December 10, 2024
Merry almost-Christmas, church family and friends!
How, I ask you. How does this happen EVERY YEAR? We are halfway through advent, and my tree at home is still naked, my traditional decorations are only partially up, gifts are not purchased, and according to my calculations I will have no time to do any of those things in the next week or so unless I do them at 2am. When will I learn? DO THESE THINGS ON THANKSGIVING WEEKEND.
But Thanksgiving weekend is for sleep, see. For sprawling on the couch, and doing absolutely nothing. Which is important, too, right? Of course it is. And so, here we are.
One of the recent questions asked of us who write for the Faith Forum in the Reno Gazette-Journal was whether or not we should resist things less, and let life go along as it will. My own answer, as it so often is, was yes and no. I know you’ll agree, there is a big piece of our faith dedicated to self-control and discipline, and living through Christ in such a way as to literally change the world. So the idea of “eh, it’s fine, let people do what they will do, let life be what it will be” makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up like exclamation points. I mean, our baptismal vows specifically call us to actively stand against and oppose “evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.”
At the same time, though, all of that healthy self-discipline and seeking first the kingdom can go a little sideways in us. It can morph into self-destructiveness sometimes, stealing our joy and replacing it with a constant sense of failure and inadequacy. It can also warp into an unhealthy obsession with judging and controlling the lives of other people. This is why love of God and one another must be nurtured carefully alongside self-discipline and humility, to keep it all healthy and balanced and lifegiving.
So yes, resistance and discipline are very important parts of our faith. But another big piece of our faith is dedicated to resting in God. Trusting in God’s will, and God’s wisdom. Letting Jesus lead us beside still waters, and restore our souls. In my own life, this part has never gotten nearly enough attention. I have learned to set aside time for prayer, of course, but the focus of my life and my faith has always been about doing stuff. That’s why it drives me a little crazy when there is too much stuff to realistically accomplish…I have always found it difficult to just breathe, and let go, and enjoy things as they are.
When I was in seminary 25 years ago, contemplative prayer practices were experiencing a kind of resurgence in protestant Christianity. They are an ancient thing among Christians, and long periods of prayerful quiet or specially designed prayer services have always been an integral part of the Catholic faith. But among Protestants, much less so. My instructor told us then, and I try to remember now, this kind of prayer is not just a way of praying but rather a whole different way of living. It’s a practice that teaches us to let more go, so that we can let in more joy and peace…it builds the habit in us of seeing, and hearing, and tasting what is right in front of us, and giving thanks to God in each moment.
In these days of seasonal busy-ness, I am praying that we can all laugh at our own foibles more, forgive ourselves and others, want less and be content more, and truly enjoy each moment with God and one another.
Come, let us adore him,
Pastor Dawn
Worship This Week
It’s one of our very favorite times of the year! Our choir will be filling our sanctuary with music as we
sing Jay Althouse’s “Joy to the World.” Paul Grumstrup will be doing the narration, and we are SO THANKFUL to Jackie Warburton for her skillful and loving leadership, Mike Irby for his talent and dedication as our pianist, and all of our singers for their time and hard work and beautiful voices. It will be a wonderful day.
Worship begins at 9:00am every Sunday, in person. If you can’t be there, remember to find us on YouTube so that you can watch live from wherever you are, or join us on KVLV radio on AM980 every Sunday beginning at 9:30am. If you have ideas or questions, or if we can be in prayer for you in any way, please call the church at 775-423-4714, or call Pastor Dawn directly at 775-671-5553. We’d love to hear from you.
News and Fun Stuff
Online Giving
Everything we do to serve God and our neighbors is made possible because of your generosity. THANK YOU! If you'd like to set up online giving, head over to our website, epworthfallon.org/give.
See You at the Craft Fair on Dec 13 & 14
We’ll be selling fresh undecorated wreaths, and decorated ones too, at the Christmas Craft Fair at CCHS. Join us to greet folks and answer their questions about Epworth and the Wolf Center. The more of our smiling faces, the better.
Lahontan Valley Choir Christmas Concerts
Come hear some fun and inspiring Christmas music at the Fallon Theater on Friday December 6 after the tree lighting, on Wednesday December 11 at 7pm at Epworth, or on Monday December 23 at 11am at the Senior Center. Buy raffle tickets for the gorgeous winter quilt, too, made by our very own Carolyn Parrish! Drawing will be held on December 14 at the Christmas Craft Fair at CCHS.
The Longest Night Saturday Dec 21
3pm and 7pm
In the midst of holiday mania, this special service is a respite of quiet and prayer on the longest night of the year. It is a time to miss those who aren’t with us, to recognize that things are not as perfect as we wish they were, and to rest in the presence of the God who loves and cares for us. We’ll have 2 services this year, one at 3pm for those who prefer driving in the daylight, and one at 7pm. Help us spread the word to anyone who might need a sweet, healing time like this at Christmas.
Candlelight Christmas Eve Tuesday December 24
3pm, 7pm, and 11pm
We’ve added a daytime service this year for folks who prefer driving in the daylight, for young families, and for anyone else who might like to come to worship before their dinnertime holiday celebrations. Each service will be similar: Christmas carols, telling the Christmas story directly from scripture, a special Christmas story rather than a sermon, and lighting candles and singing Silent Night at the end. The 11pm service will be a bit more meditative, and include a service of Holy Communion.
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