O God,
You meet us where we are. You have “pitched your tent” with us. Forgive us, we pray, when we assume you are only “out there” and the distance between us is so great that we can treat others poorly and still claim the title of “Christian”. Forgive us, we pray, when we fail to experience you in the depth and breadth of human relationships. Forgive us, we pray, when we fail to show the world we are Jesus’ disciples by the way we love and forgive one another. You are God. Empower us by Your Spirit to overcome our self-centeredness and embrace You as You embrace us. My our journey through Advent open our eyes and our hearts to your never ending love that is experienced as we love others. In Jesus name, AMEN.
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Denny Krick is having a stress today and Barbara Whinery is seeing a surgeon in OKC. Gene Britnall leaves Wednesday for the Mayo clinic and surgery there. Jill Stuever will have a “C” section tomorrow morning and bring a new life into the world. Dale Vance is back in Bass Hospital. Please pray for all these members.
The Personnel Committee meets tonight. The Stewardship Committee meets tomorrow evening.
Our Board Christmas Dinner is next Thursday, December 9th. If you are a Board Member, please RSVP to Kandy by this Friday. You can call her at 233-1214 or email her at kandyt@centralenid.org.
Yesterday’s Hanging of the Greens and Tasting Party were great successes. Thanks to all who decorated last week and all who participated yesterday.
The Advent Devotional Booklet is available at the Welcome Center. I will include the daily devotionals in these emails. Today there are two: one for Sunday and one for today.
Grace and peace,
John McLemore
DEVOTION FOR SUNDAY
Isaiah 2:1-15
In days to come
the mountain of the LORD’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
3 Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
5 O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the LORD!
Let us pray:
Lord, just as Isaiah foresaw all of the nations turning their weapons into tools of good works, let this remind us this Advent season to funnel all of our energies and talents toward glorifying your Son in all that we do! Whether it be visiting the elderly, feeding the poor, or helping find shelter for the homeless, God wants all of us this Advent season to put down anything that keeps us from furthering His Kingdom here on Earth and use all of our energies toward caring for all of His children! Lord, forgive us for our short comings and give us the courage to do your will here on earth, today and everyday! In His holy name we pray. Amen
Randy Johnson
DEVOTION FOR TODAY
Matthew 8:5-11
“When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and cure him.’ The centurion answered, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,”
Giving and receiving gifts at Christmas reminds us of the gift of salvation. The bounty of the season imitates to a small degree the bounty of a heavenly kingdom. Knowing Jesus is there to link us to God joins us all in an eternal circle.
Pierce Jones
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