Every year as the season of Advent and World Missions Emphasis collide in our church, I am reminded of how they are very much alike.
Every time we gather for corporate worship we remember and rehearse "His-story" of God's invading history in His Son, Jesus Christ - incarnate, crucified, dead, risen, ascended, and coming again. Our worship is always centered around Jesus. Our worship constantly remembers and rehearses what He did because He came into our world, He comes into our lives at our invitation, and He will come again. Hallelujah! The light for which we wait in Advent is the light that dispels the darkness at Easter. Our lives are shaped by Advent hope. Christ has come and His coming prepares us for His coming again. Our redemption draweth nigh! This feeds the sense of celebration in our worship year round as we proclaim - He came! He comes! He will come again! Advent means "coming."
And, when we give more than $500,000.00 to World Missions this coming Sunday we will, in a very real sense, be proclaiming to hundreds of thousands of people around the world, "We are sending the good news to you...an advent...a coming. Hear ye! Hear ye! The Savior is coming to you!" mjm
A Melody from Michael J. . . . a Personal and Worship Blog
