Advent 2020Sample

Christmas: a story about hope Christmas is a hope story. A story about rescue: a great and gaping need answered. God, almighty, sovereign, omnipotent ruler of the universe, saw that we, humanity, were dying in our brokenness and sin. Unable to pull ourselves out of our imperfect choices, we were stumbling in separation from him – and so he sent the solution. It cost him: his son. And as he gave us the gift of freedom from condemnation, he opened up to us a future filled with hope. He calls us to share that same gift, given to us on the first Christmas – a gift wrapped not in ribbon and wrapping paper, but in fragile flesh and powerful love. He beckons to us to become the solution to our world, bearers of hope and a future. So, in response, we reach out to people like Ireen and Wilson in Malawi, where it’s estimated that 2.6 million people now face hunger. For many, this will be because they aren’t able to harvest enough food. Hunger causes disease, death and lack of development. Young people stop going to school because they’re too hungry. Things that could make people's lives, homes and communities better are left undone because it’s hard to focus on anything else when all your thoughts are consumed by simply finding some food. People live just to eat, trapped in a cycle of poverty. Jesus came for freedom. God’s plan for our lives is freedom. Hunger steals freedom. The gift of Jesus' birth was that new and profound hope for all of us. A saviour. God, clothed in flesh, with compassion on humanity because he wore our frailties, and yet conquered them. So we follow his example – to bring hope.