A year ago today, Emmanuel Baptist Fellowship was celebrating its 10 year anniversary and as we gathered around lots of good food, we also celebrated my ordination. For my ordination to be a part of Advent will always be special because I spent a lot of time waiting and wondering, hoping there would be a congregation who would affirm my calling to preach and serve as pastor of a church. That longing to be able to step fully into what God was calling me to do was something I didn’t always believe was a possibility.
Today as a congregation, we will celebrate the second Sunday of Advent. I will robe up as their pastor to prepare for our worship service to celebrate this high holy season. As I walk towards the sanctuary, I will see two coat racks collecting coats for the families at Victorian Lakes Mobile Home Community and the The Cooperative Ministry (who we just found out has no coats to hand out.) I’ll see a little tree with ornaments on it with numbers of residents at the Leaphart Place, an apartment complex for adults with special needs, so that we can throw them a Christmas party in two weeks. I’ll also see a red bin collecting household goods for the Agape Senior Center’s new Alzheimer Unit, which one of our friends from Leaphart Place told us about.
I’ll see the Luke passage we are studying this morning coming alive:
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
And I’ll sing with Mary because I have been able to answer the call of God:
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
If you are in the Lexington/Columbia area and you are looking for a place who welcomes and affirms all people, come join us as we work together waiting for the miracle of the Christ Child’s birth.