At an Intersection
At an Intersection
John the Baptist tells the Pharisees and Sadducees to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” What does the term repentance mean to you? What images come to mind? What do you feel?
In the Bible, repentance is a rich term grounded in concepts of turning or returning or changing. Repentance engages our emotions and also (especially) our actions. John employs a metaphor of fruitfulness to describe it.
We meet repentance when we come to an intersection that crosses our path. Whereas we were headed in one direction, now we are confronted with an event that interrupts our momentum. Do we stay the course? Or do we turn?
John the Baptist stands resolutely at an intersection. The Pharisees and Sadducees must decide: do they stay their course or do they turn in a new direction?
The Kingdom of Heaven for which we pray comes to those who repent. It is an important Advent theme. On Sunday, we'll spend some time with John's call for repentance and, with God's help, bear a little fruit ourselves.
Steve E+
New Song
During the four Sundays of Advent, we will be singing a new song to us as a part of the Ministry of the Word: O Lord, Have Mercy. It’s a beautiful setting of the Invocation of The Great Litany, petitioning the Holy Trinity for mercy. Listen here.
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Christmas Giving Opportunities—Redeemer is partnering again this year with The Salvation Army Annapolis Corps for two of their annual initiatives: The Red Kettle Campaign and Project Angel Tree. Only six Angel Tree tags remain!
AACS Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols—Tonight at 6:00pm, the Annapolis Area Christian School’s Chorus and Madrigal Singers will host a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Hope you’ll be there.
Ladies’ Advent Tea at Tutbury—Tomorrow, December 6, 3:00–5:00pm. RSVP to Lauren Wishart or Christa Dittmar.
Redeemer Annual Meeting—Sunday following worship and a light brunch. Our Annual Meeting is a crucial event in the life of our church. It’s where we review the current year and talk about vision, priorities, and resource needs for the year upcoming.
Lessons and Carols and Wine and Favorite Hors d’ Oeuvres Reception—Christmas Eve, 5:00pm
Christmas Day Holy Communion—11:00am
Men’s Bible Study—Thursdays, 7:00am @ 1309
Morning Prayer—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:00–8:30am on Zoom.
Photo: Annie Spratt on Unsplash
