OUR WEEK - DECEMBER 5TH-DECEMBER 11TH

REMINDERS —
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1ST —

ADAIR UNITED METHODIST WOMEN POTLUCKAT NOON IN ADAIR U.M.C. $3 GIFT EXCHANGE
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
ADAIR FESTIVAL OF TREES FROM 3 TO 9 P.M.
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2ND —
T.T.T. AT 9:30 A.M.
ABC AD COUNCIL-FINANCE MEETING - 6:30 P.M.
IN ADAIR U.M.C.
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5TH —
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
COLOR: BLUE OR PURPLE
Holy Communion at both churches.
Casey U.M.W. Christmas Brunch
immediately follows Worship Service.
Everyone welcome and please bring a
Brunch Dish you would like us all to try. Beverages and Seasonal Celebration
provided.
SCRIPTURE READINGS:
ISAIAH 11:1-10
(The Message)
Isaiah prophesies the coming of a righteous
ruler out of the stump of Jesse. Here the hope
is that under God's promised new ruler, springing
from the lineage of Jesse (a new David), everyone
and everything in creation could live in peace
with one another. In a world still torn by terrorism
and war, the Isaiah says: "A time of no more "war",
no more jihad, and no more killing, or destruction
is coming."
1 A green Shoot will sprout from Jesse's stump,
from his roots a budding Branch. 2 The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over him,
the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit that gives direction and builds strength,
the Spirit that instills knowledge and Fear-of-God.
3 Fear-of-God will be all his joy and delight. He
won't judge by appearances, won't decide on the
basis of hearsay.
4 He'll judge the needy by what is right, render
decisions on earth's poor with justice. His words will
bring everyone to awed attention. A mere breath
from his lips will topple the wicked.
5 Each morning he'll pull on sturdy work clothes and
boots, and build righteousness and faithfulness in
the land. A Living Knowledge of God.
6 The wolf will romp with the lamb, the leopard sleep with the kid. Calf and lion will eat from the same
trough, and a little child will tend them.
7 Cow and bear will graze the same pasture, their
calves and cubs grow up together, and the lion eat
straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child will crawl over rattlesnake dens,
the toddler stick his hand down the hole of a serpent.
9 Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill on my holy
mountain. The whole earth will be brimming with
knowing God-Alive, a living knowledge of God
ocean-deep, ocean-wide.
10 On that day, Jesse's Root will be raised high, posted
as a rallying banner for the peoples. The nations will all come to him.
His headquarters will be glorious.
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PSALM 72:1-7, 18-19 (UMH 795)
(The Message)
A psalm in praise and intercession for a righteous
king, such as the one foretold in Isaiah.
1 Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God, the gift
of just rule to the crown prince.
2 May he judge your people rightly, be honorable to
your meek and lowly.
3 Let the mountains give exuberant witness; shape the
hills with the contours of right living.
4 Please stand up for the poor, help the children of the
needy, come down hard on the cruel tyrants.
5 Outlast the sun, outlive the moon -
age after age after age.
6 Be rainfall on cut grass, earth-refreshing rain
showers.
7 Let righteousness burst into blossom and peace
abound until the moon fades to nothing.
8 Rule from sea to sea, from the River to the Rim.
9 Foes will fall on their knees before God, his
enemies lick the dust.
10 Kings remote and legendary will pay homage,
kings rich and resplendent will turn over their wealth.
11 All kings will fall down and worship, and godless
nations sign up to serve him,
12 Because he rescues the poor at the first sign of
need, the destitute who have run out of luck.
13 He opens a place in his heart for the down-and-out,
he restores the wretched of the earth.
14 He frees them from tyranny and torture - when they
bleed, he bleeds; when they die, he dies.
15 And live! Oh, let him live! Deck him out in Sheba
gold. Offer prayers unceasing to him, bless him from
morning to night.
16 Fields of golden grain in the land, cresting the mountains in wild exuberance,
Cornucopias of praise,praises springing from the city
like grass from the earth.
17 May he never be forgotten, his fame shine on like
sunshine. May all godless people enter his circle of
blessing and bless the One who blessed them.
18 Blessed God, Israel's God, the one and only
wonder working God!
19 Blessed always his blazing glory! All earth brims
withhis glory.
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ROMANS 15:4-13
(The Message)
A call for Jewish believers in Rome to welcome
Gentiles into full fellowship, even as Christ, the
root of Jesse, has welcomed them all. Paul's
words in his letter to the Christian communities
who gathered in Rome's home churches sum up
everything he has tried to do with the letter. He
invites Christians of Rome to continue to live in
Jewish-Gentile communities drawn into one body
in Jesus Christ. People are not getting along with
one another. He challenges them to live in
community together.
4 Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can
be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination
of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal
counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us,
keeping us alert for whatever he will do next.
5 May our dependably steady and warmly personal
God develop maturity in you so that you get along with
each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all.
6 Then we'll be a choir - not our voices only, but our
very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to
the God and Father of our Master Jesus! 7 So reach out and welcome one another to God's
glory. Jesus did it; now you do it!
8 Jesus, staying true to God's purposes, reached
out in a special way to the Jewish insiders so that
the old ancestral promises would come true for them.
9 As a result, the non-Jewish outsiders have been
able to experience mercy and to show appreciation
to God. Just think of all the Scriptures that will come
true in what we do! For instance: Then I'll join outsiders
in a hymn-sing; I'll sing to your name!10 And this one: Outsiders and insiders, rejoice
together!
11 And again: People of all nations, celebrate God! All
colors and races, give hearty praise!
12 And Isaiah's word: There's the root of our ancestor
Jesse, breaking through the earth and growing tree tall,
Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take
hope!
13 Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy,
fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled
with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim
over with hope!
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MATTHEW 3:1-12
(The Message)
The ministry of John the Baptist (Matthew) reminds
us that we are not righteous solely by having a
relationship with God, but as we "bring forth fruits
worthy of repentance."John the Baptist appears in
the wilderness proclaiming repentance and offering
baptism as preparation for the kingdom of God
drawing near.
1 While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John,
called "the Baptizer," was preaching in the desert
country of Judea.
2 His message was simple and austere, like his desert
surroundings: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here."
3 John and his message were authorized by Isaiah's
prophecy: Thunder in the desert! Prepare for God's
arrival! Make the road smooth and straight!
4 John dressed in a camel-hair habit tied at the
waist by a leather strap. He lived on a diet of locusts
and wild field honey. 5 People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the
Jordanian countryside to hear and see him in action.
6 There at the Jordan River those who came to
confess their sins were baptized into a changed life.
7 When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and
Sadducees were showing up for baptismal experience
because it was becoming the popular thing to do,
he exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think
you're doing slithering down here to the river? Do
you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to
make any difference?
8 It's your life that must change, not your skin!9 And don't think you can pull rank by claiming
Abraham as father. Being a descendant of Abraham
is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham
are a dime a dozen.
10 What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming?
Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire.
11 "I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your
old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes
next: The main character in this drama - compared to
him I'm a mere stagehand - will ignite the kingdom life
within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you,
changing you from the inside out.
12 He's going to clean house - make a clean sweep
of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper
place before God; everything false he'll put out with
the trash to be burned."DON'T FORGET - IT'S THIS EVENING AT 6:30 P.M.
THEY'VE REALLY BEEN WORKING HARD ON IT!
REFRESHMENTS AFTER PERFORMANCE!
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 6TH —
This is Pastor Lynn's and Naomi's day off.
The office is closed today.
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7TH —
MORNING BIBLE STUDY IN ADAIR U.M.C. -
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8TH —
PRAYER BREAKFAST AT HAPPY CHEF - 7 A.M.• • • • CHRISTMAS CANTATA • • • •
GUTHRIE CENTER
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - 7 P.M.
• • • • • • • • • • JOIN US! • • • • • • • • •≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11TH —CASEY CHRISTMAS MALL —
IN COMMUNITY BUILDING
FROM 9 A.M. TO 1 P.M.
PICK UP LAST MINUTE PRESENTS
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FOCUS ON THE FUTURE —
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12TH —
ADAIR CASEY HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR WILL
SING A REPERTOIRE OF HOLIDAY MUSIC
DURING SERVICES IN BOTH CASEY U.M.C. AND
ADAIR U.M.C.
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Christmas/holiday celebrations are in full swing
with school programs, concerts, theater
productions and Christmas films, not to mention
shopping . . . so-o try to find a little time to relax.
Too much stress is hard on your immune system.

God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Lynn