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The SPIRIT of Ridgefield-Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church Nov. 29, 2006
Click here to see the December calendar.
WAITING FOR THE NEW
The season of Advent is all about waiting. We’re waiting for Christmas, of course—actually, some of us are not waiting and have already stampeded to the manger. But the rest of us are taking our time, taking it slow, enjoying the sights and sounds along the way to Bethlehem. In addition to Christmas, what else are we waiting for?
The good news of Advent is that, whatever we’re waiting for, something new is coming. That may not seem like good news, but when you consider how our world seems to be trapped by old ways of thinking and acting and relating, something new may be exactly what we need. Long ago the world seemed “stuck”, and God did something new in the birth of the Christ child. That’s what we celebrate on Christmas, and that’s what we prepare for during Advent.
Advent 1 - Jeremiah 31:31-34
December 2, 5pm (NewWay)
December 3, 9am and 11am
As we begin our journey to Christmas, we are met first by the prophet Jeremiah. He invites us to do some soul-searching, to be honest about the ways we are sometimes trapped by past mistakes, wrong turns, and poor decisions. And then he shares with us the good news of Advent: God does new things.
Advent 2 - Luke 1:46-55
December 9, NO NewWay
December 10, 9am and 11am *Gospel Magnificat
God does new things—that’s the good news of the Advent season. But, as we see in Mary’s song, God’s new things may be loving and just, but they are not always convenient. In fact, they may be threatening to those who are too settled down and too invested in the status quo. So we learn here not to put too much trust in ourselves, our positions, our things, our place in the world—because all these things are unstable and up for grabs. Instead we put our trust in God’s faithfulness, confident that whatever new things may come, no matter how disorienting they may seem, God is still with us.
Advent 3 - Luke 3:7-18
December 16, 5pm (NewWay)
December 17, 9am and 11am
What are you waiting for? We’re all waiting for something. In John’s time people were waiting for the messiah to come, and they were quite sure they knew what that meant. (They were wrong.) Some today may be waiting for the messiah (and they may be wrong about what that means, too). Others may be waiting for something else, something new: new life, new hope, a new day, a new beginning. Some may even be dreading what they’re waiting for: the first Christmas without a loved one, a word from the doctor, etc. But no matter what we’re waiting for, John tells us how to wait: live with integrity and compassion. That’s it. That’s what we should do in the meantime—and we are always living in the meantime.
Advent 4 - Isaiah 9:2-7 and Luke 1:46-55
December 23, 5pm (NewWay)
December 24, 9am ONLY
(Teri Peterson preaching)
God has made some very extravagant promises, and we’ve been hearing about them and waiting and preparing, and now, “God comes tomorrow.” God always keeps God’s promises, which may be why people in the Bible are always talking as if things have already happened. In this already-but-not-yet time, we stand on these promises as we wait for tomorrow—that there is light in the darkness, that the Prince of Peace has and will come, that a Spirit-filled girl can see a new world opening ahead of us. So we look expectantly for what’s ahead, standing on God’s promises.
Christmas Eve - Luke 2:1-14
December 24, 3:30, 5:00,
7:30 (NewWay), 9:00, and 10:30
The waiting is almost over. God’s old-new thing (or new-old thing) is almost here. I think one part of the good news of Christmas is that something new can happen, that we aren’t bound by the chains of the past—mistakes, wrong turns, poor decisions, or even good decisions that have run their course. Our whole world groans under the burden of the past: guilt, vengeance, despair, etc. Christmas gives us the bright hope of newness: long ago, when everything seemed trapped, God did something new. God did it once in the birth of the Christ child; God can and will do it again.
Christmas 1 - Luke 2:41-52
December 30, 5pm (NewWay)
December 31, 9am ONLY
(Teri Peterson preaching)
Though only five days ago we were greeting a baby, now we have a precocious 12-year-old on our hands. In this journey to and from Jerusalem, we see a Jesus who begins to act like a teenager, parents who don’t understand and don’t know what to do, and the beginnings of a negotiation of the line between “knowing” and “being in relationship.” There’s no “how-to” book that can tell us everything we want to know about God, Jesus, life, or anything else—even Jesus’ parents didn’t have the perfect parenting manual. But maybe we don’t need to know everything…
ADULT CHOIR CANTATA - Dec. 10th
The adult choir will present the cantata, "Gospel Magificat, My Soul Doth Magnifiy the Lord" by Robert Ray during the 9 and 11:00 worship services on Dec. 10. The choir will also be singing, "Of a Rose, a Lovely Rose", from John Rutter's “Magnificat".
DOES CHURCH MAKE YOU HUNGRY?
Between the services on December 10th, please join us in Fellowship Hall for a continental breakfast with our cantata singers. Panera Bread, fruit, and beverages will be provided.
STEWARDSHIP UDPATE
We wanted to give you an update on our stewardship drive for 2007. So far we have received 92 pledges totaling more than $230,000. This is a good start. However, last year we had 155 pledges totaling more than $330,000, so we still have a long way to go. If you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to mail your pledge card to the church office at your earliest convenience. Thank you, as always, for your continuing support of the mission and ministry of RCLPC.
Please Note: We received a pledge this week in the amount of $200 per week, but there was no name on the pledge card. If you think this pledge might be yours, please contact the church office. Thank you.
JESUS' BIRTHDAY PARTY!
You are invited to celebrate Jesus’ birthday with the children of RCLPC on December 17th at 10:45 am. Join us as we sing “Happy Birthday” and eat lots of yummy goodies. Our gifts to Jesus will be the items necessary to bake your favorite Christmas cookies. Non-perishable of course! The items will be donated to the Crystal Lake Food Pantry just in time for Christmas.
We are also looking for some people to help with the food. Please check the sign up sheet in the Connecting Link for the items we need. Thank you.
THE ANGEL GIVING TREE
The Christmas Tree in the Gathering Place is up and ready for picking!! Come early and choose from a diverse variety of opportunities from volunteering to gifts for children and moms from Home of the Sparrow and Youth Service Bureau to program materials for Family Alliance and Faith in Action to other Mission needs. There are over 100 things to do and buy. When you take a tag, please replace it with an ornament from under the tree to show your commitment, until they are all on the tree. If the tags are all taken in the next couple of weeks we have agencies waiting to add people who have expressed needs since they gave us their initial list. AND, gift cards for gas and stores like Wal-Mart, Target and Sears or restaurants, grocery stores, fun places to go like bowling alleys or movie theatres can always be distributed to nonprofit agencies trying to make the holidays brighter for those who are in need. If you have questions or want to know more about volunteering for an agency, just call a member of the Deacon Ministry team, Happy Picking!!
~ Ann Legg, Rick and Lois Johnson, Joy Martin, Gloria Thorson, and MJ Towne
Oh, RING THOSE CHRISTMAS BELLS!
The Salvation Army still needs bell ringers between now and December 23. Stores in your community and at the train stations have buckets and bells ready, but the Salvation Army needs people willing to spend an hour or two ringing those bells reminding folks that we can make a difference in the lives of others less fortunate. Please help by calling Karen Hutchings at 815-455-2769 and select your place and time to be a Proud Bell Ringer. ~ Mission Outreach Ministry
SAVE THE DATE - Saturday, Dec. 23rd!!
Starting to panic about getting those last minute gifts bought, or those last gifts wrapped before Christmas? DON’T PANIC! SAVE THIS DATE!! Saturday, Dec. 23rd from 2 - 5 pm and join us for RCLPC’s first annual Drop and Shop event. Drop your children at the church for an afternoon of crafts, movies, and games while you finish those last minute things you need to do. Pick them up by 5 and stay for the New Way service if you wish. Pizza supper will be available at 6 in Fellowship Hall for only $5 per family.
Volunteers are needed to help.
If anyone would like to volunteer please contact
Laurie Pohl, Cindy Borre or Doug Crane.
Thanks. Laurie
SESSION Highlights (November)
*Met with Sheila Mohler to discuss the status of NewWay on Saturday nights
*Approved sending a letter to the congregation re: the status of NewWay on Saturday nights
*Approved testing hearing assistance equipment for the sanctuary
*Approved building appraisal to update insurance ($325)
*Approved using the remaining $1,800 from office upgrade funds to buy a portable computer for the Associate Pastor
*Approved up to $3,000 from Meyer’s bequest to buy two new desktop computers for staff office and music office
*Confirmed session retreat scheduled for January 27 at Resurrection Center
*Endorsed Ann Legg for mission service in the PC(USA)
*Heard a report from the building task force on the status of land acquisition; information will be communicated to congregation
*Next meeting: December 18
THANKS So Much
The volunteers and clients of Good Samaritan Ministry would like to thank us for supporting their ministry that helps pay rent and utility bills for neighbors in need.
EEEKKK! Cookie Walk is Next Week!!
And you might have thought the season of scaring was over, but we just had our own scare here at the Cookie Walk Headquarters.... WE NEED YOU! Please, please, please consider baking, making candy, or volunteering for setting up/breaking down! Time is flying by! We can't do this without you! Please consider baking what you did last year again, baking for the first time, or volunteering for the first time! We'll gladly take any donations from four dozen (about one batch) on up! You say you won't be around that weekend (Dec. 9th)? If you'll make them, we'll find freezer space to store them, but we need your beautiful creations (They look/taste so much better than ours!)! Please help us if you can!
Upcoming Events are:
* Cookie Decorating Party Dec. 2 @ 3:00 pm
* Cookie drop off is anytime during the day on Dec. 8th
(please include a cookie name card)
* Cookie Walk set-up is Dec. 8th 7-9 pm
* The Cookie Walk is Dec. 9 from 9-12 pm
Thank you to those of you who have already committed to participating! We appreciate you!
*Special note: Many great cookie recipes are in the RCLPC “Beyond the Cookie Walk Cookbook” if you need them! Please see Nancy Blakely for your copy soon. They will be sold at the Cookie Walk too. Once they are gone, they are gone and we want to make sure you have yours before that happens! AND…if the cookies you make are in the cookbook, please include a card with the name and a special note indicating this for our customers.
Hoping and praying for your help,
Marypatriece Raupp and Nancy Blakely
THANK YOU!
The Home of the Sparrow and the women and children they serve would like to thank us for our support and belief in their mission. Home of the Sparrow provides critical housing and services for over 126 homeless women and their children. “There is nothing more gratifying or hopeful than encouraging families, whose spirits are broken when they enter our program, to heal and find renewed hope as they make life giving choices to end the devastating cycle of poverty and homelessness… From our hearts to yours, thank you for caring about our Home of the Sparrow family.
Rev. Karen R. Stunkel, Executive Director
NATIVE AMERICAN CONNECTION
In commemoration of Thanksgiving last week, may we give you the insightful words of Randolph Runs After, an environmental health specialist for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe that feels like a prayer for us all, whatever our culture. “Disregard the Pilgrim-Squanto imagery and celebrate how you can drive to the store without worrying about a suicide bomber taking you with him. Celebrate our continued existence as tribal nations who’ve weathered the storms, politically, socially, economically and physically. Celebrate that despite how our in-fighting frequently beats us down, a further continued educated membership will give us the tools to change our respective tribal deficiencies, and change our future for the better. Celebrate that although we sometimes don’t have much on the reservation, there are people all over the world who would give anything for a tenth of what we do have. Lastly, celebrate that as long as your heart has a beat in it, there’s always a chance for telling those who mean something to you that you’ve always appreciated their existence. Li’la Was’te.” Amen.
Dawn Condill, Alice Haznedl, Ann Legg, Joy Martin, Rod Russell, Gloria Thorson
A LETTER from Sam Rizk About Our Peacemaking Offering
Dear Friends at RCLPC,
Greetings from Annandale and I hope that you are all well.
Yesterday we received in the mail your peacemaking offering check - thank you very very much for this generous and kindly support! It certainly means a lot to us, and we really appreciate the fact that you thought about us in relation to peacemaking.
As I continue my studies in conflict analysis and resolution, it certainly is challenging to think of how tough the obstacles are to peace and peacemaking. But, in the end, the major reason I began working in this area in Egypt and Lebanon and then decided to study it more is my understanding that, as people of faith, we have no other choice but to take our faith and value system seriously - that is to believe that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, came to bring peace through peaceful means, not through violence and war. Also, it is also important to note that a major part of this message of peace is reconciliation, particularly with one another.
I hope I will be able to share more of this with you in the weeks/months to come. We hope to make [a visit] to Crystal lake at some point while we're still here for studies.
Once again, thanks so much, and we'll be [putting] the offering to good use. Please give our best to all our friends at RCLPC, until we meet.
In peace, Sam, and May and Yasmine
RCLPC
COOKIE WALK
Saturday,
Dec. 9th
9 am to Noon*
*or until the cookies run out
Annual
RCLPC CAROLING PARTY!
Sunday, Dec. 17th
Meet at the church at 3 pm
We’ll meet back at church at 5 pm for hot cocoa, coffee, and cookies.
Please bring a plate of cookies to share. Families of all ages and sizes are welcome!
GLOBAL GIFT SHOP Huge Success
Thanks so much to all who shopped and helped at the Global Gift Shop. Your enthusiastic support made the sale a success here and a difference for families around the world. Look for our second annual fair trade event next fall. ~ Mission Outreach Ministry
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