Sunday, December 10, 2023
2nd Sunday of Advent

Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11
Message: “Comfort”
Preacher: Rev. Lian Chin-Siong

*** Announcements for the Week of December 3^rd ***

• ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING
  Today is the 1st Sunday of Advent. We light up the first purple candle, the Prophecy Candle. It reminds us of the hope the prophets and the people had for a savior, who will rule over His people and creation with truth, justice, and righteousness.
• SMALL GROUP AND CARECELL
  1. The Word & Bread small group will meet in Room 702 after the service;
  2. The Young Professionals (YP) will meet in Room 801 at 19:30 on Friday (12/8).
• HOLY COMMUNION SERVICE
  The Holy Communion will take place in the next Sunday Service (12/10). Let’s prepare ourselves to partake the Lord’s meal.
• THE CHRISTMAS BUFFET LUNCH
  The Christmas Buffet Lunch will take place in MJ Kitchen (台北國泰萬怡酒店) from 11:30 to 14:00 on Saturday, 12/23.
• CHURCH BUILDING OFFERTORY
  The SLPC building is now 50 years old. The Pastors-Elders Committee has a vision to rebuild the building. A dedicated fund has been set up to collect offerings for church-rebuilding for the next 20 years. Brothers and sisters can adjust/redistribute your tithe/offerings to help with the rebuilding project. Thank you.
• SLPC PRAYER MEETINGS
  SLPC will host prayer meetings in Taiwanese and Mandarin in the 7^th floor chapel every Thursday night from 19:30 to 20:30. Pastors of SLPC will lead the meetings. We encourage brothers and sisters to attend.
• THE ELECTRONIC CONNECT CARD
  The electronic version of the Connect Card can now be accessed by scanning the new QR Code below.
  
  Or by clicking this link: https://forms.gle/AJqmNU2HkizjJXNH6
• SCAN OR CLICK TO SIGN-IN EVERY SERVICE
  Please scan the service QR Code around the Chapel entrance or on the bulletin, or click the Sign-In link that will be posted in the EM Family Line group chat each Sunday morning for attendance.

***Special Notice***

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ! May the peace of Christ be with you!

The Taiwan CDC has loosened its policies on the COVID-19 restrictions. However, it’s an enclosed space inside the church. As a result, please observe the following guidelines when inside the church premises:

1. Please make sure you have your masks properly worn when entering and inside the church. Disinfect your hands with alcohol if necessary. Maintain social distancing whenever possible.

2. If you don’t feel well, exhibit symptoms of cold, or have been in close contact with people who are contracting COVID-19, please consider to stay at home and participate the online service instead.

3. Food and drinks are conditionally allowed inside the church compound.

Thank you and let’s worship God together on Sundays!

Electronic Sunday Bulletin
EM encourages its congregation to use the electronic version of the Sunday bulletin to save paper.  Please click the following link to access the eBulletin:

https://shorturl.at/gjKL0

Or scan the following QR code.

If you have any suggestion regarding the eBulletin, please let us know.  Thank you!

SERVE IN EM

Come and serve in EM!  You can join the Liturgy, the Audio/Video team, the Praise team, the EM Choir, the Homeless Ministry team, or the Kids Club.  Email: emcaresforyou@gmail.com for more info.

ADVENT: A SEASON OF WAITING AND PREPARING

⁶ For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Great will be his authority, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Advent is a season that Christians all over the world celebrate with joy and hope. Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, or the closest Sunday to November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve. The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming or arrival”, which is the translation of the Greek word parousia, which we commonly use in relation to the second coming of Jesus Christ. As we enter the season and prepare to celebrate Christmas, we remember that this season provides us with two opportunities.

First, Advent gives us an opportunity to share in the ancient longing and expectation for the coming of Messiah. God promised the people of Israel about the coming of a Messiah on numerous occasions through Isaiah, Jerimiah, and other prophets. One such promise was made through Isaiah in Isaiah 9:6-7 which was 700 years before Jesus’ coming. In the midst of captivity, oppression, occupation, peacelessness and chaos, they have waited 700 years in anticipation for a Prince of Peace who would provide everlasting peace and deliver them from oppression by bringing justice and righteousness. We were not there during Israel’s waiting for the coming Messiah. However, as we wait for Christmas today, we participate in ancient Israel’s longing for a Messiah.

Second, it provides us with an opportunity to be alert and to be prepared for His Second Coming, parousia trusting in the promises of Christ and waiting for the ultimate deliverance. The advent season is not only about anticipation but also about preparation. It is an individual as well as communal preparation for the second coming of Christ. Our context is not so much different from that of the people of Israel. The global society today has been faced with numerous threats to life. Rising wars, conflicts and occupations, rising sea levels and natural calamities, deepening social, political, and religious polarizations, increasing number of diseases and pandemics, etc., are threatening life on this earth. In the midst of all these threats to life, we remember the promise of Christ that he would come again and take us to live with God (John 14:1-3), and we need to be prepared for that day (Matthew 24:42-44). This season of Advent, therefore, reminds us that while we celebrate Christ’s coming, we also need to diligently prepare for his second coming asking God, Maranatha!

Joshua Tadikonda,
CSI Krishna-Godavari Diocese