Advent is the time of the year beginning with the fourth Sunday before Christmas where we pause, and mindfully prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The lighting of the Advent wreath candles are successively lit each Sunday before Christmas. The fifth candle in the center, the Christ candle, is lit on Christmas Eve signifying Jesus Christ – The Light of the World. The busy Christmas season often finds us in a flurry of activity, occupying what little time we have. The celebration of Advent allows us to step away from the hectic activity and remember the real reason for the season, the birth of Jesus. The theme for this devotional and our church's worship and faith formation this Advent season is "Ordinary, Called to be Extraordinary." Each week in Advent will focus on one or more ordinary people God called to fulfill a specific role related to God's gift of Jesus Christ. You are invited to click on a specific week listed above to learn more about those ordinary people, the extraordinary things they did, and consider how God is calling you from the ordinary to the extraordinary. May this Advent season be for you and your family a time of reflection, sharing, growth and joy as we prepare for the coming of Emmanuel, God with us. |