StoneBridge Community Church
A Blue Christmas
Pastor Jeff Cheadle
Locations & Times
StoneBridge Campus
4832 Cochran St, Simi Valley, CA 93063, USA
Saturday 5:30 PM
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
Online "Connection Card"
Thanks for joining us today! Follow this link to our online "Connection Card" where you can let us know you were here and share any prayer concerns.
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The Text in Context
Allen Ross, "The Glorious Messiah and the Messianic Age (Isaiah 9:1-7)" From the series The Book of Isaiah.
https://bit.ly/2hg9qWgA Blue Christmas
"Blue Christmas is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay Johnson and most famously performed by Elvis Presley. It is a tale of unrequited love during the holidays and is a longstanding staple of Christmas music…" Read more at Wikipedia…
https://bit.ly/2E3J0EEHave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas/ It may be your last/ Next year we may all be living in the past/ Faithful friends who were dear to us/ Will be near to us no more" —Mary Schmich, "Original lyrics to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas were anything but merry" Chicago Tribune, December 15, 2017.
https://trib.in/2QBmYjr1. People…
1. People grieve at Christmastime.
For Reflection/Discussion: What kind of expectations do most people have for Christmas? Are those expectations realistic? Why or why not? Have you every found yourself sad, lonely, discouraged, or grieving at Christmastime? How did you respond? Why is Christmas difficult for people who are broken-hearted or who have lost a loved one? What are your thoughts and feelings on having a message about grief during Advent?
2. Grief is…
2. Grief is woven throughout the biblical story of Christmas.
Thestrals
"Being able to see Thestrals is a sign that the beholder has witnessed death, and gained an emotional understanding of what death means." — "Thestrals" Pottermore website.
https://bit.ly/2BY2YQ0O Come, O Come Emmanuel
"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is a Christian hymn for Advent and Christmas. It is a translation of a Latin hymn, Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, itself a metrical paraphrase of the O Antiphons, a series of plainchant antiphons attached to the Magnificat at Vespers over the final days before Christmas." Read more at Wikipedia…
https://bit.ly/2L2rd23Coventry Carol
"The Coventry Carol is an English Christmas carol dating from the 16th century. The carol was traditionally performed in Coventry in England… The carol refers to the Massacre of the Innocents, in which Herod ordered all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem to be killed, and takes the form of a lullaby sung by mothers of the doomed children." Read more at Wikipedia…
https://bit.ly/2zMOhxkIt Came Upon the Midnight Clear
"Writing during a period of personal melancholy, and with news of revolution in Europe and the United States' war with Mexico fresh in his mind, Edmund Sears portrayed the world as dark and full of 'sin and strife.'" Read more at Wikipedia…
https://bit.ly/2hxniyHFor Reflection/Discussion: In what way is grief implied or directly addressed in the biblical account of Jesus' birth, and the events leading up to and following after it? What Christmas songs and carols can you think of that address the issue of loss and grief?
3. The birth of Christ is a special gift…
3. The birth of Christ is a special gift for the broken-hearted and those who grieve.
Dealing With Loss at Christmas
Charity Ready, "Dealing With Loss at Christmas" The Village Church, December 5, 2013.
https://bit.ly/2L3iGfjCelebrating Christmas Despite Grief and Death
Albert Mohler, "Celebrating Christmas Despite Grief and Death" Christian Headlines, December 24, 2012.
https://bit.ly/2RFzRGk"Let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore, and in a greater light, that multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom in the Lord Jesus we are for ever one." — The Bidding Prayer, A Service of Nine Lessons and Carols
For Reflection/Discussion: Why, in your judgment, are the parts of the biblical Christmas story that deal with grief and loss largely overlooked or ignored? What are we missing by not reading and understanding them? In what ways does Jesus' birth address our grief? Why are those who have lost a loved one uniquely qualified to understand the profound importance of Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection? Read Revelation 21.1-5. What are your thoughts and feelings as you read this text? Who are you missing this Christmas? How can the hope of the resurrection help us through this season?
One way our church family celebrates this holy season is through our special Heart of Christmas offering. At this time of year most of us think a bit more about the needs of others, especially those who are less fortunate. The Heart of Christmas offering is divided between five important ministries that impact lives all year long— ACTION, IMPACT, Front Porch Ministries, New Church Development, and The Christmas Joy Offering. You’ll find a special Heart of Christmas offering envelope in your program this weekend or you can donate online through our website.
The Angel Tree provides an opportunity to assist those within our congregation who are in need this holiday season. Each ornament on the tree contains an idea for a gift certificate that will be gifted. Choose an ornament, purchase the gift certificate, and return it no later than Monday, December 17th to the office or to a Deacon on the patio during weekend services. Thank you in advance for your generous spirit during this Holiday Season.
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