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All are welcome to Communion Sunday and the First Sunday after Christmas!
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MESSAGE FROM PASTOR TIM
Dear Friends and Members of Ark and Dove,
The song
The Twelve Days of Christmas sure doesn't have much to say about the scriptural Christmas Story, but it does capture one truth about Christmas. The liturgical season of Christmas is 12 days long. Christmas is not just a one day or two day celebration. This has been a church tradition for well over 1500 years. Christmas is complete when we celebrate the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem with their gold, frankincense and myrrh on January 6. Since January 6 is a Wednesday, we will be sure to sing
We Three Kings of Orient Are on January 3. And so we will sing Christmas carols again for two Sundays, as well as serve communion at both services on December 27. Come All Ye Faithful!
Many and deep thanks to all our musicians and worship leaders for the many ways you enriched our Advent and Christmas worship. There are about 60 leaders to thank and we are deeply grateful for your gifts.
On the secular calendar, we often turn our attention to the New Year and maybe even to resolutions. One resolution that people often make is that "I am going to be more intentional about my faith in the new year." If that makes you curious or that is your resolution, we are offering an opportunity for you called
Exploring the Way: An Introduction to the Spiritual Journey, a six week experience. Thursdays Jan 14, 21, 28 and Feb 4, 18, 25 at 7PM. The purpose of this pilgrimage is to experience a sampling of spiritual practices that will help you to strengthen your faith.
Pastor Tim
tims10@aol.com
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CHRISTMAS PRAYER
Lord God, I want to stay for a while in Christmas where hope is something I can cradle to my chest. I want to dwell here where music sings the promise of love, reminding me of those Mary moments in my life when it seems truth and love are about to burst forth from within and change the world.
Let me hearken to Mary's song and hear it as a radical claim awakening me for the sake of revolution, to grab hold of the Kingdom of God already present amongst us.
Let me look into the face of the clearest revelation of your love, and let him transform me so that when the "Slaughter of the Innocents" comes again upon this world I will stand up and say, "NO MORE."
Let me dwell here in the incarnation of your love, and let it change me so that materialism and consumerism are a distant clamor that has no claim on me.
Lord God, let me dwell here in Christmas for a while. I know I am impatient but you understand how this holiday touches us. Some call it sentimentality, but you cradled each of us as you breathed forth the breath of life. You know the power of that tender love. It is life changing, not mere sentiment.
So, let me draw out this Christmas season for a time and savor the message of love herein. Then let me live that love with generosity and courage.
This I ask in the name of your son who is your love in human flesh, Jesus the Christ.
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N
TES FOR YOU
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Thank you to everyone who helped make the Christmas Eve services so wonderful. Special thanks goes out to our fabulous orchestra, Paula Sparks, Joyful Noise and the Adult Choir! Join us this Sunday at the 9:30 service for a special arrangement of "Go Tell it on the Mountain." Happy New Year!
Love,
Rebecca
rebeccaebell@gmail.com
From all of us here at ark & dove, in the music program, and from the band family - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Happy New Year!
Mark
mark.edwards.guitarist@hotmail.com
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EQUIPPING THE SAINTS In his book entitled,
Power Surge: Six Marks of Discipleship for a Changing Church, Michael W. Foss states, "Disciples worship. Their very lives are expressions of trust and praise to the God who made them, loves them, and invites them to love as God loves. Everything that happens in a discipleship church moves to and from that holy moment when God's people gather together in worship," (p. 96). However, congregations across the Christian spectrum are attending worship less frequently. Pastor Tim poses the following question: "If worship helps to build disciples and transform lives- what does less frequent worship say about our direction?" Join us on
Wednesday, January 6th, from 6:30-8:30, in the Marshall Room, as we discuss the third mark of discipleship, "Weekly Worship." Dinner will be soup, salad, and sandwiches. Sign up in the lobby. Childcare will be provided upon request. Samantha Dewey, samanthadewey@gmail.com.
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ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
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OPEN VIEW CLASS The Open View Class, meeting at 11:00 a.m. in the Marshall Room on Sunday mornings, will begin on January 10. We will be studying the book: Soil and Sacrament, A Spiritual Memoir of Food and Faith by Fred Bahnson. This is a book "about communion in its deepest sense--an inspiring and joyful meditation on what grows above the earth, beneath it, and inside each one of us." For information, contact Betsy Baer, bbaer1216@aol.com, who also has a few books available.
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CHRISTMAS JOY OFFERING The Christmas Joy Offering for Mission will be received by the church during Advent and Christmas. The offering supports:
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FACILITIES Leaf Blowers Wanted! Do you have a
gas powered leaf blower? Would you consider letting us borrow it (or you!) for a few hours? Now is the time to banish all of the leaves back to the woods where they belong. If you can help us, contact Ryan Stavely, Facilities Elder (410-980-2307 or ryan@stavely.org). Thanks!
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 Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Dot Forloines; Melissa Beaudry's mother, Donata Zartman; Yvonne Kareha; Ray Mosella; Tom Kees; David Kees; Kirsten Seidler; Nancy Gatdula; Christina Nelson's uncle and family; Henry Duncan; Nora Chidlow; Ann Hirschy; Lester Dabbs; Dot Bruno; Florence Myers; Jason DeVono; Briah Ryan; Karen Dodson's brother, Dennis; Charlotte Davie's uncle, Charles Sabin; the Stanton's niece, Randi; Pat Stanton's cousin; Janet Dabbs' sister, Diane Maloy; Lester Dabbs; Debbie Saylor; Anne Marie Rosenthal's mother, Barbara Winkler; Ethan Howe and Tammy Wright.
JOY AND PRAISES from Pat Stanton for her uncle, Bob Berg, who is recovering well from hip replacement surgery.
If you have prayer concerns or blessings that you would like to share, please contact Deacon Sue Hanburger at avongypsygal@gmail.com, and she will add your concern to the prayer partners email chain.
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