Advent,
a preparatory time of waiting and watching, communicates the message of
hope, assisted by the color of the sky, BLUE. Our Christian faith rests
on the hope that Christ, who came in history assuming our flesh, will
also return on the last day of time from that same blue sky he ascended
into long ago.
During
Advent we are urged to slow down, wait, and look past ourselves. We do
this by taking our time (four Sundays and weekdays) getting to the
manger. We do this by staging our journey to Christmas in steps — Advent
greens, an Advent wreath, Christmas trees, a Christmas manger scene,
and then “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.” We do this by keeping
Christmas long after the trees are put outside and the decorations
packed away — a full twelve days that stretch out what we have waited so
long to celebrate. It’s important to realize that when we
over-schedule church activities, we mirror the busyness of the world in a
bad way. Sometimes there are so many things going on at Church that it
seems literally like a roller coaster ride to Christmas. Advent should
be slower and much more deliberate. During this season, we do not
compete with the harried schedules of the world around us by matching
them event for event. No, we compete by offering what no one can find
except in the Church — the Gospel of the Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ!
Most importantly, we celebrate Advent by listening to the Word of the
Lord, and by hearing that Word with the ears of faith, and by the joyful
acknowledgment that the Christ of the manger has come among us to
deliver the fulfillment of His promised gift of forgiveness, life and
salvation.
Christmas is the season in which we hear the “tidings of great joy” that the Savior of the world was born in Bethlehem. The Second Person of the Trinity had to become man in order to redeem man. After the Feast of the Resurrection, then, the Feast of the Nativity is the greatest in the Church. The atmosphere and appearance of the church building, in addition to its message and music, reflect the exceeding gladness of this celebration.
A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great. (Proverbs 18:16)
God’s
gift to us at Christmas is a little like a very special gift received
in the mail. The gift looks plain on the outside, but God knows that
when we take the time to carefully unwrap the package and get to know
what’s inside, we will appreciate the gift very much. In fact, it’s the
best gift we could ever receive!
Similarly,
we are like the brown paper wrap. There are messages about Jesus
Christ to be sent and delivered all around the world today and they can
be delivered by people who are humble, simple, and plain, just like the
brown wrap. You don’t need fancy words or clothes. Look at Jesus who
was born in a barn. It was not a fancy place, yet God’s message and
gift to us came so precious and beautiful, just like the fancy ribbon
and paper.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me be the sender of the Christmas message to someone who needs to hear your Word. You are the best gift anyone could receive. Use me, Lord to be the packaging wrap of brown, simple paper and not to be afraid to tell others about eternal life in heaven. Amen.
Phil Vischer, Founder of Jellyfish Labs and co-creator of the acclaimed VeggieTales, dives into the book of Philippians to answer the question, “Where does joy come from?” With the help of some animated friends, Phil unpacks what it means to live with joy both in times of happiness and in times of sadness. Check out the series here:https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/293649
Members of Mount Calvary now have electronic access to our latest church directory from any smartphone, tablet or computer with internet access. Each household has a unique ID that can be emailed to them upon request. Let the church office know when you’d like your ID code to access the church directory online (via email or a note on your attendance card), and it will be emailed to you. Step-by-step instructions are available on our website and at the Mount Calvary office.
michiganLCMS Download Conference Booklet below Everywhere we go, we go as a witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But what does it mean to be a witness? How can my witness persuade someone to believe? How can I be a witness to people who really don’t seem to care about church or the faith? Take Heart, Take Action is a theological conference for laypeople and church workers, and the featured speakers will share practical advice and insight into our calling as witnesses of the Gospel.
Millennials are a unique group that churches often struggle to reach. Knowing why millennials behave the way they do can greatly shape how the church engages them.
Join us for an online panel discussion on Thursday, June 30th at 10:00 a.m. CST. The panel will be answering questions about millennial characteristics, stereotypes, and how the church can reach out to them.
