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Good evening Church!
This week we get to do something a bit unusual. We will celebrate the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve on the same day, Sunday. Join us for a morning service of Carols, Coffee, and Croissants. We will sing some of the Christmas Carols that we don’t get to sing on Christmas Eve. Then at 3:00 pm we will have a “Family Christmas Service.” This service will be a bit shorter and designed to engage the youngest in our families. At 6:00 pm join us for our traditional Candlelight Christmas Service!
As we gather for Christmas celebrations as a church and as families, our daughter Katelyn, her husband Stephen, and their family wanted to share with you a letter. Please see below:
To our church family,
We are forever grateful for the prayers, love and support given to our family over the past several weeks, but more specifically with the arrival and hospitalization of Goldie. A simple ‘thank you’ does not suffice for the immense generosity we have received.
We write this with heavy hearts from Goldie’s hospital room. During a routine follow-up appointment this week, there were some concerning changes to her heart function that prompted an unplanned admission to the hospital.
We knew the day would come when she would need another surgery but were hopeful for at least a few months of growth. Through testing and discussing with her medical and surgical teams both here and with her team in Boston, we now know her decline in heart function has caused a greater sense of urgency for another surgery.
We are devastated that we are back after only two weeks at home but continue to revel in the joy that she brings our entire family. We plan to lean on the love we experienced being together as a family of five for that short time to carry us through what is expected to be a months-long hospitalization.
We continue to trust in Gods timing, presence, and unwavering love. While we may not always understand the trials we walk through, we rest in knowing the abundance of His power and love.
We would do anything to all be home for Christmas, but we have a sense of peace knowing she is where she needs to be, and her care team is busy addressing every little detail.
Goldie’s situation is fragile, and the two of us find ourselves anxious with trepidation, but what we always come back to is our faith and trust in Jesus, being built on a solid foundation. New Covenant is an integral part of that foundation for our family.
There are not words to express the amount of gratitude we have for the many ways you have continued to show us love. In Psalm 23, David writes about his cup runneth over. You have provided a real-life example of that, filling up our cups when ours have been empty at various times since Goldie’s birth.
It has been crucial for us to enable Lila and Maeve to continue in as many normal “routines” as possible. Going to church and being with many of you is at the top of their list. We appreciate the love and support to my parents as well, as this truly is a full family effort in caring for us all.
I shared in a blog post a few weeks back that I have sat through many of the quiet nights thinking about Mary during this season of advent. Most likely she was waiting and worried but trusting in God for the call to carry His Son. The song, Breath of Heaven, sung by Amy Grant, has always been a favorite of mine, but listening to the words provided new meaning for me this year. The refrain speaks to Stephen and me, and perhaps to you as well.
Breath of heaven Hold me together
Be forever near me Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness For you are holy
Breath of heaven
As we sit in waiting for our baby’s next steps, we also sit and wait for the coming of our Savior. This is the true advent experience of hope, peace, joy, and love.
We wish Christmas blessings to you all.
With love,
The McMahan Family,
Stephen, Katelyn, Lila, Maeve, and Marigold
All I can say after this letter, is Merry Christmas! Emmanuel, God is with us!
Pastor Steve
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