December 20, 2024
Dear Peachtree Road Family,
I hope you are well. I don’t know about you, but I have found these days of Advent to be just what my soul has needed. On Sunday mornings we have focused upon the theme “Believe!” The Christmas angels have challenged all of us to believe just as they challenged Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph long ago. I don’t know about you, but I still am contemplating what it means to not let my fears prevent me from following God’s call in my life. Joseph is the prototype of a faithful follower and our guide. The services on Sunday evenings have been filled with beautiful music, and they have served to heighten our anticipation for the Christmas celebration. These worship experiences have inspired us to go out into the community and serve. Worship and service – that’s the heartbeat of Peachtree Road UMC!
I hope to see you Sunday morning as the Christmas angel makes one more appearance – this time to a group of shepherds. I look forward to sharing a message that invites us to experience peace as wholeness of life. We will be singing three great carols (Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; Good Cristian Friends, Rejoice; and Angels We Have Heard on High). In addition, the Chamber Singers will offer O Magnum Mysterium as special music, and the Chancel Choir will sing For Unto Us a Child Is Born from Handel’s Messiah. Our music will be accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra and the Great Organ, so I know you will not want to miss worship this week. If you cannot make it in person (8:45 am, 10:00 am, 11:15 am), then join us online for the livestream of those services through our website here.
Let me make you aware of two opportunities this weekend:
- Christmas with the Georgia Boy Choir – Friday and Saturday, December 20 and 21, at 7:00 pm in the sanctuary. The Georgia Boy Choir is our ensemble in residence, and this concert is their biggest event of the year. You will be inspired as they perform sacred classics, Christmas carols, and all your holiday favorites in our magnificent sanctuary. You may purchase tickets through their website here.
- Longest Night Service – Sunday evening at 5:30 pm in the Moore Chapel. One of our counselors at The Pastoral Counselor Service of Peachtree Road, Dr. Andrea DeWalt, will offer a message of hope in the midst of darkness. I invite you to join us for this service, light a candle, and remember that you are not alone – you are never alone!
Of course, Christmas Eve is just a few days away. What makes this day so special? Some may say it’s the children, dressed as angels, shepherds, sheep, and other stable animals, singing “Away in a Manger.” Others might point to that moment when we light the Christ Candle, signifying the presence of our Lord with us. And still others would assert that it is the passing of the light in a dark sanctuary during the singing of “Silent Night” and the sight of lifted candles as we affirm together “He rules the world!” And the reality is that it’s all of these. Christmas Eve is the best day of the year!
I remind you that on Tuesday we will have five services in our sanctuary:
11:00 am – First Communion of Christmas with Candlelighting
4:00 pm – Family Candlelight Service and Christmas Pageant with Candlelighting
6:00 pm – Family Candlelight Service and Christmas Pageant with Candlelighting
8:00 pm – Festival of Lessons and Carols with Candlelighting
10:30 pm – Festival Choral Eucharist with Candlelighting
I want to enlist your help in three ways:
First, you are invited to participate in the volunteer choir that will be leading the 11:00 am service. Do you like to sing Christmas music? Okay, you qualify! There is one rehearsal – Tuesday morning, December 24, at 10:00 am in the Music Suite. Come sing with us this Christmas Eve!
Second, a word about the services. We will be lighting candles at all services (including the 11:00 am service). The highest attended services (therefore, the most difficult at which to find a parking place and seat!) are the family services at 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. So, make your plans accordingly. I would like to put in a plug for the 10:30 pm service. The music and liturgy for this service are simply beautiful, and there is something special about leaving the sanctuary at the close of the service at midnight, hearing the pealing of the church bells, and realizing it is Christmas! I encourage you to worship with us at 10:30 pm and hope you will invite others to join you.
Third, a word about attendance. More guests attend Peachtree Road UMC on Christmas Eve than any other service in the year. They come in search of God’s precious gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love – blessings we experience here on a regular basis. I encourage you to look for new faces at the service you attend, greet them, and encourage them to come back in the future. Remember that person who welcomed you to Peachtree Road UMC and pass the blessing along to others. If you are not able to worship with us on Christmas Eve in person, our services will be available through the livestream here. Let others know of this opportunity to experience the pageantry of this our favorite festival as we celebrate Emmanuel — God with us.
Once again, this year’s special Christmas Eve Offering will be used to buy water filters for families living in Kenya. For the tenth year, we are partnering with Start with One Kenya to provide the gift of clean water for families living in Kiamaina. Over the course of the last ten years, you have generously given over $2 million toward this outreach project and literally transformed the lives of over 40,000 families! Thank you! I hope you will help us provide the gift of clean water again this year.
Speaking of giving, thank you for your faithfulness throughout the year. Your giving has made a difference in these days of economic uncertainty. I do encourage you to help us finish the year well. If everyone fulfills his or her pledge to the church by year-end, we will meet our budget. Some of you may be planning to make an extra contribution to the church this year, and I encourage you to mark it for the operating budget. For convenience, you may make your gift online here. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Finally, I am grateful to all who have made a commitment to the church’s financial campaign to support the operating budget for 2025. If you have not made your commitment yet, please take the time to do that this weekend. The most convenient way is to pledge or make a recurring gift may be online through the church website here. Persons from the Finance Committee will be making phone calls and sending reminders to those from whom we have yet to hear in the coming days. Please know that every commitment is important and helps our ministries of worship, nurture, outreach, and witness go forward. Thank you for your faithfulness.
This marks our 100th Christmas as a congregation here at Peachtree Road UMC, and I can’t wait to celebrate with you! I look forward to seeing you in worship this Sunday and on Christmas Eve.
Grace and peace,
Bill