Christmas is only twenty-four days away! That means we are in the season of Advent. A time of preparation and waiting for the birth of Jesus. There is certainly a lot of preparation going on! As Christmas approaches, we are busy buying and wrapping presents, decorating our homes, baking special treats, sending Christmas cards, and participating in special holiday programs and gatherings. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get so caught in preparing for the celebration of Christmas day, I forget about preparing my heart. I believe that’s what Advent is all about. It’s sometimes been described as a “mini-Lent.” A time for introspection and thought as we prepare for the big event.

This year here at Peace I’ve tried to make it easy for us to prepare our hearts. This year I took the hymn “He Came Down” and wrote a very simple liturgy focusing on four things: love, hope, peace, and joy. Each week in advent we will focus on those topics as a theme for the week. Last Sunday we heard about love. But not just any love… the amazing love of God that sent Jesus down to earth to save us. Not only that, but when he came, he brought the example of a love so different, the world couldn’t help but notice. As followers of Jesus, we too have access to that great love. Not only for ourselves, but to share with others.

We noted that our world seems so void of love right now. All we hear about on the news is violence, intolerance, war, and hatred. Jesus came to establish a kingdom built on love instead. So, as we finish this first week in Advent, let’s find ways to share that love with those around us.

See you Sunday!