We're closing in quickly on THAT DAY, the church day to end all church days, the festival of many services - Christmas Eve! I'm preparing for four services, and that means at least two sermons. How much time will you be spending at church today? How many sermons are you writing? What ideas are coming to mind? And the real question...Advent 4 or Christmas in the morning??
In honor of the occasion, I've set out some of the mounds of Christmas cookies that have been given to me this week. The coffee pot is timed to start brewing the French roast early and continuously. I hope you all brought some goodies to share - both food and ideas - because I sense that we may need them.
Bring on the sugar! Bring on the caffeine! Bring on the brilliance!
I'm preaching Advent 4 in the morning... though not got much of a clue where I'm going with it at the moment!
ReplyDeleteWe've got our Carols by Candlelight service this evening, which is always lovely.
Hmmn...Trying to sort out Midnight sermon, which I had all ready and gift wrapped on John (using material from my entry for A Light Blazes...) till lo, I discovered that John was for Christmas morning, when I'm presiding...and I actually have to preach on Luke.
ReplyDeleteWhoops!
Advent 4 tomorrow morning...admission of 5 children to Communion, and I'm presiding
Crib Service 4.00 tomorrow afternoon
Midnight Mass (with sermon) 11.30
Christmas morning 8.00 Eucharist (with homily - KF)
10.00 Parish Eucharist
11.30 Family Worship (FabVicar doing the talk)
12.30 gin in darkened room...Can I go to sleep now? Oh no, it's Christmas day....
(if only...but I still have to start that sermon!)
OK, this is why we Quakers might come out ahead of this liturgical chaos...I have one service-tomorrow morning. I am going to pull together all the strands of the prophetic voices we've heard through advent...I will include a reading of "The Christmas Candle" by Evans. The worship is based on the Christmas Eve reading from Luke. That evening, my husband and I will journey to an unprogrammed Friends Meeting where we will sit quietly in their meetinghouse that dates from 1807 and reflect on the miracles of God's love that come with the baby Jesus.
ReplyDeleteThe really hard thing I will have to do happens today, when we put our 14 year old son on a plane bound for grandparents and family in Ohio. It will be our first Christmas apart from him, but he really wanted to do this. I will try not to cry at the airport. Sob!
I will also be willing to keep the egg nog flavored coffee coming for all you liturgically challenged ministers. Thank God for simple Quaker practice;)
Well, borthers and sisters, I pray you keep up the good work. And let's keep one another in our prayers.
ReplyDeleteI am polishing my Advent 4 sermon now, "Knowing Mary." The Christmas Eve sermon is still only a title "Any Ideas?" I have no idea why God gave this to me, but there it is.
I'll go in to the office before 10 this morning. We have tons of special mucic and as a musician pastor in a small church, I am singing and playing as well.
And I ask your prayers...Christmas is always hard for me. And this is my first as The Baptist Guru on the Block. Trying to stay positive in the midst of new church and holiday pressure is difficult.
Peace and all good things to you. I put some egg nog in the fridge if anyone would like any.
Need a diversion or a form of short procrastination? Visit RGBP Trivia Challenge and see what you know about Christmas!
ReplyDeleteBTW, do you know we have been in the top 10 in terms of popularity for weeks now?
Praying for all of you who have many sermons and liturgical preparations. We put up the Christmas decorations in the church tomorrow on top of it all, in keeping with the tradition of keeping Advent Advent and Christmas Christmas.
I found a poem that I really think is powerful - I don't know if any of you can use it, but here it is:
ReplyDeleteGo here.
Maybe someone will be inspired by it. I sure was. Wish I could take the credit for it.
Praying for all of you!
My schedule is like Chelley's, I am stunned by Kathryn's, and I am seriously considering becoming a Quaker.
ReplyDeleteBoth sermons are finished. I had some free time weeks ago so I went ahead and wrote my reflection for the evening service - it's based on Schleiermacher's Christmas reflections, though not nearly as heady.
ReplyDeleteThen in the morning (which will be an Advent 4/Christmas Eve hybrid) I'm going to advocate for proper recognition to be given to Joseph, probably the least-celebrated character in the Nativity and yet Matthew tells the story from his perspective.
Come on over willsmama!
ReplyDeleteI have an afternoon service and sermon tomorrow, and then at the 11 pm candlelight service, I am conscrating communion, but the host church pastor is preaching. I put a lot of thought into the prayers, making them special for CHristmas Eve, but that work is done (had to be so the secretary could do the orders of worship!).
ReplyDeleteSo now I'm working on a sermon on the Magnificat for the afternoon tomorrow. DP goes to the airport at noon. Otherwise, I'm free to work on the sermon, which is a good thing.
I want to look at that day through Mary's eyes--point out that on Christmas Eve afternoon, we aren't to the baby yet, that Mary still has to have the baby, and what a mix of fear and anticipation she must have felt, as a first time mom. Some of our congregation are parents, but many more aren't, so I want to bring home some of how Mary might have felt--which wouldn't occur to someone who's not been a parent. THe mixture of joy and fear, which is also how we feel about the coming of God into our world. "Jesus is coming--look busy!" It feels right, and it's half written in my head, so I'm hoping it flows into the computer, as the sermon elves once again are absent without leave.
And I have some more oatmeal bread with chocolate chips...
Today I am happy to be among the emerging church.
ReplyDeleteWe are hosting a gathering at our home tomorrow evening. There were not going to be enough of our folks in town to warrant a full-fledged service at our regular venue.
I'm going to lead a service that is based upon the "Lessons and Carols" service out of Kings College at Cambridge with an Advent Wreath lighting and a celebration of the Eucharist. We'll probably have by candlelight in our livingroom. It will be simple and short and we'll end with a light potluck dinner together.
With all of that said, I still need to pull together the carols and put them in our iTunes playlist, pull the readings and create some sort of program.
Most importantly ... the house is a WRECK!! ack!!! So I will be concentrating on more earthly affairs today.
I do feel for all of you with the busy schedules. That would make my head explode. I will be praying for all of you.
Today is our Christmas celebration with Brandon, so I had to be finished with Christmas trappings a little early. A blessing. As is the fact that he is still asleep at 8:10 am - teenagers. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'll be praying for all you preachers and others preparing for the worship tomorrow and Monday.
And I brought shortbread with Ghirardelli chocolate centers - my gift to our clergy (along with Barnes & Noble gift certificates) and virtually, my gift to you.
May I just say that anyone who had time to actually write for Christmas Eve weeks ago is clearly not a mother of three?
ReplyDeleteI have two outlines, two titles and two anecdotes for each brief message, but they are not written yet. Today I must finish them, bake gingerbread cookies and knit as much of the second sleeve of a Christmas sweater as possible. Oh, yes, and start wrapping presents while the kids aren't here.
So, not much to do. Not much at all.
Also, Kathryn's schedule makes me want to lie down.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those times when being in a small church is an extra blessing. For some reason, more than the usual number are traveling this year - including several of my key workers - so we are not having our traditional evening lessons and carols service this year. I was disappointed at first, then decided to look at the bright side: my family can worship in another church tomorrow evening and I won't have to be in charge!
ReplyDeleteTomorrow morning our choir is doing most of the service, so I guess it is really more Christmas Eve than Advent 4 for us. I will have a short meditation, which is almost finished.
May God give strength to those of you who have multiple services. Especially you, kathryn! I look forward to 12:30 tomorrow afternoon, when I can hopefully be 'officially' off!
I am seeking prayers for my brother. Please go here to find out why.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Rev. Scott suggested preachers in search of inspiration might want to read this article.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Scott!
I guility retreated to my office because The Boy wanted me to pay attention to him. Who can blame him, I am surprised he remembered my name. I am playing the guilty mother game where I tell myself "tomorrow" I will give him my undivided attention... in between services that is.
ReplyDeleteSigh...
Christmas day, I promise, is all his.
I slept late, and I have a massage in ...(checks clock) 35 minutes. After that it is run, run, run!
ReplyDeleteI have to finish off Advent 4 for tomorrow morning (Christmas Eve has been oddly done for almost a week), then take Wondergirl to meet her date, then do 6 loads of laundry, grocery shop for a few necessities, then pack, the clean house.
Sigh...better find a cup of coffee and get at it!
ONe of the beautiful things about writing a drama for Christmas Eve is that it then HAD to be done a couple weeks ago so the actors could have it.
ReplyDeleteAS for the morning. Well it is sort of the sermon I wouldn't preach on Christmas Eve A look at the story as myth and truth as opposed to "did this really happpen?" -- I am convinced that is the wrong question to ask anyway.
But I am short on how to make a short sermon out of that. ANd I have no idea what to do for Children's story. I was going to read The Christmas Miracle of Johnathon Toomey but it is really quite long.
A massage, oh I am feeling jealous.
ReplyDeleteOkay so I did get a Christmas bonus that i could easily put toward a spa trip. Maybe anotehr time, huh?
The last of my Body, Mind and Soul coffee is brewing and I am finishing up the lemon coffee cakes from April's recipe.
Also,...I have some fantastic raisin scones from "The Bread Lady." Another saint of our church who bakes bread (incredible bread)each and every communion.
I will share them just with you gals and guys! Shhh!!! Don't tell anyone. They are so good!!!!!
Hope, Peace, Joy, and love to all who write, prepare, wrap, cook, and especially those away form loved ones at this time.
Wow. Kathryn's schedule is really rough.
ReplyDeleteI'm preaching Advent 4 in the morning service, focusing on the Magnificat. I'm mostly done - it just needs some final touches. The words "great things" stood out for me this year...God had done great things in the life of the girl Mary and everything changed because of that. What great things has God done in our own lives this year?
Then...we have a 7:00 pm Family Communion service of lessons and carols. No sermon.
Then...we have an 11:00 pm Candlelight Communion service. Still working on the sermon. I'm focusing on swaddling...it is becoming much more accepted in Western practice of caring for babies, and has many benefits including helping a frantic infant feel safe and secure. So I'm thinking - we get to come into the peace and stillness of God's presence, and we're welcomed and made to feel safe and held, but eventually we have to go out into the cold harshness of the world again. What we take with us is an abiding sense of being loved.
That's all I got...
Well, I have a decent outline and part of a beginning.
ReplyDeleteOff to the airport!
I'll pass the store on the way home--shall I bring anything back with me?
I have put my morning meditation back in the oven and I will check on it later. I am not sure if I like it.
ReplyDeleteNow on to the evening meditation which I have a vague recipe for.
That's enough analogy for me... RP, I'm actually in the mood for a cold italian sub, no onions. Thanks.
Will smama, I've been wondering why my 3-year-old Emily has been so difficult this past week. Then it dawned on me that I have pretty much shuffled my children from one caregiver to another for too many days in a row because of work demands. No wonder my happy little girl turned into such a fussbudget.
ReplyDeleteI gave her a little dedicated cuddle time yesterday. Ta-da! My little sunshine is back!
Nothing like a little working mother's guilt, huh?!
Well, I've got a sermon for tomorrow morning now, but I don't know that I'm very happy with it!
ReplyDeleteKathryn's schedule also made me want to go and lie down... I didn't list all our services - but there's not as many as that!
After the Advent 4 service (which I'm leading and preaching at) in the morning, we've got
4.30pm Christingle/Crib service, where I'm narrating the nativity play! Then 11pm Communion where I'm just assisting. Then I'm presiding at 10am on Christmas morning - not too bad really!
I'm not preaching tomorrow, just reading Scripture. So I guess that leaves me to cook and fetch things for the rest of yall. Anyone need something? Food? We have some spaghetti in the fridge. And I just made another batch of peanut brittle yesterday. And this assortment of crackers and cheese straws and things appeared on the front porch. Help yourselves. Energy and inspiration and peace to you all...
ReplyDeleteKathryn definitely wins the insane schedule award. Tomorrow will be nuts for me, with services at 8am, 10:30am, 7pm, and 9pm, but at least when I'm done with that last Christmas Eve service, I'm really done.
ReplyDeleteI've got absolutely nothing for any of the above services, by the way. Mind. Blank. And I just got a call from a community member in need of gifts for his kids, so now I'm going to try to work out something for that.
I am not meant to be a preacher.
ReplyDeleteI have zero original thoughts.
I cannot put two sentances together in a meaningful way.
I cannot stop worrying if I have enough cream or chicken stock for Monday.
I cannot stop worrying about misplaced Christmas presents.
The toliet has overflowed for the third time in two weeks and caused another flood.
The cat has barfed in the middle of the Dining Room table.
And I'm supposed to finish a sermon??
Durn it! I forgot the Sweet Potatoes!
Argh!
(OK, panic time over. Time to clean up the flood. Breathe in. Breathe out.)
I'm working on a first person narrative starring Qurinius--who I'm arguing is the one character in the whole story who has the most in common with middle class Americans--someone who has managed to scrape out a moderately successful place for himself in a vast, troubled empire . . .
ReplyDeletereverend mommy, sounds like a rough start to the day! Hope you are still practicing that breathing....in...out...in...out.
ReplyDeleteWe have our 11:00 Advent 4 service tomorrow - Senior Pastor preaching. The 6:30 family service and the 9:30 lessons and carols service which I'm preaching. I should be working on my sermon but the family arrives this evening and all I can think about is cleaning and cooking. Think the congregation will except that as an excuse when the sermon is terrible?!
PCIT I like that thought. Let us know how it goes!
ReplyDeleteI'm sending good non-anxious vibes to reverend mommy -- breath deeply friend...
ReplyDeletePCIT - I love that angle!! That will definitely preach.
Here's what I've got- could someone tell me if I''m way chasing a rabbit that will not lead me to the manger? For Christmas Eve service, I want to talk about what the shepherds did with the sheep. Surely they did not herd them into the manger area, right? It says they were nearby in a field when they saw the angels and then they left in a hurry to see the sign. So surely they left their sheep I'm thinking. So I'm asking folks what they'll leave behind so they can take this opportunity to gaze into the eyes of the Christ child. Sincerely, please, send me down a different path if you're saying- W-haaat? Long time lurker first time poster,
ReplyDeleteOkay, massage done, Wondergirl is sitting in the dark with her beau (at the movies). Errands run, groceries bought, house still a wreck, and no laundry started.
ReplyDeleteBut I think I have procrastinated finishing up tomorrow's sermon long enough.
Who's got treats to share?
WS, here's your cold Italian sub, no onions.
ReplyDeleteI ran a couple errands, too--stopped at the liquor store for some wine--Yellowtail Shiraz or a nice Canadian Vidal?--and at the church for my Christmas music CDs, left there Thursday...
So--we have music, wine, subs, cheese straws, peanut brittle...
Is the inspiration on tap, too?
My schedule tomorrow and Monday:
ReplyDelete9:00 am Advent 4 at St. Smaller
11:00 am Advent 4 at St. Larger
1:00 pm Madly pack and get house ready to scare prowlers away and do anything else not yet done
5:00 pm Christmas Eve dinner at parishioner's house
7:30 pm Christmas Eve at St. Smaller
9:00 pm try to attend a service as a pew-sitter at neighboring church
10:30 pm Christmas Eve at St. Larger
12:00 midnight, drive to Large City, check into hotel
3:30 am wake up
6:00 am: be on plane to fly home.
Progress? Well, I just polished off the morning sermon (whew!) and am checking in here now as a reward. Got an outline for the evening sermon but that's it. Still need to pack and get ready for going home, distribute a few presents, do laundry, stuff like that.
So it's crazy here, but at least shopping, food, decorations etc. are not on the docket. And thank you Lord that my churches are not in the habit of having services on Christmas Day.
Hmm, some parishioners just stopped by with bourbon-filled chocolates. Dare I indulge? Would anybody else like one about now?
Looks like we have plenty of food and beverage around here...now where are my ideas???
ReplyDeleteDawn, I'm tracking with you, and that idea seems to me to have potential.
I need the 16 different ideas I have to separate themselves out into something coherent now.
I've brought cheese straws, sugar cookies and Community Dark Roast Coffee.
ReplyDeleteMy sermon is together until I change it around one more time. Bulletin printed but not yet folded.
Mr. C. is Christmas Shopping! I wonder how many other guys are "just getting started" on the 23rd? Maybe gals are slow,too.
Preacher Mom and I are glad to be small church pastors. My congregation has one service tomorrow at 11 am. and THAT'S IT.
cookies anyone?
When I woke up this morning I thought that I, as the pastoral intern, would be giving a nice Christmas reflection at 8 am. Then I learned the pastor has had emergency surgery, and I will be preaching at the candlelight service as well as leading both. Expand upon the reflection to make a sermon (thank goodness they are the same texts!) and spend some extra time on the phone, all while the dear husband and two year old boy make batch after batch of cookies.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that I am not the only one writing a Christmas Eve sermon on this day!
Christmas blessings, all!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a flurry of activity out there!
The children are "bringing the message" for our morning service in the form of music and drama ("pagent" is a taboo word around here!). I've been helping to guide this process along the past few weeks.
The pastor has the 2 evening candlelight services wrapped up - I'll help with liturgy.
My biggest task tonight is to focus my scattered brain (travel? food? presents?) and accept the peace that God keeps wanting to give me!
Cathy, thanks for the poem!
For those of you still looking for the right words (or any words at all), a special prayer for inspiration - and peace and patience until it comes!
Thanks RP, Yellowtail Chiraz is my favorite and I think on the wine tour I went on they actually recommended it for cold italian subs with no onions.
ReplyDeleteI just returned from running a bunch of errands including dropping The Boy off with his grandparents. No guilt there since there is nowhere else he would rather be.
Off to wrap the last group of stucking stuffers and eventually look at my two meditations to make some adjustments.
Sounds like some great work is getting done and hopefully some great naps will be taken in the future!
First draft done!
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm pretty proud of it. You can read the first draft over at my blog--here if Blogger works.
Basically, I'm drawing parallels between us waiting for Christmas and for Jesus to return and Mary waiting to give birth. We will know the signs of the coming of God by what Mary sang in the Magnificat. ANd I use the tagline from a couple weeks ago--God keeps promises, but loves surprises.
Feeding time at the zoo--then I'll be back.
You can see both of my meditations at my place.
ReplyDeleteAdvent 4 is here.
Christmas Eve is here.
(If blogger works, that is)
Cool. Will someone please post my sermon so I can have it already.
ReplyDeleteWell, no stonings, no "nice message," and no blank stares from the Saturday-worship-at-5pm crowd, so the sermon can't have been that bad.
ReplyDeleteonce down, once to go...and then 5 Christmas Eve services to get through (3.30, 5, 7.30, 9, and 10.30), and then I can sleep until Tuesday, right?
Ok, house clean, dinner done, cookies backed. Need to marinate tomorrow nights dinner and pull out the sermon draft. I'm with willsmama and wishing someone would post the perfect sermon on my blog.
ReplyDeleteFamily here in less then two hours....let the frenzy continue!
semfem - I got tired just reading your plan for tomorrow. Blessings!
Congrats to all who are done with Advent 4 and/or Christmas eve!
Just baked more chocolate peanut butter cookies if anyone is interested....
Teri--the thought of five Christmas Eve services makes me faint. Egads.
ReplyDeleteAnna--you sound remarkably pulled together given what's happened!
I'm back from an extended break for dishwashing, laundry, dinner, and distributing presents. About to dig into this Christmas Eve amorphous thing I have so far and make it into a passable message/sermon/homily etc.
But I'm thisclose to breaking out the rum balls and the bourbon chocolates. Who's with me?
Both sermons are preachable... I'll check on them again later. Now to stuff our gift bags to the leadership and volunteers in the church.
ReplyDeleteJust baked goods, they aren't like the gift bags you pick up at the Oscars... although wouldn't that be sweet.
As a funny, I got out of the shower upstairs and couldn't figure out why the tv sounded funny with Sound of Music on. I turned it off and it was blaring from downstairs too. TDH had turned it up really loud so he could hear it in the kitchen... although he said something about thinking the football game was going to be on.
Okay, but then why were you singing, "I am 16 going on 17..."
Will Smama --
ReplyDeleteOff to wrap the last group of stucking stuffers ...
I've been stucking stuffered all day..... Or is that stuffing stuckered?
Stocking related disaster here:
ReplyDeleteSlippers meant to largely fill daughter's stocking turn out to be wrong size; other item meant to be filling most of rest nowhere to be found in this house.
Aargh!!!
Thank you Stacey, needed a hand to hold as I grasp along the way here-- daughter's bike is put together, not so for tomorrow's monologue at the kids' service- hmm, bourbon might help- blessings to all and to all a good night!
ReplyDeleteDawn
Thanks, Will smama. That song will be stuck in my head for the rest of the evening now! (Who is it that calls that "earworms"?)
ReplyDeleteBut thanks, too, for reminding me to go stuff a few gift bags before morning!
Feeling rather smug at the moment--I have a second draft I feel very good about, AND I put together a master schedule of worship dates, the liturgical colour for each date, and who's doing altar set-up, plus the Board member on duty, the reader, acolyte, and worship leader for each date too!
ReplyDeleteI know, it's too easy, something bad will happen and it will all fall apart.
But for the moment, I'm going to savour it.
Did I mention I have my readings all picked from now through mid-February?
I know, I AM riding for a fall.
But I'm still quitting for the night and going downstairs for some of that Vidal.
May the sermon elves visit each and every one of us tonight!
Semfem - In in on the bourbon chocolates!
ReplyDeleteWe are going with the draft. It will have to do because I'm too tired to attempt anything else.
I have to say I'm glad I'm not stuffing or stucking stuffers or stockings (wow, that got confusing). Mr. Burg and I have gotten lazy and no longer take part in that wonderful tradition. Actually, Its probably because we can't think of anything to get the other and we usually forget, anyway. Guess kids would change that....
Finally a moment to check in and see how you all are doing. I have an 8am Advent 4 then Christmas Eve at 4 and 10, (and not service on Christmas Day, too small church)...and I'm not preaching at any of them. We have a new deacon and she gets to preach! My prayers are with all of you who are preaching and presidig and assisting at multiple services over the next few days!
ReplyDeleteHowever since I am still on the PICC line and doing ever 6 hour IV antibiotics and missing sleep and cramming all of my Christmas shopping, cooking, and church set in just these last few days...I've had my marathon!
Blessings to you all and may God be with you this Christmas as the peace of Christ comes once more into this world.
Umm, Rainbow Pastor I am going to have to call a 'party foul' for being way too excited about getting way too much done. We have our standards here at the Preacher Party and I am afraid you have gone over your limit of completed tasks.
ReplyDeleteYour penance is going around with those plates of appetizers over there and serving those of us huddled over laptops and Bibles.
Meditation finished and printed. All the service details that I can think of to tend to have been tended to.
ReplyDeleteKids are in bed. Animals fed. Not one, not two, but three procrastination blog entries have been written and posted.
What else can I find to do to keep me from that moment when I absolutely HAVE to sit down and finish wrapping those gifts??? Suggestions? Anything?
Rainbow Pastor, you just burst my bubble! I was feeling all smug about having my sermons lined up and virtually finished for the next two weeks. (The lengths I will go to in order to not have a sermon cloud over my head during the holidays!) But apparently I am STILL behind!
ReplyDeleteSince you've been sentenced to service by Will smama - I could use some goodies over here.
Hey, I said, "for the moment."
ReplyDeleteI don't have the service done for next week, much less the sermon. I haven't even begun to plan the Board retreat for the 6th, or the special Anniversary service on the 21st...
But here, have some of my Hanukah cheese ball, with some crackers; or maybe some rum balls? WS, more Shiraz? Anyone need coffee? There's some chocolate mint Bailey's, too.
Anything else before I go to keep my appointment with the Vidal?
Well played, RP - and you cracked me up with the Hanukah cheese ball due to a personal memory of a Yom Kippur cheeseball and my Aunt Yetta.
ReplyDeleteWoot! I finished!
ReplyDeleteStill have to read each sermon through and check for odd-sounding turns of phrase, etc., but for the most part they are done!
Now perhaps I can slap together a service for January 7th...or start packing...or eat a bourbon chocolate...or take a shower. I think I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sweet!
Blessings to all as you each prepare for the big day!
(I hope this post doesn't cross the line of cheerfulness and get called out as a "party foul"...)
I hope you all are done and tucked into your beds now. I've had...and interesting day, with many sidetracks and distractions and interruptions. I did finally get a sermon together, so we'll hope it preaches. Merry Christmas to you all, and may the Spirit be with us all.
ReplyDeleteBlessed Fourth Advent to you all...and enjoy your Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteGod so loved the world, you know. It's true. Prophets foretold it. Mary bore it. We too proclaim it.
May God bless you and your families this day and always!
(I brewed a fresh pot of coffee for everyone...I guess I made it a little strong.)
Well in the eastern US timezone it is merely 7:22am meaning that Kathryn over the pond is already in the middle of her 11th service - only 24 to go!
ReplyDeleteI hope this time finds all of us in a good place, a place that is sometimes hard to find for worship leaders - ready to worship.
Whatever you have on schedule today, don't fret - the Holy Spirit has got your back. And IF you have a dog; walk it proud.
Happy Advent 4 and Merry Christmas!
One down and one to go! Blessings to all those who have yet to preach or are still at it!!
ReplyDeleteone down and five to go.
ReplyDeleteoh dear.
Oh, Teri. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteArrived at 7 AM for set up (joint services, both campuses). Played and sang in two services (with a bad head cold... Holy Spirit empowered...) I got home by 2 p.m. Ate a fast lunch, crawled into bed for a power nap (45 minutes). THEN got up, went with BBS, kids and MIL to her church for evening services... Sitting in my jammies listening to "All Is Well" by Point of Grace and blogged the words here...
ReplyDeleteAnd that song is not probably my favorite one of the season.
All is well; all is well.
Angels and men rejoice.
For tonight darkness fell
Into the dawn of Love's light!
Sing alle,
Sing alleluia!
May each of you know Him in the deepest way and see that ALL IS WELL!
Blessed Christmas!
Deb
"And that song is not probably my favorite one of the season."
ReplyDeleteSIGH... Do NOT let me near a keyboard when I am tired and have finished a day feeling lousy but worshipping greatly...
I meant to say...
"And that song IS probably my favorite one of the season."
whewsh. I am looking at some of your schedules and have left the port out with glasses and a fresh mince pie... if BBS doesn't eat it up first.
Sing alleluia!
Deb