Worship – How Can This Be?

It is the first Sunday of Advent and our Advent worship this year will be steeped in the marvelous notion of wonder— the wonder of Christmas, and more particularly this week, the wondrous beauty of experiencing divine Hope. Each Sunday of Advent, we will ask a crucial question: how is it that God is not merely mindful of us but so loved the world that He promised our redemption, then gave His only begotten Son to save us? This week, we explored the questions of Christmas, comparing the dispositions of and questions asked by two memorable Gospel characters, Zechariah and Mary. On this first Sunday of Advent, our Sanctuary Choir opened the service by singing a setting of Isaiah 40, “Comfort, comfort, now my people,” echoing John the Baptist’s prophecy. We will also celebrated the baptism of Torri Richardson and sang Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, How Far Is It to Bethlehem, and Child in the Manger, all while lighting our first candle of Hope.