Stephen

Ministry

December 7
Psalm 85:8
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. 

December 14
Isaiah 61:1-2
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives. To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn. 

Contact a pastor or Julie Gloor for more information about this ministry.

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Check out what's happening nationally:

   Coats for Kids have been delivered to the Harms Elementary School in Detroit and diapers donated to the Children's Diaper Drive have been delivered to Fish and Loaves.  

   Special thanks to the entire congregation for your generous giving to the mission work of GIPC!

 First Sunday in Advent-Hope

   Dossal banner: The gold, cut-paper banner to the left of the dossal area brings us the image of Mary at the Annunciation. Here we invite all worshippers to consider the message of her life.
  At the Annunciation, God calls Mary into discipleship. Mary is not an ideal being, but an ordinary woman, young and powerless. Her acceptance of the call is a courageous act, defying the conventional expectations of her culture and jeopardizing her marriage and her status in the community.  Far from being passively submissive, she boldly declares her primary allegiance to God.
   Cloth banners:The first of four banners with Advent symbols on them is presented this week. The theme is Hope, and the symbol is the Rose. The Christmas rose has been a symbol of Messianic prophecy. Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophecy and brings us hope for salvation and the coming of the Kingdom of God.  

   Cloth banners: This week's theme is Peace, symbolized in the second banner by the Dove. The dove first appears in this capacity in the flood narrative, when it returns to the Ark bearing an olive branch. With this gesture, God makes peace with humankind through Noah and establishes the first covenant. In the gospels, the dove appears at Jesus' baptism, giving shape to the Holy Spirit and bringing a message of God's love. This marks the beginning of Jesus' active ministry and the establishment of a new covenant.
   Chancel decorations: The tree in the chancel is decorated only with simple white lights and a single dove. These lead us to recall that Jesus is the light of the world and that the spirit is among us and offers us a peace that the world cannot. It is also a time to remember the saints who have gone before us, including those near and dear to us.
  The liturgical color of Advent, used in the candles and the paraments, is purple, the same color used during Lent. In the early history of the church, Advent was practiced as a penitential season much like Lent. The faithful were called to ready themselves for Jesus' arrival through prayer and fasting. Gradually it developed into a time more focused on preparing to celebrate the Lord's first coming, while always recalling that we must be ready to meet Him at His return.
   The symbols on the pulpit parament are four Greek letters representing Jesus Christ. The letters chi (X) and rho (P) are the first three letters of the word Christ. These are accompanied by the alpha (A) and omega (Ω), the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, familiar symbols of beginning and ending. For Christians, however, the omega does not so much signify a cessation of what is as it heralds the fulfillment of God's promise in Jesus. We are called to reflect on this promise and cautioned that it could be fulfilled at any time. Let us all, therefore, consider how we will live in expectation of His coming.  

(Advent 2014 Weeks 3&4: see last page of this issue.)  

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