Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
For generations, churches of all denominations have celebrated the 4 Sundays before Christmas as the season of Advent. This Sunday will be the second Sunday of Advent (with Nov. 30 being the first). The term “Advent” is from the Latin word “coming”. It is during this season that we focus on 3 things:
First, we remember the anticipation of the coming of the Messiah that God promised to the patriarchs, prophets and kings of Israel, and we recognize and celebrate that these prophecies were fulfilled in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of his son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Second, we celebrate that the risen Christ is with us today in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. He comes and dwells in the hearts of everyone who by faith believes in the saving work of the Lord Jesus.
Third, we look forward with hope to the 2nd coming of Christ to this earth. We understand that lasting peace, joy, and love will never be permanent upon this earth until Christ returns in glory.
The Advent wreath that we light represents the circle of life that God renews every year with the changing seasons, which reminds us that God is the author and creator of all life and that his sustenance extends to all of his creation. The 4 colored candles in the wreath stand for the expectations that people of all eras have had for the coming of the Messiah - Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.
Fourth, CPC purchased Advent devotionals so that you can prepare your heart and focus on the coming of Jesus Christ throughout the Advent Season (4 weeks leading up to Christmas). So, please grab a devotional from A-216 or the Main Sanctuary Foyer if you haven’t yet and enjoy! The daily readings take about 5 to 7 minutes (if you read contemplatively).
Please continue to pray for the nations of Israel and Ukraine and South Sudan. Here is a suggested list of prayers if you are at a loss for words in how to pray: https://send.org/story/hh_pray_for_ukraine. And https://worldrelief.org/blog-prayer-for-israel-and-gaza/ And here are other prayers for peace in general: https://worldrelief.org/prayers-for-peace-in-the-world/ Thank you for kneeling on behalf of the people of Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Gaza and Lebanon, Sudan and South Sudan, and taking a stand (or a knee in prayer) against the forces of darkness in this present age.
Further announcements can be found in the weekly spotlight. And other church wide announcements can be found in our weekly bulletin.
For Prayer:
From Bishop J.C. Ryle – “To be prayerless is to be Christless, Godless, and in the high road to destruction…It will always be found that when prayers are few, grace, strength, peace, and hope are small.” Please join our Wednesday night prayer meeting (7:45 – 9:00 pm) even if you can’t participate the whole time.
https://zoom.us/j/758587937?pwd=aS9sZUdxcm1janNNM2I2aXJ6Smx2QT09
Meeting ID: 758 587 937
Password: 030086
Join by phone: +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
We’d be glad to pray for you. If you need prayer, you can submit your prayer request via the following link: https://www.cbcgl.org/pray/
In Christ, your servant, SDG,
Pastor Nathan Willems
Associate Pastor of CrossPoint Community – A Ministry of CBCGL