Message Preview – Remembering that It Happened Once

Do you have any favorite poems related to Christmas? Two well-known examples are ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day? On Sunday, December 4, our worship services are going to feature poems and songs of the Advent and Christmas seasons and the Lord’s Supper. Rev. Dr. Dennis Johnson, a retired American Baptist pastor and the editor of, “Remembering that It Happened Once,” a collection of Christmas poems, will be our guest worship leader.

To assist you in getting the most out of worship on Sunday, if you haven’t or don’t read poetry that much, some things to listen for, notice, or identify when reading or listening to poetry include: Who is the speaker of the poem? What is the tone of the poem? What is the theme of the poem? What is the mood of the poem? What is the message of the poem?

Many people are surprised to learn that as much as a third of the Old Testament is written in poetry. In addition to the poetic books, Psalms, Proverbs, and Job, isolated poems are preserved throughout the first five books of Moses and the historical books, such as Jacob’s patriarchal blessings to his twelve sons in Genesis 49.

Perhaps after worship on Sunday, you could write your own brief poem about what Christmas means to you! Join us on Sunday at 8:30 or 10:00 a.m.

Watch our preview –