Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Happy New Year!  Did you know that Sunday, November 23^rd is the last Sunday of the year?  Well… of the church year that is.  As November wraps up and we move into December, we begin a       brand-new church year.  Like always the church year starts with the season of Advent.  This season is a time of quiet reflection and anticipation.  We take extra time to worship together as God’s people while we wait for the coming of the Messiah.  We wait for Jesus Christ, God Himself to come down from    heaven and be born into human flesh.  He made Himself part of creation so that He could save all of    creation.

Advent is a time of waiting.  We are waiting for Christmas celebrations with family and friends.  We are waiting for a break from work or for a much-earned end-of-year bonus.  Students are waiting for classes to finish.  For some of us, waiting is a hard reminder of the people who will not be with us this Christmas.  This time last year my wife and I were able to worship with her grandma at her church in Wales, Wisconsin.  They had a “Blue Christmas” Advent service that was meant to remember our loved ones who are no longer with us.  That was the last time we were able to worship with Grandma.  The next time we were at her church, it was for her funeral.  This time of Advent can be full of joyous          anticipation for Christmas and all the celebrations, and it can be full of sorrow and grief.

No matter where you find yourself during this Advent time of waiting, whether you move          between times of joy and times of sorrow, Jesus is still coming.  Jesus, the Son of God, is coming down to earth to be with you.  We know He is coming because He has already done it once.  We get to celebrate and remember when He was born of the virgin Mary and was made man.  We get to remember and    celebrate how He was crucified for us and how He rose again for us.  He is now ascended into heaven, and we find ourselves in the same place as Israelites of old.  We are waiting for our Savior—not to come down for the first time, but to come again in glory, to raise the dead, and to bring all believers to Him.

So now in this time of Advent we wait.  We wait for Christmas.  We wait for Christ to return.  We wait for the resurrection of the dead and life of the world to come.  A life where we and all believers will be united with Christ our Savior.  Amen.

Vicar Andrew Vought