From the Pastor…
Advent is such a refreshing time of year. We have just gathered to give thanks to God for His many blessings. Ideally, this has put us in the proper mindset for the events to come in the following weeks. No matter how crazy things are in the world around us, Advent reminds us that there is something better coming. There is hope! Our world may seem to be falling apart, but there is the good news of One who is coming who will bring all things under His reign.
When Christ first came to earth as a tiny baby, He was relatively unnoticed. Aside from an innkeeper, a few shepherds, some wise men, a host of angels, and a paranoid king, nobody noticed that God had stepped down from His heavenly throne to become one of us and provide a way for you and me to live a purposeful life on earth and have eternal life in His presence. In His coming, you and I have received the greatest gift of all. This is why we celebrate Advent! Advent is all about anticipating the coming of the Lord Jesus. Yes, He came as a baby that first Christmas morning and provided salvation through His death and resurrection; but that is not the end of the story.
As we celebrate Christ’s first Advent, we are also reminded to prepare for His Second Advent. Jesus did not save us and leave us here to wish for something more to come. In fact, He has promised that there IS more to come! Jesus is going to return again someday to take His church, His bride, to be with Him for all eternity. This is the Glorious Hope we share with all believers from all times and all places. While we do not know the day or the hour of His return, we do know that He in fact will return to take God’s children home!
There will be many celebrations this month as classes, families, and the church body gather. My prayer is that in all of these celebrations, we will remember the reason for our festivities and not just get caught up in the fellowship, food, gifts, and other stuff. I also pray that you will make an effort to include your church in your gatherings. We will have a
candlelight service on Christmas Eve at 6 pm. It will be a brief – but very meaningful – service! This service will appeal to the children as well as our seniors, and everyone in between. Please plan to join us on Christmas Eve as we worship the Savior whose birth we
are celebrating.
On Christmas Day, we will gather for worship at 10 am. There will be no Sunday School that day, and our service will be brief (but very special). This service will be a “come-as-you-are” time of singing carols and worshipping the Savior on the day we celebrate His birth. I can’t think of a better place to be to celebrate Christmas than in God’s House. Please plan to come at 10 and you should be back home by 11 am.
Yes, there will be a lot of important gatherings this month. I pray that gathering with God’s people in His House will be a priority for each of us. Every Sunday of Advent will prepare us for the coming of the Christ Child. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day worship services will be the climactic celebrations that will make this a very meaningful Christmas for us all. I truly hope to see everyone in
your place in your church as you celebrate your Savior’s birth!
In Christian Love,
Billy Dennis
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