God’s advent has a name

Advent, beginnings, are like that old Confucius saying — the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In my life, it began with Daniel. His presence and its meaning as his image remains with me.

Sensory perceptions have a way of evoking not just memory, but reality. Daniel was a big man, strong, wellproportioned and a bit round. When a man’s diet is robust, fatbackseasoned soul food, he gets round rather easily.

Daniel was not the first person I knew as a youngster whose life expressed less, but he was the first with whom I spent a good portion of time. Curious kids notice things. Daniel had a singular smell about him, one part grease and dirt, one part sweat and one part hand-me-down unwashed clothes. With his belt over-tightened to force his oversized pants to fit and his shirt filled by his girth while wearing professional black-on-black oxfords, Daniel still achieved a dapper appearance.

Possessing workman-like hands and uncut fingernails with dirt always underneath, Daniel had the usual calluses, only extra dry and cracked. I remember the scar on his arm but he never told me the story behind it. His eyes were sometimes jaundiced, and only later in life did I understand this.

I noticed all these things and remember them still. I’m sure Mom and Dad knew them, too, but they never interfered with our relationship. I guess they knew, and I did, too, on some level, Daniel was a good soul who lived on the wrong side of the ledger. They saw no harm and I felt only comfort and strength in him.

In those days, Southern society called Daniel colored. It didn’t matter to me. I looked up to him, hero-worshiped him. The only thing he colored as I look back was my perception. Reality had not yet fully formed within me, but Daniel’s place in my heart planted the seed. As I grew, he became the angel to my better self.

Except in our imagination, no story is completely Pollyanna. At the time, Daniel’s life and mine yet to unfold is no exception. Daniel knew harsh reality but my awareness remained repressed by ambition, idealism and determined denial. I didn’t know it then, but I know it now, it’s the trinity for spiritual sickness.

For many years, Daniel’s friendship and God’s seed lay dormant in me. But if advents are beginnings, there must follow an unfolding story moving to its own ending. God seeded my advent, my unfolding, and watered it with failures and avoidance and hindsight. With each pruning, repression gave way to humility and the realization there is more to life than created utopian consequences.

Daniel’s seed, my advent and beginning, brings me to a sober realization. As I remember him, his hands and smells and scars and eyes, I realize he probably was there in the stable watching over the manger as he watched over me.

Kelly Huerta, of Allentown, Pa., portrays Mary as she holds her son Michael Huerta, portraying baby Jesus, during the annual Christmas Pageant at St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Frackville, Pa.

Adairsville Church of God, 297 Old Dixie Highway, Adairsville, hosts Adairsville Church of God Kidz every Sunday morning at 11 a.m.

will join together for a community Christmas brunch, “United in Faith,” with fellowship, food and a visit from Santa on Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-noon at the Cave Spring Community Center, 10 Georgia Ave., Cave Spring.

1503 Chubb Road, Cave Spring, will hold its annual Christmas program on Sunday at 11 a.m. Lunch will be served following the program.

542 Branham Ave., will show appreciation for Assistant Pastor Elder Colin Barton on Sunday at 3 p.m. Elder Barbara Thompson and St. Peter OCOG, Rockmart, will be the special guests. Dinner will be served at 2 p.m. The church will have Christmas breakfast on Dec. 23 at 8 a.m. The meal includes biscuits, bacon, sausage, grits, eggs and more. For more information call 706-676-0930.

100 E. Fourth Ave., holds Sunday School for all ages at 9:45 a.m. Worship is held at 11 a.m. and broadcast on Comcast channel 44. For more information visit www.fbcrome.org. The 19th Annual Christmas at First Baptist Concert featuring the Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra with appearances by the Youth Choir, Children’s Choir and First Baptist Ringers will be held Sunday at 4 p.m. More than 140 musicians will participate in this free concert. For more information contact Keith Reaves at 706-291-6850. The church will host the Three Rivers Singers, a 60 member community chorus, presenting “The Angels Sang on High” Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. The concert will feature a collection of sacred and secular seasonal choral arrangements accompanied by piano, organ and chamber orchestra. Admission is free. For more information visit the Three Rivers Singers Facebook page, threeriverssingers.org or call Lynn at 706-232-7411.

209 E. Second Ave., holds Sunday worship (casual/business casual dress) at 11 a.m. Sunday School meets at 10 a.m. Morning Coffee is each Thursday from 7-9 a.m. For more information contact the church office at romedisciples@gmail.com.

445 E. 14th St., will celebrate “The Reason for the Season” with a Christmas banquet fellowship on Saturday from 6-9 p.m. at the Bekaert Union Hall, 301 Darlington Drive. The menu will consist of grilled salmon, Cornish hen, asparagus, yellow rice, seafood dressing, green beans, wild rice, cornbread dressing, rolls, salad, Mt. Calvary velvet cake, iced tea and water. There will be special entertainment. Tickets are $20 for singles, $30 for couples, $7 for ages 7-12 and free for ages 6 and younger. The attire for the occasion is semiformal. For more information called 706-234-2091 or 706-234-5047 or contact Sister Martha Donaldson, Sister Marion Johnson or Sister Chloe Garth-Fielder.

2202 N. Broad St., will hold a candlelight service on Dec. 17 at 6 p.m.

80 Salem Drive, will have their children and youth of and the children and youth of South Broad United Methodist Church present the Christmas musical “All I Want for Christmas ... is Jesus” on Sunday at 6 p.m. A dessert fellowship will follow in the fellowship hall. For more information call the church office at 706-235-2149.

is selling their third cookbook, “Feeding the Flock.” Cookbooks can be purchased from any church member. To receive a cookbook by mail, send $13 to Lyerly United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 152, Lyerly, GA 30730. For more information call JoAnn Mitchell at 706-895-2636.

Excelsior St., will have a singing Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. with Ordained and the Helms Family. For more information contact Carey Wright at 706-766-1152.

30 Orchard Road, Adairsville, hosts Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered recovery program, every Monday night. Cross Talk Cafe at 6 p.m., large group worship at 7 p.m. and open share groups at 8 p.m. Visit www.northpointechurch.com or contact Kitty at 404-642-3605 for more information.

5603 Alabama Highway, holds prayer every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. The church will have Christmas cantata on Dec. 17 at 10:50 a.m. and will host Brotherhood Breakfast on Jan. 6, 2018 at 8 a.m. Call 706-2324431 for more information.

5953 Rockmart Road, Silver Creek, will host A Night of Pleasant Hope: A Christmas Celebration to Worship the Newborn King on Dec. 20 from 7-8 p.m. There will be fire pits, hot chocolate, apple cider and free ornaments for children to take home.

735 Old Summerville Road, holds a praise and worship service Sundays at 10:45 a.m. in the fellowship hall with music by Ben Thornton and the Praise Band. A blended service is held at the same time in the sanctuary. The church’s music and drama ministries will present their Christmas musical, “The Story of Christmas,” on Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m. nightly. For more information call Pastor Mac McCurry at 706-232-6426.

202 E. Third Ave., offers contemporary worship in the Garnett M. Wilder Center at 9 a.m. and traditional worship in the historic sanctuary at 11 a.m. Sunday School and small groups for all ages meet at 10 a.m.

42 Ash St., meets Sundays at 9:30 a.m. The church will hold Lessons and Carols on Sunday at 5 p.m. On Dec. 24, the church will have Morning Prayer at 9:30 a.m. and celebrate Holy Communion at 5 p.m. On Dec. 25, the church will celebrate Holy Communion at 10 a.m. For more information call 706-506-1241.

911 N. Broad St., offers Saturday vigil Masses at 5:30 p.m. in English and at 7 p.m. in Spanish; Sunday Masses are 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. in English and at 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. in Spanish. The parish will offer “Brunch with St. Nicholas” for children on Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Parish Hall with crafts, games and food. Confirmation candidates will meet on Saturday at the St. Mary’s Catholic School Gym at 8:30 a.m. for the Confirmation Retreat. EDGE, the Middle School Youth Ministry program, meets on Sunday in the Parish Hall from 4-6 p.m. The Parish’s Ladies Winter Social and Holiday Dinner will be on Dec. 7 at 6 p.m.; contact the church office for additional information and to register to attend. The church will celebrate the annual Festival of Our Lady of Guadalupe commemorating the legend of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to a peasant farmer (now St. Juan Diego) on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. A procession featuring a float and attendants in native costume will leave from St. Mary’s Catholic Church down Broad St. to the Forum. There will be a bilingual Mass at 1 p.m. including a dramatic presentation of the Apparition. A meal will be served with Latino foods and dishes for donations of $6 and there will be folkloric dancing and Latino games and raffles. Events are open to the public. The Sunday 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Masses will not be held this week. For more information contact Parish Secretary Rosa Cordero in the church office Jacqueline Dormer / Republican-Herald via AP

101 E. Fourth Ave., offers services of Holy Eucharist at 8:30 a.m. in the chapel and 10 a.m. in the church each Sunday. Midweek Eucharist services are held on Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m. and on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in the chapel. Sunday School/Christian Formation is available on Sundays at 11:15 a.m. for all ages of children, youth and adults. Nursery is offered during the 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist on Sunday. Children’s Chapel is also available for children ages pre-K through third grade during the 10 a.m. Sunday service. Advent services and activities: On Dec. 14 at 5:30 p.m. a special Blue Christmas Eucharist will be celebrated in the chapel. On Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m. there will be a Children’s Christmas Pageant. Eve of the Nativity services will be held Dec. 24 at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. A Christmas Day service will be held in the chapel at 10 a.m. For more information call 706-291-9111 or visit www.stpetersrome.org.

801 E. Second Ave., holds Sunday School at 10 a.m. and services with the Rev. Millie Kim at 11 a.m. The church will host “A Night in Bethlehem,” a free community event with activities for children on Saturday from 1-4 p.m. Families can tour the village of Bethlehem in the first century A.D. with booths where they will work together to make projects or watch live demonstrations. Booths include a metal shop, painter’s hut, carpentry shop, scribe’s tent, pottery shed and the Bethlehem Bakery. There will be a live Nativity in the stable. For more information call David Gresham at 706-237-7146 or visit www.2aveumc.org.

6 Old Rockmart Road, Lindale, holds Sunday School at 10 a.m. The Rev. Camille Josey will lead the 11 a.m. worship service. The sermon title is “Making Plans.” The Old Testament Scripture passage is Jeremiah 29:1-4, 14 and the New Testament Scripture Passage is John 14:27. For more information contact Janet Farr at 706-3467268.

and will host Silent Night, a drive-through Nativity experience, Saturday and Sunday from 6-8:30 p.m. nightly at 2636 Chulio Road. Admission is free. Rain dates are Dec. 1617. For more information call 706-2341220 or email springcreekbc@bellsouth. net.

113 Smith St., will have their annual candlelight service on Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

8536 Black’s Bluff Road, Cave Spring, will hold a ham shoot on Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

304 Coker Drive, will celebrate Holy Eucharist on Sunday at 11 a.m. This week, Tuesday Travelers will meet at Mia Roma, 3401 Martha Berry Highway, at 6:30 p.m. On Wednesday, Al-Anon will meet in the parish hall at noon and there will be a healing service with Holy Eucharist at 6 p.m.

1941 Shorter Ave., holds Sunday School for all ages at 9:45 a.m. Worship is at 11 a.m. and will be the annual service of Lessons and Carols which tells of God’s promise for His son through scripture and song. For further information call 706-2358561.

1003 Shorter Ave., will observe the second Sunday of Advent at 11 a.m. this Sunday. The Sanctuary Choir will present the story of Christmas in a program titled “Worship! Our God is With Us!” The Choir will perform the program at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1645 Cartersville Highway, on Sunday at 6 p.m. and at Brookdale Assisted Living, 180 Woodrow Wilson Way, on Tuesday at 6 p.m. For more information visit the church website at www.westromeumc.org, call 706-2346214 or email wrumc@bellsouth.net.