Making Space Through Rest

“Let every heart prepare him room!” As we draw near to the Feast of the Incarnation, the songs we sing in this season stir up our longing to experience the peaceful presence of God-with-us. This Advent, we will be exploring four ancient practices which help us awaken to the Divine, who is pleased to dwell among us. By reconsidering rest, prayer, fasting and forgiveness, this series aims to hold up wise ways of making space for Christ in the goodness of our ordinary days.

You can also download our Advent Devotional, which connects to this sermon series and to our kids’ Sunday programs.

Longing for Freedom

The season of Advent is filled with longing. We long for rest; we long for special times with loved ones; we long for the re-enactment of traditions; we long. Isaiah’s prophecies about the nature and work of messiah ache with longing. Isaiah longs for a messiah who enacts justice, sets people free, and creates a new humanity out of the old. During this season of Advent, our sermon series will encourage this ancient longing by pondering prophetic poems about messiah, which will warm our hearts with hope and prepare us to sing, once again, “Merry Christmas!”

Longing for Justice

The season of Advent is filled with longing. We long for rest; we long for special times with loved ones; we long for the re-enactment of traditions; we long. Isaiah’s prophecies about the nature and work of messiah ache with longing. Isaiah longs for a messiah who enacts justice, sets people free, and creates a new humanity out of the old. During this season of Advent, our sermon series will encourage this ancient longing by pondering prophetic poems about messiah, which will warm our hearts with hope and prepare us to sing, once again, “Merry Christmas!”

Apocalyptic Kingdoms

The Church intentionally established the seasons of Advent and Christmas during the darkest time of the year. It is during this dark period that our hearts especially long for warmth and light. Biblical apocalypse is a kind of light that shines into the darkness to warm our hearts. It is a light that illuminates difference; it is a light that calls us forward into the very heart of Divinity. This sermon series therefore intends to ponder a few of the apocalyptic writings in Revelation that distinguish kings, kingdoms, endings, and ultimately, nativities. It is our sincere hope that this series is an advent of light that warms our hearts and prepares us to sing once again, “Merry Christmas!”

Apocalyptic Kings

The Church intentionally established the seasons of Advent and Christmas during the darkest time of the year. It is during this dark period that our hearts especially long for warmth and light. Biblical apocalypse is a kind of light that shines into the darkness to warm our hearts. It is a light that illuminates difference; it is a light that calls us forward into the very heart of Divinity. This sermon series therefore intends to ponder a few of the apocalyptic writings in Revelation that distinguish kings, kingdoms, endings, and ultimately, nativities. It is our sincere hope that this series is an advent of light that warms our hearts and prepares us to sing once again, “Merry Christmas!”