Message: “The Gift Amid the Pain”
Rev K. Anna Shin preaching
Theme: The consumer focused marketing and 19th century Victorian Christmas traditions have replaced the biblical meaning of God-with-us.
The first Christmas was not like the images that we see in the Christmas cards. It was pretty messy, and life today is pretty messy.
The real meaning of the first Christmas is that God shows up in the middle of the mess to bring us a message of hope. God shows up and speaks to us in the midst of pain and suffering.
Prayer: God of Glory, we rejoice in the good news of your promises.
Come into our parched world and shower us with your gushing,
abundant water of life.
Enter into our brokenness and renew us with the strength of your love. Be born anew in our hearts and in our world.
Come, Jesus; come. We are ready! Amen.
Scripture: Luke 1: 34-38
This is the third Sunday of Advent We await the coming of the birth of Jesus Christ who came to us as a baby in a lowly stable.
This Advent season, Pastor Anna Shin will preach a series of sermons entitled “Christmas is Not Your Birthday.” Throughout this month we hope to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas-a time not spent rushing from store to store but a time spent welcoming Christ into our hearts. Through this focus on giving and living like Jesus, we wish to “experience “the peace of knowing that God is truly with us, the joy of giving sacrificially, and the love of a Savior who gave everything he had for us.”