November-December 2019As we enter this holiday season may we be encouraged to celebrate

counter-culturally as women who are deeply thankful for the Lord’s blessings,

expectantly waiting for the Lord’s return and joyfully celebrating

His incarnation by which He entered our exile in order to bring us home!

- IN THIS ISSUE -On mobile phone, best read in horizontal view.

Thankfulness as a ThankOffering

A Reflection by LindaDarlington

ThanksgivingResources

Knox Presbyterian ChurchFriday, December 6

7:00pmSpeaker: Connally Gilliam

And Yet, Undaunted: Embraced by theGoodness of God in the Chaos of Life

by Paula Rinehart & Connally Gilliam

Reviewed by Patrice Pedersen & Gale Burrow

Preparing the WayAn Advent Reflection

by Deb Mantel

A FamilyNativity Play

A Christmas Reflectionby Jennifer Donovan

An Advent Sermon Series on Micahby Pastor Bryan Gregory

Advent DevotionalsReviews by

Danae Lauffer,Carolyn Giroux,

and Teresa Mattson

T2 MentoringReflections by Anya Cobler and Monika Lamine

Thankfulness as a Thank OfferingA Thanksgiving Reflection by Linda Darlington

Since retiring from teaching in the Ann Arbor PublicSchools, I have been involved in prayer ministry.Gratitude and giving thanks have been on my heartfor many years. I grew up in an era when writingthank you notes was common. I enjoy being aroundthankful, appreciative people because I need constantreminders to be thankful. As Christians the Bibleinstructs us to come into God’s presence withthanksgiving.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courtswith praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Psalm 100:4 In my life, I’ve found that being thankful in good times and hard times takesperseverance and faith. I’ve found that thankfulness lifts heaviness and helps clearvision. One thing I have learned through physical suffering is not to take things forgranted. I practice being grateful for small things.

One exercise that I try to do at lunch time and dinner time is to recount the thingsthat have happened thus far in the day and give the Lord thanks for the many large andsmall ways he has shown me His mercy and love. It may be a conversation I had withsomeone, the Lord giving me strength to do laundry, to go to the store or it may be forfood, shelter, heat, etc. As I begin to thank the Lord more things arise to mind tothank Him for.

Another exercise that I’ve found rewarding is when I’m out in the market-place or onthe phone and someone has been particularly helpful in their service towards me, Ithank them and sometimes give them a compliment or an encouraging word. It is goodto look for ways to thank others; whether it is someone from your past or a relative,

friend or even stranger who helped you today. Let us always remember to showappreciation for one another as brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus!

The Lord has given us His Word, His Holy Spirit, salvation, friendship, Himself, so muchgrace and love, so many promises. As I recount the many things to thank the Lord forand I exercise thanksgiving, I find it brings joy to my heart.

In my personal life, I’m working on giving thanks for the hard and hurtful things in mylife and how the Lord is with me and can work through them. The Lord is teaching methrough His Word that thanksgiving is an offering and that an offering “costs” us. Weare to bring offerings of thanksgiving to the Lord. The fellowship offerings described inLeviticus were at times called thanksgiving offerings. Here are a few scriptures onthank offerings:

Leviticus 22:29 - When you sacrifice an offering ofthanksgiving to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that

it will be accepted on your behalf.

Psalm 116:17 - I will sacrifice a thank offering to youand call on the name of the Lord.

2 Chronicles 29:31 -Then Hezekiah said, “You have now dedicatedyourselves to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices and

thank offerings to the temple of the Lord.” So, the assembly broughtsacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were

willing brought burnt offerings.

Thanksgiving beautifies the heart and makes it like a garden of flowers as we givethanks for the many blessings we have in Christ. That is where the Lord plants the“seed” of His Word to grow. It often needs plowing in order for the seed to grow andthe plowing of the heart in life is often painful. Being grateful in good times and hardtimes is the fertilizer for growth in a Christian’s life. I’m “slowly” learning I need togive thanks in all situations believing that God is working out everything for thegood! I’ve heard several testimonies through the years of those who have gonethrough hard things that ended up bringing fruitfulness as the Lord brought themthrough it. For a beautiful heart is a thankful heart.

May the Lord restore the “joy of our salvation” as we give thanks to Him and as weappreciate, help and encourage one another!

Thanksgiving Resources

Listen to these Thanksgiving songs that haveblessed Linda:

My Tribute by Andrea CrouchThank you, Lord by Don Moen

Linda also recommends this book on Thanksgiving:Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

And here are two more Thanksgiving resources:A Beautiful Table and a Bitter Heart by MelissaKrugerSandy Willson's Thanksgiving Meditation on Psalm100.

December 6, 7:00pmKnox Presbyterian Church

Join us for an evening of rich worship, warm fellowship,

delicious catered desserts, and funholiday crafts.

Copies of guest speaker Connally Gilliam’s newest book, And

Yet, Undaunted: Embraced by the Goodness of God in the Chaos of Life, will be available for

purchase and signing.

Admission fee: $8.00

Sign up here.

And Yet, Undaunted:Embraced by the Goodness of God in the Chaos of Life

by Paula Rinehart & Connally GilliamPublished by NavPress, 2019

Reviewed by Patrice Pedersen and Gale Burrow

PatriceThis is a difficult book to review so let me just begin with, “I lovedthis book!” Every once in a while in the Christian life, we encounterreading that takes the lens off self and points it at God, allowing therest and worship and humility He intends us to experience. And thatis what Connally Gilliam and Paula Rinehart are about in the newly

released, And Yet, Undaunted. To sum up, it is about the freedom oftelling ourselves the truth about ourselves and God.

The authors write in tandem, taking turns shining light into deepsorrow and the insidious lies we believe about ourselves and others. Ifind myself wondering how examining life’s deepest disappointmentscan be so encouraging. But it is a book that encouraged me in theway reminiscent of C.S. Lewis.

I think I underlined quotable wisdom on every page. I don’t know about you, but I needto be reminded daily of things like this.

“When I acknowledge…the audacity to try and enlist God in her somebody project… Ino longer have to live in …tyranny.” (76)

“We don’t just have a friend in Jesus. We have a God who came in search of us.” (77) And here is my personal favorite.

“He sets up a table before us and feeds us…with Himself.” (77)

It is basically organized into four major sections: Creation, Fall, Redemption, andRestoration. I like their use of practical application subtitles though: What Ought to Be,What Is, What Can Be, and What Will Be.

The final chapters complete the outline by casting one’s gaze to the future. UsingIsaiah’s chapter 54 as a springboard, the authors give enthralling exhortation to “Sing!”and to wait patiently in expectant anticipation and to shout, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

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GaleI knew I wanted to read this book when, right after theContents page, I saw the words of Samwise Gamgeefrom Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers:“I wonder what sort of a tale we’ve fallen into.”Nevertheless, I agree with Patrice: this is a hard book—and not just a hard book to review. The authors writeabout some of the most difficult and painful times intheir lives and invite us to do the same. But theyalways bring us back to the One in whom we have all hope.

How do they make this work? As we journey with them through our world of whatought to be, what is, what can be, and what will be when Christ returns, we get toknow the authors as Paula and Connally, friends along the way. And no matter howmany tears we shed with them, in sorrow and in joy, we look forward to hearing theirnext story, getting to know them better as we journey together.

Each of the four sections of the book begins with a brief introductory essay and aquestion “on our journey into hope.”(21) As we begin with what ought to be, thequestion is, “What do our longings reveal about the goodness of the God who createdall things, including us?”(21) Following the chapters in each section, the authors

provide several questions and scripture references to guide us into deep reflection onour lives.

As I have been thinking about the book and my part in this review, a line from a songwe sang in church on Sunday keeps coming back to me, “Open my eyes to see you,Christ.” I think this book helps us open our eyes to see Christ in both times of greatsorrow and times of great joy.

Preparing the WayAn Advent Reflection by Deb Mantel

One of the reasons I love Thanksgiving is that I knowAdvent is just around the corner.

For me, Advent can be a beautiful, thoughtful, peacefulseason... or not. It's largely up to the choices I make.Focusing on Jesus at this time of year should be sosimple; as we say, He is “the reason for the season.” Butmy heart and mind get cluttered with so many otherthings and I often lose sight of what is most important.There have been times during Advent when I have had“no room in the inn” for Jesus!

Many women have mixed feelings about this season. On the one hand, it’s the time ofyear when our deepest longings surface—longings for a happy home, familytogetherness, meaningful traditions, and spiritual renewal.

Our desires are further fueled by advertising and social media which present familieswho are always together and happy, children who are well-behaved and grateful,women who are beautiful and nurturing, and gorgeous unlived-in homes. The pressurebuilds as we try to attain these “make-believe” goals amid our very real relationships,responsibilities, emotions, budgets and time constraints. When we follow our cultureslead, we often end up spending more money than we can afford, take on moreresponsibilities than we can handle, and spend less relaxed time with family and friendsthan any other time of the year.

I’ve learned that I often set the tone in our home. If I am worn-out, frustrated andexhausted—everyone suffers the consequences and I sabotage my own goals and myheart’s desires. My husband used to dread this season because he knew I was going tohop on, what Joanne Robinson calls, “The Christmas Machine.” That meant everybodybetter stay out of my way as I exhaust myself creating a wonderful, loving time for ourfamily! Oh, the irony!

Not anymore (mostly!). Each year I must purposely determine my priorities and setboundaries to safeguard them. I’ve learned that adding Christmas relatedresponsibilities and activities to my plate has meant some other things have to bedropped for the season. I’ve tried to decrease the activities and tasks that I dread andadd those that I enjoy. I’ve learned the hard way that I can’t do it all.

Simplifying Christmas doesn’t mean we strip it bare, but we can be proactive and

make it more meaningful and spiritually refreshing. Traditions can help make the seasonmore meaningful. Over the years our family has developed traditions that everyonelooks forward to—our annual Christmas tree hunt, Christmas Eve service, thepresentation of each child’s new ornament, and homemade cinnamon rolls Christmasmorning. But even our cherished traditions need to be reevaluated at times. For years,it was just our family of five. But within a year and a half, we adopted Melissa andadded three daughters-in-law! Thanksgiving 2018, we had a family meeting to discussChristmas—the schedule, what activities we were interested in, how we wanted to dogifts, etc. I wanted to make sure everyone knew (especially my new daughters-in-law)that I was open to new ideas and making changes. I wanted to hear what would workbest for everyone.

Communication is crucial. If we are feeling overwhelmed, usually others feel the sameway. What most people want for Christmas is an exchange of grace and personalconnection, not a swap of material goods.

This season of Advent is a time of pausing and pondering.As we enter this waiting period we join the churcharound the world and throughout history as we meditateon the coming of our Savior. We can ponder what theincarnation really means for us—that Jesus entered theworld as a helpless baby so that we could be reconciledto God. The world wants to skip “O Come, O Come,

Emmanuel” and jump right to “Joy to the World!” There is joy, but it came slowly andat great cost.

As we enter the holiday season, may we ask God to help us make a purposeful plan thatreflects what is most important. May God give us freedom from our own self-imposed,unrealistic expectations and from those others place on us. We must listen for hisvoice and ignore all the clamoring demands around us. God has so much for us duringthis season, if we will slow down and rceive. Deep down, I desire fulfillment thatcomes from Christ alone. I don’t want to go looking for that under the Christmas tree.

A Family Nativity PlayA Christmas Reflection by Jennifer Donovan

Our family has had lots of Christmas traditions through the years –lighting the candles on our Advent wreath each evening withseasonal family devotions and carol singing, drawing names for sillySecret Santa gifts a day or two before Christmas Day, a bountifulholiday meal on Christmas Eve with the good china and crystal,the candlelight Christmas Eve service at Knox…. But over time ourdaughters married, moved away and started families of their own.When our oldest granddaughter was about 4, I began to beconcerned that our Christmas Day celebrations would give her theidea that Christmas was primarily about getting presents. So, I

wrote a Nativity play and, with many initial groans from the grown-ups, got everyoneto participate, costumes and all! After Christmas morning breakfast, we get in ourcostumes and put on our Nativity play. There’s no audience, we all have a part! Whenthe play is finished and before we open our gifts, we each bring a gift of money andput it in the manger as our gift to Jesus. We donate this to World Vision or a similar

organization to help with their efforts in Jesus name on behalf of the poor around theworld.

Like many traditions that are worth doing, there wasinitial resistance. I have heard friends say things like,“It would never work in our family to do devotionsaround an Advent wreath for the whole month ofDecember!” But I beg to differ. Will it be easy with nocomplaining; will everyone immediately say, “Oh,thank you, Mom, this is the best”? Probably not! Butwith perseverance and fortitude (and both parentsbeing on board), you can create rich traditions that willbless your family even if you must wait years to hear them say so.

When our younger daughter got married and brought her husband, Matt, home forChristmas, he was, not surprisingly, pretty skeptical about this whole “play thing”when he was asked to dress up like a shepherd! He privately asked our other son-in-law, Stephen, who was a pro at this by now, what he thought about it all. Stephenassured him that at first, he thought it was pretty weird, too, (but being a great guy,he humored his in-laws and went along with it)! But now, seeing how much his kidslooked forward to it, he was onboard - crazy bathrobe costumes and all!

If you'd like to give it a try, you can find our script here. May the Lord bless yourfamily as you point them to Jesus, God's greatest gift!

An Advent Sermon Series on Micah

To help you prepare your hearts for Christmas, take time to listen to these Adventsermons by Pastor Bryan from 2017 while he was still in St. Joseph, Missouri, atBrookdale Presbyterian Church. In this series, entitled “Advent with Micah,” hear theprophet invite us to ponder and prepare to receive our Ruler and Shepherd, our Judgeand Peacemaker, our King and Lord, our God and our Savior!

1st Sunday in Advent - "A Ruler from Bethlehem"(Micah 5:1-6)2nd Sunday in Advent - "Swords into Plowshares" (Micah 4:1-5)3rd Sunday in Advent - "A King Will Pass Through" (Micah 2:12-13)4th Sunday in Advent - "Who Is a God Like You?" (Micah 7:8-20)Christmas Eve – “To You Is Born a Savior” (Luke 2:1-20)

Advent Devotionals

The Dawning of Indestructible Joy:Daily Readings for Advent by John PiperPublished by Crossway, 2014

Reviewed by Danae Lauffer

Many of us approach Advent differently from year toyear, depending on the particular circumstances andspiritual rhythms of that year. I have found myselfpreparing my heart to celebrate Christmas in all sorts ofcircumstances. Some years, Advent was full of spiritualmeaning, eager expectation, warmth, and holidaycheer. Other times, the holidays felt more tired, sad,isolated, and at times, a season of loss.

What a relief to be reminded that true joy in thisseason lies outside of my circumstances and restsinstead in Jesus, the source of true and lasting peace. Inthis Advent devotional, John Piper focuses each dailymediation on the person of Jesus and his ultimatepurpose. Jesus came to rescue us from our sin, toreconcile us to God, and to be our treasure.

Piper recognizes how easy it is for our hearts to grow lukewarm and too familiar withthe Christmas story to fully appreciate its power. The goal of this devotional is toremind us of the greatness of old truths, to stir up and awaken a sense of adoration thatmay be dormant. Piper invites us to let the frustrations with this world throw us ontothe Word of God. We celebrate Christmas because the Word became flesh and dweltamong us, and by whose wounds we are healed.

As someone who grew up in the church, I appreciated the opportunity to ponderfamiliar truths and marvel at God’s deep love for His people, that he should show ussuch kindness and mercy. Truly Jesus does awaken a lasting and indestructible joy.

This devotional is structured into twenty-five brief, substantive reflections on the birthand work of Jesus. The readings are gleaned from Piper’s sermons and content on hisDesiring God website. The format and content are suitable for family reading, but willalso appeal to teens and adults looking for a 10-minute individual devotion to helpreorient their heart each day.

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All is Bright: A Devotional Journey toColor Your Way Through Christmasby Nancy GuthriePublished by Tyndale Momentum, 2016

Reviewed by Carolyn Giroux

When I first opened Nancie Guthrie’s “devotionaljourney,” I was struck by the detailed black andwhite illustrations, the larger-than-usual pagesize, and the high-quality paper. Opening thebook was like opening a Christmas gift— a giftthat would help me prepare my heart forChristmas.

On Christmas day, the reading is taken directly from Luke (Chapter 2) but the readings

from each day before Christmas contain Bible verses taken from different books of theBible (from both the Old and New Testaments) woven into a daily devotional message.Each reading focuses on a different theme related to the story of Christmas and so bythe time I reached the familiar passage from Luke 2, I found that I was seeing it withfresh eyes and a new perspective.

In addition to the daily readings, each day has a corresponding page to color. AlthoughI haven’t yet colored any pages, I found the illustrations to be a great way to meditateon the day’s message. For December 22nd, for example, the devotional has a detailedpicture of the three wise men, each wearing an ornate robe and holding a gift for thebaby Jesus. The illustration made me think of the majesty of Christ and the joy ofcelebrating His birth. However, the title of that day’s reading was “Born to Die,” andincluded both the story of the three wise men in Matthew 2 and the prophesy of Jesus’death “as an offering for sin” from Isaiah 53. Guthrie writes, “But from his birth—evenbefore his birth—a cloud of death loomed over the baby Jesus. This was a baby whowas born to die.” After reading that day’s message, I still enjoyed the joyful illustrationbut with a more thankful heart as I remembered Christ’s sacrifice for me.

Anyone can enjoy the daily reading, which only takes two or three minutes to readaloud, but this devotional will be especially meaningful for those—young or old—whowill appreciate illustrations, coloring, or papercraft in addition to a daily Adventmessage.

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Love Came Down at Christmas:Daily Readings for Adventby Sinclair B. FergusonPublished by The Good Book Company, 2018

Reviewed by Teresa Mattson

In this slim volume, theologian and teacher SinclairFerguson engages us in reflections on 1 Corinthians 13,the great “love chapter.” Its twenty-four readingsconsider, one by one, the apostle Paul’s list of thecharacteristics of God’s gracious love, its theologicalsignificance, and its pertinence (usually because of itsabsence) in our time. Ferguson then challenges us toconsider to what extent we, as unworthy recipients ofGod’s love ourselves, manifest each particularcharacteristic in our daily lives. He writes, “You need to

know something about yourself that is bigger than anything you have achieved or evercould… What is it? The love of Jesus Christ for us. It causes what the nineteenth-century Scottish minister Thomas Chalmers called ‘the expulsive power of a newaffection’. It creates in us a love for Christ and then for others” (page 51). Eachreading ends with a selection of classic poetry, hymn lyrics, or a prayer by one of theancient Church fathers to guide and enrich our reflections.

Three observations about this little book: First, despite its modest appearance, itoffers weighty theological content—which makes it well-suited for thoughtful adultreaders, but less so for kids. Second, it presupposes fairly strong familiarity with the

Bible and seems to assume that the reader is already a follower of Christ—which meansthat it probably would not be immediately compelling to a non-believer. Finally,though Ferguson effectively proves how keenly we need the message of 1 Corinthians13 during the busy and fraught days of the Christmas season, the readings aren’t really“Christmassy”—this book could easily be read any time of the year.

C3W T2 MentoringReflections by Anya Cobler and Monika Lamine

A T2 Mentee's Reflectionby Anya Cobler

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray forone another, that you may be healed.” James 5:16

Last February, for a small handful of months I metregularly with four women from the Knox Church body.At each meeting our mentor would light a candle toremind us of God’s love and presence; we’d often startour evenings in silent prayer or meditation on the Wordsof God. During our time together (which always FLEW by), we aimed to discuss theselected book, spend time in group prayer, and encourage each other amidst weeklyjoys and tribulations. But the thing we did the most was intimacy: five womendevoted to transparency and honesty about who we were and what sins were kickingour butts and, by the grace of God, reminding each other of the soul-saving truth ofGod’s grace being bigger than all of it. Intimacy is challenging but the fruit of beingtruly known is healing: we live out Christ’s forgiveness with real flesh and bones incommunity. Thanks be to God for this gift of intentional community that is all tooabsent from everyday life.

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Becoming Friends: A T2 Mentor's Reflectionby Monika Lamine

I enjoy hanging out with my mom and her friends. Theyare interesting, from a different generation, with lifeexperiences that fascinate me. Spending time with themgives me a window into the future stages of my life. Idon’t agree with everything they say but I learn alot! Nevertheless, for years my mother has voiced thatshe thinks younger people don’t want to spend time withher. I insist that she is wrong. But here is the clincher:I’m 56 years old and I think younger women don’t want tospend time with me. Whether this thinking is theinfluence of a culture that glorifies youth or my ownpride I have asked God to “renew my mind” in this

area. As a part of that, I accepted the call, this past Spring, to be a mentor in one ofKnox’s T2 Mentoring Groups - groups formed to put older women together inrelationship with younger women.

Steph and Tia were women I had met before but they did not know each other. I don’t

know if they were nervous for our first meeting, but I was nervous. I didn’t want tomess it up the first day! As a mentor I was given some ice breaker questions to start outwith and they were helpful. We discovered Steph and Tia are from the same area ofPennsylvania and can talk about Amish Farmer’s Markets in a language alien to anyMichigander. All of us live outside Ann Arbor and shared how nice it was to meet othersfrom Knox who lived close to us. We laughed and started to get to know eachother. From then on, we met mostly weekly, and mostly at Steph’s house, and mostlyshe spoiled us with fresh baked muffins and hot tea. We went through the book, In HisImage, by Jen Wilkin. We discussed who God is and who we are, and prayed for Godto help us in our lives.

An interesting thing happened; we began to share life together. Some dog sitting wasexchanged. Plants were dug up in gardens and given to each other. There were someone-on-one meetings to talk a bit more personally. My daughter was getting married inJuly and Steph and Tia explained to me how things have changed in the wedding worldsince I got married 30 years ago. Very helpful. Tia and I teamed up to do thedecorations for the wedding reception. The three of us are all from out of state andhave the mutual challenge of trying to find people to celebrate the holidays with. LastEaster we gathered our families and a few others and had Easter dinner and an egghung together.

I always looked forward to getting together with these women. Steph, Tia and I didnot agree on everything, but I believe we learned a lot. I’m not sure what I expectedfrom a T2 Mentoring group, but I believe what God gave us was good. Before, we werethree women who knew each other from church. Now, we are friends.

Click here for more informationabout T2 Groups for Spring 2020.

Click here to indicate interest inparticipating in one of these

groups.

Coming in our January Newsletter

*Reflections from Knox women as we think counter-culturally about human dignity

*Information and sign-ups forJanuary Ladies Night OutFebruary Mini-GatheringsT2 Groups (February-April)March Mini-Retreat, "Resurrection Life in a World of Suffering"

*More resources to encourage you as you seek to follow Jesus far from home