TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greetings
December 18, 2020
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada MO
Dear Crossroads Family —
It’s a joy to be in contact with so many of you throughout each week. You lead busy lives; you are living and working in a variety of spheres; and you’re taking Christ with you into those relationships. Thanks for remaining faithful, and for daily being servants of the King whose birthday we’re in the midst of celebrating! I look forward to what the new year will hold for us, individually and together as a church. I am praying about a number of different things; the elders have also had good discussion about the upcoming year; and I look forward to meeting with you all at our Congregational Meeting on January 10, following the worship service. Everyone is invited to attend, and if you’re a voting member of the church you’ll be asked to vote on our nominee for Elder Board (Shane Dahmer) and on the proposed church budget for 2021.
It was great to watch so many video clips of Crossroads family members saying good-bye to Phill & Judi Edwards. Thank you for contributing, and thanks to Heather for putting that video together. Let’s be sure to keep Phill and Judi in our prayers as they make this transition to the Lake area! We will miss them! We’ll miss Ebony Conley, too, whose last Sunday with us was last week. God has blessed us through Ebony’s smile, sincerity, and spiritual growth over the course of the years she has been at Cottey College.
A few notes and reminders:
Worship this Sunday
I look forward to getting into the Christmas Story with you this Sunday. Our theme for the remainder of December is “When It Doesn’t Seem Like Christmas.” Have you ever had that feeling? I’m sure you have, and maybe especially this year with all that’s going on in our world. We’ll take a look at some of the characters in the biblical account of Christmas who, if we had been in their shoes we probably would have thought, “It doesn’t feel very much like Christmas!” We’ll see this Sunday, from Luke 1, how God lifted burdens at Christmas time. How does He, today, lift the burdens we carry? 10:30 this Sunday morning at the Y. If you’re unable to be with us in person, don’t forget to take a look at the sermon on the Crossroads Facebook page.
Christmas Eve Worship
We’ll have a special time of music, Scripture, meditation, and fellowship on December 24th, starting at 6:30 pm at the Y. I hope you’ll plan to join the church family, and think about inviting a friend or family member to come with you. Refreshments following. Michaela could use one more person who would bring a plate of Christmas goodies for the fellowship time. If you can, call or text Michaela *contact us for information*. Thank you!
Finances
By God’s grace and your commitment, we’re on track to finish 2020 in the black! That would be an amazing step for us if it happens. Please pray for God’s supply and consider how you can support the church in its ministry at the end of the year. Thank you for your generosity to the Lord for His work! Currently, we have two ways only of giving to Crossroads: either in person at Sunday worship, or by mail to P.O. Box 23, Nevada.
Here’s a great old Christmas poem and hymn. Take a quiet minute to read through it and to take in the wonder of God coming to our world. It’s set to the tune of Londonderry Air, or “O Danny Boy.” If you know that tune, you can sing this too! I look forward to seeing you this Sunday morning!
— Tom
I cannot tell why He whom angels worship,
Should set His love upon the sons of men.
Or why, as Shepherd, He should seek the wanderers,
To bring them back, they know not how or when.
But this I know, that He was born of Mary,
When Bethlehem’s manger was His only home,
And that He lived at Nazareth and labored,
And so the Savior, Savior of the world, is come.
I cannot tell how silently He suffered,
As with His peace He graced this place of tears,
Or how His heart upon the Cross was broken,
The crown of pain to three and thirty years.
But this I know, He heals the broken-hearted,
And stays our sin, and calms our lurking fear,
And lifts the burden from the heavy laden,
For yet the Savior, Savior of the world, is here.
I cannot tell how He will win the nations,
How He will claim His earthly heritage,
How satisfy the needs and aspirations
Of east and west, of sinner and of sage.
But this I know, all flesh shall see His glory,
And He shall reap the harvest He has sown,
And some glad day His sun shall shine in splendor
When He the Savior, Savior of the world, is known.
I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship,
When, at His bidding, every storm is stilled,
Or who can say how great the jubilation
When all the hearts of men with love are filled.
But this I know, the skies will thrill with rapture,
And myriad, myriad human voices sing,
And earth to heaven, and heaven to earth, will answer:
At last the Savior, Savior of the world, is King!
Leave a Reply