Worship - 19 December 2021 - Plague Journal Day 647

Micah 6:8
Luke 2:1-7 
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

 

For our 9:30 AM worship service we will have a sort of pageant presented by the children of the congregation with a special soloist at offertory time, and lots of carols and hymns for congregational singing. We'll light the fourth candle of the Advent wreath as well - Christmas is almost here!

Remember, we'll be streaming for all those who can't join us in person, and intend to continue that practice indefinitely. Still, know that we miss seeing you in person - please come join in corporate prayer, praise, and worship as soon as you feel ready.

As usual, today's stream should just appear as the latest entry on our YouTube channel, here.
You'll find all our previous worship videos right there at that same place, and today's stream will stay there as a recording as well.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264

Thinking of Gallagher - 04 December 2021 - Plague Journal Day 632

Micah 6:8
Matthew 7:7-11
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

It looks like today is the day I actually hit the stores to do some real shopping. As easy as it is to buy things online, it seems to me that shopping at an actual store with actual people there is kind of an important thing to do.

If nothing else, I'm putting money into the local economy - even at a chain store, the employees are locals, right?

So it's off to fight Arnold for Turboman again (or whatever the impossible item might be this year). If anyone has a line on a Cabbage Patch Doll, we're still looking for one - thirty years and counting! (Just kidding, please tell me no one actually still has those things.)

At any rate - I've broken out the Christmas coffee mugs, the nativity scene, and the Advent wreath, and Santa is in the front window,

so we're well on our way to being in the Spirit. Ho Ho Ho! To Bethlehem! To Bethlehem!

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

To Bethlehem! To Bethlehem! - 01 December 2021 - Plague Journal Day 629

Micah 6:8
Luke 2:1-7
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

This is the First of December. That means it's time for Advent Calendars to start swinging open in homes across Christendom.
My tradition (I was going to say my new tradition until I realized how long I've been doing this) is to read "The Christmas Mystery" by Jostein Gaarder. It's a really fun book with a short chapter for each day of December from 1 to 25 following the story discovered by Joachim in the 'magic advent calendar' he discovers in a bookshop.

I've been reading this book each December since we received it as a gift in 2007 - hence my hesitation to call it a new tradition: I've been reading this book every Advent for over twenty years now.

At any rate, if you've not read this book, I would recommend that you get it and start. The chapters are short enough that you can catch up when the book arrives, or get the Kindle version and start right in!

Have a very Happy Advent. Get yourself ready - He's coming!

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Worship - 20 December 2020 - Plague Journal Day 283

Micah 6:8
Psalm 126:1-6
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

  

It's the fourth week of Advent!

With the current spike in COVID cases in Grosse Pointe, we've paused our in-person worship, probably for the rest of the year. We will only be streaming our services on YouTube until further notice, so please join us online.

Speaking of joining us online, we have closed the church building for a while, so it was a mad scramble to make a video virtual service from clips recorded at members' homes, emailed, and assembled by the crew of Last Minute Productions, Ltd. Why not take a look and see if we were adequate? (I know the music for the offertory was more than adequate!)

Today's stream should just appear as the latest entry on our YouTube channel, here.
You'll find all our previous worship videos right there at that same place, and today's stream will stay there as a recording as well.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Worship - 06 December 2020 - Plague Journal Day 269

Micah 6:8
2 Peter 3:8-15
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

  

It's the second week of Advent!

With the current spike in COVID cases in Grosse Pointe, we've paused our in-person worship, probably for the rest of the year. We will only be streaming our services on YouTube until further notice, so please join us online.

Speaking of joining us online, our new streaming solution (all new cameras and software running on a new, video-optimized computer) came at just the right time, and we'll be sharing our first attempt at a virtual choir, so why not tune in and see if it was adequate?

Today's stream should just appear as the latest entry on our YouTube channel, here.
You'll find all our previous worship videos right there at that same place, and today's stream will stay there as a recording as well.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Worship - 29 November 2020 - Plague Journal Day 262

Micah 6:8
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

  

It's the first week of Advent!

With the current spike in COVID cases in Grosse Pointe, we've paused our in-person worship, probably for the rest of the year. We will only be streaming our services on YouTube until further notice, so please join us online.

Speaking of joining us online, our new streaming solution (all new cameras and software running on a new, video-optimized computer) came at just the right time.

Today's stream should just appear as the latest entry on our YouTube channel, here.
You'll find all our previous worship videos right there at that same place, and today's stream will stay there as a recording as well.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Here Comes Advent! - 27 November 2020 - Plague Journal Day 260

Micah 6:8
Luke 2:25-33
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

I spent much of my day assembling Advent kits for our congregation (thanks for the help, Cathy!). We managed to get readings for each of the Sundays plus Christmas Eve, four purple candles (I'm old-fashioned, no pink ones unless I have to), and coloring pages to help decorate our homes and our hearts.

Over 20 of the 50 we made went in the first batch, so I'm hoping we'll get a lot more picked up or delivered come Sunday.

Here comes Christmas!

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Planning for Christmas - 17 November 2020 - Plague Journal Day 250

Micah 6:8
Matthew 2:1-6
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Well, here we go again. No family gatherings, no in-person worship, no restaurants, no multi-household meals, no meetings (OK, there is a silver lining), and on and on it goes ...
and here come Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas. grr.

So, what are we to do? We'll be brainstorming to figure a way to celebrate the holidays (Holy Days) anyway. That's what.

After all, whether we have our freedoms temporarily trampled, we still know Who is really in charge, and with faith in God, we still have far more than enough for which we should be thankful.
If we didn't have a church we wanted to attend, would we miss it?
If we didn't have family whom we love, would we miss them?
If we didn't have health, would we worry about getting sick?
As I always say when it's my job to call for the offering at church, when we have enough, we have enough to share. In a similar vein, when we have something to miss, we have something that matters - whether we can possess it now or not.

So -
Yes, this year will be different. It will be hard. It will tax our patience and our civility. In many ways it will suck.
However - it will also be a time to celebrate what we really do have, and to give thanks to the Author of all that is good.

I'll leave my normal tag line below, but I need to add this:
Keep Peace and Joy in your heart - you are loved.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

What to Read Right Now

(from grandteuton.blogspot.com)

Sorry I'm late with this recommendation, but (in case you're like me and don't watch the calendar as well as you ought) it's December, and it's also Advent.

So, I want to recommend that you all go out and get a copy of The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder.  It's a wonderful book to read leading up to Christmas - we get to watch as Joachim opens his special Advent Calendar each day, and receives an update on the story of a little girl, a lamb, some angels, wise men, kings, oh, the whole nine yards and more.

It's a fun read with relatively short chapters for each day from December first right down through Christmas Eve.  Highly recommended.

To Bethlehem!  To Bethlehem!