Where Are You Going for Christmas?

I was 24 when I flew on a commercial airplane for the first time. It was Christmas Day 1984 and Dawn’s parents had invited me to spend Christmas with them. When they invited me, in October at Canadian Thanksgiving, Dawn and I were not dating. We went to the same college. We knew each other. I’d had knee surgery and was in a full leg cast for 6 weeks and unable to drive. Dawn would drive my car with me and our friend Marianne to the church we attended on Sundays and Wednesdays. And so we knew each other but we didn’t necessarily like each other. I didn’t like the way Dawn drove my car and Dawn didn’t like the way I was about pretty much everything.

The word “Advent” stems from the Latin word adventus, which literally means “coming” or “arrival.” In context, this commonly refers to the coming of Jesus on Christmas day. Jerome, when composing the Latin Vulgate, also used adventus when translating the Greek word parousia. This word has a similar meaning, but in a broader context refers to Jesus’ second coming at the end of time.

Definition (Google) the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event. with "the advent of television" entertainment changed forever; synonyms:arrival, appearance, emergence, materialization, occurrence, dawn, birth, rise, development; More the first season of the Christian church year, leading up to Christmas and including the four preceding Sundays. noun: Advent CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY the coming or second coming of Christ. noun: Advent

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the first season of the Christian church year, leading up to Christmas and including the four preceding Sundays. noun: Advent CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY the coming or second coming of Christ. noun: Advent

St. Jerome, when composing the Latin Vulgate, also used adventus when translating the Greek word parousia. This word has a similar meaning, but in a broader context refers to Jesus’ second coming at the end of time.

Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem - my first flight

Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem - my first flight

The shepherds come to the manger - the Christmas eve wedding, chicken pox, car breakdown Christmas, we’re never going back

The magi come to the home - driving over the causeway in a storm on Christmas Eve

Luke 2:2

Luke 2:1–7 ESV

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

We glorify God when we meet the unexpected with faith (Luke 2:1-7)

(1) Human events are used by God (1-2)

(2) God’s sovereignty includes human responsibility (3-4)

(3) God is often glorified most when we are stretched (5-7)