OUR WEEK — DEC. 14TH - DEC. 20TH

REMINDERS —
Wednesday, December 10th —
Confirmation at Casey UMC: 6 to 7:30.Advent Service will be held at Casey Lutheran Church at 7 PM.
ABC Finance Council will be at 6:30 PM in Casey UMC.
Ad Council Meeting will be at 7:30 PM in Casey.
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Saturday, December 13th —
There will be a Christmas Mall in Casey Community Building. CHILDREN up to 6th grade are welcome from 9 AM to 4 PM. Children of ALL AGES are welcome from 3 PM to 4 PM.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, December 14th —
AC School Choir will sing at Casey
9 AM Service — and
at Adair's 10:45 Service.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14TH — The Third Sunday of Advent - Our Color is PURPLE
Our Scripture Readings today are:
ISAIAH 61:1-4, 8-11 - AMPLIFIED BIBLE (AMP)
The Spirit of the Lord anoints a prophet to bring good news to the oppressed, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, and the mourning - good news that includes "the day of vengeance of our God" that will destroy the social order that keeps them in their oppressed state. When that order is destroyed, rebuilding of God's "ancient ruins" can begin (verse 4). In the meantime, the prophet rejoices, clothed in the hope this good news brings (verses 8-11).
ISAIAH 61:1-4
GOOD NEWS OF FREEDOM
1 THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the physical and spiritual captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound,
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord the year of His favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant consolation and joy to those who mourn in Zion - to give them an ornament, a garland or diadem of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit - that they may be called oaks of righteousness, lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
4 And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former desolations and renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

ISAIAH 61:8-11

8 For I the Lord loves justice; I hate robbery and wrong with violence or a burnt offering. And I will faithfully give them their recompense in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant or league with them.

9 And their offspring shall be known among the nations and their descendants among the peoples. All who see them in their prosperity will recognize and acknowledge that they are the people whom the Lord has blessed.

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as surely as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring forth, so surely the Lord God will cause rightness and justice and praise to spring forth before all the nations through the self-fulfilling power of His word.
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PSALM 126 (UMH 847)
A Psalm of Ascent, one of the Psalms sung by pilgrims as they made their way to the temple after it was rebuilt after the return from exile, as prophesied by Isaiah.
Psalm 126 (New International Version)

A song of ascents (a climb to the summit).
1 When the LORD brought back the captives
to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.

2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."

3 The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negev.

5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.

6 He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.
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1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-24
Final greetings include, as one would expect in this letter which has focused on eschatology as one of its two major subjects, a prayer that the people may now be and remain "sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (verse 23).
IF WE DIDN'T LEARN IT AS CHILDREN,
WE SHOULD HAVE.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 (New International Version)

16 Be joyful always;
17 pray continually;
18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire;
20 do not treat prophecies with contempt.
21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.
22 Avoid every kind of evil.

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
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John 1:6-8, 19-28 NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)
His Divine and human nature.

John the Baptist came to bear witness concerning Jesus. Nothing more fully shows the darkness of men's minds, than that when the Light had appeared, there needed a witness to call attention to it. Christ was the true Light; that great Light which deserves to be called so. By his Spirit and grace he enlightens all that are enlightened to salvation; and those that are not enlightened by him, perish in darkness. JOHN THE BAPTIST - ELSHEIMER - 1600
JOHN 1:6-8
6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.
7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.
8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

John the Baptist Denies Being the Christ

19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.

20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."

21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' "

24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent
25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

26 "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know.
27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."

28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
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Monday, December 15th —
This is Pastor Lynn's and Naomi's day off.
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Tuesday, December 16th —
Adair Disciple Fellowship — 9-11 A.M.
at Adair UMC.
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Wednesday, December 17th —
Esther Circle at Adair UMC - 7 PM
Youth Group meets at Casey UMC - 6-7:30PM—————————————————————
Remember:
Angel Food Pick-up Day is Saturday,
December 20th at Casey UMC
- from 1 PM to 3 PM
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Santa will be in Casey's Visitor Center at 2 PM————————————————————————
Thank you for all of your service through this Advent Season and don't forget why we do this each year.
God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Lynn