Pastor Notes

As slow as 2020 seemed to creep by, 2021 seems to have done the opposite. I went to Home Depot yesterday and it looked like the North Pole. As the
great Bing Crosby says, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” And I am usually, like many of you, wait one minute, let us enjoy Thanksgiving
first! But I feel different this year. Last year during the Christmas Season, we were hitting the peak of the Winter Covid-19 spike. We had no Christmas Eve Service, which is always one of my favorite services as a pastor, and no other Christmas festivities. Perhaps that is why I am a little extra excited about this Christmas Season. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Also, perhaps because of the lack of Advent festivities last year, this year we started preparing for Advent sooner than we usually do. We have had people painting, building, and gathering props for our Advent Sermon Series. Other than the Christmas Story that is in the Bible, the most famous story of Christmas is Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. This story has been told from the Muppets to Mickey. This story has brought inspiration and hope for many; it’s a story that involves the past, the present, and the future. In the book of Revelation Jesus describes himself as the “one who was, who is and who is to come.” So, this Advent we have decided to bring Scrooge, Cratchit, Marley, Tiny Tim, and even Fezziwig to Covenant. We are going to see how this story connects to Jesus’ story which is ultimately intertwined with our story. And we are going to end the series on Christmas Eve with communion. So, a couple of things, I encourage all of you to read the Jesus Christmas Story before Advent. Also, read A Christmas Carol, if you don’t like reading you have a plethora of versions to watch. And, invite a friend to join us this Advent season to experience “A Christmas Carol at Covenant!”