An Overture and a Pause
Ten days before Christmas, many of us are already tired.
The lists are long. The calendar is full. The world feels loud, and the pressure to feel merry can be its own kind of weight.
This Sunday, December 21 at 11:00 a.m., our final Advent gathering offers something different: an Overture to Christmas Eve.
In the Narrative Lectionary, John 1 is placed here on purpose. Before shepherds and angels, before manger and magi, we are given poetry. The Word. Light. Glory. Love that does not rush to explain itself but invites us to dwell.
This is not the climax yet. It is the opening movement.
The Fourth Sunday of Advent lets us hear the themes that will return again and again:
light that is not overcome,
glory revealed in vulnerability,
and love that comes not with force, but mercy.
Our fourth Advent theme this year is Merciful Love, and nowhere is that more beautifully framed than here, on the threshold of Christmas itself.
The Fourth Sunday of Advent • December 21 • 11:00 a.m.
On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, we linger with John’s opening poetry rather than rushing ahead to the manger. This text does not explain everything at once. It names what is true and trusts that meaning will unfold in time.
Here, glory looks like vulnerability. Light appears without spectacle. Love comes not by force, but by mercy. For many of us, that is precisely what we need four days before Christmas.
This gathering is designed to be steady and grounding. The music will linger. The prayers will leave room for silence. The story will not hurry you toward the manger, but will hold space for whatever you are carrying as the week ahead draws near.
If you are arriving hopeful, weary, distracted, or unsure, you are welcome just as you are.
A Night of Hope • Monday, December 22
The following evening, we will hold A Night of Hope.
This gathering is quieter. More spacious. Designed especially for those who are grieving, exhausted, anxious, or simply not feeling very holly-jolly this year.
It is a moment to search together for a glimmer of light on what is nearly the darkest night of the year.
Whether this gathering is fully hybrid or primarily in person will depend on how the coming days unfold. We will share final details early next week. What matters most is this: you are not required to be okay to come.
Looking Ahead: Christmas Eve
And yes, Christmas Eve is coming.
We will gather Wednesday, December 24 at 5:00 p.m. to tell the story in full—candles, carols, and the light that finally breaks through.