Know the Hope
Good Wednesday to you,
The season of Advent is upon us. These four Sundays help us to remember that the promised Messiah is both a Suffering Servant and a Conquering King. Two such diverse objectives required two advents. We will celebrate the First Advent on the 25th of December. We spend the weeks up to Christmas anticipating the Second Advent, the return of Christ, the Second Coming. No one knows when that will be, but God is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with [us], not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
As such, our first Sunday of Advent focused on our "Hope." We hope for His appearing. We hope for the completion of our transformation when the perishable will be exchanged for the imperishable, the temporal for the eternal. New bodies, healed souls, and He will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things [will] pass away (Revelation 21:4). I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait!
Next Sunday, the Advent theme is "Peace." A familiar passage, Philippians 4:4-7 will anchor my conversation with you regarding our Alternative Christmas Market. This is our opportunity to love on our missionaries by making donations to them. Cards will be available to send to loved ones, letting them know that rather than giving an unwanted gift, you gave a gift to a missionary in their honor.
I hope you all picked up your two copies of "The Four Emotions of Christmas." (One to keep and one to give away.) For many, Christmas is a difficult time of the year. If you have lost a loved one, been confronted with medical issues or financial difficulties, this little book can be helpful. There are still some left in the sanctuary. You can also come by the office and pick up one (or two) during office hours.
As a reminder, our Christmas Eve services will be at 4:30pm for the Bell Ringing service (designed for children/families to "ring in" the birth of our Savior), and 6:00pm for the traditional Candlelight service. Since Christmas falls on Sunday this year, we will be having one special service Christmas day at 10:00 a.m. for the entire family. There will be no Sunday school that morning, but trust me, our time together will be joyful and engaging for all ages. Also, will have one service on New Year's Day, my last Sunday. It, too, will be at 10:00am and may last a little longer than an hour.
Some have asked if we are going to livestream the memorial service of Tom Rice. Yes, we are. The service is at 10:00am this coming Saturday, December 3, and you can watch online with this link.
I hope your holiday season is life-giving. Let the Spirit of Advent carry you through the month with hope, peace, joy, and love.
Grace and peace,
Pastor David
If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!
