LOVE

When I was nine years old, I took tennis lessons and ended up winning the little tournament at the Mercerwood Shore  Club my family belonged to. Here I am with my trophy. Having conquered tennis playing, I retired from competitive play.
​
Have you ever wondered why the game of tennis calls a score of zero as "love"? Though one theory claims the term is a corruption of the French l'oeuf (“the egg”) to describe the shape of the number zero, the Oxford English Dictionary suggests that love really does mean “love.” The only thing keeping a scoreless player on the court is the love of the game. (Obviously, that didn't apply to me).

This Sunday, December 23rd, we'll be talking about the fourth theme of Advent: LOVE. It was God's LOVE that lead to the Incarnation: Jesus giving up his status as God and emptying himself to the point of becoming a human and then suffering and dying in our place so that we could have a restored relationship with Him. That certainly is far from a zero! I hope to see you on Sunday.

---

Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship

On the evening of Monday, December 24th, we will hold our Christmas Eve service featuring the story of Jesus' coming to the earth as told through scripture and carols. It will also include our traditional candle lighting ceremony as we remember that the Light of the World arrived to a dark world and has filled us with His light to share with others. I hope you'll be able to join us for this special celebration of the reason for the season.

At the Christmas Eve service we will have a collection box for our Crisis Fund. We are entering a difficult season of the year in which many people find themselves in need. Our Crisis Fund exists in order to share God's love with those in our congregation and community in practical ways. Consider making a special end-of-the-year gift.

---