ANTICIPATION

HOPE

First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2016

Today we light one purple candle.

Rev. Dr. Ed Zeiders, Senior Pastor [Primary Preacher] of Grace United Methodist

at Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church

ADVENT CELEBRATION

*Living Anticipation

WHAT IS ADVENT?

Advent is the season when we prepare ourselves to receive God's gift of Jesus.

It is a time of "getting ready" for the celebrations of waiting and hoping the birth of Jesus.

Bible Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5 [The Mountain of the Lord]

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established

as the highest of the mountains;

it will be exalted above the hills,

and all nations will stream to it.

Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the temple of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us his ways,

so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion,

the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He will judge between the nations

and will settle disputes for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for war anymore.

Come, descendants of Jacob,

let us walk in the light of the Lord.

REFLECTION

How do we help others know that God gives hope?

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”

“Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

Scripture offers us the hope of God's kingdom where there is peace. God continue to unfold of his promise of future blessings. While we wait, we live in anticipation of joy and despair. The reality of humanity is sinfulness and human suffering. Through our human suffering leads to human experience. We are spiritual being having human experience.

We are God’s creation. We belong to God. We are the product of God’s creation. And as we come to God for repentance, asking for God's forgiveness of our sin. We will see the glory of God, as we experience and witness the fullness of God's love.

*God will teach us his way and to walk in the light.

*God wants us to forsake the darkness and turn back our sinfulness.

*God wants us to listen to instruction even though we live in the world of despair, anxieties, regrets or fear, we should not wait for him to act before we begin to obey him.

We should walk in his light now.

Though our eternal reward awaits us, we already can enjoy many benefits of obedience now as we apply God’s Word in our lives.

God promises comfort, deliverance and restoration in his future kingdom. God make a covenant with his people and will never break it.

We must continue to be God’s faithful people. God’s faithfulness gives us hope for the future.

Let us all celebrate the fullness of God’s presence as we go and come face to face in the highest mountain, the divine sacred place of the Lord. As we experience and encounter the fullness of God, we also experience the fullness of spirituality. We will learn to study, to yield, and to know the sovereignty of God. We are bearers . . . the wisdom of God.

---The light of God.

While we wait upon the Lord, let us rejoice as we live in anticipation this advent season. --- Season of Hope

PRAYER

Dear Almighty God,

Thank you!

Thank you for the blessing and answered prayers.

And thank you for the words of the Prophet Isaiah as You reminds us that You are the source of our hope. Help us to remember and to walk in the light of the Lord.

Amen.

We hope that everyone will come to know God and to worship God.

~ Enjoy The Season ~