Rev. John's Christmas Letter 2024
Dear Wesley Church Family,
This Advent we will explore these different themes in our Advent Sermon Series entitled “Season of Advent at Wesley: Lighting the Way”. We hope that by exploring a different theme each week we will draw closer to the essence of the Advent season.
The first week we will focus on Preparation. How do we ready ourselves for the arrival of Christ, both inwardly and outwardly? What are our hopes, fears, and longings as we wait with expectancy. The second week our focus will be on Passion. What does God’s deep love for humanity mean to us. This is the same love that brought Jesus to be with us, bringing light into our world. The third week we will turn our attention to Presence. We will be invited to pause and recognize God’s closeness to us. This attention to the presence of the sacred in our everyday lives will help us (I hope) to see God’s work in our lives and relationships. Finally, we will look at God’s Promise. We will celebrate the fulfillment of God’s promises and look forward to the future hope God offers us, grounding our faith in the assurance of God’s love. Together, we’ll walk through these themes in worship, prayer, and reflection, allowing the Advent season to be a time of deep connection and renewed faith.
As we close out 2024, I also wanted to take this moment to say Thank You! I am incredibly grateful to each and every one of you. Your faith, your generosity, and your spirit of service make the ministries of Wesley United Methodist Church possible. Over this past year, our ministries have grown, and they have all embodied the heart of what it means to follow Christ’s teachings. Thank you for all the ways that you have helped to make Wesley Church a place of healing, compassion, and faith for all.
My Advent prayer for you all is that you will sense God lighting your way as we prepare for Christmas. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,” (Isaiah 9:6).
May God’s blessings fill you and yours this season and always.
With gratitude and hope,
Rev. John
This Advent we will explore these different themes in our Advent Sermon Series entitled “Season of Advent at Wesley: Lighting the Way”. We hope that by exploring a different theme each week we will draw closer to the essence of the Advent season.
The first week we will focus on Preparation. How do we ready ourselves for the arrival of Christ, both inwardly and outwardly? What are our hopes, fears, and longings as we wait with expectancy. The second week our focus will be on Passion. What does God’s deep love for humanity mean to us. This is the same love that brought Jesus to be with us, bringing light into our world. The third week we will turn our attention to Presence. We will be invited to pause and recognize God’s closeness to us. This attention to the presence of the sacred in our everyday lives will help us (I hope) to see God’s work in our lives and relationships. Finally, we will look at God’s Promise. We will celebrate the fulfillment of God’s promises and look forward to the future hope God offers us, grounding our faith in the assurance of God’s love. Together, we’ll walk through these themes in worship, prayer, and reflection, allowing the Advent season to be a time of deep connection and renewed faith.
As we close out 2024, I also wanted to take this moment to say Thank You! I am incredibly grateful to each and every one of you. Your faith, your generosity, and your spirit of service make the ministries of Wesley United Methodist Church possible. Over this past year, our ministries have grown, and they have all embodied the heart of what it means to follow Christ’s teachings. Thank you for all the ways that you have helped to make Wesley Church a place of healing, compassion, and faith for all.
My Advent prayer for you all is that you will sense God lighting your way as we prepare for Christmas. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,” (Isaiah 9:6).
May God’s blessings fill you and yours this season and always.
With gratitude and hope,
Rev. John
Posted in Newsletter 2024-11-21