Hello Mt. Vernon Church Family,

Sunday, November 27th is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is the season of waiting, with great expectation, for the Birth of Christ. We will wait patiently, beginning with exploring HOPE. We anticipate this amazing event hoping that it will fulfill all of our dreams and desires. We need a Savior….we expect a Savior….we desire a Savior. Will the birth of this Savior satisfy our needs, expectations, and desires? Why are we so excited? We are excited because, paradoxically, the Lord has both already come and yet is still to come to the world. His promises have been fulfilled and are still to be fulfilled. We await the birth of a baby born of a virgin and wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger. He comes into our hearts by the amazing power of the Holy Spirit. When He returns to our world, He will be our judge and our Savior.

What do we do while we wait? We prepare our hearts. We are to be expectant, receptive, and responsive to the Lord’s initiative, then our lives should take on deeper meaning. When we have hope, our lives are encouraged, and we receive a greater meaning for our lives with better attentiveness to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

While we wait, let’s share Jesus with others that may not see and know what we know and expect. Jesus was real; Jesus is real; Jesus will come again!

Rev. Hazeline “Hazel” Jackson