Ocala First Connection

First Symbol of the Jesse Tree: Creation Genesis 1:1-2:3 Psalm 19:1-6 Icon by Betsy Porter From the very beginning, God created the world as an outpouring of love. God created out of grace. All creatures. All plants. All GOOD.  Very good.  Where have you witnessed the goodness of God's creation? Take a second to praise God for two or three things... And the Advent promise is that we are waiting for the day when all things will be re-created through Christ Jesus. All things brought back to very good.  How is God recreating in you? Where are places in your life that you need to invite God to enter in?  "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." ~R...

Isaiah 11:1-11, Psalm 25:1-11 Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth a shoot  from the stump of Jesse, And a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.      Upon reading this scripture, the first image that popped in my mind was a real “throw-back” one- from the 1960’s, when my Dad drove us on South Highway 27, through Clermont.  Then, the rolling hills were covered with acres and acres of orange trees.  The bottom of the trees we saw closest to the highway looked a little “scrufty.”  My Dad, an avid orchid grower, told us why.        He explained that the rootstock (the root system and the lower stem or trunk) was a different plant than the top of the tree!  This was quite intentional, and for very good reasons.  The rootstock was tolerant of unfavorable soils, pests, diseases, and cold, but would not produce edible fruit.  (The rootstock  we were describing as somewhat “scrufty” were likel...

Jesus didn't pop into the world out of nowhere. He was born. That means he had family and a family history. More incredible is that Jesus' birth continues the story of God's promise to the world. A promise of life and salvation. Hope. Peace. Joy. and Love. This is what we find in the Christmas story--and glimpse throughout the Old Testament that leads up to the New. Come, prepare for Christ's coming into our lives and homes. Come, get ready to trace the family tree and follow the long tradition of divine grace that brings us from Creation to Christ. Come build a Jesse tree! Advent workshop: 6-8pm in the Family Life Center. (suggested donation $10 per family)