Persons who aren’t familiar with the flow and rhythm of the church year will sometimes wonder why a group like the Worship Team would occupy its attention to the seasons of Advent and Christmas in the waning weeks of summer. The quick answer to that question is that once the program year starts in September, things go into hyper speed quickly, and it’s easy enough to fall behind schedule—and once you fall behind it’s difficult to catch back up. So, much of the preparation for this time of the year was laid out in advance and now its a matter of executing the design.
Advent and Christmas 2024 will feature two-word themes that call us to action each week: December 1st– “Be Alert;” December 8– “Make Ready;” December 15 – “Look Forward;” December 22– “Sing Joy;” December 24 – “Welcome Jesus.” These calls to action are designed to help us prepare our hearts and the world around us for the growth of God’s kingdom in our midst. Each of the five services will also feature a “What’s in the Box?” segment to build on the theme of the week.
Not every Christian tradition celebrates Advent, but I’m glad that I belong to one that does. With each passing year, I have come to gain a greater appreciation for the season. We live in a world that constantly reminds us of the gap between the reality of what is and the vision of what God’s full governance in this world could be like. In certain years and in certain seasons, it seems like that gap is so hopelessly wide. Yet, despite the human inability to close that gap, the season of Advent reminds us that God will be bring peace and wholeness to completion in God’s own time. In the meantime, we work and pray for the coming of that day. The hymns and prayers of the Advent season help us in that journey.
As we look ahead to December, I want to lift up two special events at Salem. The first is the “Sing Joy” concert of the United Christmas Choir (featuring the choirs of St. Peter’s UCC, Kiel, Bethlehem UCC, Kiel, First Congregational UCC, Plymouth, and Salem) on Sun., December 8 at 1:00 p.m. The four choirs always do a fine job together, and you’ll not want to miss this concert. (The Packers do not play that Sunday, so there are no excuses. Plus—in a shameless plug, which I don’t do very often—the concert will feature one of the compositions I wrote this past June.)
The second event is our Church School Christmas Program, which will be held on Wed., December 18, at 6:30 p.m. Our young people and their teachers have been working hard on this telling of the familiar story, so I encourage you to attend and experience the freshness and enthusiasm that they bring to the Christmas good news.
In the meantime, may your Advent pilgrimage be a fruitful one.
Shalom aleichem—Peace be with you.
Rev. Jim Hoppert
