![[Sunday] Odd Epiphany - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1704338709052-O1KNNKXEB7G0GOW4AHS0/Weekly5a.jpg)
[Sunday] Odd Epiphany - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst
Under Epiphany's odd light, a star guides foreign Maji’s steps to Bethlehem, A jewish King looks like Pharaoh caring nothing for the messiah, and The holy family seeks refuge in Egypt. This light of the kingdom exposes the normalized oddity of God’s salvation.
Under Epiphany's odd light, a star guides foreign Maji’s steps to Bethlehem, A jewish King looks like Pharaoh caring nothing for the messiah, and The holy family seeks refuge in Egypt. This light of the kingdom exposes the normalized oddity of God’s salvation.
New Song This Week.
Above “Song for this week” has Grace’s Recording
Original Lower
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Wednesday] Christmas Variety - Mid-week Advent](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1733924964327-I9YR743FVTOYQ86ZWMRY/Wed+2aaa.jpg)
![Kids Christmas Party! [Photos]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1733928628392-N7477FH4B9A06TS1YAF5/PXL_20241208_175846459.jpg)
![[Sunday] Guiding Light - Kingdom Way](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1733503885800-F4KROQ9IYUMJNWO7F1XF/KW+3a.jpg)
![[Wednesday] Century of Gifts - Mid-week Advent](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1733193276465-55WSP3L40ZUEL4QUY98B/Wed+1aaa.jpg)
Epiphany as the Other Christmas
Epiphany—is for the Gentiles, those who were once not God’s people, but who now, by the grace of God in Christ have become the people of God
Read the Whole Article at Epiphany as the Other Christmas (1517.org)
https://www.1517.org/articles/epiphany-as-the-other-christmas
Epiphany is an extension of Christmas, a sort of Christmas 2.0. It’s conspicuous place following the nativity narrative in Matthew’s Gospel presents it as the “other Christmas,” the “Christmas of the Gentiles.” At the first Christmas we find a swaddled baby in a manger visited by shepherds from the fields summoned by angels. In the “other Christmas” we find a toddler at his mother’s feet in a house visited by “Magi,” wise men from the East guided by a star. The first Christmas was announced to Israel, the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham; the second Christmas was for the world, the nations, the Gentiles, the fulfillment of God’s promise to Adam.
“Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising,” God said through Isaiah (Isaiah 60:3).
The Greek word “epiphany” means “appearing,” and in ancient times it was used usually about the appearing of a god or a great king. Lutheran theologian Charles Cortright notes that some kings thought they were gods. For example, Antiochus IV, an ancient Syrian king, took the name “Epiphanes” after he defeated the Egyptians to placard his divine prowess. But his mortality was soon exposed as the Maccabean Revolt in Jerusalem evidenced his all-too-human vulnerabilities. Notwithstanding, there were divinely-inspired biblical prophesies and imaginative pagan mythologies that set expectations for a miraculous appearing of a God-king.
The Magi had come from the east to Jerusalem guided…………………….
Read the Whole Article at Epiphany as the Other Christmas (1517.org)
https://www.1517.org/articles/epiphany-as-the-other-christmas
Matthew Chapter 1-2 Bible Study
The Gospel of Matthew Chapters 1-2
The Gospel of Matthew
Watch our overview video on Matthew 1-13, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In Matthew, Jesus brings God’s heavenly kingdom to earth and invites his disciples into a new way of life through his death and resurrection.
New Song "All Glory Be To Christ"
New song this Sunday!
On January 7th 2024 we are singing
Kings Kaleidoscope - All Glory Be To Christ
1.
Should nothing of our efforts stand
No legacy survive
Unless the Lord does raise the house
In vain its builders strive
To you who boast tomorrow's gain
Tell me, what is your life?
A mist that vanishes at dawn
All glory be to Christ
Chorus
All glory be to Christ our king
All glory be to Christ
His rule and reign we'll ever sing
All glory be to Christ
2.
His will be done, His kingdom come
On earth as is above
Who is Himself our daily bread
Praise Him, the Lord of love
Let living water satisfy
The thirsty without price
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
All glory be to Christ [Chorus]
3.
When on the day the great I am
The faithful and the true
The Lamb, who was for sinners, slain
Is making all things new
Behold our God shall live with us
And be our steadfast light
And we shall e'er his people be
All glory be to Christ [Chorus 2 times]
Matthew Bible Study 2024
The Gospel of Matthew Chapters 1-2
The Gospel of Matthew
Watch our overview video on Matthew 1-13, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In Matthew, Jesus brings God’s heavenly kingdom to earth and invites his disciples into a new way of life through his death and resurrection.
![[Sunday] Simeon - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1703773703530-E5SCYWIHCRSDT9XNKIZF/Weekly4a.jpg)
[Sunday] Simeon - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst
Emmanual was worth the Wait.
Emmanual was worth the Wait.
Worship With Us.
Sundays
8:30 & 10:15AM
Live Stream 10:15AM
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Sunday] Bells On Christmas - Kingdom Way](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1734099772571-8RJ2AT9SECGMA7R3QR6Q/KW+4a.jpg)
A Different Kind of New Year
Waiting, in hope, for someone else to arrive.
Read the Whole Article at https://mbird.com/holidays/advent/a-different-kind-of-new-years/
If you were to ask me what my least favorite holiday is — and trust me, I am a children’s minister and mother of three, this is not the weirdest question I’ve been asked this week— I would most likely reply New Year’s (both Eve and Day, to be specific). Part of it feels overly celebratory for a simple turn of a calendar page. Some of it is that I am expected to stay up past ten p.m. and not be grumpy. A large part of it is that somehow, with the flip of the page and the tick of the clock, I am supposed to be a newer, fresher, better version of myself at midnight. Expecting anything of me after midnight is ridiculous.
I am supposed to have more energy and interest in self-improvement. Things are supposed to get better not worse. This year will be different because this is the year, after forty others just like it, that I will finally have more self-control. I will have learned from all of my previous mistakes, errors, failures, flops and non-wins. Nothing will be left as it was. This year, I will have it all together.
Christmas Eve Photos at Grace
Photos of Silent Night. Christmas Eve
Thanks For the Great Christmas Season.
![[Christmas Day] Light - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1703003343952-DV7AF450J1MW0C0ZEHLO/Christmas+Dayb.jpg)
[Christmas Day] Light - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst
Born from the womb of darkness, God dared to paint the nascent universe with light. Centuries later, that celestial brushstroke moves in the wonder of Christmas where every dark place shines the light of God With Us
Born from the womb of darkness, God dared to paint the nascent universe with light. Centuries later, that celestial brushstroke moves in the wonder of Christmas where every dark place shines the light of God With Us
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Christmas Eve] Silent Night - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1702994628436-5ZVDL2N79BWX4PYNGQZJ/Christmas+Eve.jpg)
[Christmas Eve] Silent Night - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst
Amidst the unending clamor, Emmanuel orchestrates a silent night.
Christmas Eve Candlelight 4&7pm
Amidst the unending clamor, Emmanuel orchestrates a silent night.
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Sunday] Christmas Gift - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1702655387205-XBLAMTNCDXPIJ59923GR/Weekly3a.jpg)
[Sunday] Christmas Gift - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst
Giving Christmas gifts to children is so much fun. Seeing the joy on their face as they jump up in surprise, walking all around showing and telling everyone about the great gift. The Christmas Gift really brings us to the heart of the season.
Giving Christmas gifts to children is so much fun. Seeing the joy on their face as they jump up in surprise, walking all around showing and telling everyone about the great gift. The Christmas Gift really brings us to the heart of the season.
QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK: EMMANUEL: JOY IN THE MIDST - Christmas Gift
When was the last time you had joy giving a gift?
Read John 5:1-9. What gift does Jesus bring to the man by the pool?
Read Luke 2:8-20. What gift does Jesus bring the shepherds?
What gift does Jesus give to all of us?
Worship With Us.
Sundays
8:30 & 10:15AM
Live Stream 10:15AM
What Had happened at Grace this week.
The Holy Mess of a Christmas Tree
I don’t love that there’s all this mess, but that feels like an important part of the process.
Read the Whole article at The Holy Mess of a Christmas Tree - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
I really don’t like messy things, and I have been a “neat freak” since I was a child. In college, Sunday night I’d vacuum and dust and sweep my dorm room, my roommate would laugh as I adamantly cleaned, determined not to start our week messy. I’m a perpetual tidier and dislike having too much stuff on my counters. I love to vacuum and sweep, and feel chaotic if a space is too messy. But there’s one mess that I insist on bringing into my home, year after year, and that is a beloved Christmas tree.
I come from a family that has two real Christmas trees, because twinkle lights and the smell of pine are important and why not bring them into as many rooms as possible? So small wonder I’m like this. In all my years in DC my roommates knew I was going to walk to the local market and begin my bartering for a tree, and then would give them a call to help haul it home. Being car-less in DC leads to creativity and relying on helpful friends who will help you carry a tree. So three years of hauling a monstrosity of a tree into our monstrosity of a house. Then two more years of a short, squat little tree taking up prime real estate in our living room, but there was a boyfriend (now my husband) with a truck to help haul the trees.
Now in a long distance marriage for the next few months, I thought about if I even should get a tree this year. I was always determined to make sure we had a tree in the past, but I had the excuse of roommates and that multiple people would get to enjoy it. “My family has two trees, I’ll see a tree when I’m home, do I really need to get one for myself? It’s just me, is it worth the trouble of doing this by myself?”
Yes, it was, I drove myself in the red truck, paid for the long, skinny, and last tree at Whole Foods, in the back of the truck it went, hauled up stairs, and after some wrestling with the tree stand it stood up on its own. ……………………………..
Read the Whole article at The Holy Mess of a Christmas Tree - Mockingbird (mbird.com)
Planetarium Star of Wonder Photos
Christmas Planetarium Photos
Big Thanks to all at the Planetarium for the excellent time.
Christmas Variety Photos
See photos and Videos of the Christmas Variety
Debate with Corrected Audio
![[Wednesday] Christmas Variety - Mid-week Advent](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/0c448f5e-cfdc-45f7-8284-170ed05a8833/WeeklyWed2a.jpg)
[Wednesday] Christmas Variety - Mid-week Advent
Join us for a whimsical Wednesday evening at "Christmas Variety," where holiday cheer takes center stage! Engage in a lively debate on Christmas tree decorating, test your musical prowess with a festive round of "Name that Tune" featuring jingling bells, and share your talents or heartwarming stories with a spirited community. Get ready to harmonize and sing along to timeless Christmas classics like "Up on the Housetop" in this merry celebration of joy and creativity!
6:30PM Wednesday Dec 13th
5:30PM Potluck Dinner
Here is the Christmas Debate with attempted Corrected Audio
Join us for a whimsical Wednesday evening at "Christmas Variety," where holiday cheer takes center stage! Engage in a lively debate on Christmas tree decorating, test your musical prowess with a festive round of "Name that Tune" featuring jingling bells, and share your talents or heartwarming stories with a spirited community. Get ready to harmonize and sing along to timeless Christmas classics like "Up on the Housetop" in this merry celebration of joy and creativity!
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Sunday] Oh Christmas Tree - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1702055250957-T56RE3G46BDEUIMPNOD6/Weekly2a.jpg)
[Sunday] Oh Christmas Tree - Emmanuel: Joy in the Midst
Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners. He is there when the new little family almost splits up. He is even Emmanuel when the dreams of wonderful Christmas trees come crashing down.
Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners. He is there when the new little family almost splits up. He is even Emmanuel when the dreams of wonderful Christmas trees come crashing down.
QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK: EMMANUEL: JOY IN THE MIDST - Oh Christmas Tree
Describe a time when a Christmas celebration didn’t quite go as planned.
Read Matthew 1:18-25. How does Joseph’s life not quite go as planned? How does God work anyway?
Read Matthew 9: 9-13. Why did Jesus eat with Matthew’s friends? Why did the Pharisees complain about it?
Think of some shortcomings in your life? What does it mean that Emmanuel comes even for those times?
What Had happened at Grace this week.
Listen to the bells being rung, God’s promise of peace, hope, and salvation breaking into the world, even in the midst of suffering.