Dear Members and Friends,
When we lit the first Advent Candle two weeks ago, we heard these words:
We light the first candle anticipating the day when weapons will be converted to peaceful uses because nations will no longer go to war.
I wonder if it might have this addition . . .
. . . when law enforcement officers and military personnel will not be lose their lives in “random” shootings.
It is as wrong to shoot police or soldiers as it is children or anyone else. I want, as I’m sure you want, to embrace and thank those called to serve and protect us.
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Longevity
The AARP Bulletin has a Fraud Watch section. A recent issue reminds readers to be on guard for celebrity phone scams, that is, calls claiming to represent causes support by one famous person or another. AARP advises to talk with someone you trust before sending money, search the celebrity’s name together with the word scam, and ask yourself why this star would be writing or calling you.
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The Spirituality of Seniors
After two weeks looking at the spirituality of children, my Advent class turns this week to the spirituality of aging. The class on children began with birth when we are so fragile and precious. Spirituality of aging will help us appreciate the same qualities — fragility and preciousness — as we live long, sometimes a very long, time.
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Sunday’s Call to Worship based on Psalm 146 refers to Zion. Zion refers to the hill on which the city of David was built. It also is a metaphor in Christian thought for the kingdom of God or heavenly city.
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Session meets this Tuesday, a week earlier than usual. Session will elect a Commissioner to Presbytery Assembly in January, set a date to elect Deacons and Elders to complete those rosters, consider a proposal to purchase new boilers, and hear about the preliminary 2020 budget.
May you find opportunity for peace and quiet during this busy time of year, time to appreciate the gift of Jesus’s birth, the presence of God’s sustaining Spirit, and the hope for a peaceable kingdom.
With gratitude,
Terry