The Weary World Rejoices: Celebrate the music & message of Christmas
advent [ad-vent] - “a coming” or “an arrival”; A coming into place, view, or being.
The period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed in commemoration of Christ coming to earth.
The theme for our Christmas season and celebration this year is,“The Weary World Rejoices: Celebrate the music & message of Christmas”. To facilitate this period of anticipation and waiting, members of our MSCC family, pastors and staff have provided daily, personal devotional messages, each focusing on a different beloved Christmas hymn, carol or traditional song. Some of these will be very familiar and some maybe not so much, but please take some time each day during December and through Epiphany to read and reflect on each devotional, written from the hearts of our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.
December 22, 2024
The appearance of the angel in Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus is where all these songs originate. The angel proclaims the good news of Jesus’ birth to a small group of shepherds who likely envisioned their night going a bit differently. And then,“suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven - praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.” Luke 2:13
Then it’s all over and the angels return to heaven. Imagine those shepherds, awestruck over what they’d just witnessed. Glory to God indeed!
December 15, 2024
3rd week of Advent | Gather ‘Round Ye Children
Gather ‘round ye children, come
Listen to the old, old story
Of the power of death undone
By an infant born of glory
Son of God, Son of Man
So in heaven and earth and below
Every knee would bow and worship
And every tongue would proclaim
Jesus, He reigns with the angels (c) Andrew Peterson
What a beautiful picture of Christ - for those we love and who we want to love & follow Jesus.
December 8, 2024
What a scene… rays of light visible from heaven to a world, weary under the weight of sin and desperately anticipating the birth of the Messiah. Light takes on a new meaning during that night long ago, breaking through a desperate world with the glorious promise of our worth.
December 1, 2024
1st week of Advent | O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Waiting for God is a constant and ever-present biblical theme. The Israelites waited for 500 years for the promised Messiah - when will the waiting end?