Begin

11/25/2012

God With Us

Opening Prayer

Lord, on this First Sunday of Advent and as we join together reflecting on the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ, we thank you that you have come to join us in this imperfect world. As we begin the Christmas Season, help us to keep our minds singly focused on you and on you alone. Keep us free from the worries, fear and stress that sometime overwhelm us this time of year. 
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit   

Amen

Song

As we begin the season of Advent, we begin by joining  together in worshiping God through music and song!

Click on the “Listen” tab for music selections that will help your community enter into God’s presence.

  

Message

Not everyone is familiar with Advent. Unless you grew up in a liturgical church, you may only have a vague idea of what this time of year is all about. Basically, Advent just marks the beginning of the Church year in most Western Christian denominations and the beginning of the Christmas Season. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve. The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word “Adventus” which means "coming" or "arrival." Advent is a spiritual journey centered on themes such as hope, unity, expectation, anticipation, preparation, and reflection on what is, what has been and a longing of what is to come. It’s a time of reflecting on the year that has passed, and looking forward to the future. It’s also a time of repentance and actively making changes in our lives to be more like Christ-like in the culture around us.

 Advent is the celebration of the fulfillment of hope in the birth of Jesus Christ in His First Advent (first coming), and the anticipation of His return in the Second Advent (second coming). This time of year is far more than simply remembering a 2,000 year old event in history, but it’s a celebration of God’s truth, the revelation of God in His Son and all creation being reconciled to God. Advent is taking time to remember the awesome fact that God came into this world in His Son Jesus Christ; being completely God and completely man. It is with that that we also celebrate the Kingdom He inaugurated and the truth that He will one day come again.  

       

Advent is divided into four weeks, beginning on the Sunday of each week. Each week focuses on one of the four themes of Advent: Hope, Love, Joy and Peace, in that order. As we begin our observance of Advent at Naked Sunday, today we focus on Hope and carry that spirit throughout this week until we come together again next Sunday. In the movie, The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne writes to his friend Red who has been released from prison before him, encouraging him with the words, "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." Let us remember those words as we begin Advent. For hope was fulfilled in the birth of Christ; the best of things, and through him we find our hope. 

  

Click on "Read" and read Isaiah 7:14 


The people of Israel had hope. They hoped for a savior that God had long ago promised them through His prophets, including Isaiah.  For hundreds of years the Israelites held on to the hope of a coming ruler that would emerge from the small and obscure town of Bethlehem. Generation after generation read the words of Isaiah 7:14

among their families and anticipated its fulfillment. A long time would pass as they waited and God remained silent. Hope must have dwindled as each year passed. Can you imagine their cries to God? “When, Lord?  When will you deliver what you’ve promised?” Hope. Time. Waiting. Patience. Silence.

We must admit that we live in a time when hope is not always easy to cling to.  Whether its war, politics, terror, financial crisis, climate change or rumors of the world coming to an end, we seem to be consumed with cultural influences that inspire anything but hope. When troubles and discouragements seem to multiply each day, it becomes easy to lose hope. Hope can seem to become pointless and unrealistic.  Some may say that hope is just an idealistic fantasy in the world in which we live. 

   

But the season of Advent is all about Hope; hope in a God that divinely joined humanity, lived among us in the discouragements of life and meets us even in the most miniscule details of our lives. It’s the same hope that the people of Israel had over 2000 years ago. A hope in a savior that “all nations will honor”, and was fulfilled in Christ Jesus coming into the world. It’s the same hope that He will one day gloriously come again.  So as we begin this celebration of Advent together, let us focus our minds on this hope filled truth:  God came into the world to live among us.  Emmanuel, God with us!  

Click on "Read" and conclude with a reading from Isaiah 9:6-7

Closing Prayer

Lord, as we begin the Season of Advent, we thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ. As we spend this week with our focus on hope, help us to trust in youwith all that we are, all the we need and all that we do. Help us to remember the simple words;
Emmanuel, God with us, and know that they are just as true today as they were over 2000 years ago.

Amen

As you go, go with the peace and contentment that God wants for each of us. Help the culture around you realize that there is reason for hope in this sometimes dark world.   

May the Lord bless you, may he keep you, and may he give you peace!

Reflect

Click on the "Reflection" tab for a suggested prayer for your community and selected questions for discussion.

See you next Sunday as we begin the Second Sunday of Advent and focus our attention on "Love"!