When you walk into church this weekend, the awesome decorations will declare—Advent is here! What is advent?
Advent is a word that means “coming” or “arrival.” It is a four-week period in which the church looks back to Jesus’ first coming as our Savior, and looks forward to his second coming as our Judge. Just as John the Baptist told the Jewish people to “prepare” for the Lord’s coming, we need to encourage each other to be ready for his coming again, when he will fulfill God’s promises and renew all things. Indeed, the kingdom of God will come “on earth as it is in heaven” – the wolf will lie down with the lamb, death will be swallowed up, the dead in Christ will rise to new life, and every tear will be wiped away. As Isaiah the prophet says, “Prepare the way for the Lord… The glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together” (Isaiah 40:3-5).
So what do we do during Advent? We wait and prepare ourselves. We commit ourselves to spiritual renewal through weekly worship and daily prayer as the means of God’s grace…. We give generously for those in need. We tell others about the joy and hope of Jesus’ return to be king, we invite our neighbors to Christmas concerts and Christmas Eve. We pray the final prayer in the Bible, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).
If you’d like a prayer and devotional guide to use with your family during advent – this is an excellent one.
· Christmas at SRPC – Saturday, December 17 at 7:00 pm. The very special holiday evening featuring the Florida Philharmonic Symphony and Seven Rivers Chorale will include some of the most beloved Christmas melodies as well as some undiscovered compositions. There will also be special performances by Beth Cooper, lyric soprano, and ballet by Ronnie’s Academy of Dance. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Guest Services Desk before and after worship this weekend.
· Christmas gift idea – Tickets to the Blind Boys of Alabama concert. This year on the MLK Jr. holiday (January 15), SRPC will host this Grammy-award winning group. You can purchase your tickets now.
· Here’s our schedule of holiday services:
December 17—Christmas at Seven Rivers concert - No Saturday worship service
December 18—Sunday worship at 10:00 am
December 24—Christmas Eve services at 3:00, 5:00 & 7:00 pm
December 25—Merry Christmas–No Sunday worship service
December 31—No Saturday worship service
January 1—Sunday worship service at 10:00 am
January 7, 8—Three weekend services begin Saturday at 6:00 pm, Sunday at 9:00 & 10:50 am!
· This weekend we’ll continue our series on Glory to the Newborn King. I’ll be preaching on Mark 2:1-12. We’ll also celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. Looking forward to celebrating Advent with you!
Love,
Ray
