December Pastor’s Pen
The advent season is upon us friends!
How are you feeling? There have been many things happening over the past year that could cause us to feel weary or not ourselves. As people of the risen Savior, we have hope, but hope can feel far away when it has been a heavy season or hope has been elusive. We crave relaxation, a stress-free environment, to kick back and laugh.
This can also be a time when we feel that we want to deepen our faith or pick up a practice that might help draw us in closer. Advent and Christmas are wonderful times to do just that.
The Advent season is a season of longing and awaiting the birth of the Christ child. It is a season that can draw us closer to a God that put on flesh to be close to us if we are intentional about how we use this time.
In this season of longing and waiting, we can maximize opportunities to grow and strengthen our faith by listening to our longings. We will be doing this very thing in our worship on Sunday mornings through the advent season. But the best way to “make it stick” is to repeat throughout the week what we have talked about in worship. You can join me on Sunday mornings at 9am for small group coffee and conversation about our weekly readings, each week you can spend ten minutes each day in the Word, and on Wednesday evenings on Facebook, you can join in reflective practice. Repetition can often move us from shallow engagement to more challenging insights. All these things can work together to deepen your experience of the season.
It is my prayer that you will not only be moved but transformed during this advent season. May God guide and bless you as you listen to the longings of your heart during Advent and Christmas.
Peace and Grace,
Pastor Jenny