Advent 2020 Information and Schedule

                                                    Advent 2020 Information and Schedule
Sisters and Brothers,

As we move into the Advent Season, we know things are quite different from last year. Even so we will celebrate that the Messiah has come to earth! The theme for this Advent season is “Meeting the King.” What happens when you meet a king? What happens to your life when you have a face to face encounter with the ruler of the universe? Will you remain the same? These are the questions we bring with us into this season of anticipation as look towards the coming of the Messiah.

Here are the passages that we will focus on for the coming weeks:
November 29: First Sunday of Advent – Psalms 80:1-7
December 6: (Communion) – Second Sunday of Advent – Isaiah 40:1-11
December 13: Third Sunday of Advent - John 1:6–8, 19–28
December 20: Fourth Sunday of Advent - Luke 1:26–38
December 27: Luke 2:22–40
January 3: (Communion) - Epiphany - Matthew 2:1–12

As in years past, we will celebrate the birth of Christ with our annual Christmas Eve Service. The service will be Thursday, December 24 at 7:00 PM. Unless there are some drastic changes with our Covid-19 rate in Oldham, this service will be online at our Facebook Live page. Stay tune for more information.
This past year our church has experienced the death of some our beloved friends in our fellowship. For many, this season of celebration will be exceedingly difficult as they continue to walk through grief. To remember and honor those who are no longer with us, we will have our annual Blue Christmas on Sunday, December 13 at 4:00 PM. This will be a time of scripture, music, and meditation as we remember those we have lost in our lives and as a time to find comfort and strength in God’s love as we celebrate the holidays. This service will be online through our Facebook Live page.

Finally, it is a tradition in our church for members to use the mailboxes at the church to distribute Christmas cards to different members. Because the building has been closed to in person worship, it will be more difficult for this distribution to occur. On the other hand, this tradition has been a helpful way in keeping our community connected during the Advent season. I do not want to cancel tradition this year, but I am not certain how to do it safely and effectively. Does anyone have any suggestions? I welcome your feedback.
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May this season of Advent bring renewal to all of us. May we be reminded of God’s faithfulness and activity in our lives as we celebrate the coming of the Messiah. What will happen when we meet the king
Rodney