The Angels of Christmas: Hearing God’s Message This Advent

 

The Christmas story is filled with familiar sights and sounds: a lowly manger, a brilliant star, humble shepherds, and adoring parents. And weaving through it all are angels.

We often see them as silent, decorative figures with halos and wings. But in the biblical narrative, angels are anything but quiet. They are God’s messengers, dynamic agents of change who arrive with earth-shattering, history-altering news. When they appear, they interrupt the ordinary with the extraordinary and command one thing: “Listen.”

This Advent, we invite you to join us for a five-part sermon series, "The Angels of Christmas," based on the work of Susan Robb. Our theme will be "Hearing God’s Message, Listening to God’s Messengers."

We will journey through the familiar nativity story by focusing on the four pivotal angelic encounters that paved the way for Christ’s birth. We’ll explore the visits to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, examining not only the message they received but also their very human reactions.

Looking at the appearances of the angel Gabriel and others in both the Old and New Testaments, we'll discover how these moments reveal God’s faithful presence throughout history. More importantly, we'll ask: How is God still speaking to us today? In a season of noise and distraction, how can we, like Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, learn to hear God’s voice and respond with faith?

We hope you will join us on this journey as we prepare our hearts for Christmas.

---

Series Schedule

First Sunday of Advent | November 30, 2025

• Sermon: "Gabriel and Zechariah"

• Scripture: Luke 1:5-25; Luke 1:57-80

Second Sunday of Advent | December 7, 2025

• Sermon: "Gabriel and Mary"

• Scripture: Luke 1:26-38; Luke 1:46-56

• (This service will include the Sacrament of Communion and a time for anointing prayers for healing and wholeness.)

Third Sunday of Advent | December 14, 2025

• Sermon: "An Angel of the Lord and Joseph"

• Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:13-23

• (This service will be our traditional Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, featuring our Children’s Christmas Pageant.)

Fourth Sunday of Advent | December 21, 2025

• Sermon: "The Angels and the Shepherds"

• Scripture: Luke 2:8-14; Luke 2:15-20

Christmas Eve | Wednesday, December 24, 2025 (6:00 p.m.)

• Sermon: "The Angel in Your Nativity"

• Scripture: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 148; Luke 2:1-7

• (This service will be our traditional Christmas Eve service, concluding with Silent Night sung by candlelight.)