Keeping Awake for the Coming of Christ

Welcome to Advent!  This is the first Sunday of a new church year, and we are in the season of hope and expectation.  Advent is the season in which we wait not only for the Christ child to come at Bethlehem, but also for the second coming of Christ at the end of all the ages.  We are free to be present for each other and the world, because our future is secured in God's love.

Christ Lutheran Is Talking!

If you attended the discernment small group kick-off this past Sunday, November 13, you know that it was a great success! Members of the congregation gathered around tables, over a delicious meal, to talk about who we are as the people of Christ Lutheran. Stories were told, moments were remembered, and we considered what makes us unique.

I want to share with everyone the wonderful thoughts you all have about our church.  What follows is verbatim from the responses recorded on the group sheets.  Duplicate responses from the groups have been preserved.  

I cannot say how thankful I am for the faithful reflections you all are having. I was so excited to see several times that we know we're saved by God's grace! God is indeed present in Christ Lutheran's transition, and God will show us the way. As you can see, there are a variety of perspectives in the congregation. Let's keep talking and digging deeper!

I'm looking forward to Session Two, “Why Are We Here?,” on Sunday, December 11 (after worship).

Our untamed God

In the time of Zephaniah, over 600 years before Jesus was born, many in Israel lamented that God was no longer active in their lives, saying "the LORD will not do good, nor will he do harm."  This is often not unlike our situation today.  Sometimes it seems that we no longer believe God is active in the world.  But our God is bold and has the audacity to have become human in Jesus Christ.  God is with us now, leading us forward to be his people without fear.

All the blessed saints of God

Today is All Saints Day - it's your festival day!  This is the day for all the saints, that is, it's the day for all of you, when we remember God's promise to each of us that we will be with him eternally.

You Tube Extra: Gone

So, for the second bonus video this week, I direct you once again to the band Switchfoot.  Now, I'm not saying this is the best band in the world by posting them twice, but they make some interesting points in this song.  We are not infinite, and neither are the things we consume.  Listen to the song and read along with the lyrics below.  Where is your treasure, or in different words, what is the focus of your life?