THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH IS
THANKSGIVING DAY.
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1ST —
COLOR: PURPLE OR BLUE
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
DAY, BUT THE SEASON.
• TODAY, DECEMBER 1, MARKS THE
OBSERVANCE OF WORLD AIDS DAY.
ecumenical, and interfaith services.
Church Calendar: Today is New Year’s Day
in the Christian calendar. We begin Year A
of the lectionary cycle. During Year A, we
read primarily from Matthew’s gospel.
During the Ordinary Time after Epiphany
and after Pentecost, we read from Paul’s
correspondence with Christians in Corinth,
Rome, Phillipi, and Thessalonica. After
Pentecost, we also hear the stories again
of our “first families”: Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. You may find
Exploring the Revised Common Lectionary
a helpful resource to use for presentations
in Sunday school or other venues to “lay
out” the year ahead for a congregation.
Advent in Year A is about getting back to
basics. We remember the end of all things
the first week. The second week, we focus
on the righteousness and justice God calls
for, creates, and re-creates. The third week,
we encounter just how full of “reversals”
and “subversion” our God is. And in the
fourth week, we hear Matthew’s story of
the birth of Jesus, and we are reminded it
is this God of that kind of end, of this
passion for righteousness and justice, and
of such reversals who was and is and ever
will be “with us.”
During Advent, readings of the lectionary
are intentionally chosen to coordinate with
each other around the gospel reading.
For nearly all denominations now
(including United Methodists), the texts for
each week relate to a larger single theme
of Advent.
SCRIPTURE READINGS —
REMEMBERING THE END —
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ISAIAH 2:1-5
THE MESSAGE (MSG)
Out of the house of the Lord shall come
wisdom and instruction, and all nations
will convert their weapons of war into
implements for sustaining life.
What was the end, the purpose of Zion?
What will it be doing “in those days,” that
is at the end, when God has achieved
God’s purpose for Zion and the whole
world?
Zion will be a beacon. It will be a center for
pilgrimage, not just for the religious, but
for the kings and rulers of the earth. It will
be a place people will seek out for political
and economic wisdom as nations shift their
economic base and a center of their pride
from military prowess to feeding people
well; beating swords into plowshares;
learning war no more. Leaders of these
new nations come to God, and God gives
them wisdom for how to live and prosper
at home, in peace with all other nations.
Resources are directed toward providing
abundant life for all.
1-5 The Message Isaiah got regarding
Judah and Jerusalem: There's a day
coming when the mountain of God's House
Will be The Mountain—
solid, towering over all mountains.
people from all over set out for it.
They'll say, "Come,
let's climb God's Mountain,
go to the House of the God of Jacob.
He'll show us the way he works
so we can live the way we're made."
Zion's the source of the revelation.
God's Message comes from Jerusalem.
He'll settle things fairly between nations.
He'll make things right between many
peoples.
They'll turn their swords into shovels,
their spears into hoes.
No more will nation fight nation;
they won't play war anymore.
Come, family of Jacob,
let's live in the light of God.
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PSALM 122 (UMH 845)
THE MESSAGE (MSG)
A psalm to rejoicing in Jerusalem, a
foretaste of what Isaiah prophesies.
A PILGRIM SONG OF DAVID
1-2 When they said, "Let's go to the
house of God," my heart leaped for joy.
And now we're here, O Jerusalem,
inside Jerusalem's walls!
built as a place for worship!
The city to which the tribes ascend,
all God's tribes go up to worship,
To give thanks to the name of God—
this is what it means to be Israel.
Thrones for righteous judgment
are set there, famous David-thrones.
6-9 Pray for Jerusalem's peace!
Prosperity to all you Jerusalem-lovers!
Friendly insiders, get along!
Hostile outsiders, keep your distance!
For the sake of my family and friends,
I say it again: live in peace!
For the sake of the house of our God,
I'll do my very best for you.
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ROMANS 13:11-14
THE MESSAGE (MSG)
Salvation draws ever nearer, so live in the
fullness of Christ, freed from the power of
sinful desires. In Romans, we are called
to “put on the armor of light” because
“that day” draws near.
In Paul’s day, putting on the clothing of a
particular profession was understood to
establish who you were, not just what you
did. Putting on armor meant you were a
soldier. Putting on armor of light, then,
means you are light. You are protecting
yourself against darkness.
11-14 But make sure that you don't get so
absorbed and exhausted in taking care of
all your day-by-day obligations that you
lose track of the time and doze off,
oblivious to God. The night is about over,
dawn is about to break. Be up and awake
to what God is doing! God is putting the
finishing touches on the salvation work
he began when we first believed. We can't
afford to waste a minute, we must not
squander these precious daylight hours in
frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping
around and dissipation, in bickering and
grabbing everything in sight. Get out of
bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and
linger, waiting until the very last minute.
Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and
about!
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MATTHEW 24:36-44
THE MESSAGE (MSG)
Matthew speaks of the culmination of all
things as “the coming of the Son of Man.”
The coming of the Son of Man will be a
surprise, so stay on the lookout!
36 "But the exact day and hour? No one
knows that, not even heaven's angels, not
even the Son. Only the Father knows.
37-39 "The Arrival of the Son of Man will
take place in times like Noah's. Before the
great flood everyone was carrying on as
usual, having a good time right up to the
day Noah boarded the ark. They knew
nothing—until the flood hit and swept
everything away.
39-44 "The Son of Man's Arrival will be like
that: Two men will be working in the field -
one will be taken, one left behind;
will be taken, one left behind.
day your Master will show up. But you do
know this: You know that if the home-
owner had known what time of night the
burglar would arrive, he would have been
there with his dogs to prevent the break-in.
Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea
when the Son of Man is going to show up.
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TODAY YOUTH GROUP MEETING IN
CASEY UMC at 11:30 A.M.
• Happy Birthday Traci Stephenson!
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• 1835 - Hans Christian Andersen
published his first book of fairy tales.
• 1913 - Ford Motor Co. began using a new
movable assembly line that ushered in the
era of mass production.
• 1942 - In the U.S., nationwide gasoline
rationing went into effect.
• 1955 - Rosa Parks, a black seamstress in
Montgomery, AL, refused to give up her
bus seat to a white man. Mrs. Parks was
arrested marking a milestone in the civil
rights movement in the U.S.
• 1959 - 12 countries, including the U.S.A.
and USSR, signed a treaty that set aside
Antarctica as a scientific preserve, which
would be free from all military activity.
• 1990 - British and French workers digging
the Channel Tunnel finally met under the
English Channel.
• 1991 - Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly
for independence from the Soviet Union.
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 2ND —
THE OFFICE IS CLOSED TODAY.————————————————————
Happy Birthday Stan Kading!
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• 1804 - Napoleon was crowned emperor of
France in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in
Paris.
• 1823 - U.S. President James Monroe
outlined his doctrine opposing European
expansion in the Western Hemisphere.
• 1927 - The Ford Motor Company unveiled
the Model A automobile. It was the
successor to the Model T.
• 1954 - The U.S. Senate voted to condemn
Senator Joseph R. McCarthy for "conduct
bringing the Senate dishonor and
disrepute." The censure was related to
McCarthy's controversial investigation of
suspected communists in the U.S.
government, military and civilian society.
• 1990 - The Midwest section of the U.S.
prepared for a massive earthquake
predicted by Iben Browning.
Nothing happened.
• 1998 - Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates
donated $100 million to help immunize
children in developing countries.
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3RD —
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Happy Birthday Jack Spangler!
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• 1818 - Illinois was admitted as the 21st
state of the union.
• 1828 - Andrew Jackson was elected
president of the United States.
• 1967 - In Cape Town, South Africa, a team
of surgeons headed by Dr. Christian
Barnard, performed the first human heart
transplant on Louis Washkansky.
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4TH —
ADAIR U.M.W. MEETS AT NOON TODAY
FOR THE CHRISTMAS PARTY
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• 1783 - Gen. George Washington said
farewell to his officers at Fraunce's in New
York.
• 1812 - Peter Gaillard patented the power
lawn mower.
• 1942 - U.S. President Franklin Delano
Roosevelt ordered the dismantling of the
Works Progress Administration. The
program had been created in order to
provide jobs during the Great Depression.
• 1942 - U.S. bombers attacked the Italian
mainland for the first time during World
War II.
• 1945 - U.S. Senate approved American
participation in the United Nations.
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5TH —
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Happy Birthday Jason Martin!
Happy Birthday Lloyd McCuen!
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• 1492 - Christopher Columbus discovered
Hispaniola (now Haiti).
• 1812 - Napoleon Bonaparte left his army
as they were retreating from Russia.
• 1848 - U.S. President Polk triggered the
Gold Rush of '49 by confirming the fact
that gold was discovered in California.
• 1932 - German physicist Albert Einstein
was granted a visa for him to travel to the
U.S.
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6TH —
Happy Anniversary Ben and JoAnn Morris!
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• 1774 - Austria became the first nation to
introduce a state run education system.
• 1865 - The 13th Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution was ratified. The amendment
abolished slavery in the U.S.
• 1877 - Thomas Edison demonstrated the
first gramophone, with a recording of
himself reciting Mary Had a Little Lamb.
• 1884 - Construction of the Washington
Monument was completed by Army
engineers. The project took 34 years.
• 1889 - Jefferson Davis died in New
Orleans. He was the first and only
president of the Confederate States of
America.
• 1917 - Finland proclaimed independence
from Russia.
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7TH —
Happy Birthday Donna Kopaska!
CHRISTMAS MALL IS OPEN TODAY AT
CASEY U.M.C.
• 1787 - Delaware became the first state to
ratify the U.S. constitution, therefore
becoming the first state of the United
States.
• 1796 - John Adams was elected to be the
second president of the United States.
• 1941 - Pearl Harbor, located on the
Hawaiian island of Oahu was attacked by
nearly 200 Japanese warplanes. The attack
resulted in the U.S. entering World War II.
• 1988 - An estimated 25,000 people were
killed when a major earthquake hit northern
Armenia in the Soviet Union. The quake
measured 6.9 on the Richter Scale.
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FUTURE FOCUS —
• SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8TH —
ADAIR-CASEY SCHOOL MUSIC DEPT.
HAS THEIR ANNUAL CHURCH TOUR
HAS THEIR ANNUAL CHURCH TOUR
TODAY. THE CHOIR WILL SING IN BOTH
CHURCHES.
———————————————————— • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11TH —
A-C FOOD PANTRY WILL BE OPEN IN
CASEY U.M.C. - FROM 9 TO 11 A.M.
• SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14TH —
The Mobile Food Pantry will be at
Casey Community Building from:
9 A.M. to 11 A.M.
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• SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15TH —
CHRISTMAS PROGRAM AT ADAIR U.M.C.
— THEN —
SOUP LUNCHEON AT CASEY
COMMUNITY BUILDING HOSTED BY —
PASTOR MELODEE AND DEAN
— THEN —
CAROLING IN CASEY AND ADAIR WILL
FOLLOW THE LUNCHEON.
God Bless and Keep You,
Donna 