This Week at Mt. Olive

Good evening fellow redeemed!

Hope, that's the fundamental theme in today's Epistle. The God of hope, the God who gives hope, by the Holy Spirit gives super abundant hope.

As I pondered that theme this afternoon, it dawned on me that this world is full of hopes. Some of the hopes of this world never materialize, some are dashed on the rocks of uncertainty. Some hopes of this world are so dependent on personalities that, when the personality moves away or is gone for another reason, the hope fades into oblivion. All of these hopes die because the this world is dying.

What separates hope in Christ from the hopes of this world is a Savior, a divine Deliverer, who has gone through death into life. The hope of the resurrection to life everlasting in Christ is a certainty because Christ has risen from the dead. The hope of Christ's return to take us to Himself at the end of time is a sure thing because we await not a dead teacher, but one who has gone through death into life and will return to bring His people through the same.

In this Advent season, as we barrel toward the celebration of Christ's first advent to suffer and die for sinners, we also look forward, we hope in the resurrection at the second advent of our Lord Christ. This is a needed message for a dying world that is routinely disappointed by shattered hopes.

Holy Lord God, You sent Your Son to become flesh in His first advent, to suffer and to die as the atoning sacrifice for sinners. We thank You for the assurance of sins forgiven in Him. And, with His promise of appearing in glory, we have been give the hope of our own resurrection at His second advent. By Your Holy Spirit, strengthen our faith and fill us with Your super abundant hope, that this hope may overflow to those around us. In Jesus' holy name. Amen

The season of Advent began as a preparatory season before Christmas, quite possibly one of the latest addition to the Church year. As Lent is a preparatory fast before Easter, so Advent is a preparatory fast before the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus. Unfortunately, the modern Christmas celebration has become so crowded with activities that preparation for the celebration of our Savior's birth, to become sin for us, to suffer and die for sinners. I encourage all of us to rediscover the preparatory fasts of Advent, to see ourselves as sinners in need of repentance, and to look forward to the birth of our Lord not just for the sake of festivities, but because we long to see our Lord Christ, our Savior.

Earlier this afternoon, I was privileged to participate with children from Mt. Olive rehearsing for the annual Christmas program. We were accompanied by four Sunday School teachers who helped move things along (and keep me on task). I say this every year, but this year's program focusing on the prophecies leading up to Christmas will be a great proclamation of the Christmas Gospel. I do have one favor from the participants: May we begin rehearsal at 1 p.m.?

This week at Mt. Olive we continue the Advent Midweek Service, focusing on the Old Testament prophecies of Christ.

This coming Saturday, the Altar Guild will be leading decorating the sanctuary for Christmas. Many hands are needed, as well as hands of people who have some height. The party begins at 9 a.m.

Next Sunday, December 12, is a Voters Meeting Sunday. Voters are needed in order to vote on the 2011 budget, as well as two Synod constitutional amendments. The schedule is:
9:30 a.m. Divine Service
10:30 a.m. Sunday School
Voters Meeting
11:30 a.m. Meal

The LWML also is sponsoring a bake sale this coming Sunday.

Finally, a couple of fellowship opportunities are available next week, both on Tuesday.
The LWML Christmas dinner at Frank's Spaghetti House begins at 6:30 p.m.
The Corpus Christi Christmas Bicycle Ride will begin assembling between 6 and 6:30 p.m. The ride is about 6 miles long. I encourage folks to think about providing riders with a bottle of water, which will means about 7 or so cases of water (we've already received one).

Prayer Concerns:
Those who serve in our armed forces and their families: Rob Vadney (Afghanistan), Richard Rhode (North Carolina), Dru Blanc, John Sorensen, Ryan Radtke (Corpus Christi)
The Church throughout the world as she observes the fast of Advent
The Altar Guild of Mt. Olive and the altar guilds of our sister congregations during this season - lots of tireless work
The children and teachers who present the Christmas program

This Week at Mt. Olive
Monday, December 6
6 p.m.
Zumba Aerobics

Tuesday, December 7
7:30 p.m.
Young Adult Bible Study (Barnes and Noble)

Wednesday, December 8
8:30 a.m.
School Chapel

9:30 a.m.
Bible Study (Deuteronomy)

12:15 p.m.
Advent Midday Prayer

6 p.m.
Choir Rehearsal
Zumba

7:15 p.m.
Advent Vespers

Saturday, December 11
9 a.m.
Christmas Decorating at Church

Sunday, December 12
9:30 a.m.
Divine Service

10:30 a.m.
Sunday School
Voters Meeting

11:30 a.m.
Meal

12 p.m.
Confirmation Instruction

1 p.m. ??
Christmas Program Rehearsal

God bless!
PKJ