The Songs of Advent (Week 3)
As we light the Shepherd's candle in Advent, we listen to Vivaldi's best known sacred work, his Gloria. We call to mind the angel's proclamation to the shepherds who were the first to hear of the birth of Christ. "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill towards all!" Luke 2:14
The glory of heaven entered the world in darkness. To those who wait in the darkness of oppression, the angels proclaim that the light of Christ is entering the world. And this child is to be the comfort and joy of all.
As we light the Shepherd's candle in Advent, we listen to Vivaldi's best known sacred work, his Gloria. We call to mind the angel's proclamation to the shepherds who were the first to hear of the birth of Christ. "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill towards all!" Luke 2:14
The glory of heaven entered the world in darkness. To those who wait in the darkness of oppression, the angels proclaim that the light of Christ is entering the world. And this child is to be the comfort and joy of all.
Sensing the Season (Week 4)
Each Advent, we retell the stories that lead to Jesus’ birth, but what happens when we place ourselves in the stories and try to sense what it was like to live these stories in the moment? This December, we’ll revisit the stories of Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus in a series called “Sensing the Season. We are glad you have chosen to be in worship today.
Each Advent, we retell the stories that lead to Jesus’ birth, but what happens when we place ourselves in the stories and try to sense what it was like to live these stories in the moment? This December, we’ll revisit the stories of Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus in a series called “Sensing the Season. We are glad you have chosen to be in worship today.
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Sensing the Season (Week 3)
Welcome to worship here in Richardson, Texas or wherever you may be joining from today. Today we light the third candle of advent - the candle of joy. Each Advent, we retell the stories that lead to Jesus’ birth, but what happens when we place ourselves in the stories and try to sense what it was like to live these stories in the moment? This December, we’ll revisit the stories of Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus in a series called “Sensing the Season. We are glad you have chosen to be in worship today.
Welcome to worship here in Richardson, Texas or wherever you may be joining from today. Today we light the third candle of advent - the candle of joy. Each Advent, we retell the stories that lead to Jesus’ birth, but what happens when we place ourselves in the stories and try to sense what it was like to live these stories in the moment? This December, we’ll revisit the stories of Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus in a series called “Sensing the Season. We are glad you have chosen to be in worship today.
Sensing the Season (Week 2)
Today we light the second candle of advent - the candle of joy. Each Advent we retell the stories that lead to Jesus’ birth, but what happens when we place ourselves in the stories and try to sense what it was like to live these stories in the moment? This December, we’ll revisit the stories of Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus in a series called “Sensing the Season. We are glad you have chosen to be in worship today.
Welcome to worship here in Richardson, Texas or wherever you may be joining from today. Today we light the second candle of advent - the candle of joy. Each Advent we retell the stories that lead to Jesus’ birth, but what happens when we place ourselves in the stories and try to sense what it was like to live these stories in the moment? This December, we’ll revisit the stories of Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus in a series called “Sensing the Season. We are glad you have chosen to be in worship today.
Sensing the Season (Week 1)
This December, we’ll revisit the stories of Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus in a 4-part series called “Sensing the Season. Today we turn our attention to Zechariah and his story of Hearing Hope.
The sound of surprising hope and skeptical silence. The sight of a glorious angel and a terrifying future. The taste of crushing betrayal and total rejection. The smell of a messy manger and perfect love. During Advent, the month-long season of waiting for Christmas, we retell the stories that lead to Jesus’ birth, but what happens when we place ourselves in the stories, and try to sense what it was like to live these stories in the moment? This December, we’ll revisit the stories of Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus in a 4-part series called “Sensing the Season. Today we turn our attention to Zechariah and his story of Hearing Hope.
Magnify The Lord
May you dare to believe that you are capable of magnifying the Lord and may you say: Here I am: here is my body, here is my mind, here is my present, here is my future, here is my soul, it is yours. Let me be exalted for you or brought low for you. Let me magnify your name.
May you dare to believe that you are capable of magnifying the Lord and may you say: Here I am: here is my body, here is my mind, here is my present, here is my future, here is my soul, it is yours. Let me be exalted for you or brought low for you. Let me magnify your name.
Change Your Mind
Have you ever made a decision that led you off the path? Ever made a mistake that led you off the path? Ever had a feeling you were going the wrong way but you’ve been too stubborn, too hard-headed, to stop? And there is this moment when you go: oh this isn’t good. This isn’t right. I don’t have contentment. I’m not experiencing joy. You come to see this isn’t the life you were meant to live, you are off the path.
Change Your Mind
Have you ever made a decision that led you off the path? Ever made a mistake that led you off the path? Ever had a feeling you were going the wrong way but you’ve been too stubborn, too hard-headed, to stop? And there is this moment when you go: oh this isn’t good. This isn’t right. I don’t have peace. I don’t have contentment. I’m not experiencing joy. You come to see this isn’t the life you were meant to live, you are off the path.
The Bible reveals this truth about the human experience--that we are good, and we start out on this path--but we tend to wander from it - we are prone to wander off the path or we think we know a shortcut or know better. Whatever the case, we end up going the wrong direction but it doesn’t change our inherent goodness, we are still good. We just are not walking in the way that leads to life and God wants that for us. God wants us to thrive. So God does everything in God’s power to help us to return.
Sermon Media:
Click Here to Watch Video From Sermon
Picture from Pastor Blair’s Hike:
Choir Christmas Cantata
On December 9, 2018 the Arapaho United Methodist Church Choir alongside the Philharmonic Orchestra of Texas presented "The Many Moods of Christmas" - a collection of traditional Christmas songs arranged by Robert Shaw and divided into 4 suites. You will also hear testimonies from Sungmoon Lee, Kasey Cummings and Chris Snyder.
On December 9, 2018 the Arapaho United Methodist Church Choir alongside the Philharmonic Orchestra of Texas presented "The Many Moods of Christmas" - a collection of traditional Christmas songs arranged by Robert Shaw and divided into 4 suites. You will also hear testimonies from Sungmoon Lee, Kasey Cummings and Eric Snyder.
Stand and Lift Up Your Heads
We are woke because of Christ. Because the Christ in you and the Christ in me stands up in the face of fear, and in the face of suffering, and in the face of dehumanization and says: I will not look away, I will not back down, I will not sit down, I will not let it go...not until the poor have good news and the hungry are fed and the sick are cared for and the stranger is welcomed.
There are forces in this world that want us to stay numb and inside our houses wrapped in warm laundry and eating bread. There are forces in this world that would rather us not be woke.
No. We are woke because of Christ. Because the Christ in you and the Christ in me stands up in the face of fear, and in the face of suffering, and in the face of dehumanization and says: I will not look away, I will not back down, I will not sit down, I will not let it go...not until the poor have good news and the hungry are fed and the sick are cared for and the stranger is welcomed.
click here to watch the video used during the sermon