in the Sanctuary of Davis United Methodist Church (1620 Anderson Road Davis, CA)
Advent is a season of endings and beginnings. As the calendar year comes to a close, a new church year begins. Christ’s birth ushers us into new ways of living and loving; and yet, the world as we know it spins madly on. In many ways, pregnant Mary was surrounded by endings— large and small, personal and political. But Mary proclaimed hope in a God who was and is making all things new. Christ’s birth offered a beautiful new beginning for shepherds and Magi alike—and the while, King Herod tried to bring Christ’s story to an end. When we ourselves navigate seasons filled with endings and beginnings, we need reminders. We need words that can feel like steady ground, like a path for our feet to find as we step forward into the unknown. This season we will call these words Advent Blessings. We will piece them together over the season to create a Quilt of Blessings—a reminder to root us in the fundamental truths of our faith.
Online Advent Devotional
Our friends at A Sanctified Art have provided a special e-reader version of this year’s Advent devotional, which you can access on your computer and mobile devices with this LINK. In order to protect their work, please refrain from sharing this link or posting it on social media.
2nd Sunday of Advent (Dec 8): We Can’t Go Alone
4pm Pop Up Advent Worship in Davis (1620 Anderson Road) on Sunday, December 8
Ruth 1 + Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: One of life’s most essential lessons is that we are never meant to go alone. And yet, modern culture pushes us more and more into lonely silos. If Ruth had followed her culture’s norms, she would have gone home to her family of origin after her husband died, but instead, she commits herself to her mother-in-law, Naomi. Together they form a new family and covenant. Ruth and Naomi travel together to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest, foreshadowing the journey Mary and Joseph will one day take to be counted in the census. Both Ruth and Naomi as well as Mary and Joseph are unconventional pairs, but if God can bring unlikely people together, God can form us into a covenant community too.
With the weather getting colder and rainy, our neighbors experiencing homelessness are specifically at-risk. Two local programs who work with youth experiencing homelessness, Lutheran Social Services of Northern California and The Creation District, have requested donations of new or very gently used clothing, and blankets to stay warm and healthy. We will have bins in the sanctuary throughout Advent and Christmas. Please bring the following items for our neighbors experiencing homelessness:
Gently used or new jackets, coats, sweaters, gloves, hats, shoes (all sizes, child and adult)
Blankets
Rain ponchos
Sleeping bags
Tents
Batteries (AA or AAA)
Wipes (baby and body)
Hygiene supplies: deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner
Shelf stable snacks: granola bars, crackers, etc
This worship series is based on Words from the Begging byA Sanctified Art.
