Greetings and happy New (Church) Year from damp and rainy Chuckatuck. As we recover from Thanksgiving week and celebrate our family gatherings of any size, we stop and consider what we have in our lives to be thankful for. While times are often trying and situations may not go exactly as we plan, our lives are celebrations of the bounty we have. We pray the best happens for you in the coming holiday season.
We gathered for worship on the first Sunday of Advent and the beginning of our new liturgical year. We heard our yearly reminder that God’s grace is what drives away darkness in our lives and that our model for life is Jesus. We are reminded that when we follow Christ we will find ourselves in immortal life at the end. Our Epistle reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans was a reminder that now is the time to “wake up” and get ready for the opportunities of life with Christ. The Psalmist sang a song to encourage us to go to the house of the Lord. That our wholeness is found when we live in community with other believers. Our gospel reading Matthew speaks to the balance between waiting for what will be and acting like now is the time that we must act. Jesus reminded his disciples to remain alert to the opportunities that are present here and now.
Our sermon today was based on the Hebrew Scripture reading from the prophet Isaiah. The prophet was encouraging the Israelites to reflect on the promise that God’s house will rise from the place where we think it is. That time when peace will found, not the absence of disruption but the wholeness of life with God. The reminder for us is, now IS the time to live a life devoted to being what God calls us to be. We are invited to realize that today is the end of what was and the beginning of what will be – greater life with God in Christ.
I invite your comments,
Les+
Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44
Video of worship: https://youtu.be/_KRfj-N-U5g
Video of sermon: https://youtu.be/WKzPSX16Gow
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