Friends,
Greetings from the campus of the Sea Island Presbyterian Church on this cold and rainy day. Sunday evening was filled with good and warm fellowship as we broke bread in the fellowship hall for a delicious prime rib supper provided by the Kirk Kitchen Crew. They worked three days straight prepping the kitchen, decorating the fellowship hall, and putting the stove and ovens to good use! The meal was fabulous! Blessed are those who so graciously share their cooking talents with the members and friends of this congregation. +
As the above photograph testifies, Sunday evening was also marked by wonder and joy as our children of the church in addition to several students from the after school tutoring ministry presented the Bethlehem Story by way of Christmas Carols, the reenactment of the Nativity and the birth of Emmanuel, and the surprising appearance of St. Nicholas. The whole evening was electric as we were swept away by the beauty and innocence of it all. Blessed are those who nurture our children in the Christian faith and invest their time, energy, imagination and love with the young ones who come our way. Additional photographs of the supper, the Christmas Pageant, and St. Nicholas have been posted on the church website.
Looking ahead and keeping a close eye on the weather forecast for this coming weekend, Sea Island is hosting a Cold Weather Shelter this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with the support of our local law enforcement agencies. If you would like to serve as a volunteer in some capacity or assist in providing a dish for supper and breakfast and maybe some finger foods, you may contact John Murrie, one of our “resting Deacons,” at 843.252.9599. Blessed are those who take to heart the words of Jesus as he teaches us to step in and help those of special need and care. +
In addition to the Cold Weather Shelter, the weekend schedule will include a 5:00 pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service and a 10:30 am worship service on Christmas Day. There is no 8:30 am worship service scheduled for Christmas Day.
In closing, as we prepare for the singing of angels and shepherds making their way from their fields and flocks to take in the holy scene of a mother cuddling her newborn while a father rejoices in the gift of a son named Jesus, may we be mindful in a humble way that as Mary and Joseph were denied shelter and hospitality in a nearby Inn and sheltered their infant child in a lonely manger, we honor the Christ-Child along with his mother and father when we do for others what others did not do for them: We set our personal needs aside to open the doors of the church providing shelter and hospitality for the least of these. +
Merry Christmas + + +
