Wasn’t it just spring a month ago? Where has this year gone? The holiday season is upon us in full force as I write this article. I hope and trust you have had a blessed year, grateful for God’s blessing and work in your lives. Now, we come to the highlight of the year (in my opinion)…Christmas! I love Christmas! As soon as possible I will search and search on my car radio for a radio station to find Christmas music to listen to! That station will stay in my car till January!
Is a person you love coming to visit this Christmas? Maybe all your relatives are gathering, so the holidays will be like a gala homecoming. The coming of someone special – that’s what the season of Advent is all about – the coming to earth of God’s Son. The word Advent is derived from the Latin word Adventus, which means a “coming.”
As you would go out of your way to get ready for the arrival of someone you love, so we as a congregation begin this Advent season preparing for the coming to earth of Jesus our Savior. Before a longed-for guest arrives, you clean the house, get meals ready, and take steps to ensure you’re set for that special event. Well, at Advent, the beginning of the church year; Christ will come – and together; we’ll prepare for His arrival by readying our hearts and lives. This Christmas, the Advent, or coming of Jesus will again be celebrated. Let us be among those who prepare their hearts ahead of time, so we can sense His presence in a marvelous new way; “O come, O come, Emmanuel” God with us!
We have now started our weekly prayer request list in the bulletin each Sunday. If you have a request for prayer, please call the church office by Thursday of each week so we can get it in the bulletin. If you are requesting prayer for someone, make sure it’s ok with him/her to have it put in our bulletin. Take your bulletin home each week and remember to pray throughout the week for each request. God will move powerfully as His people are in prayer for one another. Thank you!
As always, if I can be of any service to anyone, please do not hesitate to contact me. Words cannot express adequately the privilege that is mine to be your pastor. Pray for me each Sunday that I preach the Word of God with boldness and power. Pray for our churches that God will do mighty and powerful things in our midst. Pray that our churches will be lighthouses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our communities. God Bless you this Christmas season. Jesus is the reason for the season! Amen!
Grace and Peace, Pastor Rob