Message for the First Week of Advent

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Our theme this Advent season is "Come Home" - We hope you will accept the invitation: Come home to the God who has made a home among us! (John 1:14)

This past Sunday we looked at Psalm 122 as we began our Advent journey. Psalm 122 was sung with joy by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem to worship - "I rejoiced with those who said to me,“Let’s go to the Lord’s house!”  They were returning to the place which represented the most intimate encounter between God and God’s people. But they were not merely looking back to what God had done for them in the past. In returning to their spiritual homes they were renewing their expectations for the hopeful and hoped-for future promised by God. 

We pray this Advent that you will return to place of your most intimate encounters with God. We pray that you will remember the home from which you came with joy and thanksgiving. We pray that through our worship together you will get a glimpse of the home for which we all yearn - a home promised by God of hope, love, joy and peace.  And we pray that you will be renewed and strengthened as we continue our journey of faith together as we prepare for the coming of Christ . . .
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)



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