Joy has a way of working its way from the inside out. When our lives are filled with joy, the symptoms are unmistakable. A twinkle in the eye. A ready smile. A skip in the step. A song in the heart. Joy lends a glow to the face and a lilt to the voice. Joy is contagious. It is also the birthright of every believer, but rainy days have a way of distracting us from that fact.

May this light shine in our hearts, in our lives, and in our church.  May Peace awaken us to possibilities and lead us to greater hospitality.There IS room in this Inn, a House for the Holy.  Peace waits for us at Advent. Peace waits for us to rest.  Peace waits for our acceptance of the truth that we are blessed.  Peace is born in us each day.

Focus: The church is Advent. The unwrapping of God’s greatest gift is near. God will take away the tinsel and decorate our human hearts in hope so that Christians can sit laughing in the rain, knowing that the Lord is going to shine in upon their being. For no matter how long the darkness, God will send the Light. In spite of the cursing and violence and the massacring of human dignity, we will dance in the streets of Bethlehem for He will be born.   …Ann Weems                                                
     Anne Murray

Focus: “When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.”                                                              —Tecumseh

Focus:   To replace the old paradigm of war with a new paradigm of waging peace, we must be pioneers who can push the boundaries of human understanding. We must be doctors who can cure the virus of violence. We must be soldiers of peace who can do more than preach to the choir. And we must be artists who will make the world our masterpiece.”                                                            ~Paul Chappell

Focus: “Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven,
Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie

God of the seasons, there is a time for everything; there is a time for dying and a time for rising. We need courage to enter into the transformation process.

Focus:  “The love of God creates in us such a oneing that when it is truly seen, no person can separate themselves from another person.”                Julian of Norwich                                                                 

The Community Gathers:  Experience God’s presence in the assembly. Please greet one another with joy and welcome new friends into our community of love.

Focus:   “May the stars carry your sadness away, May the flowers fill your heart with beauty, May hope forever wipe away your tears, And, above all, may silence make you strong.” 

Focus:  “Apprehend God in all things, for God is in all things. Every single creature is full of God and is a book about God. Every creature is a word of God.”

Focus: “As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful.

Focus:  In the end, reconciliation is a spiritual process, which requires more than just a legal framework. It has to happen in the hearts and minds of people.                      Nelson Mandela

For all who now leave here comforted and emboldened to live by your Word of truth, We ask your blessing.  May we go on our way to bless bread for the hungry in body and spirit; May we go on our way to bring Easter into the lives of the hopeless and hurting;  May we go on our way to be your heart and hands in this unbelieving and forgetful world.  AMEN.

Focus: “Education is a once in a lifetime opportunity to open children’s hearts and minds to the unbelievable wonder of the
universe.” Sir Anthony Sel-don

The Community Gathers:  Experience God’s presence in the assembly. Please greet one another with joy and welcome new friends into our community of love.

Good and Bad I defined these terms
So clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.
My Back Pages
Bob Dylan

Focus:   “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”                         Hamlet

We are awed by the sacred wisdom of the unfolding universe. It surrounds us with beauty, growth, and revelation. It has brought us, artfully, to this moment in time. We have come to give thanks and praise.

Focus:  If I had influence with the good fairy… I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.          

Let us be oen vessels that God’s spirit may enter. The Community Gathers: Experience God’s presence in the assembly.