Wesley Word – November 23, 2022

Carolyn Lemaster   -   November 23, 2022

To go along with service on: Sunday, November 27, 2022

Experiencing Grace

Exploring Truth – It’s Time to Wake Up

Romans 13:11-14 & Matthew 24:36-44

This Sunday we begin the season of Advent. Advent means coming and during the season of Advent, we prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus. While we usually focus on the First Coming of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem, Advent is also about preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus.

We know that Jesus is coming back, and we know that this is good news and a reason for great hope, but we do not know, in fact, we cannot know, when. The reason for this is quite obvious from our text this week.

If we knew when Jesus was coming back, then we would just live however we wanted until just before and then clean up our act at the last minute. Instead, Jesus wants us to stay awake and stay alert and live like his people every day until he returns.

New Testament in a Year: https://wesleyonline.org/biblereading/

  • November 24    1 Peter 2:11-3:7
  • November 25    1 Peter 3:8-4:6
  • November 26    1 Peter 4:7-5:14
  • November 27    2 Peter 1:1-21
  • November 28    2 Peter 2:1-22
  • November 29    2 Peter 3:1-18
  • November 30    1 John 1:1-10

Expressing Love: Family/Mission Activity

How do we know what time it is? In school children are taught how to read time on a clock. However, most people are constantly checking the time (myself included) on our wrists, walls, laptops, tablets, phones, bedside tables, microwaves, ranges, and the list goes on.

Now in Alice in Wonderland a certain white rabbit checks his pocket watch and then says “I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date! No time to say “Hello, Goodbye, I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!” The rabbit was late as he says but are you late?

You say how could I be late? Especially with all the ways to check the time I have, but alas we are not really talking about the standard time that the world uses, but the time of our soul in anticipation of Jesus coming back in the flesh to us.

Are we as ready for this as we might think we are? My own soul is waiting, but for some of my family and friends who are not Christian, I pray that their souls are waiting even if they do not know it.

Walk through your home and count your many ways to tell what time it is? As these clocks count time based on a modern standard of time, pause, and pray.

Pray for your soul and those who have yet to say that their soul is waiting too.

Announcements

  • WOW is done until after the first of the year
  • Thank you to everyone who bought from the youth on Sunday.
  • Sunday School Christmas Program – Sunday, December 4 at 10:00 am.
  • The Wesley Handbell Choir will play this Friday, December 2, from 5:30-6:30 pm, in the National Pearl Button Museum on the 2nd This is part of Muscatine’s annual Holiday Stroll. They have a 30-minute program that they will play twice.
  • Kids Christmas Shoppe – December 10, 9:00 am-Noon at the Wesley Family Life Center. Contact Mary Anne Alberhasky, 319-461-6609.
  • Wesley’s annual Festival of Lessons & Carols is Sunday, December 11, at 2:30 p.m. Come hear 7 Scripture readings that proclaim Jesus’ birth along with anthems by the Muscatine Littlest Angels’ Choir, Children’s Choir, Youth Choir, Wesley’s Chancel Choir, and an orchestra. Invite your friends to this free event, too!
  • All-Church Caroling December 18 – Sign-up from now until December 11 on the back table. We’ll meet at the Family Life Center (FLC) at 2:45 pm on December 18, go caroling from 3:00-4:30, and return to the FLC for treats and fellowship until 5:30 pm. Come spread the joy of Jesus’ birth with our more homebound church members and friends! If inclement weather is predicted, the caroling would be cancelled by 5:00 pm on Friday, December 16.
  • Senior Resources Giving Tree – The items needed are now in the foyer. Please take one or more of the slips on the tree and help us make Christmas a bit merrier for a deserving senior. Thanks! Be sure to include the slip when you return your donation so we know who is to receive it.