Category: Worship

If you light the candles of an Advent wreath at church or at home, it’s likely that the color of the candle you light this Sunday is pink. It’s also likely that this is the only pink candle on the wreath. Pink is a color of joy. In fact, this Third Sunday in Advent is commonly referred to as “Rejoice Sunday.” But don’t confuse the joy we celebrate this Advent with a passing happiness. No, the joy we have this Advent is greater. It lasts always. That’s what today’s Epistle assures us when Paul writes, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18). Only in Jesus, the coming Savior, can we rejoice in good times and bad times, busy times and quiet times, sick times and healthy times. In Christ, we rejoice always!

Throughout the ages, God has sent messengers with special messages for His people. Many centuries before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah told of how God would comfort His people. The ministry of Jesus was announced by the strong spoken messages of John the Baptizer in the wilderness. After the ascension of Jesus, written messages such as those of Peter, John, Paul, and James encouraged the first Christians into ongoing lives of faith and witness. Through His Word, the timeless messages of God come to us anew each week and in each changing season of the Church Year.

READINGS

This is the First Sunday in Advent and the beginning of a new Church Year of grace. Our Church Year counts time differently than the secular calendar. We are tied to the fullness of time in which God sent His one and only Son into the womb of the virgin, born to save us. The First Sunday in Advent is the Sunday on or closest to November 30 (St. Andrew’s Day). Today, we begin a journey not simply to the manger but the familiar journey that takes us to the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb. It is not merely a remembrance of what took place so long ago but also preparation for what is to come—our Lord’s return in glory to lay claim to His Church for all eternity. Encouraged by the Spirit, we devote ourselves to faithfully keeping what God has made known to us and showing forth our living faith in words and acts of repentance and holy living. But each Advent is a reminder that we are one step further from Bethlehem and one year closer to our Lord’s coming again.

Today is the Last Sunday of the Church Year. This Sunday is traditionally filled with themes of Christ’s roles as King and Judge. But consider these words from Psalm 95: “We are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.” We are God’s chosen sheep. He is our Shepherd. We follow Him as He goes to seek the lost, bring back the stray, and bind up the injured.

We read today about three servants. Two were good and faithful. One was evil and faithless. Two enter into the joy of their master. One does not. Our Lord has entrusted us with many good and gracious gifts and sends us into the world to make disciples and multiply the gifts we have received. Yet, it is not our own work that leads us into the joy of our Master; rather, it is our Master’s work on our behalf. Jesus’ saving work of death and resurrection brings us into the joy of our Master.

We hear today these words from the apostle Paul concerning everlasting life: “We will always be with the Lord.” Our Lord makes His presence known today in His Word and in the Lord’s Supper. You have the assurance that when Jesus returns, you will spend everlasting life in His gracious presence.