Happy New Year!   No, I'm not five weeks early. According to the Christian calendar, the first Sunday in Advent is New Year's Day.  As we begin this new church year we will be finishing a sermon series on the six great ends of the church. This week's topic, appropriately, is "the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world."   During Advent we prepare to celebrate the Incarnation, or "becoming flesh" of God in the person of Jesus. But Jesus only walked on this earth for a little over 30 years. During those brief years, he showed us, through word, deed and manner of life, what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. And then he left. He ascended into heaven and promised to return at some later date.   For 2000 years the church has been waiting, watching and longing for that day to come, and Advent is a time when we focus on that waiting, watching and longing. But before Jesus was taken to heaven, He made it clear that the incarnation did not end with that event. Indeed, Jesus Himself would be present on earth, not in one particular body occupying one place in space and time, but in another kind of body, His new body, one that would cover the earth and continue on from one generation to the next. That body is the Church.  It is through us – through Christ's Spirit in us – that God is "incarnate," or bodily present in the world today. It is Jesus' intent that through the Church the world will be able to see what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.   Advent is indeed a time of watching and waiting and preparing – both for the day we celebrate the coming of Jesus, and for the day when He will return. And it is also a time to examine what it means for us to be part of the Body of Christ in the mean time. What does it mean to be people charged with the "exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world", and what exactly are the characteristics of this kingdom? As you prepare to worship God on Sunday, please read Luke 22:24-27 and Matthew 5:14-16 and ponder these questions.   What qualities does Jesus point to as being characteristic of the Kingdom of Heaven in these passages?   How did Jesus model servanthood in his life and ministry?   How does the world tend to treat servants?   How do you respond to the idea that Jesus says we are called to serve?

Reaching Out

Alternative Holiday Market, Sunday, December 12 after each service. Purchase gifts and alternative gifts that will make a difference in the lives of many in our world who struggle each day to survive.

·         The proceeds from Palcraftaid's olivewood sculptures and counted cross stitch needlework go directly to Palestinian Christian organizations which minister to deaf children, the aged, and those in need of medicine and clothing.

·         Church World Service offers "alternative" gifts and are a great way to celebrate your loved ones with a gift of meaning instead of just buying more things. Catalogs will be available on the kiosk very soon. In addition, we will have some Rwandan note cards and Cambodian bells available for purchase. 

·          Just Coffee will available for your gift-giving.

Sock Drive – There is a chronic shortage of socks at The Open Door Clothing Bank at Fort St. Presbyterian Church. Many of the people served by this ministry live on the street, have serious medical conditions such as diabetes, or have to walk through the elements every day to get to jobs, etc. This is a serious health risk for them. From now through Christmas, we will collect warm clean, new or gently used men's socks for distribution through the Open Door Ministry. Look for the brightly decorated collection box in the entryway. Our goal is to fill this box up over its top. Questions can be directed to any Local Mission Ministry Team member, Dawn Christenson, Donna Gray, Mary Stuart, or Dave and Rosemary Leslie.

Worship Preview for Sunday, November 21, 2010

This Sunday we’ll be focusing on one of the six great ends of the church: “the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the people of God.” Next weekend, countless Americans will be traveling, some of them great distances, to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families. A great number of those folks will be traveling to a place they call “home.” They’ll be visiting the city, and sometimes even the house they grew up in as well as the people they grew up with. For all of us, the idea of “home” comes loaded with connections, emotions and memories – some of them good, some of them not so good.

This particular great end of the church reminds me of what home is supposed to be – a place of shelter, nurture and spiritual fellowship, a place of love, acceptance, provision and safety. That job description poses quite a challenge for any family, including the family of God. This Sunday we will be taking a look at some of those challenges, and what it means to be Home, not just for those of us who worship together, but also to those outside who God wants to bring into the shelter, nurture and spiritual fellowship of His family.

In preparation for worship, please read Romans 12:9-21 and 1 John 5:18-21 and ponder these questions.

 In your life, who has been someone who has provided shelter, nurture and spiritual fellowship?

List some of the characteristics that person had that helped you to feel at home with him or her.

Is there someone in your life that God is asking you to be that kind of person for?

Reaching Out!

The angels are here and waiting to be adopted! Please check out the table in the gathering space to sign out your angel. These angel gifts are due back to the church by November 28^th.  The Salvation Army asks that the gifts be returned unwrapped.  They are suggesting guidelines of a target of $50 per angel.  That is just a suggestion.  The people that we are collecting for are facing a very bleak Christmas without our help! 

Just Coffee – Place your Just Coffee order today! Orders must be received by November 14. Coffee may be ordered ground or beans, dark or medium roast, regular or decaf. Order by contacting Norm or Barb Fichtenberg at 734-981-4205.

Salvation Army Bell Ringing – Sign up to ring bells for The Salvation Army.  See the bulletin board for times available on November 26 and 27 at Hobby Lobby. There are two opportunities to help bring a joyful Thanksgiving to those in need. The Salvation Army is distributing care boxes on November 20 and 22.

Westminster Thanksgiving meal needs servers – Westminster Presbyterian Church is serving a meal on Thanksgiving Day.  Please see the bulletin board for more information on volunteering for either program.

Quilt Dedication Sunday, Nov.21st at 8:30 and 11:00 services. Several women have been working for months creating beautiful quilts that will be donated to local homeless shelters. Join us on November 21 as we dedicate these quilts and recognize those who made them. We will celebrate their service to Christ with a cake following the service.

Worship Preview November 7, 2010

The fourth installment in our sermon series on the six great ends of the church is "The Maintenance of Divine Worship." In life, we have to maintain certain things. Our cars wear out faster if we don't change the oil and put air in the tires periodically. Without maintenance our homes will eventually get leaky roofs, cracked walls and plumbing problems. Relationships need to be maintained too. A marriage or a friendship will begin to fall apart if they don't get the attention they need and deserve. All of these things, without maintenance, get damaged by neglect or improper use. As I pondered this fourth great end of the church, it occurred to me that our call as a church isn't just to worship God. It isn't even just to worship God in spirit and in truth. Although we are called to do those things, we are also called to maintain divine worship. We have been entrusted to care for it, keep it pure, and see that it is doesn't devolve into something that God never intended. One of the very first lessons Jesus learned after his baptism was what it means to maintain divine worship. As you prepare for worship on Sunday please read Matthew 4:8-10 and Romans 12:1-2 and ponder the following questions. In your understanding, what is worship? What distortion was Satan trying to introduce into Jesus' worship? What distortion of worship is most tempting to you? Why is it such a temptation? A couple of things to remember: ·         We will begin our new round of adult classes this Sunday. Classes run from 9:45 – 10:45, and you may choose from:                -- Going Deeper : an in-depth exploration of the Bible                    passage for that Sunday's sermon                -- Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts                 --The Presbyterian Story                 --The Letters of Paul ·         Fall back – Daylight saving time ends on Sunday morning. Don't forget to set your clocks BACK one hour before you go to bed on Saturday night.