ADVENT 2022
ADVENT WEEK ONE
Sermon: Psalm 122 – Pack Your Bags
Music: PSALM 122
Podcast: Fasting and Hope
Worship Music
ADVENT WEEK TWO
Advent Week 2 Psalm 72 – Jesus is King
PODCAST: Making Friends with the Psalms
The Seventy-Second Psalm
A Psalm for Solomon.
By Laurence Wieder
Give this child judgment, and more children
So that he, and they, can govern
One another, face-to-face, like Moses talking
To the well-spring wished
That all the offspring might be prophets.
That mountain shadow
Lengthened in the wilderness. It touched
Our cities, made the far
Ends of the earth, lands beyond the sea
Remember what life might be
Like, if wanting didn’t make us bow to idols,
Power, money, safety, famous
For a time, then ground and scattered by a wind.
If not this one, let someone
Come and lead us to ourselves. We lift our hand
To fend the needless blow,
Will feed the needy then. We show the blossom,
Trunk, limb, fruit, sow
Grain, and knead the bread. We think the sunlight
Gold on the west wall
Is afternoon. Let us know more than can be said.
ADVENT WEEK THREE
SERMON: THE LAMENT OF CHRISTMAS
WORSHIP SONG: NEW FOUND HOPE
HEALING THE CITY PODCAST: LAMENT AND JOY
ADVENT WEEK FOUR
SERMON: HALLELUJAH
NOTE FROM PASTOR MARK
Psalm 24
1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
As I sit here and rock my daughter, I am reminded again of the wonder of God’s creation. This world, even in the brokenness of sin, still reveals a beautiful, creative, and powerful God. One who would not sit idly by and watch his children be wholly destroyed by their own foolishness. One who, from the beginning, from the foundation of the earth, planned our return into his presence. I look forward to the beauty of the “new heaven and new earth” in Revelation 21, brought forth upon Christ’s return, which we look forward to this and every advent.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.
5 They will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God their Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.
How can we return to his presence though? To walk into the holy place is the privilege of the one with clean hands and a pure heart, yet we walk in sin, with hands full of violence and hearts marred by anger and hate. How may we receive this blessing from Yahweh, or be vindicated if we are not worthy of vindication? It is by God’s enduring love, through the work of Christ that we are given what we do not deserve, abundant grace poured out on us. As it says in Hebrews 4 “15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” We may ascend the mountain and receive the blessing because Christ went before us.
7 Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
My baby daughter again comes to mind here. The child born to Mary, whose coming we celebrate on Christmas, arrived much like my daughter. He was a tender baby, fed, rocked, cuddled, and loved by his parents. The weakness and humility demonstrated by Yahweh Almighty must not be lost on us. As we prepare our hearts to receive Christ, we must hold these two things together: the meek and intimate blessing of the babe and the might and glory of the King. He is the King of glory, the one promised by God, the one who was there at the beginning and will be there at the end, Jesus, the bringer of salvation and grace. Receive Him this Christmas.