Worship

Advent is upon us once again! These four weeks before Christmas herald a time of expectation: Not only of Christ’s birth, but of the judgment He brings. In Advent, we are reminded of the paradox of mercy and judgment embodied in Jesus: God’s good news that also exposes the darkness. God in Christ comes to show us the way of grace and peace, but that way is a turning away from self-centeredness and its sinful aftermath. In Christ we face the call to godly living. In Christ we are given the Spirit to so live. In Advent, then, we find hope amid very unsettling realities that God is with us and for us. Ultimately and starting right now, nothing can separate us from the love of God.

  These are very challenging times. We have been found wanting in both our private and public lives. We know the consequences of such me-centered behavior! We still face temptation to focus only on ourselves and ours. But Advent calls us to another approach to life: To live as if God cared; to live as if God calls us to a more complete and fulfilled life; to live as if God gives us second chances and shows us in the example of Christ how to make the most of them.

  Advent, then, highlights both our failings and the promise of better. Christ comes to redeem us from misery and lift us up to a newness of life. Let us take up the promise of Advent. Let us turn away from dwelling on self and turn toward the God-become-one-of`-us, so that we can become like God: loving, serving, and praying. All for the glory of God and for the good of the world!