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Pastor’s Corner
aReporter
December 5, 2012
Merry Advent? What the holly does that mean?
BY REV. LIZA MARLER
ast week a friend came
over to visit. We have
our Advent wreath on
our dining
room table. My
friend had never seen an
Advent Wreath. One of
our members asked why
we focus on Advent. As I
thought about it, there
may be others in our com
munity who don’t know or
understand Advent or the
use of an Advent Wreath.
Advent is a time of
preparation for the
return of Jesus Christ.
Advent comes from the
Latin verb, advenire, which
means “to come toward, to draw
near, to approach.” Advent in the
Encarta Dictionary has several
meanings: the arrival of some
thing important or awaited; in
Christian theology, the coming of
Jesus Christ; the four-week peri
od leading up to Christmas,
beginning on the fourth Sunday
before Christmas Day.
In the Christian church,
Advent is a time or preparation.
It is the New Year in the cycle of
our Christian seasons. During
Advent we prepare ourselves for
a time of drawing more near to
God through His Son, Jesus. As
we await the birth of the Savior,
Messiah, Jesus — who we know
has already been born
and lives through us
— we take stock of our
relationship with God
through Christ Jesus.
And we wait in antici
pation for the Second
Coming of Christ in
glory to judge the liv
ing and the dead and
bring forth a new cre
ation.
An Advent wreath
is a circle of greenery
— it has no beginning
and no ending — like our God.
There are four candles placed in
the greenery: three purple and
one rose or pink (some use all
purple). One candle is lit each
Sunday before Christmas (start
ing four weeks before) and rep
resents our preparation for the
coming of the Christ-Child. On
Christmas Eve or Christmas
Day, we place a white candle in
the center to represent Jesus —
the Christ-child’s birth. Some
use focus words for each
Sunday: Hope, Peace, Joy &
Love. The Advent Wreath is a
reminder of why we are celebrat
ing this season of Advent.
In our Holy Scriptures we read
in Jeremiah 33:14-16: The days
are surely coming, says the
LORD, when I will fulfill the
promise I made to the house of
Israel and the house of Judah.
In those days and at that time I
will cause a righteous Branch to
spring up for David; and he shall
execute justice and righteous
ness in the land. In those days
Judah will be saved and
Jerusalem will live in safety.
And this is the name by which it
will be called: "The LORD is our
righteousness."
In Luke 21:25-36, Jesus tells
us: "There will be signs in the
sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on the earth distress among
nations confused by the roaring
of the sea and the waves. People
will faint from fear and forebod
ing of what is coming upon the
world, for the powers of the
heavens will be shaken. Then
they will see 'the Son of Man
coming in a cloud' with power
and great glory. Now when these
things begin to take place, stand
up and raise your heads,
because your redemption is
drawing near." Then he told
them a parable: "Look at the fig
tree and all the trees; as soon as
they sprout leaves you can see
for yourselves and know that
summer is already near. So also,
when you see these things tak
ing place, you know that the
kingdom of God is near. Truly I
tell you, this generation will not
pass away until all things have
taken place. Heaven and earth
will pass away, but my words
will not pass away.
“Be on guard so that your
hearts are not weighed down
with dissipation and drunken
ness and the worries of this life,
and that day catch you unex
pectedly, like a trap. For it will
come upon all who live on the
face of the whole earth. Be alert
at all times, praying that you
may have the strength to escape
all these things that will take
place, and to stand before the
Son of Man."
Advent is a time of anticipa
tion for our Savior to return. It
is not Christmastime, yet!
Christmastime leads us toward
the malls, the online sales and
parties. Advent leads us toward
the New Born King!
Christmastime is fun, comfort
able and tells us to relax and
enjoy the sights and sounds
around us. Advent is challenging
and calls us to consider our rela
tionship with the Savior of the
World, The King of Kings and
Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. This
Advent take time to look at your
relationship with God through
Jesus Christ. Spend time in His
Holy Word, in prayer and in
worship. Know that God is able,
God is alive and God will one
day come back to save us all
through His Son, Jesus Christ.
In the midst of heartache, pain
and suffering our God is always
with us. In the midst of all the
“hustle & bustle” of preparing
for the Christ Child, God is
already here with us as Christ
lives in each of us. "The days are
surely coming," Jeremiah
reminds. "Even so, come Lord
Jesus," the church in Revelation
replies. Let the Church today
say, “Even so, come Lord Jesus!”
(RSV Bible Reference; GBOD,
Encarta Dictionary)
The Pastor’s Corner is spon
sored by the Monroe County
Ministerial Association. Rev.
Liza Marler is the pastor at Mt.
Zion United Church, Smarr.
mtzionsmarr@bellsouth.net
Rev. Liza
Marler
Local ladies spread
love and warmth
BY DIANE GLIDEWELL
The Fingers of Love Crocheting group
delivered 75 unique and useful gifts to
the residents of Heritage Healthcare of
Forsyth on Nov. 13. The 11 members of
the group and their two instructors
made enough lapghans for each resident
to have one. Lapghans are crocheted
afghans that are the right size to spread
across one's lap; they are especially
appreciated by individuals who use
wheelchairs.
"No two lapghans are alike," said cro
cheting instructor Brenda Hughes.
"Everyone crochets a little different. You
develop your own style."
Hughes began teaching crocheting at
Maynard Baptist Church each week at
the suggestion of Joanne Smith, who is
now 80. Only one of the ladies in the
group knew how to crochet when they
began meeting in early 2012. It can take
from five hours to up to 2-3 weeks to
complete each lapghan. The ladies of
Fingers of Love enjoy choosing the colors
and yarns for each afghan and encourag
ing one another as the blankets take
shape.
The group previously donated over 100
tiny caps for the babies at the Macon
Coliseum Hospital neonatal unit and
100 caps to the Egleston Children's
Cancer Hospital in Atlanta. The Fingers
of Love ladies are also making warm
caps and scarves for people in Duck
Town, N.C.
Fingers of Love meets every Tuesday at
Maynard Baptist Church from 10 a.m.-
noon. Everyone is welcome; no experi
ence or money is required. Some individ
uals come just for the fellowship. They
do not crochet but may bring other hand
iwork with them to do each week. There
are also a couple of women who do not
come to the group but make items to
contribute to the projects. Those partici
pating represent several different
churches in the Monroe County area.
The supplies for the group are all
donated; Hughes said it has been amaz
ing how more supplies appear each time
the stocks start to get low. Often contrib
utors find yarn at yard sales, and the
Circle of Care has supplied some of the
materials. Some of the donated yarn
needs to be untangled. Sometimes one
room at Maynard Baptist is stacked with
materials or stacked with competed
work. The finished pieces exhibit the cre
ativity of their makers, their flowing col
ors testifying to the artists within the
Fingers of Love.
One member was working on a
lapghan while at a lab appointment
when an elderly man asked her if she
could use some more thread. She fol
lowed him to his home, then to an out
building behind his barn where he pre
sented her with a large Rubbermaid tub
filled with yarn. The yarn has since
taken on different shapes under the busy
fingers of the ladies in the group and
found its way to many recipients.
"The yarn just shows up whenever we
need some more," said Hughes.
The Fingers of Love has become a mis
sion to its own members as well as to
those who receive gifts of its work. One
member said she had retired and was
depressed with nothing to do until she
found the group. Another member at
first said she only wanted to come to
learn to crochet for herself, not to give
anything away, but now she cannot wait
to contribute.
"We share our worries, blessings, and
concerns with each other," said Hughes.
Hughes has a vehicle that will hold the
whole group. They enjoyed a field trip
together to Jo Ann's Fabrics in Macon
and lunch at Cheddars afterward. They
are planning a trip to Hobby Lobby next.
She took them to Heritage Healthcare of
Forsyth to deliver the lapghans.
"They puffed up so big, they almost
didn't fit back in my Expedition," said
Hughes.
Faye Bryant is the other crocheting
instructor for the Fingers of Love. Other
members include Betty DeGasmo,
Barbara Foster, Judy Geib, Sally
Holland, Joy Phillips, Evelyn Smith,
Irene Tillman, Diane Young, Helen
Williams, and Angelia Wright.
There is always room for more; the
group has plenty of love to share and
plenty of work to do to fulfill the needs it
has found. For more information, contact
Brenda Hughes at 478-993-6598.
Members of The Fin
gers of Love crochet
ing group display the
75 lapghans they made
for the residents of
Heritage Healthcare of
Forsyth. Pictured
clockwise, beginning
from front left, are
Joanne Smith, Judy
Geib, Angelia Wright,
Faye Bryant, Sally Hol
land, Brenda Hughes,
Evelyn Smith, and Irene
Tillman.
Journey to
the Manger
Seth Bittick of Rocky Creek
Baptist Church passes out in
vitations to his church’s Jour
ney to the Manger during Sat
urday’s Bolingbroke parade.
Rocky Creek and Christ UMC
will host the live nativity at
Christ UMC on Friday and Sat
urday from 7-8:30 p.m. (Photo
courtesy William
Haun/www. whaun.com)
Central (Georgia Avfisrw, LTT?.
On the journey tocth
6th mmml
Saturday, December 8, 2012
9:30 AM-12:00 PM
Vineville United Methodist Church
2045 VineviKe Ave. Macon, GA
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