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Advent Theme
Advent is a season of endings and beginnings. As the 2024 calendar year comes to an end, a new calendar for spirituality and the church year begins. The birth of Jesus is very soon and his birth ushers us into new ways of living and loving. Advent is an invitation to receive the new ways that are coming. Despite how compelling the invitation the world in its madness continues to spin madly on. This is the way life is. Invitations to live, love, and hope confront the chaos, fear, and cruelty of the world. These are the stories of endings and beginnings. These are the stories of the Advent season.
In many ways, pregnant Mary was surrounded by endings—large and small, personal and political. But Mary proclaimed hope in a God who was and is making all things new. Christ’s birth offered a beautiful new beginning for shepherds and Magi alike—all the while, King Herod tried to bring Christ’s story to an end. When we navigate seasons filled with endings and beginnings, we need reminders. We need words that can feel like steady ground. We need stories that become a path for our feet to find our way forward through the unknown, and finally to the other side of being known by the Spirit of Life and Love.
Our theme for the season is Words For The Beginning. Listen for the Advent word that is coming into your life and the Advent word that our world needs to hear.
Below is a list of dates and activities associated with our time together during Advent and Christmas.
December 1 First Sunday in Advent
Theme: You Are A Blessing.
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Pass It On as an Advent song
Make note the Altar is decorated with Advent Candles and a quilt parament. Also, our Advent Word banners are on the walls. Special music includes O Come, O Come Emmanuel, and Peter Kyhn will share his gifts as a trombone player.
December 8 Second Sunday in Advent
Theme: We Can’t Go Alone
- Spiritual Play Kids lead We Are the Family with hand motions
This is our "Deck the Halls" Sunday. We will take time to decorate our spiritual home with the Chrismon Tree, Memory Tree, and garland. We are limiting our decorating to the narthex for this Sunday.
After worship, we are having a Lasagna Potluck! Something different from turkey sandwiches. Enjoy and enjoy each other.
December 15 Third Sunday in Advent
Theme: Do The Good That Is Yours To Do
Spiritual Play Kids program, Be Light the Light
- “This Little Light of Mine,”
- “We Are the Family,”
- “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
December 22 Fourth Sunday in Advent
Theme: Hope Is Worth The Risk
December 24 Christmas Eve, 5 pm Candlelight Service
Theme: Love Knows Your Name
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