It’s the first Sunday of Advent! Light a candle for hope.
Special activities coming up:
- Saturday December 18, 11 am: Women’s Gathering at church. Connie hosting, and lunch served. Bring a wrapped “white elephant” gift to exchange.
- Sunday December 19, Church Christmas Dinner after the service. (Please sign up so that we can plan enough food and special tables.)
- Friday December 24, 6 pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at church. Friends and family invited as usual!
- Meanwhile we’re continuing with Sunday School and worship service on Sunday Mornings, Food Pantry and “Soup Sisters” hot meals on Tuesday evenings, and Bible Study on Wednesday evenings.
Father in Heaven, Lord today we humbly thank you for our very being and ask for your forgiveness when we have missed the mark in following your examples of the good life. Father, as we begin to journey down the path of Advent this season, we ask that you would help in our quest to grow in you. In your Son’s Heavenly Precious name, Amen!
Advent Begins: A Sunday of Hope
Today, I am excited to talk with you about the beginning of a most Holy season for us in the Christian Church. Advent, which is the time that leads us to the big Event; the celebration of the Birth of Christ. Christmas; the Mass or reverent observance of our Christ, our Savoir, our Lord. But what does all of this mean? Are we talking Christmas Trees, sparkle, gifts, and glitter?
Sad to say the things that began as a supporting cast, to remind us of the truly important things of the season, have embraced our hold, and taken over. The truth of the season is this; we are blessed beyond all reason of understanding, and we take this time of the year to create a journey for ourselves spiritually, in order to get even closer to our Lord.
This incredible expedition that you and I are embarking on today, kind of began last Wednesday evening with our Thanksgiving Observance. Thanksgiving is an excellent way to begin a Pilgrimage towards a closer reality with God, because it starts with a most basic acknowledgement, that we can’t be close to God on our own. We need His grace, His help, to learn about Him, and of how much God is indeed the creator of all and author of all the hollowed things in our lives. The good things of each moment that we breath in.
For today and the next three Sundays we will observe, learn, and celebrate God’s grace in the forms of His gifts to us through the attributes of; today Hope, week two; Peace, week three; Joy, and week four; Love. We will culminate at the highpoint of our journey this season on Christmas Eve with our Candlelight Worship Service and observance of our Christ! Our salvation in God!
Each Sunday of Advent, and Christmas Eve we will have members of our faith family perform Wreath Candle Illumination and Readings, accompanied with giving the Sunday Message. While our brothers and sisters read, teach, and serve us, we will be praying for them, and all who join us. So that this a most Hollowed of times in our religious calendar, will be a time where all of us Christians partake in the worship and service to our God, together.
This year’s Advent Theme was benchmarked from the United Methodist Church, making us a part of a larger Faith Family Walk this year, and because it is spot on in its focus of Coming Home. The readings for each Sunday’s Candle lighting will be in your bulletin so that you can both follow along in the moment, and use as a meditation during the week.
Because Coming Home is the focal point theme for Advent this year, we will also be reviewing those things of our childhood that many of us have taken for granted all these years. We will be able to refresh our memories of what Chrismons are (symbols of Christ) as we teach and share those meanings with our children as we did this morning with the Chrismons. This is an excellent time for sharing with everyone what this season is really all about, along with the greater meanings of Christ.
As we begin today’s look at this first Sunday of Advent’s emphasis, which is Hope. The word itself is constantly being pursued in an attempt to define what it means to each of us. The concept alludes to something better, and a triumph over adversity. The notion that a way exists for our happiness and survival.
It makes a person begin to wonder just what is Hope? What does Hope mean us, what does it mean to me? Like the reading today during the lighting of the first Advent Candle of Hope, our reader mentioned:
“We have endured these past few years and know that there is more to face before us. We don’t know if we have the strength to withstand what might be around the next corner…
The prophet Jeremiah speaks of a branch that will be raised. Jesus spoke of a Son of Man that will descend. Both point to a hope. A hope that calls us home. Our true home, where we’re welcomed and loved and included.”
Again, reading from today’s Call to Worship in Jeremiah 33:14-16;
14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.
15 “‘In those days and at that time
I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;
he will do what is just and right in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it will be called:
The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’
We have endured untold frustration as a society these last two years with our elderly being forced into isolation just when they have arrived in a place in their lives when they require socialization to help maintain their health. This coupled with our cities clamoring for justice, fairness, and for a new rightness to be visited upon the land, and divisions being sowed into our people.
Doing what is just and right in the land is a common theme being offered from all sides of the community spectrum in our society these days. The most that I will say about all of the angst and bantering is this; If our goals were formatted with our Lord as the fulcrum, the pivot point, or center of gravity, we would have found a common accord, a long time ago. As it is, we are fallen people in a fallen world, working on it. There will always be adversity, but we pray for those still searching for something better, and offer sincerely God’s Universe and His universal gifts of grace, through a walk in and with Him.
Yea, but what is Hope? … There is the Hope as Isaiah describes, that enables people to rise to the better Angels of our nature. Reading from Isaiah 40:30-31;
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Showing that even mere people can have access to majesty through God. That this existence is but temporary, with and eternal truth awaiting us who believe, trust, and Hope in Him.
Yea, but what is Hope? … Perhaps David gives us the best insight being a man after God’s own Heart when in Psalm 25:4-6 He ponders, sings, and speaks to and of God;
4 Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
David is saying to God my hope is in you before and after all things when he says all day long. Yes, our Hope is our Lord, our Savoir, our God almighty who is our only truest Hope. And if our Hope is in the Lord, we will trust Him, and believe in Him. Because we have a real relationship in and with Him, we will have hope to sustain us through all of the calamities described by the Lord in Today’s Message Reading. Again from Luke 21:25-36
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
If I am diligent, … I am working on my relationship in and with God, … and with you my beloved family. Meaning that I am in tune with what is going on around me because I am not sleepwalking through life, or going through another Advent Season on auto pilot. Yes, sleepwalking my way through, and trying to spend my way to happiness, clarity, and Hope. No, we are actually trying to live those attributes at this most Holy of times.
Knowing that we are never guaranteed another one in this existence, we make the most of the times God has graciously provided us in this moment, this majestic moment in time.
There have been people who have visited us, and even attended worship service with us for a while in the past, looking for some magic time table for the end of the world, and the Lord’s return. My answer to those people is this; I don’t know and I don’t care. As long as it happens as soon as possible. I’m not being glib. If we have a relationship in and with the Lord, all of that will take care of itself. I say magic time table, because even the Lord states He didn’t know, only the Father knew when the Son of God would return. Reading from Mark 13:31-33;
31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.
So, if we are trying to outdo God (which is what a lot of our society is trying to do right now), replacing the Almighty for our selfish desires, egos, and fears, by taking shortcuts into the world, we are dabbling in stuff not meant for us or those who believe in Him. Time for reflection…
Perhaps that’s one of the best reasons for why Advent exists in the first place. To have a time in the year for us to step back, take a breath and look for the reasons that we have Hope in our Lord during this, a most Holy of times. This begins with our looking deeper than just the commercial aspects of Christmas. You know the stuff that turns our Holy reverent worship, into a Tela-Holliday.
The dazzle, glitz, sparkle, and bling are pretty to be sure, but they pale when thinking of the majesty that is coming. Perhaps this year. Which is another reason for Hope this Advent, because our God is the holder of truth and idolatry is not. Regardless, our job is to live like there is no tomorrow, and give of ourselves to others accordingly.
So, as I begin to think about Hope, I concentrate on thinking about our Lord. He is the connection, the common denominator, for our Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. They come from Christ, and lead towards Him in all things Holy, all things Hollowed, and all things, Him. That’s why our Advent Journey for me, begins with Thanksgiving, and ends on Christmas Eve. And why our celebration of Him who came into the world to bridge the rift, we have made between God and us, is so important to our family in God.
So, what is Hope? … Here are a few of my ideas about Hope and what gives me Hope this Advent Season;
- Our Lord God continues to amaze and deliver our little church through challenges and opportunities.
- Our God continues to equip our ministries when we follow Him and not our own logic or vanity.
- Our country in the midst of churn, still gives me Hope. Any other people would have self-destructed by now!
- We have always found a way to make our differences work as a nation.
- I have hope in the concept of self-government, doing the right thing when no one is watching.
- Our community, and this neighborhood continue to hang in there in spite of the challenges it faces with poverty.
- The Ogden Utah area remains one of the best places to live anywhere, because of the people who live here.
- You give me Hope. My church family. When all is crazy out there, I cling to your consistent care and love.
- The Spirit of the Holy God Almighty will continue to reside in our Church, which means in each of our hearts.
This is my short list, please feel empowered to write up a list of your own reasons for Hope this Advent Season, and then share them with someone you are especially close to, and you will draw closer to God together.
When you get right down to it, the thankfulness we shared together here last week in this Sanctuary with our Thanksgiving Worship to our God, has perfectly prepared the way for beginning our journey to the Lord’s coming. And it all starts with a Hope in Him. And when one of us is struggling, there is another in the Body, our family to give a helping hand and a kind word.
It is my Hope and prayer that you will accompany the rest of your faith family, in this Church, this year, on our journey to the coming of our Lord. Who will be with us, and us in Him, forever and ever more. This Advent Season of Hope is the beginning to that reality. And as Paul so eloquently put it; And Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Amen!