December 23, Advent Day 26

Village Building Featured: Emmanuel Thrift Store

Reading: John 3:16-19

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Advent Reflection

Villager Featured: Advent Reflection from Rev. Tally

We have followed the star for four weeks and we are almost there, almost at the cowshed with a tired young girl holding her just born baby boy. There are cows in the stable, a couple of barn cats, and surely a tired old donkey that carried pregnant Mary six miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

I have been to Bethlehem. I stood beside the large Silver Star with fourteen points embedded in the marble floor that marks the exact place where our Savior was born. Or so they say.

Some in my group sang “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” some cried; some knelt down to touch or kiss the star. I stood with my back against the wall just silently thinking. Once a bishop said I was a recovering skeptic. I found myself, not doubting Jesus had been born, just doubting this was the exact place where the manger was. And did it matter?

One of my favorite writers, Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal Priest, a theologian, and a professor of religion, says she is a spiritual contrarian. I like that better than a recovering skeptic.

What I know is that Jesus was born somewhere, and I want to believe the incarnation, that Jesus was God made man. That’s heavy stuff. My favorite verse in the Bible is the prologue to the gospel of St. John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” That is all I need.

In this era of Covid horror, Christmas may be different this year as it was last year, but the angels will sing and if we follow in the path of Jesus and love our neighbors as ourselves, we too will sing with the Angels on Christmas morn.

— Rev. Tally

And Happy Advent, from our Village:

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Upcoming Events with Emmanuel

Friday, December 24th, Christmas Eve:
3:00- Christmas Eve Eucharistic service with Children’s pageant

5:30-Choral Prelude
6:00- Christmas Eve Eucharistic service

8:00- Chorale Prelude
8:30- Christmas Eve Eucharistic Service