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Good morning, everyone – and a warm “Happy Thanksgiving!” to all of you who have American passports and heritage. Remembering that the Apostle Paul told us, “In everything give thanks,” I figure we can never have too many days that are dedicated to counting our blessings and expressing gratitude for the goodness of God and of others. May this be a day and weekend of thankfulness for us all, whether or not we celebrate the official holiday with our southern neighbors.

As I mentioned last week, this coming Sunday, we shift focus a little as we launch the Advent season. I was reminded of this again when I came into the office this morning. I opened the door and was immediately greeted by a Christmas tree, colored lights, and various sparkly streamers and other reminders of the season. There will be a lot more when we gather in the sanctuary on Sunday. (And a shout-out of thanks to Liz and the team who are spearheading the decorating process again this year!)  I love the way it all sets the mood, and I look forward to celebrating our Lord’s birth together.

Of course, this means an adjustment to the preaching schedule for the month of December. We’ve been celebrating the greatness and sufficiency of Jesus as we’ve worked our way through Colossians chapters 1-2. Now for a few weeks we’ll turn from Paul to the gospels, and we’ll celebrate the greatness and grace of Jesus in coming to live among us—which is a mystery too marvelous for words. 

There are so many ways to reflect on the Christmas story that it’s always a challenge to decide what themes to explore. This year, I thought it would be good to follow the 4 themes that we highlight when we light the candles of the Advent wreath. So, we’ll be reflecting on hope, love, peace, and joy. There’s a desperate need for these qualities today, in the world at large and in our own lives and the lives of our neighbors. Thankfully, our Lord is a bottomless source of hope, love, peace, and joy, and He is more than able to meet this need. This is wonderfully illustrated in the Christmas story. Each week, we’ll think about how one of these qualities is exemplified in the life of one or more of the characters we read about in the early chapters of Matthew and Luke.

I trust that it will be a joyful time of reflection for us. We’re also going to do our best to make these services all visitor-friendly. So, if you have friends who could use an extra dose of hope, love, peace, or joy, who are open to joining you for a visit to church, by all means invite them during this season! And please everyone, keep an eye out for visitors and be sure to make them feel at home.

This Sunday, we begin with “hope,” and we’ll be looking at the story of Zacharias from Luke chapter 1. If you’re reading ahead, the specific verses are Luke 1:5-25, and 57-80. Of course, the whole chapter is good!

This story reminds me of the carol O Come, O Come Emmanuel.

O come, O come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny.
From depths of hell, Thy people save, and give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here.
And drive away the shades of night, and pierce the clouds, and bring us light!
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come Thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe the way that leads on high, and close the door to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

It’s a song of waiting, and of hope. If we were singing it before the coming of Jesus, it would mostly be about waiting, longing, and trusting in spite of sorrow and the temptation to despair. But you and I sing it after Emmanuel’s birth, so for us it’s a reminder that God proves Himself faithful, that He loves us more than we can imagine, and that there is good reason for hope.

 

May your days be filled with hope and joy as we come into Advent together. Richest blessings!

—Pastor Ken