Sunday, December 24, 2017 Fourth Sunday of Advent

A Peek At The Sunday Sermon

An Angelical Announcement
Luke 2:1-11
Nothing is more difficult than sitting through a long, boring sermon! When I was
going to school, I remember the professor telling his class of future ministers, “If
you don’t get the attention of your listeners, quickly; if your points aren’t clearly
defined; if the direction of your sermon is muddled – you’ll be wasting your time.”

In 35 years of preaching, I’ve tried my best NOT to waste the time of my

parishioners. I want to be clear and exact.

That’s what I like about Dr. Luke and his Gospel message, regarding Jesus. He
gets right to the point and he is as clear as can be. Luke has a message that’s
uplighting – a message that gives hope!

On Christmas Eve Morning, I’ll be preaching from The Gospel of St. Luke. I
promise I’ll get right to the point – and share words that bring hope! See you on
Sunday morning at 10:00 AM for Worship!
 Advent is a season of spiritual preparation for the
celebration of the birth of Christ. Purple, the color of
royalty, is Advent’s liturgical color for the four Sundays
leading up to Christmas Eve and the Christmas Season.

Our suggested Scripture reading for December 24th, from the 2017 UCC
Church Calendar:

Luke 1:26-38 (NLT)

The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel

Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary.

She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a
descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said,
“Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel
could mean.30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you
have found favor with God!31 You will conceive and give birth to
a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and
will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give
him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over
Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a
virgin.”

35 Theangel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s
more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren,
but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.”
 The Sunday Sermon
is on YouTube!
Just click anywhere on this
image and you will be taken
to last week's sermon!

Prayer Requests
Carrie Goldie. Serious health concerns.
Irene Moxon. Recovering from a heart attack and adjusting to new surroundings.
Marilyn Beardsley. Continuing medical concerns.
Pat Stacho. Continuing medical concerns.
Phyllis Preston. Medical concerns.
Pauline Gourlay. Medical concerns.
David Allen. Medical concerns.
Grant MacKenzie. Continuing medical concerns.
Gail Waggoner. Health issues.
Jane Haling. Health issues.
Elie Stergiou. Medical Concerns
Jim Shippee. Medical Concerns
Della King Family. Medical Concerns
Bill Kren. Health issues.

Still Blogging!
I’ve been blogging about church
work at Dearborn Congregational, for
three years! If you’d like to learn
more about the Pastor and how he
thinks, just click on the picture to the
left – it will take you to “Life at
Dearborn Congregational!”
This will be a special service – starting at 7:00 p.m. Special music is
planned, traditional Christmas hymns will be sung, and the service will
conclude with the singing of “Silent Night” as we light candles in
celebration of the birth of Our Savior. See you Christmas Eve Night!

I’m looking forward to seeing you on Sunday. Come, expecting a blessing!

Pastor Bill