With Thanksgiving here, we are about to enter into the season of Advent along with Christians all over the world. Advent is a special time of year where we celebrate, remember, and reenact the story of Christ’s birth. This is an exciting time of hope, peace, joy, and love as we anticipate the coming of our Lord.

There will be many ways to observe this Advent season at Ridge Road Baptist Church. We have provided advent devotionals for adults and families. The adult devotional is a collection by C.S. Lewis. The family devotional is an interactive guide through the symbols of Advent and Christmas. We hope you will be blessed by these in your personal and family reflections. Our calendar is also full of gatherings and observances that will happen throughout the month of December.

November 29th is the first Sunday of Advent. As we spend this week thinking of what we are thankful for, I encourage you to begin a journey to Bethlehem. When God came to earth God did so in a very unexpected way. While most thought God would come in great power, might, and vengeance, our Creator instead came as a helpless baby, born amidst damp stone walls, livestock, and unassuming parents. A far cry from the palaces in which other kings had been birthed.

As we begin our Advent journey I want to challenge you to be attentive to the unexpected, the unplanned, and the inconvenient. These are often the things we try to avoid during the holiday rush. However, these are the very things that make up the story surrounding the nativity. Often we assume God’s absence when things go awry, when our lives get thrown off track, or when we face significant trials. The story of the nativity, however, shows us that in the midst of those very experiences, Christ arrives.

In the midst of a broken, frantic, hyper-active, and fearful world, Jesus shows up — God shows up. The Advent season challenges us to keep a look out for that to happen.