Erin Floyd, our Director of Children’s Ministries, shared the following prayer from the leader’s guide of a new piece of children’s curriculum. I have it posted in my kitchen and have been reading it every day:

Love
Stilled in the midst of chaotic preparations, we focus on a reason for our regimen –
To hush the world into a moment of peace
To celebrate the love we share with family and friends
To pray that the truth of a life in compassion
Will always be a call to us
To live in right relationship
And place love at the center of our choices
As we enter this week of Christmas,
May we find the stillness in which
To focus
To hush
To celebrate
To pray
As those born for light
Yet ever shying from it,
We pray,
Amen.
(From Another Breath: Prayers for Celebration and Reflection by Gretta Vosper)

This Sunday, we light the fourth Advent candle, celebrating the Sunday of love. We will worship through music and scripture, celebrating the service of Lessons and Carols, which will feature two of our choirs and very specially-chosen hymns and anthems. Please make sure to be in either the early or late service for worship this Sunday! The following Sunday will be Christmas Day, and we will have the 10:50 service that Sunday. We are giving everyone the early morning off so that they might stay home and enjoy a Christmas morning with family and friends before coming to worship.