Dear Friends of our Good Shepherd,

Our Advent theme this year is The Coming God. Advent means coming: during Advent, we celebrate that in Jesus, God has come to us as Emmanuel, God with us, and we anticipate God coming in the world today and in the future. God has come, God is coming, and God will come again: how do we open our eyes and our hearts for the coming God? On Wednesdays during Advent, we will use Holden Evening Prayer and focus on the texts for the Narrative Lectionary. On Sundays during Advent, we will sing many great Advent hymns, and hear classic Advent Scripture readings. I invite you to join in our Advent journey to the God who comes to us.

Our prayer this season is O come, O come, Emmanuel!

      O come, O come, Emmanuel,

      and ransom captive Israel,

      that mourns in lonely exile here

      until the Son of God appear.

Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

      shall come to you, O Israel.

 

      O come, O Wisdom from on high,

      embracing all things far and nigh:

      in strength and beauty come and stay;

      teach us your will and guide our way. Refrain

 

      O come, O Branch of Jesse, free

      your own from Satan’s tyranny;

      from depths of hell your people save,

      and give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain

 

      O come, O Dayspring, come and cheer;

      O Sun of justice, now draw near.

      Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

      and death’s dark shadow put to flight. Refrain

 

      O come, O King of nations, come,

      O Cornerstone that binds in one:

      refresh the hearts that long for you;

      restore the broken, make us new. Refrain

 

Living and Sharing Jesus!

Pastor Eric Lemonholm