Dear Parish Family and Friends,

As we move deeper into the season of Advent, I continue to appreciate both our church traditions as well as new and fresh experiences of Christ coming towards us here and now.  My “Lent in Advent” strategy of staying away from entertainment and distraction screens is proving challenging but profoundly rewarding to open up spaces every day for more reading, reflecting, study and just plain…being.

This Saturday’s Advent Quiet Day, from 9 AM to 12 noon at the Edwards Chapel upstairs library, is another wonderful new Advent tradition for all of us.  My wife Julie will lead us through a very gentle, encouraging primer on Centering Prayer, another opportunity for us to breath deeply, find our spiritual foundation, reach out and accept the touch of the living God.  We continue preparations for our Advent celebration, this year called the G5 Summit, to take place the evening of December 15th.

This Sunday we continue to dress our stark Jesse Tree in Edwards, hold Christmas Pageant rehearsals, and light the second candle on the Advent Wreath.  I will be preaching and teaching our Adult Metamorphosis bible study just after church, some come join us for lunch, great fellowship and good study.  We’ll be signing up Poinsettia memorials, Christmas Eve and Day worship slots, and of course, continuing to receive 2017 Pledge cards.  Our Director of Communications Katie Campbell is doing a wonderful job keeping our website and Facebook pages updated regularly, and all this information is there for you also.

Mother Emily Lukanich and her family prepare to move from Blacksburg to Edwards in about a week from now.  As I said, both familiar and also fresh and new traditions for all of us!!  God never stands still, and the Body of Christ surges forward.  So must we!  Advent blessings and our love to all, and if you are around town, I hope to see you this weekend!

Warmly in the Lord,