This December will be year Anno Mundi 5,779 by the Jewish calendar. For the rabbinical Hebraic devout, time is marked by Creation of humankind. Christians—Jew and Gentile— mark time by a different calendar. I am not referring to the Gregorian calendar. The Church calendar developed across the centuries so that believers mark time according to the major events in the life of Jesus our Lord. Believers who order their lives by the life of Jesus do so out of love, not obligation. We follow the Church Year because we desire to move through the seasons of our lives by the seasons of Christ’s life. In doing so we are more nearly being enfolded into the life of our resurrected and reigning Savior. In this sense, the Church Year potentially becomes a pathway to a deeper discipleship in Christ.
Advent is the first season of the Church Year, even though it occurs in the final weeks of the Gregorian year. Advent, the first coming of Jesus, and anticipation for His Second Comng, is comprised of the four Sundays (four Lord’s Days) before Christmas. The Church has the annual possibility of diving deeper into the doctrines that deliver us from the bondage of sin. The Incarnation—God Becoming Man by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, without ceasing to be God—is the centerpiece of Advent’s wonder. But Advent offers myriad lessons about faith for living. From the prophecies of the Ancient Church in the Old Testament to the timeless drama of the days when Christ was born.
This Advent we invite you to be a part of Trinity Chapel’s worshipping community. To support your disciplines in this coming season, we are proving an overview of our Advent series of Bible messages. We are also presenting a free, down-loadable Bible reading guide (a lectionary) along with Sunday Scriptural readings. Additionally, we offer a free, streaming original Advent hymn composed by the founding pastor.
Please use these resources to prepare your hearts to be filled with the glory of Jesus: God become flesh.
Advent Daily Bible Readings:
Advent Sermon Series:
An Advent hymn, “When Christ was Born:”