I am Richard Finley, so your program is correct from
that point. I'm here to talk about the alms for December.
It's the Christmas food baskets. It's a wonderful yearly tradition
here at FAB. This year we're helping seventy two families.
They're from Central City Elementary, Cable, Huntington Hospital, FAB Daycare,
(00:34):
and our own congregation. And these are not some cute
little picnic basket. Each recipient gets two of these field
full and they have items for meals, breakfasts, paper towels.
(00:55):
There's a fifty dollars restricted gift card to Walmart because
it's on the bus line, and there's also other items
like blankets and hand sanitizer. How can you help with
this mission. You can sponsor a basket for two hundred
and thirty five dollars, but any donation that is appreciated.
(01:16):
You can just put a memo of a food basket
on the check line. You can be here on December
thirteenth at nine thirty in the morning in the Fellowship
Hall to help pack. It's really a blessing to do this.
I did it last year and helped deliver the baskets
(01:37):
to Central city, and when we were done, the room
was full and the staff was tearfully thankful.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
For what we brought.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
There's also distribution on Saturday the fourteenth that you can
help out with, and if you have any questions, you
can call the Church office.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Good morning, Please join me in the call to worship.
The days are surely coming, says the Lord. When I
will fulfill the promise I made to the House of Israel,
in the House of Judah in those days, and at
that time I will call a righteous branch to spring
up from David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness
(02:28):
in the land. In those days, Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will live in safety, and it will be
called the Lord is our Righteousness. The days are surely coming,
says the Lord.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
In advent, we await the.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Coming of the Christ Child.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Thanks be to God.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
Jesus spots Sachs scrape this time Scholas spots s.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Good morning.
Speaker 6 (05:18):
Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, We come to
you in this joyous season, thinking of the hope that
is to come.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
To look forward to.
Speaker 6 (05:30):
We thank you for the day, the weather, and all
those that are here. We ask that your Holy Spirit
will come upon this place and dwell among us. We
pray that you be with Jana as she delivers your
message to us. And we ask all these things in
your Son's name, who taught us to pray. Our Father,
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who art in heaven. Hallow'd be thy name, Thy Kingdom. Come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
And give us this day our daily bread. And forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
(06:18):
For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the
glory Forever Amen.
Speaker 7 (06:48):
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse.
From his roots, a branch will bear fruit. The spirit
of the Lord will rest on him, the spirit of
wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of might,
the spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.
And he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
(07:11):
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears. But
with righteousness. He will judge the needy with justice. He
will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He
will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
with the breath of his lips, he will slay the wicked.
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Righteousness will be his belt, and faithfulness the sash around
his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb. The
leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf and
the lion and the yearling together, and a little child
will lead them.
Speaker 8 (07:55):
Please join me in the responsive reading. Now is the
time of watching and waiting, the time of the expectation
of life. Now is the season of hope unfolding, dark
winter season when hope is waiting to be born. Let
(08:19):
us come before God with receptive and willing hearts. Maybe
rejoice in the name of Jesus, who comes bringing life
and hope.
Speaker 9 (09:33):
I'd like to write the children down at this time.
Speaker 10 (09:43):
Sky, isn't it?
Speaker 9 (09:49):
Hello? Friends? How is everybody today? Doing? Good? Good? Good?
Everybody coming down from the balcony.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
I feel like we do.
Speaker 9 (09:56):
It's okay, Hello, there they come. I knew we had
some friends. Well, it's good to see you all.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
And now if you look around the church, look around,
look around, it's clear we're preparing for something special.
Speaker 9 (10:13):
Christmas that's right. And Jesus's Birthday that's right.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
And today is the very first Sunday of Advent, and
the word advent means to prepare for the arrival of
someone whose arrival are we preparing for Jesus? We're preparing
for Jesus to arrive. Well, we'll celebrate Advent over the
next four weeks, which will then lead to Christmas. And today,
(10:42):
the first Sunday of Advent is the Sunday of what
did you guys hear yet?
Speaker 9 (10:46):
Hope? That's right, the Sunday of hope. Good job.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Well, now to prepare for Christmas and the arrival of Jesus.
One thing that really catches my eye in here, and
my favorite part of Christmas decorations and traditions.
Speaker 9 (11:01):
Is the Christmas tree. Who has their tree up? Okay,
let's raise your hand. Okay, I see, I see.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
All right, Well, we'll be using this Christmas tree as
our object each week, each Sunday, and we will add
objects to it and talk about different things. Okay, well
today we're gonna talk about the tree topper. Now, people
have different things they put on top of their tree.
What's on top of your tree?
Speaker 9 (11:27):
Lydia, ask, Lydia?
Speaker 10 (11:29):
What is it?
Speaker 9 (11:31):
A star? Very good?
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Does anybody else want to share what's on your Charlotte
and oh, very good.
Speaker 9 (11:38):
Ornament.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Okay, Now we have a special tree in here. It's
called the Chrisman tree. Can anyone see what's on.
Speaker 7 (11:43):
Top of it?
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Over there?
Speaker 9 (11:44):
You have to look really closely. Can they tell it's
not an angel? It does fly?
Speaker 3 (11:50):
It is a bird, a dove. That's right, it's a dove.
That's what's on top of that tree. Not on our tree.
What are we putting an angel? Did you know that
a angel means a messenger from God.
Speaker 9 (12:03):
That's what the word angel means.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Well, there were a few angels in the Christmas story,
but today the angel we're talking about, his name was Gabriel.
Speaker 9 (12:12):
God sent this special messenger to a young woman. Do
you know who it was?
Speaker 11 (12:17):
Mary?
Speaker 10 (12:18):
A woman named.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
Mary, And at first she was a little bit scared,
but Gabriel.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Said to her, do not be afraid. Mary, you have
found favor with God. You will give birth to a son,
and you are to call him what Jesus.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
He will be great, and he.
Speaker 9 (12:34):
Will be called the Son of the Most High, the
Lord God.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Will give him the throne of his father David, and
he will reign forever.
Speaker 9 (12:42):
His kingdom will never end. Well, that would be pretty
shocking and frightening to hear.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
And Mary was probably confused by this message because having
this baby, the son of God was not part of
her plans.
Speaker 9 (12:56):
But she had hope in.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
No that God's plan was much bigger than she could
see or know.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
So she said, I am the Lord's servant. May your
word to me be fulfilled. And then the angel left her. Well,
because Mary's responded, responded and trust and faith and hope.
Speaker 9 (13:20):
God sent the whole world hope when he sent Jesus.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Now, this type of hope isn't like I'm hoping for
the best Christmas present ever under my Christmas tree.
Speaker 7 (13:30):
Right.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
This kind of hope reminds us that we can be
sure what God has promised to us is true. Even
when we're scared or we're sad about things of this world.
We don't have to feel like all is lost. When
Jesus came to earth, he gave his people hope. He
brightened the darkness that God's people were living in and
that we still live in today.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
He gave people a new chance at life with hope.
Speaker 9 (13:56):
That can only be found in him.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
When Mary got this mess from the Angel, Mary trusted
God because he had been faithful in the past, and
today we can still trust him and have hope because
God showed how loving and faithful he is when he
came to us as Jesus. Now we're going to pray,
and afterward pray. We're going to continue preparing for the
(14:22):
hope that the birth of Jesus brought at Christmas.
Speaker 9 (14:25):
And we're going to put the rest of the ornaments that.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Are left on the tree over there on another tree,
for it's just all about trees today, on the chrism
on tree. Norah will hand you an ornament after we pray,
and you can put it up on the tree, Okay.
And next week we'll have our topper on this tree
and we'll add something else to it. All right, let's pray,
Dear God, thank you for the angel Gabriel who brought
(14:49):
Mary that important message, and for the hope it has
given everyone ever since that day through your son Jesus.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Amen with you.
Speaker 5 (16:16):
Mystres Street.
Speaker 10 (16:26):
Stream to speak.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
My song is St. St. St. Say.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
So let's pray.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
Lord.
Speaker 12 (18:06):
We see you high.
Speaker 13 (18:09):
Clothed in dreadful majesty upon the throne, and we fear
to approach you and fear to come near. But at
that moment you've been down lowly, even to the form
of a child, to give us grace and to give
(18:30):
us hope and to dwell among us. And we are blessed.
We are greatly blessed, Lord, and we bring before you
this day our treasures, our talents, our time to serve
you in this world.
Speaker 11 (18:48):
Amen, is.
Speaker 5 (22:27):
Colas school rising, all pats racing us song like.
Speaker 11 (22:49):
School?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Will you join me in prayer? Almighty and everlasting God.
We thank you for who you are and who you
have called us to be. We thank you for the
hope that you offered to all of us through the baby,
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through your son Jesus. This morning we come to you
and lay our burdens and our joys at your feet,
knowing that you are with us, bringing us hope despite
our circumstances. This morning, God, we long to say, we
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trust you. We know you are with us, We know
that you are for us, We know that you are
not against us. So God, whatever we bring into this
sanctuary this morning, whatever thoughts, feelings, hurts, pain's joy, struggles,
(24:03):
we lay it at your feet, knowing that the words
of the Angel are true, that nothing is impossible with
you in Christ's Name Omen.
Speaker 12 (24:33):
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awful through long ages of the pause. Through is a
(24:53):
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(25:15):
norfol short popple Son of an.
Speaker 5 (25:18):
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Speaker 14 (25:25):
View spe Child Cratial Skill to.
Speaker 15 (25:46):
Cumn Leaf novel to a Barnami's a and n Norfol Shot.
Speaker 11 (26:02):
Lo s.
Speaker 16 (26:05):
Album, Lene Lei Norfld She has a board as a man,
new Leaf short to snap album Jesus.
Speaker 5 (26:33):
On Call Ever come almost flast of way.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Laura and doctor Lee, thank you so much. I find
great joy, particularly and Laura. Seeing her growing up and
serving the Lord is such a joy for me, just
as many of you in this congregation. Being able to
watch you grow up and serve the Lord. It's really special.
Thank you for sharing. Our scripture reading today comes from
(28:05):
Luke chapter one, verses twenty six through fifty six. It reads,
in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the
angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a
virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph
a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The
(28:29):
angel went to her and said, greetings, you, who are
highly favored. The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly
troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting
this might be. But the angel said to her, do
not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
(28:50):
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and
you are to call him Jesus. He will be great
and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his
father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever.
His kingdom will never end. How will this be, Mary
(29:12):
answered the angel, since I am a virgin. The angel answered,
the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
of the Most High will ever shadow you. So the
holy one to be born will be called the Son
of God. Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have
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a child in her old age, and she who was
said to be unable to conceive, is in her six month.
For nothing is impossible with God. I am the Lord's servant.
Mary answered, may your word to me be fulfilled, and
then the angel left her. After that time, Mary got
(29:55):
ready and hurried to a town in the hill country
of Judea, where she entered Zachariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a
loud voice, she exclaimed, blessed are you among women? And
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blessed is the child that you will bear? But why
am I so favored that the mother of my Lord
should come to me? As soon as the sound of
your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb
leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that
the Lord will fill his promise to her. Let's pray
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this morning, God help us to believe. Amen. Well, it
is wonderful to be back with you again this week.
This sanctuary. He certainly has been transformed from Thanksgiving to
the Advent season. And it's wonderful also to have an
opportunity to worship with one of our families, closest friends
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and partners, and ministry. Doctor Cliff Winners, who served at
Fifth Avenue Baptist Church from two thousand and six to
twenty eleven as one of its ministers, is here to
worship among us. He currently is serving at New England
Chapel in Boston. Is a published author and a professor
(31:33):
at Palmer Theological Seminary. It wasn't too long ago that
he and I shared this pulpit during his ordination day. Cliff,
it's good to be in worship with you this morning, everybody,
and I am certain that as you can hear, your
fab family is glad that you are with them as well.
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Today is the Sunday of Hope. The first candle has
been lit and hymns are being sung as Christmas praises
as we gathered together. It is a new season, but
a season that is very familiar to all of us,
a season that is set apart as we count down
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the days to celebrate Jesus. Today's passage begins by hearing
the news from Gabriel that she will have a baby,
that Mary is the chosen one by God to give
birth to God's son. Today is also December first, twenty
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five days till Christmas. The calendar has turned, a new
month has begun. This morning we woke up to falling snow.
Wasn't it beautiful? Falling snow? A dusting. That is another
reminder that a new season is among us. This past week,
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at our dinner table, we discussed about the different months
of the year and how some months are shorter than others.
We sang the familiar song or the poem that says
thirty days half September, April, June, and November. All the
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rest have thirty one except for February alone, which has
twenty eight, unless it's a leap year and it has
twenty nine. The poem is often taught in schools. Some
say it dates back to the fourteen twenty five and
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was first published in fifteen sixty two. Carolyn, my thirteen
year old, who is extremely organized, meticulous, structured, orderly, logical
and rational, also extremely reasonable, then said, I don't understand
if we just had thirteen months, then each day would
(34:10):
have twenty eight days. It never has made sense to
me either, why our months are so disproportionate. She has
a good point, but I'm pretty sure this is a
battle she's not going to win. Although wouldn't you be
grateful for another month in the year, especially around the holidays.
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The Christian calendar is also something that has also created
for us to provide seasons and rhythm as disciples of Christ.
Quite early in church history, there was a desire to
structure the disciplines of worship and prayer on the significant
hours and days of the life of Christ. Christian calendars
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were developed and framed primarily around the seasons of central importance.
I guess you can guess what those are, Christmas and Easter,
the birth and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If December
twenty fifth is the day that we mark as Jesus' birthday,
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then the date nine months earlier is the date in
which we would celebrate and recognize what happened to Mary
nine months prior. This day became known as Annunciation Day,
the day in which Gabriel announced to Mary that she
would give birth to a son, that she was chosen
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by God. So I will leave it to you if
you would like to travel with me to March twenty fifth,
as spring is beginning to bloom, or if you want
to stay in the cold winter of December first, at
the beginning of Advent. Your choice. But either way, we
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see her here that the Angel gives Mary news that
she will spend the next nine months of her life
processing what is happening to her and what God is
doing in and through her life. Today's scripture provides us
a context clue of how Mary and we as followers
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of Christ can discern the will of God. Our joys
and our struggles are wanderings and wanderings through relationship with
other believers. And verse thirty six, Gabriel says these words,
even your relative who is going to have a child
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in her old age, and she who was unable to conceive,
is in her six month For nothing is impossible with God.
In a day when you could not pick up a phone,
send a text, write an email, Facebook, snap, Instagram, or tweet.
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Here is an angel who is giving Mary information that
she needed to connect with someone else who was experiencing
then possible, the unthinkable, the remarkable, unparalleled, unheard of, mind
blowing miracle of new life in an unexpected way. Mary
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could have stayed home and alone processed what was happening
to her, but in that moment, she wanted to be
with someone else who also was experiencing the power of
God and the impossible. Scripture says that Mary immediately got
up in haste. The Greek word here spoudet, which means
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with diligence, speed care, and in earnest to travel to
Galilee to Judea. It is roughly eighty to one hundred miles.
It is not clear in scripture if Mary joined a
caravan of others making the trip, but whether she walked
alone to reach her or traveled with others. She was
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willing to take a risk to get to Elizabeth as
quickly as possible. There was only one time in my
life that I was pregnant at the same time as
another member of my family. My sister Nicka and I
were pregnant for six weeks together. That's probably all God
thought that we could do together. She was in her
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eight month of pregnancy for my nephew Hampton when I
found out that I was pregnant for my daughter Carolyn.
I can tell you that she was the first person
I wanted to tell that I was aspecting, and I
will never forget her joy and her squealing and a
hug in the back of a car when I told
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her the news. There is something remarkable that takes place
when joy can be experienced and shared together. In the
book The Hospitality of God, Brendan Bayram writes a favorite
design of the gospel of Luke is to bring two
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individuals together, both whom have had religious experiences that they
only partially understand. When they share their experiences their individual experiences,
it becomes a communal experience and in the process it
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finds its full meaning. This is first experience in Luke's
writings when Mary enters a Elizabeth's home, where for several
months she finds hospitality. When Mary enters Elizabeth's home feeling
the reaction of her son's joy inside her womb, prompted
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by the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth pronounces Mary blessed among women
and exclaims in wonder that she was found worthy to
give hospitality to the mother of her Lord. She is
the first to give hospitality to Jesus, only to find
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themselves drawn into the hospitality of God. Elizabeth singles out
Mary's faith as an instrument of her blessedness. She simply
believed and was willing to serve. As Mary hears and
explains the reaction of her older relative, it further confirms
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that she has experienced, indeed the truth and because of
her trust in God and the trust she finds and
a fellow woman, she also believes in what she has
experienced what she has experienced from God and the confirmation
she felt from somebody who also could feel the spirit
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inside of them. Mary is assured of her calling and
it is received. The two women and the two stories
come together, and faith overflows into knowledge, testimony, and into celebration.
And the meeting of these two women in the hospitality
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for one another exchanged, we see the beginnings of community
that will be shared and celebrated for the blessing of salvation.
The visitation of these two also show us of what
God God is doing in the lives of two women
and in the world. Elizabeth is mature in her years.
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She is a wife of a priest who was also
part of the ancient order of things in Israel. Having
a child in her old age is a reminder of
the past of Sarah and Hannah and others who have
experienced God's promise through unlikely births of the old and
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the baron. But Mary was different. She was young, a
new life, a virgin with the promise of what was
to come in the future. She and her child do
not remind us of the past, but instead of them
as the beginning of a new history, a new future
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of what God's work is doing, and since it was
planned in the beginning history a new beginning, something never
experienced before, something was different. And yet in both of
their stories there is a central theme. Two women who
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can say to one another as humble servants that nothing
is impossible. With God, nothing is impossible. Whether it was
a woman well along in her years or a woman
who was a virgin, both had experienced miraculous and experienced
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that nothing could be impossible with God. Sometimes in our
lives it's hard to believe that then possible can be
overcome when life seems overwhelming, when we don't understand where
God is and what he is doing, it can become
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very isolating, dark and even scary, where we can flood
our minds and our hearts, and instantly we can be
met with despair and the fear of what ifs. But
Mary's haste reminds us that we are not alone, and
Gabriel's contact clue is a gift to us that when
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we are feeling alone and afraid, God not only gives
us his spirit, but he gives us each other. He
gives us one another, those who are filled with the
Holy Spirit, to discern, to uplift to pray and to listen,
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and to walk beside one of us and are on
our journeys. Elizabeth was there for Mary, and in turn,
Mary was there for Elizabeth. Scripture says Mary stayed with
Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home three months.
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After six months three plus six is nine, Mary was
there to welcome the birth of John her Son, who
was able to then welcome in an usher in Jesus
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to prepare the way. What a testimony of two women
who showed up for each other, who were there to
help walk alongside one another through their doubt, through their wandering,
through their struggle, through wandering? God, What are you doing?
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And what an example they are to us as followers
of Christ. This is how we are supposed to show
up for one another.
Speaker 9 (46:08):
The church.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Discerning what God wants us to do is not meant
to be done alone. We are meant to walk alongside
each other. So I ask you, do you feel isolated
in your struggle? Are you asking? Are you asking God
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and others to help you along your journey of faith?
Are you asking someone to pray for you and your
time is spiritual discernment or struggle? Are you asking one
another how you can pray for them? Are you holding
back in your joys afraid that someone else may not
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believe what God is doing in and through your life?
Are we showing up the way for one another the
same way that Mary and Elizabeth showed up for each other.
Each one of us needs to be reminded that nothing
is impossible with God, to see the hope that Christ
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offers to us, to keep us pointed towards the goal,
which is Christ, to not only live, but to live abundantly.
As this season of Advent begins, my prayer for you
is that you look around this room and you see
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your brother and sister, and you ask, how can I
offer hope to one another? How can I pray for
my brother and sister? How can I support somebody who
is in need? Certainly you will be doing that outside
of the walls as well, just as Richard shared about
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the food baskets. But there are people in here that
need you, and frankly, people that are not sitting in
these pews right now that need to know of the
hope of Jesus Christ, people that know the love of
God you that need to share the love of God
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with others. I want to conclude today by sharing with
you what Mary experienced after her time with Elizabeth. The
words that she shared, Mary's magnificat is what it is called,
and the joy that she experienced because she knew through
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the power of the Holy Spirit and through a believer
that also had the Spirit inside of her, what she
experienced as her new song. And Mary said, my soul
glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior,
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for he has been mindful of a humble state of
his servant. For now on, generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me.
Holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who
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fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty
deeds with his arm. He has scattered those who are
proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers
from thrones, but has lifted up the humble. He has
filled the hungry with good things, but he has sent
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the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors. Hope comes through promise,
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Hope can spee experience through each of us. Let us pray, God,
we are part of a big, big picture of what
you are doing in this world, and you have created
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us to be a family, a family of believers who
are called to help one another on this journey of
knowing You and making you known. Although our relationship with
you is very personal and personal, our relationship with one
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another is the way that we live that out. So Father,
I pray that this Advent season that we will be
a beacon of hope to one another, that we will
show up for one another the way that Mary and
Elizabeth showed up with one another, so that we might
help usher in the hope that comes through the Christ
(51:21):
Child and Your Holy name. We pray, Amen, we will
join together in singing our hymn of commitment, which is
number five, Nope, seven fifty four. And I'll be standing
down here if any of you has a decision that
you would like to make, or I invite you just
(51:43):
to simply to pray where you are that God will
bring to you the hope that can be shared with others.
With stand and sing.
Speaker 11 (52:13):
S s ss S S s s s s S.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
Again, thank you all for being in worship today. Doctor
Tim Moore will be back with you the next weeks,
and I'll look forward to worshiping with you again on
December twenty second, and also on Christmas Eve. Let's leave
in prayer. God, once again we come to you, Thank
You for the hope, and as we leave this place,
(55:15):
allow our lives to be becons of your hope, empowered
through your Holy Spirit to walk beside each other throughout
this world. In Christ name, Amen, not
Speaker 5 (56:54):
S S s SA
I am Richard Finley, so your program is correct from
that point. I'm here to talk about the alms for December.
It's the Christmas food baskets. It's a wonderful yearly tradition
here at FAB. This year we're helping seventy two families.
They're from Central City Elementary, Cable, Huntington Hospital, FAB Daycare,
(00:34):
and our own congregation. And these are not some cute
little picnic basket. Each recipient gets two of these field
full and they have items for meals, breakfasts, paper towels.
(00:55):
There's a fifty dollars restricted gift card to Walmart because
it's on the bus line, and there's also other items
like blankets and hand sanitizer. How can you help with
this mission. You can sponsor a basket for two hundred
and thirty five dollars, but any donation that is appreciated.
(01:16):
You can just put a memo of a food basket
on the check line. You can be here on December
thirteenth at nine thirty in the morning in the Fellowship
Hall to help pack. It's really a blessing to do this.
I did it last year and helped deliver the baskets
(01:37):
to Central city, and when we were done, the room
was full and the staff was tearfully thankful.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
For what we brought.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
There's also distribution on Saturday the fourteenth that you can
help out with, and if you have any questions, you
can call the Church office.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Good morning, Please join me in the call to worship.
The days are surely coming, says the Lord. When I
will fulfill the promise I made to the House of Israel,
in the House of Judah in those days, and at
that time I will call a righteous branch to spring
up from David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness
(02:28):
in the land. In those days, Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will live in safety, and it will be
called the Lord is our Righteousness. The days are surely coming,
says the Lord.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
In advent, we await the.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Coming of the Christ Child.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Thanks be to God.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
Jesus spots Sachs scrape this time Scholas spots s.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Good morning.
Speaker 6 (05:18):
Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, We come to
you in this joyous season, thinking of the hope that
is to come.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
To look forward to.
Speaker 6 (05:30):
We thank you for the day, the weather, and all
those that are here. We ask that your Holy Spirit
will come upon this place and dwell among us. We
pray that you be with Jana as she delivers your
message to us. And we ask all these things in
your Son's name, who taught us to pray. Our Father,
(05:53):
who art in heaven. Hallow'd be thy name, Thy Kingdom. Come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
And give us this day our daily bread. And forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
(06:18):
For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the
glory Forever Amen.
Speaker 7 (06:48):
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse.
From his roots, a branch will bear fruit. The spirit
of the Lord will rest on him, the spirit of
wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of might,
the spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.
And he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
(07:11):
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears. But
with righteousness. He will judge the needy with justice. He
will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He
will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
with the breath of his lips, he will slay the wicked.
(07:33):
Righteousness will be his belt, and faithfulness the sash around
his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb. The
leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf and
the lion and the yearling together, and a little child
will lead them.
Speaker 8 (07:55):
Please join me in the responsive reading. Now is the
time of watching and waiting, the time of the expectation
of life. Now is the season of hope unfolding, dark
winter season when hope is waiting to be born. Let
(08:19):
us come before God with receptive and willing hearts. Maybe
rejoice in the name of Jesus, who comes bringing life
and hope.
Speaker 9 (09:33):
I'd like to write the children down at this time.
Speaker 10 (09:43):
Sky, isn't it?
Speaker 9 (09:49):
Hello? Friends? How is everybody today? Doing? Good? Good? Good?
Everybody coming down from the balcony.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
I feel like we do.
Speaker 9 (09:56):
It's okay, Hello, there they come. I knew we had
some friends. Well, it's good to see you all.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
And now if you look around the church, look around,
look around, it's clear we're preparing for something special.
Speaker 9 (10:13):
Christmas that's right. And Jesus's Birthday that's right.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
And today is the very first Sunday of Advent, and
the word advent means to prepare for the arrival of
someone whose arrival are we preparing for Jesus? We're preparing
for Jesus to arrive. Well, we'll celebrate Advent over the
next four weeks, which will then lead to Christmas. And today,
(10:42):
the first Sunday of Advent is the Sunday of what
did you guys hear yet?
Speaker 9 (10:46):
Hope? That's right, the Sunday of hope. Good job.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Well, now to prepare for Christmas and the arrival of Jesus.
One thing that really catches my eye in here, and
my favorite part of Christmas decorations and traditions.
Speaker 9 (11:01):
Is the Christmas tree. Who has their tree up? Okay,
let's raise your hand. Okay, I see, I see.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
All right, Well, we'll be using this Christmas tree as
our object each week, each Sunday, and we will add
objects to it and talk about different things. Okay, well
today we're gonna talk about the tree topper. Now, people
have different things they put on top of their tree.
What's on top of your tree?
Speaker 9 (11:27):
Lydia, ask, Lydia?
Speaker 10 (11:29):
What is it?
Speaker 9 (11:31):
A star? Very good?
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Does anybody else want to share what's on your Charlotte
and oh, very good.
Speaker 9 (11:38):
Ornament.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Okay, Now we have a special tree in here. It's
called the Chrisman tree. Can anyone see what's on.
Speaker 7 (11:43):
Top of it?
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Over there?
Speaker 9 (11:44):
You have to look really closely. Can they tell it's
not an angel? It does fly?
Speaker 3 (11:50):
It is a bird, a dove. That's right, it's a dove.
That's what's on top of that tree. Not on our tree.
What are we putting an angel? Did you know that
a angel means a messenger from God.
Speaker 9 (12:03):
That's what the word angel means.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Well, there were a few angels in the Christmas story,
but today the angel we're talking about, his name was Gabriel.
Speaker 9 (12:12):
God sent this special messenger to a young woman. Do
you know who it was?
Speaker 11 (12:17):
Mary?
Speaker 10 (12:18):
A woman named.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
Mary, And at first she was a little bit scared,
but Gabriel.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Said to her, do not be afraid. Mary, you have
found favor with God. You will give birth to a son,
and you are to call him what Jesus.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
He will be great, and he.
Speaker 9 (12:34):
Will be called the Son of the Most High, the
Lord God.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Will give him the throne of his father David, and
he will reign forever.
Speaker 9 (12:42):
His kingdom will never end. Well, that would be pretty
shocking and frightening to hear.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
And Mary was probably confused by this message because having
this baby, the son of God was not part of
her plans.
Speaker 9 (12:56):
But she had hope in.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
No that God's plan was much bigger than she could
see or know.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
So she said, I am the Lord's servant. May your
word to me be fulfilled. And then the angel left her. Well,
because Mary's responded, responded and trust and faith and hope.
Speaker 9 (13:20):
God sent the whole world hope when he sent Jesus.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Now, this type of hope isn't like I'm hoping for
the best Christmas present ever under my Christmas tree.
Speaker 7 (13:30):
Right.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
This kind of hope reminds us that we can be
sure what God has promised to us is true. Even
when we're scared or we're sad about things of this world.
We don't have to feel like all is lost. When
Jesus came to earth, he gave his people hope. He
brightened the darkness that God's people were living in and
that we still live in today.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
He gave people a new chance at life with hope.
Speaker 9 (13:56):
That can only be found in him.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
When Mary got this mess from the Angel, Mary trusted
God because he had been faithful in the past, and
today we can still trust him and have hope because
God showed how loving and faithful he is when he
came to us as Jesus. Now we're going to pray,
and afterward pray. We're going to continue preparing for the
(14:22):
hope that the birth of Jesus brought at Christmas.
Speaker 9 (14:25):
And we're going to put the rest of the ornaments that.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Are left on the tree over there on another tree,
for it's just all about trees today, on the chrism
on tree. Norah will hand you an ornament after we pray,
and you can put it up on the tree, Okay.
And next week we'll have our topper on this tree
and we'll add something else to it. All right, let's pray,
Dear God, thank you for the angel Gabriel who brought
(14:49):
Mary that important message, and for the hope it has
given everyone ever since that day through your son Jesus.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Amen with you.
Speaker 5 (16:16):
Mystres Street.
Speaker 10 (16:26):
Stream to speak.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
My song is St. St. St. Say.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
So let's pray.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
Lord.
Speaker 12 (18:06):
We see you high.
Speaker 13 (18:09):
Clothed in dreadful majesty upon the throne, and we fear
to approach you and fear to come near. But at
that moment you've been down lowly, even to the form
of a child, to give us grace and to give
(18:30):
us hope and to dwell among us. And we are blessed.
We are greatly blessed, Lord, and we bring before you
this day our treasures, our talents, our time to serve
you in this world.
Speaker 11 (18:48):
Amen, is.
Speaker 5 (22:27):
Colas school rising, all pats racing us song like.
Speaker 11 (22:49):
School?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Will you join me in prayer? Almighty and everlasting God.
We thank you for who you are and who you
have called us to be. We thank you for the
hope that you offered to all of us through the baby,
(23:22):
through your son Jesus. This morning we come to you
and lay our burdens and our joys at your feet,
knowing that you are with us, bringing us hope despite
our circumstances. This morning, God, we long to say, we
(23:42):
trust you. We know you are with us, We know
that you are for us, We know that you are
not against us. So God, whatever we bring into this
sanctuary this morning, whatever thoughts, feelings, hurts, pain's joy, struggles,
(24:03):
we lay it at your feet, knowing that the words
of the Angel are true, that nothing is impossible with
you in Christ's Name Omen.
Speaker 12 (24:33):
And lead it awful jellbar Envy said, and lett it
awful through long ages of the pause. Through is a
(24:53):
fortil discoming through long ages of lor pause. Other toys
Commas and Latifer Noveo to a Bardsname's at and latif
(25:15):
norfol short popple Son of an.
Speaker 5 (25:18):
Animal, long.
Speaker 14 (25:25):
View spe Child Cratial Skill to.
Speaker 15 (25:46):
Cumn Leaf novel to a Barnami's a and n Norfol Shot.
Speaker 11 (26:02):
Lo s.
Speaker 16 (26:05):
Album, Lene Lei Norfld She has a board as a man,
new Leaf short to snap album Jesus.
Speaker 5 (26:33):
On Call Ever come almost flast of way.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Laura and doctor Lee, thank you so much. I find
great joy, particularly and Laura. Seeing her growing up and
serving the Lord is such a joy for me, just
as many of you in this congregation. Being able to
watch you grow up and serve the Lord. It's really special.
Thank you for sharing. Our scripture reading today comes from
(28:05):
Luke chapter one, verses twenty six through fifty six. It reads,
in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the
angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a
virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph
a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The
(28:29):
angel went to her and said, greetings, you, who are
highly favored. The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly
troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting
this might be. But the angel said to her, do
not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
(28:50):
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and
you are to call him Jesus. He will be great
and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his
father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever.
His kingdom will never end. How will this be, Mary
(29:12):
answered the angel, since I am a virgin. The angel answered,
the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
of the Most High will ever shadow you. So the
holy one to be born will be called the Son
of God. Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have
(29:33):
a child in her old age, and she who was
said to be unable to conceive, is in her six month.
For nothing is impossible with God. I am the Lord's servant.
Mary answered, may your word to me be fulfilled, and
then the angel left her. After that time, Mary got
(29:55):
ready and hurried to a town in the hill country
of Judea, where she entered Zachariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a
loud voice, she exclaimed, blessed are you among women? And
(30:19):
blessed is the child that you will bear? But why
am I so favored that the mother of my Lord
should come to me? As soon as the sound of
your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb
leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that
the Lord will fill his promise to her. Let's pray
(30:48):
this morning, God help us to believe. Amen. Well, it
is wonderful to be back with you again this week.
This sanctuary. He certainly has been transformed from Thanksgiving to
the Advent season. And it's wonderful also to have an
opportunity to worship with one of our families, closest friends
(31:13):
and partners, and ministry. Doctor Cliff Winners, who served at
Fifth Avenue Baptist Church from two thousand and six to
twenty eleven as one of its ministers, is here to
worship among us. He currently is serving at New England
Chapel in Boston. Is a published author and a professor
(31:33):
at Palmer Theological Seminary. It wasn't too long ago that
he and I shared this pulpit during his ordination day. Cliff,
it's good to be in worship with you this morning, everybody,
and I am certain that as you can hear, your
fab family is glad that you are with them as well.
(31:57):
Today is the Sunday of Hope. The first candle has
been lit and hymns are being sung as Christmas praises
as we gathered together. It is a new season, but
a season that is very familiar to all of us,
a season that is set apart as we count down
(32:19):
the days to celebrate Jesus. Today's passage begins by hearing
the news from Gabriel that she will have a baby,
that Mary is the chosen one by God to give
birth to God's son. Today is also December first, twenty
(32:40):
five days till Christmas. The calendar has turned, a new
month has begun. This morning we woke up to falling snow.
Wasn't it beautiful? Falling snow? A dusting. That is another
reminder that a new season is among us. This past week,
(33:02):
at our dinner table, we discussed about the different months
of the year and how some months are shorter than others.
We sang the familiar song or the poem that says
thirty days half September, April, June, and November. All the
(33:23):
rest have thirty one except for February alone, which has
twenty eight, unless it's a leap year and it has
twenty nine. The poem is often taught in schools. Some
say it dates back to the fourteen twenty five and
(33:46):
was first published in fifteen sixty two. Carolyn, my thirteen
year old, who is extremely organized, meticulous, structured, orderly, logical
and rational, also extremely reasonable, then said, I don't understand
if we just had thirteen months, then each day would
(34:10):
have twenty eight days. It never has made sense to
me either, why our months are so disproportionate. She has
a good point, but I'm pretty sure this is a
battle she's not going to win. Although wouldn't you be
grateful for another month in the year, especially around the holidays.
(34:33):
The Christian calendar is also something that has also created
for us to provide seasons and rhythm as disciples of Christ.
Quite early in church history, there was a desire to
structure the disciplines of worship and prayer on the significant
hours and days of the life of Christ. Christian calendars
(34:57):
were developed and framed primarily around the seasons of central importance.
I guess you can guess what those are, Christmas and Easter,
the birth and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If December
twenty fifth is the day that we mark as Jesus' birthday,
(35:19):
then the date nine months earlier is the date in
which we would celebrate and recognize what happened to Mary
nine months prior. This day became known as Annunciation Day,
the day in which Gabriel announced to Mary that she
would give birth to a son, that she was chosen
(35:43):
by God. So I will leave it to you if
you would like to travel with me to March twenty fifth,
as spring is beginning to bloom, or if you want
to stay in the cold winter of December first, at
the beginning of Advent. Your choice. But either way, we
(36:03):
see her here that the Angel gives Mary news that
she will spend the next nine months of her life
processing what is happening to her and what God is
doing in and through her life. Today's scripture provides us
a context clue of how Mary and we as followers
(36:25):
of Christ can discern the will of God. Our joys
and our struggles are wanderings and wanderings through relationship with
other believers. And verse thirty six, Gabriel says these words,
even your relative who is going to have a child
(36:47):
in her old age, and she who was unable to conceive,
is in her six month For nothing is impossible with God.
In a day when you could not pick up a phone,
send a text, write an email, Facebook, snap, Instagram, or tweet.
(37:12):
Here is an angel who is giving Mary information that
she needed to connect with someone else who was experiencing
then possible, the unthinkable, the remarkable, unparalleled, unheard of, mind
blowing miracle of new life in an unexpected way. Mary
(37:36):
could have stayed home and alone processed what was happening
to her, but in that moment, she wanted to be
with someone else who also was experiencing the power of
God and the impossible. Scripture says that Mary immediately got
up in haste. The Greek word here spoudet, which means
(37:59):
with diligence, speed care, and in earnest to travel to
Galilee to Judea. It is roughly eighty to one hundred miles.
It is not clear in scripture if Mary joined a
caravan of others making the trip, but whether she walked
alone to reach her or traveled with others. She was
(38:23):
willing to take a risk to get to Elizabeth as
quickly as possible. There was only one time in my
life that I was pregnant at the same time as
another member of my family. My sister Nicka and I
were pregnant for six weeks together. That's probably all God
thought that we could do together. She was in her
(38:46):
eight month of pregnancy for my nephew Hampton when I
found out that I was pregnant for my daughter Carolyn.
I can tell you that she was the first person
I wanted to tell that I was aspecting, and I
will never forget her joy and her squealing and a
hug in the back of a car when I told
(39:07):
her the news. There is something remarkable that takes place
when joy can be experienced and shared together. In the
book The Hospitality of God, Brendan Bayram writes a favorite
design of the gospel of Luke is to bring two
(39:30):
individuals together, both whom have had religious experiences that they
only partially understand. When they share their experiences their individual experiences,
it becomes a communal experience and in the process it
(39:51):
finds its full meaning. This is first experience in Luke's
writings when Mary enters a Elizabeth's home, where for several
months she finds hospitality. When Mary enters Elizabeth's home feeling
the reaction of her son's joy inside her womb, prompted
(40:14):
by the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth pronounces Mary blessed among women
and exclaims in wonder that she was found worthy to
give hospitality to the mother of her Lord. She is
the first to give hospitality to Jesus, only to find
(40:34):
themselves drawn into the hospitality of God. Elizabeth singles out
Mary's faith as an instrument of her blessedness. She simply
believed and was willing to serve. As Mary hears and
explains the reaction of her older relative, it further confirms
(40:56):
that she has experienced, indeed the truth and because of
her trust in God and the trust she finds and
a fellow woman, she also believes in what she has
experienced what she has experienced from God and the confirmation
she felt from somebody who also could feel the spirit
(41:21):
inside of them. Mary is assured of her calling and
it is received. The two women and the two stories
come together, and faith overflows into knowledge, testimony, and into celebration.
And the meeting of these two women in the hospitality
(41:43):
for one another exchanged, we see the beginnings of community
that will be shared and celebrated for the blessing of salvation.
The visitation of these two also show us of what
God God is doing in the lives of two women
and in the world. Elizabeth is mature in her years.
(42:09):
She is a wife of a priest who was also
part of the ancient order of things in Israel. Having
a child in her old age is a reminder of
the past of Sarah and Hannah and others who have
experienced God's promise through unlikely births of the old and
(42:29):
the baron. But Mary was different. She was young, a
new life, a virgin with the promise of what was
to come in the future. She and her child do
not remind us of the past, but instead of them
as the beginning of a new history, a new future
(42:53):
of what God's work is doing, and since it was
planned in the beginning history a new beginning, something never
experienced before, something was different. And yet in both of
their stories there is a central theme. Two women who
(43:17):
can say to one another as humble servants that nothing
is impossible. With God, nothing is impossible. Whether it was
a woman well along in her years or a woman
who was a virgin, both had experienced miraculous and experienced
(43:42):
that nothing could be impossible with God. Sometimes in our
lives it's hard to believe that then possible can be
overcome when life seems overwhelming, when we don't understand where
God is and what he is doing, it can become
(44:03):
very isolating, dark and even scary, where we can flood
our minds and our hearts, and instantly we can be
met with despair and the fear of what ifs. But
Mary's haste reminds us that we are not alone, and
Gabriel's contact clue is a gift to us that when
(44:27):
we are feeling alone and afraid, God not only gives
us his spirit, but he gives us each other. He
gives us one another, those who are filled with the
Holy Spirit, to discern, to uplift to pray and to listen,
(44:47):
and to walk beside one of us and are on
our journeys. Elizabeth was there for Mary, and in turn,
Mary was there for Elizabeth. Scripture says Mary stayed with
Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home three months.
(45:10):
After six months three plus six is nine, Mary was
there to welcome the birth of John her Son, who
was able to then welcome in an usher in Jesus
(45:32):
to prepare the way. What a testimony of two women
who showed up for each other, who were there to
help walk alongside one another through their doubt, through their wandering,
through their struggle, through wandering? God, What are you doing?
(45:55):
And what an example they are to us as followers
of Christ. This is how we are supposed to show
up for one another.
Speaker 9 (46:08):
The church.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Discerning what God wants us to do is not meant
to be done alone. We are meant to walk alongside
each other. So I ask you, do you feel isolated
in your struggle? Are you asking? Are you asking God
(46:32):
and others to help you along your journey of faith?
Are you asking someone to pray for you and your
time is spiritual discernment or struggle? Are you asking one
another how you can pray for them? Are you holding
back in your joys afraid that someone else may not
(46:54):
believe what God is doing in and through your life?
Are we showing up the way for one another the
same way that Mary and Elizabeth showed up for each other.
Each one of us needs to be reminded that nothing
is impossible with God, to see the hope that Christ
(47:18):
offers to us, to keep us pointed towards the goal,
which is Christ, to not only live, but to live abundantly.
As this season of Advent begins, my prayer for you
is that you look around this room and you see
(47:39):
your brother and sister, and you ask, how can I
offer hope to one another? How can I pray for
my brother and sister? How can I support somebody who
is in need? Certainly you will be doing that outside
of the walls as well, just as Richard shared about
(48:01):
the food baskets. But there are people in here that
need you, and frankly, people that are not sitting in
these pews right now that need to know of the
hope of Jesus Christ, people that know the love of
God you that need to share the love of God
(48:21):
with others. I want to conclude today by sharing with
you what Mary experienced after her time with Elizabeth. The
words that she shared, Mary's magnificat is what it is called,
and the joy that she experienced because she knew through
(48:45):
the power of the Holy Spirit and through a believer
that also had the Spirit inside of her, what she
experienced as her new song. And Mary said, my soul
glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior,
(49:09):
for he has been mindful of a humble state of
his servant. For now on, generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me.
Holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who
(49:30):
fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty
deeds with his arm. He has scattered those who are
proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers
from thrones, but has lifted up the humble. He has
filled the hungry with good things, but he has sent
(49:53):
the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors. Hope comes through promise,
(50:13):
Hope can spee experience through each of us. Let us pray, God,
we are part of a big, big picture of what
you are doing in this world, and you have created
(50:34):
us to be a family, a family of believers who
are called to help one another on this journey of
knowing You and making you known. Although our relationship with
you is very personal and personal, our relationship with one
(50:57):
another is the way that we live that out. So Father,
I pray that this Advent season that we will be
a beacon of hope to one another, that we will
show up for one another the way that Mary and
Elizabeth showed up with one another, so that we might
help usher in the hope that comes through the Christ
(51:21):
Child and Your Holy name. We pray, Amen, we will
join together in singing our hymn of commitment, which is
number five, Nope, seven fifty four. And I'll be standing
down here if any of you has a decision that
you would like to make, or I invite you just
(51:43):
to simply to pray where you are that God will
bring to you the hope that can be shared with others.
With stand and sing.
Speaker 11 (52:13):
S s ss S S s s s s S.
Speaker 2 (54:54):
Again, thank you all for being in worship today. Doctor
Tim Moore will be back with you the next weeks,
and I'll look forward to worshiping with you again on
December twenty second, and also on Christmas Eve. Let's leave
in prayer. God, once again we come to you, Thank
You for the hope, and as we leave this place,
(55:15):
allow our lives to be becons of your hope, empowered
through your Holy Spirit to walk beside each other throughout
this world. In Christ name, Amen, not
Speaker 5 (56:54):
S S s SA
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