Natalie's Grace Notes

  WE GATHER   PRELUDE  BRINGING IN THE LIGHT OF CHRIST  WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS  *HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel UMH# 211 v 1, 2, 4  *CALL TO WORSHIP  L: Children of God, pay attention! The days are coming when God’s peace will reign and all creation will flourish under the reign of our Creator.  P: The days are surely coming!  L: Children of God, prepare your hearts! The days are coming and are already here when God will come near and show us how to recognize God’s reign among  us.  P: The days are surely coming and are already here!  L: Children of God, be alert and listen! God has come near to build the kin-dom on the earth here and now. Will you join in?  P: The days are surely coming and are already here! We come to prepare our hearts to pay attention, to listen, and to follow God’s call to build the kin-dom of earth as it is in heaven. Amen.  *OPENING PRAYER (IN UNISON)  God of our Expectations, we prais...

  MESSAGE “Help. Thanks. Wow.”  Friends, this is the end of the year! No, no, not the secular calendar year. Don’t panic, there’s still 5 ish weeks left of 2024. This is the last week of the Church year. This last Sunday of the Liturgical year is called Christ the King Sunday, and we end the year by lifting up that now, always, and forever, Jesus is the center of our lives and the king of our hearts. For those of you who follow what’s called the Revised Common Lectionary, this guide preachers use to decide what we’ll be talking about from week to week, this Sunday marks the very end of Year B, a year where not all, but most, of our Gospel readings came from Mark. Next Sunday begins Year C, and most of our Gospel readings will come from Luke. Next Sunday will also begin Advent. Ok, if you think like my late Grandma did, go ahead and switch your hearing aids back on, the boring part of this is over. Most of you have a completely different holiday in mind, the one that happens th...

  Mark 13: 1-8 The Destruction of the Temple Foretold 13 As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” 2 Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” 3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ [ a ] and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8 For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs....