“Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” Colossians 3:14 (NRSV)
Here is the link for the December 15, 2024 worship service: https://youtu.be/X76sirXP0Tc
December worship services:
December 21 – Longest Night – 7:00 p.m. A special service to help us reflect on God’s presence as we come together with those who mourn or struggle during this Christmas season. Come and light a candle to remember a loved one or to reflect on what is important for you in this season. Second Chance will provide the music. Joint service with GSA. (see attachment)
December 22 – fourth Sunday of Advent – Love – worship at 10:45 a.m.
December 24 – Christmas Eve service – 7:00 p.m. Joint service with Church of the Good Shepherd Anglican. We celebrate the birth of Christ into the world. Communion will be observed.
December 29 – worship at 10:45 a.m.
For anyone who is looking for a service on December 25, you may wish to check out Metropolitan United in Toronto. Rev. Jason Meyers will deliver the sermon “God’s Eternal Love Has a Face”. This sermon won first place in Broadview’s recent Best Christmas Sermon Ever contest. The sermon will be live streamed at 10 a.m. CST (it should come if you look up Metropolitan United in Toronto). It will also be available later on you tube. We used this sermon in our Big Question discussion on November
Scripture for the week: Luke 1:47-55; Micah 5:2-5a; Psalm 80:1-7: Hebrews 10:5-10
Scripture to Ponder & Prayer
Week of December 16
Fourth Week in Advent
As we light the candle of love this week, we pause to reflect on God’s profound love for the world. This light symbolizes the love that came to us in the form of Jesus Christ, a love that brings healing, restoration, and hope to a broken and fragmented world. In this season of Advent, as we anticipate the birth of our Savior, we are reminded that God’s love is the answer to all that is lost and broken.
In Luke 1:39–45, we see Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, where the unborn John leaps in recognition of the Savior’s presence within Mary. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaims Mary as blessed, and acknowledges the love that God has chosen to pour into the world through Jesus. Mary, in response, offers her Magnificat, a song of praise celebrating God’s mercy and His love that lifts the humble and transforms the world. This passage reveals the deep connection between love and the coming of Jesus—the love that will redeem, restore, and heal.
As the flame of this candle illuminates our surroundings, may it also ignite a deeper understanding of the love that has been poured out for us, and may it inspire us to share that love with others. Through the light of Christ, we find the strength to heal, the courage to restore, and the grace to transform the world around us. Let this candle be a symbol of our call to embrace and embody the love that can change everything.
Let us pray
Gracious God,
As we light the candle of love, we thank You for the overwhelming love You have shown to the world through the gift of Your Son, Jesus. In this season of Advent, open our hearts to receive Your love more deeply, and help us reflect that love in our actions, words, and relationships. May the light of Christ guide us in healing what is broken, restoring what is lost, and sharing Your hope with those around us.
Empower us to be vessels of Your love, so that through us, the world may know the depth of Your grace and the power of Your transformation. We pray all this in the name of Jesus, our Redeemer and the embodiment of Your love. Amen.
Reflection Question:
How can we embody and share God’s love in a world that so desperately needs healing and restoration?
Trinity United Church 