Advent begins with anticipation—a season where we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. This year, as we light the candles and sing familiar carols, we’ll take a closer look at the people whose lives intersected with God’s extraordinary story. These were ordinary people, much like us, who found themselves swept into a narrative far greater than they could have imagined.
Zechariah and Elizabeth lived with quiet faithfulness in a time of silence from God. Mary, a young woman of humble means, was asked to carry the weight of the world in her womb. Shepherds, tending their flocks, were startled by angels proclaiming news of great joy. Simeon and Anna, steadfast in hope, waited patiently to see God’s promise fulfilled. None of them were famous, powerful, or influential by the world’s standards. Yet God chose each of them to be part of the story that changed everything.
This is the wonder of Advent: God meets us where we are and transforms the ordinary into the sacred. Just as God’s presence entered their lives in unexpected ways, we are invited to open ourselves to how God might be working through us today.
I hope you’ll find time in the busy-ness of this month to join us Sundays, whether for morning worship, Advent Vespers, or hopefully, both. As we begin this journey together, reflect on where God might be calling you to listen, trust, or act. Like those in Luke’s gospel, we may feel unqualified or insignificant, but God’s extraordinary story is always unfolding—and it includes you.
May you find hope in God’s story today. -Pastor Peter
Let’s pray… God of hope, prepare our hearts to hear your story anew. Open our eyes to your presence in our lives, and remind us that even in our ordinariness, you are doing extraordinary things. Amen.