Many of you were present two weeks ago for one of our five Christmas Eve services. The pageantry of the service, the glorious music, and hearing the story of Christ’s birth read from Luke’s Gospel warmed my heart. Most of all, I was overjoyed to see so many of your faces. Wendie and I took some time off after Christmas, and I’ve found myself humming a little chorus all week:

Thank you for helping make our Christmas Eve candlelight services a glorious celebration of our faith. Light indeed shines in the darkness, and the darkness will never overcome it! We had over 5,000 worship in person with us last Sunday and over 3,200 more online. Thank you to all who worked so tirelessly behind the scenes to make our celebration possible. I do not have a final count on the Christmas Eve Offering for water filters in Kenya, but I am grateful to all who contributed. Thank you for helping us change lives through clean water! 

Merry Christmas! As I write these words, we are merely hours away from our Christmas Eve celebration. The church has been buzzing with excitement as members of the flower guild, altar guild, usher teams, acolyte teams, hospitality volunteers, children’s choir moms, Doxology Choir members, Chancel Choir members, and pageant helpers all have been making their final preparations for the big day. The church is at its most beautiful, and I am grateful to all who have helped. There is nothing like Christmas at Peachtree Road UMC!

Our theme for this season of Advent has been “Light Shines in the Darkness.” Over the last few weeks, we have been considering how our faith sustains us in the difficult days of life. We learned from the shepherds that, when you realize God’s grace is poured out upon you, your fears begin to subside, you no longer feel paralyzed, and you can begin to move forward with a sense of peace and purpose. That is what we discover in this season. We will bring this series to a close on Sunday with an emphasis upon experiencing joy even in the midst of a weary season of life. You certainly will not want to miss the music for this week:

Last week we made a good start to Advent, and I am grateful to all who had a hand in decorating our sanctuary for the season. The Chrismon tree is the most beautiful I have ever seen, and I understand there are over 8,000 lights on it – one for every member of Peachtree Road UMC! A delighted gasp went up from the congregation when the tree lights came on for the first time during the children’s choir program last Sunday evening. We’re off to a great start!

The Advent season is upon us, and our time of preparation for the celebration of the coming of Christ is at hand. The Chrismon trees are in the sanctuary and narthex, and the Altar Guild has placed the Advent wreath in the chancel. We are ready for the season! Our theme for this year is “Light Shines in the Darkness.” You recognize those words from the prologue to the Gospel according to St. John: “Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

Happy Thanksgiving! I am writing you on this Thursday morning to wish you a wonderful holiday and express my gratitude for your faithful support of the ministry of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. As was clearly evident last Sunday, we are abundantly blessed!…I hope you are planning to join us for worship this Sunday. This Sunday is the last of the liturgical year and ends with a celebration of the Lordship of Jesus Christ – it is “Christ the King Sunday.”

Thanksgiving Day is less than a week away, and I really am looking forward to worshiping with you this weekend as we celebrate Harvest Sunday here at Peachtree Road UMC. It will be a special day as we sing, pray, and count our many blessings. A complimentary Thanksgiving luncheon featuring turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie will be served in Grace Hall after worship, and I hope you will plan to join your friends at Peachtree Road UMC for a day of giving thanks.