The Pulse | December 23, 2021 |
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The Pulse | December 23, 2021 |
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Upcoming Events:
December 24th
Christmas Eve Services
December 26th
A Service of Lessons & Carols
December 27-31
Church Office Closed
January 2nd
Combined 10am Service + Fellowship
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Late last month Justo Gallego, a former Spanish monk, died at the age of 96 in a tiny suburb of Madrid. Gallego’s death made international news because he had spent the last sixty years of his life building a church. He built it single-handedly. He built it without architectural training. He built it without buying anything, instead, using old car tires, discarded bicycle wheels, steel from closed factories, and unwanted bricks from construction sites. The church is called the Cathedral of Faith, pictured here:
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Gallego was inspired to build the cathedral after watching the desecration of houses of worship during the Spanish Civil War. “I saw the Communists destroy all the churches here, with people laughing and dancing in the ruins,” he said. “But when you believe, you can rebuild with your own hands a beautiful new place.”
The story of Gallego’s life reminds me of another cathedral of sorts: Mary, the mother of Jesus. Here was a woman confronted with a vocation equal parts heroic and bizarre. The power of the Most High would overshadow her, and she would give birth to God’s Son, the promised heir to David’s throne who would rule the house of Jacob forever. Her initial response to the angel’s announcement was alarm (“greatly troubled”, the Bible says). However, her understandable fear gave way to heroic faith: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”
This is where her life intersects with Gallego’s (and ours). The season of Christmas is about the Incarnation: the Word made flesh. It happened once and for all in the birth of Jesus, but echoes of God’s coming among us reverberate today in people who believe and (re)build beautiful things. These projects can take very literal forms - buildings, music, and the visual arts - but are not contained therein. Is there anything more beautiful, for instance, than godly friendships, marriages, or families? People of the Incarnation dare to believe God became one of us and strive to bear witness to that scandal by embodying grace and truth in their own lives and work.
There are three upcoming opportunities to worship the God-made-flesh: a slew of services on Christmas Eve (3, 5 and 11 pm), Lessons and Carols on 12/26 (10 am), and, new this year, a celebration of the Holy Name of Jesus on 1/2 (also at 10 am).
I hope you'll be able to worship at most (if not all) of these services, and I pray you’ll meet God in such a way that you believe and are ready to rebuild.
Nick
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What's Happening at Apostles |
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Please join us on Christmas Eve!
The 3pm service will include our "interactive" Christmas Pageant. Any kids ~ from one to ninety-two ~ are invited to participate! The 5pm {live stream} and 11pm services will be our Candlelight Communion Services. All are welcome!
Child care will not be provided for these services.
(The 3pm service is designed to allow children of all ages to be in the sanctuary.)
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Join us this Sunday to hear the Gospel through word and song at a special Service of Lessons & Carols. There will be one combined service at 10:00am.
{Child care will not be available for this service.}
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With regards to 2021 Giving Records:
Please note that gifts of securities and mutual funds must be transferred to, and received in, the Church's brokerage account by noon on December 31, 2021, to be included with 2021 giving.
Because the church offices will be closed December 27-31 and given mail delays, we are requesting that you initiate year-end gifts online. If mailing, payments must be mailed and postmarked by December 31, 2021, to be reflected on your 2021 Giving Record. If your bank issues your payment, please allow plenty of time for our receipt by mail. You can always check your giving records by logging into Apostles Link. Click on the Give option in the left margin; go to the Schedules/History tab where you can see your history or print a Giving Statement for you or your family.
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Church Office Hours: 9am-5pm | Mon-Thurs
919-782-0550 (Office)
919-283-2682 (Pastoral Care Emergencies)
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