Dear Fam,

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, How could it be so?  It came without ribbons.  It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.  And he puzzled and puzzled 'til his puzzler was sore.  Then the Grinch thought of something he he hadn't before.  What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.  What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957)

Dr. Seuss was right. Christmas means more than what comes from a store. Indeed, it means a whole lot more. Christmas is about the Incarnation, God coming to be with us in Jesus. Celebrated well, Advent and Christmas have the potential to change us. Our worship and prayers during these seasons are meant to turn our allegiances to the Kingdom of God, and to transform us into a community of self-giving love. Advent is a word that means "coming" or "arrival." It is a four-week period in which the church looks back to Jesus' first coming as our Savior, and looks forward to his second coming as our Judge. Just as John the Baptist told the Jewish people to "prepare" for the Lord's coming, we need to encourage each other to be ready for his coming again, when he will fulfill God's promises and renew all things. Indeed, the kingdom of God will come "on earth as it is in heaven" - the wolf will lie down with the lamb, death will be swallowed up, the dead in Christ will rise to new life, and every tear will be wiped away. As Isaiah the prophet says, "Prepare the way for the Lord, the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together" (Isaiah 40:3-5).” So what do we do during Advent? We wait and prepare ourselves. We commit ourselves to spiritual renewal through weekly Sunday worship and daily prayer as the means of God's grace. We resist the rampant consumerism of this time. We make special provision for those in need.  We tell others about the joy and hope of Jesus' return to be king and put the world to rights. We pray the final prayer in the Bible, "Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20). —Sam Wheatley, Sr. Pastor of New Song Presbyterian, Salt Lake City, Utah.

• Aren't you thankful for Nancy Kennedy! She has been a faithful messenger of the wonders of the gospel in our community for years. Her Chronicle column is read by thousands and it sparkles with the joy of the grace of her Father! 
 
• Our senior ministry is having an Old-Fashioned Christmas Luncheon, Monday, December 10 at 10:30 am in the Florida Room. If you want to come, let us know by signing up at the Guest Services Desk in the Sanctuary lobby this weekend, or call us at 746-6200.

• Adam Jones's 50th birthday was yesterday!

• Here's a story of a dad who wanted to abort his daughter when she was diagnosed with Down's in vitro and a mom who wouldn't cave in to his pressure. You'll have to watch the video to learn how it turned out.
• A Seven Rivers Christmas (December 15) is down to less than 100 tickets. Consider yourself warned-it will sell out soon.

• This weekend, we begin a new sermon series on the first book of the New Testament--Matthew. This is the good news about Jesus written by one of the vilest sinners in the Jewish culture-a man guilty of collaborating with the Roman military occupiers of Israel by being a tax collector. Matthew knows the grace of God! The church is decorated for advent. The entire world begins to lean forward in anticipation-the King is coming to liberate the captives. Come celebrate Advent this weekend with us-as we study Matthew 1:1-17.

Love,

Ray