Remember those crazy table lamps that would turn on and off when you clapped your hands? My Gram loved those lights! She loved that she could make the light in the room come on without having to get up from bed or her chair. And, it just tickled her that she could have such a gadget in her home! How cool is it to get such pleasure out of turning on and off the lights?!
This Advent we’ll be focusing on light once again. The weekly lectionary texts touch on the ever-present existence of darkness (the trials and temptations of our daily living) in the world balanced with the call for the faithful to yet again claim, with grateful hearts, God’s presence in the midst.
Does this season “turn on” your faith and focus on Emmanuel – God-with-us? For some, this time of year brings a ‘blue’ mood because of all of the hype, loss or feelings of loneliness. ‘Light’ is off; not welcome or fun.
This season is about risking the belief that the birth of a Bethlehem boy many years ago brought an eternal infusion of light for ALL who dared to see him as a gift from God’s own heart. It’s about waiting with anticipation for light to come with hope, peace, love and joy not because we can just clap our hands to make light come but because by God’s grace, no matter how good or bad our lives are going, light does come into every darkness!
This season I am asking: “Are we willing to help bear the light as a community? Are you willing to let light into your personal dark places?”
There is no Sunday morning adult class available – it’s a busy month, friends!
Instead, I have invited Susan Troyer to put together an Advent devotional booklet for your use throughout the 4 weeks of Advent. It is my hope that this daily study combined with weekly worship; taking advantage of serving opportunities and educational programming will bring abundant Light to our community come Christmas Eve night!
The bright hearts in our faith family shine year ‘round as we worship, serve and help one another and those who come in the doors. Willing hands and servant hearts “clap on” light in many dark spots of need and despair and I give thanks for each of you! Let us take great pleasure gathering together to cast the brightest light we can for God as we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Bethlehem boy this Christmas!
May God richly bless each of you this Advent Season!
“It can seem odd that the origin of such a glittering holiday (Christmas) is in the birth of a child long ago, whose arrival had none of the comforts and pleasures we connect with Christmas today…Each Christmas season with all its fanfare gives us an opening to remember the strange and wonderful time when light split the night and God became one of us.” “Christmas: Light Splits the Night” from Infuse.
Pastor Kelly