Dear POPLC,

The excitement is building. Can you feel it? Christmas is getting closer. Sunday will be the 3rd Sunday of Advent and we’ll light the pink candle, the shepherd’s candle, symbolizing joy. Only one more to go! At our house the joy came early with Grandma and Grandpa arriving last night. Lucky for them, Christmas will come early too – and will open some gifts with the grandparents while they’re here. They’re so excited – they’re having trouble waiting.

As we anticipate the coming of Christmas and the coming of our Savior with His gifts for us, it can be hard to wait. As Alvin and the chipmunks sang: Hurry Christmas, hurry fast! We’ve been good, but we can’t last. Or as one of my favorite hymns, “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come” puts it:

He will on you the gifts bestow Prepared by God for all below, That in His kingdom, bright and fair, You may with us His glory share.  How glad we’ll be to find it so! Then with the shepherds let us go To see what God for us has done In sending us His own dear Son.

I pray this will that all your preparations be met with “joy” as both Christmas, and our Lord’s return draw near. God is WITH you and God is FOR you!

In Christ,

Pastor DeHope

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 

Thanksgiving is now in the rearview mirror and all our attention is set on Christmas. We are one week into Advent and the time will go will fast. What’s on your list to prepare? What’s your focus? Is it getting the tree and decorating? Getting the lights up? Preparing for a big meal or to host guests? For us it’s a little of all of that and more. Grandma and Grandpa are coming next week, and we have lots we need to accomplish before they arrive. Well… lots we WANT to accomplish before they arrive, though we’ll be glad to see them no matter what.

 Our Lord’s coming at Christmas and on the last day is similar. We’ll be glad to see him when he arrives. As we prepare for Christmas and all that entails let’s be sure we keep our primary focus on Christ for us during this Advent season of preparation. I encourage you to add a discipline like a devotion. Be in church and surround yourself with God’s work and his gifts to you. In this way you’ll truly be ready for his coming. Even if some of your other plans don’t go as expected or get done.

A blessed Advent celebration to you all!

Pastor DeHope