MID-MONTH NEWSLETTER
OFFERINGS OFF THE WALL
“Are You Expecting?”
Indeed those three words “Are you expecting?” nowadays refer to impending motherhood. When we add an article and a noun after the word “expecting” we discover that the phrase is used in a wide variety of contexts. For example: “Are you expecting the bus?” “Are you expecting a raise?” “Are you expecting a win?” Are you expecting to win the lottery? All of these join the ranks of “Are you expecting a boy or a girl?” Depending upon the answer to any of the above questions we can be assured, annoyed, delighted, disappointed, gratified or hopelessly embarrassed. In the case of the baby question, if there is even an inkling of doubt, no matter how curious we are, we will hold our tongues, afraid of hearing the dreaded “NO”: “No, I am not expecting, I am just fat.” In that circumstance there is simply no place to hide our mortification and shame.
During the Advent season we should be expecting - expecting God to be at work doing something new and different in our lives? Too many of us keep this holiday as a commemoration of the something new and different God did 2000 years ago. Too many people give little thought to what God has been doing since then. Yes, in our tradition we celebrate and remember the birth of the Christ Child as it happened in the past, but if we don’t ponder how he will be “born in us today” then we allow the gift to pass us by -- to be left unopened.
Are you expecting? Let that question stir your soul over the next 10 days. How will you receive the gift of the Christ Child in your life this year, this moment, today?
Let us cling to the sure thing that God has given, and keeps on giving, Joy in Jesus. Let Jesus be the light that shines through moments of doubt and darkness. Let Jesus be the peace that comforts through any storm, because Jesus has always been the promise of Good things to come.
I awoke very early this morning with Charles Wesley’s words filling my heart and my soul. I encourage you to keep them close to your hearts.
“Come thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art; dear desire of every nation,
JOY of every longing heart.”
God Bless you,
Rev. Amanda
Thursday, December 12, 2013
December 15, 2013 "OPEN WIDE THE DOORS"
AN ADVENT AFFIRMATION OF FAITH by Amanda Burr
God is the true beginning, having created from nothingness all that is, moves, breathes and has life. God moves through time and space, ever faithful, ever vigilant, ever present, and ever becoming.
God gave birth to hope in the prince of peace, who arrived without fanfare to heal a hurting and broken world. Jesus lived out the commandment to love, sacrificing himself for our sakes, because he valued us more than his own life.
We believe the promise of life beyond life, because true to his word, and again, without fanfare, God raised Jesus from the dead.
We believe that God’s Grace is further manifested by the Holy Spirit who desires to warm our hearts and revive our spirits with hope, peace, joy and love.
God makes all things new again and again and again. Thanks be to God!
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious God in this Advent season we long to be reminded of the moments in our lives when we have known and experienced true joy. These would have been moments of blessing when our hearts were filled to overflowing with your presence. It was Joy, wasn’t it, shining on our face when that baby first smiled at us and, O God, weren’t those tears of overwhelming joy and relief running from our eyes the day that child of ours, that brother, sister, husband or wife came home from the war. And, Dearest Lord there were times when we were invited to share in the joys of others. Did we embrace their joy, or did we envy them? Help us cherish joy as it comes to us and to others. Let this most profound emotion lift our spirits and warm our hearts, no matter who is rejoicing. Help us comprehend that your greatest desire is that every one of your children should know joy in this life and that you seek to give it to us in abundance. We are preparing our hearts to receive your promised gift. Like Mary, our spirits will rejoice in God our savior. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING Palm Springs Church
Our December challenge continues in this it’s 3rd week. I want to thank all of you who have responded without hesitation, cheerfully reaching deep into your hearts, as well as, your pockets to turn the numbers in the ledger from red ink to black. The $50,000 gap is closing and is now at $27,000. By your gifts given over and above your pledge-offering you have made a confession of faith —-yes, a confession of faith in the mission and ministries ongoing in this church. Because God has blessed you, you have eagerly blessed Christ’s church that we will continue to be ambassadors of Christ making disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING Desert Hot Springs Church
In this season of advent we love to wear our Santa sweaters and Santa hats, but it is important that we, who call ourselves Christians, be aware of the message we are communicating to our children and our grandchildren. They seem more thrilled with the joy of getting and know little about the joy of giving. We haven’t taught them to thank God for the Christ child. I heard some children say just last week that they didn’t realize Christmas was a time of thanksgiving. “We thought giving thanks to God was something we did only on Thanksgiving.” In our children’s presence we must acknowledge and give thanks to God for the gift of Jesus who will be with us and with our children through all their days, in times of turmoil and peace, doubt and certainty. Show them, by giving generously to God’s church, that His gift is greater than any that can be found at Toys R Us.
God is the true beginning, having created from nothingness all that is, moves, breathes and has life. God moves through time and space, ever faithful, ever vigilant, ever present, and ever becoming.
God gave birth to hope in the prince of peace, who arrived without fanfare to heal a hurting and broken world. Jesus lived out the commandment to love, sacrificing himself for our sakes, because he valued us more than his own life.
We believe the promise of life beyond life, because true to his word, and again, without fanfare, God raised Jesus from the dead.
We believe that God’s Grace is further manifested by the Holy Spirit who desires to warm our hearts and revive our spirits with hope, peace, joy and love.
God makes all things new again and again and again. Thanks be to God!
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious God in this Advent season we long to be reminded of the moments in our lives when we have known and experienced true joy. These would have been moments of blessing when our hearts were filled to overflowing with your presence. It was Joy, wasn’t it, shining on our face when that baby first smiled at us and, O God, weren’t those tears of overwhelming joy and relief running from our eyes the day that child of ours, that brother, sister, husband or wife came home from the war. And, Dearest Lord there were times when we were invited to share in the joys of others. Did we embrace their joy, or did we envy them? Help us cherish joy as it comes to us and to others. Let this most profound emotion lift our spirits and warm our hearts, no matter who is rejoicing. Help us comprehend that your greatest desire is that every one of your children should know joy in this life and that you seek to give it to us in abundance. We are preparing our hearts to receive your promised gift. Like Mary, our spirits will rejoice in God our savior. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING Palm Springs Church
Our December challenge continues in this it’s 3rd week. I want to thank all of you who have responded without hesitation, cheerfully reaching deep into your hearts, as well as, your pockets to turn the numbers in the ledger from red ink to black. The $50,000 gap is closing and is now at $27,000. By your gifts given over and above your pledge-offering you have made a confession of faith —-yes, a confession of faith in the mission and ministries ongoing in this church. Because God has blessed you, you have eagerly blessed Christ’s church that we will continue to be ambassadors of Christ making disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING Desert Hot Springs Church
In this season of advent we love to wear our Santa sweaters and Santa hats, but it is important that we, who call ourselves Christians, be aware of the message we are communicating to our children and our grandchildren. They seem more thrilled with the joy of getting and know little about the joy of giving. We haven’t taught them to thank God for the Christ child. I heard some children say just last week that they didn’t realize Christmas was a time of thanksgiving. “We thought giving thanks to God was something we did only on Thanksgiving.” In our children’s presence we must acknowledge and give thanks to God for the gift of Jesus who will be with us and with our children through all their days, in times of turmoil and peace, doubt and certainty. Show them, by giving generously to God’s church, that His gift is greater than any that can be found at Toys R Us.
December 8, 2013 "A MATTER OF INTERPRETATION"
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH FOR ADVENT
God is the true beginning, having created from nothingness all that is, moves, breathes and has life. God moves through time and space, ever faithful, ever vigilant, ever present, and ever becoming.
God gave birth to hope in the prince of peace, who arrived without fanfare to heal a hurting and broken world. Jesus lived out the commandment to love, sacrificing himself for our sakes, because he valued us more than his own life.
We believe the promise of life beyond life, because true to his word, and again, without fanfare, God raised Jesus from the dead.
We believe that God’s Grace is further manifested by the Holy Spirit who desires to warm our hearts and revive our spirits with hope, peace, joy and love.
God makes all things new again and again and again. Thanks be to God! (Written by: Amanda Burr)
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING Palm Springs Church
Proof positive that we love a challenge. Thank you to those who responded immediately to last week’s challenge to balance our budget. What many of you may not know is this: The church needs an income of just about $6300 a week to meet our obligations. $3761.00 of that amount goes out immediately to pay the salaries of our organist choir director, secretary, children’s program coordinator, custodian, nursery worker, gardener and me; leaving $2539.00 to cover expenses, like utilities, paper products, toner for the copier, office supplies, janitorial and gardening supplies, light bulbs, plumbers, heating and air-conditioning maintenance folks and contractors making necessary repairs. The food for our feeding ministries is donated and does not come out of the church’s general budget. I am aware that sometimes you just need the bottom line to know what to do.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING Desert Hot Springs Church
There is a short hymn in the Chalice Hymnal that is an offertory hymn. It goes like this: “We give thee but thine own; what e’er the gift may be. All that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from thee.” The words emphasize how God has entrusted to each of us, not just the earth and it’s creatures, but the proper use of what the Bible refers to as mammon. In the ancient Hebrew the word “mammon” refers to money, wealth or possessions. In and of itself mammon is not evil. It is an instrument like any other that when used for good can bring glory to God. However when we worship, adore, covet, hoard, secret away money using it to gratify our own needs, wishes and desires, we have broken trust with our Creator and made mammon our God.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious God keep us mindful of your part in our lives. Remind us that these gifts are not controlled by our will, but yours. Bless them O God. Empower these gifts for greater deeds, deeds of kindness, compassion and mercy. We pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.
God is the true beginning, having created from nothingness all that is, moves, breathes and has life. God moves through time and space, ever faithful, ever vigilant, ever present, and ever becoming.
God gave birth to hope in the prince of peace, who arrived without fanfare to heal a hurting and broken world. Jesus lived out the commandment to love, sacrificing himself for our sakes, because he valued us more than his own life.
We believe the promise of life beyond life, because true to his word, and again, without fanfare, God raised Jesus from the dead.
We believe that God’s Grace is further manifested by the Holy Spirit who desires to warm our hearts and revive our spirits with hope, peace, joy and love.
God makes all things new again and again and again. Thanks be to God! (Written by: Amanda Burr)
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING Palm Springs Church
Proof positive that we love a challenge. Thank you to those who responded immediately to last week’s challenge to balance our budget. What many of you may not know is this: The church needs an income of just about $6300 a week to meet our obligations. $3761.00 of that amount goes out immediately to pay the salaries of our organist choir director, secretary, children’s program coordinator, custodian, nursery worker, gardener and me; leaving $2539.00 to cover expenses, like utilities, paper products, toner for the copier, office supplies, janitorial and gardening supplies, light bulbs, plumbers, heating and air-conditioning maintenance folks and contractors making necessary repairs. The food for our feeding ministries is donated and does not come out of the church’s general budget. I am aware that sometimes you just need the bottom line to know what to do.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING Desert Hot Springs Church
There is a short hymn in the Chalice Hymnal that is an offertory hymn. It goes like this: “We give thee but thine own; what e’er the gift may be. All that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from thee.” The words emphasize how God has entrusted to each of us, not just the earth and it’s creatures, but the proper use of what the Bible refers to as mammon. In the ancient Hebrew the word “mammon” refers to money, wealth or possessions. In and of itself mammon is not evil. It is an instrument like any other that when used for good can bring glory to God. However when we worship, adore, covet, hoard, secret away money using it to gratify our own needs, wishes and desires, we have broken trust with our Creator and made mammon our God.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious God keep us mindful of your part in our lives. Remind us that these gifts are not controlled by our will, but yours. Bless them O God. Empower these gifts for greater deeds, deeds of kindness, compassion and mercy. We pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.
December 1, 2013 "NOW, WAIT JUST A MINUTE!"
AN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH FOR ADVENT ** written by Amanda Burr
God is the true beginning, having created from nothingness all that is, moves, breathes and has life. God moves through time and space, ever faithful, ever vigilant, ever present, and ever becoming.
God gave birth to hope in the prince of peace, who arrived without fanfare to heal a hurting and broken world. Jesus lived out the commandment to love, sacrificing himself for our sakes, because he valued us more than his own life.
We believe the promise of life beyond life, because true to his word, and again, without fanfare, God raised Jesus from the dead.
We believe that God’s Grace is further manifested by the Holy Spirit who desires to warm our hearts and revive our spirits with hope, peace, joy and love.
God makes all things new again and again and again. Thanks be to God!
LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLE OF HOPE
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious God, how wonderful it is to be able to gather together to sing praises to your name and to give you thanks for the blessings you bestow upon us. We confess a feeling of ambivalence as we enter what we call the holiday season and the season of lights. When we acknowledge that, indeed, it is upon us, we have a tendency to feel its weight rather than its light. For many it is a season of regrets and sorrow, a season of stress and disappointment rather than a season of wonder and spiritual reflection. Fill us, dearest Lord, with a sense of wide-eyed wonderment, like we had as children awaiting the morning of gifts. Remind us that your gift will come to us as your promise fulfilled. We wait in HOPE and give you thanks in advance praying always in the name of the Christ. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING Desert Hot Springs Church
What if God decided on a 5 day work week instead of 6 days. According to the book of Genesis taking that 6th day off would have meant that the fish, sea monsters and birds would have dominion over the earth. We like to think that God saved his best work for the 6th day of creation, believing that humans would live not purely by instinct, but could be creative, could learn, gather knowledge and share it in all sorts of ways. On the 6th day God designed creatures who would be linked heart, soul, body and mind with God; who were the image of God, the reflection of God upon the earth. This truth should humble us and at the same time fill us with HOPE, PEACE, JOY AND LOVE.
God is the true beginning, having created from nothingness all that is, moves, breathes and has life. God moves through time and space, ever faithful, ever vigilant, ever present, and ever becoming.
God gave birth to hope in the prince of peace, who arrived without fanfare to heal a hurting and broken world. Jesus lived out the commandment to love, sacrificing himself for our sakes, because he valued us more than his own life.
We believe the promise of life beyond life, because true to his word, and again, without fanfare, God raised Jesus from the dead.
We believe that God’s Grace is further manifested by the Holy Spirit who desires to warm our hearts and revive our spirits with hope, peace, joy and love.
God makes all things new again and again and again. Thanks be to God!
LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLE OF HOPE
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious God, how wonderful it is to be able to gather together to sing praises to your name and to give you thanks for the blessings you bestow upon us. We confess a feeling of ambivalence as we enter what we call the holiday season and the season of lights. When we acknowledge that, indeed, it is upon us, we have a tendency to feel its weight rather than its light. For many it is a season of regrets and sorrow, a season of stress and disappointment rather than a season of wonder and spiritual reflection. Fill us, dearest Lord, with a sense of wide-eyed wonderment, like we had as children awaiting the morning of gifts. Remind us that your gift will come to us as your promise fulfilled. We wait in HOPE and give you thanks in advance praying always in the name of the Christ. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING Desert Hot Springs Church
What if God decided on a 5 day work week instead of 6 days. According to the book of Genesis taking that 6th day off would have meant that the fish, sea monsters and birds would have dominion over the earth. We like to think that God saved his best work for the 6th day of creation, believing that humans would live not purely by instinct, but could be creative, could learn, gather knowledge and share it in all sorts of ways. On the 6th day God designed creatures who would be linked heart, soul, body and mind with God; who were the image of God, the reflection of God upon the earth. This truth should humble us and at the same time fill us with HOPE, PEACE, JOY AND LOVE.
November 17, 2013 "THE MISSING SEVEN"
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious God of all, Lord of the Universe and Sovereign of our hearts, use us, we pray. Show us how best to invest ourselves in faith. We confess that when life seems most difficult we get caught up focusing on our own woes, difficulties, trials and tribulations. Then there are those days when we seem most anxious to place everyone else’s burdens on our own shoulders. We ask you to pour out a spirit of grace and possibility, a spirit of transformation and patience on us gathered here so that we may become faithful ministers of possibility and effective ministers of transformation in Jesus name. Lord, hear our prayer! We pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
How many of you watch those shows, America’s Got Talent, or American Idol, or Dancing With the Stars. They have joined the ranks of football, baseball, soccer, basketball and hockey where uproarious fans root for their champions wishing and dreaming that they had the talent in their little finger that the worst player on the team has. We think to ourselves, if we had that kind of talent we could accomplish great things. If we had Michael Jordan’s money we could feed the hungry, cure the sick. The key to being talented is taking the risks necessary to discover yours. Even the most glamorous movie star risked failure before achieving fame. And too, there is always a risk in investing our talents, even those blessed by God, but if we don’t risk them there is a certainty that nothing will be gained.
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