Merry Christmas!

May the Angel of Annunciation awaken in you God's profound heartfelt love.

May Mary guide you in birthing the Holy One in your life and in birthing Love in others.

May Joseph engage you in deeper questioning and listening and give you courage to risk the next step. May your life become a Luminous Presence leading others to the place in their hearts and in the world where Christ is always being born anew.

May you have The Spirit of Christmas which is Peace. The Joy of Christmas which is Hope.

The Heart of Christmas which is Love.

May these Blessings be yours this Christmas!

from Ministry of the Arts

Tis the Season

This Sunday we continue to travel through Advent together as we light the Joseph candle and explore the notion of Silent Love. Our potluck theme reflects the diversity of The Gathering - salads. Our offering will be designated for The Gathering. Many thanks to Dick and Toni Marine who are organizing our Advent emphasis and to Dick Marine for co-planning and leading worship.

'TIS THE SEASON TO GATHER FOR WORSHIP
SUNDAY, 19 DECEMBER 2010,
5:30 pm, 618 Locust St.

Mary: Mother of Jesus

Perhaps no female in the history of humanity has been so talked about as Mary, the mother of Jesus. This Sunday we'll Gather to better get to know this woman who proclaimed the passionate and social justice-oriented vision called the "Magnificat" (Luke 1:46-55. We'll also encounter and celebrate another Divine Feminine/Mary figure as we observe the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is Sunday, December 12. Interestingly, the foci of both these women is relevant this week given current political events - e.g., tax breaks and wikileak allegations, and another of this weekend's emphases - Human Rights Day. In addition, we'll light the third Advent candle - the Mary candle. The first two, in our Advent wreath created by Toni and Dick Marine, are Light and Star.

At this point, Sunday's weather forecast is for cold, so let's warm up with chili - beef, turkey, vegetarian, whatever kind you like. We'll also need the accompaniments. Our offering will be designated for the pancake mix effort.

Merry Mary Sunday
This Sunday, December 12
5:30 pm
618 Locust Street

Gathering for Advent Observance

The Advent season is a time of longing, of expectation, of hope for the long-awaited fulfillment of a promise. Hope, struggle, fear, expectation, fulfillment, and traveling through the desert are all part of the Advent experience. In the words of Jan Richardson, ''Advent beckons us beyond the certainties that may not serve us - those sureties we rely on that may have no substance to them after all. Advent is a season to look at what we have fashioned our lives around - beliefs, habits, convictions, prejudices - and to see whether these leave any room for the Christ who is so fond of slipping into our lives in guises we may not readily recognize. Advent reminds us that ultimately, we live in mystery, but if we stay awake; if we open our eyes in the midst of our life, with all of its wildness and wonders, then we will see: Something is coming."

Join us for worship Sunday as we traverse the Advent wilderness together. Our offering will be designated for United Campus Ministries (and don't forget your pancake mix - see below), and our potluck theme is food of the season.

Sunday, December 5, 5:30 pm, 618 Locust Street