First Sunday of Advent – November 29, 2026
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” 
- Mark 13:32 -
Hope is Found Only in Jesus
We have already seen the signs of Christmas, but today the church begins a journey through the season of Advent. We will be very busy in the coming weeks with shopping, baking, wrapping and decorating. There will be programs and parties, but Advent is about so much more. It is a time for waiting. It is a time for watching. We can’t avoid Christmas in the world but during Advent we are also to be readying our hearts for the coming of our King.
We are preparing to welcome the baby in the manger, but we are also waiting for His second coming. Jesus Christ has already come, died, and been raised, but we still wait for the fulfillment of all His promises. The work of salvation is complete, but it still needs to be completed. Eternity is already ours, but we have to wait until the Day when it comes to fruition. We live in the already but not yet. Light is in the world, but darkness still plagues us.
We begin Advent in darkness, but the Light will increase over the next four weeks as we look forward the Nativity of Jesus. The Gospel text for today is “Mark’s Little Apocalypse.” We are tempted to look for the signs that are described in this text, pointing out cosmic phenomenon, natural disasters, and newspaper headlines worrying that every event proves the time is now. Mark reminds us, however, that we will never know the day or the hour. It is for the Father to decide when Christ will come again.
Instead of worrying about the apocalypse, God calls us to use our gifts to share His hope and peace with those who are lost and dying. Jesus is coming to bring light in the world, but while we wait, we can make the world a little brighter. There is so much to do in the next few weeks, but there is nothing more important than sharing the message of hope and peace that has been and will be fulfilled in Jesus, the Baby and the King.

First Sunday of Advent – November 29, 2026
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” 
- Mark 13:32 -
Hope is Found Only in Jesus
We have already seen the signs of Christmas, but today the church begins a journey through the season of Advent. We will be very busy in the coming weeks with shopping, baking, wrapping and decorating. There will be programs and parties, but Advent is about so much more. It is a time for waiting. It is a time for watching. We can’t avoid Christmas in the world but during Advent we are also to be readying our hearts for the coming of our King.
We are preparing to welcome the baby in the manger, but we are also waiting for His second coming. Jesus Christ has already come, died, and been raised, but we still wait for the fulfillment of all His promises. The work of salvation is complete, but it still needs to be completed. Eternity is already ours, but we have to wait until the Day when it comes to fruition. We live in the already but not yet. Light is in the world, but darkness still plagues us.
We begin Advent in darkness, but the Light will increase over the next four weeks as we look forward the Nativity of Jesus. The Gospel text for today is “Mark’s Little Apocalypse.” We are tempted to look for the signs that are described in this text, pointing out cosmic phenomenon, natural disasters, and newspaper headlines worrying that every event proves the time is now. Mark reminds us, however, that we will never know the day or the hour. It is for the Father to decide when Christ will come again.
Instead of worrying about the apocalypse, God calls us to use our gifts to share His hope and peace with those who are lost and dying. Jesus is coming to bring light in the world, but while we wait, we can make the world a little brighter. There is so much to do in the next few weeks, but there is nothing more important than sharing the message of hope and peace that has been and will be fulfilled in Jesus, the Baby and the King.