Dear Folks,
Christians for many centuries have set themselves apart as followers of a resurrected Jesus; a people of prayer, worship, community and ministers to a hungry world.
Christians have set themselves apart in radical ways as we testify by word and living the power of the Holy Spirit in our midst and through us in our world.
In the history of our faith we have had the most emphatic, explosive and dramatic influence in our worlds’ understanding of time. We believe, as a resurrection people, that a true understanding of time is eternal. We are born into a life that does not end at death but, as Christians, is a continuum into eternal life in Christ.
All this is to say that as Christians we so reject the world’s understanding of time that we have our own New Years’ day. It is not January 1. It begins every year as the first Sunday in the season of preparation of Christ’s birth; November 29 this year.
We have often talked about why it is important to follow the calendar that liturgical churches follow. It is not that we want to be like them; that would be folly given the struggles those churches are experiencing. However, over 21 million Canadians use the language of the church year. In order to reach out to those who language from birth is the language of Advent and Lent, we must learn and use that language. We are not trying to be Anglicans or Lutherans but in the message of Jesus at His birth and incarnation, the Lord demands we “inconvenience” ourselves to learn the faith language of Canadian culture. Starting our year at Advent is missiological; it embraces believers who are looking for a renewed love and says to the culture, Jesus starts the year; the retail sector doesn’t dominate our world, the birth of Jesus does.
We have provided this week the following dates and scriptures so that each Sunday you might experience a personal preparation during this Advent and that if possible you might share them with the church communities you are part of. As well, here are some links that might help you and yours along that journey.
Warmly,
In Christ,
Jeremy
November 28: Isaiah 2:1-5;
December 5: Isaiah 11:1-10
December 12: Isaiah 35:1-10
December 19: Isaiah 7:10-16
William Carey Institute: Advent devotional: http://www.carey-edu.ca/institute/seminars_and_events/hope_is_coming_an_online_advent_devotional_series
The Revised Common Lectionary: (http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/).