Series Dates: 11/21/21 - 12/26/21
Advent is about considering our past and looking to the future. Through this Advent season we are joining in with brothers and sisters in Christ around the world to celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ by following the Revised Common Lectionary around the theme of returning to the feast.
For some of us we have been away physically, emotionally or spiritually. The good news of the gospel is that wherever we are in whatever season of life we find ourselves in, Jesus pursues us and invites us to return. His invitation to return is to feast. Jesus is our bread from heaven, the one we feast upon and the one who nourishes us and strengthens us, even after we have been away.
This Advent we are inviting you to return to Christ, to turn and do the things you once did, to cultivate intimacy with Jesus and His people.
Through the Scriptures we study, we will be looking back to Jesus’ arrival and anticipate His return — receiving the peace God offers us in Jesus today and looking forward to the day when Christ will return to usher in his rule and reign. Advent is remembering the story of when God came down to bring Peace, Hope, Joy, and Restoration to our world.
Advent is about looking back. In the ancient text of Isaiah 9.6, we find the foretelling of the Messiah’s arrival, the anticipated rescuer of the nation of Israel. The arrival of the Messiah as found in Luke 2.8–21 opens up — not a prince’s court but an open field, not a host of soldiers at guard but a host of Angels in the sky, a king child not surrounded by the most prestigious but by common shepherds. Here the earth has an anthem sung over her — a song of Rescue — God came down.
Advent is also about looking forward. The Old Testament (Isaiah 9.7) and the New Testament (Revelation 21– John’s vision of a new Jerusalem) describe a king enthroned forever with a new city coming down from heaven.
Advent, like Lent, has historically been a time of reflection and preparing our hearts for Christ’s return through Spiritual practices (means of grace). This Advent, through our “City of Peace” local outreach coalition we have opportunities to practice and pass Peace, Hope, Joy and Restoration to our city and world by participating in a range of local opportunities to serve. Opportunities within our church include contributing to wells that bring clean water to villages in India, supporting Tyler Heights Elementary School and purchasing Christmas gifts for families with which we are connected within the public housing neighborhoods of our city.
The gospel is available to all people, our city is made up of all kinds of people, and this Christmas we have the opportunity to incarnate, mirroring what Christ did in our world. As a church family, we would encourage you to identify how the Lord is asking you, your friends, family or group to prepare your hearts and “come down” to our city as a foretaste of what one day will be! May our hearts be filled with the peace of God as we live together in community among our city this Advent season.
grace + peace,
The Downtown Hope Theology Team