Advent 2023: THe Gifts of CHristmas

Shortly after Jesus was born, he had visitors. A group of wise men came from the east, seeking to worship the newborn king of the Jews. When they finally reached Jesus, they fell down and worshiped him. Then, they opened their treasures, gifts fit for a king – gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

These gifts, though seemingly ordinary, prophesy a wonderful story of what is about to take place in the life of this baby. This series takes 4 weeks over the advent season to contemplate what each of those gifts say about the one who was born in a manger.

Sermons:

Week 1 - The Story of the Magi

Week 2 - Gold: A King is Born Today

Week 3 - Incense: God is With Us

Week 4 - Myrrh: His Death with Make a Way

Christmas Missions Offering

Somewhere along the line, Christmas became about getting. Getting new toys, getting new clothes, getting all the things you want to buy for yourself but feel like you shouldn’t–it seems like there’s an awful lot of getting going on around the holidays.

But what’s ironic is that the very first Christmas actually wasn’t about getting at all. It was about giving. It was about the God of the universe choosing to give the most important gift of all–himself–to humanity. And about all that came with that incredible gift.

So each Christmas, we take some time as a church to step into the practice of generosity, asking the question — What does it look like to embody the true spirit of Christmas through giving of our time, talents, and treasures?

Click the link below for more information on how we are seeking to live generously this advent season.

Advent Devotional

To help us focus on the Messiah this advent season, we have put together a devotional guide with daily Scripture readings and questions from December 1 - December 24. You can pick up a hard copy at the Gathering or check out a digital pdf below.