Winter 2009

Pastor’s Page

 

“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 righteousness in the land.”     Jeremiah 33:14-15

 

            Christmas is almost here! Doesn’t that bring up a sense of fear and panic? There is so much to do in just a few short weeks. We have decorations and Christmas lights to hang on our homes. We have to get our Christmas trees ready. There are party planning and meal preparation. Many of us have to finalize travel plans. Not to mention the most dreaded thing of all: a trip to the shopping mall.

            Christmas is a very busy time of year, and it is not surprising that is does provoke all sorts of emotional conflicts as we prepare for its arrival. It is very easy to focus on the things we do during this season; what is even more important is the why of the season.

            There are moments in life when it does seem like the world is stacked up against us. We all go through those times. Nothing seems to go our way and problems just seem like they are constantly building and building. Perhaps it is financial problems or family issues. Perhaps it is just a general sense that things are not going the way you planned. Frequently, when we have those moments, we feel terribly alone.

            Christmas is God’s reminder that we are not alone. God is with us. God is with us when we have bills to pay. God is with us when we talk to our children. God is with us when we struggle for a little dignity. God is with us! Do you want to know that God is definitely with us? Go to the manger and look at the Christ child. The Child is God’s promise that we will never be alone.

            This Christmas season, you are invited to join your neighbors and friends as we embrace God’s promise. Please join us for Christmas caroling on December 12th. We will meet at the Copper Hill UMC parking lot, Copper Hill Road in East Granby, around 2:00 pm and then go on to visit local nursing homes in the Granby area to sing Christmas Carols for the residents. The annual “Hanging of the Greens” service at Copper Hill UMC will take place during the Sunday morning service on December 13th. There will be a Christmas children’s program at West Granby UMC during our morning worship service on December 22nd. There will be two Christmas Eve services on Thursday, December 24th: The service at Copper Hill UMC will be held at 5:00 pm, and the service at West Granby UMC will be at 7:00 pm. They will be a traditional service with Christmas Carols and candle lighting.

            Christmas is a special time of year because it is a promise of God’s presence as we journey through life. May that promise nurture and nourish you throughout the year.

 

Grace and Peace,

Bob Sorozan

 

Newsletter Change

 

            This newsletter brings about a change in our format. As you are aware, our church depends on volunteers to do much of its work; we do not have a paid secretarial staff that could work on the newsletter as part of their duties. So, to keep our volunteer newsletter team happy and content, we have changed our format to a seasonal newsletter. You can help in this change by submitting newsletter articles, and by volunteering to help out in the newsletter process. If everything goes well, we may even increase the frequency of the newsletter issues.

Pastor Bob Sorozan

 

Looking Ahead

 

Worship At Meadowbrook N.H. – December 7, 2009

Worship At Middlewood N.H. – December 14, 2009

Worship At Meadowbrook N.H. – January 11, 2010

Human Relations Day Offering – January 17, 2010

Worship At Meadowbrook N.H. – February 1, 2010

Newsletter Deadline – February 15, 2010

Worship at Mclean N.H.February 17, 2010

Ash Wednesday – February 17, 2010

Church Office Closed – February 22, 2010

 

Ash Wednesday

 

On Wednesday, February 17th, at 7:00 pm, we will gather at the Copper Hill United Methodist Church for our annual Ash Wednesday Service. This service is a call to personal reflection.