HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I have never had the best of luck with having a good time on New Year's Eve. I'm not a big fan of public drunkedness, large unruly crowds, or being outside in cold weather. I could type for hours and hours about all the ridiculously bad New Year's Eve's I have had, but instead I want to concentrate on how incredible 2010 is going to be!
Bur first, I feel like I need to bid a fond farewell to the Christmas of 2009. For it being my first white Christmas, it was rather anti-climactic. I was very sad that I didn't get to have a Christmas Eve service; there wasn't a lot to it. Just some scripture readings, some hymns, and communion, but it is still one of my favorite services of the year. It was also going to be a great opportunity to spend some very special time with my favorite people on earth, all of you guys. Then Sunday morning rolled around, and the parking lot was still covered with ice, and most of the entrances to the church were dangerous, and it wasn't until about two hours before service was to start that I had the bright - but late - idea of having church in the Fellowship Hall. So, to everyone I called to tell that it was a bad idea to try to come to church, I am deeply sorry that I told you not to come. We had a great one-room Sunday school class and a simple little worship service in the Fellowship Hall.
I need to thank the Grubb family for their help shoveling the snow off the porch to the Fellowship Hall, and I need to thank Grant Johnson for his playing of the piano. The worship service would not have been nearly as nice without their help. I also want to thank everyone who came to my Christmas open house, and everyone who contributed to my incredibly wonderful Chirstmas gift. I cannot convey how much that meant to me. All of you made this Christmas one of the most wonderful Christmas' I have ever had. I hope everyone else had a wonderful, and safe Christmas as well. Now, on to how great 2010 will be...
Our Clothes Closet is going wonderfully. On the morning of December 23rd our church family was able to provide a family's two little girls with the only warm clothing they have. If that doesn't make you proud to be a part of our church, I don't know what will. I will be speaking with Linda Swanner and the Trustee's this month to see what all we need to do to get our food pantry up and running. Those two services will feed the physical needs of our community, but I also want to work on feeding and developing the spiritual needs of not only our members and church family, but the wider community as well. If any of you are interested in starting a prayer group with me, to meet once a week, or perhaps bi-weekly, I would love to speak with you about that. I am envisioning meeting for an hour or so and lifting up those in our community who are in need of prayer and exploring different prayer practices. The Gospel of Mark often speaks of Jesus taking time to go off alone to pray, or be in fellowship with God after he performed his great acts. We too must follow that example if we are to stay energized in our efforts of Kingdom building here in Elgin.
I wish you all a wonderful New Years and hope you share my excitement for what 2010 has in store for our church. I know that if we keep God's will in mind at all times, we will accomplish many mighty and wonderful things in God's name.
May the Peace and Love of Christ be with you all.
Rev. Coy Remer
