Sunday, August 27 – Psalm 50:1-6 – The One is Shining Forth

The work of God’s hands is faithful and just. ~~ Psalm 111:7a

 Life is a series of exclamations from “O No!” to “Help!” to “Oh Yeah!” We may find ourselves swinging between disappointment, helplessness, and gratitude on a daily basis. There are also seasons of our lives when we feel inundated with more of one feeling than the others.

The Book of Psalms knows all about this. Written over a span of time from exile and isolation to the rebuilding of the community, the breadth of emotions spanned in the Psalms is nearly comprehensive.

Feeling grateful?  There’s a Psalm for that.
Feeling fearful?  There’s a Psalm for that.
Feeling abandoned?  Yep, there’s a Psalm for that too.

As we enter into the “lazy days of summer”, perhaps it’s time to practice “Selah” – a word often found in the Psalms. Scholars are unsure of exactly what the word means, but in context, it seems to be an invitation to pause….to breathe…to settle and sense that we are being held.

Each Sunday, from July 16 to August 27, we will be challenged or comforted or encouraged by the heartfelt poetry of the Psalms.  And, each week, we will be reminded that through it all we can trust and even give our thankful “Oh Yeah!” because God is, indeed, holding our lives.

Our Stitch, Sew, and Share group meets weekly to knit, crochet, and work on other fabric arts. During our time together, we share patterns and stories; we help each other; and we look for ways to meet community needs with what we lovingly make. Recently, a group member brought to our regular gathering a request for blankets for patient beds at a local hospital. What you see will be donated with joy to UPMC Lititz.

Stitch, Sew, and Share meets on Wednesdays at 1:00 pm.  All are welcome to either Stitch, Sew, or simply Share.

All are welcome to join the joyful celebration of Easter – Sunday, April 9 at 10:15 am.

Our worship music will be accompanied by brass, and all singers are invited to join the choir in singing the Hallelujah Chorus at the conclusion of our service.

We eagerly anticipate sharing together that Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed!

“If I have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you….If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”
The words of Jesus recorded in John 13:14-15, 17

There is an image that floats around on the Internet each year around this time. It says,  Sometimes I joke about what I’d do if I had one day left to live. Eat junk, go crazy, etc. Today it hit me: Jesus knew. And he washed feet.” 

Jesus knew. And he washed feet. He said we should wash one another’s feet. And he said we would be blessed if we did. What more can be said by way of invitation than that?

On Thursday, April 6 at 7:00 p.m., we will gather in our own upper room, the fellowship hall, to share in the gift of Love Feast. We will take off our shoes and stand on hallowed ground. And, we will physically express the love of Christ by washing one another’s feet. [A handwashing station is available for those who need that option.]

Make it a priority to attend. We’ll share in singing, prayer, a simple meal, and communion…all for love. Everyone is welcome at this table. All you need to bring is a willingness to receive the love of Christ as offered through his disciples…us.

February 22 is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. It falls 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter Sunday. Lent is a time of intentional spiritual discipline. For some people, that means giving up something, turning Lent into a kind of “holy diet”. For others, it’s a time of adding something, like a daily prayer ritual.

In anticipation of our Lenten journey together, we will share a special service on Sunday, February 19 with the theme “Emptied”. Be encouraged to empty yourself in order to
receive God’s grace anew. As part of worship that Sunday, we will offer a time of anointing.

Everyone is welcome to attend and participate.  May God bless your unique journey to the cross this season of Lent.

On Christmas Eve, everyone is invited to the celebration – Joy to the World, the Lord is come!  Pre-service music begins at 6:45 pm, and worship begins at 7 pm. This family-friendly service includes the lighting of the Christ Candle – brought to you by our Live Advent Wreath!  The choir will sing, the musicians will play, and we’ll join together in lighting our candles and singing Silent Night.

Part of our Christmas Eve tradition is to celebrate God’s gift to us through gifts to our neighbors: both local and global.  This year, as the Outreach Team considered the many needs in our world, we were reminded of the majesty of God, made flesh in a tiny, vulnerable baby.  With this focus, the Outreach Team selected these projects to receive equal shares of the Christmas Eve offering.

The International half will go to the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), by way of David Radcliff’s New community Project, for help in training 50 midwives in the face of an on-going crisis in maternal/newborn care.  Indeed, a woman dies in childbirth every 25 minutes in the DRC, according to the World Health Organization, and women’s lifetime risk of dying in the birthing process is 1 in 24.  Almost 5% of the country’s newborns die at birth or immediately after.  A two-month training for 50 women costs $1,500; Practitioner’s Kits containing disinfectant, gloves, and other essentials are $40/midwife.

The Local half of the offerings will go to the Parish Resource Center for Baby Kits.  The Parish resource Center has been working with Union Community Care, the medical provider for many low-income folks in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties.  They have requested Baby Kits to provide new moms with essentials to start them out right. The Outreach Team has decided to contribute money to help them provide as many gifts as possible. The current need is 25 Kits per month with pending requests to expand the program to provide even more. When a new mother and baby are released from the hospital, they can be sent home with a diaper bag full of basics to get them started.

Offerings can be made online by clicking in the green Tithe.ly button in the upper right.  Simply select “Christmas Eve Offering” from the drop down menu.  Thank you for your generosity as we anticipate together the birth of the Christ child.

You’ve heard of Live Nativities.  But have you ever heard of a Live Advent Wreath?  This year, we are anticipating the coming of the Light of the World through the eyes of the candles of Hope, Love, Joy, Peace…and the Christ Candle.

Each Sunday of Advent, our narrator Dave invites each candle to share their special kind of joy at the coming birth.

The candle of Joy cannot contain her excitement!

As the days grow shorter, our lights grow brighter.  Join us Sundays at 10:15 am and “wait with us”.  Joy to the World…the Lord is come!

Advent is upon us. One of the ways we are anticipating the birth of the Christ Child is in sharing our favorite nativity sets. Each one offers a unique perspective of this miracle of love!

All of these sets are precious! The one pictured below in the back left was handcrafted by one of our members from items around the house – gourds, cotton, and cinnamon sticks. The one in the back right was handmade in Africa.  Be sure to stop in and inspect them up close!