Karis will be sending a group to minister to children and young adults in the favelas (slums) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil May 30-June 7, 2010. During our time there, we will do homeless mercy ministry and possibly some prison ministry as well as help run a vacation Bible school. We will be working with Rio de Paz, a local social justice NGO, and a local church plant through Restore:Brazil and Acts 29 Director for Brazil Jay Bauman.  Contact Ryan Davis for more information.

Ryan Worley, a husband, father, intern, and deacon at Karis, preached the Word this week.  We are blessed to have his gifts at our church and are very excited to watch how the Lord continues to use him to further advance his kingdom.  Luke Daugherty, led the music and liturgy along with the Karis band.  Following are photos, sermon notes, and the liturgy from this past Sunday.

Prelude
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”  -  Brady Didion a.k.a. Shredzilla

The Call
Preparation for Worship 1.1.7 (The Worship Sourcebook)
“Come and Sing” (Jeremy Quillo)
Psalm 30:4-5 (ESV)
“Holy is the Lord” (Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio)

The Gospel
Romans 8:18-19, 23-25
Lighting the third candle of Advent - Callie Hansen
“By Thy Mercy” (Lyrics by James J. Cummins, Music by Greg Thompson)
Hebrews 4:14-16 (ESV) - Corporate Reading
“Lift up Thy Bleeding Hand” (Lyrics by Cecil Alexander, Music by Andrew Osenga)

The Peace
Passing the Peace
Welcome (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10)  -  Kevin Larson

The Word
Joy to the World: Joy Sustained (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10)  -  Ryan Worley

The Supper
“What Child is This?” (Words by William C. Dix, Music - Traditional melody)
1 Peter 4:12-13 (ESV)

The Prayer
The Prayers of the Church  -  Aarik Danielsen

The Offering
“The Glories of Calvary” (Steve Cook, Vikki Cook)
Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)

The Sending
An Enduring Hope (Rom. 15:13, 1 Pet. 4:19, 2 Thess. 2:16-17)
Fellowship Offering

Sermon Notes
Joy To the World: Joy Sustained  - Ryan Worley

1. Knowing Christ in Suffering (Acts 17:1-3)
a) He is the Christ
b) He had to suffer and die
c) He had to rise

2. Imitating Christ in Suffering (Jn. 15:20, 2 Tim. 3:12, 1 Pet. 4:12-13)
a) Christ’s goal: obey and please the Father?
b) Who are we imitating?

3. Joy in Suffering (Heb. 12:1-3)
a) What is the bigger reality of joy you’re pointing to?
b) The source of our joy is directly related to our actual experience of joy.
c) Joy is “satisfaction in the sufficiency for Christ.
d) Joy is not just for today, but also for tomorrow (v. 10)

4. Fruits in Suffering (Rom. 5:3-5)
a) A stronger faith
b) Glory to God

A good friend of mine, Alex Biddles, who sacrificed much to help get Karis off the ground, is launching Logos Community Church on January 3rd in Meridian, Mississippi.  They have a number of needs as they begin, particularly in the sound area.  Pray about contributing funds to help them get going.  Donate gifts to P.O. Box 649, Meridian, MS 39302.

For the second Sunday of Advent, Kevin preached from John 2 on The Wedding at Cana.  The focus was on Joy, as Luke Daugherty led the Karis Band in a particularly lively worship service.  Following are the liturgy and sermon notes.

The Call
Advent Call to Worship: A Light Has Dawned (Sojourn Community Church)

The Praises
“With every Breath” (Christine Byrd and Marc Byrd)
Advent Prayer of invocation D.1.4.5  -  Ann Daugherty, Luke Daugherty
Lighting the Second Candle of Advent  -  Jaylyn Salmons
“Joy to the World” (Lyrics by Isaac Watts, Music by Jamie Barnes)

The Gospel
Advent Confession D.2.2.10
“That We Might Live” (Words: Joel Lindsey; Music: Joel Lindsey, Allen Schwamb, Jon Mesh)
Isaiah 15:6-9 (corporate) - ESV
“Gloria” (Words and Music by Taylor Sorenson)

The Peace
Passing the Peace
The Welcome (John 2:1-12) - Rob Gaskin

The Word
Joy to the World: Joy Experienced - Kevin Larson

The Supper
“Amen, Amen” (Neil and Kate Robins)
The Bread and the Cup
Revelation 19:6-9 (ESV)

The Prayer
Introduction of New Members  -  Kevin Larson
Prayers of the Church  -  Aaron Harris

The Offering
“God is With Us” (Jeremy Quillo)

The Sending
Advent Sending D.9.1.1 (The Worship Sourcebook) - Luke Daugherty

Sermon Notes
Joy To the World: Joy Experienced

1. Deeper Realities
a) a new era
b) a greater feast
c) Unspeakable joy

2. Joy in every day matters
a) food and drink
b) Marriage and family
c) Hospitality and celebration

3. How they are Related
a) Joy in gospel = joy in ordinary
b) Joy eludes us - wrong approaches to creation
i. asceticism
ii. materialism
c) Joy eludes us - wrong approaches to redemption
i. Cynicism
ii. Sentimentalism

4. How Joy is Accomplished
a) God became flesh
b) Jesus Crucified and Resurrected
c) He came to redeem Creation

5. How it Looks
a) Enjoying Creation and Hope in redemption
i. in our homes
ii. in our church
iii.  in our city

Advent is in full swing, and our new series, “Joy to the World” kicked off this past Sunday. We looked at the story of Jesus’ birth as recorded in Luke 2:1-38, and observed the pervasive sense of expectation and fulfillment that is present in Luke’s telling of the story. The angel pronounces “good news of great joy” and the events unfold to show a couple of people, Simeon and Anna, who are clearly expecting that joy in this mysterious child.

At the core of our celebration of Advent in Karis this year, we’re asking these questions: Why was the birth of this child such good news? Why was it a proclamation of “great joy”? Why did people such as Simeon and Anna feel such relief and hope at the sight of Jesus? In a day where Christmas can be time of much confusion and commercialism, we do well to ask ourselves these questions. We sense that joy is inherent to this story, yet we lose sight of the story, and consequently, we lose our grip on the deep joy that is offered to us by God in the gift of his Son.

As I argued in the first message of this series this week, the first key to experiencing this joy is not in the pursuit of the joy itself, but in getting ourselves into a place where we can receive the joy that Christ brings. The people in Luke’s first few chapters, like the prophets of the Old Testament, represent an example of that place where our hearts need to be. They expected something from God. Specifically, they expected the promised righteous King of Isaiah 11 to show up and bring redemption and consolation. To bring deliverance from sin and evil, freedom to worship in holiness, and light to the nations. This was their hope. This is what they saw happening Christ’s arrival, or advent. This is where our hearts should go as we wait for his return.

I offered a few practices for us to focus our efforts on in cultivating this longing:

1) We must learn to wait, much like Simeon and Anna and all of the OT Prophets. Their hope was not in this broken world, but for God to deliver them and redeem all that is not right. What are you hoping in that this world really can’t deliver? Lamentations 3:26 says “it is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” This is a lost discipline in an instant-gratification culture. To stop amidst all of the hurried longings of our frantic souls requires intentionality and perseverance. How will you learn to wait?

2) As we wait, we must learn to dwell in the Word and listen to God in prayer. The Word is the place where God speaks to us. It is living and active. By the power of the Spirit, working here and now. the Word reveals Jesus Christ in all of his glory to us. We don’t long for him because we don’t see how beautiful he really is, how good he is, etc. We could all spend more time listening, seeking what God may say to us in the Word and through praying over it, rather than rattling off our list of requests.

It’s my hope that we will all, myself included, learn more about how to wait as we hope in God’s promised Redeemer this Advent. A few resources might help you in this task:

1) Advent Songs from Sojourn Community Church (a fellow Acts 29 church). You can actually download this album for free on noisetrade.com It’s on the main page. There are a few traditionals, as well as the new ones we have been doing at Karis this year. This is a great way to stir longing in our souls.

2) Silent Night from Red Mountain Church. They hit more of the standards with beautiful arrangements. Check out redmountainmusic.com

3) Sufjan Stevens Christmas record. Who doesn’t want little Sufjan for Christmas?

4) Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas - This is a great, diverse collection of essays that I go to every year for getting into the spirit of Advent. It draws from a broad range of Christian tradition, including some Catholic and Orthodox theologians and writers. Some of the essays are better and more theologically sound than others (and some are just odd), so you have to approach it with a fair amount of discernment. But there is much richness in learning from some ecumenical writers on practicing Advent.

5) Come Thou Long Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas - This is actually one on my list that I haven’t gotten yet. But I can tell from the list of writers that it will be a great, theologically sound resource for reflecting on the meaning of Christ’s coming.

May you experience a deep hunger for Christ and a longing for his Kingdom of peace this Christmas!

Luke Daugherty

Pastor for Worship & Mission

This week’s “Loop,” the e-newsletter of Karis, is posted here.

To kick off the advent season, we started a new series entitled “Joy, to the World.”  Luke Daugherty started the series preaching a powerful sermon called Joy - Received.  Following are photos from Sunday and the liturgy.

The Call
Advent Call to Worship D.1.2.3
The Worship Sourcebook  -  Bobby Schembre

Infinite Divine
(Joe Day)

The Gospel
We See Things Darkly (Sojourn Community Church Lament)
Lighting the First Candle of Advent - Jaylyn Salmons
Let all Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (Lyrics from Liturgy of St. James, 4th Century;
Music: Picard, French Carol tune; Arr. Red Mountain Church)
Assurance of Pardon - Isaiah 40:1-2 - Bobby Schembre
Christ the Lord is Born Today (Mark Altrogge)
We are Listening (Jeremy Quillo)
2 Peter 3:8-10

The Peace
Passing the Peace
The Advent Conspiracy
Welcome (Luke 2:1-38) - Kevin Larson

The Word
Joy to the World: Joy Received - Luke Daugherty

The Supper
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (John Neeley)
Psalm 40:1-2,16-17
The Bread and the Cup

The Prayer
The prayers of the Church - Lynn Bruning

The Offering
One Pure and Holy Passion (Mark Altrogge)
Receiving the Offering

The Sending
2 Peter 3:13-15a - Bobby Schembre

A Little About Kate
After pursing sex, alcohol, performance & success, I came to the realization that none leave me feeling satisfied & all would disappoint & break me when I depended on them most. My second semester freshman year of college left me hoping for something that would never let me go; I heard the gospel for the first time in February, 2006 & was amazed that there was a God that loved me enough to send His Son to die in my place, because it was what I deserved, but no matter what I had done, did, or would do, He would always love me. I proclaimed Christ as my Savior a month later, in March 2006. In September of 2007 I began attending Karis after several friends suggested I visit because of its beautiful community.
A Few of the Ways Kate Ministers in Karis
I just became an intern this summer in July and it has been a challenging process and adjustment to life outside of being a student. Currently, I plan community & women events. Because I am the first woman intern with Karis, I have the opportunity to follow up with mostly all the women that visit Karis, which is awesome. I have also been blessed with a passion to talk about Jesus to everyone I’ve ever met, and am learning on how to coach others how to do that in their own lives.
Where Kate Senses God Calling Her in the Future
I have a passionate heart for many things: international ministry, underprivileged adolescents, and rough neighborhoods. I trust the Lord will guide me in the right direction as I continue to worship Him alongside my brothers & sisters at Karis.