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Hi everyone! 

Are you counting the days to Christmas yet? We’ve had several days of almost non-stop fog around our home lately, which—in this part of the world—means it’s winter with Christmas on the way. I’d better make sure I’m out hiking regularly, in anticipation of a string of special dinners at our home and elsewhere.

It’s already begun in earnest with that wonderful Christmas dinner at the church this past Sunday evening. Thanks so much again to Virginia Jack-Bell for organizing, and to all the folks who shopped, set up, cooked, served, did take-down and cleanup, led us in music, and participated in other ways to make it a lovely evening. I’m sure we’ll all remember the “14 Days of Christmas” for a long time to come!  It was good to be together. I’m hoping everyone who was eager to come was able. They tell me that the event sold out well ahead of dinner day. If anyone did miss out on tickets, please accept my apologies and those of the whole crew. We had hoped to do a dinner without limits this year, but hit a wall with our oven capacity and the amount of food we could cook in one session. We’ll be looking for ways to expand our capacity next year. It was a great time of fellowship, and we want everyone to be able to enjoy it fully going forward. Again, thanks to all who made it possible—and wonderful—this time around.

While I’m talking of Christmas things, this week we’ll be into the 3rd in our series of messages from the Old Testament “big story” leading up to Christmas. I’m excited about this Sunday’s topic. Last week we had to slog through some of the bad news—the disappointments and delays—that seem to go on and on before God’s promises are finally fulfilled. This week we find out that those very disappointments helped to prepare us for the most wonderful surprise of the Christmas season: the amazing truth that the baby born to be Savior would also be the Son of God, come to dwell among us and to give Himself for us. Hence this week’s title: “Divine Intervention.”

If you’re wanting to do a little reading in preparation, we’ll be back in Isaiah, specifically focusing on Isaiah 9:1-7. It’s a Christmas classic, and it’s all the more meaningful when we think about it in the context of the big story.

As I reflect on carols this week, my mind turns to a lesser-known but relevant tune: “Who Is He In Yonder Stall?”

Who is He in yonder stall, at whose feet the shepherds fall?

‘Tis the Lord, Oh wondrous story!

‘Tis the Lord, the King of Glory!

At His feet we humbly fall,

Crown Him, crown Him Lord of all.

May Jesus truly be crowned as Lord in our lives and our worship this week!

Pastor Ken