10:30 a.m. Sunday Worship Join us for Coffee Hour after the service.

As I write this the schools in our area are welcoming the eager students for another year of challenges, and learning. The ritual of going back to school is a milestone for the parents, as well as the students. Students mark their progress of development by speaking of the grades they’ve completed and the levels of education reached by moving from kindergarten, to junior high, to high school, and then into the great beyond. Parents mark the passing years in horror at how quickly their little ones are becoming adults and pushing them into the ‘empty nest’ syndrome and then into the role of grandparent. Time continually moves forward and we swim along with the currant the best way we possibly can.

This past week the leaves began turning on the trees. Now, along with the various shades of green, there are magnificent yellows, lively oranges and blazing reds. Yet these colours are only a small hint of the larger picture. The larger picture is that nature is preparing for the onset of winter. The onset of winter is also just part of an even larger picture – that of the yearly orbit of our planet around the sun. Even this is only a minor glimpse within the vast picture of our ever-changing universe. Are we in the midst of a drastic climate change? What new changes will the next years bring? What will be happening to the flora and fauna, and subsequently, how will these changes affect humans? ...

Even though we have all heard the Christmas story many times it is still a story filled with mystery. It is a story which continues to bring hope to our world, and perhaps someday, maybe even peace. Let's examine some of the mystery around the Christmas story.