Dear Friends,

First, let me tell you about some upcoming events before continuing our treatment of suffering in this life by briefly noting one key aspect of God’s provision for us.

For the next three Sundays, we will have a brief story for the young children in connection with the lighting of the Advent wreath. The children are invited to come down toward the front of the Fellowship Hall before the service begins. (We’ll also invite them forward in case you forget!) After the announcements and before the Call to Worship, we will light the week’s candle and read an Advent-related story from The Jesus Storybook Bible, the beautiful book we give to the families of our covenant children at their baptism. After the Call to Worship and during our first song, the children will then be dismissed to their parents, who can keep them at their seats or send them along to the nursery or children’s program. Debbie Cain will coordinate with the teachers to bring into the service any children who have been in Sunday School, as well as seeing that they get back to the right class. Or if you prefer, you may pick up your children at the end of the Sunday School hour and have them with you before and after the story/wreath lighting -- it’s always a beautiful thing to see families worshiping together.

On Sunday evening, December 13, our choir will present their Christmas music program, “Holy Night of Miracles.” Paula Faub and the members of the choir have been diligently working to prepare this musical offering for the Lord’s glory and your benefit. The program begins at 6 o’clock and will be over before 7 o’clock. Everyone I’ve talked to who is involved with the program is both enjoying the preparation and excited about next Sunday night. Plan to come as a family and enjoy the talents God has given to our church’s musicians.

The following Sunday evening, December 20, we will observe another Christ Community Church tradition and have our caroling and chili supper. Those interested in going to some nearby nursing homes are asked to meet in the Fellowship Hall at 5 o’clock. Sheet music will be available and groups will divide up and head out. We will start serving chili at 6 o’clock and enjoy fellowship around the table as a way of concluding our time together. If you don’t want to sing, come at 6 o’clock for the chili. Of course, I’ve never seen anyone go caroling on this evening who didn’t greatly enjoy their time with their group, as well as the encouragement they brought to the often-lonely residents for whom they sang.

Of course, we will have our Christmas Eve candlelight service at 5 o’clock on Thursday, December 24. This will be a service that follows the worldwide tradition of a reading of lessons and carols. The lessons trace the outlines of God’s plan to save His people: from Genesis 3, through the prophets, and into the Gospels. The songs are all seasonal songs and hymns of worship to Immanuel -- God with us. As we close with “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World,” the light of our candles transforming the darkness, we reflect on the blessings of Christmas and of our being able to spend this special evening together. The service lasts less than an hour and is designed for the whole family, including a special treat for the children.

Finally, let me note a Biblical truth that continues our conversation in these weekly letters about suffering, sadness, and the Christian life. It is this: We are designed to suffer with one another in the Body of Christ. If disease, death, and hardship are the result of our cosmic rebellion against God as human beings, then one consequence of that is our alienation from each other. Where there was harmony and community in the Garden before the Fall, it was destroyed in those first moments after Adam’s and Eve’s sin as they began to blame each other. In Christ, we are saved from death to life and, by extension, from alienation to community. God’s judgment in the Bible is always shown as a wilderness endured alone. His eternal blessing is always depicted in a city with lots of people! This time, though, the community is not the biological or ethnic community, but rather, the spiritual community -- in other words, the Church. One of the Lord’s provisions for our transformation, sanctification, and comfort is other Christians with whom we have formally committed ourselves in church membership. None of us can care for every Christian in Greensboro equally well; our time and capacity for relationships are finite. Thus, to whom will we pay particular care in walking together in Christ? This is what church membership is: a commitment to a particular group of people in a particular place. When we take vows of membership, we are publicly committing ourselves to caring for a group of people and asking them to care for us. In these relationships, we live out all of the “one another” commands of Scripture. Paul Tripp wonderfully says in Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands:

The church is not a theological classroom. It is a conversion, confession, repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness, and sanctification center, where flawed people place their trust in Christ, gather to know and love him better, and learn to love others as he has designed. The church is messy and inefficient, but it is God’s wonderful mess — the place where he radically transforms hearts and lives.

(This, by the way, is a great reminder to us not to expect perfect people , perfect pastors and elders, with perfect music in the perfect facility, all making the perfect church!) We were not designed to struggle through sadness, hardship, discouragement, and death alone. As we commit ourselves to each other, we are living in the laboratory where God is doing His work in us, on us, through us, and for us. Whether you find yourself in a good, comfortable place now or struggling to put one foot in front of the other, live the way the Lord made us to live -- bound by His love to one another in the Church.

In this busy world and particularly in this busy season, we all need to hear the Lord Jesus’ reminder of the rest that He brings us as Lord of the Sabbath. We’ll be in Mark 2:23-3:6 this Sunday as we continue moving through Mark’s Gospel and asking, “Who is this Jesus?” I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

Your friend.