All Saints' International Congregation, Beirut.: December 2014

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Service, 28th December

Sunday, 28th December, First After Christmas
Morning Praise 11:15 am

Worship Leader: Amy Roche

Service Leader & Preacher: Dave Roche

Psalm 148 Matthew 2:1-12

Welcome to our last of the month Morning Praise Service. Young Church and Youth Group will remain with us in church today as we worship God together

It’s party time! Celebrate good times! Come on! The birth of Jesus is a time to remember why he was born, and ask again why God came to earth as a baby. Jesus’ life ushered in new life for us. His Kingdom is here. He has come to save us and restore our broken lives—now that is good news and worth celebrating! Wise men brought Him gifts that signify His Kingship, His sacrifice for us and His death on the cross. Jesus ultimately gave Himself for us laying down His life that we might be forgiven and become sons of God. So what can we do in return? As we will see, the wise men didn’t just offer Him gifts—‘they bowed down and worshiped him’. Jesus wants us to follow Him, to follow His example that we might share His love and peace with other people that they, too, might know how much God loves them.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Service, 21st December

Sunday, 21st December, Advent 4
Informal All-Age Communion 11:15 am

Worship Leader & Service Leader: Nabil Shehadi

Preacher: Dave Roche

2 Sam 7:1-11, 16 Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 Luke 2:1-20

Welcome to our third Sunday of the month Informal Communion Service. Young Church and Youth Group will come up for communion first with their teachers and then head downstairs to the Church Hall.

Chiaroscuro! There’s something about Mary... last week Rembrandt's ‘The Visitation’ (1640) assisted us in learning lessons from the life of Mary. This week, part 2, will explore more of how we can be inspired by Mary’s journey. She was highly ‘favoured’ by God but then taken to an obscure backwater in the middle of nowhere called Bethlehem to register with her husband-to-be for the census. Traveling across country while pregnant, she didn’t even have a bed to deliver her baby in. What was favourable about that? But the Bible says she stored up, pondered and treasured these things! We can learn a lot from Mary about understanding small beginnings, that favour does not mean we are privileged, and how God-Pondering invigorates our souls. We even learn some Latin along the way and maybe some more art history!

Advent Prayers

Voice 1: God of the past who has fathered us and mothered us

All We are here to thank you.

Voice 2: God of the future who is always ahead of us

All: We are here to trust you.

Voice 1 (or 3): God of the present here in the midst of us

All: We are here to praise you.

Voice 2 (or 4): God of life beyond us within us

All: We rejoice in your glorious love.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Christmas Services

CHRISTMAS SERVICES  

ALL SAINTS CHURCH 

INTERNATIONAL CONGREGATION

Sunday 14^th  5:00pm

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT   King’s College Nine Lessons and Carols  Followed by mulled wine & mince pies!

 Sunday 21^st   4pm
CRIB & CHRISTINGLE SERVICE   
delightful for the young and young at heart!    

Wednesday 24^th 11:30pm
MIDNIGHT MASS  

Thursday 25^th  11:30am
CHRISTMAS DAY FAMILY SERVICE

Usual Church services on
Sunday mornings are at 11:15am

Friday, December 05, 2014

Service, 7th December

Sunday, 7th December, Advent 2
Morning Praise 11:15 am

Worship Leader: Jonathan Acker

Service Leader/Preacher: Nabil Shehadi “Fruitful Waiting”

Isaiah 40:1-11 2 Peter 3:8-18 Mark 1:1-8

As we continue our Advent Kingdom journey to Christmas, in our readings today we see this Kingdom as announced, arriving and awaited. How long do we wait for the fulfillment of the Kingdom? Has God forgotten about this world? Do we wait in limbo? No! God is patiently calling all to know Him. Peter reminds us that we have a world to win and grace to explore.