The Gift of Hope

Our Christmas series this year is going to look at Advent and the longing it is supposed to present. Children start looking forward to Christmas pretty much the day after Halloween, and stores don't help us in this, promoting Christmas at the same time. While November 1 may be too early, Christians have long affirmed that a season of preparation and expecting leading up to Christmas is a good thing. But not the type of longing created by the materialistic hype starting with Black Friday. Rather, we are encouraged to view Christmas through the lens of Advent, a season of expectation based on the promise of Christ given to the Old Testament people through the prophets. This morning we begin our series looking at the major themes of hope, love, joy, peace, and grace represented by the Advent candles.