“The Beatitudes in Advent”

Sunday, Nov. 27-Dec. 11 | 9:40-10:40 AM

Led by Rev. Harry Brown

Advent is a four week period in which the church, rejoicing in Christ’s first coming, eagerly looks
forward to his second coming. The season traditionally involves calls to repentance that we
might be ready for Christ’s return. It involves calls for watchfulness, so we don’t miss his
coming. It involves warnings that his coming will be at an unexpected time. Advent is a time to
reflect that in Christ’s coming the Kingdom of God has drawn near and is being established in
our midst.

The coming of Jesus introduces the reign and kingdom of God. It is in many ways the anti-
structure. Jesus coming begins the establishment of an entirely new reign. His life, death and resurrection, as well as passages like the Magnificat, enable us to begin to grasp that this
Kingdom is going to be different from anything we expect given our earthly perspective.
The Beatitudes give us a glimpse of what this kingdom will be like and thus they are an excellent
way for us to reflect on and prepare for the coming of Christ. The beatitudes are not a list of
ethical injunctions of what we are to do and say in order to be happy and saved. They are
instead statements of fact that tell us how the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek and so
on will stand in the kingdom of God. In the process, they turn our present ideas and structures
upside down.

Join us beginning November 27 for three weeks as we explore how the beatitudes deepen and
expand our understanding of Christ’s coming, how we prepare for his return and celebrate
Christmas. I’m looking forward to sharing and dialoguing with you.