1st Sunday in Advent

Anticipating the birth of our Lord, while we also anticipate His return!



So the church was all decorated with evergreens today and they smell awesome! I love the simplicity of them, and yet the festive appearance of them.



This is our Pastor's first advent with us, and he chose to go with blue vestments and paraments. The advent candles are all blue, except, of course, the Christ candle is white.


The sermon was excellent. It always sounds a bit odd to say that, though, as if my opinion on his sermon matters. This pastor can certainly weave together points well and make pertinent points that I recall during the week and are salient to my life.


Today's sermon was based on Matthew 21 from the three-year lectionary, series A. Pastor started out by telling us about a successful king. A beloved king. A king who tried to honor God. This king was King David. He told us about his son. His son whose jealousy caused him to kill his brother and so he was banished from the city for awhile. Upon his return, Absalom purposefully set out to undermine his father and take his place. Eventually, Alsalom won the hearts of the citizens and David and his court had to flee. David, in his brokenness, set out to climb the Mount of Olives in his bare feet with his head covered, reflecting on his own imperfections and sins. Wondering, "Where did I go wrong?" Parents of all generations have wondered this same question.


Then Pastor started talking about how especially at this time of year, we have expectations of how things will go. We dream of and plan for a perfect gathering of friends and family. The world offers us its solutions to our problems. Whole marketing campaigns are centered around convincing us that their products will make us happy, will make us youthful, will solve our problems, cure our loneliness. But the world's answers are vapid and vane and vapor. The good news comes instead from the Gospel, such as Matthew 21. We see our King as He comes from the Mount of Olives, the same place where David wept. Christ comes to provide for us, not for Himself. Christ will also be driven out, as was David, but Christ won't reject His father as Absalom did. Jesus hung between the earth and heaven on a tree, as did Absalom, but Christ bridges the gap. Christ will be pierced by a sword, as was Absalom, but in Christ's brokenness is our life. And Christ comes to us in bread and wine offering peace, forgiveness and life.


So behold your King, He is coming to you, giving to you comfort that the world cannot offer.


Blessed is the name of the Lord.