Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,
Here's what's included in this update:
An apology and a message from President Harrison
Adult Bible Study for December 20
Livestream worship Sunday, December 20
In-person worship resumes:
Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
Sunday, December 27
O Come, O Come Emmanuel!
An apology and a message from President Harrison
Last night, a technical glitch prevented us from streaming our final Advent midweek service. We apologize. Our tech team continues to refine our livestream prep checklist; they also continue to troubleshoot and work to spot problems before they arise. We appreciate your continued patience and support; we pledge to do better.
In the meantime, I encourage you to take a few minutes and click here to listen to the annual Advent & Christmas message from the president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Rev. Matthew Harrison. I'm thankful that President Harrison echoes many of the Biblical themes from this year's Advent services (on both Sundays and Wednesdays); his message is a great boost for us all as we head into the week before Christmas.
Adult Bible Study for December 20
This coming Sunday's Adult Bible Study is already live on YouTube, continuing our four-week series on The Jesse Tree: Jesus' Family Tree. Click here to watch the study; click here to download a study guide. (This final session of the series previews the themes of our Christmas Day service, which will be led by Pastor Roger Mackie.) Look for the next Adult Bible study video the week before Sunday, January 10.
Livestream worship Sunday, September 20
Pastor Todd Brunworth will lead our livestream-only service on Sunday, December 20 at 11 am; click here to go to our YouTube channel. The Fourth Sunday in Advent brings us ever closer to Christmas, with the focus on the Angel Gabriel's message to the Virgin Mary! Afterwards, the livestream will be posted on our website and our Facebook page.
In-person worship resumes
Lord willing, Messiah will gather once again for in-person worship services to celebrate Christmas!
Christmas Eve Family Candlelight Service, Thursday December 24, 5 or 7 pm
Christmas Day Communion Service, Friday, December 25, 10 am
The two services on Christmas Eve will be identical. The 7 pm Christmas Eve service and the Christmas Day service will also be livestreamed at wwwtinyurl.com/messiahgryoutube.
Going forward, wearing of face coverings (fabric masks) will be required for worship services, from when you enter the building to when you leave. If you forget a face mask or don’t have one, please don’t let this keep you from attending; we will gladly provide you with one.
Also, to help assure social distancing, advance RSVPs are also required for worship services going forward. (To insure that as many people as possible can attend Christmas services, we respectfully request that you only sign up for one of the three services available.) At this point, we still have plenty of space available for all three Christmas services; you can sign up by calling or emailing the church office (616-363-2553, goodlans@messiahgr.org) or on our website:
Sunday, December 27
Sunday services will resume on December 27 at 8:30 and 11 am, led by Pastor Terry Hoese. The 11 am service on December 27 will also be livestreamed at wwwtinyurl.com/messiahgryoutube.
Please contact me, your elder, or any elder if you have further questions on our resumption of in-person worship.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
Ever wonder why we sing the hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (LSB 357) on the Fourth Sunday in Advent? It comes from a series of antiphons -- refrains sung before and after a psalm or hymn -- that were first used way back in the 700s.
These O Antiphons, intended for the week before Christmas, pray to Christ starting with the word "O": addressing Him by one of His Biblical titles, recalling His goodness to the Church through the ages, and imploring Him to come -- as He came on the first Christmas, as He comes in our hearts through Word and Sacrament, as He will come again at the end of time. You can learn more about the O Antiphons by clicking here to explore a series of articles from The Lutheran Witness. And click here to listen to O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
I can't tell you how much I look forward to worshiping with you at Christmas, whether you do so in person or online. May Emmanuel, God with us, bless and keep you all as that day gets closer!
Yours in Him,
Rick Krueger, Parish Assistant
"O Emmanuel, our king and our Lord, the anointed for the nations and their Savior: come and save us, O Lord our God." - the O Antiphon for December 23.
