The First Nowell
Posted December 15, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
Of Cornish (English) origin, The First Nowell was likely composed during the early modern era (c. 1350-1800). The song tells the story of the angels, who announced Christ’s birth, and the shepherds and wise men who came to adore Him.
Christmas Activity
Posted December 14, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
What is your favorite Christmas time activity? Art by Wyatt Smith (2nd Grade)
The Arrival of Santa Paws
Posted December 13, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
A group of players mentioned in our Christmas songs but often overlooked in our memories of Christmas are the animals: “The cattle are looing-the baby awakes…” “The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum,” “Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, had a very shiny nose.”
End-of-Year Need to Meet the Budget
Posted December 12, 2023 by Steve Wells in Discipleship, Pastor
I hope you were in worship last Sunday—I call it “Bell Sunday,” and it is one of my favorite days of the year. If you missed it, we had 3 rows of bells—one in the choir loft, one on the platform, and one across the floor—each one spanning the width of the platform. That layout allowed us to have the Tribe, Youth, and Adult Handbell Choirs each ring, then all ring together. It was glorious—the…
Meme's Trifle Recipe
Posted December 12, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
It’s been a little over a year since my 99-year-old grandmother, Meme, went onward and upward to her “party” in the heavens, as she would say. She was my sassy, British grandmother who loved to laugh, enjoy wine and cheese or the occasional Hershey’s bar for dinner, and epitomized the power of positivity in life.
An Unexpected Gift
Posted December 11, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
Growing up in a family with four siblings in West Texas, my parents always managed to make memorable Christmases. Along the way, and somewhat accidentally, they created a family tradition that carries on to this day.
Monday Over Coffee: "Blue"
Posted December 11, 2023 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
The sky in Amsterdam, Russell Shorto explains in his 2013 book about his adopted hometown, has a striking “rinsed quality” about it. Composed of a “sober light” he writes, “free of any orange particulate glow,” it gleams sublime in deep and deeper blues as the sun descends each night over the city’s famous canals.
Joy Sunday
Posted December 10, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
What brings you Joy? Getting in the car with friends and hot chocolate and driving around town looking at Christmas lights. Staying up super late waiting on my grandparents to pull into our driveway. Only listening to Christmas music from the day after Thanksgiving to Christmas Day. Baking Christmas goodies. Christmas Eve service with my family where I grew up. Then, after the service, having an…
Mason Family Chicken and Dressing
Posted December 9, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
This recipe was handed down to my mom, Patricia Mason, from her mother and her mother’s mother. This was not just a holiday meal; it was a year-round side dish served most Sundays and sometimes throughout the week. It is filled with love, warmth, and family history. It’s my mom’s favorite dish. It’s also one of my favorite dishes…when my mom makes it.
Family Traditions
Posted December 8, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
Advent is a season of preparation and remembrance as we anticipate the birth of our Savior. It brings back memories of loved ones who once made this season so wonderful but who are no longer with us.
Unswerving Hope
Posted December 7, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
I always enjoyed Christmas, even before I was a Christian. I didn’t have to believe in God to enjoy the bright lights and good food, and people in December just seemed kinder or more hopeful than they did the rest of the year. After coming to know Jesus Christ as my Savior, my understanding of the holiday transformed.
Graves Family Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Posted December 6, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
Some of my first Christmas memories are tied to these chocolate chip cookies. Every December, my parents and I made several dozen cookies for our church’s Hanging of the Greens service. My parents taught me how to bake on those Saturday afternoons.
End-of-Year Need to Meet the Budget
Posted December 5, 2023 by Steve Wells in Discipleship, Pastor
This year we are starting with a taller tree than in past years. Between the time you read this email and the close of books on December 31, we need to give $1,644,792 in order to fully subscribe our budget. We absolutely have the resource to do so, but only if we all give together. This year’s budget is 12% more than last year’s budget, so as a gauge, if you are able to give 12% or more than you…
It Takes All of Us
Posted December 5, 2023 by Steve Wells in Discipleship, Pastor
As the end of the year approaches, everyone at South Main is accustomed to seeing what we call “the Christmas tree” email—the one that pops up in your inbox on a weekly basis throughout December and informs you about how much is needed to make our annual budget by December 31. This year, we also want to show you something we might call, “The Upside-Down Christmas Tree.”
Go, Tell It on the Mountain
Posted December 5, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
Go Tell It on the Mountain, the beloved African-American spiritual, tells the tale of Christ’s birth that is inextricably tied to one of America’s darkest sins. Originally passed down orally from plantation to plantation, the spiritual was sung by the enslaved in the tradition of a long-awaited jubilee—the hope of emancipation.
Family Traditions
Posted December 4, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
What’s your favorite family tradition from childhood?
Monday Over Coffee: "Influencer"
Posted December 4, 2023 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
I resolved ahead of time to eat absolutely everything put in front of me. Or at least to try it. I’d made reservations at a well-reviewed Nordic restaurant in Finland—one I’d found on a “foodie” website with a pre-set tasting menu—and felt a distinct sense of anticipation about what the evening might hold.
Hope Sunday
Posted December 3, 2023 by J Hill in Advent
Hope. For such a short word, it’s a really complicated idea, at least for me. The word hope doesn’t imply certainty, but in our everyday vernacular it often insinuates something like a pipe dream.
Advent Devotions
Posted December 3, 2023 by SMBC in Advent
More than most any other, this time of year tends to be strongly tied to familial stories and memories. The Advent season often evokes the wonder and nostalgia of family gatherings past, but for many of us, family now isn’t what family always has been, as loss and messiness can pervade.
Monday Over Coffee: "Tenet"
Posted November 27, 2023 by Greg Funderburk in Monday Over Coffee
Tenet: (noun)— a principle or belief, especially one of the main principles of a religion or philosophy. You’re barely settled in your seat in the movie theater when, in the very first scene of the film, the Kyiv Opera House falls under an apparent terrorist attack.
