worship preview for 1/3/10

As I write this, a new year is mere hours from being born.  2009 will move into history as 2010 arrives.  As this changing of the calendar is celebrated globally, I find myself reflecting on our invitation as people of faith to experience something more significant than a new year.  In Christ, we find a God who joyfully calls out, "Happy new life!"  My hope and prayer for all of us as we cross this annual threshold is that we might experience the newness of life that is ours in Christ.

 

This Sunday, as we gather in worship, we will reflect on a central aspect of the good news we've been given, that in Christ, we have a promise of life and light that can never, ever be extinguished.  We will hear the opening words of John's gospel and invite God to impress those words more deeply into our hearts and minds:  "¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning.  ³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of all. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it."

 

As you prepare for worship, I would encourage you to re-read these verses several times.  You might even try memorizing them!  They form a wonderful summary of the gospel of Christ.  You might also think of some specific ways that you have experienced the truth of verses 4 and 5.  How have you experienced the light of Christ in your life?  Can you think of times when you were in the midst of darkness but discovered the light of Christ was still there?  What hope do these words give you as you move into the future?

 

Please remember that we will have one service this Sunday at 10 am.  I look forward to seeing you then.

 

--Bryan

Birthday Party

It's a birthday party and you're invited!   The honor of your presence is requested at a birthday party for   Jesus   On Sunday, December 27, 2009 at 10:00 am   Jesus is God's gift to the world. Come and celebrate as we open that gift together.We'll have birthday cake, balloons and festive decorations. Party guests will be given an opportunity to share reflections on how Jesus has been a gift to them.

 

"Advent Conspiracy" ??

Take a look at this video!  What do you think?

Advent Conspiacy Video

worship preview

One of the titles Christians ascribe to Jesus is Prince of Peace. It is taken from a prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 where that title, along with Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Everlasting Father is used in description of a veryspecial child who would be born into our world. 

 

Isaiah wrote those words over 500 years before Christ and we as Christians believe that the prophecy has been fulfilled. The Prince of Peace arrived.  And yet, over 2000 years later, our world still waits for true and lasting peace to arrive as well.  Despite the gift of the Christ child, our world continues to be born by strife. 

 

Reflecting on that reality, a Christian writer named Addison Leitch observed, "Our trouble is we want the peace without the Prince."  The world persists in its belief that peace somehow can be achieved apart from Christ.  And yet, as the apostle Paul states in his letter to the Ephesians, "Christ is our peace" (2:14).  Not Christ, will bring peace but Christ IS our peace.  He himself is peace.  

 

This Sunday, we will explore more deeply the gospel promise about peace.  We will do that by reflecting on a couple of Scriptures:  Luke 2:1-14 and Ephesians 2:14-18. 

 

In the Lukan passage, angels proclaim to shepherds outside of Bethlehem: "glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among those with whom God is pleased.  Peace is proclaimed as a divine gift in the arrival of Jesus.  In Ephesians, Paul explains the peace process God used in more detail. That passage is included below.

 

To prepare for worship, please read these passages and reflect on these questions:  why do we seek peace without the Prince?  what makes such a search fruitless?  in what ways is it true that Christ is the Prince of Peace even in a world so torn by violence?  what is the source of the peace we have in Christ?  what do these passages challenge us to do?

 

Please also be in prayer for our service as we move ever closer to the celebration of Christ's birth.

 

Ephesians 2:14-18 (New International Version)

 ¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

 

 

Boxing NIght 2009

Don't forget Boxing Night! Our annual Boxing Night clothing drive for the homeless begins on the day after Christmas. The senior high youth will be spending the night in the church parking lot on Saturday, December 26 to help raise awareness of the plight of the homeless.

More on Boxing Night

worship preview

One of the things I've noticed about Michigan living is that sunny days never get taken for granted.  The year my family moved to Michigan from southern California the sun came out three days in the month of November.  I remember thinking, "I'm not going to make it if this continues.  I need a break from the gloomy weather." 

I think that same reasoning was behind the decision of Church leaders to make the third Sunday in Advent the Joy Sunday.  Advent is a time for introspection and repentance, a time to do some internal housecleaning to prepare for the birth of Christ.  Such work is necesary, but hard.  Spiritual weariness can set in.  And so it was decided to insert this Sunday of joy to refresh us as we move toward Christmas.

 

This Sunday, we will take a look at this reality called joy.  And we'll do so by pondering a couple of Scriptures:  Luke 1:46-55 and Matthew 1:18-25. In the first passage, Mary rejoices at the news of her pregancy.  As you read through this passage, identify the reasons Mary gives for being so joyful.  While rejoicing at her news, Mary also makes it clear that some folks won't find the arrival of Christ to be a joyful occasion.  Which folks does she mention ?  In the Matthew passage, Joseph also is being invited into the joy of Christ's birth, but his reaction seems less joyful than Mary's.  Why is that the case?  What issues does Joseph wrestle with?  Although joy isn't implicitly stated in this passage, where might it be present in the story? 

 

I would encourage you to think through these questions as well:  is there a difference between having fun and having joy?  Between being happy and being joyful?  What are the differences?  Where does Jesus fit into the notion of joy? 

 

Please be in prayer as we approach this Sunday.  May it be a time of growing closer to God in Christ and experiencing the joy that He offers.

 

--Bryan 

Winter Dinner Series - Faith and Science

Science and faith often seem to be at odds. 
Biblical accounts of creation sometimes don’t seem to line up with what scientists are discovering. Does science disprove the existence of God, or does it provide evidence that God exists? Are we wonderful creations made in the image of God, or are we merely the accidental result of eons of evolutionary processes?
How does a person of faith interpret both the Bible and science as they seek to explain what we are, how we got here, and what our purpose is? What are some of the ethical implications of recent scientific discoveries?
These are some of the questions that will be explored in our six-week Winter Dinner Series, Faith and Science, led by Bryan Smith and Beth Delaney. The series will be held on Wednesday nights beginning on January 6, 2010. 
Dinner starts at 5:45 with classes for all ages beginning at 6:30. The evening concludes at 7:30.

Celebrate Christmas Around The World

On Wednesday December 16, come celebrate the birth of our Savior through traditions from around the world, 5:45-7:30pm. Tickets are $5 for children 10 and under, $7 for everyone else. Advance ticket purchase only. Tickets will be on sale beginning Sunday, December 6^th. Invite your friends!

Enjoy food, crafts, stories, music, and more.

worship preview

The Detroit News recently had an article that offered advice on how to dress for office Christmas parties.  The general advice was to dress conservatively.  It noted that for women, wearing low cut blouses and short skirts undermines the image of professionalism and can damage hope for career advancement.    In a story he includes in his gospel, Matthew tells of a man who was invited not to an office party, but to a wedding banquet.  Unfortunately for him, the man wasn't dressed appropriately and suffered consequences far worse than a career setback.  Matthew includes this story not because he is a fashionista, but a Christian teacher and evangelist.  His hope is that the story will encourage us to think not about what we wear to parties but about how we respond to the gospel of life.   We will be taking a look at this story this Sunday.  It is found in Matthew 22:11-13 and is included below.  As you read the story, you might ask, "why does the king respond so forcefully in this story?"  "what can we imply about the guest based on how he shows up for this feast?"  "what is the point of this story?"  "what does this story say to us 2000 years later?"  "what in particular does this story say to you?"   We will also be celebrating the Lord's Supper this Sunday.  Taking time to read and reflect on this passage would be a great way to prepare for worship.   In Christ,   --Bryan   Matthew 22:11-13   11"when the king came in to see the guests he had invited to his son's wedding feast, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.  13"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'