"Come, Lord Jesus. Be my joy."

The story of God's Son entering the world is the core of Christmas.  Because of God's consistent, pursuing love, we celebrate and worship with hope.  Hope based on the certainty of Advent (both the first and the second).  As we continue to move toward Christmas, let's not forget that first Christmas Eve night, when a group of shepherds, staying in the fields nearby, guarding their sheep, suddenly found themselves in the middle of prophecy fulfilled.

"Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them.  They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.  'Don't be afraid.  I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people."  Luke 2:8-10

If you think about it, the only reasonable response to God's lavish love and goodness is joy--pure joy!  Tied to our joy is our worship.  Join us this Sunday at 9:30am as we worship our God together.  Through Luke's gospel, we are going to look at threads of joy as we consider the good news with the advent of Jesus.  Pray this prayer as you prepare your hearts and minds for worship: "Come, Lord Jesus.  Be my joy."

Also, the Rose City Flute Choir, of which our very own Kathy Collins is a member, will accompany us as we proclaim, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come; let earth receive her King".  Invite a friend and join us this Sunday, as we continue the celebration!

Following our service, our Adult Sunday School class will continue their titled, "Going Viral: The Birth and Advance of the Church".  As Jesus ascended into heaven, he looked at his disciples and proclaimed, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  Acts 1:8.  What we will encounter in our study of Acts is a group of people who, after hearing the gospel and receiving the Holy Spirit, became bold witnesses for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christmas Eve At Parkside Fellowship:  Make plans now to celebrate the birth of Jesus with us at Parkside Fellowship's Annual Candlelight Christmas Eve Service.  This year's Christmas Eve service will begin at 3:00pm.  There will be singing, scripture reading, a special Christmas Story designed especially for kids (each child will receive a special Christmas gift), and a time to offer up a prayer of thanksgiving to God for his incredible gift of His one and only Son, Jesus.  We will end our service with the traditional singing of Silent Night as we light candles in anticipation of the birth of Jesus!  Please bring the whole family and don't forget to invite your friends and neighbors.

Thank you for being a praying church.

See you Sunday.

Doug