Pastor's Blog

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 3:16-19

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

Advent season is an invitation to set your mind off the stresses of the year.  We can take our focus off the crazy hustle that can be associated with the Christmas season that often threatens to produce more hassle than delight..  Advent is a chance to focus our thoughts on the gift God has given us in His Son, Jesus, who stepped down from Heaven and took the form of a man so that we might believe.

The tradition for the first Sunday of Advent includes lighting the candle of hope.

This candle of hope symbolizes promises delivered through the prophets from God as well as the hope we have in Christ.  God crafted a great rescue plan that He lays out in Scripture.  This plan foretells years in advance the arrival of Christ.  The Bible also gives us a glimpse of the future and promises that God will come down to create a new Heaven and Earth.

This first Sunday of Advent we read, pray, and reflect on the hope God's plan gives us (foretold by the prophets and fulfilled by the life and death of Christ), and we meditate on the promise of Christ's coming glory-filled return.