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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH —
Thanksgiving Day - Office Closed
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Office Closed -
Thanksgiving weekend.
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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH —
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
COLOR: PURPLE OR BLUENow through the First Sunday after Epiphany,
January 8, 2012, all of the lectionary readings
are selected to coordinate with one another.
This First Sunday in Advent calls us to a grim,
yet hopeful, recognition. The world as we
experience it is incompatible with the
flourishing of life God desires. It keeps too
many of us in oppression and other forms of
injustice. No amount of tinkering with it on our
part can change it. The patterns are so ingrained
in history, in cultures, in technology, in politics,
in economics and in ways of life that it seems
only a decisive intervention by God can restore
it to God's intended plan.
SCRIPTURE READINGS —
ISAIAH 64:1-9
(The Message)
The prophet calls for God to appear decisively, to "tear open the heavens" so the nations would tremble. He also confesses the need for such decisive intervention - - the utter sinfulness of humanity, even of those who are part of God's covenant. Finally, the metaphors change - - from earthly catastrophe to remaking pots, begging God to be merciful when God comes.
• Isaiah begins by crying out for more than "help" for a people in exile in his own day. He cries out for a decisive personal intervention by God that will not only show the world God in action, but that will also decisively break the ways and the realm (symbolized by the sky) of the powers that be. In verse 3, the prophet recalls times when God had shown up in the past with a game-changing plan.
1 Oh, that you would rip open the heavens and
descend,
make the mountains shudder at your presence -2 As when a forest catches fire, as when fire makes
a pot to boil -
3 To shock your enemies into facing you, make the nations shake in their boots! You did terrible things we never expected, descended and made the mountains shudder at your presence.4 Since before time began no one has ever imagined, No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him.
5 You meet those who happily do what is right, who keep a good memory of the way you work. But how angry you've been with us! We've sinned and kept at it so long! Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved?
6 We're all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up like autumn leaves - sin-dried, we're blown off by the wind.
7 No one prays to you or makes the effort to reach out to you because you've turned away from us, left us to stew in our sins.
8 Still, God, you are our Father.
We're the clay and you're our potter:
All of us are what you made us.9 Don't be too angry with us, O God. Don't keep a
permanent account of wrongdoing. Keep in mind,
please, we are your people - all of us.
———————————————————————
PSALM 80:1-7, 17-19 (UMH 801)
(The Message)
The people cry out for restoration from the midst
of exile. "Restore us, Lord God of hosts. Shine the
light of your countenance upon us,
that we may be saved!"
PSALM 80:1-7
1 Listen, Shepherd, Israel's Shepherd - get all your Joseph sheep together. Throw beams of light from your dazzling throne
2 So Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh can see where they're going. Get out of bed - you've slept long enough! Come on the run before it's too late.
3 God, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation.
4 God, God of the angel armies, how long will you smolder like a sleeping volcano while your people call for fire and brimstone?
5 You put us on a diet of tears, bucket after bucket of salty tears to drink.
6 You make us look ridiculous to our friends; our enemies poke fun day after day.
7 God of the angel armies, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation.
PSALM 80:17-19
17 Then take the hand of your once-favorite child, the child you raised to adulthood.
18 We will never turn our back on you; breathe life into our lungs so we can shout your name!
19 God, God of the angel armies, come back! Smile your blessing smile: That will be our salvation.
———————————————————————1 CORINTHIANS 1:3-9
(The Message)
In the midst of offering a greeting to the Christians
in Corinth, Paul points to the coming Day of the
Lord - - to call them to continue to grow and be
faithful in using their spiritual gifts.
This text reveals the strong connection between
the use and power of spiritual gifts now and our
waiting for the "revealing of our Lord Jesus
Christ" who will "strengthen you to the end."
Paul's point is that we are given the strength we
have - - the goodness of our fellowship and the
gifts we can use in ministry - - so that we can
prepare. Christ is both and at once the reigning
and the coming Lord.
3 May all the gifts and benefits that come from Godour Father, and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours.
4 Every time I think of you - and I think of you often! -
I thank God for your lives of free and open access to
God, given by Jesus.
5 There's no end to what has happened in you - it's
beyond speech, beyond knowledge.
6 The evidence of Christ has been clearly verified in
your lives.
7 Just think - you don't need a thing, you've got it all!
All God's gifts are right in front of you as you wait
expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the
scene for the Finale.
8 And not only that, but God himself is right alongside
to keep you steady and on track until things are all
wrapped up by Jesus.
9 God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure,
shares with us the life of his Son and our Master
Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.
The Cross: The Irony of God's Wisdom.
Corinth was a very wealthy city until the 5th centuryBC, much of which was generated by trade. They
also had a large navy. In 146 BC Corinth was leveled
by the Romans and remained dead for a century.
———————————————————————
MARK 13:24-37
(The Message)
Mark addresses two moments at once: the
destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and of
Jerusalem itself, and the final coming of Christ.
Jesus describes the end and instructs his
disciples to watch for signs of it.
• The brief parable Jesus tells here gives the
context for an admonition. A master has left
his household, put his slaves in charge, and
told the doorkeeper to keep watch. He gives
them no clue about when he will return, only
the word that he will do so. If he returns to find
his household not being cared for and the
doorkeeper asleep, the slaves and the
doorkeeper will have disappointed their master
and will pay the consequences.
What does the master want? He wants his
charges to have kept the house well. To do that,
they must remain awake, watchful at all times.
24 "Following those hard times, the Sun will fade out,
moon cloud over,
25 Stars fall out of the sky, cosmic powers tremble.
26 "And then they'll see the Son of Man enter in
grand style, his Arrival filling the sky -
no one will miss it!
27 He'll dispatch the angels; they will pull in the
chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.
28 "Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the momentyou notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you
know summer's just around the corner.
29 And so it is with you. When you see all thesethings, you know he is at the door.
30 Don't take this lightly. I'm not just saying this for
some future generation, but for this one, too -
these things will happen.
31 Sky and earth will wear out; my words won't
wear out.
32 "But the exact day and hour? No one knows that,
not even heaven's angels, not even the Son.
Only the Father.
33 So keep a sharp lookout, for you don't know
the timetable.
34 It's like a man who takes a trip, leaving home
and putting his servants in charge, each assigned
a task, and commanding the gatekeeper to stand
watch.
35 So, stay at your post, watching. You have no idea
when the homeowner is returning, whether evening,
midnight, cockcrow, or morning.
36 You don't want him showing up unannounced, with
you asleep on the job.
37 I say it to you, and I'm saying it to all:
Stay at your post. Keep watch."
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH —
Pastor Bob's and Naomi's day off.
The office is closed today
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH —
• Advent Study - “What I Want for Christmas.”
This 4-week study will be held in two sessionseach week.
• First session is November 30th, at Casey UMC,
at 2:00PM.
• The next session is December 1st, in Adair UMC,
at 7:00PM.
If you can attend either of these two sessions,
PLEASE CONTACT PASTOR BOB OR NAOMI,
TO REGISTER.
• BRING YOUR BIBLES! •
• ABC AD COUNCIL MEETING THIS EVENING —
IN CASEY U.M.C. AT 7 P.M.
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1ST —
— WORLD AIDS DAY —
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4TH —
Adair Festival of Trees
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DECEMBER 4TH —
CASEY U.M.C. CHRISTMAS POTLUCK
AFTER MORNING SERVICE.
HOSTED BY ALL OF THE CIRCLES
EVERYONE IS WELCOME ! !
————————————————————————WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7TH —
CHRISTMAS PARTY AT ADAIR U.M.C.
HOSTED BY ADAIR U.M.W. AT NOON
————————————————————————DECEMBER 10TH AND 17TH —
• CASEY CHRISTMAS MALL WILL BE OPEN.
• BRING YOUR GIFT ITEMS TO THE
EAST SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOM. SOME IDEAS:
Children's toys, winter mittens or gloves, kitchenor tool shop items are just a few ideas.
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God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Bob