12/15/06 News & Notes
A Blessed Advent to you, my Friends!!
Here we are in the last ten (10) days before Christmas. I know. Don’t put the pressure on, will ya?
Maybe one way to get into the spirit of things will be to go to the Peter Mayer Concert this evening, at 7:30 PM, at the Dover High School!! (That was pretty smooth, how I slipped that “ad” in there, wasn’t it?) Last year’s concert was the first one that I heard/saw, and it was wonderful!! I encourage you to attend if at all possible. Tickets are $15 for adults, while anyone under fourteen gets in free!!
Many thanks to all of you who brought your “Gift Tree” presents to the church by Tuesday, and your brownies by Wednesday (I think we exceeded the 35 dozen needed)! You’re wonderful for being so gracious. I pray that you are blessed in your giving.
The third Sunday of each month is an opportunity to donate non-perishable food items for the Dover Food Pantry. There is a door in the cabinet on the left, as you enter the narthex, for your donations - your help is appreciated so very much!
The Youth have been selling 2007 Inspirational calendars for several weeks now. Sales have not been stellar, though they covered expenses and raised enough monies to pay for the “college student gift baskets” that they sent. They’ll be selling them during coffee fellowship this week for $7 each, or 3 for $17!! What a bargain! Check it out!
This Sunday afternoon members of our Adult Choir and I will be leading worship at Wentworth Home. We’d love to have you join us! The service will begin in the Activity Room (in the back end of the building) at 2:30 PM.
Next Monday evening, December 18th, the Finance Committee will be presenting the 2007 to the Church Council. As has been mentioned previously, anyone in the church is welcome to attend the Council meetings. The reason I mention this is because of the proposal to end the staff positions for Steve M. and Judith C. I know there are folks who feel strongly one way or another about that issue, and I wanted to remind you of the meeting. As we prepare for the meeting, let me remind you that we’re all on the same side! That is to say, there’s no “bad guy” here. We’ll have some differences of opinion, I’m sure, but may we speak the truth (as we understand it) in love.
Let me give you the rundown on services for December 24th again. We will have one service on Sunday morning - at 9:30 AM. We will celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent at this service - it won’t be an early Christmas celebration. In the evening we’ll have three services: 6:30 PM for people of all ages - with the Cherub Choir and Men’s Choir participating, lighting of the Christ candle, communion and my telling of “The Christmas Candle” by Richard Paul Evans; 9 PM a service of lessons and carols, concluding with communion; and 11 PM a traditional Christmas Eve service with special music by the Adult Choir, communion and lighting of the candles (outdoors) at the conclusion of the service. I hope you’ll be able to make the morning service and at least one of the evening services. And if you have friends or family in the area who don’t have a church to go to, please invite them to join you at worship. You and they will be glad that you did!!
This came to me from Janet W.:
Subject: Christmas card idea — When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please include the following:
A Recovering American Soldier
C/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20307-5001
This was last Wednesday’s update (i.e. 12/6) on Don F.’s condition. I thought I’d save it to share this week: Wednesday was a banner day for Donald. They took X-rays once again, and Dr. B. was ecstatic with how well the right wrist is healing, and that was the one that was the most badly damaged. The progress is far beyond what he was expecting five weeks after surgery. Donald now has a removable cast on the right wrist, thumb and forearm. It can only come off for showers, but the mental lift it gives Donald is enormous. This was the wrist that Dr. B. felt would be in a full cast for 3 to 4 MONTHS. Praise the Lord for answered prayer. The left wrist is lagging a bit behind, but the breaks in those bones were a bit more problematic. A pin in the thumb area had worked itself out through the skin since the last set of X-rays three weeks ago, so it was removed. Donald now understands why the pins are normally removed in the OR under an anesthetic. So the left wrist is once again incased in a full cast. Dr. B. had said he thought this wrist would be in a full cast for 8 to 10 weeks, and it looks like he will be right on with that prediction. The cast color for this month is red and green stripe in celebration of Christmas. Donald returns on January 3rd to see Dr. B., CatScan will be done January 10th and on January 28th, Dr. B. will decide whether the rest of the pins are ready to be removed and Donald’s left wrist and thumb can go into a removable cast. We are convinced that all the prayer that has been said by everyone on Donald’s behalf has made the difference in the healing process, and we request everyone continue to pray along the same lines. Donald is finally out of pain, has not had any pain medication since Wed., not even an aspirin. God is good.
The Conference sent this next item:
Final call for the Lenten Holy Land Pilgrimage being sponsored by the Shoreline Cluster, departing New York or Boston on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 and returning on March 8th. Registrations need to be in to Educational Opportunities by Dec. 29, 2006. For information/brochures, call or e-mail The Rev. Dr. Phillip Schnell, Pastor, Grace UMC, Westerly, RI at 401-596-9615 or pschnell [at] riconnect [dot] com. Join us as we walk where Jesus walked!
I have not asked permission to share this next piece, but since they’ve given me permission at other times in the past, I’m assuming this would be okay today. Ralph S. went into the hospital earlier this week, and the doctors have said that there are so many “issues” with his health that there is nothing they can do for him, except to keep him comfortable. I am no predictor of things like this, but as I have visited him over the last couple of days, it seems to me that the end of Ralph’s earthly life is coming soon. He knows by faith where he is going, but I would encourage you to hold Ralph, Lois and their family in your prayers.
That’s all the news for today. Have a great day. Hope to see you at the concert tonight, and then in worship on Sunday! Peace, Mark