December 2019
November Memories
Pastor's Note
I am excited to journey with you all during this Advent and Christmas season! It is one of my favorite times of the year, not just because of the abundance of powerful songs and stories, or the joyful anticipation of things, but mostly because of the depth of mystery and wonder. It is a time to reflect and be transformed by the reality that our God took on flesh and was born among us - such a radical, cosmos changing event!
And so, this year in our worship services and sermons we are going to slow down a bit to try to take in the fullness of what God becoming flesh really means for us. Our guide will be Zechariah, an unassuming priest who might have been lost to history until his wife, Elizabeth, unexpectedly became pregnant with John the Baptist, the great forerunner and witness to Jesus.
Right after that birth, Zechariah uttered a surprising prophecy about Jesus and John. In it he calls upon the witness of the prophets before him and looks hopefully to the future to envision the ways God’s salvation has, is, and will break upon us. Each week we will take a few verses of this prophecy and journey along with Zechariah through a landscape of interrupted expectations and renewed hope.
This prophecy is what the gospel writer Luke records right before the birth of Jesus, and I have to believe that placement was intentional. Zechariah’s words just might be a worthwhile preparation for us all to hear and hear anew the mystery of the birth of Christ.
Coming Up: Advent at Lakewood
Sunday, December 1
11:30 a.m. Hanging of the Greens
Thursday, December 5
6:30 p.m. Meet at the church to go Christmas caroling! No singing ability required—we just want to spread joy to our neighbors!
Sunday, December 8
10:30 a.m. Christmas Cantata
11:30 a.m. Christmas shop open after Cantata
3:30 p.m. Cantata performance at Museum of Biblical Art (7500 Park Lane across Boedeker from NorthPark Center)
Sunday, December 15
11:30 a.m. Stay after worship to help us pack Christmas gift boxes for our homeless neighbors served by The Stewpot!
Saturday, December 21
6:00 p.m. Longest Night Service
Christmas Eve
5:30 p.m. Candlelight Christmas Eve worship
Christmas Day
2:00 p.m. Christmas Lunch - All are welcome! Please bring a side or dessert to share.
Wednesday, December 25 through Wednesday, January 1
Church office closed
The office will resume normal hours on Thursday, January 2. This closure does not affect worship on Sunday, December 29. If you have a pastoral emergency during this time, call (903) 814-4173.
Poinsettias
Please order your poinsettias by Sunday, December 1! Include the following information:
- Name
- Number of poinsettias ($10 each, please include "poinsettias" in the memo line of your check)
- In memory of: list names
- In Honor of: list names
- In appreciation of: list names
Thank you!
Church and Society Survey
Last month, we hosted a time to learn more about what Christian advocacy is, its biblical basis and rich tradition in the United Methodist Church. If you missed that presentation, you can still view it here: https://www.facebook.com/LUMCDallas/videos/746674695808850/
As a way of following up on that and moving forward, we would love your feedback on what areas of need most stir your heart so that we can plan our efforts to be loving advocates in 2020 as best as possible. If you have not already, please take a moment and complete the survey attached or at this link: https://forms.gle/4VvNagQrPJQz88pM6. You will notice there is a spot for other – we hope not to limit your thinking, but rather to spark it. Also, we know all of these matters are important, but want to make sure we direct our resources as well as we can.
Woodrow Wilson HS Choir Concert
On December 10, our friends from the Woodrow Wilson High School choir will be using our sanctuary for their Christmas concert. In order to extend the warmest welcome we can, I (Patrick) am hoping to have as many greeters as possible. A greeter will joyfully welcome students and families into the building, assure them how to get to the sanctuary, and let them know by our caring presence that they are a valued part of our community. If you can serve in that way from 6:15 - 7:15 p.m., please contact Patrick. Stick around after greeting to hear some beautiful music!
Christmas Boxes for the Stewpot
Thank you for bringing so many shoeboxes for us to pack for homeless neighbors at the Stewpot!
Now we need to start collecting items to put in the shoeboxes. The Stewpot has asked for the following items this year:
- Knit hat or gloves
- Poncho
- Lip Balm
- Small Bible or book of inspiration
- Socks
- Small flashlight with batteries
- Disposable Stick Razors
- Small Umbrella
- Fast Food Gift Card ($5 or less - preferably McDonald's or Subway)
- Small Hand Sanitizer
- Deodorant
- Toothbrush/toothpaste
- Travel-size packs of tissues
Please note, the Stewpot does NOT need pens/pencils, stationery, or stamps this year—they have plenty of those already. Thank you for helping us care for our neighbors!
Longest Night Service
This year we are hosting a special worship service for all who do not feel holly or jolly during the holidays and need a more somber time to reflect on and find hope in God’s great promises. This service will take place on the longest night of the year, Saturday, December 21 at 6:00 p.m. As we gather during this long night, we will hold in holy remembrance those whom we have lost and any reason we feel loss or pain. As we sing and pray and commune, we will find God in the brokenness, a God who is our ever-present light and guide.
Messy Church for All!
You've seen the crafts, you've heard me hype it, but now YOU get to experience Messy Church yourself! Messy Church is so much more than a children’s ministry; it is an entire worship service and we want to bring it to you on Sunday morning. So, on the two Sundays after Christmas, we are going to get a little creative in worship and structure things like we do in Messy Church. Last year we did something a little similar with a Vacation Bible School structure (remember the puppets and the snacks?), but this year we wanted to give an actual taste of what our families experience in Messy Church. You don’t have to do anything different, just show up and be ready to explore the Christmas story in some new, exciting ways!
Hard Conversations: The Book on Ending Homelessness
The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance and the Dallas Public Library are proud to host Iain de Jong, President and CEO, OrgCode Consulting, for the final Hard Conversation of 2019! Iain will speak to us on Friday, December 6, at 12:00 p.m. Iain is one of the world's premier experts on ending homelessness. He will discuss his new book, The Book on Ending Homelessness. Register to attend this event via EventBrite.
Happy Birthday to...
Mona Davis 12/1
Carol Croy 12/2
Vo Henson 12/2
John Gill 12/11
Yvonne Johnson 12/17
Chris Venable 12/18
Elizabeth Robbins 12/22
Kathy Purvis 12/24
Dollie Norris 12/27
Karen Davis 12/28
Jim Tumlinson 12/31
This Month, We Pray for...
Gail Baldwin; Marilyn Bourdene; Lynn Bruce; Carole Bryde; Tammy Busby; Linda Castor; Shirley Dunn; Wilma Elrod; Mary Ann Finley; Chris Gann; Bonnie Glanville; Leck and Cynthia Heflin; Michael Hilley; Kathy LaTour; Harold Logan; Jan Logan; Rick Magie; Carolyn Miracle; Marie Miranda; Pat Norvell; Jorge Ortiz; Brandon Owen; Pontis Ministries; Kathy Purvis; Connie Riddell; Elizabeth Robbins; Robin Robbins; Ginny Salinas; Beth Saxton; Jeanne Scroppo; Linda Simmons; Alan Smith; Kelly Smith; Travis Smith; Tyler Smith; Chris Venable; Louise Williams; Amy Young
