Alka's Angle December 6, 2024

Dear Broadway Community,

 

I trust everyone had a lovely time with family- birth or chosen, during the week of Thanksgiving- eating, celebrating, playing games and sharing all the reasons we are grateful for this year. If you are the planning kind, then you perhaps are all done with your Christmas shopping, otherwise most people perhaps have started their shopping with the start of sales- Black Friday, Cyber Monday and then the ongoing specials of the Holiday season, so I will also talk about my shopping list for you and hope that many of you will pick at least one thing from my list to spend money on.

As you know, this Advent season we are talking about MAKING ROOM IN THE INN for our lonely and frightened neighbors- those who are struggling to see/find HOPE, LOVE, PEACE and JOY in our world, those who are struggling to make ends meet and those who exist in places where safety is hard to imagine. So, this season let us add them to our shopping list and help more people find HOPE through our actions! So here goes my list-

  • As you might know we are collecting new and used winter wear for Heartland Human Care Services. You can bring your donations to church, or order to be delivered directly from their Amazon list.     
  • Buy toys, games or books for children ages 0-24 from Kids Above All wishlist at Target or Amazon.
  • If you have not filled your pledge for 2025, you can do that by using this link and support Broadway UMC to continue to be a presence in Lakeview through worship and our various ministries.

  • And finally, I invite you to support the quest for a FREE PALESTINE- where lies the birthplace of Jesus who is the reason for this season. I know  there are differing political views about the whole situation, but I invite us, as humans, to support other humans who are suffering. I invite you to learn for yourself by registering for this virtual event and donate to support their work.

 I hope to see you in worship as we continue our Advent journey to Make room at the INN to HOUSE THE HOLY.  This Sunday we will hear the message of PEACE by Pip Ollie Paris.  

 

    Peace         Dec 8           Advent 2 “A Place at the Table”

    Love           Dec 15          Advent 3 “How Much is Enough?”

    Joy             Dec 22          Advent 4 “A Room with a View”

                        Dec 24          Christmas Eve “The Inn”

 

On Sunday, Dec 22nd we will also hold our “Blue Christmas” service at 7:00 pm to acknowledge that hope, peace, joy, and love can be distant feelings, especially when we encounter great loss. Please join us for this service and share the information with anyone you know who might be struggling in this season.  

 

And finally beloveds, amidst all that life presents us with, let us not forget to walk boldly towards justice, support our community, and do all we can to leave a better and peaceful world for our children and the future generations. 

 

And, I hope to see you in church soon,