Scripture: “Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman is pregnant and is about to give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel.” – Isaiah 7:14
Dear Church Family,This past Sunday, we talked about the prophecy from Isaiah 9 of a coming Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. But there’s another piece to that story. 2 chapters earlier, Isaiah is laying the ground work, and he unveils something that was brand new: “Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman is pregnant and is about to give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14). It’s the first use of a new word, spelled in the book of Matthew as Emmanuel. Isaiah is speaking to King Ahaz. The circumstances are the same we spoke about on Sunday. And there, in the middle of that situation, Isaiah tells us for the first time of the truth and presence of our God, Emmanuel. God is with us. Take a moment if you will, close your eyes, and do a rundown of your day. And as you think of each thing, silently say a refrain for each as you go- God is with us in this. God is with us in this. God is with us in this.
It’s 9 Days Away! December 19th is a big night for us. For our own families, we’re hosting a Polar Express movie night (bring the kids in their jammies!) And for folks who might be walking around downtown, we’re going to have a table with flyers, hot cocoa, and some carolers spreading holiday cheer. And we think we’ll be able to unveil the new exterior lights that night as well. Would you be able to hand out hot chocolate to passersby and invite them to join us on Christmas Eve? Can you join with others and sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”? It’s going to take some folks helping to make this happen, so if you’d like to join in on the Christmas fun, click here and let us know how you can help!
A reminder that our Christmas Eve services are at 4 pm, 7 pm, and 11 pm this year. 4 pm will be a service geared towards kids! All will be candlelight. No matter when you join us, it’s going to be a night of sacred beauty and joy.
Grace and Peace
Pastor Lindsay Kirkpatrick
Senior Pastor
[email protected]