One of my favorite hymns for Advent was written by Charles Wesley – Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus. With this hymn Wesley captured the meaning of Advent, these four weeks of preparation.
Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
The word Advent comes from the Latin word, adventus, which means “coming.” The Season of Advent proclaims the comings of Christ, whose birth we prepare to celebrate once again. Christ comes to us continually through Word and Spirit. And Advent is a time of anticipation as we look to that day when Christ returns in final victory!
As a community of faith Advent calls us to prepare for these comings. Each of the four Sundays of Advent will have a distinctive theme for this preparation. These themes are: Hope (1st Sunday), Love (2nd Sunday), Joy (3rd Sunday), and Peace (4th Sunday).
From December 1st to December 25th we celebrate Christ’s coming. So, please accept this as our invitation for you to come and join in these days of preparation and celebration as we look for the comings of Christ.
Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to they glorious home.
Advent Blessings!
Pastor Bob