The Church and Preschool Offices will be closed Monday & Tuesday, December 24 & 25, as well as Tuesday, January 1.

       *The NDBC Office will be open on December 31, 2012. The office will be open 8:30 AM-3 PM on Monday, New Year's Eve. Often generous NDBC givers want to call in or drop by to do some last minute giving as part of their stewardship commitment! Rose Hidlay, our church Business Manager, will be here to help you.

"And This Shall Be a Sign Unto You..."

        I have spent no small part of this year watching for signs.

       Not signs, like the end of the world on the Mayan calendar, but signs along the way of the Camino de Santiago.

       The Camino was 500 miles and six weeks of mountain trails, walking paths, highways, byways, alleyways, and sidewalks. But a lot of it feels like you are in the middle of nowhere.

       Sometimes, the woods were dark and deep. Sometimes, the cloudless sky was blinding and bright. Sometimes, on a foggy morn, I could not see my hand in front of my face. Other times, I could see for miles until the earth curved.

       The terrain, the weather, and the possibilities reminded me every step of the way: Watch for signs.

       The signs for The Camino de Santiago are a scalloped shell and a yellow arrow. I lived off these signs. I lived for the signs.

       Many a time, I'd be walking mile after mile, almost in a trance, and then suddenly wonder, "Am I on the right path?" That haunting thought would send my eyes hunting, watching, for any glimpse of a sign that I was not lost. I looked for dabs of yellow paint on posts, or blue shells on rocks.

       Sure enough, just over the hill or around the bend, there it would be! Just enough to know that I was not alone. The sign said that another pilgrim had passed this way before.

       In relief, my shoulders would relax, my breath would deepen, and I would smile and sometimes quote the angel that scared the bejeebers out of the "sore afraid" shepherds: "And this shall be a sign unto you...!"

       The Good Book says that Bethlehem's shepherds were abiding in the fields keeping watch o'er their flocks by night. Then out of the night sky, angels show up. They say, "Don't fear." They say, "We bring good news." They say, "And this will be a sign unto you."

       Turns out, the sign was as odd as the talking angels. A scalloped shell or a yellow arrow would have been more helpful. But the sign was bands of cloth...swaddling clothes...wrapped around a child in a feed trough. (Just think how disappointed the animals were when they came for supper expecting barley and instead, finding an inedible baby.)

       It could be that a whole bunch of wayfarers passed by the manger that night. It would have been quite a sight. But they walked on by. However, Bethlehem's shepherds saw, not a sight, but a sign. The small baby was God's big billboard: A Savior who is Christ the Lord! Imagine that.

       In less than a week, we'll be standing in a beautifully darkened sanctuary, holding a faint candle, and whispering-out Silent Night with hearts full of Christmas Eve. We will look into the teary eyes of friends and family. We will remember that tears still are flowing from Newtown, Connecticut. We will feel both ache and awe. And against all odds, we courageously will walk toward God's future. And we will look for direction...signs along the way. 

    >   You can return your pledge card by "snail mail".

    >   You can pick up a pledge card at the door of the church office, fill it out on the spot, and leave it in the envelope on the Business Manager's (Rose Hidlay) door.

    >   You can pick up a pledge card in the Narthex, fill it out and drop it in the offering plate (or hand it to an usher).

    >   You can call the church office (404-237-8621), ask for Rose, and tell her your pledge (or even leave her a voice mail).

    >   You can e-mail your pledge to Rose at rose@northsidedrive.org.

    >  You can pledge via our website (www.northsidedrive.org) by clicking on the "Giving" link on our home page.