Nov. 27, 2024
The first week of Advent marks the beginning of the Christian liturgical season. Advent Sunday is what many Christians call the first day of Advent. The theme of the first week of Advent is hope. This theme emphasizes the hope Christians have in the coming of Christ, reminiscent of the anticipation of the Messiah in the Old Testament.
It is also a time of reflection and prayer, as individuals and communities prepare their hearts and minds to welcome Christ, emphasizing hope and the fulfillment of God’s promises. This week encourages believers to contemplate their spiritual journey, consider their role in spreading hope, and prepare their hearts for the joy of Christmas. It serves as a reminder of the anticipation felt by those who awaited the birth of Christ thousands of years ago.
First Advent Candle: The Prophecy Candle
The first week of Advent is marked by the lighting of the first candle on the Advent wreath, often called the “Prophecy Candle.” The “Prophecy Candle” is usually a purple candle. It represents God’s forgiveness of man’s sins. Purple is traditionally the most important of the Advent candle colors. It is the color of liturgical garments used for vestments and is associated with prayer, contemplation, repentance, and hope.
By: Common Good
“But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint”. Isaiah 40:31
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Church Offering Envelopes for 2025
The Church Offering Envelopes for 2025 will be available soon. Please be sure to check your mailbox. If you are not on the Pars program and you do not have offering envelopes and would like to receive them, please see Jackie Taylor at church or contact her by email at jacquelinet@sympatico.ca. Christmas Angel Program for Food Basket Families
The St James Food Basket plans to give out gift cards to their client families at Christmastime. The Food Basket has been serving over 300 families per week and numbers continue to increase, especially at this time of year. The Outreach Committee would like to continue our past support for this endeavour and provide a bit of Christmas cheer for people who are finding their resources stretched even further during the holiday season. Further details as to gift card amounts will be provided, when available.
Outreach is asking the congregation for monetary donations to be used to purchase gift cards. Please mark your donations (cash, cheque or e-transfer) for the Outreach Account and include your envelope number. Wewould appreciate receiving your donations by December 15 th at the latest in order that we can send the funds to the Food Basket for them to purchase the gift cards. This is the 5 th year that we have had this program and the response from our members has always been very positive. Thank you in advance for your support in bringing the joy of Christmas to those in need in our community.
Prayer Roster
We are looking for additional congregants to help with the Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession. If you feel that you would like to volunteer to read this prayer occasionally on a Sunday morning, please speak to Bob Twynam. This is not a difficult task, as this prayer can be found on the Presbyterian Church in Canada’s website. All you have to do is print it off and you are set. OR if you feel that you would like to make up your own prayer, you are most welcome to do so.
Coffee/Tea Sign – Up
For All of the Dog and Pet Lovers
The sign-up sheet for coffee/tea service after worship is on the bulletin board opposite the kitchen downstairs. Please sign yourselves up or sign up your committee so that our Fellowship time after church can continue.
Dec. 1 – Nancy G. & Nancy K.
Dec. 8 – Harry & Pat
Dec. 15 – Rachael & ????
Dec. 22 – ????
Dec. 29 – ????
For All of the Dog and Pet Lovers
Thank you, Joan and Peter Kohar, for passing this along to me
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.
After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road, it looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.
When he was standing before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw an old man at the desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, “Excuse me, where are we?”
The old man looked over his bifocals, “This is Heaven, sir.”
“Wow! Would you happen to have some water?” the man asked.
“Of course, sir, come right in and I’ll have some ice water brought over.”
The man gestured and the gate began to open and gesturing toward his dog, “Come. Come in too.”
The gatekeeper admonished, “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t accept pets.” The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk and at the top of another hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
“Excuse me,” he called to the man. “Do you have any water?”
“Yeah, sure, there’s a pump over there. Please come on in.”
“How about my friend here?” the traveller gestured towards the dog
“There should be a bowl by the pump.”
They went through the gate and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveller filled the water bowl and took a sip from the pump himself and immediately filled the dish andgave some to the dog. When they were both full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.
“What do you call this place?” the traveller asked.
“Why, this is Heaven,” he answered rather casually.
“Well, that’s confusing.” the traveller commented. “The man down the road said that that was Heaven.
“Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and the pearly gates? Nope…That’s hell.”
Now really confused, the traveller remarked, “Doesn’t it make you mad for them to use your name like that?”
“No, we’re just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.”