Saturday, December 25, 2021

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

 Isaiah 9:7

Merry Christmas!

babiesWe have anxiously been awaiting this day, as we have spent this Advent season preparing for the coming of Christ. Today we rejoice in the birth of Jesus Christ, our savior. We celebrate this Christmas day and recognize that this is the day Jesus was born into the world. We rejoice in this day knowing that He came to save us from our sins and bring good news to all.

The picture of sleeping babies pictured above reminds us of Christmas night where baby Jesus was laid in the manger. We see hope and good news. We are also reminded that we are all created in His perfect and loving image.

On this Christmas Day, may you be reminded of all the meanings that this day has. Jesus is born and He is alive within us—He is our Teacher, our Healer, our Redeemer, our Savior, and He is our Bread of Life.

Joy to the World, The Lord has Come!

Mary Margaret Wroten

nativity in white cardboard on blue background

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Friday, December 24, 2021

Friday, December 24, 2021

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

 

Isaiah 9:2

advent candles and worship at homeHave you ever been stuck in the dark? I have.

Jamie and I spent our honeymoon touring Italy. One of the places we visited was the medieval hilltop village of Orvieto. It had been raining all day when we arrived at our destination that night, and we were soaking wet. The place where we stayed was a large old convent converted into an inn. When we got in our room, one of us (no names mentioned here) plugged in a hairdryer to dry off. When the hairdryer was started it knocked out the electricity throughout the entire complex. It left us alone, wet, nervous, and completely in the dark.

Being stuck in the dark brings us back to our verse from Isaiah. The “people” Isaiah is referring to are not only the Israelites of his time but also all of us today. Any of us at any time can find ourselves stuck in the dark. This darkness is a life of frustration, mistakes, ignorance and unbelief. The only thing that can dispel this darkness is light, more specially the Light of Jesus Christ. Isaiah goes on to describe the Light as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. At Christmas we celebrate the Light coming into the world. The good news is this Light is for us all.

May the Light of Christ fill your hearts this Christmas and all year long.

Bill Eubank

 

nativity in white cardboard on blue background

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Thursday, December 23, 2021

Thursday, December 23, 2021

 “What child is this who lay to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping”

What Child is This

art- adoration of the magiFor this season of my life, “What Child is This?” (number 219 in the United Methodist hymnal) is my favorite Christmas carol.

I love it as it depicts all of the well-known characters of the nativity: the angels, the shepherds, the ox and donkey, and even the gifts of the Magi – gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The real joy comes in the answer, the refrain, declaring “This, this is Christ the King !!!” There is no doubt in William Dix’s (the author of this hymn) mind who this baby is.

Why is this baby so special? This is the promised king, the hope of the world, the Savior of us all!

In Amy Grant’s Christmas song “Welcome to our World” she shares powerful lyrics about who this baby is:
Fragile finger sent to heal us,
Tender brow prepared for thorn,
Tiny heart whose blood will save us,
Unto us is born. Unto us is born.

We have had a difficult couple of years. Like so many of you, I have lost loved ones in that time frame, notably my mother and my brother. Holidays are often the most difficult for us as we learn a new normal, carrying on those treasured traditions without our loved ones.

Whenever I get dismayed about the circumstances around me, I remember who is beside me, conquering all my woes.

What child is this? This is Christ the King – our Savior. The promised Son of God.
To God be the Glory.

Judy Oguich

 

Adoration of  the magi
st. michael toronto

 

nativity in white cardboard on blue background

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Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

“O Come all ye faithful joyful and triumphant O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem…. Sing, choirs of angels sing in exultation, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.”

O Come All ye Faithful

outdoor worshipThe lyrics of this familiar Christmas hymn are an inspirational call to join together in worshiping our Lord. They are a summons to the journey to Bethlehem—to Christ within our hearts.

We have gathered this past year to worship in a different and ever-wondrous way. Surrounded by, and joined with, all of creation—chirping birds, curious chipmunks, and Trinity’s own congregational cat—we’ve had a foretaste, I think more than ever, of what it is to be united in worship and adoration, on earth as it is in heaven.

In my years of leading worship, the most meaningful and memorable moments have been those when a gathered people sing out together, each voice merging with the next, until there is one. Sometimes, I can almost hear the citizens of heaven above, that great cloud of witnesses, singing along. That’s what it means to me to hear a choir of angels sing. This hymn bids, “Sing, choirs of angels! Sing in exultation!” The word exult means to leap up, to rejoice exceedingly. If ever there is a reason to sing in exultation it is to worship and adore the Christ, Emmanuel—God with us.

As we continue through these last few days of Advent and on through the Christmas season, may our hearts and our voices be lifted in exultation at the expectation and presence of Christ the Lord.

Brandy Miller

 

nativity in white cardboard on blue background

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Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

“Long lay the world in sin and error pining till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth; a thrill of hope the weary world rejoices for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”

 

O Holy Night

 

half dark sanctuaryMay the Lord be with you during this holiday and religious season. As we approach our celebration of the birth of Christ, never before in our lives has the world been turned upside down going on almost two years with the pandemic.

The scripture reading precisely calls out to everyone a call for optimism from a “weary world” to “rejoice for a new and glorious morn” as we survive and are looking forward to a new normalcy with our belief in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit getting us through this most difficult time. Everyone has been touched by this, and I pray that we have all strengthened our trust in the Lord, who we depend upon in our lives.

The accompanied picture is a perfect representation of the strength of our beliefs and our devotion to Trinity United Methodist Church. Yes, this shows an empty sanctuary, as all churches worldwide have equally been physically empty, but spiritually overflowing. It is proof of our faith, that it is not bricks and mortar that make a church thrive, but its members are the whole, the heart and the soul of the church’s community.

Advent is the season celebrating the arrival of The Messiah, but let us also use this season as that of thanksgiving and gratefulness for our wonderful Trinity United Methodist community and its continuous spiritual uplifting to its members for a new and glorious morn.

Jack Berry

nativity in white cardboard on blue background

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Monday, December 20, 2021

Monday, December 20, 2021

“How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given.”

O Little Town of Bethlehem

 

snow and church doorsSilence. In our hectic, pre-pandemic days, how often did we long for a few moments of silence? Time without the constant noise of traffic, cellphones and laptops, “talking heads” sounding off on TV, or people yelling, gossiping, chattering away?

But then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and it became easy to feel locked away, immersed in a sea of silence. Without our accustomed noise and human interaction, silence could leave us feeling empty, disconnected, even lonely.

This “COVID silence” is not the silence we find in Dennis King’s 2019 photograph. Instead, Dennis shows us our beloved Trinity Church just before dawn, while the snow is untouched. The light draws us toward the church door. All appears peaceful, still, . . . and silent. This silence anticipates the dawning of a new day; it is full of possibilities and hope, rather than being an empty, soundless void. It is a silence that can quiet our senses and allow us to feel God’s presence.

The Bible shows us examples of such “listening silence.” In Psalms, we find, “For God alone, my soul waits in silence” (62:1), and “Be still and know that I am God” (46:10). Jesus often removed himself from the crowds to commune with his Father in a still, quiet place. God didn’t come to Elijah in the wind or earthquake or fire, but rather in a “sound of sheer silence” (1 Kings 19:12 NRSV). Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us that “silence means nothing other than waiting for God’s Word and coming from God’s Word with a blessing.”

This Christmas season we will join our voices with our Trinity family to sing “how silently the wondrous gift is giv’n.” Just as the gift of God incarnate came to us “silently” on a still, star-filled night so many centuries ago, may God and God’s word continue to come to us whenever we enter into humble, listening silence. Let us walk through those doors of Trinity together and leave the remnants of “COVID silence” behind us!

Carol Wampler

nativity in white cardboard on blue background

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