The Great Grace Gift Exchange

We’re all familiar a Christmas gift exchange. We’ve swapped gifts at office parties, neighborhood potlucks, and family gatherings. In church we celebrate a Christmas gift exchange too, the Great Grace Gift Exchange!

As we journey through this message series we’ll see how the great grace gift exchange works in the lives of God’s faithful people. Isaiah, the prophet, brings the estrangement of exile and God gives the comfort of hope. Zechariah, the priest, brings feelings of futility and God offers a surprise of faith. Mary, the virgin mother to be, brings her perplexed ponderings and God fills her with a song of joy. Joseph, the dutiful finance, brings a broken dream and God renews him with a vision of promise.

And during Advent and Christmas we’ll reflect upon how the great grace gift exchange works in our lives. What do I bring? What does God give? How does Christ’s coming at Christmas open us to the comfort of hope, a surprise of faith, songs of joy, and visions of promise?

I’m excited about sharing this series of Advent/Christmas messages with you as we join together in “The Grace Gift Exchange” at Spring Valley.