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Close to Home with Eyes Wide Open

12/1/2021

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Picture"Bound" - from Advent Photo-a-Day 2013
For lack of attention a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day.        
— Evelyn Underhill
​
Dear Disciples,
As I write this column, we have just entered the season of Advent. After three months of livestreaming worship only, our first Sunday with many back in the sanctuary was a joyful coming home celebration. Yes, we were all wearing our masks and doing our best to maintain physical distancing. Even so, the sparkle in the eyes of those gathered in the sanctuary was an indication of many smiles behind the masks.
The reduced strain on the ICU in our hospital, the availability of booster shots, and the expansion of eligibility of vaccines to include children ages 5 and up allows us to return to in person worship carefully. We recognize that some individuals continue to need to exercise special caution because of their particular health situations, and we encourage you to make the best choices for yourself and your loved ones. We’ll continue to provide livestreams of our worship services on Facebook and YouTube. In addition we’ve learned the value of virtual gathering spaces, so we’ll keep finding ways to connect with one another on Zoom.
This year we have Advent at Home kits available for households. These kits include Advent calendars, daily devotions, candles for creating an Advent wreath, craft ideas, and more. The kits are available during church office hours this week. If you need one delivered to you, contact the office.
I encourage you to use the Advent kits to create your own spiritual practices for Advent. We’ve added one of my favorites practices this year, the Advent Photo-a-Day devotions. There is one word for each day of Advent. Hold the word in your thoughts throughout the day. When you see something that connects to that word, snap a photo. You can share those photos on your social media or you can keep them for yourself. Sharing them with others may spark more folks to take up the practice, and you may find inspiration in the posts others share.
I looked back in my photos, and the first time I participated in an Advent Photo-a-Day practice was in 2013. I'm including a few of those photos here.
The daily practice of reflecting on one word and taking a photo relating to it is a way to help us pay attention. We are learning to look with an openness for what is around us, to find meaning in the everyday. If you haven’t tried it before, I encourage you to take a look at the Advent words for this year. See what you may discover about yourself, the world, and the Sacred which surrounds us every day.
I’d love to see what captures your attention. If you do share your photos on social media, use the hashtags #fccmky, #fccmorehead,  #advent2021, #closetohome.
​May this Advent season be a time of waiting, expectant waiting, for the Holy One to be revealed.
 
Be well. Be kind.
And always be the church where you are.
​
Pastor Nancy

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    A native of Illinois, Rev. Nancy Gowler lived for 26 years in the Pacific Northwest. She joined the ministry of First Christian Church in Morehead, KY, in July of 2020.
    You can find her monthly newsletter notes in this blog.

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Staff >
      • Pastor >
        • Pastor Nancy's Notes
      • Secretary
    • Labyrinth
    • Gallery
    • FAQ
  • Ministries
    • Small Groups
    • Children & Youth >
      • At Home with Families
    • Music and the Arts
    • Outreach
    • Sermons
    • Our Library
    • Green Chalice >
      • 2021 Art Exhibition >
        • Season of Creation Art Gallery Blog
  • Give
    • Offering / Donation Online
    • Direct Debit Form
    • Other
  • News and Events
    • Calendar
    • Newsletter (The ECHO)
    • Links
  • Contact Us