It is good to walk this Advent journey with you. We are entering into a delightful time of year and have the opportunity as followers of Jesus to come together to prepare for the celebration of the birth, once again, of Christ our King. I am not speaking of an ordinary birth, or an ordinary king. This is the Savior of the world, whom God chose for us!

I love the way The Message describes the Incarnation: “The Word became flesh and blood/and moved into the neighborhood” John 1:14. This is what we are going to explore this season as we come together in all the activity of the church in the Advent/Christmas season.

My prayer is that we will all find ways to live out our calling as Disciples of Jesus Christ, in our families, communities and world. It won’t, however, include spending time in the “Big Box” stores, making gift lists, or eating Figgy Pudding! This year we will journey towards love, humility, lifestyle, and obedience as Children of God.

I urge all of us to find time each day for Scripture reading, devotion, and prayer. There are Upper Room devotions for December in the foyer at church, or contact the office and we can mail you one. There is also an online version at upperroom.org. With time for these spiritual practices we will be prepared to come to welcome the Christ child with the dignity, and the love he deserves.

May you and your family have a blessed Advent and Christmas season, and may you be changed because of it. Amen

Blessings,

Pastor Beth