The liturgical calendar tells the Christian story by marking certain moments and seasons that enable us to feel the rhythms of our salvation. Like any good story, it begins with conflict, a crisis in search of a resolution. We call this conflict Advent.
Advent is a season of pain, a reflection on the fact that God is not yet here. He’s coming, yes, Advent assures us of this, for the word itself means coming. But right now, things are not as they should be, and so life hurts. Advent reminds us that we are desperate people living in desperate times.
During this season, then, we take the opportunity to do what all of creation is doing all the time: we wait, and we groan, and we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus!” To make this season more meaningful for you and your family, consider participating in some of the following events and utilizing some of the following events and resources.
Our Sunday Services
The tone of our services will naturally change for the season of Advent beginning Sunday, November 30 as we reflect together upon what it means to wait upon the Lord. Our liturgical colors will turn purple, our children will be lighting the candles on the Advent wreath, and our Holy Eucharist liturgy will return to the ACNA's Texts for Common Prayer.
Wednesday Evenings
Each Wednesday evening during Advent, we’ll be hosting a different event that connects us with the reality that we are waiting for God to return.
INVITE A NEIGHBOR OVER
Wednesday, December 3
During Advent, we’re typically occupied with spending time with friends and family, but sometimes we miss reaching out to someone in need who is right before our eyes. We encourage all of our families to invite a neighbor over for dinner and begin building a relationship with someone new.
PRAYER AND HEALING SERVICE
Wednesday, December 10 at 6:00 pm
Join us as we gather around the Table to pray for the sick to be healed, our families to be renewed, and our city to be restored.
ROOM IN THE INN
Wednesday, December 17 at 6:00 pm
Join us as we serve those in our community without shelter, hosting them at our church and providing a home cooked meal for our guests.
Advent Resources
As our culture primes itself to jump headlong into consumerism for the holiday season, the liturgical season of Advent beckons us to take another route instead: simplicity and generosity. Here are two books geared to reorient your thinking along these lines.
Enough: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity by Adam Hamilton is an invitation to rediscover the Bible’s wisdom when it comes to prudent financial practices. In these pages are found the keys to experiencing contentment, overcoming fear, and discovering joy through simplicity and generosity. This book could change your life, by changing your relationship with money.
7: An Experimental Mutiny against Excess by Jen Hatmaker is a true story of how Jen (along with her husband and children to varying degrees) took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simply choices to fight back against the modern-day disease of greed, materialism, and overindulgence. Drink deeply of its wisdom.