“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.”
Psalm 107:1-3
Dear HBIC family,
This advent season, we have meditated on The Coming of Jesus. From Matthew’s pen and lens, we were reminded of the hope, peace, joy and love that God gifts us through Jesus. Matthew calls us to find hope by trusting what God has done and to rest in the faithfulness of God’s fulfilled promises. We find peace knowing that God through Christ is making all things right. We live with joy by counting and celebrating God’s blessings. And ultimately, we rest in the knowledge that Jesus is God’s love language to us.
As many of us prepare for a Christmas unlike any other we have experienced, I am reminded that God is with us now. Our grief and loss are met with God’s comfort and wholeness. Our loneliness and isolation are met with God’s promised presence and unity with the body of Christ around us. Our struggles and suffering are met with God’s grace and mercy. It is God’s love that finds us, keeps us, lifts us and carries us. Jesus, the Savior of the world, has come to bring light and to show us how to be light.
This week, we will be having three unique experiences to help us celebrate and give thanks to God for the gift of Jesus, for loving us and for leading us through this year. The first opportunity will be our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on Zoom, and the details for this service can be found in the Journeying Together email sent on December 19. The second will be a Worship Through Song video that will be available on our church’s YouTube channel at 9am on Sunday.
The last worship experience we’ll share in together this week will be Testimony Sunday. In our 11am Zoom service, we are going to worship, sing, praise, and pray – all with thanksgiving in mind. Also, as part of this service, we will spend time giving witness to how our God has been faithful during this year. In telling our stories, we learn how the Spirit has been moving and growing in and among us.
To prepare for this week’s service, I would like to invite you to spend time over the next few days intentionally meditating on Psalm 107:1-9. To help you reflect, I would like to ask you to focus on the following questions:
What is one thing you are giving thanks to God for today?
How are you telling the story of God’s faithfulness to others?
What are you carrying that God can unburden you with today?
How have you experienced God’s unfailing love this year?
I have often been reminded of the many times God calls us to remember. Throughout Scripture, God’s people are called to remember His faithfulness, mighty deeds on their behalf, compassion, love, mercy and grace. The Israelites are called to remember their liberation from Egypt and their vocation as God’s light to the world. The Church comes to the communion table in remembrance of the loving and free sacrifice of Jesus our Christ. Testimony Sunday is our chance to reflect and briefly share how God has set us free, how God has used us to shine and how God has been present and working.
I look forward to worshipping with you this week. On Christmas Eve, we will remember the light Jesus brings and gives us to take into our world. Through song, we will remember the goodness of the Lord our God. With testimonies, we will remember how God has been good, faithful and true.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Hank
(Psalm 107:1-3)
P: (717) 561-2170, ext. 104
E: pastorhank@harrisburgbic.org
Click to SUBSCRIBE to the Harrisburg BIC Church e-mail list