The Specter and Hope of a New Year

Hopefully the troubles of this past year, what ever they may have been, will fade quickly for those who are wise and growing in truth. The past no longer exists except in our minds. It’s gone! Over! Through!! Nothing is left but to redeem it in the present. If not we become its slave! The past must however be “remembered right” or it haunts us! Most of us can’t seem to let it go … especially the bad things. We find the struggle exceedingly intense to truly forget our deepest wounds or losses, our foolish, even dumb mistakes, and our missed opportunities.

The same anxiety also grips us about the future. There are fears galore about keeping our jobs, management panic, over-extended finances, holding our marriages together, battling health concerns … even death, concern about our children, our burdens about our nation, and … above all … a vague yet nagging sense that we might not have what it takes to endure and conquer all that is to come in the year ahead.

One truth is obvious. If you continually collect your guilt and frustrations from your past and add to them your fears and doubts about your future, you will be a successful candidate for living THE DISPARING LIFE. Pity is the only word for the poor fools whose problems, pain and panic always seem greater than God’s promises, pardon and power! Alas, at times we have all too often played the fool.

For those of us who have put our lives, our troubles and our hopes in “the man” Christ Jesus, there is a promise of revelation of truth “beyond ourselves.” The solution to my trouble is not in me but in the Father. For instance, the Scriptures teach us we are to worship the God of “the eternal now!”(1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalm 41:12,13) It is today that matters most … not yesterday or tomorrow!

The concepts of past and future are human categories necessitated by our limitations as created beings. But if we comprehend the Father’s eternality we demolish the concepts of past and future as controllers over our lives. That’s hard … yes … almost impossible to grasp … but it is true. With yielded hearts and eager minds it is possible to glimpse the wonder of eternity. An illustration might help.

Jesus declared He was “the light of the world” (John 8:12). If one knows the properties of light this is a staggering claim. Light is warmth (sun), food (plants must have it to grow), revelation (it illuminates) and energy (laser, etc.). Light is also speed at 186,000 miles per second. If you fired a beam of light around the circumference of the earth it would circle our planet seven times in one second!! Distance is increasingly irrelevant with speed like that! Being eternal has the same relationship to the concepts of past and future as the speed of light has to distance. To know “The Light” of God is to escape the bondage of the past and future! Time is increasingly irrelevant with an eternity like ours. Time only exists to be dealt with while we move on to greater things!

Best wishes from the Staff of Ventures for Christ for a new year lived fully in the Light! Those who truly follow Christ are free from the darkness of their past and the darkness of their future (John 8:12). Why should any darkness dominate us when our NOW is filled with an inexhaustible Light that will never leave us! To live the Christ Life is to point Christ’s Light at every darkness that threatens our peace. So may it be with us all in 2007 as never before!

Christmas

Opening
Lighting of the candles to the playing of The Light of the World is Jesus.

Meditation
The Light of the World

Jesus was born to a Jewish family who was of the “house and lineage” of David, the great king of Israel. He was Jewish, the King of the Jews, and came to the Jews as he said on several occasions. But he also came for the rest of us as the scripture we will look at today shows. Sometimes the magnitude of including gentiles as equal partners in the worship of God gets lost after so many years of Christian worship. The following story reminds us of how revolutionary the message of Jesus really is.

Sandra Edster tells of how her eldest daughter began a family tradition when she brought a very unusual element to the family nativity scene. When she was little, Regena had a favorite small ceramic pig. Sandra had carefully set out her handmade nativity and was surprised to find Regena’s pig sitting beside the manger looking at the baby. She thought, “What, a pig in a Jewish stable? You wouldn’t have found any pigs there!” She was going to remove the little pig when a wonderful insight from God spoke to her – “Aren’t we gentiles the pigs in that Jewish stable? I’m THAT pig!”

The Gospel, the Good News, came to all people but it came first to the Jews. It was to His people that Jesus, the Light of the World first shown. Let us consider the meaning of that Light as we celebrate Christmas.

In the Biblical account the light came to the shepherds at night, in the dark. In the history of Israel, the Light came in the dark of occupation by the pagan, gentile Romans. In the lives of sin darkened men the Light of the World still comes!

The Gospel of John opens with a great theological statement about the coming of the Light. As you listen to the scripture consider what it means to know the Light, to show the Light, to be one with the Light!

Scripture
John 1:1-18 (New King James)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' " 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Hymn
Join us as we sing (some good choices):
Good Christian Men Rejoice
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
One Day

Prayer
Please pray that each of us will walk in the Light of Jesus to the Glory of the Heavenly Father not only at Christmas but every day of the year.

Closing
The Candles remain lit until the end of the service when the person who lit them blows them out.

Blessings to you and yours this glad Christmas day from all of us at Ventures for Christ.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Opening
Lighting of the candles to the playing of a hymn such as We Three Kings.

Meditation
Gifts Reward The Giver As Well As The Recipient

At Christmas we spend a lot of time, money, and energy on buying presents to please our family and friends. As we do, we are imitating a trio of ancient gentile gift givers, the three Wise Men. They brought the baby Jesus rare and costly gifts.

We see the practical value of these gifts as Jesus’ family fled the evil plan of King Herod to kill the young child who was also King of the Jews. But what did the three Wise Men receive from giving rich gifts to the Christ Child? They had the opportunity to see the successful end of their quest, to serve the Savior, and to experience far more of God than they had expected when they left home. We can only imagine the satisfaction they felt as they began their homeward journey.

On this Christmas morning we are gathered to celebrate the birth of Jesus. There are many gifts we can bring to him even more than 2000 years after his birth. The reward of the Wise Men is still available to all who seek to find the King of the Jews.

Scripture
Matthew 2:1-23(New King James)
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.' " 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also." 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son." 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more." 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead." 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Hymn
Join us in song: (some good choices listed below)
We Three Kings
Go Tell it on the Mountain
O Come, All Ye Faithful

Prayer
Ask someone to pray that we are thankful for the “Greatest Gift”.

Closing
The Candles remain lit until the end of the service when the person who lit them blows them out.

Christmas, 1776

Our nation came into existence through struggle and sacrifice. Keeping it requires the same kind of mindset and commitment. I offer you a lesson from history.

Let’s look back to Christmas night, 1776. General George Washington crossed the Delaware River leading his meager force in a near suicidal mission to turn the war around.

His men were ill-fed and poorly equipped. Desertions and refusals to re-enlist had reduced the army from 6,000 to 2,400 men. The winter cold increased the suffering of the entire army. Setback had followed setback. Little did they dream that five years hence, they would be victorious! The situation looked hopeless. Washington wrote his brother, “The game is almost up.” It was at this juncture that Thomas Paine penned his stirring words that were to marshal one last effort … “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country, but he that stands now will deserve the love and thinks of every man and woman.”

Washington decided to move against the British Army at Trenton. They had to cross the Delaware River in the middle of a snowstorm to do so. By then the river was in full flood. Massive sheets of ice drifted down from upstream. Militarily speaking, the Delaware was impassable. One officer wrote, “It will be a terrible night for the troops, but I have heard no man complain.” The watchword of the operation was, “Victory or death!”

The trail to the bank of the river was tinged with blood from the feet of nearly naked men who wore broken shoes or no shoes. All night and into the morning the 40-foot Durham boats ferried men, horses and cannons. On and on they moved in the face of gale-driven sleet. By 4:00 am with the army across the river, there were still nine miles to march before dawn.

The powder was so dampened that most of the guns were useless. “Use your bayonets,” ordered Washington. “I am resolved to take Trenton.” The attack on the unsuspecting enemy lasted little more than half-an-hour. The results have lasted over two-hundred years. His victory was total. It was only Washington’s inner resolve to sacrifice as a patriot leader that inflamed a new inner resolve in his infant and despairing nation.

This is the kind of “resolve” Americans must possess if we are to make the coming year a stepping stone to higher and nobler realities. Our souls are being tried. No one must complain. We must see afresh our urgent priority of victory in honor, integrity and justice. It is again time to pay any price … even death by some … to keep it from slipping away.

“Challenging” days of fresh revolution are ahead of us. The “enemy” facing us now is not only our own sloth and moral bankruptcy but also a new and more obvious terrorism. Our cost of battle will be as awesome as that one long ago. We cannot falter between two opinions. Fair weather Americans and weak muscled Christians will be carried away in the flood.

General Joshua, the great leader of Israel, calls to us today as he did to another army … 3,300 years ago, “Choose this day who you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Tragically, too many who call themselves Christian and American won’t even struggle to find the noble, costly choices … much less choose them!

No generation in the history of civilization has had more freedom, more marvels, more abundance, more leisure than the current American generation. Pitifully, in possessing all this we have been without true gratitude to God or others. Most of us have been caught up in exhausting ourselves on ourselves. In all our “mores” perhaps we will not squander our unique opportunity for “more greatness.”

My prayer for me … and you … and all Americans, especially those of faith … is that enough of us, like Washington and his army, will resolve to find and cross our own Delawares, walk our own costly trails, and arrive at our own chosen Trentons. Only those of us who do so can hope to be called noble Americans.

The Bullet of Discipline: Training to Win

Let me hit you today with two of the greatest thoughts a Christian can have. First, noting touches our lives unless God allows it. Second, the Father promises that we are adequate to overcome anything He allows into our lives. If we view all of our problems and sufferings in this light, it will change our attitude and our life!

It’s part of God’s plan to allow us to know difficulty and pressure because He wants us all to become great human beings. Just like a coach puts his athletes through tough practices to make them great for the game. Or an army commander trains with intense discipline so the battle can be won. We should be joyful about God’s training (James 1:2-4).

Champions never wish their way to victory. They punish their bodies, discipline their minds, and overcome all obstacles that stand in their way. They train!

Like a good coach, God doesn’t want to break us, but He does want to push us to the maximum. In Job, Chapter One, we see that God suggested to Satan that he test Job. What a testing! But God did put limits on Satan and told him not to take Job’s life. It was tough on Job and he didn’t understand it, but God knew good would come of it, if Job remained faithful. God allowed what He knew Job could handle. He does the same with us.

We see in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that, “God doesn’t allow us to be tested beyond our strength.” Fantastic! God has planned my training schedule! Every battle, difficulty, agony, and trail that I encounter He has allowed. He has also promised that He won’t expect too much. The Master trains us to the maximum, but we will never break if we trust His purpose.

Hey, I like that. It means I can handle anything today or for a lifetime! The Father has been there before me. He allows and He provides! He controls all that come into my life and He loves me! Noting is ahead of a Christian that he can’t conquer! Let’s live with that expectancy!

Third Sunday of Advent
Opening
Lighting of the candles to the playing of Great is Thy Faithfulness.

Meditation
Simion: Those who faithfully wait for God

Waiting! It is the hidden discipline of the Christian Life. When we waits for God a new dimension enters our experience. Waiting on God has different objectives than the ordinary waiting we do. It is not like waiting for the traffic light to change, for a favorite relative to arrive, even for Christmas to come. Nor is it like the waiting that builds our characters as we grow stronger under the pressures of life. When we wait for God we come into His presence even as we wait. We come closer than we ever expected to the God who will fulfill His promises at the appointed time.

The fulfillment of God’s promises is one of the highpoints of the Christmas story. Jesus’ birth fulfilled so many promises – a baby born of a Virgin, in Bethlehem, of the House of David! To one man, especially, this child’s birth was significant – Simion – who God had promised would see the Lord’s Christ before he died.

Imagine Simeon’s excitement and joy as he saw the Promised Child. Listen to the story of waiting fulfilled…

Scripture
Luke 2:21-38 (New King James)
21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD"), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." 25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 29 "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel." 33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 "(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." 36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Hymn
Join us in song: (some good choices listed below)
O Worship the King
Emanuel
Joy to the World

Prayer
Pray that we remain faithful to Christ.

Closing
The Candles remain lit until the end of church service when the person who lit them blows them out.

The Bullet of Greatness: Doing What God Asks

Those of us who know our God should not be intimidated by the world’s idea of bigness. The only thing really great and big on this earth is what God is up to, and any man or woman, known or unknown, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, can get in on it!

The really big people of this earth are those who fulfill the task that God gives them whether the work is big or small!

It was King David who said that a righteous man who has little is better than a wicked man with many riches (Psalm 37:16). Zacchaeus was little of stature, but his story of finding Christ has been told throughout the world for two thousand years (Luke 19:3). It was our blessed Lord Himself who told us, “Fear not little flock for it is your Father’s good will to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32). The little flock of God will some day become the great rulers of eternity! Those of us who are busy about little things should keep that thought uppermost in our minds!

The Bullet of Greatness: Size Doesn’t Matter

I recall hearing a definition of what it means to serve Christ. Its freshness and breadth spoke to me in a great way … “Serving Christ is like people doing little things the best they can to the glory of God.” One of the errors of our day is the thinking that to be great something must be big!

A close friend, Dr. Charles Ashcraft, put it so well when he said, “Small churches are just as important as big ones. The action is not always where the crowd assembles. All the great things do not happen in big surroundings. God is able to do His great work whether one or a million are present to appreciate it.

Bigness is not prerequisite to greatness. Not many people were present when Christ was born in a manger. No crowd supported Moses when he received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. No extra seats were required at the transfiguration of our Lord. It was definitely not a “standing room only” situation when Jesus came out of the grave."

If I may add to some of these choice words, I would point to our Lord’s teaching that “he who is faithful in little is faithful in much.” Luke 19:17; and in Zachariah 4:10 we read, “… who has despised the day of small thing.”

Second Sunday of Advent

Opening
Lighting of the candles to the playing of Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee.

Meditation
Sheep are important in the Middle East today. They were even more so in Roman Judea. They provided food and fiber and wealth for those who raised them yet their most important function in the days of the temple was sacrifice. The pinnacle of their importance to Judaism was the Passover Lamb, rooted both in the history of the nation and the relationship of man to God. In short, sheep mattered!

Sheep are venerable to attack from predators. They aren’t very smart. They need someone to watch over them if they are to flourish. Sheep require a shepherd.

Caring for sheep was menial, though necessary work, often relegated to children or servants. By the time Jesus was born shepherds were marginalized in Jewish society because the lifestyle their work dictated kept them from following all the rules and regulations of religious life. They were simple men following a humble way of life. Yet, without them, there would not have been any Passover lambs.

It was to these simple farm workers that God’s angels came to announce the birth of the perfect Lamb of God – He who came as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Like the good shepherds they were they responded to the angelic message and hurried to Bethlehem to see the child. Let us prepare our hearts to do likewise!

Scripture

Luke 2:8-20 (New King James)
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Hymn
Join us in song: (some good choices listed below)
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Silent Night
Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem

Prayer
Ask someone to pray that we respond to the call.

Closing
The Candles remain lit until the end of the service when the person who lit them blows them out.

Play the Hand You Were Dealt!

I hope I won’t offend anyone by going back to my card playing days for an illustration of the Christian life! One of the greatest insights one will ever develop about life is to play the hand you’re dealt!

Maturity in its bottom line definition means accepting the reality of your situation and making the best of it. All of us react against the athlete who gets mad and quits playing his best, because the opposition intimidates him or the officials make a bad call. A mature athlete just keeps on playing as best he can.

Two lessons emerge then by joining the definition of maturity with the illustration of card playing. First, the hand you’re dealt is the place in life God has given you. Second, maturity makes the best of the hand dealt. Only the immature make thing worse by quitting.

A man would be ruled out of the game if every time he was dealt poor cards he would throw them on the floor and demand a new deal! The game would become meaningless if granted such an option. The contest would turn into pick and choose rather than risk and adventure!

The “hand” God gave me was to be born in America as a white boy in the 1930’s. No sense getting upset or refusing to live because I wasn’t born as an oriental in the Hawaiian Islands in the 1890’s. You can’t change places, parents, wealth, skin or dates! Maturity means accepting the “givens’ or our life and making the best of it.

If you are unhappy in marriage, frustrated in your job, suffering in loneliness or defeated by a poor self image, you don’t have to remain a loser. You can decide to commit yourself to maturity and play your “hand” to the best of your ability.

He who keeps playing will learn to play better and will eventually get some new cards! It’s always been that way and always will be! Only shortsighted, selfish and “sorries” quit!

It’s been years since my porker playing days, but I’ll never forget the rules. He who keeps making the best of what he’s dealt will improve his play and learn to make the most of new situations! You can even enjoy the process.

In Philippians 4:11 the Apostle Paul says, “I have learned to be self-sufficient in every situation.” Thanks brother Paul, for giving us an example of “playing life with maturity!”

The Bullet of Growth: “As a Man Thinks”

The Scriptures teach that “as a man thinks so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). We can only think about what we know. The ultimate in living is not knowing facts but knowing the God who made us and created us for His great and joyous purposes!

The reason our time and activates hold no lasting joy and fulfillment, is because they are built around inadequate spiritual knowledge. We think inadequate time is our problem, but it’s not. Even with thirty hours a day we’d work ourselves into the same frantic schedule. Virginia Brasier has captured many lives quite well with the following words:

“This is the age of the half-read page;
And the quick hash, and the mad dash.
The bright night, with the nerves tight.
The plane hop, and the brief stop.
The lamp tan, in a short span.
The Big Shot, in a good spot.
The brain strain, and the heart pain, and the cat naps,
Till the spring snaps – and the fun’s done!”

First Week of Advent

I want to share the Advent service we are doing at my church. This special season allows us the opportunity to reflect on true meaning through the traditions of Christmas. I encourage you to use these Advent postings with your family during this time of waiting to celebrate the most important birth in history. Wishing you joy this season, R.A. Stites

Opening
Lighting of the first candle to the playing of O Come, O Come Emanuel.

Meditation
The Preparation of Advent

During December leading up to Christmas, we will light the Advent candles as part of our Sunday morning worship. We observe the season of the advent of Jesus Christ for many reasons. Here are four which show how advent involves the whole person:

• It allows us to prepare our hearts for Christmas. In the midst of the hurry and excitement of the season, we center our hearts on why we come together in worship.



• It encourages us to think about the meaning of Christmas, thus involving our minds. Making advent a part of our worship reminds us of the reality of the events of Christmas.



• It allows us to use our bodies in praise as we lift our voices in song. The simple act of lighting the advent candles, sharing the message of advent, and singing the songs of Christmas gives physical expression to our praise.



• It joins our spirits with Christians past, present, and future as we celebrate the birth of the King of kings and Lord of lords. We honor the past when we worship together. We look forward with anticipation not only to Christmas but to all our Lord has promised those who believe when we worship together. We join believers all around the world as we look forward to Christmas.

The celebration of Advent prepares us for joy, centers us with truth, joins us together in worship, and reminds us that the power and majesty of Heaven came to earth in the person of Jesus.

The story of the advent begins with a miracle. Listen to the words of the Gospel:

Scripture
Luke 1:26-38 (New King James)
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." 34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 "Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 "For with God nothing will be impossible." 38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Matthew 1:18 - 2:1 (New King James)
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

Hymn
Join us in song:
Joy to the World

Prayer
Ask someone to pray to prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Closing
The Candles remain lit until the end of service when the person who lit them blows them out.