Brothers and sisters,
Advent is almost here! Even though I’m writing this article on November 19th, the next Illuminator will not come out until after Advent has begun! So, let me run down the Advent schedule for you all and tell you about the special services we are having here at Hope Valley to celebrate the birth of Christ.
First of all, Sunday, November 30th will be our Hanging of the Greens service. This service happens during morning worship and is a time for us to celebrate and participate in the joy and the ceremony of Advent! It is a service of readings and carols in which we finish decorating the sanctuary and explain the meanings behind all the various decorations and symbols on display. It is a dynamic service in which people will move about the sanctuary, special carols will be sung, and all will be invited to contemplate what Advent means for us. Make plans to be here that Sunday!
The next special service will be on Sunday, December 14th, again during morning worship. That Sunday, the musicians at our church will be leading us in our annual musical service. This year, the title is, “Peace on Earth”. The choir will sing. The handbells will play. The children of the church will sing. There will be readings that bring out the message of Christmas. And immediately following that service, there will be a reception—a time of fellowship for all of us to gather, share some food, and catch up with each other before the last big push toward Christmas. All are invited to come, so tell your friends, family, neighbors, etc.
Finally, on Wednesday, December 24th, we will have our Christmas Eve Candlelight and Communion Service in the sanctuary. That service will start at 5:00 PM. This ser-vice always ends up being a delightfully intimate service. It’s the night before Christmas, meaning much of the hub-bub and preparations have been finished, and there’s just a general sense of peace and quiet that comes over the world. In that peace, we gather at the church to hear the Christ-mas story, sing familiar songs, take Communion together, and light candles as we welcome the Light of the World. It serves as a moment to catch our breath before the holiday itself—so come and celebrate with us!
There are other Christmas events happen-ing throughout this time as well—check the rest of the Illuminator for those. But I look forward to worshiping with you all over the next month as we celebrate the birth of Christ once again.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben