But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Micah 5:2
Dear HBIC Family,
This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent, a season where we gather as the universal Church and family of God to celebrate the coming of Christ our King. This is a time of waiting and expectation. It is a time of thanksgiving, singing, prayer, and breaking bread together. It is a time of preparing our hearts and homes, our light and our lives to again welcome Jesus as Emmanuel, God with us.
Here at HBIC, we celebrate Advent through the lens of the hope, peace, joy, and love that Jesus brings. For the last few years, we have examined each of these themes through the eyes of people who waited of the coming of their king. The testimonies of saints like Anna and Simeon, Elizabeth and Zechariah, and of course Mary and Joseph all inspire and instruct us as we celebrate Jesus’ coming into our world.
The lessons we learn in the stories that tell of Jesus’ birth are the same lessons we see in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection – when people meet Jesus, they are forever changed. With this in mind, we are inviting you to join us this Advent as we look at groups (not individuals) who were transformed after encountering Emmanuel.
This Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent, our focus will be on hope. To help us better understand the hope that Jesus brings, we will turn to the prophets (more specifically, Micah). Now, Micah is fairly familiar to us, as we just wrapped up a series on his book this past summer. Our passage comes from the center of of the book, the first thing people would read upon opening the scroll. So, we begin Advent with Micah’s most important teaching: hope comes from God alone, and God will restore the people under God’s rule.
As you prepare for this week’s services, I would like to invite you to read and meditate on Micah 5:1-4. As you reflect, I would like to ask you to focus on the following questions:
- Where do you see hope in your world?
- How does the future promised by God give you hope for today?
- What is one promise of God that you are holding on to right now?
- How does Jesus coming into the world give you hope?
- How is God calling you to share his promise of hope to your world?
I grew up often thinking of prophets as people who simply foretell of days to come. They may be used by God for a miracle here and there, but their essential task was to describe the world and things to come. This, of course, is true, but it also very much shortchanges the ministry and message of these anointed people of God. Prophets also very much had a message for today. I believe we must hold on to this as we think about the hope that comes from God through Jesus. This is hope not just for tomorrow, but also for today!
When we encounter Emmanuel, our lives are forever changed. Our transformation begins with conviction by the Holy Spirit. Our salvation from God is for today and also for the world to come. The redemption afforded to us because of Jesus our Christ is our blessing today and tomorrow. Sisters and brothers, this is all our hope!
Love in Christ,
Pastor Hank (Micah 5:2)