Skip to main content

Advent Worship, Intentionally, Purposefully

In this second week of Advent we celebrate FAITH in his Coming. Our faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence which is not seen” (Heb. 11:1), and “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6). As we light the first and second candle, we prayerfully ask for faith to see Christ again. When we look at the first Advent story, we see ordinary humans who are surprised by God and have to deal with their own questions and unbelief…just like we do.


Read: Psalm 100:1-5 (NIV)
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Today, hopefully for all of us, we celebrate Advent in worship with our community of faith. Today and tomorrow I want us to think a bit about Advent for others around us. Today, is short in it’s meditation.

Each day of Advent is an opportunity to turn my heart towards God in worship by focusing on the real reason we celebrate Christmas. This is the 2nd Sunday in Advent and it takes our Advent journey away from our own private (or perhaps if you’re doing this with a spouse/family) time of worship and brings it back to our worship in community. Along with many others we “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.”

I want to do that intentionally, purposefully, and excitedly…because He has made me, and those I worship with, for Himself and together as a faith community we declare His worth (worth-ship).

A Prayer of Praise and a Song:

“O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Today as you go to worship pray for God’s joy to flood over your own soul, but also to the many other souls around you.

A Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I ask that my worship with others this day be a genuine expression of my heart filled with your name and your joy.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hands Full of Parcels

"A Man whose hands are full of parcels can't receive a gift."   - C. S. Lewis Romans 4:13-16 (ESV) 13  For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14  For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15  For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. 16  That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all... The last four days have been best described by the word "fatigue".  It's not an uncommon word in our vocabulary.  Listless, tired, sore.  1300 miles of car travel, being sick, not sleeping well, and eating poorly all add up to the word - fatigue.   Someone onc...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Tabernacle

The readings today are Exodus 36, 37, 38 I wanted to post some pictures of what these various parts of the Tabernacle looked like. It's not the easiest read in the world, but if you persevere through it, you can get a picture of all the different pieces that made up the tabernacle. It is a replica of the various parts of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness: First thing in the chapter listed is the outside of the tabernacle which consisted of curtains tied together and put on cross bars through loops. Next at the beginning of 37 is the table and lampstand: Also, the altar of incense: And, the altar for the burnt offering which was in the courtyard: Finally, the courtyard which made it all come together: Hope that helps with what it might have all looked like. Most importantly, this was their "place" of worship they were building. I hope you have a great day of worship. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
1 comment
Read more

The difference between defending and explaining

The news of recent has focused the suffering of Christians in the middle east who have been martyred for their faith in Christ at the hands of Islamic Terrorists. Through the centuries many Christians have lost their lives as a result of their faith. For us, who live in America, there is little chance that we would have this happen here - but it's entirely possibly that terrorism will strike out at Christians sometime.  But, for many Christians in the western world - especially here in the U.S. - being a Christians who believes God's word there is a form of persecution that is defined by words like "ostracized", "passed over", "ridiculed", and more. What do we do in the face of opposition to faith? When the Apostle Peter writes to the early believers who are undergoing great pressure, even persecution for their faith in Jesus, he gives them this charge. 1 Peter 3:8-18 8  Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly lov...
1 comment
Read more