Pastor’s Note 12/07/2023
This Sunday marks the second Sunday of Advent, which for the Christian church is a time of waiting and preparation for the arrival of the birth of Jesus.
During this coming Sunday’s sermon, we are preparing for the birth of Jesus by looking at different people of the Christmas story whose lives were disrupted because of His arrival.
On the first Sunday of Advent, we looked at Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, and how his life was disrupted when the angel Gabriel visited him while he was performing his priestly duties in the Temple.
This week we are looking at Joseph, the step-father of Jesus, and seeing how his life was disrupted by the birth of Jesus. So, bring your Bibles and open your hearts to hear the Christmas story in a slightly “disrupted” way.
Hope to see you this Sunday.
Pastor’s Note 11/30/2023
This Sunday will mark the first week of Advent which is a time to prepare for the “arrival” of Jesus and the celebration of His birth on Christmas.
Advent (which has its root meaning from the Latin word adventus which means “coming”) is a part of the Christian church calendar. The season of Advent is an invitation for us to grow closer to God, so as you prepare for your Christmas celebrations and Christmas gift giving, consider taking time to prepare spiritually for Christ’s arrival as a babe but also prepare for His second coming and the fulfillment of God’s Kingdom here on earth, as it is in heaven.
One of the ways that I do this preparation each year is by subscribing to the daily devotional from Biola University’s Center for Christianity Culture and the Arts (Here is the link to the CCCA Advent Project devotionals to subscribe and have it delivered to your in box: https://ccca.biola.edu/events/2023/dec/2/advent-project-2023-online-devotional-series/ ) These devotionals, (which include scripture readings, poetry, art, and music) are one way that we can prepare for Christ’s coming. Let me invite you to make this devotional a part of your Advent preparations.
Hope to see you on Sunday.