Tonight, at 7 p.m., The Gathering presents the 7th annual “Write Christmas” community writing workshop—this year via Zoom! You can participate as a writer or simply as a spectator in this 90-minute online gathering of creative minds. Writers, prepare a brief (300 words or less, taking under 4 minutes of reading time) Christmas memory or thought that you will read aloud. Rev. Judy Davis, parish associate of Bethany Presbyterian Church and founder of The Gathering, will again lead this spirited evening. All are welcome to attend! Click here to join this Zoom event. Meeting ID: 861 8838 3266; Passcode: 639595
All are welcome to join us for our Facebook Live worship service at 10:20 a.m. on Sundays via this link: https://www.facebook.com/bethpres. Invite your friends to join us! This Sunday, Natalya Amelchenko will be playing a few Christmas carols for us to sing along to. The lyrics for these hymns are below. We’ll be singing “Angels We Have Heard on High” (verses 1 & 3), “Away in a Manger” (verses 1 & 2), and “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” (versus 1 & 4), and “I’ll also attach a document you can print them out and have them ready for worship.
Then, immediately following this service, all are invited to our Zoom worship service which begins around 11:00 a.m. You can find the link to this service, as well as our other Zoom meetings (Tuesday Bible studies and Wednesday check-ins – both beginning at 11 a.m.): https://bethpres.com/worship-during-quarantine.
Thanks to so many of you who sent along videos and pictures for our pre-recorded Christmas Eve service. It is an absolutely beautiful gift for our community—we’ll be releasing the link for the service on Christmas Eve. More details to follow!
Finally, Dr. May Tucker has provided with another mid-week gift of carols to sing -along to. Here is the link to the sing-along. The carols are: “Lo. How a Rose E’re Blooming,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and “Silent Night.” May has listed the lyrics right below the video and I’ve also printed them below (and you can print out the attached document). Enjoy!
Advent wreath created by Jackie Sneed.
LO, HOW A ROSE E’ER BLOOMING
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung,
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, by faithful prophets sung.
It came a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter
When half was spent was the night.
Isaiah ‘twas foretold it, the rose I have in mind,
With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright she bore for us a Savior
When half was spent the night.
O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to-night.
For Christ is born of Mary; and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to all on Earth.
SILENT NIGHT
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born.
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.
Happy Advent,
Jesse
