Hearing God This Advent Season

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Greetings in the Name of our Lord,

I pray you had a blessed Thanksgiving. I look forward to seeing you in worship.

This Sunday we begin our journey toward the celebration of the birth of Jesus. In the church, we call this season Advent. The word Advent is from the Latin “adventus” for “arrival” and is associated with the time of preparation for Christmas. The season is centered around the celebration of the hope, love, joy, and peace of Christ. 

Each Sunday in Advent we will explore one of the characters of the Christmas story. This Sunday we look at the prophecy of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist from Luke 1:67-80. The prophecy is one of hope for every age. December 10th we will present our annual Lessons and Carols. This service will be centered around the story of Mary and the love that she carries in her womb. December 17th, our worship will center around the story of Joseph and how his disappointment turns to joy. On December 24th, the 10:30 a.m. morning service will celebrate the story of the shepherds and the message of invitation and peace that comes from the angels. That afternoon and evening, our Christmas Eve Candlelight services will focus on the birth of Jesus and the fulfillment of God’s promise to always be with us. 

Each of these stories is marked by the visitation of an angel. Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds all are directed and blessed by these angels with the good news of what is coming to all creation. 

I have often wondered why God chose these insignificant persons. Maybe it was not about who they were, but rather these were the ones in tune with what God was doing. They were listening. What if God sent God’s angels to every living person on earth to share this good news? Could some have been too busy to hear the heavenly visitation? Could others have dismissed the angelic presence as just a dream? Or maybe some were just not interested in the things of God? Were these the only ones who heard the message of the coming Christ child?

I pray that when the voice of God’s Word visits us, we will be ready to hear. We will take the time to open our ears and eyes to what God has for us. We will slow down and wait with anticipation knowing that our Lord is near and has a Word for us. 

Join us in worship these next few Sundays, and let’s see what God has for us. Let us do all in our power not to let work, school, schedules, distractions, or whatever stand in the way of what God has for us. I believe that God is waiting to bless each of us. God is waiting for the open heart to speak a new word of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace this season. 

Don’t forget…    

  • Malvern Angel Tree Distribution - December 9th - SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

  • Lesson & Carols Services– December 10th – 9:45 and 11:00 a.m.

  • Christmas Eve morning service with Communion – 10:30 a.m.

  • Christmas Eve Candlelight service – 3:00, 5:00, and 7:00 pm. 

It is going to be glorious!

Pastor John Allen