Advent 2– Sacred People (Love)

Advent Two – Sacred People (Love)

“May the God of steadfastness and encouragement
grant you to live in harmony with one another,

in accordance with Christ Jesus…” – Romans 15: 4-13

“This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Matthew 3: 1-12 

When we look through the lens of the sacred, we
prepare our senses to recognize the holy in all
people–to come to know them in a “steadfast and
encouraging” way. Our world is crying out for harmony and being able to see the Christ reflected in each other makes a path for this to be accomplished. We are inspired this week to see our own walk upon this earth as part of the call to be sacred people who usher in the
presence of love.

Advent 2: Sunday, December 3 ~ “Sacred People” @ 10am
Advent 3: Sunday, December 10 ~ “Sacred Space” @ 10am
Advent 4: Sunday, December 17 ~ “Sacred Knowing” @ 10am
Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24 ~ “Sacred Being” @ 5pm & 8pm

Advent Theme: Reflecting the Sacred
by Marcia McFee

As religious folk, it is imperative that we grapple with our incarnational faith and what it calls us to be and do. Advent and Christmas is as good a time as any to talk about incarnation. Our wrestling with theology matters because religion has, and does, move us to create a particular kind of world. And the world we live in at the moment has its problems (did I hear an “amen?”). The way we see the world, relate to the world, live in the world and with each other has theological roots. In other words, what we believe about the holy, what we think is “sacred” or not, determines how we treat each other and creation. The worship series logo features a “bokeh” light effect–a term that graphic designers use to describe “the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in out-of-focus parts of an image.” We’ve chosen this look to highlight the idea that we can look through a “lens” of the sacred to see the beauty of the Christ reflecting in all things. When we have a “hard-focus,” things appear two-dimensional. With this kind of lens, we tend to criticize, we nit-pick, we judge, we even fret
about perfection. But when we add a “soft-focus” like the “portrait” setting on our phone cameras, that which we are looking at becomes more three-dimensional, more stunning against the blurred backdrop.

We see it in a different way. More fully. Perhaps even more beautifully
reflecting the sacred. Can we use a lens this season that highlights the holy all around us? Can we see life as pregnant with Christ… not just Mary in a story from long ago, but everyone and everything capable of bursting forth with goodness and grace?