Dear Siblings, 

I trust that your Thanksgiving gatherings were(or will be) a wonderful time to spend with family and friends. I have a “thing” about not singing certain songs until the church(liturgical) calendar gives the all clear. Joy to the World? It’s a wonderful song and best sung on Christmas Eve or later. Although, I have an exception for Jazz renditions… I’ll listen to that anytime. Angels We Have Heard on High? A personal favorite, and yet also one that fits very neatly into a specific window of time. Maybe you have similar proclivities. Maybe you don’t. 

Imagine my surprise when I was humming “Auld Lang Syne” on my flight back from Phoenix last week. It’s November! And yet, that was precisely the song for the moment as I was also thinking about this Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent. It’s the beginning of a new church year. This is the first Sunday in Year A, as we call it.  So, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As a child, my parents would have us make a year in review in the last week of the year. It was part scrapbook, part journaling, and, as I’ve since learned, an easy way to keep us busy. It worked. 

I’m curious what you would include in your own Year-In-Review. What have you done? Who have you met? Where have you gone? What made you sad or angry? 

I’m curious too, what would a Year-in-Review for our church include? I’m serious, please send me your thoughts: What have we done? What should we celebrate? What would we want other people to know?

As we begin this new church year, we’ll journey within our Advent theme: The Will To Dream, which calls us to sit with the prophets and the present-day as we look toward a world that might one day be. Here’s a few things to know for this Sunday:

Advent Devotionals small group is back! They’ll meet at 10am in the Commons. It’s a fun, informal group that likes to explore the theme through a weekly devotional. If you didn’t get a paper copy, you can sign up to receive an email version right here.

Leo Thomasian will be our soloist on Sunday! You’ve no doubt heard his voice in the choir, but now you’ll get the chance to really hear it! He’s the first of several folks who are offering their talents & gifts in worship this Advent season.

Marion Clein is inviting us into a collaborative art experience for Advent. This Sunday, you’ll be asked to write one word to add to the canvas. Here’s the prompt: Write one word that describes defiant hope.

We’re starting the new year off strong and I hope that you’ll be a part of as much of it as you’re able to be!

See you Sunday,

Thomas

P.S. My peanut allergy is no more! I have already celebrated that over the past two weeks, but please share any peanut snacks, candies, recipes that you think I may have missed out on over the past 22 years.