Love Intentionally
Love Inclusively
Love Universally
Love Completely
Love Everyone
Love Better!
December 8, 2020 (Week 39)
Sisters and brothers in Christ, Peace!
We have now entered into yet another mandated, pandemic related, “stay at home” order. It isn’t fun. Not for anyone. And although this is for many of us an ongoing irritation, we ought to be first and foremost thankful, that for the most part, most of us have been spared the agony of losing a loved one to COVID. There have been more than a few who have been impacted economically, but for most, there is an anticipated eventual recovery. So for the majority of us, we are simply profoundly inconvenienced, and, upset about that. And that upset is real, palpable and overwhelming.
Advent and Christmas are times when we can begin to prepare for something different. They are times that revolve around hope. Hope for something better. Hope for the future. Hope that is grounded in Christ Jesus! In these days of preparation, all that we are doing here at the church is focused on that message of hope and promise. In our homilies, our music, and our prayers; all of it reflects the hope that is proclaimed by the angels, and made manifest in the birth of our Savior! Jesus is coming brothers and sisters! In the manger, we are once again gifted with the hope that we ourselves can never find.
Our regular schedule of devotions will continue, (excepting Christmas Eve and Christmas Day), with emailed Bible readings going out Monday through Saturday. On Christmas Eve, we will celebrate our Savior’s birth at 5 pm in a worship service that will feature lessons and carols, and, under the direction of Beckie Steller, an abundance of special music! Please join us and greet one another with God’s Nativity peace! On Christmas Day, we’ll gather virtually at 10 am, with festive music provided by our band “Revived,” led by Scott Steller, proclaiming the word that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God!”
All of these celebrations can be found on our website, www.godamong.us , and on our YouTube channel “ILCservants;” in addition to our Facebook and Instagram pages. Please check out our website, and click on the button that says “ILC Online Activities” for directions to all the resources we offer.
If during these days, fraught with inconvenience, but filled with hope, you find yourself a bit overwhelmed or anxious or depressed, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are here for you, as always! And know that you, all of you, are in our prayers.
May Advent bring you to an unequivocal awareness that God has come to us, is with us, and will always accompany us, in Jesus the Christ!
In Christ’s service,
Pr. Luther
“Concert in the Courtyard", Wednesday Evening worship and fellowship
Please sign up here: https://www.godamong.us/post/wednesday-concerts-in-the-courtyard
- Before worship, around 9 am, Darrell and Nancy Datte host our after worship coffee/donut fellowship time (BYOC/D) on Zoom, and look forward to welcoming everyone in our community. Please think about joining in and saying hi to your brothers and sisters. That gathering can be found here:
https://zoom.us/j/98483096300?pwd=aTVJV0JJWkdsaG9ESFFMTlNuWVVDUT09