Children and Youth Choirs Present the Music of Advent and Christmas

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In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.  And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ 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.  I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

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Keep Awake!

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But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

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Advent Craft Fest Welcomes the Season

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On December 1, church members and guests welcomed the Christian new year (Advent) with a potluck dinner, fellowship, a performance of Christmas songs by our youngest choir, and plenty of festive crafts at our annual Advent Craft Festival. Enjoy photos and a video of the event below.

Watch a performance by our youngest choir!

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Foundations

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May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him.

He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

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All Things New

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For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.

I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.

They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord— and their descendants as well.

Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.

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The Energy in Encouragement

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Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us— whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as first fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

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All Saints’ Sunday

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Listen to the entire service below.

Parish Adult Choir and instrumentalists present selections from John Rutter’s Requiem, including:
Requiem Aeternam
Pie Jesu
The Lord Is My Shepherd
Sanctus
Out of the Deep
Agnus Dei
Lux Aeterna

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Intern Interview – Hadley

Meet our youth intern Hadley!

Name

Hadley O’Hara

School Info

Sophomore at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
English Major with a Minor in Secondary Education

What you want to be “when you grow up”?

When I grow up, my dream is to be a High School English teacher and be able to pour into students. I hope to encourage them to be the best version of themselves and realize that education and a hunger for learning will open many doors and ultimately improve our society and communities.

If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

If I could eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be Chick-Fil-A waffle fries, with ranch of course!

What made you want to pursue this internship?

I wanted to pursue this internship so that I could give back to the program that gave so much to me growing up as a member. I wanted to get to love on students and help them realize the enormous love and grace a relationship with Christ offers.

What are some ways you experience God’s presence?

Some of the ways I experience God’s presence is through other people and the callings God places in my life. This could look like a friend responding or affirming something too perfectly to lack God’s presence or a nudge in a direction that places me slightly outside my comfort zone.

What do you wish you could tell your younger self?

I wish I could tell my younger self that you will have people that will be able to walk with you through the valleys and mountaintops. I would tell her that the mountaintops will not be too steep and you will be stronger on the other side.

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Intern Interview – Ramsey

Meet our youth intern Ramsey!

Name

Ramsey Michael Owens

School Info

Sophomore, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

What you want to be “when you grow up”?

Owner of the Boston Red Sox

If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Chicken of all varieties 

What made you want to pursue this internship?

I wanted to grow in God’s grace and help kids learn about the Agape love that surrounds us

What are some ways you experience God’s presence?

Nature is where I hear God most clearly.

What do you wish you could tell your younger self?

Love everyone no matter what

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Intern Interview – Marcy

Meet our youth intern Marcy!

Name

Marcy Sullivan

School Info

Sophomore, Global Studies and Leadership Studies

What you want to be “when you grow up”?

When I grow up, I want to be a good person! That’s the first goal. Secondly, I want to research different cultures, different cool people doing cool things, and different musics and maybe publish research or articles on these findings.

If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

If I could eat one food, my brain screams QUESADILLA and my heart screams WAFFLE HOUSE.  So, I will follow my heart.

What made you want to pursue this internship?

This internship came at an amazing time in my life where I couldn’t put my finger on what God was calling me to.  I felt like doors were closing, and I was shutting doors for other college ministry positions or being a young life leader.  When Jenny talked to me about applying, I knew all these closings had led me to this opening! It was exactly what I was supposed to do.

What are some ways you experience God’s presence?

I experience God’s presence through the ways He gives me grace.  In my prayer, when I finally say something that holds some truth, it is a gift from the Holy Spirit.  In reading the word, the same goes.  When we serve and give our life away, walking closely with things that are unlike ourself, God shows himself there to me.

What do you wish you could tell your younger self?

I wish I could tell my younger self thank you for being so silly! It has made growing up wonderfully funny.

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