Reconciler Update

This Sunday is the 1st Sunday in Advent. Advent is a season of preparation for Christmas like Lent is a season of preparation for Easter. Advent means coming. We wait for the coming of Christ, we hear words from the prophets that speak of the coming of the messiah, and of John the Baptist preparing the way. We also hear of the final coming of Christ and the Kingdom of God. Advent then is a time of waiting on God's coming into our midst and remembering that God promised to come to humanity as God with us, Emmanuel.
Our hope is that in Advent even as December can be a busy and stressful time that we will be able to as individuals and a community sit and wait on God, to reflect on what God's coming has meant and can mean for us and the world. Take time in this season to wait on God, so we can find anew the awe that God came to us as one of us entering the world as each of us has as a baby. That we may gain a renewed and deepened understanding of the incarnation and what it tells us of God's character and love.

Announcements:
This Sunday First Sunday of the Season of Advent, and is Reconciler's Third Anniversary. It was first Advent 2004 when we had our first official worship service at Chase Cafe in Roger's Park.

We still need people who will light the Advent candles on the second and Third Sundays of Advent.

Also on Sunday December 2 Eileen Crowley Assistant Professor at Catholic Theological Union the Artist in Residence this year at Immanuel will join us for worship and then after the service present to us her ideas of media art in worship and ways we can be involved in the creation of this media art for Easter Vigil.

We are working towards having child care during our worship services. Part of that process is having a Workshop on "Keeping God's People Safe." This Wednesday December 5th from 7:00 - 9:30 pm, Randall Warren, Pastoral Care officer in the Diocese of Chicago, will show us a DVD and lead us in conversation about how Reconciler can help protect children in our midst from sexual abuse. This is eye-opening and useful information for anyone, regardless of whether or not you have children/work with children. Also it is important that members of the council be present.

Sunday December 9th there is a brief congregational meeting to present and approve the slate of officers for our church council that will be up for election at our annual meeting at the end of January.

4th advent December 23 we will be having a joint worship service with Immanuel and St Elias, at St Elias' worship time of 1:30 PM. We will not worship at our normal time of 5 PM. We are invited to come to a brunch at 11:30 put on by Immanuel and a Christmas dinner organized by St Elias after the service. If you would be interested in helping out the preparation and organization of either meals let us know and we will get your name to the people in charge of organizing the meals.
In Christ,
Larry