Dear Caldwell,
As I touched on last Sunday, the joy we usually reach for in Advent may seem a bit out of reach for our faith family this year. Our losses have been so great, our grief so deep, made even deeper by the fact that we have not been able to gather face to face in memorial services and for other rituals of loss and community mourning and sharing that help us heal. As Bruce Springsteen sings in this video, which invokes scripture, we’ve been traveling Rocky Ground.
Bruce calls out “Rise up, Shepherd, Rise up” and we know that promise to come true. Yes, joy is on offer but lament may need to come first.
So let’s gather this Thursday for that purpose – to lament together in our Blue Christmas service. We will follow the beautiful imagery and words from Sanctified Art, as we have on Sunday mornings. It will be a participatory service, even though we will be apart. Here’s what you need when you join us:
- please bring one or two candles to light during the service. If you don’t have candles, you are welcome to use a handheld flashlight or the flashlight on your cell phone.
- bring paper and something to write with. The paper of a supermarket grocery bag is ideal, but if you don’t have one, any kind of paper will do. You will need four strips of paper, each one about the size of your hand, large enough and thick enough to rip during the service.
- bring mementos or photos that remind you of those people, places, situations, or things that you miss, that you are grieving, that you want to lay before God during our time together.
To make room for this special gathering, there will be no Preachers’ Porch or Vespers this week. Next week, we will hold our traditional Christmas Eve service at 5:30 via Zoom so please make room for that, as well.
End of Year Pledge Payments
As the year draws to a close, please note the office will be closed after Christmas Eve through the end of the year to give the staff a break after a long, hard year. So, if you intend to drop off a check to finish up with your pledge balance for this year, please do so before Christmas day. Rick is here most days from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. You may want to call him first before coming at 704-334-0825. You can also pay your pledge online here. Or just put it in the mail dated no later than Jan. 31.
But … Back to Joy
On Sunday, after we lit the Joy Candle, I said in my sermon that sometimes we light a candle not so much for today but for the future. On that note, the joyous video Anne and Justin created with parents’ help for worship last Sunday brought a smile. It will again and you can watch it here.
Finally, we can lift prayers of joy for our beloved brother Richard Campbell, who was discharged from the hospital and is recuperating with great thanks for everyone’s prayers.
Don’t forget to gather what’s needed for the Blue Christmas service Thursday at 7 p.m.
In Christ,
John