The Grandmothers of Jesus
Advent Series
The Gospel of Matthew, and thus our entire New Testament, begins with a genealogy of Jesus. It begins with Abraham and flows through the generations of fathers to David, then to the time of exile, then to Joseph. Along the way five women are mentioned. One is Mary, who married Jospeh and gave birth to Jesus.
The other four are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and “the wife of Uriah” or Bathsheba. These four women are the grandmothers of Jesus. Each woman would have been well known to the Jewish people who first read Matthew’s gospel. Each woman was connected to a story that was scandalous in some way, and each woman survived. They survived a dangerous, patriarchal world through their own cunning, intellect, and agency. They kept the line from Abraham to David to Jesus alive.
This Advent we will hear each of their stories. As we tell the story of Mary each week, we will also remember Jesus’ other grandmothers. The survivors. They are the heroines that we will remember this Advent season.
December 3
December 10
December 17
December 24
December 24 Christmas Eve Service
Advent 1 – Tamar Genesis 38:13-19, 24-27
Advent 2 – Rahab Joshua 2:1-21
Advent 3 – Ruth Ruth 3:1-18, 4:13-17
Advent 4 – Bathsheba 2 Samuel 11:1-15
4:00pm
Every Sunday at 9:30
We worship together every Sunday morning from 9:30-10:30. There is usually coffee and some snacks available in the back of the sanctuary for people to enjoy after or during worship. We don’t have Sunday school in the summer, but it usually meets about 15 minutes after worship is over. The adults go up to Asbury Parlor, and kids start down in Epworth Hall (there are signs and helpful people will show you the way).
You are welcome to sit in the round tables in the back of the church or in the more traditional pews. There is also a children’s PRAYground near the front for kids to sit at tables that are their size. There are also activity bags available for kids as well as a “Nursing Room” if you would like to take little ones.
We call our worship style “Casual Traditional.” We sing hymns. There are musical offerings of piano, vocal solos, and our bell choir. The choir shares an anthem (except during their summer break). We have congregational prayers, and a very brief “passing the peace” moment.
The dress is varied. There might be a few people wearing ties, but there will also be some guys wearing t-shirts. Same thing with the ladies, for every dress and pumps, there are two people in jeans and a blouse.
Pastor Robb is an energetic preacher, who seldom remains behind the pulpit. The choir is lively, and shares rousing anthems, melodic spirituals, and introspective responses.
Learn more about our music ministries here.
Our newly remodeled sanctuary includes a “Cafe Seating” section. These round tables, with coffee, water, and cookies nearby, offer a new way of experiencing worship. There are kids bulletins available. There is also a room adjacent to the sanctuary for parents with little ones that want a little more privacy. The room is furnished with a glider, a few activities for little ones, softer lighting, and a big window out to the worship space.