church and Christmas
The first Sunday of each month we (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) are invited to go without food and drink for twenty-four hours (to fast) and to donate what we would have spent for those two meals to funds used to help those in need in our area. It's called Fast Sunday--a name I've occasionally poked fun at, because it doesn't feel like it goes by very fast sometimes.
Rather than having arranged speakers during the block of time we call Sacrament meeting, on Fast Sunday we're invited as individuals to share our testimonies if we choose. I believe some churches call this 'witnessing.' Most of the time it's adults who choose to speak, but sometimes a child will talk as well. Today a six-year-old girl (who used to be in my nursery class when she was three), walked confidently up to the pulpit and told us about how she'd been alone in her bedroom when it started to rain. She felt afraid, so she decided to kneel and pray. "After I was done, I could barely hear the rain anymore," she concluded. What a tender moment it was to hear her tell this.
On church-related topics, the Annual Christmas Devotional is a great cure for feeling stressed-out about Christmas time, or if you just want something to remind you about the real reason for celebrating this time of year. (It was broadcast earlier this evening. I'm guessing this link will stay active for the rest of the month, but let me know if it doesn't, and I'll go find it again. Or you can look on LDS.org yourself.)
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings: "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" from Handel's Messiah, a new (to me) arrangement of "O Holy Night," something else I've forgotten and lastly, "Silent Night."
The first speaker is Dieter F. Uchtdorf. He's currently the second counselor in the First Presidency of my church. He talks about about his early days in the gosel as a young boy in East Germany. It's very easily understandable to Christians of all denominations. He even quotes from The Little Prince! *loves* The second speaker, Henry B. Eyring, gets more 'Mormon-specific' (that's the best way I can think to word it right now), but the third talk is very much for all Christians again. Thomas S. Monson, president of my church, talks about the Christmas spirit.
"Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in."
eta: Awww, I have a snowflake cookie on my profile from Sbabe!
eta2: I guess Saint Nicolas likes cookies! There are two more now waiting for him! Thanks, everyone! ♥
Rather than having arranged speakers during the block of time we call Sacrament meeting, on Fast Sunday we're invited as individuals to share our testimonies if we choose. I believe some churches call this 'witnessing.' Most of the time it's adults who choose to speak, but sometimes a child will talk as well. Today a six-year-old girl (who used to be in my nursery class when she was three), walked confidently up to the pulpit and told us about how she'd been alone in her bedroom when it started to rain. She felt afraid, so she decided to kneel and pray. "After I was done, I could barely hear the rain anymore," she concluded. What a tender moment it was to hear her tell this.
On church-related topics, the Annual Christmas Devotional is a great cure for feeling stressed-out about Christmas time, or if you just want something to remind you about the real reason for celebrating this time of year. (It was broadcast earlier this evening. I'm guessing this link will stay active for the rest of the month, but let me know if it doesn't, and I'll go find it again. Or you can look on LDS.org yourself.)
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings: "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" from Handel's Messiah, a new (to me) arrangement of "O Holy Night," something else I've forgotten and lastly, "Silent Night."
The first speaker is Dieter F. Uchtdorf. He's currently the second counselor in the First Presidency of my church. He talks about about his early days in the gosel as a young boy in East Germany. It's very easily understandable to Christians of all denominations. He even quotes from The Little Prince! *loves* The second speaker, Henry B. Eyring, gets more 'Mormon-specific' (that's the best way I can think to word it right now), but the third talk is very much for all Christians again. Thomas S. Monson, president of my church, talks about the Christmas spirit.
"Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in."
eta: Awww, I have a snowflake cookie on my profile from Sbabe!
eta2: I guess Saint Nicolas likes cookies! There are two more now waiting for him! Thanks, everyone! ♥