“Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free.”
​Advent is a time of anticipation as we wait and prepare for the coming of the Christ child. But it is also a time for preparing for the promised Second Coming of Christ, and Advent texts are be filled with warnings and the Baptist’s call to repentance. “Be alert!,” he says. There is both threat and promise. The hope brought by the Christ child is lived out in the reign of God to come. 

Yet we get glimpses of that reign even now, and hope blossoms in the midst of our struggles, our losses, our sin. In this season of preparation, may we take the time to address those things that limit our faith, and open ourselves anew to this God of love who provides us hope, peace, joy and new possibility. 
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This is also a time for us to prepare to receive a new pastor in 2019. Pastor Beth Rohn-Habhegger will lead this congregation into the new ministries and dreams that it has been working on for the past two years. I encourage you to be open to ideas for worship and ways of ministering that may be different than what you’re used to. And while we will grieve our parting, may we celebrate the gift of this full-time pastor who will walk with you into the new possibilities that God continues to put before you.
- Pastor Judy