What’s In a Word
December 4, 2016There comes a time in each holiday season that we begin to dread the end of the festivities. A realization that our “holiday spirit” will have to be put away for another year along with the Thanksgiving China and the Christmas Tree. This usually happens after the turkey haze from Thanksgiving wears off. For some, it results in a resolution to fully embrace the Christmas season. Take a minute this week and enjoy this time of year. Sing the Christmas songs you hear on the radio and marvel at the smell of a Christmas tree. This season will be gone before we know it.
We begin a new sermon series here at Hillcrest this week with a nod to the season. Our series is titled “Advent” and the goal is to consider several expectations of the Baby King whose birth we celebrate. This entrance into the world had been planned (1 Peter 1:20) and prophesied about (Isaiah 7:14) for years before the birth. It is safe to say there was great expectation surrounding this child who would reconcile man and God. The dramatic birth announcement (Luke 2:8-20) foreshadowed the magnitude of this event. My hope and prayer is that our series this December will encourage your heart as we press on for the King.
The word “Advent” has a Latin base and focuses on an arrival. When we consider Advent, we are focusing on the Arrival of the Christ Child. I am sure a lot of us would concede that the “Christmas Season” we observe in 2016 has become a commercialized entity with little thought for the Baby Who made it possible. That doesn’t mean we can’t get excited for finding the right gift or the perfect card. It does mean we should keep our focus right. Instead of considering what’s in a word like Advent, make sure you consider Who’s in the manger. When you do, you’ll never regret it.
Pastor Dave
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