What comes to your mind when you think about Christmas? For many of us "the most wonderful time of the year" is not so wonderful, as it is filled with rushing and spending. For some, this is a season filled with heartache and loneliness. That is why we are going to take this season to celebrate Advent.
The word Advent simply means "coming." Though there is nothing in scripture that mandates a celebration of Advent, tradition helps us to see why it is important. During this season we celebrate the 1st Advent of Christ in His coming as a child, while joyfully looking forward to His 2nd Advent when He returns in glory. The first is represented by the song "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and the second in "Joy To The World". Beginning with today, we will take the next 3 Sundays to remember the humble way in which our Savior and King came into the world.
During each worship gathering we will also be lighting a candle on the Advent wreath to remind us of the light of the world who came to rescue us from sin and death. As each candle is lit, this light grows, pushing back darkness. As we are sent out each week, we will be reminded that we are to live as disciples of Jesus, by spreading His light throughout our city.
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