December 19, 2016

Mes amis,

Here's the schedule for Christmas on the corner of Lincoln and Main where weather doesn't factor because of increasing light, salt, and leaven:

December 24 (Christmas Eve)

Worship in the sanctuary at 4:00 p.m.

Worship in the chapel at 11:00 p.m.

December 25 (Christmas Day)

Worship in the chapel at 7:20 a.m.

Worship in the sanctuary at 9:50 a.m.

Whenever I've taught homiletics, I've always started classes with two quotes.

Barth: "It's not a matter of whether one wants to preach but whether one can."

Parenthetically, both quotes explain a lot if you know what I mean.

Macleod: "If it's worth preaching once, it's worth preaching twice; and if it's not worth preaching twice, it's not worth preaching once."

Moretheless, and it's for those in worship at the second service on 12/18 to know and for others to find out, there's a powerful blessing awaiting folks - invite, welcome, include, and love and forward this schedule - on Christmas Eve in the sanctuary at 4:00 p.m.  Hint.  Martin Luther said, "Music aligns the heart with God."

Yes, David was right: "God inhabits the praises...[aka worship]...of His people."  So I'd make 'em all!

Despite -2 degrees with a wind chill coming down at -15 degrees, worship was great on 12/18 and worship attendance, especially at the second service, was pretty impressive as well as Holy Spirited!  Listen to the prayers in the archived version of the service on www.bnnsradio.com for more on that.

During the 12/13 broadcast of KD on www.bnnsradio.com, Tony led an apocalyptic moment about refreshing the soul by refreshing the remembrances by refreshing the behavior of Christmases past.  In other words, if you're wondering why some folks just aren't into it/Him like before - God knows Jesus isn't what He used to be in so many churches today - go to the archives of www.bnnsradio.com, click on 12/13, and listen to Tony explode with joy and love and wonder and praise and...

Then invite, welcome, include, and love every Sunday...beginning this weekend!

Blessings and Love!

December 16, 2016

Friends,

While I've experienced some really nasty weather in my time, especially when I was undershepherd of the Delaware Presbyterian Church at the Water Gap between New Jersey and Pennsylvania while in seminary back in the middle 70s, I've never cancelled a worship service in over 2300 appointments.

Of course, I've also led worship for a handful on many occasions!

Cool.

Bad choice of words right now.

Anyway, "Where two or three are gathered in My name," He said, "there I am in the midst of them!"

That's my way of saying there will be worship at the appointed times this Sunday and every Sunday at 7:20 and 9:50 a.m. even if it's just the singing nun et moi.

And, remember, we will have worship on Christmas Day (Sunday) at the appointed times even though we will be having our traditional offerings on Christmas Eve (Saturday) at 4:00 and 11:00 p.m.

Of course, we are really hoping for a window of decent weather, like last week for our unparalleled children's program which our seasoned citizens extolled as the best ever, for our annual cantata during the second service.

However, if the weather is really nasty, I encourage folks to exercise common sense, especially if you have problems moving about so I don't spend the next month or two with you in the ortho units of our superb local hospitals, and tune in to worship via www.bnnsradio.com.

Also, during this time of the year, our telephones are very, very, very busy with calls about our Compassion Closet, Christmas baskets, and many other exigencies.  So if you call and no one answers, that doesn't mean no one is here.  Just wait for the directory and leave a message for whomever is needed and she/he will get back to you before the parousia.

Stay warm!

Stay safe!

Use your common sense in traveling around when...

Blessings and Love!