Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Most of us aren’t very good at waiting.  Thirty seconds at a stop light feels too long for me.  Yet during this season of Advent we must wait for the arrival of Jesus at Christmas.  In fact, all of the Christian life is a kind of waiting for God to come and intervene in human affairs to set things right.  The people of old waited hundreds of years for God’s first coming in the person of Jesus.  And today, we are waiting again for Jesus’ second coming and the fulfillment of His Kingdom on earth.   

Is God worth the wait?  The prophet Isaiah wrote: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given … Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”  A government of true justice and righteousness is definitely worth the wait!  In today’s broken world in which suffering abounds, we cry out for God to come and “set things right.”

On this coming second Sunday of Advent, December 5, we consider a message with universal appeal: “Waiting for God in Suffering.”  We all suffer loss, heartache, hurts, pains and problems in this world.  So, how can we wait well and with faithfulness for God to come and meet us in our suffering?  We’ll discover four comforting truths that remind us waiting for God is definitely worth the wait.  It’s my hope that you will be encouraged, inspired, and comforted in your suffering through my message.

We’ll meet for a combined worship service this week, beginning at 10:00 AM.  We’ll light two candles on our Advent wreath and enjoy singing some of our favorite Christmas carols.  Following worship, we’ll move right into our annual congregational meeting, voting to confirm new consistory members, approving a proposed 2022 budget, hearing reports and celebrating what God has done at Grace Church in 2021.  Please plan to join us and note the change of time.  See you Sunday!