Weekly Update // Pastor John

 Dear Asbury,

The lights are going up all over town, the tree is standing tall in our living room, and the calendar is filling quickly, because Advent has a way of being both beautiful and busy at the same time. And yet, Scripture invites us to breathe deeply and remember that peace isn’t simply the absence of chaos, it is the presence of Christ.

This week’s reading from Isaiah 11:1–10 paints a picture of shalom: God’s dream where wolves and lambs lie together, the vulnerable are safe, justice is restored, and creation itself is healed. This is peace that goes far beyond a quiet moment or a calm schedule. It is God making all things right. It is wholeness, restoration, and hope breaking into our world.

As we light the second candle of Advent, may we seek that kind of peace, peace for our spirits, peace in our homes, peace in our relationships, peace in our community.

May the Prince of Peace meet you in the bustle and the quiet, in the lights and the shadows, and may you find His peace, His shalom, this Advent and Christmas season.

Shalom,

Pastor John

P.S. If your heart is not at peace this Christmas I want to invite you to our Blue Christmas Service Sunday December 7 at 4pm in the Chapel, it will be a time to experience hope and healing.