by Crystal Harris | Dec 27, 2020 | blog, Pastoral Prayer
Pastoral Prayer 12-27-2020 God it has been a long year. The longest perhaps. A year remembered by heartache and national grief. This year we practically ran to the manger, so desperate to get a glimpse of peace and hope, to grasp a sense of and joy and love that is...
by Crystal Harris | Dec 24, 2020 | blog
Wise Men Seek Jesus Text: Matthew 2:1-12 International Children’s Bible Scripture Reading: Wise Men Come to Visit Jesus 2 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to...
by Crystal Harris | Dec 17, 2020 | blog
Humble Beginnings Text: Luke 2:1-20 International Children’s Bible Scripture Reading: The Birth of Jesus 2 At that time, Augustus Caesar sent an order to all people in the countries that were under Roman rule. The order said that they must list their names in a...
by Crystal Harris | Dec 17, 2020 | blog
Welcoming with Love and Joy Text: Luke 1:26-56 Scripture Reading: 36 Now listen! Elizabeth, your relative, is very old. But she is also pregnant with a son. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant for six months. 37 God can do...
by Crystal Harris | Dec 8, 2020 | blog, Pastoral Prayer
Pastoral Prayer for Advent 2, December 6, 2020 Lord we have lit the second candle of the advent wreath on our journey towards the manger. It’s a difficult journey this year God, our normal markers look different. We don’t feel the stress to fit everything in but we...
by Crystal Harris | Nov 28, 2020 | blog
Gratitude for Grace Romans 5:1-4 We have been made right with God because of our faith. Now we have peace with him because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus we have received God’s grace. In that grace we stand. We are full of joy because we expect...
by Crystal Harris | Nov 26, 2020 | blog
The King of Peace Is Coming “Looking Up During Uncertain Times” A Daily Devotional Text: Isaiah 11:1-9 Scripture Reading: The King of Peace Is Coming 11 A branch will grow from a stump of a tree that was cut down. So a new king will come from the family of Jesse. 2...
by Crystal Harris | Nov 24, 2020 | blog, Pastoral Prayer
Pastoral Prayer Thanksgiving 2020 God this is a Thanksgiving unlike any others. On this Sunday before Thanksgiving in years past we are talking plans, packing suitcases, frantically cleaning the house, and making 16 trips to the grocery store. In years past we are...
by Crystal Harris | Nov 23, 2020 | blog, Uncategorized
National Bible Week First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor · National Bible Week Devotional Audio The Bible is honestly one of my favorite books, or perhaps collection of books. The Bible contains the stories of our Judeo-Christian faith, from its Hebrew beginning...
by Crystal Harris | Nov 21, 2020 | blog
National Adoption Day Text: From Vocabulary.com: adoption; Adoption is the act of taking something on as your own. Adoption usually refers to the legal process of becoming a non-biological parent, but it also refers to the act of embracing ideas, habits, or free...