Sunday, December 31, 2023

Theme:

I changed the title of this section from “Sermon Notes” to “Sunday Notes”, because we are not having a sermon, per se, this week. As you should all know by now, our pastor, Jeff Gilstrap, will be retiring soon, and his last Sunday with us will be on January 7th. Jeff will not be with us this week, but nevertheless, it is an important day in the life of our church. Members of Session will join together to lead us in worship. The service will be a bit different, with more music, and additional scripture readings. We will begin, for the First Sunday after Christmas, with celebrating the birth of Christ. And then we will move into a time in worship for a scriptural based response to the questions and concerns raised during our recent Transition Town Hall. Lots of stuff that you definitely want to hear!

It’s also New Year’s Eve, so this is “Come as You Are”. Wear your PJs or lounge pants, if you want. And will have a time of fellowship before the service. Come early, and enjoy some coffee, cocoa, juice, and pastries, and each other’s company beginning at 10AM. The service will begin at our regular time of 10:30.

Hope to see you there!

Reflections:

Opening Hymn: As a celebration of the birth of Christ, we will sing a medley of Christmas hymns, with the words printed in the bulletin.

Special Music: “Welcome to Our World”, by Chris Rice, sung by Kenneth Jones.

Hymn: This week, as our response to God’s forgiveness, we will sing the first verse of “Who Would Think That What Was Needed”. The text points out the gap between human expectation and God’s actual plan of providing a means of salvation for us.

Hymn: “Joseph and Mary Came to the Temple”, retelling the story of Christ’s presentation at the Temple.

Special Music: “Fix Your Eyes Upon that Star”, by Lowell Alexander and Jess Grant, sung by Millie Shiflett.

Hymn: “O Sing a Song of Bethlehem” is a sketch of Christ’s life, beginning each with “O Sing a Song of…(Bethelhem, Nazareth, Galilee, Calvary).

Response Hymn: After a time of hearing reports from Session about where we are and the journey we are headed on in the new year, we respond by singing “Here I Am, Lord” (I, the Lord of Sea and Sky).