John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentence. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “The man with tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and dont accuse people falsely — be content with your pay.” The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn but he will burn up the chaff with the unquenchable fire.” Andwith many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.
Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, be prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. ” With joyyou will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious hings; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.
Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel!Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” “The sorrows for the appointed feasts I will remove from you;they are a burden and a reproach to you. At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they wre put to shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.
This store is for families who are screened by staff to “shop” for gifts for their children. Families I have met when I volunteered are very grateful since they are barely able to pay for food and housing and have no budget for gifts.
Suggested Gifts for Children (1-17):
Art and school supplies
Warm Jackets, pajamas, socks
Toys: soccer, basket and footballs, skateboards, dolls, stuffed animals, Legos, blocks etc… Games and puzzles Gift cards for older children (ages 12-17) – $25 for Burgerville, Regal Cinema, Amazon, Target, Old Navy, etc. One family gift like new blankets, towels,
appliances, dishes
Or donate money through St. Timothy
Snow-Cap: Most needed items;
please bring by December 16th
.
Any non-perishable items
Canned Fruit, Soups & Veggies
Infant Formula
Tuna
Fruit Juice
Chili
Baby Food- Stage 2
Toys & gifts – especially for older
children and teens (need to be drop
off at SnowCap by December 14th).
Ground Coffee
Sugar – 1 lb packages
Stuffing Mix
Boxed Dessert Mix
Jello
Can openers
New Socks and Underwear – all sizes
Hygiene items
Egg Cartons
The Blue Christmas Service is a special service offered every year in the early afternoon of Christmas Eve. It is not like the traditional candlelight services held in the evenings. The Blue Christmas service acknowledges the complexity of emotions connected to Christmas. Emotions of disappointment, loss, illness, and so much more. The Blue Christmas Service also holds on deeply to the promises of God born into the world as an innocent baby to be with us always. Please join us for a special Christmas service this year. All are welcome and all will come away deeply moved and thankful for attending the service.
Thank you again for the wonderful coats donated during our September 5th Sunday donation. Through your generous donations we were able to bless Bloomin’ Boutique, SnowCap, and Human Solutions Holiday Store with coats for children of all ages. Pastor Jen and Toby had the great honor of delivering roughly 20 coats to Bloomin’ Boutique, a non-profit serving Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. It was amazing to hear the ministry happening through this non-profit and the enthusiasm of the director. Children of all ages come with an adult advocate and they are able to select the toiletries and clothing that they need. Your generous donations will make a positive difference in the lives of children throughout our region.
Several years ago, Betty Caramella gave me a box of ripe peaches and several blue mason jars. She was excited for me to see those mason jars filled with preserved fruit sitting beautifully on my shelves. She was right, those jars did look beautiful and the fruit was worth the effort. Each year as I pull down my mason jars to can the pears from my tree I think of Betty and her excitement over my beautiful mason jars filled with the blessings of God. A mason jar is a simple way to preserve the rich bounty of God’s blessings to us. Whether it is pickles, pear butter, or green beans, mason jars allow us to preserve and enjoy God’s blessings throughout the dark and cold months of winter. Opening up a jar and tasting the contents inside brings such rich joy. This Advent you are invited to prepare for the birth of Jesus through A Mason Jar Advent. This devotional is a way to make Advent simple and focus on what truly matters in life. Each day you will pull a tag out of the jar. The tags invite you into conversation or to take action. Pick up a Mason Jar Advent today in the Narthex (church entryway) or in the office. It is my prayer that you will be richly blessed through this devotional.
Over the past four months I have challenged you to take bite-sized steps towards inviting someone to a Christmas Eve service. This month is our final challenge: invite someone to a Christmas Eve service. Better yet, invite several people. Christmas Eve and Easter are the two times each year that people are most interested in attending a worship service, so go ahead and invite everyone to join us in celebrating the birth of our savior. As I write this article it is barely November (sorry for the late posting on my end from the web guy) and I will be leaving in a few short hours for the Holy Land. I will see where Jesus was born and the field where shepherds were first told the good news of Jesus’ birth. I will look to the stars at night and wonder at the star that led the Wise Men such a great distance to see a newborn king. What would have happened if no one had told the good news of Jesus’ birth? What if a star had not pointed the way? What if angels had not come to the shepherds or the shepherds had not gone and told Mary all the angels said? What if no one proclaims the good news for the world to hear? Throughout Advent we anxiously await the arrival of the greatest gift ever: the savior of the world. While the world is focused on Santa and extravagant Christmas spending, a newborn king enters the world in the most humble of ways. While the world hangs lights inside and out and dons their fanciest clothes, the true light of the world enters to vanquish darkness. While the season says to be happy and jolly, God’s son comes to give comfort and peace to those who feel alone, anxious, or depressed. The world needs Jesus just as much today as it did some 2000 years ago. So, go and tell that Jesus Christ is born. Go and invite them to hear the good news on Christmas Eve.
CHALLENGE 5
“Would you like to join me at church this Christmas Eve?” Invite someone you know to come to worship with you. This seems to be the most frightening invitation for many to make. Remember, the basis of our identity as people of God is our new life given to us in Jesus Christ. When we quit pushing that on others and simply be that through caring relationships, we reveal the love of God. And who knows? The neighbor you invited to church might just reveal something about God that you didn’t know before.
