Greetings Centennial Friends!
Assuming you are opening this email on Friday, January 5, did you realize that today is the 12th day of Christmas? And that means, among other things, that there should be 12 drummers drumming, and that it’s time to take down the tree, the decorations, and the outside Christmas lights, so that your HOA (if you have one) doesn’t send you one of those delightfully threatening letters. A more significant “other thing” related to it being the last day of Christmas is that tomorrow begins the season of Epiphany.
Epiphany literally means “appearance” or “manifestation” and is the season where the church focuses on Jesus’ manifestation to the whole world, thereby fulfilling God’s Advent promises. It is a season in the church calendar where our focus is on the world and specifically on those who have not yet heard and/or responded to God’s gift of salvation. It is very appropriate then that our Global Team is hosting the next couple of Sundays to help us pray for and respond to Jesus’ invitation to “go into all the world and make disciples.”
This Sunday, Jim Peterson, ECC missionary to Japan will be taking us into God’s word. He writes about his upcoming message:
In my sermon this Sunday I will be looking at Mark 1:4-11 and specifically at John the Baptist’s 2-point message announcing the coming of the messiah and calling people to repentance. I will tie those two points to Jesus’ own 2-point proclamation (repent; the kingdom of God is near) and weave together a foundation for all missions work (and all Christian life!). Then I will look at the actual baptism of Jesus as a visual and aural verification of John’s message. In other words, John proclaimed Jesus’ arrival and called people to prepare for it. Then Jesus actually showed up and God revealed the truth of John’s words.
Also Jim and his wife Hydi will be sharing more in depth about their ministry during a lunch immediately following worship. If you’d like to attend and haven’t yet RSVP’d, you can do so here.
Grace and peace to you, and hope you will be with us this Sunday!
David Dillon
Worship & Communication
CENTENNIAL COVENANT CHURCH