Celebrating Advent

From the Advent Newsletter, 2009

"Silent night, Holy night. All is calm, all is bright. . . ."

The carols try to tell us that this is a calm and silent time of year. But for most of us, the weeks leading up to Christmas can be anything but calm. You know the drill: Christmas parties, shopping, wrapping, relatives, Christmas plays, etc., etc. It's enough to leave even the strongest among us exhausted.

Can we slow things down a little so we can enjoy the season again? Can we put Christ ahead of Christmas?

There is a way to put a little relaxation back into your Christmas season without adding too much to your busy schedule. As we enter the Advent season and get closer and closer to the 25th, try reading a Christmas book, borrowed from the Church Library. Find a quiet corner, a cup of cocoa, and favorite blanket and curl up and read from a selection of:

"The Glory of Christmas: Inspirational Writings from..." - C. Swindoll, M. Lucado, C. Colson
"The Purpose of Christmas" - Rick Warren
"Christmas in Mitford: Esther's Gift; The Mitford Snowmen" - Jan Karon
"The Good Shepherd" - Gunnar Gunnarsson
"Christmas Stories..." - Teresa Worman

plus a few more...

There is always available that timeless original Christmas story from the Bible: Luke 2:1-20.

The Church Library is always looking for more reading treasures to add to it's Advent and Christmas collection. Have a Blessed Christmas, everyone.

-submitted by M C

Harvesting good Christian books...

From the October 2009 Newsletter

During the mid-17^th century theologians gathered and compiled a document that was meant to encompass the core doctrines and beliefs of the Christian faith. This document, called the “Westminster Catechism”, was one of the most important and influential documents to come out of the Reformation. One of the Catechism's most powerful statements is this - "The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever."

“In Him we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:11-12)

Our church library is full of books written by worshipful authors who glorify God and enjoy Him, through their writings, so that we may also better understand the passion of glorifying and enjoying God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We have many books about prayer, and devotionals that help guide us in glorification of our God, for both young and old.

Inspirational books (both fact and fictional) tell stories of people who were lost, and then found by God, and how their lives were changed by glorification and enjoyment in the service of God. None of these books ever replaces the utmost authority of the Bible, but help to broaden our faith and understanding of the Word.

As the crispy autumn days comes upon us, let us grow and harvest the books of St. Timothy’s Church

library, broadening the horizons of our faith:

“And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that He answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:28-30)

Submitted by M C