Embracing the Holy Night: A Union of Advent Anticipation and Christmas Celebration

As the candles of the Advent wreath flicker with hope and love, we find ourselves at the junction of anticipation and celebration; the sacred time when the fourth Sunday of Advent meets the joyous eve of Christ's birth. It's a moment ripe with divine wonder, and on today's episode of Resilient Faith, we invite you into a space of contemplation and jubilation, reflecting on the profound themes of the season. Let your heart be warmed by the special blessing from theologian Kate Bowler, as it echoes through our conversation, illuminating the nativity's promise of new beginnings and God's relentless love.

This year's transition to Christmas is a unique blend of tradition and reflection, with Taylor Swift's music harmonizing with Gospel truths, guiding our community worship. It's a powerful union of contemporary artistry and ancient faith, fostering resilience against life's trials. As we bid farewell to 2023 and cast our eyes toward the horizon of a new year, we extend an invitation to join us in embracing the peace and presence that only this time of year can bring. Through stories, songs, and scripture, this episode of Resilient Faith is a sanctuary of fellowship, designed to uplift and inspire as we journey together into the light of Christmas and beyond. Amen.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to Resilient Faith the podcast.
Opportunities to find deeperresilience within ourselves can
come when life seems mostchallenging.
This podcast is to help youdevelop that resilience and
connection with God.
Being resilient and havingpower starts with faith.

(00:32):
Welcome, friends, to anotherepisode of the Resilient Faith
podcast.
I truly hope that you enjoyedour sermon series on the Gospel
according to Taylor Swift.

(00:52):
We certainly had a lot of fundoing that and leading our
community in worship inspired bythe music of Taylor Swift and,
of course, tying it to thethemes in our scripture and in
the very important issues andconversations in our world today
.
And yet now we are towards thetail end of Advent.

(01:18):
Advent is the four Sundaysleading up to Christmas Eve.
This year we have a bit of aunique situation, since the
fourth Sunday of Advent alsojust happens to be Christmas Eve
, and so we will be celebratingthe fourth Sunday of Advent
lighting the candle of love onthe Advent wreath and then also

(01:39):
lighting the Christ candle,celebrating the birth of Christ
once again in our world, in ourhearts, in our lives.
So I wanted to share a blessingwith you.
You'll know how much I enjoysharing poetry and blessings and

(01:59):
things that I find that Ireally enjoy and that are
meaningful to me and therefore Ihope and pray will be
meaningful to you.
So I know that I have sharedthe work of Kate Bowler in the
past, but this is a blessing forChristmas Eve from Kate Bowler,

(02:20):
so I'm sharing this with you aswe draw closer to this season
of Advent, this season ofanticipation and hopeful
expectation for the birth ofChrist for Christmas.
So here's what she wrote forthis blessing you are here, what

(02:44):
a wonder.
Robed in the everyday majestyof a newborn so beautiful, so
soft, so new, perfect, in theterrifying fragility that
thrills every parent.
Watch his head, look at thosetiny fingernails.
God become human, blinking atstrange new surroundings, full

(03:13):
wisdom and power poured into asmallness that knows hunger and
gravity and unseeing urgency foryour mother's skin.
And Mary, so newly parted fromyou, turns her thoughts to the
impossible angelic visitationthat promised you'd come and she

(03:37):
knew somehow, staring at youreyelashes, that you were a great
reversal here to put all thingsright.
Blessed are we when our heartswarm with her.
You're here and we are tooNewly come to worship with kings

(04:00):
and shepherds and barn animalsand angels as you light up the
world on this holiest, loveliestnight.
Well, friends, I do hope andpray that, as we are approaching
this finish line of Advent, aswe are getting closer to

(04:22):
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,that you will all feel
surrounded by God's presence andGod's love as we look with
gratitude towards the end of2023, that we will also look
with gratitude and hopefulexpectation into 2024, not that

(04:44):
the world will somehowmiraculously be different than
it is or people willmiraculously be different than
we are, although we can alwayshope for that but that we will
continue to feel a sense ofGod's presence with us and us
among us, through all that we do, through all that we experience

(05:04):
, no matter what.
May God bless you today,tomorrow and always Amen.
You've been listening toResilient Faith.
The podcast Resilient Faith issponsored by Brentwood

(05:25):
Presbyterian Church in West LosAngeles.
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Make sure to subscribe on yourfavorite podcast platform, and
thanks for listening.