Advent 2017 – Week 3

Today we light the third purple candle, called the “Shepherd’s candle.” The lonely shepherds who responded with awe and joy illustrate a proper response to the coming of God in Christ Jesus. The light burst into their cold, desolate, and dark existence. They were drawn into the circle of joy. Come celebrate a new baby born. For this Baby is the Promised King , the Saviour of the World.

Luke 2:8-20 says:  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Lord, rekindle in us the joy we had in the beginning. We all have been invited to this birthday party. Give us shining eyes, smiling lips, voices full of laughter, and hearts full of good cheer! ‘A Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’ Amen.

Bulletin – December 17, 2017

HMC EVENTS

Plan to stay after the service today for a Building Connections Dessert Potluck. Stick around to enjoy a treat and get to know one another better.

Reflect and Rekindle – take a little bit of time on Tuesday December 19 or Wednesday, December 20 to work through four different stations that will be set up in the overflow and sanctuary. This is a quiet opportunity for you to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and escape the rush of the holidays.

Our Senior Youth will be delivering Christmas baskets to the Owen Sound paediatric ward on Christmas Eve Day. This is a reminder to all senior youth to be at HMC for the Sunday morning service at 10:00 a.m.in order to catch your ride.

Join us at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve for a special candlelight service.

On Sunday, January 7, 2018 we will be celebrating the installation of Pastor Dave Hildebrandt. Please plan to join with us for the morning service as John Cressman officially welcomes him. We will enjoy special music by Third Tree, a quartet Dave is part of, and we are bumping our Building Connections Sunday forward so we can enjoy a soup luncheon together in the gym. Please bring along some sandwiches and/or dessert to share. Soup will be provided.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please pray for Pastor Dave and Shannon Hildebrandt and their three boys, Josh, Andrew, & Caleb as they settle into their new home in Hanover. Pray that their transition would be smooth and that the boys settle well into their new school. Pray for Dave as he prepares to take over the leadership of HMC, and for Shannon, that God would make clear what his plans are for her.

Please pray for Rick Pake as he continues to recover from surgery.

There is a list of prayer requests specific to the needs of HMC available on our website, or by speaking with Karen Schmalz or Brian Austin. Alternatively, if you’d like to receive daily prayer reminders delivered to your email, you can sign up at eepurl.com/cM9ZVj

OPPORTUNITIES

We want to bless Pastor Dave and his family as they settle into their new life in Hanover. There is a collection box in the foyer where you can drop off local gift cards and certificates to bless the family. Considers things like restaurants, grocery stores, gas cards, etc. The box will remain available until Thursday, December 21.

The Hanover Salvation Army needs volunteers to stand with their Christmas Kettles. They’re looking for people to take a two hour shift between 8 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. until December 23. If you have a couple of hours and would like to help, please call: Main Office – 519-364-3450; or Katrina – 519-506-9451.

WORDS OF THANKS

Thank you to the Ladies Social team who prepared tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, and provided lots of delicious treats for the sleigh ride last Wednesday night.
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There is a new ushers and greeters schedule available today on the reception desk.

Please take a moment today to check the Lost and Found outside the main office. In the new year these items will be gathered together and donated to our local Salvation Army.

If you’re hanging on to offering envelopes from previous years, please discard them. Many numbers have been changed and it’s important to keep this straight for our Receipt Coordinator. Please only use your currently dated envelopes, or the pew envelopes. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Daily Prayer Request – Thursday, December 14, 2017

Every year, our Tuesday Ladies Bible Study G2G group puts together plates of treats for our shut-in members, and despite the miserable weather last Tuesday, they came together to do it again! Please pray for the individuals who will receive these little care packages. Pray that it would be a blessing in what can often be a lonely time of year. Thank God for the ministry of these ladies, and consider following their example by taking a small token or gift to a home-bound senior in your neighbourhood.

#HMCGlowingOut

Daily Prayer Request – Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Tonight is our annual SLEIGH RIDE & CAROL SING! Pray that it would be a great time of coming together, and that we would be reminded of the value of our church family. Pray that the weather would cooperate, that every participant (and the horses!) would be safe, and that our presence and voices would be a blessing to the community as we sing and play together.

Bring along your family, friends, and neighbours. We hope to see you tonight at 6:30!

Responding in Faith – Sermon Video

  1. God’s will is done through us
  2. God provides what we need to see it through
  3. God is glorified
  4. Our faith and others’ faith is strengthened
  5. God is made known

Luke 1:26-38 New International Version (NIV)

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Footnotes:

  1. Luke 1:35 Or So the child to be born will be called holy,
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Repentance: Preparing your Heart for Transformation

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Imagine yourself to be Zechariah, the priest who is going to meet with the Lord in the temple on behalf of the people. He is offering prayers of worship and repentance when he has a startling encounter with an angel of the Lord. Fill in the scene and pay attention to your thoughts and feelings as you hear the angel’s message spoken to you…

Read the Scripture passage

Luke 1:11-24 The Voice (VOICE)

11 Suddenly Zacharias realized he was not alone: a messenger of the Lord was there with him. The messenger stood just to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was shocked and afraid, 13 but the messenger reassured him.

Messenger: Zacharias, calm down! Don’t be afraid!

Zacharias is a priest working in the temple, but priests don’t normally hear from God. Those who hear from God are called prophets, not priests. One becomes a priest by being born in a priestly family line. Prophets, on the other hand, arise unpredictably and have no special credentials except the message they carry. So Zacharias has no reason to believe his duties will be interrupted in this way. Often in the biblical story, when people receive a message from God—after getting over the initial shock—they start asking questions. They push back; they doubt.

Messenger: Zacharias, your prayers have been heard. Your wife is going to have a son, and you will name him John. 14 He will bring you great joy and happiness—and many will share your joy at John’s birth.

15 This son of yours will be a great man in God’s sight. He will not drink alcohol in any form;[a] instead of alcoholic spirits, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he is in his mother’s womb. 16 Here is his mission: he will turn many of the children of Israel around to follow the path to the Lord their God. 17 Do you remember the prophecy about someone to come in the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah; someone who will turn the hearts of the parents back to their children;[b] someone who will turn the hearts of the disobedient to the mind-set of the just and good? Your son is the one who will fulfill this prophecy: he will be the Lord’s forerunner, the one who will prepare the people and make them ready for God.

Zacharias: 18 How can I be sure of what you’re telling me? I am an old man, and my wife is far past the normal age for women to bear children. This is hard to believe!

Messenger (sternly): 19 I am Gabriel, the messenger who inhabits God’s presence. I was sent here to talk with you and bring you this good news. 20 Because you didn’t believe my message, you will not be able to talk—not another word—until you experience the fulfillment of my words.

21 Meanwhile the crowd at the temple wondered why Zacharias hadn’t come out of the sanctuary yet. It wasn’t normal for the priest to be delayed so long. 22 When at last he came out, he was making signs with his hands to give the blessing, but he couldn’t speak. They realized he had seen some sort of vision. 23 When his time on duty at the temple came to an end, he went back home to his wife. 24 Shortly after his return, Elizabeth became pregnant. She avoided public contact for the next five months.

Footnotes:

  1. 1:15 Numbers 6:3; Leviticus 10:9
  2. 1:17 Malachi 4:5–6
 

Luke 1:57-64 The Voice (VOICE)

57 When the time was right, Elizabeth gave birth to a son. 58 News about the Lord’s special kindness to her had spread through her extended family and the community. Everyone shared her joy, for after all these years of infertility, she had a son! 59 As was customary, eight days after the baby’s birth the time came for his circumcision and naming. Everyone assumed he would be named Zacharias, like his father.

Elizabeth (disagreeing): 60 No. We will name him John.

Her Relatives (protesting): 61 That name is found nowhere in your family.

62 They turned to Zacharias and asked him what he wanted the baby’s name to be.

63 He motioned for a tablet, and he wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was shocked by this breach of family custom. 64 They were even more surprised when, at that moment, Zacharias was able to talk again, and he shouted out praises to God.

The Voice (VOICE)The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

 

Reflection:

“Perhaps, as the years go by, our attempts to follow the path of God, however we envision it, may become like Zechariah’s — refined but also reduced to the faithful fulfilment of a set of obligations and the leading of what might pass as a good life. Such faithfulness is never to be despised. It can be the seedbed of God’s kingdom. Unfortunately, it can all too easily turn into a comfort zone. We feel so settled in our holy niche that we stop even expecting God to intervene in our lives. We carry on ‘burning our incense’. We keep on tending that flickering little fire within us that still burns with a love for God. But we don’t expect to wake up one morning and discover that the flames are suddenly leaping out of control. Neither did Zechariah!” (Margaret Silf)

In what areas of your life have you been waiting upon God with longterm prayers for intervention or guidance? How would you respond if these were suddenly and dramatically answered? How would you cope with such a miraculous, divine encounter?

Margaret Silf suggests further that “just as the infant John would need nine month’s gestation before coming to birth, so Zechariah is also given a time of gestation in which his response can grow and ripen into the whole-hearted ‘yes!’ expressed in the moment when he writes on the tablet, ‘his name is John’.”

Is this a time of gestation in your life where you must quietly nurture what is sacred within you, or is it a time to take risks and move? Honestly express to God the extent to which you are willing to trust his intention for you. What next steps does God seem to be asking you to take? Ask for God’s wisdom and discernment.

O Holy child of Bethlehem
Descend on us we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born in us today
(Phillips Brooks)

Come, thou long expectant Jesus
Born to set they people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in thee
(Charles Wesley)

 

The Entire 2017 Reflective Series:

Repentance: Preparing Your Heart for Transformation

God With Us: Do Not Be Anxious

Go Tell It On The Mountain

What Can I Give?

What Can I Give?

Scripture reading: Matthew 2: 1-2, 10-11

The Magi Visit the Messiah
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

After this interview the wise men went on their way. Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Reflection:

Prayerfully consider what would be a meaningful expression of your love for God and offer it wholeheartedly to Him as a gift. You can express it in writing, drawing, song, movement…
In what ways can you serve others this week? Explore serving strangers as well as those you know.

Practice rehearsing God’s faithfulness to you. Begin by naming the more obvious gifts, then offer thanks for the ways God cares for you in less noticeable ways. Find ways to express your gratitude to others.

Perhaps you may wish to read the poem “I Am Silent…and Expectant” written by Ted Loder and allow it to become a prayer.

How silently, 
how silently 
the wondrous gift is given. 
I would be silent now, 
Lord, 
and expectant… 
        that I may receive 
                the gift I need, 
                        so I may become 
                                the gifts others need. 

 

What can I give Him,
poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb.
If I were a wise man,
I would do my part.
Yet what can I give Him?
Give my heart.

C.Rossetti

 

The Entire 2017 Reflective Series:

Repentance: Preparing Your Heart for Transformation

God With Us: Do Not Be Anxious

Go Tell It On The Mountain

What Can I Give?

Go Tell It On The Mountain

Scripture reading: Luke 2:15-20

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Reflection:

Look back over the last 24 hours. Notice just one special moment, event, or encounter that has given you joy and helped you to remember that you are loved. Look back over your life’s spiritual journey, remembering those milestones that seem, with hindsight, to have truly made your life worthwhile. Offer God your gratitude — glorifying and praising Him.
Pray for opportunities to share these stories from your life as a testimony of God’s love, and invite others to receive the Jesus Christ as Lord.

Action:

Invite God to bring to mind a person(s) with whom you can share your personal story of Jesus and how He longs for all people to believe in Him as their Saviour.
Now copy out the Candy Cane poem to personally hand or read to someone, sharing the salvation story of your personal, relational Saviour — Jesus Christ.

Look at the Candy Cane
What do you see?
Stripes that are red
Like the blood shed for me
White is for my Saviour
Who’s sinless and pure!
“J” is for Jesus My Lord, that’s for sure!
Turn it around
And a staff you will see
Jesus my shepherd
Was born for Me!

Suggested prayer:

Lord, thank you for Your presence in my life. Lead me and guide me as I long to share the Good News of Jesus with other people. May my heart radiant the love and peace that is a testimony of Your faithfulness, and may my life be a witness for Your love.

 

The Entire 2017 Reflective Series:

Repentance: Preparing Your Heart for Transformation

God With Us: Do Not Be Anxious

Go Tell It On The Mountain

What Can I Give?