HCC’s Christmas Eve Candle Light Service will start at 7 p.m. on Monday, December 24th.
Each year, we are blessed to be able to gather together to worship, praise, sing carols and lift up the name of the LORD Jesus as we celebrate the remembrance of His birth on earth. What a privilege and pleasure to do so here in Egypt, the country that Joseph and Mary brought Him to not long after his birth.
Come and celebrate with us! All are welcome.
4th Advent Reading – for December 21, 2018
We plan to light the fourth candle on the Advent Wreath to remember that God gives us Peace.
Scripture: Luke 2:10-14
“’Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Candle Lighting:
During the past 3 weeks we lit candles to remember God’s Promise, Hope and Joy.
As we light the final Advent candle of peace, let it remind us to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, the Prince of Peace.
Prayer: Father, we thank you for reveling yourself though Jesus, and we praise you for the greatness of your love. Help us to share your peace with others and live our lives more like Christ every day. In His name we pray. Amen.
3rd Advent reading – Joy (for December 14, 2018)
“We light the third candle on the Advent Wreath to remember that God gives us Joy.”
Scripture: Isaiah 9:6-7
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”
The first candle was to highlight preparation and peace, remember the voice crying out in the wilderness, “prepare ye the way of the Lord.”
The second candle was to highlight hope and expectation, recalling God’s promise to send a Savior.
The third candle is to highlight Joy.
Response: May our hearts be forever filled with the joy of His coming.
Prayer: “Father, we are filled with joy because we have hope and peace that you have sent your son for all that believe. Help us to be the voices that proclaim grace and truth. In Christ name we pray. Amen.”
We are lighting the second candle on the Advent Wreath on December 7th to remember that God gives us HOPE.
The name “Jesus” means “Yahweh saves. By naming the child Jesus, God was once again promising deliverance.
Scripture Readings
Luke 1:26-38 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
But she was very perplexed at this statement and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Jeremiah 33:14-16
“The days are coming, ’declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior.’”
Candle Lighting: Today, we light the candle of expectation and hope. May it remind each and everyone one of us of God’s great promise to us. He is our hope, He is our Redeemer, and He is Savior.
Prayer: Father, during the Advent season may we be reminded of your promises to us and your fulfillment of them. Help us to prepare our lives for His Advent within us. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Christmas at the Basilica will be celebrated on Wednesday, December 12th from 7:30pm – 9:30pm.
Come and join us in worshiping and proclaiming the truth of Jesus’ birth! The angles proclaimed the good news, and we want to follow their example. Come and rejoice with us! Our Savior was born in Bethlehem many years ago,and is born again in our hearts today.
The lovely tradition of hearing the scripture that recorded Jesus’ birth, and singing carols in response, has filled the Basilica with wondrous music for many years. It is heartwarming to hear carols familiar to us from country to country, and year to year. There is one universal church, and you are welcome to join and participate or be blessed by hearing the good news!
This event is prepared by Heliopolis Community Church and St Clare’s Church in Heliopolis.
The Basilica is located on Al Haram St, Korba, Heliopolis. Copy and paste this link for a map to find the Cathedral Basilica:
https://goo.gl/maps/AukLN2pqFuq
All are welcome! Please invite your friends and neighbors too.
1st Advent Reading – Promise
Advent is a season of preparation before Christmas. It is a time to lay aside all the business of the season – carol singing, bazaars, pageants, parties, shopping and school concerts – and remember the true meaning of Christmas. That is why we celebrate Advent for the four weeks before Christmas. Advent means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’ and refers to the coming of Jesus. In Advent we see a threefold coming of the Messiah:
1. A celebration of His first coming – born to Mary as her Son, Jesus.
2. Preparation for His second coming at the end of the world as judge.
3. Celebration of His coming into our hearts through rebirth.
The Advent wreath with lighted candles is a graphic reminder that Jesus is the light of the world. The evergreen symbolizes the eternal life which Christ offers, and the circle represents Christ’s unending presence with us.
Lighting a candle is a simple yet profound act. It is a testimony to the power of light over darkness. Even the light of one candle can reveal our faces as we stand near the candle. As we light the candle, we begin our journey to Christmas, a day of joy and celebration.
Candle Lighting: The first candle on the Advent wreath is called the Promise candle, it opens the period that anticipates Christmas and remembers those who first spoke the promise of the coming Christ child.
Congregational Response: Today we light the candle recalling God’s promises and remembering the voice crying in the wilderness, urging the people to prepare the way of the coming Lord. We celebrate the announcement of the coming King and the greatness of God’s love reveled through the Christ child.
Congregational Prayer: Father, guide us in confession of our sins. We know that in the greatness of your love, you have promised to forgive us. Cleanse us as we prepare our lives for the coming of Jesus again. This we ask in His name. Amen.
Advent is a season of preparation before Christmas. It is a time to lay aside all the business of the season – carol singing, bazaars, pageants, parties, shopping and school concerts – and remember the true meaning of Christmas. That is why we celebrate Advent for the four weeks before Christmas. Advent means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’ and refers to the coming of Jesus. In Advent we see a threefold coming of the Messiah:
1. A celebration of His first coming – born to Mary as her Son, Jesus.
2. Preparation for His second coming at the end of the world as judge.
3. Celebration of His coming into our hearts through rebirth.
The Advent wreath with lighted candles is a graphic reminder that Jesus is the light of the world. The evergreen symbolizes the eternal life which Christ offers, and the circle represents Christ’s unending presence with us.
Here at HCC we follow the tradition of lighting the advent wreath candles each week. This year the weekly themes observed will be:
First Advent Week: Promise
Second Advent Week: Hope
Third Advent Week: Joy
Fourth Advent Week: Peace
It’s almost like a new year here at HCC, when many new comers arrive during August and September. Also, many of those who traveled for the summer have returned.
Well, it’s more like a Family Reunion! Time to get caught up with what folks did during the summer, and also a great time to get to know our new arrivals.
We will meet in the fellowship hall at 5pm. Please bring plenty of your favorite foods to share. This will be a special time of fellowship and getting to know each other.
You are invited!
You are invited to join with us for an evening of worship on Friday, June 8, starting at 6pm.
What a joyful time – to come and worship the LORD. We are blessed with this freedom here in Egypt, and we are very grateful for this. It is a significant time, when we gather in Jesus’ Name and unite to worship, pray, and read the Word together.
As we humble ourselves, come into agreement with the Grace and Truth that Jesus brought, and in agreement with each other in praising and rejoicing in the LORD, please consider these scriptures:
Psalm 104:33
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
Psalm 146:2 I will praise the Lord while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Romans 14:11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
What a bitter-sweet thing:
To be living in Egypt, which is the cross roads of the Middle East, and to meet so many wonderful people from around the world at our international church. This is so sweet: a taste of what the Word speaks of when all nations, tribes and tongues will worship together at the foot of our King’s throne.
But then, as people come to our ex-pat church, they also leave and move away. So every year we welcome newcomers with a “Welcome Potluck,” and then bless those leaving with a “Farewell Potluck.” And it’s that time again.
On Friday, May 11th starting at 6:30pm, we are planning our Farewell Potluck (covered dish meal) and take the time to acknowledge, bless and pray for those who will be leaving or moving away. All are welcome (no pun intended) to share this precious time. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall for a shared meal and a time to say “good-bye.”. Please bring generous amounts of your favorite foods to contribute to the meal.