Advent Hope-Powerful Prayer

In December, we will be observing Advent, a season of four weeks when we prepare our
hearts for the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ at Christmas. The word “Advent” means
“coming” – it is a season of preparing for the coming of Christ to earth. During this season, we
read verses from the prophets who foretold of the Christ’s coming in ancient times. We light
candles, one for each week of the Advent season. As the days grow darker and colder, Advent
symbolically reminds us that God is shining his light into our troubled and fallen world. All that is
shrouded in the darkness of sin, suffering, violence, fear and death will soon be flooded with the
light of Christ’s love and redemption.

Advent prepares us once again for Christ’s first coming to earth as a humble baby born in a manger. Yet, Advent
also points forward to Christ’s second coming, when he will come in judgment and triumph. Advent reminds us that we are
living in this painful period between Christ’s first and second coming – the “already” and the “not yet.” We affirm that Christ
is already present with us, yet the world is still clearly not as it ought to be. We hear stories on the evening news about
wars, mass shootings, terrorist attacks, devastating natural disasters, and many other terrible things. We see that our
society is still bitterly divided over cultural and political issues. Advent is a season that gives us hope that God is working
to put the world right – bringing God’s kingdom down to earth.
Advent reminds us that God did not leave us alone in our troubled world, but sent his only Son, Jesus the Christ
to redeem and heal us. Advent gives us hope as we wait for the Lord’s full redemption at the end of the age. Advent also
gives us the courage to act on this hope, working for goodness and justice in our world here and now, until God’s reign is
fully realized. The call of the church is to live into this Advent hope, working with God in the Spirit’s power to bring about
his kingdom purposes for love, justice, and mercy in our community.
This Advent season, I’m challenging our church to pray a prayer for power – specifically God’s power to renew
our church and renew our lives so that God’s love can shine forth into our hurting world. Details on this prayer challenge
and how to participate are in this newsletter. I will also be sharing details from the pulpit during this Advent season.
Please join me in praying for God’s transforming power to be active in our lives, in our church, and in our community.
“I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your
heart enlightened, you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious
inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the
working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his
right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is
named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.” – Ephesians 1:16-2