Why do I love Christmas so much?
Dear Calvary Family,
Merry Christmas!! The most wonderful time of the year has arrived and I’m so excited to share it with all of you. Why do I love Christmas so much? Because it celebrates the long-awaited arrival of God in human form to bring about our deliverance from the shackles of sin and death. Jesus is King! Jesus is here!
Jesus coming to live with us is called the incarnation.
The incarnation is an invitation.
An invitation to everyone to have a seat at the table of God. A seat at the banquet table of the Creator of the universe.
And as the host of this great feast, God didn’t just send a messenger with the invitation. He lowered himself from heaven to earth to live as one of us and bring us his invitation.
This is Christmas!
Here are some highlights of a few different ways we'll be celebrating this season:
Christmas Tree Lighting
Don’t miss out on this Saturday from 4:00-7:00pm. This is an amazing event to bring all your friends and family but it’s also the perfect event to invite those people who are uncomfortable with church. We will have so much fun with inflatables, games, crafts and cookie decorating, train ride, photo booth, food trucks, live music, and even a camel at a living nativity! You can also can come shop at the Christmas for a Cause pop up shop making a difference locally and globally. The Tree Lighting Celebration begins in the courtyard at 6:00pm with raffle prize giveaways, a few Christmas carols, the reading of the Christmas story from Luke 2, a very brief introduction to the Good News of Jesus, and then the lighting of the tree! Find out more, including a wish list for the Hospital Toy Drive and more at CalvaryLife.org/Tree.
Advent Sunday Series
Our Advent sermon series called The Christmas Table starts this Sunday. We will learn more about how we have hope because of Jesus to have a seat at the great banquet table of God for all of eternity. Join us each Sunday in December at 9am (English/ASL) + 11am (Spanish) — wrapping up with a meaningful Candlelight Service together on Christmas Eve at 10am + 4pm. These will be two identical services on Sunday, December 24 celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ with beautiful worship, a brief sermon, and the lighting of the candles. See details at CalvaryLife.org/Series
Christmas Tables
This Advent season, practice hospitality and experience community around the table. People from the Calvary Church family are opening up their homes across Orange County the weekend of December 8-10 to gather together, share a meal, and celebrate the true blessings of this season. RSVP with your family, grab a friend to go together, or sign up solo for a dinner in your area at CalvaryLife.org/Tables.
Advent Prayers
We have a weekly devotional guide of Scriptures and reflective prayers to help stir your heart’s affection and mind’s attention toward the coming of Jesus Christ. Our prayer as a pastoral team is that you experience more of God's hope, peace, joy and love as you seek to connect with the Lord in this Advent season leading up to Christmas. Download the free Advent Prayers guide today at CalvaryLife.org/Advent. (Available in English and Spanish)
Find out more about everything happening this Christmas at Calvary at CalvaryLife.org/Christmas.
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
Eric