Join us at Freelton Strabane United Church for a Studies and Studios event on February 18th at 1p - 4pm  in the Church Hall to 

Learn the art of needle felting by creating this beautiful Winter scene. Fibre artist and instructor, Cathy Disbrow, will teach you how to needle felt a Winter landscape into a 4” x 6” wool painting, using a special needle to stab sheep wool onto a felt sheet. Students will learn a variety of needle felt painting techniques. Needles, wool, and wool felt sheet to create your painting are included in the cost. Foam felting pads are provided for students to use during class and can be purchased separately.

Cost: $60.00 Register at:

https://woollydoodles.square.site/product/workshop-ticket-needle-felt-a-winter-scene-painting/68

Refreshments are also included. 

Call To Worship

Take this moment sign and space

Take my friends around

Here among us make the place

Where your love is found me

(Iona Abbey Music book pg 122)

Call To worship

One:  Welcome one another, as Mary prepares to welcome her babe.

All:   We greet God's children in exuberant joy

One:  Let none be a stranger.

All:   Let none be cast aside.

One:  Hospitality, warmth and compassion for all.

All:   Community, celebration and feasting in God's presence.

One:  Let us receive the blessings of God.

All:   Let us be a blessing to others.

   There was an article I read a couple years back.  “Ten Things you can’t do at Christmas and Follow Jesus.” By the Rev Mark Sandlin who at the time was serving at  Vandalia Presbyterian Church written in 2013

Hmm, I hope eating chocolate is not one of them.   

They were listed in descending order. Ok the first 6 make sense. And then came number 4 – 1  Holy stop the typing, put the breaks on the ranting.  An Epiphany before Epiphany. Through open the shutters and call to the boy in the street. What day is it boy

 4) Insist Your Religious Celebration Rule Them All — This time of year far too many Christians remind me of Gollum and his Precious. (A Lord of the Rings shout out in a Christian Christmas post! C’mon Peter Jackson, give me some promo love!) One holiday to rule them all: “We nee-eeds it. They stole it from us!”  my precious

Never mind that Jesus was Jewish or that there is a list of other celebrations that occur this time of year, there’s a certain cultural privilege in the air that seems so very un-Christian to me. You can just about bet that the folks calling out for the dominance of Christmas would be singing a new song if Judaism were the dominant religious culture and this time of year radio stations across the land played hanukah songs. Well, metaphorically they would be singing a new song — maybe a few even literally.

Oh I didn’t take time to consider this. 

Three addressed another very popular rant of which I have seen several along this line already this year.  Using the term “Happy Holidays.”  Very un Christian after all it is our God given write to say Merry Christmas.

3) Get Mad About “Happy Holidays” — On a related note, you know what “holiday” is short for, right? Holy day. Do you really have a problem with people calling Christmas a holy day?

Well know after all Good bye is a contraction of God by with you. And Will is a contraction of William. Lord only knows where Bill came from sounds to much like Phil. Especially when the Starbucks Barista is yelling your name above an expresso machine. 

 TWO.  Think That It Is Actually Jesus’ Birthday — Um. So, dang, this is hard and I’m really sorry to be the one telling you. Um, let’s see. Remember how when you were growing up the Sunday school teacher told you it was Jesus’ birthday? Yeah. Well, um ... they lied. Yeah. Sorry about that. We don’t actually know when Jesus was born. It was probably in the spring or summer because “the shepherds watched their flocks by night” — something that definitely didn’t happen in the winter.

The last one. 

 Confuse the Religious Observance With the Secular Holiday — It may be that Dec. 25 was picked as the date to celebrate Jesus’ birth to compete with or even to adopt the followers of the pagan celebration of Saturnalia, which included decorating with evergreens, gift giving and parties. (Hmmm, why does that seem so familiar?) I bring this up to make a simple point; A lot of our “War on Christmas” problems would rightfully go away if we simply acknowledged that there are two celebrations of Christmas each year. One is religious and one is not. Most of this article actually points to the issues that happen when we confuse them. So, let’s stop doing it.

 Let’s stop doing it? 

Yes.  For in putting the “do not trespass” electrified barb wire fence around Christmas what we are truly doing is setting a no trespass electrified barb wire fence around Jesus. How can the joy of the gospel be spread, the good news of this great gift be shared if it is just for us. 

Let’s be honest most of the treasured Christmas traditions are first of all borrowed from more ancient pre Christian traditions and the Christmas that we know is kind of a invented by the Victorians.    What matters is not the trappings but transformative joy that comes into our lives. 

As Mary said yes to God, so did Joseph say yes to God because they knew that this would be bigger than them.  They knew deep in their souls that this would make a difference.  That this child that was to be born would bring Love into the world , An everlasting love in that even in the face of great sadness would remind us that we have life because of that gift. A gift that is to be shared. 

 The Holy Spirit comes in this moment and does not see creed or religion and as angels sang “Great tidings of Joy I bring you.” For in this time your heart will know joy, and you shall find yourself kinder, and caring, that is the love of God. If a song, or some lights or an ornament or a tree stop to give you pause on your journey to think of how you can make a difference in bettering this kingdom of God than so be it.   If a song, or some lights or an ornament or a tree causes someone who will never darken our door of worship, who will never speak a word of the Lord’s prayer to pause and do a kindness in the name of Christmas then we see the quiet inbreaking of God’s love. God’s love is not owned but shared.  

May we take time in all that we have to do over the next few days take a bit of time to stop and think of the love we know in our lives.  To be thankful,   To allow Christmas to deepen our faith.  To honour the Feast of the Nativity To enjoy this Happy Holy Day as we celebrate Christ’s Mass.   

May we take time to see the joys which God has given us and in them remember that we are not alone.  Thanks Be to God.   Amen -

Offering

We give thee but thy own.   The work of the Church continues and there are three ways you can continue to support that work.   Consider using PAR, use the donate button on our Web Site or drop your gift at the Manse.   Let us make our offering and give thanks.       

  One: Praise God who from all Blessing flow

   Prayer     

The amazing gift of One who fully embodied your intention for humanity prompts us to make a grateful response. In Christ we have known a love that will not let us go. Through our offerings we would share this love in our community and to the ends of the earth. Amen.

Sending Forth and Blessing.



One:  Go out to the world with a new outlook; God is ruling in our midst.

All:   We will take the promises of God to a needy world; share good news with friends and co-workers.

One:  God will direct your paths during the week ahead and provide all that you need to face its choices.

VU 4

God of all places present unseen

Voice in our silence song in our mist

Send us your people knowing and sure

Called to spread the word.

amen amen amen