Bible Passage: The Advent Story – Luke and Matthew
Lesson:
This Moment is the first of four used as a greater church-wide call to give to a local shelter.
How many of you live in a house or an apartment? When you woke up this morning, did you know someone you love was nearby? A lot of kids today woke up alone. They may have spent the night under a bridge, in the cold or maybe with nothing more than a blanket to cover them.
Many of those children live here in Sacramento. And all they want for themselves and their family is a solid roof over their heads to stop the rain, four walls to block the wind and maybe a soft bed in which to sleep.
During the next four weeks of Advent, we are going to visit a very special place – a place where the greatest miracle in mankind occurred. Very soon, a man and woman will visit this place. But for right now, it is nothing more than a room, protection from the wind and rain.
Our Church is blessed to be able to help people like those I described – people who have no place to stay and no food to eat. With our money, we help provide the shelter that is necessary for people to continue living. Many members of the church also lend their hands to preparing and serving these people, just as Christ commanded us to feed the hungry.
Today we are taking a special donation for our friends at our local food shelter. Many members of the church family have brought gifts to give to the shelter and I’d like you to help collect them and bring them under the tree, and then join me again there.
(DONE)
Next week, we are going to talk about the man and woman I mentioned earlier, who come to a simple shelter and bring into the world the greatest miracle of all. I hope you can join me then. For now, let’s say a prayer.
Let’s say thank you to God for the walls and the roof which protects us – for they are like your love, which is with us always to protect us from evil. May we remember that all gifts come from you and that these gifts should be shared with those in need. Amen.