An Advent Message from Pastor David
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Genesis 1:1-3
Have you seen something wonderful today? Have you noticed the beauty of God’s creation all around you? The world we live in is filled with beautiful things, trees, lakes, rivers, animals; the list goes on. All of these and everything is the result of the creative love of God. Sometimes I wonder if we can even imagine the conditions before God said “Let there be…” We humans cannot begin to understand the formlessness and void of creation in the beginning. Yet God said, “Let there be…” And it came to be.
As Christians all over the world begin to observe the Advent of our Lord Jesus, we do so by recalling the history of our salvation through Christ, which begins of course, in the beginning. As we read Holy Scripture, we believe Christ was present in the creation of all there is. The opening verses of the Gospel according to John teach us “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1- 4).
The Creation narrative teaches us that apart from God there is no life or light. Still, even today so many continue to discount God’s creating love. Many people also deny the presence of God in the world or even in their lives. Yet, the simple fact remains, without God there is nothing. Without God humans have no purpose. Without the love of God in Christ Jesus, the people of the world walk in the darkness of their sin and their reality is such that they have no hope for salvation.
Jesus is the light of the world; he is the one in whom we find hope. Through Christ, God’s Word incarnate, the people of God are able to walk in the light of God’s mercy and grace. Our lives are no longer formless, they are not void, rather, they are filled with the purpose of proclaiming the gospel and the vocation of love for our neighbor. Today, as we find ourselves at the beginning of Advent, we find ourselves as sinners awaiting the celebration of our Savior’s entrance into earthly life in order to rescue God’s people from sin and death. In Advent, we find ourselves at the beginning, the beginning of new life in Christ. We believe that Christ’s presence at the beginning of Creation proves the creative nature of God’s faithful and redeeming love.
People of God, Christmas is just around the corner. As a disciple of Jesus, invite someone to worship with us at Christmas, and in the beginning of the new year, perhaps God will work the miracle of faith within their hearts and minds so that, they too may experience a new life in Christ; a life that was meant for them from the beginning.
Thank you God, for this beautiful world in which we live. Thank you for each person you have created in your image. Most of all, thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is our light and our life. Amen.
