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Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany

A Season of Light and Hope

Advent, the beginning of the church year, starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. It is a time of preparation, anticipation, and hope. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the "Light of the World." Epiphany on January 6, also called "Three Kings Day," is the climax of the Christmas season for Protestants.

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Orthodox Christmas in Lalibela, Ethiopia

Audio Slideshow on bbc.com
Photographer Karoki Lewis recorded the the all night ceremony at Bet Maryam (Church of the Virgin Mary) in Lalibela, Ethiopia, as they celebrated Orthodox Christmas in early January. Orthodox Christmas in Lalibela, Ethiopia

 

On-Line Resources for the Season of Advent

The Text This Week
A wealth of links to resources, including sermons, worship planning, art, and articles.

 

The Moravian Star is a common Christian symbol in many parts of Europe.Hope, Watch: A Meditation For a New Year

by Elliott Wright
12/29/08: We watch prayerfully for strength and opportunities to live out God's mission as 2008 turns into 2009.
 

Peace on Earth.The Christmas Hope for Peace

Seeking "justice, freedom, and peace" is one of the four goals of United Methodist mission and the focus of this year's Christmas Message from Global Ministries.
 

Gabriel tells Mary she will have God's child in this well-known painting.A Chosen Vessel: Advent Reflection on God's Call

Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 21,
2008by Sherlette Lee
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:47-55; Romans 16: 25-27; Luke 1:26-38 Of the women in the Bible, Mary captures my imagination. I find something very special about her for having been the woman who brought Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, into the physical world. I often wonder what it was like to be the mother of Jesus. The mother of the most High God!

 

Fourth Sunday of Advent: Remembering the Least of These

by Linda Douglas Smith
Women's Division, Global Ministries: December 21, 2008
Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46
When the Son of God comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by God, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me."

 

God Sang: A Christmas Meditation from Latin America

by Eunice Arias
On November 15, 2008, God sang in Costa Rica. God sang because more than 40 women from 11 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean were loudly rejoicing for what they've learned, shared and lived during a most amazing week together at the Universidad Bíblica Latinoamericana (Latin America Biblical University), an ecumenical institution.

 

Remember Where Our Hope Truly Lies: Advent Reflection on Mark 13 First Sunday of Advent, November 30, 2008

by Andrew Payne
Scriptures: Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80: 1-7, 17-19; I Corinthians 1: 3-9; Mark 13:24-37
As I am writing this, I am watching a news broadcast about the failing economy. Worries about banks failing, war, and environmental collapse seem to bubble up in many of my conversations. With such chaos around me, I have found it difficult to know how to hope, and in what to place my hope.

 

Road Construction Ahead: Advent Reflection on Mission Work in Africa

Second Sunday of Advent, December 7, 2008
by Paul L. Webster
Scriptures: Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85: 1-2, 8-13; II Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1: 1-8
In Zambia, as in much of Africa, we are constantly dealing with simply getting from point A to point B. More than once, I have had our project's Toyota Land Cruiser break through a bridge deck and nearly roll over into a river. Our project workers and I have spent hours unloading cargo and hand carrying them up hills too slippery and rough to ascend with a loaded vehicle. Of course, most Africans don't even have motor vehicles and consider themselves lucky to have a bicycle.

 

Mary's Cradle: Advent Reflection on Ministry in Appalachia

Third Sunday of Advent, December 14, 2008
by Kathleen Masters
Scriptures: Isaiah 64: 1-4, 8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24; John 1: 6-8, 19-28; Psalm 126: 4-6
The phone call from the physical therapist came hours before we were scheduled to open. She wanted to refer a grandmother who was caring for three special-needs grandsons under the age of four. Before I could finish with the case worker, my other line rang and it was the grandmother, searching for shoes and blankets for "her boys."

 

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