Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!

Here's my favorite 'Advent' song, a perfect way to begin the week of Christmas...

So, What is a Live Nativity?

I began serving here at Calvary 2 1/2 years ago, and when I first arrived everyone told me about this thing called the 'Live Nativity,' and how excited they were for me to see it. At the time all I could think to myself was, "what the heck is a Live Nativity?"Well, a few months later I was able to see it first hand (and participate), and I understood why people were so excited. In short, it is this: a chance to hear the story of Jesus' birth in a new way: with scenes of the story accompanied by wonderful, live music, excellent story telling, live animals (my favorite part), and, of course, Christmas cookies. This is a terrific way for the entire family to really dive head-first into the Advent and Christmas season.

Hope to see you this Sunday between 4 pm and 6:30 pm at Calvary!

Advent: The Time of Preparation, Light and...Stress?

My calendar, filled to the brim for the next 24 days, is overwhelming me. Shopping for Christmas gifts, which includes figuring out the PERFECT gift for friends and family, and finding the money to do so, gives me great stress. How many of you are with me? The other day I had to remind myself that the purpose of Christmas is not just to get through Christmas. So, I took some time, prayed, reflected on this season of preparation, of promise, of light, and decided to make a concerted effort to not let myself be consumed by calendars, gifts and the things that distract me from the true purpose: Jesus. And I was reminded of this wonderful video that gets straight to the heart of Advent and Christmas...

How do you prepare?

This past weekend's Gospel (Luke 3:1-6) is, for me, the core of what Advent is about. Whenever I hear this text I immediately hear "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" from Godspell. In fact, I can't get it out of my head. You can get it stuck in your head too...



This text raises a question, though...what does it mean to 'prepare the way of the Lord?' For our society, Advent is often bypassed altogether, and we 'prepare the way of the Lord' by preparing for a cultural Christmas: hanging lights, decorating the Christmas tree, standing in long lines purchasing gifts that we're not sure our friends and family will even like, going to holiday parties, listening to holiday music, watching Rudolph, Charlie Brown and other TV Christmas specials, and the like. I know this because this is what I do. This is what I see others do. While I have no doubt that God can work through these, is it really preparing us for the coming of Christ? What did John intend for God's people?

I am challenging myself (and you) to treat Advent as something different, something sacred. I think that we're called to a time of repentance, a time of reflection, and a time of excitement. We're called to pray, to be a light to those in need, to give hope to the hopeless, to be in worship, to care for one another, and to focus on, above all else, Christ's coming to the world.

Let us truly Prepare the Way of the Lord!

Peace,
Dave Dringenburg

Advent Conspiracy

The following video was produced by a group called 'Advent Conspiracy." If you've seen it before, great! If not, give it a look...



If you're much like me, you probably stress about what to get everyone on your Christmas list, wondering if they'll like it, if it will fit, if it's the right color, etc. Advent Conspiracy is attempting to bring our consumer culture closer to what God intends things to be: one of worship, giving, love and service. I encourage you to pray about your Christmas spending, and see where part of that money can be given to help those that lack the basic necessities of life. If you're looking to support those lacking water, consider giving to Water to Thrive, a non-profit organization building wells in rural and impoverished areas of Africa. Check out their website at watertothrive.org.

Peace and Light in Advent,
Dave Dringenburg