' Coop’s Corner

Happy New Year!!!  No, this isn’t an advance copy of my January 2007 newsletter article.  December 3^rd, the first Sunday of Advent, is the beginning of a new “church” year.  So Happy New Year! 

As we prepare to experience the season of Advent, I thought it might be helpful to talk a little about just what Advent means. The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God.

This year we will be looking at different, often underreported “Heroes of the Christmas Story.”  We will start by looking at Isaiah from the Old Testament whose prophecy is Handel made famous.  Then in succeeding weeks we will talk about Joseph (Jesus’ step-dad), the Innkeeper (did he or didn’t he?), and the shepherds who watched their flocks by night.  Then on Christmas Eve we will hear once again the Christmas story – maybe in a new way – and celebrate the birth of our King …not just once, but twice: first at 7:30 p.m. and then again at 11:00 p.m.

It is truly a humbling experience to read back through the Old Testament and see how frail and imperfect all the "heroes" actually were. For example, there’s Abraham, the coward who cannot believe the promise. Jacob, the cheat who struggles with everybody. Moses, the impatient murderer who cannot wait for God. Samson, the womanizing drunk. David, the power abusing adulterer. Solomon, the unwise wise man. And finally, a very young Jewish girl from a small village in a remote corner of a great empire.

It never ceases to amaze me why God could not have chosen "better" people to do his work in the world. Yet if God can use them, and reveal himself through them in such marvelous ways, it means that he might be able to use me, inadequate, and unwise, and too often lacking in faith that I am. And it means that I need to be careful that I don’t, in my own self-righteousness, put limits on what God can do with the most unlikely of people in the most unlikely of circumstances. I think that is part of the wonder of the Advent Season.

With that in mind, may you experience God’s wonder in this beginning of our Christian year.  May you know that God loves you and wants to bless you - if you’ll let him.  May you feel the arms of God’s embrace surrounding you with peace and joy.  And may you hold fast to the hope of that glorious day when all of us will live with him again.

Be blessed my friends, and as always, I’ll see you on Sunday!

Pastor Tom