Happy New Year! Today marks the beginning of Advent, a word which means ‘coming’ in Latin. It is a 4 Sunday season that begins the Church Year and prepares worshippers for Christmas. Advent is a contemplative time.
The tension between the now and the not yet is one of the great themes of Advent. On the one hand, we prepare for the coming of the Christ in Bethlehem. On the other hand, we prepare for His second coming at the end of time. The tension between the past and future is fully embraced by God’s people in the present as it prepares by meeting her coming Lord in the Lord’s Supper.
The first Sunday of Advent follows immediately on the heels of four Sunday’s thick with end times anticipation. They close off the season of Pentecost. Following the recognition of the final judgement, Advent is the dawn of the end-time, because Jesus, the end of all things, is born Bethlehem. Jesus has invaded our sin laden cosmos and radically altered it by His presence for its good.
Advent & Christmas are about how the apocalyptic invasion of Christ in His incarnation and birth is the ‘End Time’ event! In Jesus birth, death & resurrection, the end times have already begun, but have not reached their final consummation. When Jesus was made man, it was all over, so to speak, but not yet, in the context of human time.
Arthur Just: Heaven on Earth; the gifts of Christ in the divine service, p. 133,134.
Mark Hampel is an enthusiastic communicator of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was ordained in 1988 and has served in churches and schools in 3 states. He currently lives in Chinchilla, Qld. His passion is building up the faith of God’s people and working with them so that all will come to know Christ as their joy and salvation.
Mark is happily married to Veronica and they have 4 children and 4 grandsons. He is also a farmer of sorts, having spent the last decade establishing a date plantation in Western Queensland. Other hobbies include Australian history, travel, film & literature and of course, family.
St John’s Downfall Creek, has been a centre of Christian faith and life in the area for over 100 years. They operated a Christian school for twenty-two years (1940 – 62).
This faith community is a warm-hearted bunch, who love to share their hospitality with the district. They enjoy many a pot luck dinner and host ‘Easter Dawn Service & Breakfast’, ‘Christmas Eve’ & ‘Advent Tea’’ and ‘Games Nights’ for the community.
Home Groups are an important part of life in the Downfall. Discussion and exploration of the faith are encouraged.
Religious Education at the nearby Guluguba Primary School is provided by St John’s.
Redeemer Miles, is a dedicated group who know the love of Christ and are keen to share it. They meet regularly in various homes throughout the district for intergenerational worship and home groups.
Religious Education at nearby Drillham State Primary School is provided by Redeemer.
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