From Eddie McCoven, church staff member
Our journey to Christmas is not like that of the rest of the world. Like Mary the mother of Jesus, we, too, ponder the words of the angel who spoke of the coming of the child and cherish them in our hearts. We join with our ancestors in the faith in the longing and waiting for God's promised messiah.
Advent is a time of preparation. The world arrives at the modern day adaptation of Christmas very quickly, and then the celebration ends just as abruptly as it began. But as people of faith, we keep watch, and we heed the words of the voice crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord.
Our preparations began by collecting food during the month of November through our Reverse Advent calendar of giving.
We then kicked off Advent this year with much fanfare. Our Children's Choirs and Rise & Shine Choir presented their musicals during the 10:00 a.m. worship hour on Sunday, Dec. 2.
Later in the day, we gathered for our annual Advent Adventure, a time of arts and crafts for children and their families.
We then heard songs of the season from our Esperanza Youth Choir.
As we go through these next few weeks together as a community of faith, let us be mindful of God's promises for our lives, and let us once again make way for the one who is to come, the one who will be and is the prince of peace, whose dominion will have no end.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
