What is a Vespers service?
A VESPERS service is a time in the evening that focuses on worship through song and prayer. If you want to know more, check out our other blog post on VESPERS where we tell you just it.
Upcoming Vespers
december, 2024
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What is Advent?
Advent isn’t just an excuse to eat waxy chocolate each day leading up to Christmas…it’s actually something that the Christian Church has been participating in for quite some time. Advent is a time to prepare for the celebration of Jesus coming at Christmas. Now this is not to be confused with the “Christmas Season” that we hear about on the radio or in the newspaper. Advent isn’t all about being busy with shopping, spending money, attending work functions or school plays, and waiting in line for that killer deal on the new iPhone 6 plus in Target’s annual “Two-Sundays-After-Black-Friday-and-Two-Before-Christmas Sale.” No, the season of Advent is about slowing down, setting our hearts and minds on God, and anticipating the celebration of Jesus coming to earth at Christmas.
The season begins the 4th Sunday before Christmas every year, which this year happens to be November 30th and don’t you know it the same date of our VESPERS advent service. You’d think we planned it this way or something!
So what’s this service going to be like?
As the season of Advent unfolds, each week there is a special focus on different aspects of Jesus’ coming to earth. These are traditionally represented in a Sunday service by the lighting of candles and accompanied by readings each week. We have done this in the past at SouthRidge, but this year we will be kicking off our Advent celebration with this VESPERS service, and the night will follow the normal pattern of each of the four Sundays of Advent. We will have some videos, scriptures, readings, and prayers that help guide us through the four sections of the night of song and prayer.
What’s with the name “Future / Past”?
Aside from being a fantastic song by John Mark McMillan, “Future / Past” refers to the twofold nature of Advent. Jesus has already come to earth as a baby in the manger at Christmas so many years ago, but he did not stay there. He lived and died for us, rising from the dead and ascending to his place at the right hand of the Father in heaven. And he’s not going to stay there either. Jesus has promised to return, once and for all as our king, and fully establish his Kingdom here on earth. As John’s vision of this glorious event played out in Revelation, he heard these words, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Rev. 21:3, ESV).
So as we enter into this season of Advent, we are celebrating the coming of Jesus, both in the past and the future. We are celebrating his Kingdom, which has come and is still coming. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Cor 13:12, ESV).
Come join us, and worship the God who is the beginning and the end, the God of our past and our future.