Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Dear Talmadge Hill Family,

As we stand at the threshold of 2026, I find myself noticing the swirl of emotions that a new year can bring. For some of us, it feels like a deep breath, a gentle invitation to begin again. For others, there may be a quiet heaviness, the ache of uncertainty or the shadows of what we have just walked through. However you arrive in this first week of January, please know that you are welcome here, with all that you carry. There is room for your hope, your questions, your weariness, and your wonder.

Even as the world rushes ahead, we are still held in the gentle embrace of the Christmas season. This sacred time lingers with us, culminating this Sunday as we gather for Epiphany. Together, we mark the close of these twelve days and prepare our hearts to turn toward the story of Jesus’ baptism next week.

The Wisdom of the Outsiders

This Sunday, we turn our hearts to Matthew’s account of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12). These foreign astrologers were outsiders, excluded from traditional Temple worship, yet they were the very first to recognize God’s presence in the world.

Their journey was anything but certain. They made their way through Herod’s dangerous kingdom, guided not by a roadmap but by a light and a sense of wonder. All they had was the courage to trust what they sensed and the hope that something holy awaited them.

The Brazilian theologian Rubem Alves beautifully captures this spirit:

"Hope is hearing the melody of the future, and faith is dancing to that melody in the here and now."

In this in-between season of our life together, I find myself looking to the Magi as companions on the journey. They remind me that faith rarely means having everything figured out before we begin. Instead, it is the quiet courage to follow the light we have, to trust the dreams that stir in us, and to keep moving to hope’s melody even when the way ahead is still hidden.

Community Notes & Schedule Reminders

Because of our New Year celebrations, this edition of the Happenings newsletter comes to you on a slightly different schedule. I want to make sure you have the details for when our mid-week gatherings will begin again:

• Contemplative Prayer in Community: We will gather again on Wednesday, January 7, from 5:00–6:00 PM on Zoom to find stillness together.

• Bible Study: Our weekly study resumes on Thursday, January 8, from 9:30–11:00 AM. You are welcome to join us either in person or via Zoom.

I am looking forward to gathering with you this Sunday as we celebrate the light that shines in the darkness, a light that no darkness can overcome.

Wishing you and those you love a gentle and hope-filled New Year.

Mooi Loop,

Dries

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Dear Talmadge Hill Family,

As we approach Christmas, I find myself deeply grateful for this community committed to our mission: to know the Love of God and share it. In these uncertain times, we gather not in certainty but in hope—lighting candles against the darkness, singing carols of peace, and making room for the Christ child to be born again in our hearts. In the spirit of the season, we want our staff and volunteers to enjoy time with their loved ones, so we are sending this Happenings early; there will be no mailing this coming Friday.

Christmas Eve Services – December 24th

Join us for two identical services at 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM. We welcome everyone to this service of carols and alternative lessons, featuring Maya Angelou’s powerful poem “Amazing Peace,” candlelight, and special music. Our choir will sing at the 5:00 PM service. Whether you come early or late, come as you are. There is room at the manger for everyone.

Sunday, December 29th at 10:00 AM

The Rev. Dr. Cheryl Bundy will preach "Light Years," exploring Edith Wharton’s wisdom: “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” (Scripture: John 1:1-14).

Year-End Giving: If you would like to make a year-end gift—money or stock—we would be grateful. Your generosity sustains and shares God’s love through our ministry.

Grace in Transition

Since summer, as we’ve navigated transitions in our staff, we have seen the true beauty of our partnership as a church. Our Board members and volunteers have stepped up with dedication and grace, and the congregation has responded in kind with patience and support.

This season has reminded us that the church is all of us—each person living into the unique gifts God has given us. Together, we are discovering that when we walk in partnership, we embody our mission more fully. May the vulnerability of the Christ child remind us that God meets us not in power, but in love, and that our greatest strength is found in our shared journey.

This Christmas Season, in the words of Maya Angelou: "We look at each other, then into ourselves and we say without shyness or apology or hesitation: Peace, My Brother. Peace, My Sister. Peace, My Soul."

Geseënde Kersfees,

Dries

Sunday, December 21, 2025

Dear Talmadge Hill Family,

Celebrating the Season Together

Join us this Sunday at 10:00 am for our annual production of The Innkeeper. Dress rehearsal begins at 8:45 am. Enjoy a fresh take on the Christmas story, a tradition Rob and Mich have given to the community, and our dedicated cast and crew perform each year.

We are hosting two Christmas Eve services at 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm. Join us for worship focused on the Good News, featuring carols and alternative readings. Reflect with us, as the shepherds did, that good news is stronger than fear. Bring your family, friends, and questions—everyone is welcome at Talmadge Hill Community Church.

A Season of Gratitude

This season, many of us reflect on our gratitude for Talmadge Hill. If you'd like to make a year-end gift—money or stock—we would be grateful. Your generosity sustains and shares God's love through our ministry.

Preparing Our Hearts

We invite you to prepare your heart for Sunday’s worship and the coming of the Christ child by reflecting on these words from Mary’s Magnificat, which will be featured in the bulletin:

"My soul magnifies God. My spirit rejoices. I sing out in thankfulness. At the top of my voice, I sing out: Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice."

Geseënde Kersfees

Merry Christmas. I look forward to seeing you at worship on Sunday and Christmas Eve. Your presence matters.

Mooi loop,

Dries

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Dear Talmadge Hill Family,

Last Sunday was inspirational as we celebrated thirty years of Rob's ministry among us. It was wonderful to see so many people showing up for Rob and Talmadge Hill and to hear him share stories from the past. We laughed, we celebrated, and there were tears.

I am glad Rob shared so many stories, as research shows that shared narratives do far more than preserve the past—they actively shape our collective faith and identity. When we tell stories together, we're not just reminiscing; we're discerning who we are, what we value, and where God might be leading us, strengthening our community bonds.

Storytelling matters particularly in liminal seasons like ours. In times of transition, stories become anchors that connect us as a community. They remind us we've crossed thresholds before and reveal the core values we've lived out together, reinforcing our shared identity. Last Sunday, in honoring Rob's three decades of faithful presence, we were remembering ourselves—acknowledging that this community knows how to sing songs of faithfulness across time.

This Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, we continue asking: "What do you fear?" Our scriptures—Jeremiah 1:4-10 and Luke 1:26-39—offer two powerful call stories that begin exactly where we find ourselves: in self-doubt and uncertainty.

Both Jeremiah and Mary protest their inadequacies. "I am only a boy!" "How can this be?" Yet both discover something profound: their God-given identity is more fundamental than their fear. They are loved, known, and called to serve.

What's most compelling about Mary's story is what happens next. She doesn't retreat into solitary contemplation. Instead, she hurries to the hill country to be with Elizabeth. Her belovedness doesn't make her self-sufficient; it makes her relational. She needs community to help her learn the songs of what she is carrying, to wait through the slow unfolding of God's promise, and to sing the dangerous, revolutionary Magnificat.

We move forward not because we are strong enough, but because our identity—woven together in community—is stronger than our fear. We carry songs we didn't write ourselves. We journey together, not alone.

Join us Sunday as we discover that even in our fear, we keep moving forward together. Know this: You are not alone. You are loved. You are known. You are sent to serve, and your presence makes a difference in our shared journey.

I am looking forward to seeing you on Sunday,

Dries

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Dear Talmadge Hill Family,

As I mark three months of sojourning here at Talmadge Hill this December, I am deeply grateful to be among this accepting community of faith and to witness the spiritual depth that is truly transformational. One of my greatest joys has been working with Rob—experiencing his creativity and intentionality in expressing his spirituality through his musical talent, and witnessing his deep love and commitment to Talmadge Hill.

This Sunday during Advent, we will incorporate a celebration of Rob's remarkable ministry into our worship. Rob will preach, reflecting on thirty years of service through the lens of our mission—To know the love of God and share it—using 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 as his text.

A single Sunday cannot fully honor Rob's contribution—or the collaborative ministry partnerships that have sustained our worship life. In early 2026, after the holidays, we will gather for a time of fellowship, music, and the opportunity to share gratitude and memories to celebrate Rob—more details to come.

It's not too late to submit your 2025 pledge. Rob's celebration of 30 years reminds us of the commitment and transformational spirit that have sustained Talmadge Hill across generations. Your financial gifts not only support our ministry in the year to come—they ensure that Talmadge Hill remains a beacon of God's extravagant love for generations yet to arrive. Thank you for your generosity and faithfulness to this community.

See you on Sunday!

Mooi Loop,

Dries