Introduction
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I loved it as a child, celebrating Advent and the arrival of Christ in so many different ways with my family. I have loved all the traditions that have grown in my life as part of the Christmas season.
When my husband and I got engaged, I knew I wanted to have a Christmas wedding, complete with trees, twinkle lights, and Christmas hymns. When we were announced as a married couple and made our way out of the chapel, we exited to the hymn “Joy to the World”. This kind of joy is often what comes to mind – big celebrations can make it easy to be joyful when we feast, sing, and dance with those we love. But there is a deeper joy to be had that goes beyond a joyful celebration. There is a kind of joy that we hear God’s people talk about over and over in the scriptures, the kind that we can experience in the midst of pain or grief.
In Sarah Bessey’s Field Notes, she says “Advent is for the ones who know longing … sometimes, all that we have left is to simply hold on to one another and dance in the darkness, waiting for the light.”
This is the kind of joy we have to work to cultivate. This is the joy we hear about in the fruits of the spirit. And it is this joy that we are celebrating as we walk towards Christmas during Advent.
Text:
Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this.
A Confession from John 15 (the message)
Reader: Jesus declared he is the Real Vine and his Father is the Farmer, that every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. That if we live in him -make our home in him just as He does in us, the harvest is sure to be abundant.
Everyone: Jesus we make our home in you and you make yours in us. Make this Church good soil for the Vine to take root and the branches to bear fruit.
Reader: Jesus told us the tree will be judged by the fruit.
Everyone: Give us hands to tend the soil, hearts to endure the pruning and ears to hear the song that gives us hope.
Lord’s Prayer
Christ, who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who’ve sinned against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
