Christmas is Coming

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

And . . . all at once Advent is here and the rush toward Christmas is upon us. To begin, we decorated the church. Many thanks to Pam and her Friday crew for making the Christmas spirit visible at SPPC. 

Laying out the master plan

worker bees

Preparing a spot

for Hazel's 

knitted nativity.

        

The finishing touches.

Don't forget the outside.

Then, on the first Sunday of Advent we enjoyed the familiar carols and heard a message of hope. 

Bearing witness to hope, after service we joined Josh and Emily for a baby shower/lunch. We shared in their excitement and happiness. Celebrating love and family in the approach to Christmas felt very right. 

Thank you, Emily and Josh, for sharing these precious moments of your life with the congregation. 

 A baby needs grandparents, too.

Just as this family waits and prepares for a new life, Advent is a season of waiting and preparing. It is easy to get caught in the excitement of presents and baking and trees and concerts and goodness knows how many other distractions coming our way, but take a quiet moment here and there to be still and prepare your heart for the coming of Christ.

The first Sunday of Advent celebrates hope. Let us remember that God sent His Son to bring us hope, even in the darkest times. When the noise of the world is loud and harsh, let us reflect on Hope in the time of Advent.