“We are alive in God’s wildness. This Divine wildness is beautiful, strange, and not at all controlled by us. There are places in the Divine plan that we do not know…The activity in these spaces brings life and death, spiritual warfare, and new creation. Occasionally, we feel the movements, we glimpse the shapes, we perceive the power at work, but we cannot know the fullness of what is happening all around us.” ~Julia Seymour
How many times in the last year have we heard it said: “We live in unprecedented times”? I’ve heard it so many times it has begun to lose its impact. It is used in reference to what many call an unprecedented election year. It is also used in reference to the impact of unprecedented pandemics. I’ve grown tired of the word. Yet maybe one of the invitations of Advent is to linger with the word.
Advent takes us on a journey to something truly unprecedented: the birth of Jesus. Never before had something so unexpected happened in such an unexpected place: Divine Love, born as an infant, Immanuel (God With Us). The coming of Jesus was and is God’s greatest act of unconditional love. This gift of God’s love reminds us that we are worthy to receive the fullness that God holds for each of us. This gift reminds us that we too are gifts. We are each called to share the gift of God’s love with others by opening our lives.
In Sunday’s scripture for the First Sunday of Advent from Mark 13: 24-37 Jesus says, “What I say to you, I say to all: keep watch!” For what are we watching? For whom are we watching? The invitation of Jesus is to keep our hearts and minds open for the next unprecedented thing God will do.
By Faith, Rev. Elder Dwayne
Grand Celebration
Mark your calendar for our holiday concert at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 5th. We’ll host a Zoom “watch party” to view the live premiere of our Grand Celebration on YouTube.
Here are three ways to connect:
• Click here to open Zoom and join automatically
• Launch Zoom and enter Meeting ID 816 4461 8592
• Dial (301) 715-8592 by phone, using the same Meeting ID
Share the Love
After a year full of challenges and uncertainty, we want to say thank you to our MCCDC Pastors and Staff for their dedicated, loving and spirit-led service to our community. Please consider showing your appreciation by reaching out to them and by contributing to a Love Offering that we will take on Sunday, Dec. 6th. Please mark any such donation as “Love Offering 2020.” If you’re giving online at donate.mccdc.com, select “Love Offering 2020” from the drop-down Fund menu.
Christmas Tributes
This Christmas, we invite you to remember someone you love with a tribute. Their names will be included in our Sunday worship folder and also displayed at the end of Sunday livestream worship throughout the Advent season. We suggest a donation of $20.00 per tribute. All gifts matter.
Here’s an online form to pay with credit card or electronic debit. You can also print this form and mail it to the church with a check.
MCCDC Engagement Survey
As we work to extend our reach “beyond the walls,” we want to hear how you’ve engaged with our church—both before and during the pandemic. Click here to take a brief, simple survey organized by Dr. Carla Sherrell, drcarla@mccdc.com, and our Virtual Ministry Working Group.
Advent Devotionals Wanted!
We begin the Advent season on Sunday, November 29! And as in prior years, MCCDC shares a daily devotional in your inbox for the entire season (until Christmas Eve) each day. Please consider contributing one or more this year!
All of them are written by members and friends who share a story or a poem or spiritual learning and wisdom appropriate to the season. Most people write their contribution, but some record a video. Both are welcome. Rev. Dr. Robin Hawley Gorsline, Writer-Theologian in Residence is coordinating the project again this year.
The theme for Advent this year as decided by Revs. Dwayne and Cathy is “You Are a Gift.” It is great if you can work with that, but these are not limited to that theme.
Our guidelines suggest a maximum of 500 words (less is good)—remember how busy everyone is and how many emails most of us receive daily—but if you absolutely cannot say what you wish to say in more, that’s okay. Just know that Rev. Robin may suggest some edits (and he may agree that your text is great as is). Please know that we also like to include an image to go with each contribution and you are welcome to share one—If not, he will add one.
Please send your submissions to Rev. Dr. Robin Hawley Gorsline, Writer-Theologian in Residence, at writer@robinhawleygorsline.com as soon as possible!
Join MCCDC’s Bible in 90 Days Journey 2021!
Click Here to Join the MCCDC Slack Community
Click Here to Order B90 Bible:
“Virtual Church Events”
Virtual Choir
Come and join the Virtual Voices of MCC Choir! Lift your voice in our virtual rehearsals while singing from the comfort of your home. For more info, email Music Minister Deidre Mouton Gray at msdeedeemusic@gmail.com.
Spiritual Gifts, Get Involved!
Your’re invited to consider sharing your spiritual gifts by making a Scripture Reading Video or sharing a Video Testimony on what MCCDC means to you.
It does not have to be long and the AV team is standing by to help you with the video. Please email me at revdwayne@mccdc.com for more information.
Moving Spirit Dance Ministry
Come dance for God! No experience needed. Email Cathy Batson at cathybatson1@verizon.net for more information. Check out past performances on our YouTube channel, including “I Can Only Imagine” (April 2019) and “Mighty River”(February 2018).
JOIN REV. DWAYNE IN PRAYER FROM NOON TO 12:30 PM Monday thru Saturday
Phone Number: 646-558-8656, Code: 407 740 6668
Intercessory Prayer Team
Meets the 2nd and 4th Thursdays each month at 7 pm
Contact LaMar Jenkins at 202-750-08887
Drama Ministry Practice Via Zoom
The 3rd Mondays each month at 6:30 pm Eastern
Contact Clara Carter at c4mcarter26@gmail.com for information
Bible Study
Tuesdays at 7:00 pm Eastern
Click here to Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/434566329
or Dial: (301) 715-8592 ,Meeting ID: 434 566 329
Contact Dale Madyun-Baskerville at mccdcbiblestudy@mccdc.com for more information.
Pastoral Care Meeting
Meet 1st and 3rd Wednesday, each month at 6::30pm
Contact pastoralcare@mccdc.com for more information or interest in joining this vibrant church ministry this Fall
“Ministry Spotlight”
Join Us on YouTube and subscribe to the MCCDC YouTube Channel!
Click here to see more MCCDC Videos
LiveStream Volunteer’s Needed!
Volunteer! No experience is required. We will train you or someone you recommend. (Perhaps a student interested in picking up new skills?) Opportunities include:
o Producing the livestream itself on Sundays and for special events (greatest need)
o Assisting on Sundays by video recording and managing cameras
o Video editing (this requires access to your own computer and video editing software)
Share our message! Inspired by Rev. Dwayne’s spiritual instruction? Moved by a praise & worship song? Post it on Facebook. Send a link to friends and family. They can tune-in to our livestream or watch worship services on demand at livestream.com/mccdc, through our website at mccdc.com, or browse clips on our YouTube Channel.
Click here to visit MCCDC YouTube channel
Email Johanna at mccdclive@gmail.com or talk to any one of the AV team members to volunteer or for more information
The Soundboard Ministry Needs YOU!
Soundboard volunteers are needed for 9 am and 11 am services. No experience needed!
You will be trained on a state of the art soundboard and learn how to set up mics for services.
Ideally, you will train at the 9 am service and continue training at the 11 am service, but we are flexible.
Please contact Michael Cunningham at mjcunningham2013@gmail.com or stop by to talk with any soundboard volunteer.
Prayer Corner
Please lift the following people up during your prayer time:
* Jerry Giem’s Son, *Jason and Nephew, Travis * Valeria Myers’ daughter Chantelle * Michelle Lax *George Kerr, III * Mama Cee’s sister and niece * Rose Williams * Randy Punley * Lynn Sulyma * Esther Smith * Marcus Garnett * Renee Valentine * Rose Herring * Elaine Durden-Hunter’s mother, Earline * T. Green * Evelyn Jones * Valeria Myers’ son Donald * Bob Jones’ son Chuck & wife Karen * Steve Sloane * Glenn Conrad * Arden Shutt, * Renee Valentine’s brother, * Kim Battle, *Juanita Dara , * Jeffrey Luckenbach, * Anthony Goode,* Keith Richardson, *Diedre Gray *Elaine Durden-Hunter’s friend Saint Williams * Cathy Batson niece Lisa
