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The First Sunday of Advent
Luke 1:26 – In the 6th month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth.
In a forgotten town, God's hope broke into the world.
Hope does not wait for the perfect place; hope grows in humble soil.
Today, we light the candle of HOPE. May its flame remind us that God begins His saving work in unexpected places.
The Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 9:6 – For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
The Second Week of Advent is the week of Peace. This verse tells us that Jesus came to be the Prince of Peace. The
word peace is the Hebrew word shalom, which means completeness or well-being.
Jesus didn’t come just to end wars, but to make us complete by saving us from our sinfulness. All we have to do is trust in Jesus as the Son of God who came to save us, and we will have the peace, or shalom, of God.
The Third Sunday
of Advent
Isaiah 35:1-6 – The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus. For in the wilderness, water shall break forth, and streams in the desert.
We light the third candle, the candle of Joy. Our waiting is nearly over. The story of salvation unfolds as Mary and Joseph embark on their arduous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Let us remember that joy can be found even in the challenging journey, for our destination is the birth of the Messiah.
Come, Lord Jesus. Bind us together in love - in our families, in your church, and in your world.
Amen
The Fourth Sunday
of Advent
Today, we light the fourth candle of Advent, the candle of love. Advent is a season of waiting, but it is also a season of remembering the ties that bind us together in love.
In our families, love connects generation to generation - through shared stories, faithful promises, and the care we give one another in times of joy and uncertainty.
In the church, God's family, love binds us beyond blood or name, uniting us as sisters and brothers in Christ, called to walk together in faith and hope.
As Mary carried the Christ child, and Joseph protected and guided his family to Bethlehem, God was forming a new family - one that would welcome shepherds and strangers, and one day, all of us.