Christmas at the Hospital Church

Christmas is a special and busy time of year.  The Hospital Church has concentrated our efforts on making our services even more special this month and tried not to overwhelm you with a lot of events this holiday season.  Please join us for our worship services!

 

December 3 - The Family Story           John 2:12; 7:1-8; Luke 8:19-21

Christmas bumps family into one another.  Maybe it is in person, or just a card, or maybe only a memory.  Regardless, these family stories can be encouraging or disheartening, liberating or stifling, comforting or painful.  We see these issues in the relations of families in the Bible, even Jesus’ family.  How do we mitigate the pain and celebrate the joy connected to family?

 

December 10 - The Unselfish Story        Philippians 2:5-11

Santa vs. Jesus?  Both seem to have images that people like but are there really similarities? They both give gifts but on what basis?  And how has Santa’s story affected our understanding of Jesus’ story?

 

December 17 - The Smart People’s Story       Matthew 2:1-12, John 3

Is Christianity just some fairytale story from Bethlehem to Resurrection, a story for simpletons, or is this a belief system for intellectuals too who are intellectually honest? What do smart people who are Christians say when you ask the question, “Why are you a Christian?”

 

December 24 - The Undeserved Gift Story        2 Samuel 9, Luke 23:39-43

There will be no 2nd service on this day.  Sabbath School classes will meet.

What did you do, could you do, would you be able to do to deserve God’s gift?  And if it becomes “deserved” does it change the nature of the gift?  Think of the contrast between being invited over to someone’s house simply because they want to treat you, verses knowing that you are being invited as a “payback” for you having done something for them. Payback gifts feel a bit “deserved.”

 

December 24 - Candlelight Communion       5:00-6:00 PM

The Story of Christmas:   From Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John