Beauty From Ashes, Pt. 1: "Working, Watching, Waiting"

In Advent, the Church stands between two proclamations: "God has come!" and "Come, Lord Jesus, come!" On this first Sunday of Advent, we examine what it means to live with hope in the in-between. Preaching from the lectionary texts, Pastor Glenn Packiam calls us to work for justice and reconciliation, to watch for signs of God at work, and to wait for the great 'Shalom' that only God can bring. In light of recent unrest and racial tensions resulting from the Ferguson decision, we find Advent to be the a way of giving voice to our lament over the brokenness of this world, and a way of reminding ourselves of the hope of the gospel.