Weekly Update
Hi GCN Family,
“The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.” That’s one of all-time favorite Christmas carol lyrics. It’s a reminder of the tension of opposites that is felt in all of life: hope and fear, joy and sadness, peace and chaos. The song that begins our Sunday Advent worship services at GCN is the prayer of our hearts: Come, thou long expected Jesus. Born to set Thy people free. From our fears and sins release us. Let us find our rest in Thee. Amen.
Some important info in the life of GCN, then an Advent Devo…
GCN Advent Devotional from Tuesday, December 17th. Written by Nehemias Iglesias.
Scripture: Acts 28:23-31
Paul is preaching under the watchful eye of his Roman captors after being handed over to the empire by his people. Verse 23 says that “he witnessed to them from morning until evening”. This sort of confidence is closely tied with a true sense of joy. Paul preached for two years “with all boldness and without hindrance.” We can immediately recognize that Paul’s circumstances were painful and dire. While most of us probably have not experienced being a prisoner on death row, life has surely brought each one of us dark days and nights. For some of us, as we look back at this past year, we may see a life filled with valleys and deserts. Our Father is familiar with every sad moment we have lived and every tear we have shed. A beautiful lyric in “O Holy Night” is:
“He knows our needs. To our weakness is no stranger.”
Even though this past year has been one of those valley and desert years for me, I have been deeply encouraged by my Father’s love for me. I read a quote recently that says, “There is in the deepest center of the soul a chamber of peace where God dwells, and where, if we will only enter in and hush every other sound, we can hear His still small voice.” In this chamber within our souls, we can find a fountain for joy. I believe this fountain will abound in us and will overflow to those around us as we take time to listen for His still small voice in the midst of all of the chaos.
“The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.” That’s one of all-time favorite Christmas carol lyrics. It’s a reminder of the tension of opposites that is felt in all of life: hope and fear, joy and sadness, peace and chaos. The song that begins our Sunday Advent worship services at GCN is the prayer of our hearts: Come, thou long expected Jesus. Born to set Thy people free. From our fears and sins release us. Let us find our rest in Thee. Amen.
Some important info in the life of GCN, then an Advent Devo…
- Invite your friends and family to the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. 5pm on Tuesday, December 24th. Show up early for some hot cocoa, cookies, photos at the photo booth, and other fun stuff. Then, stick around after for kids games, more cocoa and cookies, and so much fun. Click here for that online invite.
- Pray for Kristi Williams and family. Kristi’s father, Richard (Jerry) Linn, passed away on December 7th. A Funeral Service honoring the life of Jerry will be this Friday, December 20th, at 11am at St. Paul Catholic Church in Damascus (9249 Damascus Road). A visitation immediately precedes this at 10am. This is where the church is the church, as we lift up Kristi and family in prayer together.
GCN Advent Devotional from Tuesday, December 17th. Written by Nehemias Iglesias.
Scripture: Acts 28:23-31
Paul is preaching under the watchful eye of his Roman captors after being handed over to the empire by his people. Verse 23 says that “he witnessed to them from morning until evening”. This sort of confidence is closely tied with a true sense of joy. Paul preached for two years “with all boldness and without hindrance.” We can immediately recognize that Paul’s circumstances were painful and dire. While most of us probably have not experienced being a prisoner on death row, life has surely brought each one of us dark days and nights. For some of us, as we look back at this past year, we may see a life filled with valleys and deserts. Our Father is familiar with every sad moment we have lived and every tear we have shed. A beautiful lyric in “O Holy Night” is:
“He knows our needs. To our weakness is no stranger.”
Even though this past year has been one of those valley and desert years for me, I have been deeply encouraged by my Father’s love for me. I read a quote recently that says, “There is in the deepest center of the soul a chamber of peace where God dwells, and where, if we will only enter in and hush every other sound, we can hear His still small voice.” In this chamber within our souls, we can find a fountain for joy. I believe this fountain will abound in us and will overflow to those around us as we take time to listen for His still small voice in the midst of all of the chaos.
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