IT’S TIME TO GO HOME
First Sunday of Advent
During this first week of Advent, we all deal with “calendar shock.” Is it really time? Already? Sure, the world has been giving Christmas hints for months now, yet it still seems to sneak up on us every year. Then … knock-knock … Advent suddenly arrives and serves as a doorway to the wonder of the season. Where will that doorway lead you?
9 How can we thank God enough for you, given all the joy we have because of you before our God? 10 Night and day, we pray more than ever to see all of you in person and to complete whatever you still need for your faith. 11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus guide us on our way back to you.
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Advent comes from the Latin word adventus which means Visit of Coming. It instills in us a longing for home – the kind of home that will complete us, the kind of home that is transformative. Advent is about helping us remember that we have a mission and hope. We are people who see God at work in this world, and we are partners in that work. We are the disciples who make disciples of Jesus Christ. We fling open our doors and joyfully invite all into this home.
Worship this week invites everyone to get ready to head home. So, what do we do when we get ready to go home? We make lists and put things in order. We set our minds on our journey and begin a pilgrimage. During advent, that destination is Chamblee First. Our arms are open to receive those who come, maybe for the first time, maybe old friends, maybe the usual crowd, but all are welcome in God’s home, our kin-dom home.
“I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let’s go to the Lord’s house!”
Psalm 122:1
It’s time. That’s our call. It’s time to come home.