Lunenburg United Methodist Charge

 

Antioch UMC                                                           Williams UMC

 

On our walk. . . . .                 

December 4, 2008

Pastor’s Message –

Advent – A time of Preparation

Advent is a creation of the Western churches that looked to Rome as their leader.  There were two main streams flowing into it.  The first came out of France, during the fourth century AD, probably from Celtic monks.  A period of about six weeks before Christ's Mass was used as a penitential and devotional period, a lesser Lent.  The second stream came from Rome, where there was a practice of having a three-to-six week fast during which they had to come to church regularly.  This was a fast before the feast of Christmas time.

The current form of Advent crystallized under Pope Gregory I, who set the current four-week length, and wrote liturgical materials for use in Advent.  By the 10th century, the Celtic 'get ready' prayers and practices had been fully brought into the Roman form.  Later on, the church adopted a system of liturgical colors, and Advent received a purple color not unlike Lent's.  The 20th century brought a rediscovery of joy in Advent preparations; this was signaled among Protestants by using the color blue (with or without a touch of red in it).

But Advent has fallen on hard times.  For most people, it's become a time to get ready for whatever you're doing with family and friends on Christmas, and not a time to get ready for the Christ child.  The bigger Christmas became, the more it swallowed up Advent.  In fact, whatever Christmas-y thing we think of as being done before Christmas Day is actually done in Advent.  In the US, everything after Thanksgiving is now seen as a part of Christmas.  The main problem is not that Christmas intrudes on Advent.  The real problem is that people no longer keep their Christmas focus on Christ, and then that Christ-less Christmas saps Christ from Advent.  Practicing Advent as a religious season may help recover Christmas, but it can't do it by itself.  If you don't look to Jesus every day in every season, you'll lose Advent, Christmas, Lent, and even Easter.  It'll be a tiring rush, not a loving celebration, and it'll be about family or money or image and not our loving Maker.  There are even a few who are openly advocating giving up on the cultural war over the holiday, letting the world have its Christmas, and then Christians can do their thing on Epiphany.  (That would bring them to within a day or two of synch with the old-calendar Orthodox.)  But that, of course, chucks Advent too, which is as lost as Christmas is becoming.  Besides, each Christian has as much right as anyone else to put their stamp on the culture -- that's an important matter of freedom, and it needs to be exercised or it too will be lost.

Advent will began on Sunday, November 30 and end on December 21.  Let us all spend this time to prepare for the first coming of Christ so that we will be ready for the second coming.  Just remember as the cliché goes, “Jesus, the reason for the season”

God bless

 

 

 

Upcoming Events – December 4 – December 11, 2008

 

Saturday, December6, 2008

   Antioch Men Breakfast, Meet @ 8:00 AM

   Women’s Tea @Williams @ 10:00AM Baking Bread for Mission

Monday, December 8, 2008

   Bible Study@ Antioch’s @ 7:00 PM

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

    NO Bible Study@ Audrey Smith’s @ 10:00 AM

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

  Senior Luncheon @ Antioch

 Prayer Meeting @ Williams @ 5:45 PM

 William’s Celebration Choir practice @ Williams @ 6:00 PM

 

 

   

Worship Events—December 7, 2008, 2nd Sunday of Advent

Service Theme: The Coming of Jesus

This week’s reading will be: Sermon Text      Mark 1: 1-8

                                              Hebrew Text      Isaiah 40: 1-11

Pianists:   Leigh Anne Bacon

                Nancy Turner

 

Evangelism Committee to Meet

 

The Antioch Evangelism Committee met on Wednesday, December 3 @ Antioch.  The discussion was on the plans for the coming Christmas season and into next year.

                     

We’re Decorating Antioch

On December 6th, breakfast will be served at 8:00 am for all who can join us as we decorate Antioch.  We will be decorating the Sanctuary for the Advent Season and setting up the Crèche in front of the church.  There is plenty for all to do and a lot of fun as we prepare for the coming Advent Season by decorating the Chrismon tree. 

 

Packing Food for the Food Bank

The Missions Committee is looking for volunteers to join them on Saturday, December 13 to help box food for those less fortunate in our community. We are going to meet at BB&T Bank at 9:00 AM if  you would like to join us.

 

 

Senior Luncheon

The second quarterly Senior Luncheon will e held on Wednesday December 10 at 12:00 noon at Antioch. A meal of turkey, dressing, greenbeans, pies and rolls will be served. Entertainment will be provided by John Gentry. If you haven’t received an invitation and would like to spend some time reminicising with your old friends please contact Wayne or Betsey Hendricks  

 

Sunday School is available each Sunday morning.  The importance of Sunday School is that, though you may think hearing the word will suffice for you, you really need to be in attendance at Sunday School to gather all the information that you can in an open discussion classroom.  Jesus’ word cannot be totally understood just by listening to a sermon.  You have to interact with it and with other Christians to learn what He was saying to us.  This is a life long study and you should take part.  There is a class for every age so please plan on joining us to learn more about our Lord, Jesus Christ.   Sunday School at Williams begins at 10:45 AM and at Antioch at 10:00 AM.

 

Evening Bible Study. Evening Bible study will continue on December 3, at 7:00PM. We will be starting to read and study Psalms with a particular look at the interpretation and historical view of the writers in Psalms 1-40  If you would like to join us for fellowship come on over, Monday @ 7:00PM at Antioch.

 

                             

If you cannot reach Rev. Ed at the parsonage, you may call him on his cell phone:  252-532-0952.  He can also be reached via e-mail at revedumc@yahoo.com .   If you would like to receive e-mail messages from the pastor send an e-mail to him at revedumc@yahoo.com and we will add you to our list.

 

Please keep the following families in your prayers:

Marjorie Thompson

Allen Alcock

Bertha Arthur

Family ofSarah Agnes Callis

Hillary Johnson

Edith Parham

Bobby & Virginia Overby

Laura Dutzman

Jeff Hendricks

Earl "Chuckie” Barnes

Tom Fowler

Nathan Hendricks

Edna Bagley

Will Hawthorne

Maria Kay

Dorothy Driskill

Sheila Cage

Frances Hawthorne

Dennis Chumney

Mary Day

David Jones

Elizabeth Biggerstaff

Mike Williams

Tommy Cage

Family of Francis Dunnauant

Bernard Bottoms

Our Military

Elsie Pennington

Cameron Fowler

Dee Welch

Walter B. Moseley

Ed Lewis

Grace DiStefano

Family of Stephen Greene

Gertrude Hite

Kathy Mc Reynolds

Michelle And Kelly Sexton

  Lauren Sexton

Jason McReynolds

If you have anyone who is in need of prayer, please place their names on the Prayer List and lift up their names in prayer during worship service and throughout the week

 

 

 

 

Remember: The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.

 

Have a Blessed Week