Julie Merritt Lee's sermon this past Sunday was on Advent Ethics.  In our heart of hearts we know that having Christ within us should make us different.  We get frustrated with the fact that we argue the way others do in their marriages; we don't seem to forgive any easier.  We aren't more patient when driving.  Our tempers flare.  What difference has Christ really made?  Does Christ coming--Advent have any influence on us ethically?

But if we take Advent seriously, which is what the Advent Conspiracy is about, we cannot NOT be changed.  The call for Christ to come redirects our heart to this Christ and we enter into the story, not as a passive player or onlooker as in a sporting event or a reader of a novel, but we are placed into the story of Jesus.  It would be better practice if every year, you made a new figurine for your nativity set.  You!  Place yourself there.

This week of Advent, has the emphasis of Peace.  We light the candle and read scripture about the peaceable kingdom where the leopard and the kid lie down together, the wolf and the lamb, the cow and the bear.  What makes this vision happen?

There is a judge who rules not by what his eyes see, not by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth...

The lion and lamb can lie down together because the kingdom has been governed by righteousness, equity to the poor, speaking truth to power.  Our way of looking at justice is disrupted.

So what does this mean for us this Advent? If we want Jesus to come, if we want peace on earth, we have to let him change us, mold us until it affects the way we do everything.

One of the emphasis of this series is saying we will not be caught up in all of the mindless spending and consumerism in a season, holiday where peace is linked with presents.  We are not asking you NOT to give gifts...we are asking, what kind are they? Give someone the gift of time and relationship, they probably want that more than the gift certificate deep down.

We have to examine the way we live and the choices we make if we're going to really live into the real meaning of Advent.  How does my spending affect others?  Do we give thought to where this t-shirt was bought, or what people earned to harvest this coffee bean for me?  The most damaging part of consumerism is that it seeps into our relationship with God.

This Advent, may we seek not to settle for the sweet little Jesus boy, but be gripped by and surrendered to the Christ who reigns as Prince of Peace.

America spends an average of $450 billion a year every Christmas. Spend Less.  What a concept!  How many times have you bought gifts out of obligation and then wondered why you had spent all that money?  Maybe money that you didn't have: to be part of a group: because it was expected: because you wanted to.

What if you bought ONE LESS GIFT this Christmas?  What would that extra time and money mean to you?  Your family?  Your community?  If you need some ideas for relational giving, head to Rethinking Christmas today.

Read James 5:1-8 and then answer these questions.

1.  What is James speaking against?  What's at the heart of this "different" Advent message?

2.  In what ways have you experienced the truth of this passage in your own life?  Do you have an experience of something losing its luster?

Read the famous Magnificat, Mary's song~~Luke 1:46-55

1.  How does this song inform our Advent ethics?

2.  What echoes do you hear in this song (think OT, Jesus' ministry, etc)?

Post any thoughts or comments below that you have after this exercise.  We'd love to get a dialogue going this season!

December 5, 2010, was the first gathering of Providence Baptist Church members and members of the community at-large for the “Sunday Night Worship--Feeding the Hungry.”   This event was held at the Storehouse (on Seventh Avenue) in Hendersonville. Without a lot of fanfare or publicity for this event, 11 homeless people came to enjoy the various soups and fellowship available from 4:30-6:30 pm. 

The first night was deemed a success from all that attended as the hungry bellies were fed with warm soup and their souls were fed with caring and concern.  Tables were set up restaurant-style and orders were taken for their choice of soups. 

Flyers have been printed and are being distributed among the various charities and missions in the Hendersonville area to make those in need of a hot meal on Sunday nights, aware of this option.  Providence learned that there was not a hot meal being served for those in need on Sunday nights and is grateful to the Storehouse for providing the space for this service.

If you would like to lend your support (by volunteering to help, food donations, or monetarily) to this cause, please contact Providence Baptist Church at: 828-697-2878,  or through our website www.providencecongregation.org.

The Hendersonville Times-News interviewed our Pastor, Julie Merritt Lee on the Advent Conspiracy.  Check out the article here.

Entering the story of Advent means entering this season with passion to worship Jesus fully.  This past Sunday, Rev. Julie Merritt Lee's sermon expounded on this concept on making room.

Take Mary for instance.  She was not planning on having a baby, but yet when God came to her and said, "You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus" she didn't turn away.  She may have been in shock and disbelief, but as her belly began to grow she accepted her fate.  Many times she must have come back to her words that she spoke to the angel: "Here am I, your servant.  Let it be with me according to your word."  These were the words that made room for the Christ Child.  All she had to do was make room...the baby grows by God's power.

Worship is about giving presence, giving attention to the God within us and within others.  God says, "Just open yourself up to me.  I have something to teach you, but I will need a space to put it in."  We are vessels.  Do we keep this wonderful gift to ourselves and stay full, or do we spill out among others so that they may have a taste?

Begin this Advent season by making room--worship.  Making room means creating space so that you may worship fully.

Advent Conspiracy is the theme of Advent at Providence Baptist Church this year.  Advent Conspiracy began in 2006 by five pastors who decided to take back Christmas by encouraging their faith communities to: Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All.  For more information, please go to their website here.

The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.  A season of celebration was turned into a season of stress, traffic jams and shopping lists.  When it is all over many of us are left with mountains of debt that we are still paying for when the cycle begins again and we are trying to figure out why we feel so empty.  Watch the video.

Sunday, November 28^th is the First Sunday in Advent…the Sunday of Hope.

Worship Fully
It starts with Jesus and it ends with Jesus.  It's a season where love wins, peace reigns and a king is celebrated with each breath.  Entering the story of Advent means entering this season with an overwhelming passion to worship Jesus to the fullest.

Follow along with us on this blog each week as we explore each of the concepts in-depth. 

Providence's own Jerry Smith was recently interviewed by the Hendersonville Times-News regarding how he had arrived in Hendersonville and his interests and passions.  Click on Jerry Smith Video to view the video from here.

Providence Baptist Church in Hendersonville NC held a neighborhood meet and greet style Halloween party last night.  Rev. Julie Merritt Lee hosted along with her husband Michael.  Neighbors and members were invited to drop by and dine on hotdogs, chips and salad.  Cupcakes, donuts and candy provided by the members of Providence, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church were handed out to the Trick-Or-Treaters.

                       Providence Pooches got into the spirit by coming to the party in costume.  Holly Obermiller came with Buttons.  And Jane Gurley came with Maggie.  More pictures to post this week.  If you weren't able to attend this year; plan on attending next year as it looks to be a bigger and better event!  Good food.  Good times.  Good fellowship.

60+ers WNC Baptists Gathering was held today at Providence Baptist Church in Hendersonville, NC following lunch at Bay Breeze Seafood Restaurant.  About 30 people came to Providence today to listen to music and sing along.  Eugene Worley, PhD, a retired rocket scientist and business owner from Huntsville, Alabama was the featured speaker.  He is also a Sunday school teacher, deacon, potter and poor neighborhood renovator.

Gail Coulter, former pastor of Providence Baptist Church was the contact person locally and did a wonderful job making the arrangements.  Music, song and laughter poured out of the church doors and into the streets drawing in passers-by.  When Eugene Worley's talk about "Funny Stories of Spiritual Transformation" was over, those in attendance greeted the  warm afternoon with a spring in their steps and a smile on their faces.

The purposes of this event were to enliven in older adults the openness that God continues to transform our lives and to enable fellowship among folks from moderate (and other) Baptist churches in this region.  From observations made today, it appears they were successful.

This is the debut of our new logo to the "outside" world (that is unless you have worn your retreat t-shirt in public).