“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” – Isaiah 9:2
Our Advent Worship Series
The theme of Advent is waiting . . . in hope . . . for God to move. 2000 years ago, Israel was living in dark times and waiting and praying for God to move. For 500 years, the people of Israel found themselves in a season when God seemed far away – no prophets speaking truth, occupied by Rome, oppressed with no sign of God’s rescue. “O God, where are you?” was the lament.
Then . . . a flurry of activity. After 500 years of silence, in the space of a year, angels, God’s messengers, show up to announce God was on the move. Their message invariably started with “Do not be afraid.” The angels brought messages to Zacharias, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. “Fear not and listen up.”
Could those words be any more relevant for us in this season of unknowns, when hate seems to be winning and God seems far away? When God’s people are divided with no clear prophetic voice to guide us, with wolves in sheep’s clothing offering half-truth interpretations of God’s word? Fear not.
In this season of Advent, we will explore these four angelic messages given to people just like us – facing times of darkness and unknowing. The message then is the message now – “fear not . . . God is on the move.” Let this hope bloom into joy and love and peace that will carry you through Advent into a new year. God is with us.
Our series is called “The Fear Nots of Christmas – Finding Hope, Joy, Love and Peace this Advent,” based loosely on a book by that same name written by Debbie Short. Our messages are:
Nov 29 – Zechariah’s Hope
Dec 6 – Joseph’s Love
Dec 13 – Mary’s Joy
Dec 20 – Shepherds’ Peace
Other Advent Activities
Advent Family Devotional Download
We are excited to offer An Illustrated Advent for Families: Do Not Be Afraid as a download for our church families. An Illustrated Advent is an opportunity for families to take time each week during the Advent season to be intentional and focus on their faith. These weekly reflections explore our theme, “Do Not Be Afraid,” which is found in Jesus’ birth story in the Gospel of Luke. The free download includes five family devotions, paper crafts, and an advent calendar.
Advent Zoom Fellowship
On every Sunday evening in Advent, starting with November 29 at 6:00 pm, we will be hosting an at-home Advent gathering via Zoom centered around fellowship and the Advent wreath. You can join the meeting on November 29 by clicking the link below. In preparation, please gather your Advent wreath and candles.
Advent Bible Study
The adult class facilitated by Mike Gorman will be doing a four-week Zoom study called “Singing and Studying the Scriptures of the Season” starting Sunday, November 29. Join us for song, sharing prayer, and study from 11 am to 12:15. Contact Mike for the Zoom link: mgorman@stmarys.edu.
