Friends,

There's an old joke about a prominent Presbyterian who ends his life on earth and - of course - arrives in heaven. He looks up and sees Jesus himself seated at God's right hand. To his astonishment, Jesus gets up from his throne, descends from the dais and walks up to him, his right hand extended in greeting.

"Ah, Mr. Presbyterian," says the Lord. "Welcome to heaven." Nodding in the direction of the Almighty, Jesus says, "You already know my Father, but I don't believe you have met my Mother." 

The joke gently pokes fun at the often-ambiguous relationship we Protestants have with Mary, the mother of our Lord. We want to honor her as one of the most important women in the New Testament and a spiritual example to us all. But, we're also a bit uncomfortable - for good theological reasons - with the unabashed veneration of Mary in some other churches. The Reformers Luther and Calvin both thought the adoration of Mary was overdone in their time, so they ratcheted it way back. The result is that Mary is often neglected in the life of Protestant churches.

That won't be the case this Sunday. Our text is the story of the Visitation from Luke: how the young Mary - who's just learned from the angel Gabriel she's carrying the son of God in her womb - visits her cousin Elizabeth. Her cousin is likewise expecting a baby, who will grow up to become John the Baptist.

Mary may have been a young teenager, but she was mighty in the faith. She takes this earth-shaking revelation in stride. Mary tells Gabriel, "Let it be with me according to your word." And then she does what expectant women the world over have always done: she seeks out a fellow mother, that they may support and encourage each other during their pregnancies.

Mary might have responded to Gabriel's announcement by asking, "Why me?" But she doesn't. As Luke tells the story, there's never a question in her mind about God's choice of her to fulfill this very special role.

Mary's response is more like, "Why NOT me?" That, indeed, is a response you and I ought to consider making, when we feel that stirring in our hearts that suggests maybe there's something special God wants us to do.

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE NEXT INQUIRERS GROUP for those exploring membership in the church, that will take place on Sunday, January 10, 2016. A light lunch (Communion Brunch has been moved from January 6th to the 10th) will be served in the Annex beginning around 11:15 p.m. and will continue until 2:00 p.m. Child care can be made available upon prior request. New members will be received in worship on January 24. Please call the Church Office to sign up, or to find out more!

BAPTISMS - Baptisms will take place on Sunday, January 10, 2016 and on March 13 at the 10:00 a.m. worship services. Ordinarily, at least one parent must be a member of PPPC. For more information, please call the Church Office. 

CHOIR REHEARSALS - There will be no Choral Bells practice this Monday and the Chancel Choir will take a short break following the Christmas Eve services. All choir rehearsals will begin again the week of January 4, 2016. (Choir members: Thank you for your hard work throughout the month of December, especially last Sunday!)