This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope and pray that you are well. Also, happy new year! For the church, our year shifts into a "new year" on the first Sunday of Advent, the season when we journey along with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, while once again preparing our hearts for the birth of the Christ Child. It seems fitting to celebrate this new year with something new. I hope you find this new newsletter format helpful and easier to navigate. Please let us know your thoughts.

Also, as the year comes to a close please check to see if you have paid your pledge for 2022. If you are waiting until year-end, please make the proper arrangements. If you need help, call the office and speak to Robyn.

Advent is a time of year that has always appealed to me. Perhaps this appeal is related to my youth and my time as an athlete. Competitions are fun, but I have always believed that results in the competition are directly related to how well you have prepared for the specific event. I have also found that the best athletes enjoy preparation as much as and perhaps more than the competition itself. The time with teammates, the time grinding alone with your thoughts in a weight room, the time on a field or court alone doing drills. Believe it or not, spiritual preparation has a lot of similarities to athletics. The time spent in worship with your friends is not too different than the time spent with a team. Taking time alone to give thanks to God, to pray, to read Scripture, and to meditate is also meaningful and important. All of these things together, i.e., worship, prayer, and the study of Scripture, orient each of us to the love of God and neighbor. This is holy preparation. It is Advent. I wish everyone a blessed Advent.

In Christ,

Mitch+