St. Mark's Lutheran Church - Advent-Epiphany

Please join us for worship and fellowship during:

Advent, Christmas and Epiphany

Join us as we meditate upon:

Across every generation and culture, humanity longs for healing, justice, restoration and wholeness. We look for hope that can outlast suffering, even in the shadows of cruelty and division. This longing is provoked by suffering, by powers that wound and divide, and by the stubborn conviction that these realities are not the final word. We choose to believe another world is possible! Into despair, the faithful have cried out, “How long, O Lord?” And again and again, God has drawn near. Salvation comes. Christians recognize this saving presence most clearly in the life and memory of Jesus.

Jesus came and showed us what salvation looks like in the flesh. Then, through the Holy Spirit, he entrusted the work of love and justice to everyday people. The first followers of Jesus did not merely preserve his story as distant memory, nor did they postpone salvation as a future hope. Empowered and filled by the Holy, they remembered Jesus and became living witnesses to what God had done and was still doing in their community. In the midst of fear, uncertainty, and imperial violence, they told and retold these stories so that the work of the kin(g)dom of God would remain alive in their communities and continue through future generations.

Their witness proclaimed a salvation that was past, present, and still to come:

The Messiah saved us.
The Messiah is saving us.
The Messiah will save us.

Today, we continue this witness. In a weary and fractured world, people still hunger for healing, justice, belonging, and hope strong enough to endure. And still, the Messiah meets us in our midst—in acts of courage and compassion, in communities of resistance and repair, in ordinary people who refuse to believe that cruelty and despair have the final word.

In the season of Advent, we wait for the Messiah who will save us. And on this path toward Christmas, a thrill of hope creeps over the weary world. We watch for the Messiah not only in ancient stories, but in the living world around us. We look for signs of God’s kin(g)dom whenever people choose mercy over cruelty, generosity over greed, and courage over fear. We expect Christ to meet us in classrooms and courtrooms, at kitchen tables and hospital bedsides, in protests and prayer circles, in shelters, sanctuaries, and neighborhoods longing for peace. The miracle of Immanuel did not end in Bethlehem. The thrill of hope persists.

First Sunday of Advent

KEEP AWAKE

MARK 13:24–37

How do we recognize God’s saving work?

The season of Advent begins with hope. Jesus speaks about a world that’s changing, not ending, as God’s saving work is already drawing near. Salvation is not a chance to escape from this world; it’s an invitation to recognize and actively participate in the work God has done, is doing, and will continue to do.

Second Sunday of Advent

PREPARE THE WAY

Mark 1:1–8

How do we prepare the way for God’s saving work?

The Messiah is coming, and John prepares the way with a call to repentance. Only, this repentance expands beyond just changing your mind; it’s an invitation to work together and make room for God’s peace. God’s salvation is already drawing near, and we are invited to help prepare the way.

Third Sunday of Advent

AMONG YOU STANDS ONE

John 1:6–8, 19–28

How do we recognize signs of God’s presence among us?

Everyone wonders if John is the Messiah, but John points beyond himself to the One who is already present among them. The joy of salvation emerges when we testify to God’s presence in the world. God’s saving work is already among us, waiting to be recognized and shared.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

LET IT BE WITH ME

Luke 1:26–38

How do we participate in God’s story of salvation?

As Advent draws to a close, the focus shifts from recognizing and preparing for God’s saving work to participating in it. Though Mary cannot know everything that lies ahead, she chooses to trust God and become part of something larger than herself. God’s ongoing story of salvation includes us all, and we’re invited to help bring God’s love to the world.

Christmas

GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY

Luke 2:1–14 (15–20)

How does God bring salvation through community?

God enters the world through a child born into the everyday life of a working family, and is immediately welcomed into a network of relationships, care, and belonging. God’s salvation shows up in and through communities of ordinary people. Together, we participate in God’s saving work, and together, we are being made whole.

First Sunday after Christmas

MY EYES HAVE SEEN YOUR SALVATION

Luke 2:22–40

How do we recognize God’s saving work in difficult times?

Simeon and Anna recognize that God’s saving work extends outward toward all peoples and all creation. Their testimony reveals a God who remains present and secure. Salvation is more than a future promise; it is God’s liberating and comforting presence breaking into present circumstances.

Epiphany

ANOTHER ROAD

Matthew 2:1–12

How is God revealing salvation in the world around us?

The Magi journey from distant lands, following signs of God’s presence until they encounter the child Jesus. Their arrival reveals that God’s salvation is not limited by geography, culture, status, or identity. God’s saving work has always been intended for all people.

Special Epiphany Traditions

Two special Epiphany traditions are "Star Words" and "Chalking the House".

"Star Words" are a word chosen to be guide for your year-long medition upon and witness to God's love made human in Christ. Click HERE to randomly choose a Star Word for the coming year.
Chalking the House for the coming year on the day before Epiphany, January 5, rooted in the coming of the Magi to worship Christ. Click HERE for 2 forms to use to bless your home.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse