Advent Opportunities

As we come into the season of Advent, our preparation for the coming of the Messiah, our preparation to celebrate the Incarnation, we must remember that this is not for us to remember simply as individuals.  You might look forward to your own personal times of reflections upon the birth of the Messiah, or the comfort He brings to you as his child – as well you should.

But we are the people of God and not simply the individual children of God with no relation to one another.  As soon as we begin the work of living out our faith we find that we must do so in the context of the one anothers.  Love one another, pray for one another, be kind to one another, defer to one another, consider one another more important than yourself, forgive one another.

 

We are the people of God and this means that our celebrations as well as our trials are to be embraced in community with one another.  How are you celebrating the season of Advent and Christmas?  Immediately OTHERS should come to your mind.  Whose lives will you brighten with hope in days of darkness?  Who will join you around your table with sweet communion and fellowship?  Who lives near you and has no idea what to do about the darkness in their own lives – and here, God has given you another opportunity, another Christmas – to give a word of hope – a word of LIGHT – to just such a situation as theirs.

 

Our worship here is a time of public confession and profession. We are unashamedly declaring the crown rights of King Jesus over everything – and as we leave here we should live out echoing the same declaration in our words and actions.  So you are summoned to now come and worship – but you are summoned with the intent to then change the way you live out there as soon as we are done in here.