Advent Day 3 – Hope – Angel Tree
December 3, 2024 – Hope – Angel Tree
A Legacy of Care and Promise
2 Samuel 7:18-29
"Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?" (2 Samuel 7:18)
David’s prayer in 2 Samuel 7 overflows with awe and gratitude. After hearing God’s promise to establish his house and lineage forever, David humbly acknowledges his own unworthiness. He marvels that God has woven his life into a divine plan that extends far beyond his imagination. This prayer is not only about God’s promises to David but also about God’s overarching faithfulness to all creation.
During Advent, we wait in the same spirit of awe and gratitude for the fulfillment of God’s promises. Through Christ, the descendant of David, God’s eternal house is established, offering hope, peace, and belonging to all people. This season is also a time to reflect on how we extend God’s care to others—particularly to the vulnerable and overlooked.
The Black Mountain Children’s Home exemplifies this divine legacy by creating a safe and loving environment for children in crisis. Their work ensures that children who have experienced instability find a sense of belonging and family. Similarly, the church’s Angel Tree shopping allowed us to bring joy to foster families and remind them of their intrinsic value. Each gift sorted, wrapped, and delivered reflects God’s care and faithfulness, carried out by the hands of ordinary people who choose to live out God’s love.
David’s prayer is a model for us. First, it calls us to marvel at God’s goodness and acknowledge that everything we have and are comes from God. Second, it invites us to participate in the unfolding of God’s promises. When we support ministries like the Black Mountain Children’s Home and the Angel Tree program, we are actively building spaces of love and care that mirror the eternal house God promised.
Advent teaches us that God’s promises often come to fruition through human hands. The volunteers sorting the Angel Tree gifts today are part of this holy work, ensuring that children and families experience the love of Christ in tangible ways. These acts of service remind us that God’s legacy of care continues through us, reaching into the lives of the vulnerable and creating a house of belonging for all.
We give thanks to Jill Dudley and her family for spearheading this effort, the volunteers who bought and organized the gifts, and those who donated so that the youth could shop for their own Angel Tree children.
Prayer: Faithful and loving God, you have brought us this far, and your promises sustain us. We thank you for your unfailing love, for the hope we have in Christ, and for the ways you call us to extend that love to others. Bless the children and families of the Black Mountain Children’s Home, and foster families receiving gifts through the Angel Tree program. May these acts of care bring joy, peace, and hope into their lives. We lift up the volunteers sorting gifts today. Strengthen their hands and hearts as they serve, and let their efforts be a reflection of your abundant love. May their work bring light to this Advent season, and may they know the deep joy of participating in your kingdom's work. Help us all to build a legacy of love and compassion, so that our lives, like David’s, may bring glory to your name. Amen.
Action: Continue making Christmas at Black Mountain’s Home for Children special by donating to their Christmas wish-list.
2 Samuel 7:18-29
"Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?" (2 Samuel 7:18)
David’s prayer in 2 Samuel 7 overflows with awe and gratitude. After hearing God’s promise to establish his house and lineage forever, David humbly acknowledges his own unworthiness. He marvels that God has woven his life into a divine plan that extends far beyond his imagination. This prayer is not only about God’s promises to David but also about God’s overarching faithfulness to all creation.
During Advent, we wait in the same spirit of awe and gratitude for the fulfillment of God’s promises. Through Christ, the descendant of David, God’s eternal house is established, offering hope, peace, and belonging to all people. This season is also a time to reflect on how we extend God’s care to others—particularly to the vulnerable and overlooked.
The Black Mountain Children’s Home exemplifies this divine legacy by creating a safe and loving environment for children in crisis. Their work ensures that children who have experienced instability find a sense of belonging and family. Similarly, the church’s Angel Tree shopping allowed us to bring joy to foster families and remind them of their intrinsic value. Each gift sorted, wrapped, and delivered reflects God’s care and faithfulness, carried out by the hands of ordinary people who choose to live out God’s love.
David’s prayer is a model for us. First, it calls us to marvel at God’s goodness and acknowledge that everything we have and are comes from God. Second, it invites us to participate in the unfolding of God’s promises. When we support ministries like the Black Mountain Children’s Home and the Angel Tree program, we are actively building spaces of love and care that mirror the eternal house God promised.
Advent teaches us that God’s promises often come to fruition through human hands. The volunteers sorting the Angel Tree gifts today are part of this holy work, ensuring that children and families experience the love of Christ in tangible ways. These acts of service remind us that God’s legacy of care continues through us, reaching into the lives of the vulnerable and creating a house of belonging for all.
We give thanks to Jill Dudley and her family for spearheading this effort, the volunteers who bought and organized the gifts, and those who donated so that the youth could shop for their own Angel Tree children.
Prayer: Faithful and loving God, you have brought us this far, and your promises sustain us. We thank you for your unfailing love, for the hope we have in Christ, and for the ways you call us to extend that love to others. Bless the children and families of the Black Mountain Children’s Home, and foster families receiving gifts through the Angel Tree program. May these acts of care bring joy, peace, and hope into their lives. We lift up the volunteers sorting gifts today. Strengthen their hands and hearts as they serve, and let their efforts be a reflection of your abundant love. May their work bring light to this Advent season, and may they know the deep joy of participating in your kingdom's work. Help us all to build a legacy of love and compassion, so that our lives, like David’s, may bring glory to your name. Amen.
Action: Continue making Christmas at Black Mountain’s Home for Children special by donating to their Christmas wish-list.
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2024
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Advent Day 1 - HopeAdvent Day 2 – Hope – Emma Community MarketAdvent Day 3 – Hope – Angel TreeAdvent Day 4 – Hope – Haywood Street CongregationAdvent Day 5 – Hope – Youth MinistryAdvent Day 6 – Hope – Church and SocietyAdvent Day 7 – Hope – Children's MinistryAdvent Day 8 - PeaceAdvent Day 9 – Peace – Prison MinistryAdvent Day 10 – Peace – Creation CareAdvent Day 11 – Peace – Wilderness TrailAdvent Day 12 – Peace – Children's MinistryC4C Winter Coat Drive 2024Advent Day 13 – Peace – Habitat for HumanityAdvent Day 14 – Peace – United Women in FaithAdvent Day 15 - Rev. Ann OwensCentral UMC Visits First UMC, Moheto in KenyaAdvent Day 16 – Joy – College ChristmasAdvent Day 17 – Joy – Reconciling Ministries NetworkAdvent Day 18 – Joy – ABCCMAdvent Day 19 – Joy – Stephen MinistryAdvent Day 20 – Joy – Children's MinistryAdvent Day 21 – Joy – Youth MinistryAdvent Day 22 – LoveAdvent Day 23 – Love – Recovery ResourcesAdvent Day 24 – Love – Worship and the ArtsAdvent Day 25 – Christmas
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