First, I’d like to wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving holiday. As we celebrate this important holiday with our friends and family, I pray that we fill our hearts with love and gratitude for the One who is the Author and Giver of everything we have. In that same spirit of love and thankfulness please remember and pray for those who are in need.
Going forward, this Sunday marks the first Sunday of the four weeks of the Advent season. Advent derives from the Latin adventus, which means “coming.” The season proclaims the comings of the Christ, whose birth we prepare to celebrate once again, who comes continually in Word and Spirit, and whose return in final victory we anticipate at the consummation of history. Each year, Advent calls the community of faith to prepare for these comings. As such, Advent is a story arc that connects the coming of Christ in the “now and then” to his second coming.
At Chapel Hill, we are a community of people who gather to worship God, to be in fellowship with one another, and to be agents to transform our world little by little. Our preparation for his coming begins today. We know our place is not “to sit on the fence” but to be the hands and feet of Christ in loving service to others and in witnessing his presence through all the imperfections, chaos, and all the ups and downs of this world. This is no small task and certainly not easy but we know that we will not do this alone; but what we can do and must do, we rely on Jesus’ power and we draw our strength from him.
I am very thankful to God for our community at Chapel Hill. I praise God and I thank you for your love for the church, your faithfulness in nurturing one another, and your zeal for service to the community. With my eyes toward the need for Jesus in this world, I pray that God continues to strengthen our faith community to proclaim his name, to bear witness to his love and mercy, and to stand in solidarity with those in need.
See you on Sunday.
~ Mai
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