The Congregational Church of Wells, 
United Church of Christ 
December 5, 2016
Friends, 

Oh How joyous this Advent Season has been. How wonderful to see so many faces--those we see often; those we haven't seen for some time; and those we have just seen for the first time! The gift of being together has been special while we have been awaiting the gift of Christmas. 

During Worship, we discovered Hope. As the Candle entered into our sanctuary begining our worship with word and song, we were reminded by 5 year old Bodey as he read the meaning of our second candle. 

"We light the candle of Hope, because "hope is the destination of our faith." "

I encourage you this week to reflect upon what you heard during worship about how your past encourages you to either move towards resentment or compassion. Through Jesus Christ, we are given the opportunity to move towards compassion. How will you examin pains and sorrows in your life not as a means to be held back, but to live in hope and hope with all the world. 

This Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. We will light the candle of love! The love of God is the meaning and purpose of life and new life. " One of the most powerful parts of Rawle's book, in my estimation, is in this chapter when he talks about the suffering of Bethlehem as Herod lets fear pull him into "get them before they get us" (91). "Bethlehem" happens in many places even now. Scrooge is asked to "look upon" the reality of the world and it cracks him open a bit and compassion grows. This Sunday is about our own "looking upon" the world and knowing that love is what we are made for... not fear." Together we will learn to live our lives through love--love of God and love of Neighbor. Hopefully, this leads us to treat one another differently and to do something surprising for someone else. 

"The miracle has just begun in YOU! God Bless Us Everyone!"

God Bless Us Everyone! 
Rev. Charity Omartian

Christmas Presents

I have two favorite times of the year! My favorite time of the year is Advent/ Christmas and Holy Week and Easter. There is something very special about preparing and setting aside time to reflect and honor what God has done for all of us. 

But... 

What I struggle with the most at Christmas is presents. Don't get me wrong, I do like to occasionally get a gift because someone thought of me or my family. 

But I struggle with over abundance... 

What do I mean by that... I mean I struggle with having more than I need. There is a big difference between a want and a need.  Does my Christmas list have a lot of wants or needs? It's okay to have a want, but maybe limiting is a good thing. 
It teaches us humility and sharing. 

In the book we are reading, Matt Rawle has a wonderful idea that I would love to share with you. So when you write out your Christmas list, maybe this year you can try it. 


"1. Something they WANT 
because, as Christians, we should want to be near God, to have a desire to be with God. Desire is not a bad thing. We should long for God as the deer longs for streams of water (Psalm 42: 1). 

2. Something they NEED 
to remind them that we are always in need of God's grace and forgiveness. Want coupled with desire reflects Philippians 4: 19-" And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (NRSV). God satisfies our needs, but also leaves us wanting more. This is why when the author of Psalm 23 trusted that God was with him, his cup overflowed (Psalm 23: 5). 

3. something to WEAR. 
Clothing, for good or ill, says something about us. It is a way to tell every passerby a little bit of who we consider ourselves to be. As Christians we should wear the humility, kindness, and generosity of Christ (Romans 13: 14). 

4. Something to READ: 
Education is important for the "renewing of your mind" (Romans 12: 2), 

5. one gift to SHARE 
to remind us that church is where we learn to share our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness."

Rawle, Matt (2016-08-03). The Redemption of Scrooge: Connecting Christ and Culture (The Pop in Culture Series) (Kindle Locations 1049-1062). Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition.



Advent Worship Series

The series is based on The book:  The Redemption of Scrooge by Matt Rawle. I encourage you to read the book this advent. You can find a paperback copy at Cokesbury or Barnes and Noble. I have 6 paperback copies available. There are electronic versions as well. I can make more purchases for the book by request only. I invite you to join in our bible study on Sunday Mornings following coffee hour on December 4th, 11th, and 18th. All are welcome. Keep Watch for Videos and other ways to worship throughout the week on our facebook page. 

This Worship Series is the work of the people. What to expect: Dramatic readings by our Youth; an amazing Christmas Pageant on December 18th; Jack Berg doing a shorten stanza from Dickens' A Christmas Carol; Choir praising God in Song; Banners made by three different people; Bells ringing out God's truth; and families beginning in the lantern symbolizing the light of Christ entering in our sacred space and lighting the Advent Candles of peace, hope, love, and joy.  Keep Watch on our facebook page for ways to worship during this Advent Season.  

My hope that this advent we will be transformed by hearing, see ing, and immersing ourselves in the true meaning of Christmas which is the coming of Jesus Christ, the light of the world! 

Upcoming Events
 
What a wonderful way to start the Advent Season! 

Dec. 9th, 7 p.m. Community Christmas Concert at St. Mary's 
Dec. 11th  11 a.m. Bible Study 
Dec. 11th, 2 p.m. Christmas Parade 
Dec. 17th, 10 a.m. Pageant Rehearsal 
Dec. 18th, 9:30 a.m. Pageant and Worship 
Dec. 18th, 11 a.m Bible Study 
Dec. 24th. 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Candlelight Christmas Eve Worship Service 
Dec. 25th, 9:30 a.m. Carols and Lessons Worship Service 
Jan. 1st, 9:30 a.m. The twelve Days of Christmas Worship Service