The Cast of Christmas
Celebrating Advent 2020
Magi: Worship & Adoration
December 20, 2020 • Eli Thomas
The gift of Christ at Christmas is a treasure of enormous wealth, but in the midst of all the activity of the holiday season it is easy to lose sight of the reason for our celebrations. This week the members of our cast include the teachers of the law, King Herod, and the Magi who traveled from the East. Of these, only one had the proper response to the amazing gift that God gave that special night. Are our traditions reflections of Jesus, or do they become the primary focus of the holiday?
Shepherds: Hope & Joy
December 13, 2020 • Eli Thomas
Christmas is often seen as the season of joy but if we stop for a minute and take a look at our lives can we truly say that we are joyful people? Sure we have moments or periods of happiness, but do we live each day with a joy that defies our circumstances and sustains us through the difficult times as well as the good ones? In the Gospel of Luke the angels come to the shepherds and declare to them "good news of great joy." This good news, the news of the birth of Jesus would be news that doesn't bring transient happiness but a joy that surpasses all understanding. Through Christ we have joy that truly endures.
Angels: Proclamation
December 6, 2020 • Eli Thomas
On the night of Jesus' birth, angels appear to shepherds in the fields proclaiming peace for all mankind. This peace heralded by the heavenly hosts is a peace unlike anything we have ever experienced. It is the peace granted to a broken world by a loving God through his only Son. Jesus brings peace that is only found in reconciliation with God. You are never too broken to be made part of the family!
PROPHETS: Preparation and Expectation
November 29, 2020 • Eli Thomas
We are all used to the traditional Christmas pageant- Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms, shepherds, wise men, little kids dressed as barnyard animals. But the cast of Christmas is much greater than one night. It begins in the Garden of Eden and runs throughout history intersecting with our lives in the here and now. In our first week we discover the promise of Jesus. What does it mean to expect, anticipate and prepare. For thousands of years the prophets foretold his coming and the people waited. Expectation is a big part of Christmas, and even though Christ is born, we still wait and prepare because he has promised to come back.