May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.--Romans 15:3

Dear Church,

Advent is a time when we remember the great hope and peace that are offered to us in Emmanuel--God with us. When God came into the world as the Christ child, no longer do darkness and death have the last word.
Hope is not just optimism. It is defiance against despair. It is the utter conviction we have that no matter how hard things become, we trust the God who is with us.

So, I am looking for signs of hope this season. I have seen it in the Pride for Parents store that our church is hosting. Churches in our community, Presbyterian Women, the kids at the Christmas Pageant, and our church's knitting group have all donated gifts that parents can buy at very low cost for their kids. Purchasing these gifts gives parents a deep sense of dignity and pride in the gifts. The generosity of many people and the vision of Pride for Parents give me deep hope this holiday season.

Our Christmas Pageant gave me a deep sense of hope. All those children telling the story of Christ come to us beats back any despair I might feel in the world.

So, look for signs of hope, friends. Celebrate them this season. And may the hope you feel bring you peace this Advent.

In faith, hope, and love,
Tara

December 14:
Isa. 35:1-10 & Ps. 146:5-10; James 5:7-10; Matt. 11:2-11
December 21:
Isa. 7:10-16 & Ps. 80:1-7, 17-19; Rom. 1:1-7; Matt. 1:18-25

Dear Church,
 
The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
    on them light has shined.---Isaiah 9:2
           
Sunday marked the beginning of Advent and the new year for the church. These words from Isaiah remind us that Advent begins in the dark. Not just in the dark of a new day, but Advent also starts by acknowledging the darkness of this world.

Advent is not a time of denial, but honesty. We honestly look at the world — its injustice, its pain and brokenness, and its sin—and remind ourselves that into that world, Jesus comes. Jesus meets us in the darkness and shines the light of grace and love upon it all. We have hope this Advent season because God knows the reality of who we are and still comes to us as the Christ child. I lament all the pain and suffering in our world, yet I can rejoice that into that pain and suffering, Christ comes.

Let us be honest about our world and ourselves this Advent season. May we, too, rejoice in the light that is coming into the world--the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

In faith, hope, and love,
Tara

December 7:
Isa. 11:1-10 & Ps. 72:1-7, 18-19; Rom. 15:4-13; Matt. 3:1-12
December 14:
Isa. 35:1-10 & Ps. 146:5-10; James 5:7-10; Matt. 11:2-11

Dear Church,

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope this holiday finds you filled with joy and lots to be grateful for.

In the church, this Sunday marks the beginning of a new liturgical year. The church calendar revisits the significant events of our faith year after year. It is an intentional way of keeping our faith centered on what it should be--the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our church year begins with Advent. Advent begins this Sunday.

This Advent and Christmas, we celebrate the incarnation of Christ. Incarnation means, in its simplest form, that our infinite God took on humanity's frail and finite flesh and came to be with us. God chose to be human. One might wonder why God would undergo the indignity of humanness.

The answer is simple. Jesus became incarnate because of God's great love for us. God's love guided all of creation with God's laws and the prophets' word; now, God's love has become visible in human flesh. How enormous God's love for us must be to willingly become one of us, with all the indignities and difficulties that can entail.

This Advent, may we never forget that our faith is rooted in God's love for us all. God's love has given us a Savior. God's love has changed all time and history for the better and will continue to do so. And as those who believe in Christ, may we all pray, "Come, Lord Jesus."

In faith, hope, and love,
Tara

November 30:
Isa. 2:1-5 & Ps. 122; Rom. 13:11-14; Matt. 24:36-44
December 7:
Isa. 11:1-10 & Ps. 72:1-7, 18-19; Rom. 15:4-13; Matt. 3:1-12

Dear Church,

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, officer training for the Class of 2028 officers has begun. Officer training has two main areas of focus: covering the ordination and installation questions that officers will be asked, ensuring they understand them and are prepared to answer, and preparing them to share their faith stories with the session and diaconate during their examinations.

Sharing one's faith story is an essential part of preparing to serve as an officer of the church. Being able to identify how one's faith was formed and has grown over the years gives language to the life of faith we all live. That language of faith will serve officers well as they begin their terms of service. Honestly, I hope that all believers would be able to tell the story of God's work and grace in their lives.

Below are some questions I asked the officers to consider as they begin to write out their faith stories:

1. Make a list of the important events that have happened over the course of your life: the addition of siblings to the family, your confirmation, your marriage, and the birth of your children. Include the difficult things too — divorces, deaths, and other things that have defined you.
2. At each life event, ask yourself, "Who was God to me at this time? What was my life of faith like then?"

This marks the beginning of the process of writing out one's story of faith over the years of our lives.

Consider answering the questions for yourself. It is a gift to see God at work throughout our lives.

In faith, hope, and love,
Tara

November 23:
Jer. 23:1-6 & Luke 1:68-79; Col. 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43
November 30:
Isa. 2:1-5 & Ps. 122; Rom. 13:11-14; Matt. 24:36-44

Dear Church,

The greatest hope and truth of our life of faith is the proclamation, “The Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14). This proclamation tells us that God has entered into our world, our lives, and our very existence in order to love and redeem us. Advent is the season when we prepare our hearts and minds to again embrace this good, good news.

Advent is also a season of waiting. In Advent, we slow down and remember that the news we will receive at Christmas is no ordinary news. It is news that has changed and shaped the whole world for the better. How will we meet this glorious news? With hearts open and ready? Or burdened by the distraction of the season? Advent is a time of waiting on the Good News and preparing our hearts to receive it.

The information in this email is designed to get you started on your Advent journey. Here you will find resources and reminders of all the church is doing to honor this season. I hope you will find ways to get involved and that your Advent will be a holy time of worship, faith-building, and community.

To that end, I offer you this prayer, written by the American theologian Howard Thurman:          
May the sounds of Advent stir a longing in your people, O God. Come again to set us free from the dullness of routine and the poverty of our imaginations. Break the patterns which bind us to small commitments and to the stale answers we have given to questions of no importance. Let the Advent trumpet blow, let the walls of our defenses crumble, and make a place in our lives for the freshness of your love, well-lived in the Spirit, and still given to all who know their need and dare receive it. Amen

In the anticipation and hope of this season,

Tara
The Rev. Dr. Tara W. Bulger, Senior Pastor