Are You Ready For Christmas?
Are You Ready For Christmas?
Between purchasing presents and planning travel, enjoying holiday concerts and attending parties, it is all too easy for the bustle of Christmas to silence the sacredness and crowd out the quiet anticipation of the truths of this glorious season. Here are a few thoughts to help you pause and consider the riches of Christ come to earth, and help you ready your heart for a fresh experience of “Emmanuel, God With Us”.
Advent – From the latin term adventus, meaning “coming,” Advent is a season observed particularly in Western Christian churches. It is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas.
Our church looks forward to celebrating Advent with a series of brief meditations embedded in our Sunday morning worship services as we light the traditional advent candles, signifying Jesus, the Light of the world, who has come to save His people from their sins. This year Advent begins on Sunday, November 27 and ends on Saturday, December 24.
The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is also to prepare for the Second Coming while commemorating the First Coming of Christ at Christmas. With the view of directing the thoughts of Christians to the first coming of Jesus Christ as Savior and to his second coming as judge, special readings, prayers and songs are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent.
For Christians, the season of Advent serves as a reminder both of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting of Christians for Christ's return.
As an aid to those of you who wish to go a little further in this tradition, we would like to highly recommend the book,
Behold The Lamb Of God: An Advent Narrative by Russ Ramsey.
Of this book, one reviewer writes,
“Russ Ramsey tells a story you’ve heard a hundred times and still haven’t heard enough. With remarkable attention to the facts of the matter—the water dripping from John the Baptist’s beard, the heft of Abraham’s knife, the groans of a girl giving birth on a stable floor—Ramsey brings to life the story that brings us to life. Here is glory made visible, tangible, audible. Which is to say, here is the Incarnation.”
You can easily order this book for use in your personal or family worship by clicking here.
“The Hope of the World” – This year’s NCBC Christmas concert is another way you can commemorate the First Coming of Jesus as we anticipate His Second Coming.
This is a free concert to be presented on 2 nights:
Friday, December 9 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 11 at 6:00 p.m.
The concert includes original and traditional Christmas songs presented by our adult choir, children’s choir, soloists, orchestra, a mixed vocal ensemble and ladies ensemble.
The gospel will be clearly presented during the program.
Each concert will be followed by a dessert reception in our Family Center.
You can participate by:
Praying –
For God’s people to be encouraged by the beauty and power of the gospel.
For the lost who attend to hear and receive the good news of salvation.
Inviting someone –
Use the invitations in the bulletin and at the Welcome Center to invite a friend, a relative, a neighbor, or a co-worker to attend the concert with you.
Helping with the dessert receptions –
Offering to help with set-up, serving, or clean-up. Contact Donna Strand at dstrand@newcbc.org or call the church office.
Ray Ortlund Jr. wrote, “We do love to celebrate! People love to break from the routine of life and celebrate. The curse over C.S.Lewis’ land of Narnia was that it was always winter but never Christmas.”
This winter, be among those who are refreshed by the good news of Immanuel, God With Us, as you have opportunities to “give a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that lies within you” (1Peter 3:15). And look for ways to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (2 Peter 2:9)
Pastor Dan Huff
Between purchasing presents and planning travel, enjoying holiday concerts and attending parties, it is all too easy for the bustle of Christmas to silence the sacredness and crowd out the quiet anticipation of the truths of this glorious season. Here are a few thoughts to help you pause and consider the riches of Christ come to earth, and help you ready your heart for a fresh experience of “Emmanuel, God With Us”.
Advent – From the latin term adventus, meaning “coming,” Advent is a season observed particularly in Western Christian churches. It is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas.
Our church looks forward to celebrating Advent with a series of brief meditations embedded in our Sunday morning worship services as we light the traditional advent candles, signifying Jesus, the Light of the world, who has come to save His people from their sins. This year Advent begins on Sunday, November 27 and ends on Saturday, December 24.
The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is also to prepare for the Second Coming while commemorating the First Coming of Christ at Christmas. With the view of directing the thoughts of Christians to the first coming of Jesus Christ as Savior and to his second coming as judge, special readings, prayers and songs are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent.
For Christians, the season of Advent serves as a reminder both of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting of Christians for Christ's return.
As an aid to those of you who wish to go a little further in this tradition, we would like to highly recommend the book,
Behold The Lamb Of God: An Advent Narrative by Russ Ramsey.
Of this book, one reviewer writes,
“Russ Ramsey tells a story you’ve heard a hundred times and still haven’t heard enough. With remarkable attention to the facts of the matter—the water dripping from John the Baptist’s beard, the heft of Abraham’s knife, the groans of a girl giving birth on a stable floor—Ramsey brings to life the story that brings us to life. Here is glory made visible, tangible, audible. Which is to say, here is the Incarnation.”
You can easily order this book for use in your personal or family worship by clicking here.
“The Hope of the World” – This year’s NCBC Christmas concert is another way you can commemorate the First Coming of Jesus as we anticipate His Second Coming.
This is a free concert to be presented on 2 nights:
Friday, December 9 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 11 at 6:00 p.m.
The concert includes original and traditional Christmas songs presented by our adult choir, children’s choir, soloists, orchestra, a mixed vocal ensemble and ladies ensemble.
The gospel will be clearly presented during the program.
Each concert will be followed by a dessert reception in our Family Center.
You can participate by:
Praying –
For God’s people to be encouraged by the beauty and power of the gospel.
For the lost who attend to hear and receive the good news of salvation.
Inviting someone –
Use the invitations in the bulletin and at the Welcome Center to invite a friend, a relative, a neighbor, or a co-worker to attend the concert with you.
Helping with the dessert receptions –
Offering to help with set-up, serving, or clean-up. Contact Donna Strand at dstrand@newcbc.org or call the church office.
Ray Ortlund Jr. wrote, “We do love to celebrate! People love to break from the routine of life and celebrate. The curse over C.S.Lewis’ land of Narnia was that it was always winter but never Christmas.”
This winter, be among those who are refreshed by the good news of Immanuel, God With Us, as you have opportunities to “give a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that lies within you” (1Peter 3:15). And look for ways to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (2 Peter 2:9)
Pastor Dan Huff
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