We bow before the Lord today, before the one who is our righteousness and strength. He is the one to whom we have turned and by whom we have been saved. With Simeon, we have the peace we need to face death. Yet, our peace is so great that we can live in it as well. Today we give thanks to the Lord with our hearts and voices, joining with the psalmist, Isaiah, Paul, Simeon, Anna, and all God’s people for the peace filled life that is ours in Christ.
God's Greatest Gift for You
The joy of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Through the centuries, Christians have found ways to express confident joy in the blessed gift of salvation. This evening we gather to hear of angels, shepherds, and a baby in a manger. Saint Matthew tells us who the baby is: Immanuel, God-with-us. Because we do not deserve to have God near us at all, this is truly a gift. He comes to us and lives among us in time and space so that we might be with him forever in heaven. This evening we celebrate not only a birth so long ago, but the promise of our eternal future which he alone brings.
Get Ready to Receive
Today, we hear the angel's announcement of the imminent birth of the Savior and Mary's humble consent to God's gracious will. This is the first of many times when she would "ponder in her heart" the grace and promise of God, and on this day we not only recall her faithfulness but pray that we may respond to God's will and promise in the same way.
Get Ready to Share the Good News
The third Sunday in Advent issues a call to rejoice. In contrast to those who mark our Lord's coming with fear and trembling, the people of God rejoice that our King is coming. While no one can live in a constant state of happiness, the Christian's joy is not dependent upon the circumstances of our lives being as we desire. Our joy, like our hope, rests in Jesus Christ. As the psalmist says, "those who sow in tears... shall reap in joy." (Psalm 126:5) In all of this our joy is because of the Christ who came in flesh and blood to redeem us. Our joy is in the anticipation of his return to claim the people for whom he died and rose again.
Get Ready with Humility
On the second Sunday in Advent we hear a voice rise up calling us to "Prepare the way of the Lord." This is not meant to be the voice of terror but the promised voice of comfort. God is coming to his people to announce an end to their warfare, the pardon of their sins, and the promise of a whole new future. This voice was the voice of John insisting he was not the one but was preparing for the One who is mightier than he. Voices still proclaim the comfort of the Lord and the grace that forgives sins—not as someone to come but as the One who came for us and our salvation. Today we not only listen for our own sake, but we listen so that we may speak into the world the grace of him who came and will come again.
Get Ready for the End
On the First Sunday in Advent, we begin a journey not simply to the manger but the familiar journey that takes us to the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb. It is not merely a remembrance of what took place so long ago but also preparation for what is to come—our Lord's return in glory to lay claim to his Church for all eternity. Encouraged by the Spirit, we devote ourselves to faithfully keeping what God has made known to us and showing forth our living faith in words and acts of repentance and holy living. But each Advent is a reminder that we are one step further from Bethlehem and one year closer to our Lord's coming again.
During this service, we also celebrated the baptism of Jaxon Paterson, which you will hear referenced in this podcast.