 -Pastor Melissa Fain- The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-- on them light has shined. Isaiah 9:2 NRSV Did you know the night is coldest before the dawn? As the sun rises, it slowly heats the Earth. Once the sun sets, that heat slowly goes away until the sun rises again and it all starts over. If you go camping, you’ve felt that pre-dawn chill. You want to stay snuggled in your sleeping bag instead of braving the cold to get dressed and ready for a new day. During the night, there are ways to know the sun is still there: the moon. The moon doesn’t shine its own light. The sun shines on the moon, and the moon shines the sun’s light on us. The moon becomes a reminder that the sun is still there, even when the world seems so dark. Advent is like the moon. We are waiting to celebrate the birth of Jesus, to see the light of Christ in our world. That light was not gone. We didn’t see it directly, but we saw it. It shined through Elizabeth, Mary, and Joseph. We saw it through the shepherds and their sheep. Advent is pre-dawn darkness, but the light is still there, ready to warm our hearts, even when the chill has taken hold. Today is the last day of Advent. Today is the last day to prepare. Tomorrow we see the light. Question: Have you seen Jesus’ light shine through someone? Prayer: Dear God, prepare us for the light. 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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 -Pastor Melissa Fain- 1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-6 NRSV Did you know most people feel the wait leading up to something seems longer than the event itself? Like standing in line for a ride. You might spend more time walking around the park but knowing how close you are to getting on the ride can make each second feel like forever. Once again, it’s that anticipation. Good things get really exciting right before they happen. Now it’s only two days before Christmas! I hope that’s something that has you excited. The more excited you are for what’s coming, the longer these next two days might feel. It’s okay. Part of the journey is waiting. Actually, a large part of any journey is waiting. That’s why we spent three days talking about it. This wait, however, is so close. This wait is the most exciting. We are almost there, and we can feel it! Question: What are you most excited about for Christmas? Prayer: Dear God, We are ready! We want to celebrate! We want to worship you! 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  -Pastor Melissa Fain- 5 He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 5:5-6 NRSV Did you know when we look at our family history it’s called ancestry? Ancestors are the family members that were around before us. This is our grandmothers and grandfathers, our great aunts and uncles; our family that goes back generations. Through our family tree we can see where we’ve come from. With our family now, we can see where we’re going. Abraham was the beginning of God’s family story. There’s a song children used to sing in church: “Father Abraham had many sons, and many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them, and so are you, so let’s all praise the Lord!” It’s difficult to be at the beginning of stories. Abraham had nothing to look back on, only wonder if he’d have something to look forward to. It might be one of the reasons we are so uncomfortable starting something new. God helps Abraham understand by showing him the stars. What a great image! We can’t touch stars; they are too far away. For the same reason we can’t feel their heat. What we can know is they are there, hundreds of light years away. We have the gift of being able to look back and remember. We can recall past Christmas’ and family memories. For us, those memories are like Abrahams’ stars. We can no longer touch or feel them, but we can see them in my mind. As he looked forward, we look back. Question: What is a good memory you have of a former Christmas? Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the loving and good family members in our lives. 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  -Pastor Melissa Fain- 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” Luke 3:8-14 NRSV Did you know the Bible is full of angels, and they have many different jobs? There are angels that worship, and angels that fight. There are angels that protect, and (like the angels related to Christmas) angels that announce. Announcements are meant to tell us something we don’t already know. Yeah, we might know a wedding is happening or baby is being born, but an announcement tells us when and where. Even if the event has already taken place, an announcement brings a group of people together to react to the news. There are so many announcements the angels give around the Christmas story. An angel appeared to Zachariah to tell him his wife, Elizabeth, was pregnant. An angel told Mary she was pregnant with Jesus. An angel visited Joseph in a dream to tell him not to leave Mary. An angel warned Mary and Joseph to leave Bethlehem, announcing they were no longer safe. God moments happen all the time in this world. They can go unnoticed, and part of being a Christian is being the angelic presence to announce them. Making an announcement is an important part of the story. God events deserves more. People must know how amazing the event was. Go out and share! Question: What are some ways we can share God’s good news? Prayer: Dear God, thank you for announcing our presence. Sometimes it can be difficult to see. 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 -Pastor Melissa Fain- 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Matthew 1:26-33 NRSV Did you know love is a theme in the Bible and is a subject that comes up hundreds of times? That makes love an important part of understanding and following God. The fourth theme of Advent is Love. To get here we had to travel through the other three themes. First, like pulling out a map, we had to plan our journey with Hope. Then, we had work towards that destination with active Peace. It is when we begin to see our work paying off we can start to celebrate with Joy. Now, Love is the destination. It is the X that marks the spot on our journey to prepare for Christ. We now have everything we need to meet Jesus at Christmas! Love is something we can spend our entire lives working to understand but is also super easy to understand too. Love seeks the best for a person or group. The Christmas story is the story of God’s first steps to find the best for all humans. God loves us so much; God took on humanity to do it. Godly love is always where we should be traveling. It is right, and it is good. Today, that’s what we have, and now there is only 5 days until Christmas! We’re ready! Question: Where have you seen Godly love out in the world? Prayer: Dear God, help us see your Love in our lives! 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  -Pastor Melissa Fain- 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. Matthew 2:9-12 NRSV Did you know we don’t really know how many magi, or wise men, came to Jesus’ birthplace? The Bible has nothing really written about them. Traditionally, Christians have said there were three. Many Christians put those three at different ages: young, middle aged and older. Many Christians have also made those three from different parts of the world: African, Asian, and European. The Magi have become a symbol to get those who wouldn’t have been close to Jesus’ birth, to Jesus’ birth. They are a reminder that all are included in God’s story. But boy did they arrive late! Some estimates say the magi came three years after Jesus was born! That’s not only late to the party but, the party was over, everyone cleaned up, and at least 30 parties had come and gone before the magi arrived! Why are they even arriving then? It’s because we can’t limit who is allowed to celebrate Christ just because it’s not easy for them to arrive. It’s actually a big deal when people work extra hard to get to God’s plan. We shouldn’t turn people away because it can be more difficult. For those who have it easier, we should help those people reach their goal. The Magi were late the party, but they were still invited. That, in itself, is a celebration! Question: How can we help those who struggle to get to God? Prayer: Dear God, help us include everyone to Christ’s birth, not just those who it’s easier. 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  -Pastor Melissa Fain- 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. John 15:12-17 NRSV Did you know Church is full of symbols? Symbols are when we use an idea or object to help us understand something better. Many churches light a candle or candles at the beginning of worship. Remember Christ’s light? Lighting candles at the beginning of worship is a symbol of Christ’s light being with those in worship. Many churches also use colors. There are colors for the time of year: Purple/blue, white, green, red. These colors tell Christians what season they are in. Many churches this time of year are full of purple or blue. This means “prepare.” The church uses those colors leading up to Christmas or Easter. There are also colors connected to certain Bible characters. Mary is often painted wearing blue. Blue is the color of the sky and therefore a heavenly color. Remember, we made Mary out of blue paper. Some symbols have made their way into our homes. The candy cane is a great example. It is said a Choir Master in Germany gave them to the kids. Before this, candy canes were simply white peppermint sticks. He asked the candy maker to bend the end of the rod so the children would remember the Good Shepherd, and the shepherds that visited baby Jesus at his birth. Later, the red stripes would be added so the white would remind us of Christ’s sinlessness and the red his sacrifice on the cross. Today, millions of people hang candy canes on their Christmas trees. It serves as a sweet reminder of God’s love for us. Question: What’s a symbol you’ve seen, and what does it mean? Prayer: Dear God, help us see you in the world through symbols and actions. 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  -Pastor Melissa Fain- 6 My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains; from mountain to hill they have gone, they have forgotten their fold. 7 All who found them have devoured them, and their enemies have said, “We are not guilty, because they have sinned against the Lord, the true pasture, the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.” Jeremiah 50:6-7 NRSV Did you know even the best sheep lose all sense of control when they are scared? Any sudden noise or movement, and sheep will be anywhere but where they were. In the Bible, God’s people are compared to sheep. Yep, those cute fluffy, animals the shepherds watch. God is the shepherd, and we are the sheep. It’s really fitting, because we are like sheep in that we tend to not keep calm when things go crazy. It doesn’t matter how put together we normally are, when crisis hits, we are throwing out ideas without thinking about the problem, or we ‘re running around like we’re on fire! Good shepherds know that’s how sheep are. That’s part of what makes them good. While a bad shepherd would let the sheep run off and get lost, a good shepherd understands and brings all the sheep back together. The shepherds were at Jesus’ birth, which means the sheep were there too. The sheep are a reminder that God still loves us and wants us in the fold when we freak out and react without thinking. When we are prone to get distracted, God gets us back where we need to be. Question: When is it difficult to stay calm, and what are some ways you handle it? Prayer: Dear God, we are getting closer to Christmas every day, keep us close to you, our good Shepherd. 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  -Pastor Melissa Fain- 1In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” Matthew 2:1-8 NRSV Did you know no earthly plan is perfect? Once we try to make it happen something is bound to go wrong. Take the Christmas story. The right people were involved to bring it into this world: Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and Magi (or wise men). It happened in the right place: Bethlehem. That was the birthplace of King David. The Bible calls him God’s anointed king. Also, Joseph was an ancestor of David. That made Jesus part of David’s lineage. Then the census came at the right time to get everything to the right place. Then there was Herod. Herod was a bad guy. He was egotistic. That means he did things for himself and no one else. Even things that appeared for others, was really about him. Like the Temple. The Jewish people lost their Temple hundreds of years before when Babylonians tore it down. The Jewish people wanted their Temple back. Herod wanted allegiance, so he had the Temple rebuilt. People were beginning to talk about the family of Herod like they were like King David. There were those who would call Herod’s son (also called Herod) a messiah. Herod’s son would have those calling him an anointed king of God. In a world where some considered immortality in continuing one’s family, this baby Jesus was a threat. Herod never wanted to pay homage, or show public respect, to Jesus. He wanted the Magi to show him where Jesus was to kill him. We remember Herod at Christmas because we need to remember some people don’t want God’s story. That’s life. God’s story continues even though there are those who try really hard to destroy it. So, while those people keep the story from being perfect, remember God ultimately makes it right. Question: How can we help make this Christmas better, when others seem to make it worse? Prayer: Dear God, help us see you, when others try to destroy your plans. 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  -Pastor Melissa Fain- Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4 NRSV Did you know being serious doesn’t mean you can’t have fun? Being a Christian is very serious business. The Bible tells us being a Christian means loving our enemy, praying for those who treat us poorly, helping those who are sick, poor or are in prison all while being humble.[1] We can get so caught up in how serious it all is we can forget that part of being a Christian is also about celebration. Even when the world is so serious, and it seems like everything is going wrong, we must celebrate when something goes right: When those who are lost are found, or when the needs of those who need are met. Christmas is a time to celebrate. God wants everyone to be part of that celebration. Everyone has an invite, so when someone finally shows up, we rejoice. [1] Matt 5:43-48, Matt 25:31-46, Matt 6:1 Question: What can you celebrate today? Prayer: Dear God, praise you! Praise you in your house! Praise you in Heaven! Praise your great works! 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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