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.
Lord Keep Us Joyful in Our King
On this last Sunday of the Church Year, we rejoice in the fulfillment of God’s plan for our salvation through Christ our King. And we rejoice because our Christ our King reigns—the king who once came as a sacrifice; the king who still shepherds us day by day; the king who one day will conquer all our enemies. Rejoice in his reign and look forward to the day when every knee will bow with us before the King of kings and Lord of lords!
Lord Keep Us Watchful for Our Triumph
Today the Church hears strains of the distant triumph song and affirms, “Blessed are they who are called to the marriage feast of the Lamb.” Jesus wants us to be the waiting Church—the Church that watches for her Savior and cries, “Come, Lord Jesus!” As we journey through these last days, however, our vigilance slips, and our hearts grow drowsy because the bridegroom seems to be taking so long. So while we wait, the Church prays, “Keep us ever watchful for the coming of your Son that we may sit with him and all your holy ones at the marriage feast in heaven.”
Lord Keep Us Mindful of the Judgment
Today we talk about Judgment day. The attitude of the unbeliever to any talk of judgment by God can only be denial or terror. But the attitude of the child of God is formed by the Word of God, which has created their faith during their life on earth. The Word of God helps us to look forward to the day on which we pass into the courtroom of God to hear the “Not guilty!” verdict which brought us to faith in the frst place. There is no better preparation for death and judgment than a firm clinging to that gracious verdict. There is no better life than the one that has that verdict as its center and the motivation for everything in it.
Lord Keep Us Faithful to the Word
At the festival of the Reformation, we give thanks that by God’s grace alone and through his Word alone, we have been rescued from the false ways of salvation that could only lead us to ruin and doom. Prompted by his grace, let us stand fast in his true Word, and to a life that reflects our devotion to a Savior who gave himself up for us.