Sunday Service | Advent, week 4: December 20, 2020
The 4th and final Sunday of Advent before Christmas, and this week’s theme and focus is on love.
Brian shares about this theme from his home as he continues to recover from Covid-19.
Advent is a coming of love.
Love is something for us to embrace and uphold, but it doesn’t come easily and it is not always tangible. It’s a bit like a vapor, something that is hard for us to hold onto, much like God himself is like.
Love is something to be experienced, practiced, received, and given. It’s a powerful message that we get to embrace. The fact that it involves our investigation, our engagement, and even our work--is frustrating. But it is exactly what God chose to do in Jesus.
The nature of love is participation; it’s not just one way, it’s experiential. Christ came to love the world, not to condemn it. He came to reveal the love of the Father. In Advent, Christ is inviting us to experience God’s love--a love that is trustworthy and faithful and good.
We can all participate in this life of love.
All year, there has been a lot of forced stillness in our lives. And through it all, God has been pursuing us with his love. The story of Advent is the story of us, remembering Christ coming in love.
Brian’s great uncle wrote a letter to his family on Christmas Eve, 1944:
Even in the midst of war, his uncle focused and reflected on Christ being born.
Let’s also reflect and be willing to participate just like Christ did as he came and built a foundation of love into culture and people alike.
Two passages give us reminders in this season:
Galatians 6.9-10
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Luke 2.25-32
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
Persevere; do not give up. Remember that love is trustworthy, faithful, and who we are made to be. Don’t be discouraged when it doesn’t come easily. Jesus came and started the story of love that continues with us; it is our calling as people of the resurrection.
May we not be discouraged by the hard, but continue to push forward and choose love, choose the way of Christ. Continue to love and to embrace his Kingdom here on earth, as it is in heaven.
Amen.