Hello ICC Family!
I think it was just a couple of weeks ago that I wrote about frost on the ground and that winter had begun. And now I’m back wearing shorts and the iris bulbs are very confused and have started growing a few months early! At least it is not as hot as Christmas in Thailand used to be for us!…
We have already had two wonderful Christmas events at ICC this month. A week ago there was a large group that went over to Pinewood Square assisted living center here in Crowfield to sing Christmas carols for the residents. I am not sure who was blessed more - the residents or all of us from ICC! Then this past Sunday we had our annual Christmas candlelight service followed by dinner. Once again thank you to all that worked so hard on the service and the meal, both in preparation and in clean-up. It was a blessing. We still have a couple of events to look forward to… This Sunday will be the 4th Sunday of advent during our regular morning worship service. And then we will have an informal worship service at 7 PM on Christmas Eve for all of those that do not have plans with their families. Please note that we will be taking a couple of weeks off from our regularly scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday activities starting next week. So, there will be no discipleship time or meal on Wednesday the 25th or January 1st. And there will be no Crowfield Bible Club meeting until the 7th of January.
While preparing to teach through the Christmas passage and prophecy found in Isaiah 9:6-7 this week, I was struck by one phrase in a new way…
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Beautiful names pointing to the Savior of the world that would be born some 700 years in the future! Names of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Yet one of those names is Everlasting Father! What do we make of that? God the Son is also Father??? If we think about it, though, it is not that strange. There are many father figures in our lives that are not necessarily biological fathers. The emphasis here is that the coming Messiah will love his people as a father loves his children - nurturing and nourishing them, comforting and assuring them, instructing and informing them, leading and guiding them, correcting and disciplining them - all out of an everlasting love for each of them. Praise the Lord that the baby Jesus, who we celebrate and worship at Christmas, is everything we need!
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…
Ephesians 3:17-18
I hope to see many of you at church tonight for our fellowship meal and prayer meeting. Please look over the summary of the Pray Charleston campaign below and click the button to sign up for a prayer slot to join with us in praying for our community in the year ahead!
Blessings to you all. And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor
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