 35 years ago I was a part of a little, and rather goofy, band at North Park College. We called our group "Temporal Sunburn" and we were a big deal on our little campus for a hot minute (as the kids say). During the 6 months of our existence (before I graduated and two other members transferred to other schools), we wrote around 25 songs, recorded 2 albums (cassette tapes), played 3 concerts, and sold around 200 tapes and 100 or so Tshirts.
Today we're spread out all over the country and have yet to gather for the much-requested reunion tour. And even though I haven't had much opportunity to be face-to-face with some of these guys for quite a while, the friendship remains. I'm sure that you could tell similar stories of friends from your past who you're still close with even though you don't get together often enough. What is it about friendship that creates such strong bonds? This Sunday, December 29th, at 10:30 AM, we'll conclude our series "It's A Wonderful Life Because of Christmas" by talking about being a real friend. Who needs us to be their real friend and what does that look like? I hope to see you there. (By the way, there will not be any Sunday School classes this week) Joy is an interesting word. We usually think of it as a synonym for happiness, but it's greater than happiness, isn't it? And when the Angel announced Jesus' birth to the shepherds, it was not simply a message of joy -- it was one of GREAT JOY! “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. This Sunday, December 22nd, we'll be talking about JOY and how we can experience it for ourselves. Once again, we'll be using the classic film "It's A Wonderful Life" to illustrate what joy really is. I hope you'll be able to join us.  Our annual Christmas Eve worship service will take place on December 24th at 5:00 pm. The service of scripture reading, special music, and carol singing will last about an hour and conclude with candle lighting and the singing of "Silent Night". I'm arranging for readers of scripture passages as a part of the service. If you are interested in participating as a reader, please contact me (206-650-1557). I hope you'll all be able to attend this special celebration of Jesus' birth. Calling All Family-less Folks Tami and I will be alone on Christmas day and we started wondering about others who might be looking for people to share the day with. So this is an open invitation for anyone who would like to join us at our home.
We'll gather at noon for a potluck brunch and fun. Bring some food to share and a white elephant gift. If you have any questions, give Tami a call (206-380-6363). I recently learned that there is physics behind the quiet of a snowfall. Because snow falls slower than rain, it doesn't make an impact sound when landing. And the spaces that exist between the crystalline structure of the flakes, allows other sounds to be muffled. The result is the peace and quiet we experience at this time of year. Peace and quiet is one thing, but what we really long for is the peace of lack off stress, conflict and pain in our lives. That peace is longed for by everyone - and it's something that is in short supply. All of our efforts cannot guarantee peace for us. But it's available when we turn to the one and only true source of peace! As Paul instructed the church in Philippi, Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus. This Sunday, December 15, we'll continue our Advent series, "It's A Wonderful Life Because of Christmas" as we see how the Prince of Peace meets us in the midst of our difficulties and brings us His peace. I hope you'll be able to join us! By the way, each Sunday our children are playing the bells as a part of our worship service. At 9:45, the kids practice the songs which they will play later. This means that every kid can play on any Sunday - just come for the rehearsal time. And parents can either help with rehearsal or join Pastor Jeff and the adults discussing how we can be better representatives of Jesus in the lives of our friends and family.  All Junior High and High School students are welcome to join us this coming Wednesday, December 18th, from 6:00-8:00, for our annual Christmas party hosted at Paul and Jill White's home (97D Poorman Creek Road, Twisp). Pizza, games, laughter, and surprizes. Bring a wrapped gift ($5-$10 value) that you wouldn't mind going home with... because you just might! Friends are welcome! Contact Pastor Jeff for more info (206-650-1557).
Are you familiar with the "Five Love Languages"? Author Gary Chapman wrote a very insightful and helpful book a number of years ago which pointed out that everyone has a primary "language" in which they express and receive love: Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Acts of Service, and Gifts. It's important to understand another person's love language so that you can "speak in their language". He shares a story about a husband and wife who came in for counseling. The wife complained that her husband never told her that he loved her. The husband responded that he regularly brought her flowers and gifts to express his love for her. Her love language was Words of Affirmation while his was Gifts. They were speaking in different languages. Why do I bring this up? Well, no matter which of these is your primary way of expressing your love for someone, ALL of them require action. As the band DC Talk sang back in the 90's, "Love is a Verb". This Sunday, December 8th, we'll continue our series "It's A Wonderful Life Because of Christmas" as we look at the theme of Love. Real love is about giving, not getting. How will you be giving Christmas love to others this year. Remember, it doesn't have to be limited to the form of something wrapped under the tree - and maybe it will be even more special if it isn't!  Speaking of sharing Christmas love, you can join us in singing the songs of Christmas this evening as we make our way through Twisp during the Mistletoe Madness shopping night. We'll be meeting under the lighted tree at the north end of Glover St. at 5:30 and working our way through the businesses on our way to TwispWorks. As Buddy the Elf says, "The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud so all can hear." I hope you can join us!  Sign up at church to participate in this annual event. You can host the soup or dessert course, or simply join those moving from home to home. More details are available at the church.
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Pastor JeffThoughts about living as a Jesus follower and life at Community Covenant Church Archives
December 2020
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