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December 10, 2020
Dear Congregation:
This Sunday is our annual meeting, at which time we will adopt the 2021 Mission Spending Plan. This plan serves as a statement of who we are as a church, what we value, and how we hope to serve one another, the wider community, and the world.
In the United Church of Christ, the local congregation has the responsibility and power to make its own decisions. Each of us, as a member of ERUCC, has a voice and vote in determining our future. We need your voice and participation in the life of our congregation to enable us to continue to be a faithful witness to the love and hope we know in Jesus Christ. While the coronavirus may have canceled and stopped many things in our lives, the mission and ministry of ERUCC has continued through worship, education, fellowship, and mission. This Sunday, you will hear about some of these programs and initiatives. You will receive an update on progress made on repairing our historic buildings. You will be invited to affirm our commitment to be an antiracist congregation. You will hear the exciting news about a permanent family shelter. You’ll hear that while some of our 275th anniversary activities were canceled; we are hoping to move some of those activities into next year. On the third Sunday in Advent, our theme is joy. Even in the midst of the challenges of this past year, we have a lot to celebrate. Hope you will be present for the annual December as we celebrate God’s work in and through us and imagine the year ahead.
Worship Notes Third Sunday in Advent
Isaiah the prophet beautifully portrays that day of deliverance when God will come and deliver suffering Israel in Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11. Isaiah’s is the same promise that Jesus will use for his first sermon in Nazareth in Luke’s Gospel. God sends forth good news, especially to the oppressed, the broken-hearted, the prisoners, and the poor. In the final verses, Isaiah breaks forth into a song of hope. The Gospel lesson is from Luke 1: 46b-55 and is known as the Magnificat or Mary’s Song.
We are pleased to welcome new members this Sunday: Angela Brittain, Al Mannus, and Scott Harris.
Rev. Dr. Barbara Kershner Daniel, Senior Pastor
Evangelical Reformed Church, United Church of Christ
15 West Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701
301-662-2762
E-mail: bkdaniel@erucc.org
