Fourth Sunday of Advent - December
20
Pastor Steve Clark preaching
"A Dream
Confirmed" by Lisle Gwynn Garrity
For this Sunday,
READ Luke 1:26-45 and REFLECT: Imagine this story from Mary’s
perspective. Why does she flee to Elizabeth’s house? How does she
receive and process the angel’s news? What thoughts and emotions
wash over her? What does this calling require of her? Now
imagine the story from Elizabeth’s perspective. Imagine the feeling
of deep knowing—ignited within your own core—that something is real
and very, very good. How would you respond to that feeling? (reflection questions taken from Those
Who Dream resources by A Sanctified Art ©)
Artist's
Statement: "As soon as Mary
falls into Elizabeth’s arms, Elizabeth knows and feels it to be
true. Yes, I feel it too. We are pregnant with promise. We
carry this together. This is not a dream deferred. It
is a dream confirmed, a dream shared. A dream that will birth joy.
In this image, Mary and Elizabeth’s bodies are tenderly
intertwined. Halos, like crescent moons, encircle each of them and
their wombs, signaling the cosmic change they bring forth."
TO JOIN US in worship this Sunday, December 20, CLICK ON
THE PICTURE
above to go to our Concord website. Near the bottom of the
home page, click on the same picture to connect with the worship
video. The worship video will be
accessible after 9:00am each Sunday morning.
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Reverse
Advent Calendar Drop-Off
This Sunday, December 20
1:00-2:00pm
Thank you to everyone who participated in
the Youth Group-sponsored Reverse Advent Calendar to benefit
Hanover Food Pantry! We will be available in the church
parking lot this Sunday, December 20 from 1:00-2:00pm to receive
your non-perishable food donations. Concord youth and parents
will take the donations to Hanover Food Pantry at 2:00pm. If
you have any questions, please contact Christina Pressley at christina.pressley@concordpc.org
or 302-740-8078.
Don't
forget to pick up your candles for our Christmas Eve service
when you drop off your food donations (see below).
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Christmas
Eve Candlelight Service
Thursday, December 24
7:00pm (Online)
Our online service
will combine features of the two distinct services (one family/
children-focused, the other traditional with choir) we have
provided in past years - and hope to return to in 2021! The service
will be available online beginning at 7:00pm and can be accessed
any time after that. See next week's issue of Concord
Connects for details.
CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLES FOR PICKUP! If
you'd like to join in the traditional "Festival of Light"
as we sing Silent Night during
our (online) Christmas Eve service this year, you can use whatever
candle(s) you have at home. OR you can come by Concord and get one
of the candles we've used in our services in past years. Drop by 1:00-2:00pm
THIS SUNDAY, December 20 OR 12:00-1:30pm TUESDAY, December 22.
(If neither of those times work for you, drop by the church office
and we'll have them available when Margaret is here - so call ahead
to make sure.)
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The Finance Committee
wishes to thank all of you who have submitted your pledges for
2021. We know that during this unusual year, there is a lot on
our minds and hearts. If you haven't yet submitted your pledge, we
understand that it may just have fallen to the bottom of the
to-do list. As we approach the end of 2020, and are planning for
our new church year, we ask you to prayerfully consider what you
are able to pledge for 2021. We will happily receive your pledge
card in the mail, or you can go to concordpc.org/give and select the "PLEDGE"
button on the website.
Our pledge total has not yet reached
the 2021 operating budget of $310,000, so this is a reminder
that every pledge moves us closer to what is necessary to fulfill
our worship and mission. Thank you for the many ways you make a
difference at Concord; we are thankful and grateful for all
that you do.
With gratitude,
The Finance and Stewardship Committee
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Our weekly MUG
& MUFFIN study meets again next Wed.,
December 23 from 10:00-11:00am. To join
the Zoom gathering, follow the instructions below.
To join ONLINE, click on this link.
To join by CALLING IN:
(1) dial 646-558-8656
(2) If asked, enter the meeting number 879-780-5150 (no
dashes)
(3) When asked for participant ID, just press the # sign
(4) When asked for meeting password, enter 489133, followed by
the # sign
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Prayers of
sympathy for Elinor Weaver and family - Elinor's sister Jane from TX passed away
on Monday. Elinor and her sister were very close, speaking by phone
almost every day.
Prayers of sympathy for the family of former member
Jeanette Durstein-Brown who died Dec. 7. (obit)
Prayers for pain relief for Gail Greene
- suffering from a sudden onset of sciatica. Hopes that this can be
resolved by medication & PT.
Prayers for the family of Christina Pressley's friend
Yvonne, a family practitioner. She has been
diagnosed with Covid and is feeling poorly; her husband and two
teenagers are quarantined at home with her.
Healing prayers for Dottie Lund's niece Abigail
- hospitalized with acute pancreatitis caused by her medication.
She is bi-polar and may be hospitalized for a few weeks as
alternative medication is sought.
Prayers for Carol Lind - injured her
finger badly in a fall. Must wear a splint for 6 weeks. Continued
prayers of healing for Phil.
Prayers for Carol Lind's aunt Sue Morgan and her
daughter Kellen - both have contracted the
virus.
Prayers of joy and relief for Kay Jewett's 4-year-old
grandson - briefly hospitalized with severe peanut
allergy. He is home and doing well now.
Continued prayers for 11-yr.-old Shane Newton, brother
of a Preschool student - recent surgery to remove a
brain tumor. Will be receiving
PT and continuing treatments at CHOP.
Prayers of strength and healing for Paul Persak's wife
Maria - currently battling cancer.
Prayers for the speedy recovery of Gail Dill's grandson
Nic, who is very ill with mononucleosis.
Prayers of joy for last Sunday's Service of Lessons
& Carols - kudos to Minister of Music Matthew
Pressley.
Prayers of thanks that the first doses of Covid vaccine
have arrived in the state and are being
administered to our frontline healthcare workers.
***
A Diaspora Prayer Group prays on Mondays at 9:00am for
those on the church prayer list (of which this is just a
part). If you would like to add names/needs to this list
and this ministry of prayer, click here: info@concordpc.org.
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We will receive the Christmas Joy
Offering throughout the month of December. Checks can be made
payable to Concord Church, memo: Christmas Joy. Donations can also
be made online - just send an email to Treasurer Ron McKinney to let him know that the gift is for the Christmas Joy
Offering.
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(Cris Barrish/WHYY)
Friendship House & New Castle
County Code Purple
Covid has
changed many things, including how to help people facing
homelessness this winter. When the county asked Friendship House to
host Code Purple at the Hope Center (the former Sheraton Hotel near
Newport), FH Executive Director Kim Eppehimer agreed. The Hope
Center will be open for guests Dec. 15, just in time for the first
snowstorm of the year. So far, 69 guests have registered to come,
with many more expected. Read more about this ambitious
undertaking on the FH blog and the WHYY website.
Many have asked what you can do to help. If
Covid-19 guidelines allow, FH will offer volunteer opportunities.
They need hygiene items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap.
They will also need non-perishable food items such as bottled water
and individually wrapped snacks. Also socks, underwear, and winter
items. Donations will be accepted at the Friendship House
Administrative Office in Wilmington and the Boxwood Empowerment
Center in Newport. Early next year, Concord will look at
sponsoring a collection drive to help meet these needs.
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