Advent 2016 - The Season of Hope

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Advent Week 1 - Hope
This week we light the first candle in the Advent wreath.
“We light this candle in hope, the bright hope of Jesus, the Christ.”

Isaiah 2:1-5
"The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!"

Reflection
Hope is not wishful thinking. 
Hope carries with it the weight of expectation. 
Hope has it's strength in assurance. 
Hope requires movement toward that for which we hope. 
Hope asks that we live as if it is already here. 
Hope is present tense. 
Because of this, hope has the power to sustain us in the midst of a life of uncertainty and dis-ease as well as a world of dissonance and violence. 
It is so not because of the one who hopes but because of the one in which that hope is placed. 

Look back at the words from Isaiah. 
Hear these words again... 
"they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

 May our hope be more than wishful thinking. 
May our hope be found in the work of our hands and the purpose in our feet.  

This Advent, may we live lives characterized by hope in the God who is. 

Activity:
Find some Post Its or 3x5 notecards. 
Write one word of hope for yourself, for your family, or for our world on each card. 
Link the cards together from top to bottom and hang them someplace where you can see them throughout Advent.
Consider ways that you might work toward these purposes.
Take action on one of the items in your list.
Live into hope!

Christmas Benevolence
We need help on Saturday, December 3 to help get Christmas Benevolence off on the right foot. It's the big box moving day. 
Check out all of the opportunities to serve throughout December at www.secondchurch.org/cb.

Also, please sign up to help with Christmas Eve Candlelight and Carols service at 7:00 pm. There are several opportunities to serve. Click here.



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