This coming Sunday begins the
season of Advent. This is the season of preparation, including four Sundays,
that helps us get ready for Christmas. The term Advent comes from the Latin, adventus, which literally means, coming. It is during this season when we
commemorate the first coming of the Messiah in the Christ child while looking
forward to the second coming of Jesus and the complete institution of the Reign
of GOD. It is a season of excitement, anticipation, and focusing on the adventure
of a life lived in GOD!
Advent is not Christmas, even
though culturally we see a lot of bleed-over. Just as soon as the Halloween
jack-o-lanterns are put away, the Christmas decorations appear and festive
music begins to hit the airwaves. We tend to get so inundated with the
approaching holidays, that by the time the Thanksgiving turkeys are ready for
lunch, the Christmas season has already begun. Then, once December 26th
arrives, we are so over Christmas that we are ready to put away our decorations
and the stores are trying to prepare us for Valentine’s Day. The problem is, by
then we have just entered into the
Christmas season and are to begin
celebrating GOD’s gift to us of Jesus. When you think about it, it really is
sad.
The church really wants us to be
more intentional about our preparation for Christmas, hence the season of
Advent. Advent is designed to help us strategically prepare our lives for the
miracle of Christmas. This way, by the time the big day has arrived, the
excitement and anticipation has built to a fever pitch that we are so ready for
the celebration that we do not want it to end! So as we go through these next
four weeks of Advent, we will focus on the hope, peace, joy, and love of GOD so
that we are almost ready to burst with excitement and anticipation that comes
with Christmas. Thinking of it this way, Advent should be much more like an adventure
than the motions through which we go to mark the days off of a calendar.
To help us order our preparation
for Christmas this Advent, we will refocus on our Be Part of the Miracle ministry emphasis. Since the miracle is GOD’s
presence and activity in, for, and through us – despite how little we actually
deserve it – Advent is the perfect time to think about the miracle of GOD. For
at Christmas, GOD broke into our human history in the person of Jesus, born
humbly in a manger in Bethlehem. That birth, with the star, angels, shepherds,
wise men, and such began the adventure of salvation that GOD
invites us all to participate in and enjoy. So this Sunday, Pastor John and I
will introduce our Advent message series: Be Part of the CHRISTMAS Miracle!
These are the topics we will cover during our Advent series…
1.
December 2: Be Part of the Christmas Miracle
2.
December 9: Be Part of the Miracle of Generosity
3.
December 16: Be Part of the Miracle of Family
4.
December 23: Be Part of the Miracle of Celebration
5.
December 24: Be Part of the Miracle of New
Life...the Miracle of Jesus
This season will also encompass a
special mission giving emphasis, so we can help spread the miracle across the
globe! One idea is to make a missions gift to the church equal to, or greater
than, the amount of money you would spend on a gift for a loved one. We will
have special receptacles available to receive your gifts to help be part of the
Christmas miracle for others.
I hope you will make every effort
to come and be part of this ADVENTure as we prepare for the glory of Christmas!
When GOD came in Jesus, everything else was different forever. It was a
miraculous event that still causes miracles today. So come, be a part of this
series, and make a point to be a miracle for someone else, introducing them to
the love and light of GOD in Christ Jesus this Advent, Christmas, and beyond!
Hope to see you Sunday as we
begin this ADVENTure together!
Pastor Mark
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