November 25, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving to All,
Retired Executive Director of the American Baptist Ministers Council, Kate Jacobs, shared this Thanksgiving thought on her Facebook page last week. I found it to be very moving and thus share it with you today.
For, after all, put it as we may to ourselves, we are all of us from birth to death, guests at a table which we did not spread. The sun, the earth, love, friends, our very breath are parts of the banquet . . . Shall we think of the day as a chance to come nearer to our Host, and out find something of Him who has fed us so long. Rebecca Harding Davis
This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. My Advent preaching theme this year is “Beginning Again, Beginning Anew.” On each of the Sundays of Advent, as a way of entering into the new beginning that is the birth of the Christ-child, we will consider the beginning verses of one of the four gospels while emphasizing the words create, hope, unity and joy.
On December 1 we will read Matthew 1:1-7 noting that Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus traces the lineage of Jesus back to Abraham. We will see that Matthew uses this genealogy to remind us that God creates a people, a nation, an identity and a Messiah. We will affirm our faith that God continues to create new beginnings both in and for us as well as in and for our community.
Prayers of the Congregation
Concerns
- All who are traveling
- All who are mourning
- All who are seeking employment
- All who are recovering from illness
- All who are weary from caregiving
- All who live in fear
- Gloria Meads for her brother in law Carlos
- Mary Karne For her daughter Maryla and for Maryla’s friend Diane
- Rowena Jackson for her family
- Larry Sims for his family
- Sandra Dunn for her brother in law and family
- Fannye Leary
- Esther Carnaje
- Carol Glann for John and Sandy as they mourn
- The Fleishman family
- Karen Hopkins for Vicki, Bill and Malachi
- George and Sylvia Lee
- Kay Baxter for her family, particularly Stacey and the pressures she faces
- Eleanor Moody
- Karen, Sydney and Chuck and the students of ABSW
Celebrations
- The Thanksgiving season
- Charlene Wolf on a new place of service
- The Hopkins/Phillips and Hayes families on a beautiful Service of Dedication for Dashiel
- Thanksgiving for all who will serve their community this week
- Thanksgiving for the lay leaders of Lakeshore
Announcements
Invitation – Stay after worship for an hour or so this Sunday and help with “The Hanging of the Greens,” decorating the church for Advent and Christmas.