Dear Friends and Saints of Rockville United Church,
I hope you perceive the blessings of your lives this week before Christmas. You are invited to celebrate the power and compassion of our Incarnate God in worship this weekend. Following RUC tradition, we will have two services on Christmas Eve. Both will end with the meaningful lighting of candles. The 5:00 pm service is our family service and provides an opportunity for families with children to worship early. We are blessed to have our new Educator, Sarah Anders, offering a special Christmas moment for the children. The second service's liturgy begins at 8:00pm. Consider coming at 7:45 for a beautiful fifteen minutes of prelude from Jim Levy and the Sanctuary Choir. Sunday is Christmas Day. We will worship at 10:45. We will sing some extra Christmas Carols. Sarah and I have some Christmas stories to tell. And you are invited to come dressed to the nines or relaxed in your PJs. If you have too many cookies and Christmas Treats, consider bringing a plate to share following worship.
An alert: On both the 11th during our evening installation worship and on the 18th during morning worship we have had a vehicle broken into that was in the RUC parking lot. Both incidences have been reported to the police and we have requested that they provide increased patrols while we are in worship this weekend. Let's help them out by locking our vehicles and ensuring there are no bags, purses, backpacks or other items that might be interesting to a thief in the vehicles. I am sorry that we need to be so vigilant while worshipping.
Friends, Advent is almost over. Our watching and preparing time ends this weekend as we shout out our love and hope for the Christ child.
Blessings, Scott Winnette
Preparation for Christmas
What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the Divine Son takes place unceasingly but does not take place within myself?
And what good is it to me if Mary is full of grace and I am not also full of grace?
What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to a Son if I do not also give birth to him in my time and in my culture?
This, then, is the fullness of time: when the Son of God is begotten in us.
- Meister Eckhart
Across the purple patterned snow laced with light of lantern-glow, dappled with dark, comes Christ, the Child born from the skies.
His baby face is wise seen by candle spark. But is He cold from the wind's cold blow?
Where will He go? I'll wrap Him warm with love, well as I'm able, in my heart stable!
- Luci Shaw