Advent at Springton Lake 2022

The true meaning of Christmas is too awesome and unforgettable to be celebrated on just one day.  After all, the entire storyline of the Bible builds to that moment in human history when God became a man!  This is the most important birth in the history of the world.  It’s God’s in-person rescue of his chosen people from sin, suffering the devil and death.

To appreciate the true meaning of this incarnation - early church leaders set aside four weeks for their congregations to contemplate what the birth of Jesus meant to their soul.  They called it Advent, the Latin word for the coming – a season to prepare their hearts to commemorate the coming of the Messiah.

Our Advent theme this year is - Christmas According to Luke.  Luke is the only New Testament writer who was not Jewish.  He wrote his Gospel as a letter to his friend Theophilus - a high ranking official in the Roman government, whose name means “lover of God.”  Also, as a traveling companion and physician for the Apostle Paul, Luke kept a careful record of early church growth in the Acts of the Apostles – which like his Gospel, was a letter to his Roman friend.  Oh, to have such a friend!  Listen to the reason Luke gives for writing his first letter:

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” Luke 1:1-4

We all need certainty – especially today!  Therefore, during the four weeks of Advent and on Christmas Day we will ‘unwrap’ five ‘gifts’ as recorded by Luke –

• November 27 – The Prophecy in Luke 1:5-25
• December 4 – The Promise in Luke 1:26-38
• December 11 – The Praise in Luke 1:46-56
• December 18 – The Proclamation in Luke 2:1-20
• December 25 – The Presentation in Luke 2:21-35

And of course, during Advent we sing our favorite carols!  Every Sunday we will sing songs that call us back to contemplate what the angel told the shepherds in Luke’s Christmas Story –

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”- Luke 2:10-12