Reflecting Christ's Light from Our Doorsteps to the Ends of the Earth
Baby it’s cold outside! We hope everyone stays warm and safe in the next few days as the winter weather makes its way to Eureka. Our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services will be held as scheduled, but your safety is the most important to us. Join us onsite or online at Facebook Live or on our new YouTube channel. The Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will begin at 8:00 p.m. Saturday evening, and our Christmas Day Festival Service begins at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.
For over 30 years, Rolan A. Johnson of Peoria used his artistic talents to create original screen-printed Christmas cards which he mailed out for free to over 2,000 family members, friends, and business associates. These were not greeting card-sized items, but actually small posters which could be framed and collected. Our archive includes a dozen of his Christmas cards, which are on display this December throughout the narthex, gathering space, and heritage parlor.
Many thanks to ECC historian Cindy O’Neill for sharing these bits of our history.
This week we welcome guest preacher Ron Crawford to the pulpit. Ron is a longtime member of Eureka Christian Church and has just begun classes at Claremont School of Theology. We thank him for his willingness to give us this message while Rev Jennie is on vacation. The focus scripture is Luke 2:22-40.
Welcome to Advent at Eureka Christian Church. Our worship inspiration for this season is The Book of Joy by Bishop Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama and Douglas Abrams. The focus scripture this week is Matthew 1:18-25.
Welcome to Advent at Eureka Christian Church. Our worship inspiration for this season is The Book of Joy by Bishop Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama and Douglas Abrams. The focus scripture this week is Luke 1:46-55.
Welcome to Advent at Eureka Christian Church. Our worship inspiration for this season is The Book of Joy by Bishop Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama and Douglas Abrams. This week we will looking at cultivating a sense of Joy and maintaining Hope in what can feel like a dark time in the world. The focus scripture this week is Matthew 25:31-40
God is With Us
Rev. Jennie Churchman
Throughout the Advent season, we have focused on the Imperatives of Christmas: “Keep Awake!” “Cry out!” “Rejoice!” “Here I Am!” That last one is not an imperative in the grammatical sense, but it is imperative in the sense that it is necessary. The call of God cannot be avoided or evaded, so we respond with a ready and enthusiastic, “Here I am!”
We see this again and again throughout scripture — Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah. And Mary. Wow, what courage! “Here am I, the servant of the Lord. Let it be with me according to your word,” she said. Whenever we come across the phrase “Here I am!” in scripture, this is the context. It is our response to God because the call is simply unavoidable.
But Christmas Day is different. On this Day of Incarnation, we are not the ones to say, “Here I am!” God is. Christmas Day is God’s response to us. “I have come into your darkness,” God-in-Christ says, “and I will be your Light. I have come into your frailty, and I will be your strength. I have come into your despair, and I will be your salvation. I have come into your brokenness, and I will make you whole. Here I am!”
This is Good News! This is the reason to celebrate and rejoice. Go tell it on the mountain! Go tell it to the ends of the earth!
Prayer: What a gift! On this day of celebration, we are simply humbled by the truth that you came to be among us. Who are we that you would care for us? Who are we that you would be mindful of us? And yet, you came to be one of us. We give you thanks for the precious gift of Jesus the Christ who is our Light, our Love, and our Life. Amen.
Anticipating in Faithfulness
By Audrey K.
As I was preparing to write this Advent devotional, I must admit that these verses are not my favorite part of the story of Jesus’ birth. It doesn’t tell of the birth in the manger or of the shepherds traveling to see the new Baby or of the star that guided them.
But then, I sit quietly and read each word purposefully. It is then I feel the anticipation and the wonderment in the words-the same feelings that Mary and Joseph were probably feeling. I would think that part of them was also frightened. They were heading out on a journey knowing that Mary’s baby would soon be coming. What faith they had!
Then I try to imagine myself and Linus in that same situation. I remember being afraid when we were getting close to the due date of our oldest son. Add to that the apprehension of a trip on the back of a donkey in the dark, going to take care of some silly paperwork. Who knows what would lie in wait for them as they made this journey-robbers, wild animals, falling off that donkey and hurting herself. Would I have the faith to make that journey, carrying God’s son? I pray that I would.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, be with us as we continue to anticipate the gift of your Son’s birth. Let us feel the anticipation and wonderment in waiting for his arrival. Amen
