Those are the first words our Senior Pastor greeted our church with last Sunday -

“Christ the King Sunday”. The month before Christmas has, in some denominational and cultural contexts, been long held as the beginning of the Church’s year. The month before we celebrate Jesus’ humble birth and join in the anticipation of when He will come again to reunite Heaven and Earth once and for all is the month we are now in.

This Sunday is Advent Sunday - it marks the beginning of “Advent” ("arrival") and signifies the start of an event or the arrival of a person. Preparation can take on all kinds of forms. I have resolved this year to take on a series of bible studies, curated for its participants as a preparation for Christmas Day.

There are many such sequences available. You can go to a Christian bookstore, large or small, you can search the internet for them. Maybe it is something you could do as a family together.

Below are the readings - the sequence of passages from Scripture - that I am planning to immerse myself in. Sometimes the most known of our stories is worth telling in long-form. I’d love it if you’d join me in this.

Shalom!

WEEK 1: The Creation, The Fall, And The Promise Of Jesus

December 1: Genesis 1–2:3

December 2: Genesis 2:4–24

December 3: Genesis 3

December 4: Genesis 6–7:5

December 5: Genesis 8; 9:8–19

December 6: Genesis 11:10–26

December 7: Matthew 1:1–17

WEEK 2: Our Need For Jesus

December 8: Romans 3:9–4:8

December 9: Psalm 106

December 10: Titus 3:3–7

December 11: Ephesians 2:1–10

December 12: Romans 6

December 13: Psalm 73

December 14: Romans 8

WEEK 3: The Majesty Of Jesus

December 15: Mark 1:1–8

December 16: Isaiah 44

December 17: Psalm 8

December 18: Matthew 21:1–11

December 19: Psalm 93

December 20: Psalm 18

December 21: Revelation 22

WEEK 4: The Birth Of Jesus

December 22: Luke 1:1–25

December 23: Luke 1:26–56

December 24: Matthew 1:18–25

CHRISTMAS DAY

December 25: Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 2

My sister, Rev. Beck Miller, after I wrote this piece, today released a series of Advent studies - was it genetics, theology, good upbringing or a combination of all of the above?

Click the link below to access her studies - I think they're fabulous, and if you want more structure than my suggested approach, why not do Beck's studies!

Principally Thinking

'Act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with God'

Issue 15 · 29 Nov 2024

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