We had a wonderful and Jolly Visitor at the church this christmas!!

All are Welcome to our Worship Service at 11:00 a.m. each Sunday.

Advent Sermons:

December 8  The Promise of Potential  –  Luke 1: 26-56

December 15  The Journey to Joy     Luke 2: 1-40

December 22   The Gift of the Gentiles    Matthew 1: 18-2: 15

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord

Luke 2:1-15

2 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

² (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

³ And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

⁵ To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

¹⁵ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

Advent Services and Fellowship

Hanging of the Greens Service

Sunday   –   December 1   –   11:00 a.m.

Choral Christmas Program

Sunday   –   December 8   –   5:00 p.m.

Caroling, Hymns, Choir and Special Music

Refreshments following the service

Christmas Family Night Dinner

Wednesday   –   December 18   –   6:30 p.m.

Covered Dish Dinner, Caroling, and Santa Visits

Christmas Eve Service at Grace UMC

Tuesday   –   December 24   –   5:00 & 11:00 p.m.

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Advent Sermon Series – Journey into Advent

Sunday Worship Service at 11:00 a.m.

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Christmas Outreach

Union Gospel Mission

Collecting donations from Wish list located at each entrance.

John Calvin Christmas Party

Monday   –   December 9   –   5:30 p.m.

Music with Edwin Hixson, Food, Fun, and Fellowship

Family Promise at Burks UMC

Monday   –   December 16   –   6:00 p.m.

Provide desserts and fellowship with homeless families

Gleanings…

At a party the other night I watched an eight-month-old make his way around the room.  Pretty much anywhere he wanted to go was attainable so long as momma and daddy were not watching.  Pulling himself up on the coffee table or any of the chairs only added to the number of things he could get into, and that meant all of us had to be vigilant.  As I watched, I marveled at the drive he exhibited.  Nothing, until he tired himself out, was able to slow him down.  He just went and went.

One thing that most people have difficulty accepting is the lack of mobility that can come with old age and/or illness.  No matter who we are, where we live, or how old we are we like the ability to go when we want to and where we want to.  It seems there is nothing harder to impose on someone than restrictions on their ability to move about freely.  Do you think that our desire to move about is part of God’s plan for our lives?

Without doing any great research, I cannot think of a single animate creature that lacks the ability to move about.  That thought leads me to believe that we are born to move whether we swim, walk, fly, slither, or ooze along.  And, if we were made to move about, why do some stop?  Let’s chase that for a minute.

If we are able to move and we accept that this is how we were created, not moving seems to be a denial of who we are.  Now, I’m not talking about anything that finds one spot and never leaves it much as sponges and corals do.  No, I am referring to people who cease moving out into the world where they can experience new relationships.  When we form new relationships with the world around us, we are changed and we help to change others.  Without the action of change in our lives, we lose our reason for living.

Following this thread a little farther, if we are to grow as a result of moving about, we would likely benefit from having something to guide us.  Maps are useful for moving about geographically, but what guides us in our thoughts and beliefs?  Most of us might answer that it is very helpful to have one or more guides for any journey, whether of changing our physical location of moving about in our thinking.  Setting aside helps for physical movement, who do you rely on to guide your spiritual journey?

Stating that Jesus is our guide brings us full circle to the place where we connect the one who created us with the ability to move to the one who calls us to follow his directions.  I like the idea that it’s all part of the plan—we are created to move and find that our best guide is the one who created us.

So, where is Jesus calling you to go?  Accepting Jesus as Lord puts us on the path of discipleship.  Then, as we grow more and more into his likeness, we move into the role of apostle that we might bear Good News into the world.  This, I believe, affirms that we are to keep moving as we are able, never minding the road conditions.  Jesus needs us constantly moving so that we carry his mercy, compassion, and forgiveness (his love!) to our sisters and brothers everywhere.  And the best part is that Jesus is always on the road with us,

Blessings,

Pastor Braxton ><>

Fall Party at John Calvin Apartments

Oct. 29   5:30p.m.   

Games, Costume contest, Pizza, Fun and Fellowship with our friends at John Calvin.

November reminds us to count our blessings.  So, we say…..THANK YOU!….. to the employees of Life Care Center of Hixson.  We appreciate all you do to take care of our congregation and others in the community.   We will take homemade bread, cookies, and treats to the employees in November.  We encourage you to join us and say “Thank You” to someone in your life during this season of Thanksgiving.

Gleanings…

Though it is difficult to tell it, fall/autumn has officially arrived.  The problem is that it is still hot—summer-ish, even—for this time of year.  The fact that it has not rained for weeks does mean that I don’t have to worry about mowing the grass as it has already turned a dried-up brown.  Guess I can put the mower away for another year.  A joke from yesterday’s meeting illustrates the point: How can you tell when it is fall in the south?  People put out pumpkins for decoration.  (Nothing else has changed!  Thank you, Anne.)

We cannot say that about the church, though.  Fall brings with it a flurry of preparations for the last quarter of the year.  Charge Conferences, trunk or treat, fall festivals, Christmas cantata rehearsals, Thanksgiving, and Advent preparations for Christmas fill our calendars.  In no time at all, we turn from lazy days of vacation to franticly arranging our calendars in hope of being able to fit it all in.  (Didn’t we do this last year and say that we weren’t going to do this again?  I seem to remember that.)

That being said, what is the most important item on your calendar or checklist?  Most of us have the usual items—decorations to put up, presents to buy and wrap, holiday greetings to family and friends, special events to attend—but all of these should fall in line behind spending time with family and enjoying being together.

Think about it.  Gifts, decorations, and activities mean nothing if there is no one to share them with.  That is why regular gatherings—worship, Bible study, Sunday school, covered dish dinners, and seasonal events (to name but a few) leave us feeling joyful.  Every life has its moments of celebration and sorrow (this season can leave us missing someone).  There are more than enough worries and troubles to go around.  Yet, somehow, being with friends and family leaves us with the feeling that there is a great source of love all around us waiting to fill us and remind us that we are beloved.

So, I am offering a prayer for each one of you as we enter this season.  Take time to be with those you love even if it means allowing something else to go unfinished.  At the end, what will matter most is that you took time to be with family and friends.  Running a deficit in either of those areas?  Try being a friend to someone who you know is also missing their friends and family.  It doesn’t have to be much, just taking time to spend together and share your stories will do so much to change lonely hearts into joyful hearts.

Jesus came to help us know his father and our father better.  If there is one thing that we can agree on about creation, it is that we were created to be in relationships.  Start this holy-day season by setting aside time for being with family and friends, and be joyful.

In the love of God,

Pastor Braxton ><>

Gleanings…

How would you complete this statement: I am a Christian / believer in God / follower of Jesus because _______________? I ask because our answers can change as we live due to changes in health, relationships, occupations, and lifestyle. As our environment changes, so can our thoughts, words, and actions. Therefore, it’s good to check regularly because there may have been a change in our thinking that is not reflected in our words and actions, and vice versa.

Here are a few possible responses (though not an exhaustive list) to consider.

I love God (Jesus / Him).

God healed me (or someone I love).

God helped me (or someone I love).

my family (friends, the Bible, significant other) told me I should.

I see Him as the only hope for our world.

I don’t know (never really thought about it). Let’s talk about this one.

Whatever your answer, it is a good practice to ask yourself why that is your answer. So many things happen in our lives that can affect what we believe and why we believe it. For example, is what you believe a response to something from the past or because of something that happened recently? How is what you believe reflected in your words and actions? If what you believe has no real impact on how you spend your time and your money, do you really believe it?

Here is where this leads: Noted author, Robert Fulghum wrote, “Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” We may have all the best thoughts and intentions, we may say all the right things, but it will be what we do that people will notice and remember. This is especially true when we identify as people who believe in God and seek to follow Jesus. Thankfully, we have help.

When Jesus told the disciples that he would be returning to his Father, he promised to send another counselor who would be with us to remind us of all that he taught us. By asking for help, we draw upon the promised resource, the Holy Spirit, who helps us to live as Jesus lived. With that assurance of help, and with our desire to draw upon that resource, we can reflect how we have experienced God’s love onto the lives of those around us.

Together, we are the presence of Jesus in the world. He is experienced by others when we live out his love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, help, and healing. Both our living out his life, and the witness of the lives we touch, give praise to God and lead to a transformed world. So, start your day with a simple prayer for the Holy Spirit to teach you and guide you, and then go through your day with ears listening for his help in all things. I promise you, it will be amazing!

In Christ’s love,
Pastor Braxton ><>

It’s Grandparent’s Day and we’re here to say,  We love our grandparents in a major way.  So sit right down and take a seat,  enjoy your day and all the treats!

A Grandma’s heart is a patchwork of love!

Grandchildren don’t stay young forever, which is good because grandfathers have only so many horse rides in them.

The best babysitters, of coarse, are the grandparents.  You feel completely comfortable entrusting your baby to them for long periods of time, which is why most grandparents flee to Florida!

Grandparents are as necessary to a child’s growth as vitamins.

Grandma – the original “laptop”

Grandfathers are for loving and fixing things.

Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children 

—Proverbs 17:6

National Grandparents Day has more than one origin. Some people consider it to have been first proposed by Michael Goldgar in the 1970s after he visited his aunt in an Atlanta nursing home, Spending $11,000 of his own money in lobbying efforts to have the day officially recognized, he made 17 trips to Washington DC over a seven-year span to meet with legislators.

Others consider Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade, a housewife in West Virginia, to have been the main driver for the day of observance. Throughout the 1970s McQuade worked hard to educate the people about the important contributions senior citizens made and the contributions that they would be willing to make if asked. She also urged people to adopt a grandparent, not for one day a year and not for material giving, but for a lifetime of experience.

In any event National Grandparents Day was finally signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. Marian McQuade received a phone call from the White House to advise her of this event. Many people believe that National Grandparents Day was inspired by her efforts. A presidential proclamation on September 6, 1979, made this day official – it designated Sunday, September 9, 1979, (being the “first Sunday of September following Labor Day”) as National Grandparents Day.

Each year the President is requested to issue a proclamation to: designate the first Sunday in September after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day; and to call on people, groups and organizations to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.