You are the light of the world. But is the light of Christ shining fully into your life and your relationships? Make peace happen this Christmas. Listen to Pastor David’s sermon, from the last Sunday of Advent, on Matthew 5:14-16.
What to Expect This Sunday, December 20
Peace: it’s something that most people hope to experience, but the lack of peace in our lives and in our world is never far from our attention.
On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we will light the fourth Advent candle to represent the peace that Jesus brings into the world. Together, the four candles represent love, hope, joy, and peace – four things that are desperately needed in all places and at all times.
Here is a preview of this Sunday’s order of service, along with what each portion represents:
A Radical Christmas
John Rutter is one of the most famous composers of choral music in the 20th century. He is known as the founder and director of the Cambridge Singers, and his compositions and arrangements are widely known and sung throughout the world and especially here in the United States.
I recently became aware of a Christmas carol written by Rutter in 1990. The carol is entitled “Christmas Lullaby,” and Tara and I have the opportunity to sing it with a chamber choir this coming weekend. The lyrics to this carol are particularly meaningful to me this year, so I’d like to share them with you here. Continue reading
Following the Light
The Wise Men followed a star and visited Jesus in Bethlehem. What if this well-known story is not about sentimental nativity scenes? What if it’s about political and personal revolution? What if it’s about seeking God’s kingdom rather than the influence of politics and money in our lives? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on Matthew 2:1-12.
What to Expect This Sunday, December 13
Our worship services are planned carefully and thoughtfully. I (Pastor David) take a couple of hours each Monday morning to plan the next Sunday’s worship service. Each week I have a theme or an idea in mind, and my hope is that the theme or idea is conveyed and experienced by everyone in the worship service. But I am realizing that may not always be the case.
So each week I hope to give you a little description of the structure of our upcoming worship service, in order that you might have an idea of what to expect and how to prepare yourself spiritually for our weekly encounter with the ever-living God. Continue reading
Celebrating the Light
Angels proclaimed the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. Or…did they? What were the angels really celebrating when they sang “gloria in excelsis deo”? And how are we like the shepherds? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on Luke 2:8-20.
December Youth Update
Merry Christmas! It’s a wonderful season for the church as we celebrate the most important moment in human history. It’s a time to be with family and friends to celebrate the virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is moment where a miracle became a reality and we learned that nothing is impossible with God. It’s a story of the eternal promises of life, Jesus becoming a man with the ultimate sacrifice of death to pay for our sins through His resurrection, the fulfillment of prophecy and becoming our Messiah, our Savior, our hope in a hopeless world. The reason we celebrate Christmas, the miracle that changed the world. It’s for me, for you, for us, and the world. May your Christmas season be joyful! Continue reading
Peace on Earth?
Christmas Eve 2014 was the 100th anniversary of the spontaneous ceasefire along the Western Front at the beginning of World War I. That night was, unexpectedly, a “silent night.” How do we reconcile a violent world with the angels’ proclamation of “peace on earth” at Jesus’s birth? Listen in to Pastor David’s message:
Jesus’s World: The Outsider
What does the surprising prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-7 have to do with the world into which Jesus was born? And how should it affect our lives? Listen in to this sermon by Pastor David – and give thanks that God has invited us into his kingdom.
Jesus’s World: The Oppression
Rich/poor. Strong/weak. Male/female. White/black. We use words to divide people into “good” and “bad” categories. But Jesus came to eliminate all forms of oppression, as prophesied in Isaiah 61. Listen in to Pastor David’s sermon on how the work of Jesus can influence our lives today.