Advent 2021: Echoes of a Voice
Advent is the four weeks leading up to Christmas, defined by a longing for the coming of King Jesus. We take time to remember how hundreds of generations of people waited for Jesus’ first coming as a baby, while also observing our own longing for the ultimate return of King Jesus. In both cases, we see that everything is not as it should be, and there is only one person who can set it right—Jesus.
Below is a link to an “Advent Guide” with resources to help prepare you for Christmas as well as the messages for the Advent series that go along with it:
Echoes of a Voice_Advent Guide
SERIES MESSAGES
November 28: Longing for Justice
December 5: Delight in Beauty
December 12: Quest for Spirituality
December 19: Hunger for Relationships
SERIES OVERVIEW
God’s voice is mighty. He speaks with power and authority. He spoke the world into existence.
The world we live in is full of “audible” evidence for God. We hear the indirect echoes of God’s voice as we walk through nature, experience the love of a friend, and play freely. When we hear these echoes, we are reminded of the way God intended things to be. We are also reminded that we want more of that goodness, but our world is broken and sinful. Things are not always good. We hear just the echo of what God has called us to be; the way He intends things to be.
In the season of Advent, we learn to see how God is starting to make things right. At the first advent, when Jesus came as a baby, Jesus set in motion the establishment of God’s Kingdom here on earth. And yet, we still await the second advent: when Jesus will return. On that day, we will no longer hear only the echoes of God’s design, but see Him face to face as His design becomes reality.
IN ADVENT, WE PAY ATTENTION TO OUR LONGINGS AS WE LOOK TO JESUS.
So today when we hear the echoes, we realize that what we really want is to hear directly from God—not just the reflection of His voice in His world. Only He can fulfill the longings we experience because He was the one who first spoke them.
We long for justice and we find that Christ brings us hope.
We hunger for relationships and we find that relationship with Christ brings us peace.
We are on a quest for spirituality and we find that Christ gives us faith.
We delight in beauty and we find that Christ brings us true joy, as He is truly beautiful.