In this season of Thanksgiving through Advent, I am renewed with a fresh sense of hope, reinvigorated by prayer with zeal and fervor in the Lord, Immanuel—God with us! The light of the holy days at this time of year burn brightly with broader perspective upon my reentry from traveling in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico where I and eighteen other pastors from Indiana witnessed indigenous peoples there experiencing the Gospel of Jesus Christ engaging such diverse cultures in a way not unlike that by the church throughout the first century.
The Good News rings true for all times and places as we walk together along sacred spaces as a people set apart by God's Word and Spirit among us. The season of Advent affords us an opportunity by which we can once again give thanks to Almighty God for the Sovereign Lord's grace here and now, during this our time and place, at First
Presbyterian Church, New Castle, Indiana.
There is good cause for and there are encouraging signs of hope in our fellowship amidst a burgeoning transformation that the Lord has only begun with, in, and upon us. It is a/n [re-]iterative process which entails lighting and relighting, igniting and reigniting, fanning and rekindling the flame of God's gift of hope, peace, joy, love and life in our lives to be lived, and in a sense, relived well together for the glory of God.
The prophetic writer in the book of Habakkuk reminds us in prayer:
Lord, we have heard of Your fame;
we stand in awe of Your wonderful deeds.
O Lord,
Renew them in our day.
In our time, revive, and make them known;
in judgment, in justice, may You remember mercy.
May this be our prayer for and in our own day and time with the Lord's gracious reign among us in our own, larger community of faith in Christ. And may God find us faithfully lighting anew in Advent the candles of Christ's hope, peace, joy, love and life in our homes in the household of God's blessings at Thanksgiving. In Him,
Pastor Rex
Rekindling the Gift of God With/in Us
Rekindling the Gift
- Rekindling the Gift of Hope
- Rekindling the Gift of Peace
- Rekindling the Gift of Joy
- Rekindling the Gift of Love
- Rekindling the Gift of Life
fan aflame, kindle afresh, light anew
[Reign of] Christ the King
Sunday, November 22
2 Samuel 23:1-7; Psalm 132:1-12 (13-18); Revelation 1:4b-8; John 18:33-37
The First Sunday of Advent
November 29
Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36
The Second Sunday of Advent
December 6
Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6
The Third Sunday of Advent
December 13
Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 20
Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1:46b-55; Psalm 80:1-7; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)
Christmas Eve
December 24
Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96:1-13; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Lighting the candles of Advent again… with thanksgiving!
Fan into flame the gift of God in you
The Lord Reigns (Christ the King) | Nov 22 |
The Promise of Preparation | Nov 29 |
The Promise of Mercy | Dec 6 |
The Promise of Salvation | Dec 13 |
The Promise of Blessing | Dec 20 |
The Promise of Treasure | Dec 24 |
(Sunday after Christmas) | Dec 27 |
With Gratitude for the Tree of Life
2009 November—December
Thanksgiving In the Season of Advent
A Lifestyle of Thanks-Living through the Advent of Christ's Kingdom
No comments:
Post a Comment