Weekly Update

Hi GCN Family,

Just a few notes, and then our GCN Advent Devotional excerpt from this week:

1. GCN Christmas Choir! Sunday, December 22nd. Next Sunday, we will have a special song by our GCN choir! Who is the GCN Choir, you ask? Well, potentially you! If you’re interested in being a part of that choir number on 12/22, there will be a brief meeting with Josh Clugston immediately following this Sunday’s (12/15) worship service in the sanctuary. Reach out to Josh (jclug116@gmail.com) if you have any questions. Fa la la la la – la la la LAAAA.
2. Christmas Eve @ GCN. Tuesday, December 24th at 5pm. CLICK HERE for the online invite. Who in your life can you invite to join you? This happens to be one of those times when people who might not normally be a part of a church community are eager to attend. I’ll issue a challenge: (a) Pray and ask God to lay on your heart the people in your life who you can invite. (b) Make a list of those names/families. (c) Send a text, make a phone call, or invite them in-person.
3. Christmas Eve Offering. We’re actually kicking this off this Sunday. 100% of your giving for this offering will go to support Cocal Gracias Ministry (or ministry partners in Puerto Cortes, Honduras) and The Lord’s Table Community Soup Kitchen (where we’ve plugged in for several years, serving our local community for decades).
4. Christmas Party @ Stewartown Community Center is Friday. Pray for over the residents who will receive those gifts, over the team of volunteers, and for God’s Kingdom to come in our neighborhoods as it is in Heaven!

GCN Advent Devotional from Thursday, December 12th. Written by Laurilee Clugston.
Scripture: Amos 6:1-8

“A part of you has gotta die to change…cuz it’s a hard love.” (Needtobreathe)

Today’s Bible verses remind me of the animated Disney movie WALL-E. Have you seen it? Earth becomes a toxic wasteland due to consumerism, greed and mounds of trash. Humanity must be evacuated on spaceships where little robots tend to all their needs. The humans become so lazy and obese, they can’t walk and must lounge around on floating recliners. More little robots sort through the trash on earth and salvage what they can. Believe it or not, the movie is a love story.

To me, our passage in Amos is a cautionary tale of a people caught up in self-love, without concern for others or the community at large. They also have the resources to feed their self-love and so they fill their lives with things and experiences. (This sounds familiar to my American ears.) The Sovereign Lord sends them into exile because he abhors pride and selfishness. This was a hard love.

What will it take for us to turn away from unimportant things and become true children of the Mighty One, filled with the perfect love of God? Lord, help us die to self and be filled with the Spirit.

From Mary’s Magnificat:
My soul glorifies the Lord. My spirit delights in God my Savior. He has taken note of me even though I am not considered important. From now on all people will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me. His name is holy. (Luke 1:46-49 NIRV)