 -Pastor Melissa Fain- 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. John 1:1-4 NRSV Did you know there is something called a Christian Calendar? It’s been around for centuries! It begins this week with something called Advent. Advent is a word that means “beginning.” It takes place over four Sundays, the four Sundays before Christmas to be exact. Advent is about preparing for that special day, preparing for Christ’s birth. Preparing for Christmas! It has always been prepared for the same way. Every Sunday we are given a new word that helps us get to Christmas: hope – peace – joy – love. Many Christian faith groups celebrate these ideas with something called an Advent Wreath. The wreath itself is a circle, reminding us that God is without beginning or end. God is forever. The wreath is also evergreen. In the winter, evergreens like pines stay green. It reminds us God’s presence is with us even when everything living sleeps. Today we make our advent wreath. Today we also make our first candle: Hope. Godly Hope is like looking at a map. Have you ever seen a map? You can see so many amazing places, while you don’t actually go to those places. A map helps you plan for an adventure. Our map is leading us to Christ, on Christmas. That is our hope. We are going to do more than plan for it- Christmas is the destination! We’re going to be there in 24 more days! First, and always first, we must begin our journey in hope, by setting the destination on Christ. Question: What are your hopes? What are your hopes for Christmas? What are you hoping for in life? Prayer: Dear God, you are always with us. You want us to find your hope, seek your path, and walk your way. May we see and hear your call. Amen. Places to connect:
To see or share pictures of the Advent Adventure Crafts: Twitter: @FigTreeTweet, #AdventAdventure For deeper discussion: Reddit: www.Reddit.com/r/FigTreeChristian |
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