Women’s Bible Study
FPC Women’s Bible Study meets on Thursdays at 1:00 pm in the Library. A study of Matthew For Everyone by N T Wright will continue through the year. The group welcomes new members on a one time or all times basis, hoping to engage with you in discussion and the exploration of Christianity. For more information contact: Mary Hargis at 801 698-2384.
Blue Christmas
The season of Christmas can be a time of great anticipation, nostalgia, joy and love. But for some, it can be a difficult season that reminds us of loss, pain, or the ways that life can go sideways. Heightened by the advertising of our culture, there is a definite Christmas ideal that includes neatly iced gingerbread houses, smiling children, and an excessive amount of neatly wrapped packages. These standards and the church’s sometimes solitary focus on joy can make the holidays an isolating time for anyone who can not muster happiness or meet the criteria.
To honor the complex emotional experience of this season, we will hold a Blue Christmas service the Wednesday before Christmas. A Blue Christmas service is an invitation for anyone who wants to acknowledge their pain and set their burdens down for a time in the midst of a community that can hold space for the sadness that so often accompanies this season.
Please join us in the sanctuary at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, December 18th for our Blue Christmas service.
Advent Schedule
Sunday, December 1, 2024 is the 1st day of Advent. One candle is lit. The First Candle, called the Prophecy Candle, represents hope and the anticipation of Christ’s coming, recalling the prophecies about the Messiah and the hope He brings to the world.
Sunday, December 8, 2024 is the 2nd day of Advent. The second candle is lit. The Second Candle, called the Bethlehem Candle, symbolizes peace and preparation, reflecting Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and the peace that Christ’s birth brings.
Sunday, December 15, 2024 is the 3rd day of Advent. The third candle is lit. The Third Candle (this is the pink candle), is called the Shepherd’s Candle, and represents the joy felt at the birth of our Lord, as well as the joy we have in anticipation of His return.
Sunday, December 22, 2024 is the 4th day of Advent. The fourth candle is lit. The Fourth Candle, called the Angel’s Candle, symbolizes love and the message of God’s love that the angels announced at Christ’s birth.