FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT
December 3, 2023
AS WE GATHER
This is the First Sunday in Advent and the beginning of a new Church Year of grace. Our Church Year counts time differently than the secular calendar. We are tied to the fullness of time in which God sent His one and only Son into the womb of the virgin, born to save us. The First Sunday in Advent is the Sunday on or closest to November 30 (St. Andrew’s Day). Today, we begin a journey not simply to the manger but the familiar journey that takes us to the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb. It is not merely a remembrance of what took place so long ago but also preparation for what is to come—our Lord’s return in glory to lay claim to His Church for all eternity. Encouraged by the Spirit, we devote ourselves to faithfully keeping what God has made known to us and showing forth our living faith in words and acts of repentance and holy living. But each Advent is a reminder that we are one step further from Bethlehem and one year closer to our Lord’s coming again.
BIBLE READING
OLD TESTAMENT READING: Isaiah 64:1–9
(“Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down.”)
EPISTLE READING: 1 Corinthians 1:3–9
(He will sustain you to the end.)
HOLY GOSPEL READING: Mark 13:24-37
(Stay awake and keep prepared for Christ’s coming.)