Our Advent theme this year is “A Savior Made Known.” On this third Sunday in Advent we celebrate through Zechariah’s song (the Benedictus) that God has sent his messenger, John, to prepare the way of the Lord. Zechariah proclaims that God is making his covenant promises through the ages come true in “the rising sun,” Jesus. May we join in Zechariah’s praise: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.”
Our Advent theme this year is “A Savior Made Known.” On this second Sunday in Advent we celebrate through Mary’s song (her Magnificat) the kind of king that is coming in Jesus: humble and merciful, performing great deeds and taking up the cause of the oppressed. Mary’s song brings together many of the themes in the Psalms and the Prophets to celebrate that God always does what he says. As we reflect on our Messiah, may our souls magnify the Lord along with Mary.
Our Advent theme this year is “A Savior Made Known.” On this first Sunday in Advent we celebrate the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah. The long-awaited promised King from David’s line was coming! God was sending his promised Savior, and more than that, he would be called the Son of God. “For no word from God will ever fail!” May our hearts be filled with awe, joy, and hope as we celebrate Gabriel’s announcement coming true in our lives in real time.
The end of the Lord’s Prayer is not a request; it is a statement – a recognition that the kingdom, the power, and the glory are God’s forever. Those are not mere words, however, nor are they separate from our lives today. In Ephesians 1, the Apostle Paul ties the kingdom, the power, and the glory to the ascended Christ, and then he brings it right back into the church. May our lives reflect and embody God’s kingdom, his power, and his glory forever. To God be the glory.
Prayer is an act of drawing near to God, but there are times when we feel like God isn’t returning the action. We may be praying boldly, faithfully, persistently and rightly, but there is no perceptible answer. These times can rock us with doubt or even guilt. Is God listening? Does God care? Is this somehow my fault? There is no easy answer to difficult times, but we can be certain that God indeed hears and cares. When God’s plans are not our plans and God’s timing is not our timing, God calls us to trust.