Third Sunday of Advent: Transforming Our Sorrow

This week we celebrated the third Sunday of Advent. Our community is in the midst of an Advent and Christmas series focusing on Awesome Deeds We Do Not Expect.

The message for this third Sunday of Advent focused on the following Scriptures (particularly the ones in bold font): Psalm 126; Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24; John 1: 6-8, 19-28

The message – Transforming Our Sorrow (click on the title to be connected to the message) addressed how we live in light of the sorrows we encounter everyday.  One day God has promised to turn our sorrow, our nmourning into joy, but how do we live in the "meantime?"  The Psalmist as do the Isaiah and Thesssalonian texts reveal that we are called to live in the present in light of the future reality of God's peace, God's shalom.  This is not merely wishful thinking, but living in the reality of the Spirit who creates joy in our life as we create room for the Spirit to do God's transforming work in us.