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UID:20260501T215614UTC-7096lkijIR@https://messiahofthemountains.org/
DTSTAMP:20260501T215614Z
DESCRIPTION:We are a small church\, but big on Grace. We gather each Sunday
  at 11:00 am for worship by singing hymns\, hearing readings from the bibl
 e\, praying together and a celebration of Holy Communion. Communion is the
  spiritual bread our bodies need to live. All are invited to join us at th
 e Lord's table to be fed by his heavenly food\, There are no strangers in 
 God’s house\, and if you choose to worship with us\, we would be honored b
 y your presence.\nIntroduction\nAs we celebrate the Twelve Days of Christm
 as\, our gospel today confronts us with the death of innocent children at 
 the hands of Herod. The birth of Christ does not remove the power of evil 
 from our world\, but its light gives us hope as we walk with all the “holy
  innocents” of past generations and today who have suffered unjustly. In o
 ur gathering around word and meal\, God continues to redeem us\, lift us u
 p\, and carry us as in days of old.\n \n \nPrayer of the Day\nO Lord God\,
  you know that we cannot place our trust in our own powers. As you protect
 ed the infant Jesus\, so defend us and all the needy from harm and adversi
 ty\, through Jesus Christ\, our Savior and Lord\, who lives and reigns wit
 h you and the Holy Spirit\, one God\, now and forever.\nAmen.\n \nFirst Re
 ading: Isaiah 63:7-9 God does not delegate divine intervention to a messen
 ger or angel. God’s own presence brings salvation. The prophet and all who
  read these words join in celebrating God’s gracious deeds. God trusts tha
 t God’s people will not act falsely.\n \nPsalm: 148 The splendor of the Lo
 rd is over earth and heaven. (Ps. 148:13)\n \nSecond Reading:  \nHebrews 2
 :10-18 Through Jesus’ suffering and death\, the trail to eternal salvation
  has been blazed for us. We do not fear death\, because he has conquered t
 he power of death. Thus Christ\, our merciful and faithful high priest\, h
 as the final say over the destiny of our lives.\n \nGospel:  \nMatthew 2:1
 3-23 In a dream\, Joseph is warned to flee to Egypt to protect the infant 
 Jesus from the jealousy of Herod.\n13  Now after [the magi] had left\, an 
 angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said\, “Get up\, take 
 the child and his mother\, and flee to Egypt\, and remain there until I te
 ll you\, for Herod is about to search for the child\, to destroy him.”\n14
   Then Joseph got up\, took the child and his mother by night\, and went t
 o Egypt\n15  and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulf
 ill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet\, “Out of Egypt I
  have called my son.”  \n16  When Herod saw that he had been tricked by th
 e magi\, he was infuriated\, and he sent and killed all the children in an
 d around Bethlehem who were two years old or under\, according to the time
  that he had learned from the magi.\n17  Then what had been spoken through
  the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:  \n18  “A voice was heard in Ramah\, 
   wailing and loud lamentation\,  Rachel weeping for her children\;   she 
 refused to be consoled\, because they are no more.”  \n19  When Herod died
 \, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt an
 d said\,\n20  “Get up\, take the child and his mother\, and go to the land
  of Israel\, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.”\n21  T
 hen Joseph got up\, took the child and his mother\, and went to the land o
 f Israel.\n22  But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling Judea in place 
 of his father Herod\, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in
  a dream\, he went away to the district of Galilee.\n23  There he made his
  home in a town called Nazareth\, so that what had been spoken through the
  prophets might be fulfilled\, “He will be called a Nazarene.”\n**********
 *******************************\nAfter the Sermon\, Holy Communion will be
  offered. Come as you are\, the gift of the Table of the Lord has been pre
 pared as Jesus has requested and now we are invited to the meal. Come to t
 he table like Peter\, with m ore enthusiasm than resolve and like James an
 d John\, disappointed and the priorities of God’s reign. Come to the table
  like Martha\, hosting and leading with confidence like Mary\, full of lov
 e and grief. Come to the table like Judas\, disillusioned and rebellious a
 nd like Mary Magdalene\, faithful till the end. Come to the table\, becaus
 e it is God who invites us and it’s God’s will that those who want to shou
 ld meet God here.\nBlessing for the day (Our blessing is an adaptation of 
 a Franciscan Prayer)\nMay God bless us with discomfort at a Easy answers\,
  half truths and superficial leaderships so that we may live out God’s wil
 l deep in our heartland in our world.\nMay god bless with anger at injusti
 ce\, oppression and exploration and the environments that we may work for 
 justice\, freedom and peace.\nMay God bless us with tears to shed for thos
 e who suffer from pain\, rejection\, hunger and war so that we may reach o
 ut with hands and hearts to help them\, walk with them and turn their pain
  into hope and joy.\nAnd may God bless us with enough foolishness to belie
 ve that we can make a difference in this world\, so that we can do what ot
 hers claim cannot be done. To bring justice\, peace\, hope and love to all
  children\, the poor and all others in any need.\nGod be your comfort\, yo
 ur strength\;\nGod be your hope and support\;\nGod be your light and your 
 way\; and the blessing of God Creator\, Redeemer and Giver of Life\, remai
 n with you now and forever. https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event
 /611-first-sunday-of-christmas-year-a-year-a-worship-service-11-00-am-serv
 ice-pastor-naomi-carriker
DTSTART:20251228T160000Z
DTEND:20251228T170000Z
LOCATION:Messiah Of The Mountains Lutheran Church (3690 US-19E\, Burnsville
 \, NC 28714\, USA)
SUMMARY:First Sunday of Christmas\, Year A -  Year A - Worship Service - 11
 :00 AM Service  --  Pastor  Naomi Carriker
URL:https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/611-first-sunday-of-chri
 stmas-year-a-year-a-worship-service-11-00-am-service-pastor-naomi-carriker
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