Hello Church,
It is a Wednesday afternoon and I am finally getting around to sending out my weekly email. It is another Cleveland winter day, it’s cold outside and I am thankful for the warmth from my office heater today. I hope you all are finding ways to stay cozy this time of year.
A few announcements and some reminders for the coming weeks.
On Sunday December 20th, we will be celebrating communion during our worship service. If you are able, there is a basket outside my office door that you can come and pick up your pre-filled communion cups. Or if coming to the church is not something you feel up to doing, please let me know and we will have someone from our Care Team drop off your communion to you at your home.
Our Virtual Christmas Eve service will start at 6pm on Thursday December 24th. You are encouraged to log in a little early and join in Carol Singing that will be led by Shanelle. At the end of the service we will light our candles as we sing ‘Silent Night’, I invite you to have a candle nearby that you can light during that time.
While we will not be having a traditional “Joys, Concerns, and Announcements” time during our service, I will be doing a Pastoral Prayer. If you have a prayer request that you would like lifted up during the Christmas Eve service, please reach out to me before our service that week and I will make sure everyone knows the request.
We will have our Virtual Coffee Hour after the Christmas Eve service. So please stick around and join us for a Christmas Eve fellowship!
Also on Christmas Eve our altar area will be decorated with all of the poinsettias that everyone ordered. If you ordered poinsettias and will be picking them up, I ask that you wait until Monday December 28th, so we can still have them for our Sunday Service on the 27th. You are then welcome to pick them up starting on Monday December 28th, the church office will be open 2pm-6pm that week. If you need to arrange a different time to pick them up or would like them taken to someone, please contact Vivian in the church office.
I am excited to continue in this season of Advent with you all and lead you all in our Christmas Eve service.
Our scriptures for this week are: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28
And our prayer for this week is from the Book of Common Prayer
Lord, you have woven the threads of creation
too finely together for any of us
to exist as islands
unto ourselves
Teach us to delight in your web of life and to know ourselves
in community.
Amen
May this week land gently on you all.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Megan