MMC: This Congregation Makes Me Smile

Thank you to everyone who put on a hairnet yesterday before and after worship.  We made over 3000 meals with Kids Care (well over our goal partially in thanks to matching funds through Thrivent).  The meals will be going to Daily Bread Food Pantry in Danbury.  Did you enjoy making the food, even if you had to wear a hairnet?  Are you sad that you missed if?  I would love for us to make even more meals in the spring, are you up for it?

A Few Announcements

• Redding's Community Interfaith Thanksgiving service is this Wednesday at 7:30pm at St. Patricks Catholic Church (169 Black Rock Turnpike).  Join me in this moment of prayer and worship with people throughout the community as we spend time giving thanks to God this week.  I'll be preaching.
• Next Sunday we celebrate the baptism of Logan McGuire.  Logan is the great-nephew of Eva and Connie Beote.  
• A public thank you - last week when I dropped off all the food we collected from Ingathering Sunday, the employees at Redding Social Services practically fell at my feet in Thanksgiving.  Normally Redding Elementary School, does a food collection but they didn't this year (though they did ask for monetary donations however, they did not receive nearly as much as normal).  They were quite tight getting together all the meal bags for the members of the community who have asked for Thanksgiving help but knew they could count on Bethlehem to not just bring food, but lots of food including fresh produce.  So thank you for making it a delight to bring 3 grocery carts worth of food to RSS (next year, we will actually fill my car, I'm positive of it)
• On a personal note - Bob has made it to Paris safely and is starting to settle in.  Thank you to everyone who has sent emails, called or stopped by this week, it is really humbling, as the pastor, to be ministered to, but I do appreciate it and please continue to check in with me every once in awhile.

Book of Faith Puzzler

The question from last week: In today’s gospel, the NRSV translate the amount of money the slaves received as “talents” (I use the word “million”); how much money was a “talent”?  A) A day’s wage B)A month’s wage C) a year’s wage D) 20 years of wages
A talent was worth about 6,000 denari, and a denari was a day’s wage.  Meaning a talent was worth over 16 years of wages if you worked every day of each year.  Or more likely 20 years after taking a weekly Sabbath and holidays off. Congratulations to Paul Bengtson for winning this week's puzzler.
This week’s question:  How often did God give manna to the Israelites while they were in the dessert?  A) Just once B)Once a week C)Every day D) Every day but the Sabbath  
As of now I have no entries for this week, so grab your bible (or wikipedia) and send me your answer by noon on Wednesday to be entered into this week's drawing.

Yesterday's Sermon
Well I didn't preach yesterday so I can't direct you to my blog to read the sermon if you missed it.  But how is God commanding you to feed the hungry, care for the sick, cloth the naked and visit the imprisoned?  

Serving in Worship this Week
The following people have signed up to serve in worship this coming Sunday
Worship Assistant: Ellen Grunsell
Reader: Cheryl Muniz
Communion Assistant: Anna Hawley
Ushers: ________ &______
Communion set up & Clean up: Nancy Beck
Coffee Hour Host: Jeff Kapec

WHOA!  I think that is probably one of the most filled weeks we have had.  If you would like to be an usher on Sunday, please let me know.

Sunday's Texts
Sunday we start a new church year, which means we will leave behind the gospel of Matthew for a few years and be focusing mainly on the gospel of Mark, though some weeks we will hear from John. Sunday is also the first Sunday of Advent, the season when we look forward to Jesus' birth.

The first reading is Isaiah 64:1-9.  The reading ends with the sentence "Now consider, we are all your people."  Isaiah is pleading to God to remember that everyone belongs to God, not just those who worship God.  This was written after periods of war and famine when many people have turned from God.  Times of trial brings some people closer to God and others turn away from God during such times.  When have you prayed to God to remember those who have turned from him?  When have you had God remember you, even if you weren't remembering him?

The second reading is 1 Corinthians 1:3-9.  Paul gives thanks to God for all the ways that they have been enriched by Christ, especially in speech and knowledge.  As we enter into Advent and prepare for Christmas, our greater culture is pushing us to prepare with presents, decorations and buying stuff (lots of stuff).  But God is preparing us for Christ's birth through knowledge and speech.  How can you prepare for Christmas this year by spending time with family, reading scripture or otherwise enriching yourself through Christ?

The gospel is Mark 13:24-37.  Yes we are starting the church year off towards the end of the gospel, not at the beginning (that is next week).  But first we are reminded that Jesus promised that the Son of Man is coming and that "heaven and earth will pass away, but [Christ's] words will not pass away."  What are the Advent and Christmas memories that you hold most dear?  Do they involve presents or people?  Do they involve the consumer culture or a religious culture?  

I hope you all have a great week and a wonderful Thanksgiving!