Message from the Pastor

This past Sunday we entered the season of Advent together once again, beginning a series entitled "What Do You Fear?" In asking you to consider naming both your fears and your longings, I am reminded of the line from the famous carol O Little Town of Bethlehem that says, "the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." Advent allows room for us to bring both our collective hopes and our fears. This carol was written by New England pastor Phillips Brooks in 1868 who found himself inspired after riding the route from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on horseback on Christmas Eve. Phillips shared about the ride in saying “Before dark we rode out of town to the field where they say the shepherds saw the star. It is a fenced piece of ground with a cave in it, in which, strangely enough, they put the shepherds. . . . Somewhere in those fields we rode through, the shepherds must have been. As we passed, the shepherds were still ‘keeping watch over their flocks,’ or leading them home to fold.” Phillips was so inspired by the landscape of hopes and fears that he wrote a hymn about it for a children's Christmas play in the church he served, never imagining it would go on to be sung by churches around the world for centuries to come.

This past Sunday I asked you to consider naming your fears and forming a different relationship with them, one marked by curiosity, compassion, and courage. Are there voices your fear has amplified? Are there longings that your fear has silenced? Beneath the language of your fear, is there hope waiting to be heard? Where are you longing for God to break through this year?

As Topher Kearby shares in his poem:

"Against all odds, we hope.
Even when life feels uncertain.

We imagine moments we haven't lived yet,
we make plans for who we might become,
and we let excitement for the future take up space within our hearts.

That's true courage.
To trust what we can't see,
to build toward what isn't proven yet,
and believe we will make it through tough times.

And maybe that's why hope matters so much,
because it keeps us open.

Open to change, to growth, to the idea that
life can become more beautiful at any moment.

We just need to believe it.

Welcome beloved ones once again to Advent, the season where hope, peace, joy, love, and light shine forth into our lives and remind us that Christ has come and is coming. Each year Advent invites us to reflect more deeply on what it means for God to break through and for Christ to be born in us. Karl Rahner writes beautifully about this in saying "it is said that you will come again, and this is true. But the word again is misleading. It won't really be "another" coming, because you have never really gone away. In the human existence that you made your own for all eternity, you have never left us....Behold, you come. And your coming is neither past nor future, but the present, which has only to reach its fulfillment. Now it is still the one single hour of your Advent, at the end of which we too shall have found out that you have really come. O God who is to come, grant me the grace to live now, in the hour of your Advent, in such a way that I may merit to live in you forever, in the blissful hour of your eternity."

May we all slow down and lean in close to what Advent has to say to us this year. May we make room for our hopes and fears of all the years as we anticipate the arrival of Christ, who was, and is, and is to come.

Waiting here with you,
Rev. Hannah

Lectionary Readings for December

Sunday, December 7 — Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
Sunday, December 14 — Third Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 35:1-10
Luke 1:46b-55
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
Sunday, December 21 — Fourth Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 7:1-16
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-10
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25
Sunday, December 28 — 1st Sunday after Christmas Day
Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98
Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12)
John 1:1-14

The Mission of St. Luke UMC is to be a Place to Belong, Believe, & Become Disciples of Christ

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELONG

MARK YOUR CALENDAR – All women in the church are invited to attend the UWFaith Christmas party on Monday, December 15 at 5:30 in the fellowship hall. Members of UWFaith wish to share the joyous Christmas season with all women in the church. Please bring your favorite Christmas party food and one wrapped ornament for our ornament swap. Bring a friend and join us! Childcare will be provided.

You are invited to join us at First UMC on Sunday, December 14, at 10:55 am for a joint Christmas Cantata performed by St. Luke and First UMC Choirs. There will be no Sunday School or worship service at St Luke that morning.

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELIEVE

St. Luke will host The Miracles in a concert on Sunday, December 7, at 5:00 p.m. They will be performing Christian music favorites.

The Miracles is a nationally renowned choir of musically gifted adults with intellectual disabilities. The choir is made up of 19 men and women who live at The Baddour Center, a residential community for adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, located in Senatobia, MS. Their mission is to praise God through music, bridge attitudinal barriers that may exist towards persons with intellectual disabilities and share the mission of The Baddour Center – which is to be a place where men and women can have the opportunity to build productive, meaningful lives, despite their challenges. The Center’s goal is to provide an environment that promotes maximum growth intellectually, spiritually, physically, socially, emotionally, and vocationally. The Baddour Center currently serves about 130 individuals who live in group homes, transitional homes or apartments and work in various vocations on the beautiful campus.

The Miracles have worshipped in venues across the country, while maintaining a full roster of performances at Mid-South churches. The Miracles’ repertoire includes many well-known Christian music favorites in different styles and genres.

We hope you will plan to attend and bring a friend or neighbor to enjoy this special night of music with you! A love offering for the Baddour Center will be taken up during the concert.

OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME DISCIPLES

Join us on Sunday, December 7 for our White Christmas celebration! We will have the White Christmas Program, presented by the children and youth, at 10:30 am in the sanctuary with a Christmas party food potluck afterwards. Bring your favorite party food! Please bring your White Christmas gifts to the program and place them under the tree in the narthex.

Everyone is invited to go Christmas Caroling on Wednesday, December 17. We’ll meet in the St. Luke parking lot at 5:30 p.m. and then caravan to Indywood and Azalea Commons. We’d love to have you join us in making a joyful noise!

The “This Little Light of Mine” special offering for the Methodist Children’s Home will wrap up in December. 100% of the offering will fund programs helping children and families of MCH. Let’s help bring hope and a little light of love into the lives of those children who have been abused and neglected. Thank you to those who have given so far. If you’d still like to give, please do so by December 14.

Many thanks to everyone who helped in the “hanging of the greens.” Our sanctuary looks beautiful in its Christmas finery, and it was fun, wasn’t it? It will all have to come down and be packed up for next year on January 4, so please keep in mind that we will need your help then, too.

Worship Greeters are needed for next year! A Greeter is a very important part of welcoming people to our worship service and helps by passing out bulletins, helping people in and out of cars (when needed), directing visitors to pews or various areas of the church, and helps in other capacities of the service. If you feel called to volunteer and would like to sign up, a signup sheet is available in the narthex or you may sign up by contacting the church office.

Don’t forget that on the second Sunday of every month we collect bags of apples, jars of peanut butter, and also canned goods for the Helping Hands Ministry. A blue bin designated for Helping Hands is available in the narthex where you can place your food items. The second Sunday is also our Dollar Sunday, when you are invited to drop a dollar or two into the small basket in the narthex to help support our Compassion Fund. This fund is used by the pastor at their discretion to help those in need.

If you would like to help deliver our Second Sunday mission project food items to Helping Hands in 2026, please contact Lisa in the church office to sign up. Drop off times for Helping Hands are Wednesday or Friday mornings between 9:00 am and noon.

The 2026 Flower Calendar is available on the bulletin board in the hallway across from the choir room. If you would like to help provide an altar arrangement sometime during the year, please look over the calendar, choose a date or two, and sign up. Your arrangement doesn’t have to be fresh flowers, it could be a lovely silk arrangements, or even a nice plant. If you sign up for two consecutive Sundays, we have a “flower fridge” where we can store your floral arrangement during the week and re-use them the second Sunday. If ordering fresh flowers from a flower shop, please specify you would like them to last for two Sundays. Please contact the church office to sign up or for more info.

Grief Support

Life After Loss – December 2025 Invitation

As the Christmas season approaches, you may find yourself becoming uneasy about and not looking forward to the emotional reminders that the season brings. Are you struggling with a personal loss or tragedy? Do you know others who are? Losses come in different sizes, at different times, and with different consequences. No one escapes loss, and some losses are hard to take, especially at Christmas. Strong negative emotions can erupt suddenly, change abruptly, create turmoil, and lead to a sense of isolation and loneliness. It’s hard to feel “Merry” when you are feeling alone and sad. If this feels like you or you know someone who feels this way, join us and bring them to Life After Loss. We will be looking for ways to prepare for the holidays, recover a sense of well-being, and rebuild faith in a brighter day.

Beginning Tuesday, December 2nd, and weekly through December 30th, a five session Life After Loss workshop will be held at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church, 215 Bishop Rd. The sessions are free and open to all. Sessions last an hour (from 11:45-12:45 pm). They will be led by Larry L. Lambert, a Licensed Professional Counselor. If you need more information, contact Larry at 662-719-8756 or by email at lamb5999@bellsouth.net. If you have friends and loved ones who may be struggling, please let them know.

GriefShare

When a loved one dies, it can feel like you’re alone. Few people understand how painful and isolating your grief can be. But that doesn’t mean you have to suffer by yourself.

At GriefShare, you’ll find a safe, comforting place where you can talk with others about your grief. you’ll find support, direction, and guidance on how to make it through.

If you could use help with any of the topics below, GriefShare is for you.
Your Grief Journey; Sadness & Loneliness; Fear & Anxiety; Anger;
Regrets; Grief & Your Relationships; Questions for God; Hope & Resilience
And many more…

At this 13-week grief recovery support group, you’ll:
Hear insights from grief recovery experts; Meet others who understand what
you’re going through; Receive comfort and support; Learn practical tips for
navigating your grief; and Discover the 6 signs of healing.

Each week you can expect to view a 30-minute video filled with helpful guidance, discuss grief-related issues, and gain personal recovery tips through your workbook.

To join a group or for more information, please contact First Baptist Church of Cleveland at (662)588-9011. You can learn more about GriefShare by going to their website at griefshare.org. Brochures are also available in the St Luke Narthex.

Memory Caregiver Support

Caring for a loved one with memory loss can be both rewarding and challenging — you don’t have to face it alone!

Our memory care caregivers support group will provide an understanding space where caregivers can share experiences and find emotional support. Learn practical care giving tips and new coping strategies. Connect with others who truly understand your journey.

For more information or to RSVP, please call or text SUNNY SENIORS at (662)719-8718 or (662)721-7260. Meetings will take place every first Monday of every month, from 12:00-12:45, at 107 South Victoria Ave.

More Opportunities to Help

Parks Elementary Partnership

1) PBIS Closet- Parks keeps a closet filled with goodies for students who do well with their positive behavior system. This includes items such as fidget toys, slime, and other small prizes. When the children meet their goals, they are able to shop this closet as a treat and means of positive reinforcement. You may contribute to this cause or purchase items and bring them to the church office.

2) Feminine Hygiene supplies- Parks has an area in the office dedicated to storing feminine hygiene supplies for girls who need them. Specifically, they try to keep a current stock of pads (no tampons please) and girls underwear in all sizes. You may bring these items to the church office as well.

3) Reading with students- Do you like to help students with their reading? If you had 1-2 hours a week to give during school hours, the students at Parks could use your help. Reading with students is a proven way to help raise their AR scores while also providing quality time with these children. If you are interested in this, please let Rev. Hannah know.

Toddler Play Group

Mural Project

We wanted to bring you some exciting updates on our mural. You may notice some activity around the wall facing Parks Elementary in the coming days. Lawson King, the artist selected to paint the mural, has prepped the wall and will begin tracing out the design with light paint and tape.

Lawson is also working with Holly Haynes (Principal at Parks) to coordinate the involvement of some of the students at Parks to add their own touch to the mural!

As we have a firm date for completion, we will let you know. We are working with Hannah to find a good date for a “dedication” one Sunday soon and look forward to celebrating with the church.

Cade/Wade
Community Outreach Committee

If you’d like to help with a monetary donation for our Mural Project, checks and/or cash (earmarked “Mural Project”) can be placed in the offering plate, dropped off at the church office, or mailed to St. Luke UMC, 1227 Deering St, Cleveland MS 38732. You can also scan the QR code to make an electronic donation (click on the donation button under Other Designated Gifts, fill in your info, and be sure to note “Mural Project”).

Employment Opportunities

The Staff-Parish Relations Committee is searching for an employee to fill our Music Director position and would welcome help from the congregation in spreading the word.

As you know, Beverly Jacks has served as interim Director for the past year or so. She does a lovely job and has been happy to serve our church with her gifts, but she would like a break if a suitable person can be found to lead the choir. Previous experience in a church setting is preferred but not required. Salary will be negotiable.

Please share this information with any suitable candidates you know who might be interested in working at St. Luke. Any further questions may be directed to Rev. Hannah or to Lisa in the church office.

The St. Luke Scene

Dinner for the Youth at The Well

Hanging of the Greens

Events in December

December 4, Thursday
— Toddler Play Group, 9:30-10:30 a.m. (Preschool Room)

December 7, Sunday
— White Christmas Service, 10:30 a.m.
— White Christmas Luncheon (please bring a party food) 11:35 a.m.
— The Miracles Choir Concert, 5:00 p.m. w/dinner after in Fellowship Hall

December 11, Thursday
— Toddler Play Group, 9:30-10:30 a.m. (Preschool Room)
— Semester Art Share w/Allyson, 5:30-7:00 p.m. (Fellowship Hall)

December 14, Sunday
— Second Sunday Mission for Helping Hands
— Cantata w/First UMC, 10:45 a.m. (First UMC) -No Service at St. Luke

December 15, Monday
— UW Faith Christmas Party, 5:30 p.m. (Fellowship Hall)

December 17, Wednesday
— Christmas Caroling, 5:30 (meet in St Luke parking lot)

December 18, Thursday
— Toddler Play Group, 9:30-10:30 a.m. (Preschool Room)

December 20, Saturday
— Merry Makers Workshop Art w/Allyson, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (Art Room)

December 24, Wednesday
— Christmas Eve Service, 5:00 p.m.

December 28, Sunday
— No Kids & Youth Sunday School
— Blessing of the Toys & Star Words during worship
— Shiny Shoes w/Allyson Art Class, 5-7:00 p.m.

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December 2025

December 2, 2025St. Luke United Methodist Church

Message from the Pastor

Lectionary Readings for December