Snapshots of Christmas Eve Candlelight Service December 24, 2024

Pastor Steve's Easter message focused on the great love of God and our Savior Jesus Christ, emphasizing the good news that God provided a way for our salvation through His Son. Pastor noted that God's deep and abiding love for his children is why Jesus went to the cross. Pastor quoted the lyrics to Psalm 118, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His love endures forever."  Pastor Steve walked the congregation through the days leading up to the crucifixion and the days after. Certainly no one struggled more than Jesus but Christ's resurrection should give us strength, hope, and faith in knowing that God does not leave us alone in trials, concluded Pastor.

"We are Easter people. Let's remember the significance and the value that this week holds for us," said Pastor Steve at the start of the Palm Sunday sermon. Pastor Steve's message brought to life the scenes on the streets and in the Temple Square as Jesus visits Jerusalem. Pastor also discussed the details of Jesus loving reception as he rode into the city on a donkey, juxtaposed against the backdrop of the angry mob yelling "crucify him" a few days later. Despite all that Jesus endured in Jerusalem, Pastor focused on the fact that Jesus didn't give up on a single one of his followers, just as he doesn't give up on us today. Pastor concluded the message by noting that, "Jesus entered our world so that we could enter his."  This message is filled with many interesting facts and a lot of historical context that gives the listener much food for thought and opportunity for spiritual growth. 

Pastor Steve asked the congregation on April 6, “How does one accuse and convict someone for being loving and compassionate?”  Pastor’s question put the spotlight on the motivations of the Pharisees and teachers of the law who sought to condemn Jesus and accuse him of breaking religious laws for his teachings, miracles, and healings. The condemning attitude of these religious leaders placed judgement above mercy and inspired Jesus to tell three parables to the crowd that stood around him. The three stories illustrated that God is a merciful God:

• like a shepherd who wanders around all night looking for the lost sheep
• like a woman who sweeps to find a lost coin
• like a father who stares down the road looking for a glimpse of his lost son

Jesus wanted to create the understanding that God is like a loving parent who welcomes us home and does not want to lose any child. 

Pastor expanded on Prodigal Son parable to “… illustrate that God’s great eternal plan is to reach us, his children.” Pastor concluded that we God’s prized possessions and this fact is illustrated in the joy and celebration with which the lost son is greeted upon coming home.  

Luke 15, verses 20 to 32 (NIV), tells of the homecoming and rejoicing:

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

…The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.  But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

 My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

In preparation for the full sermon that Pastor Steve will deliver on April 6, he read the text of the Luke verses about the parable of the Prodigal Son.   This was a short reading followed by the congregation singing "Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling." The song reinforced the reading and the moral of the story that Jesus rejoices when he finds his "lost son" and is an analogy for men and women, all children of God, who lose their way but repent of sin and come home to God.

Luke 15: 11-32 The Parable of the Lost Son (NIV)

¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.  ’So he divided his property between them.

¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Luke 13, verses 1-9, Jesus' parable about The Fig Tree,  was the focus of the March 23 sermon. Pastor Steve elaborated on these verses of scripture by talking about the second, third, and fourth chances that God gives his children to grow in spiritual faith and strength. Jesus tells the story but it is noteworthy that he does not give the listener the ending:
"Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.  Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?  I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.  Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Pastor Steve used this story to expand on the Biblical truth that God never turns His back on us. God gives us new life after this imperfect life. We only need to rely on God’s Grace, Pastor explained. Pastor counseled those in attendance that, "Instead of looking outward for blame when things go wrong, Jesus counsels us to look inward." He drew the parallel that Lent is all about second chances and our God is about giving us second, third and fourth chances. The Apostle Paul advised in writings to the  Galatians and other churches of the time that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because God's perfect love does not hold grudges and His Grace forgets. 

Jennifer Johnson, Oliver Fox, Jim and Laurel Snodgrass, and Don Hasbrouck led the congregation in singing at the Thanksgiving Service.

Gary Hackbart and Frank Gagliardi opened the special Veterans Day Service on November 10, 2024.

Frank Gagliardi as the "First Veteran" presented colors at the special DCCC Veterans Day Service with Gary Hackbart leading the Pledge of Allegiance and Call to Worship. There was a special reading, songs, and prayer and Pastor Steve gave the sermon listed below.

The DCCC Candlelight Service included special songs, nativity for children, a sermon by Pastor Steve, and closing with all attendees singing Silent Night by candlelight. All guests received gifts of ornaments and cookies upon exiting. The children who helped with the Nativity received gifts as well. It was a beautiful night of honoring and remembering the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Please listen to Pastor Steve's sermon below.