We have walked around the nativity scene during these weeks of Advent. Today we stand with the others and gaze into a manger, where a child lies. This baby, wrapped in cloths and placed in a manger, is God’s message of love. Look, listen. May you know the certainty of the things that have been conveyed to you (Luke 1:4).
Yesterday our Sunday School children presented the Christmas story to our congregation. Beautiful! (See the slide show.)
Joseph was a good man—the bible says he was a “righteous man.” When he learned that Mary was pregnant, and that the child was not his, he was obligated to do the right thing. The righteousness of God also calls for the “right thing,” and in our case, the right thing would be to punish us for our sins. But God introduces a new righteousness, and it comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Did God do the right thing? Justice says 'no'; love says 'yes.' For God so loved the world... Sunday, Dec 18, 10 a.m.
A Note From our GEMS Girls’ Club Counselors: For the last 2 years, a very enthusiastic bunch of GEMS, parents and siblings have piled into vehicles to visit the largest milking goat farm in Ontario - the VanderVlies farm, owned by Anja and Henry in Teeswater. There are over 700 milking goats, and pens full of mamas-to-be. Tours are done throughout the year, but we chose the month of October for this tour, as this is the time for kidding. Sure enough, each one of us got to hold and love on a tiny new-born. To see the rest of the pictures, visit the GEMS page on our church’s website: http://lccrc.netne.net/gems.html
Marc Martel's youtube video of his Freddie Mercury rendition has gone viral. But we first heard/saw Downhere at Fair Havens Bible campground when they were still students at Briercrest College. We even bought their first album and had the CD cover signed by the boys. This Sunday Trevor Askes sings Downhere's How Many Kings during our worship service.