December 17, 2022

 

We are getting closer to Bethlehem and to the birth of Christ. Tomorrow, on the 4th Sunday of Advent, we will bring our strips of cloth to prepare the cradle for the birth. After you place your cloth in the cradle during the worship service, you will have the opportunity to pray at the altar as the choir sings Shalom Rav (Abundant Peace). The strip you place in the cradle may symbolize many things: a burden you'd like to let go of, a symbol of your desire to follow Christ. a willingness to serve God and others, or perhaps it is offered as a prayer for peace—peace for our world and peace for ourselves. Whatever the cloth represents for you, I hope you will take this opportunity to pray as a church family and as the children of God. 

Following the worship service, we will be having a reception in the Social Hall (Holliday Hall) in honor of Virginia Holliday's 99th birthday. Virginia's birthday was yesterday, December 16th. Virginia was one of the original Elderberries when I came to Asbury in 1993. Her great faith and her desire to serve others have inspired us all We look forward to celebrating with Virginia.

After the reception, you're invited to go Christmas caroling as a church family. We'll supply sandwiches and chips for those who want to participate. After we have some lunch together, we'll go sing and spread cheer at Harmony, The Marshes, Encompass, and John Wesley Villas. Feel free to wear Santa hats, reindeer antlers, jingle-bell earrings and necklaces, and whatever else you have to help us get in the spirit! I can't wait! We'll have a blast—and so will those we go visit.

There will be a Christmas Eve Service at our Wesley Oak Campus at 5:00 pm and a Service at the Asbury Campus at 6:00 pm. I am really looking forward to the Service. Last year, our daughter got Covid just before Christmas Eve, so Cheri and I had to distance ourselves from the congregation for safety measures. It was the first Christmas Eve Service at Asbury we missed since we began them in 1993. It was so hard for us not to be there. It is a magical experience. My mother has not been able to attend our Sunday worship services for a long time, but she said she's going to do her best to get to the Christmas Eve Service. I can't wait to hear her sing Silent Night when we sing it at the end of the service. I have missed hearing her on our hymns on Sundays

Our organist, Kay Deffley, told me that we should wear our pajamas to church on Christmas morning. And when Kay suggests something, I listen. Feel free to "come as you are" to church on Christmas Sunday! I can't wait to see what Ray Ellis will be wearing!

We're going to have a great day tomorrow. You already know about the strips of cloth, honoring Virginia, and caroling. But we're also going to have a group of our South Carolina members light the Advent Candles. Kay Deffley and Rev. Holland Morgan will be playing an awesome organ/piano duet of O Come, All Ye Faithful. The choir is going to be singing as arrangement of I Wonder as I Wander, and I will be preaching a sermon that I believe will be a blessing to you. 

Get all your shopping and your chores done today and come to the corner of Henry and Waters for your Sabbath tomorrow. You'll be glad you did. I promise.

Love & Blessings,
Billy