Have you ever had to wait a long time for something really good?

Maybe it was that delicious Christmas lunch slowly cooking in the oven. Or that gift you ordered for your mum that Amazon said would be delivered by 1pm today. Or maybe, like me, you wrote your Christmas list four months in advance – that takes a lot of waiting!

God’s people waited. They waited a very long time. They knew their promised and anointed saviour was coming, but they had to play the waiting game.

We now know that the waiting is over. Jesus, has come. He is Emmanuel, God with us. Hallelujah!

But every year the days of Advent capture a sense of the anticipation and longing that God’s people experienced. The patient expectation of something, or someone, who would arrive to save them from their sins and usher in God’s kingdom. The days of Advent help us to place ourselves back into the story which, through Jesus, has become our story too.

They also help us to remember that although Jesus has come, we do still patiently wait along with all of creation for the day he will return. Advent teaches us that it is worth the wait.

This year we are joining with God’s people around the world to count down the days of Advent. We’ve put together an Advent Calendar — every day in December a short video will be go live on our YouTube channel, social media feeds and Website to prepare our hearts for celebrating Christmas.

Each day there will be carols, prayers and bible readings to enjoy. Why not make it part of your daily routine this December to open the calendar doors and watch the videos.

Join us as we journey through this Advent season reminding ourselves hope dawning on a hopeless people. Peace breaking in to our chaos. Joy lighting up our gloom. God himself being born into our mess in order to save the world he loves.

‘It is the most wonderful message the world has ever heard, or will hear.’ – J.I. Packer (Knowing God, pg.55)

Have a very blessed Advent!

 

Join us for our Christmas Services this year…