December 16

 

Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent when we light the Candle of Joy! We'll be doing something after church on Sunday that I promise will bring you great joy. Everyone is invited to go Christmas caroling to three places: Harmony at Savannah, The Social at Savannah, and The Oaks at Savannah. We'll not only be singing to members of Asbury there, but to other residents who gather with us in the big room. The singing is just part of the experience. The other joyful part is spending a little time with the residents after we sing. So even if singing isn't your thing, consider joining us to bring a personal greeting of love and cheer to someone who could use a good word from you.

For those interested in participating, we'll provide sandwiches to eat after church. Then we'll caravan to our first stop, Harmony at Savannah. They are expecting us at 1:30 pm. After our visit at Harmony, we'll go to The Social and then The Oaks. If you can only go to the first or second stop...that's okay. We'll take all the singers and greeters and cheerers we can get even if you can only do one or two places. Feel free to wear red hats, have bells, and anything else that will add to the joyful experience.

I'm excited that Kay Deffley and Rev. Holland Morgan will be playing three pieces this Sunday from Joel Ramsey's Christmas Excursions - A Suite for Piano and Organ. They include medleys of familiar Christmas carols set to creative, fresh, and distinctive contemporary styles. The first movement, Prophecy in Blue, is slow and jazzy and will serve as the Prelude. The offertory, The Gospel of Peace, treats several ballads in a soulful, gospel style. The postlude is a playful medley, aptly named A Merry Tango, and is guaranteed to bring a Christmas smile to everyone's faces! This is Kay and Holland's Christmas gift to all of us in the hope that we will have a joyful, meaningful Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Since this is a special trio of songs, we'll ask for people to be seated after we sing, Here I Am, Lord, so you can get the full impact of this wonderful music. Then we'll leave after the playing of the postlude.

Before I was the pastor at Asbury, I was asked to be the guest preacher in December of 1992. It was Advent and the Sunday that the Poinsettias were on display. I will never forget it. Although the sanctuary was old and had cracks in the walls and a leaking roof, the Poinsettias made it feel like the most special place in the world. It was beautiful! I had heard that Asbury might be closing, and I remember thinking that a place this magnificent can't close. Thank God for those Poinsettias!

The Poinsettias will be adorning the sanctuary this Sunday. Thank you to those who gave flowers in memory or in honor of your Loved Ones. The names of your Loved Ones will be listed in the bulletin this Sunday I'm sure those Cloud of Witnesses will be worshipping with us.

Thank you to everyone who helped with getting gifts for the children and families that were listed on the Angell Tree. Please bring the card and the items to church on Sunday so Santa can deliver them this week.

We will be having an incredible Christmas Eve Service next Sunday. The choir has special music. There may be a visit from St. Nicholas, and a visit from the holy couple, Mary and Joseph as we put our cloth in the cradle. Please invite family and friends to join us for worship on this special day of the year.

Since Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday this year, we will not be having a evening service on Christmas Eve. However, our partner church, Wesley Oak, will be having a 5:00 pm service at our other campus. I'm looking forward to worshipping there at 5:00 pm, and then some of us may go caroling after the service for a little while. If you're interested in going, let me know.

You should have received a letter from me about our special Christmas Offering. Half of the offering will go to our Emergency Fund and half will go to our General Fund. Our Emergency Fund assists people with food, shelter, clothing and counseling/therapy, among other things. Most of these situations are kept confidential, but believe me, your gifts to this fund have made an incredible difference in people's lives — and in some cases, your gifts have literally saved lives.

The other half of the Christmas Offering will go towards our General Fund. The church is not back to where it was financially before the pandemic. Last year, we had a $40,000 shortfall. This year, we are further behind. However, we have been very encouraged in that attendance and financial giving continues to rise since September.

As we approach the end of the year, you may be preparing to fulfill your 2023 financial pledge. I want to remind you that you can make a gift online through our website. In the future, we will have information on our website about how to make a gift through stock or IRA distributions. For now, if you will call the church office and talk with Randy or Claudette — they would be glad to assist you. Thank you for your generosity.

Speaking of stocks and IRAs, I will be sharing on Sunday about how I made my fortune as an entrepreneur. The sermon is titled Expect the Unexpected, and we will have two scripture readings: Luke 1:26-38 and Luke 7:18-23. So come and hear the unexpected! Come and hear the choir's inspiring music! Come and hear Kay and Holland bless us on the piano and organ! Come be blessed by the presence of the poinsettias!

And know that you and your presence are a blessing to me and to others!

Love,
Billy

P.S. I've heard that we may have a heavy downpour Saturday night through Sunday afternoon with possible high winds. Hopefully, things will shift, and we won't experience the worst of it during church time. If it is raining, and you are in a position to assist others, please keep an eye out for folks in the parking lot who may need some assistance.

Let's hope it's not too bad. At least it won't be like the day Asbury had in the picture below.