Important Update

Hello church family. Peace be with you!

Several of the staff, clergy, and vestry met today to discuss our ongoing response to Coronavirus. After hearing from them, consulting with other pastors, and monitoring the latest from the CDC and local officials, I've decide the most loving and wise thing to do is to cancel in-person services and all other official church activities for the next two weeks, at which point we will reevaluate. I'm excited about the way this will call out of us more creative and sacrificial ways of loving one another, our friends, and our neighbors. For starters, here are some things we are cooking up:

• Prayer and spiritual formation support. Jeromie is working on a solution for offering a digital platform for us to come together in daily morning prayer.

• Family support. We are working on a way to offer families with children who are home from school some creative and formative ways of spending the time together (let Brenda or me know if you have ideas/resources!)

• Grocery/supplies support. Stephanie Giles has volunteered to coordinate grocery/supply delivery for those in our midst who are self-quarantined and need groceries or other specific supplies. Let her know if you need anything OR are open to lending a hand on this front. Please CC office@adventdenver.com. 

• Pastoral care. Please let your small group leaders know if there are any ways you need increased care and support. All Advent clergy and I are also available to talk, pray, and process with you. Don't hesitate to reach out.

• Financial Assistance. People in our church and in our community are facing the loss of hours and the loss of jobs. We'd like to be in a position to help as needs arise. You can help by giving to the Pastoral Discretionary Fund at https://adventdenver.churchcenter.com/giving. This would be a great time to make use of our online giving platform if you are not already doing so. 

While the world is panic-buying and isolating, you are invited to embrace your identity as priests of God: Worship Him, rest in Him, draw near to one another in creative ways, live courageously and generously with your neighbors and coworkers. 

In the words of C.S. Lewis during war-time: “I think it is important to try to see the present calamity in a true perspective. The war [or Coronavirus] creates no absolutely new situation: it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it.” Whether in war or in a global pandemic, remember - priests of God - that "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 91:1). He is your refuge. Your fortress. Your God. In life and in death... Fear not and trust Him!

Lastly, some resources and points of prayer for you to bring before the throne of God. 

Digital resources:

• Songs of Comfort For Anxious Souls (TGC): Spotify and Apple Music

• Daily Office from the 2019 BCP. A great resource if the physical BCP intimidates you. It's all organized for you - just scroll! 

• Better than Netflix! Seminary level classes (free for the month march) on a range of topics from a large Anglican Church in the Carolinas. Use promo code: Psalm103:3

Prayer requests:

• The beautiful people of Advent — for health, witnessing opportunities, peace, and joy;

• Archbishop Foley Beach, Bishop Ken Ross, and other Christian leaders -- for discernment and clarity in their many decisions and responsibilities;

• For our national, regional, and local political leaders -- for wisdom, courage, humility, and a keen sense of God’s presence and guidance;

• For nurses, doctors, other medical professionals and medical researchers (at Advent and beyond) -- for endurance, health, insight, skill, and for their families.

• Residents in nursing homes and elderly care facilities, and those who care for them, — for hope and an abiding confidence in God’s nearness, mercy, and kindness;

• For our military and for those overseas — for strength, courage, and service that attains to human flourishing.

• For the poor and marginalized, the persecuted church, and for those without access to healthcare -- for provision and the faith to stand firm and to wait upon the Lord in the midst of unimaginable trials and suffering;

• Those who do not yet trust Christ -- for their hearts to be opened to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Stay tuned for more information and opportunities to connect. May the peace of God reign in you!

Jordan+

Faith, Peace, Wisdom and COVID-1

Hello church family,

Peace be with you! I'd like to offer you an exhortation to prayer and an update on Advent's ongoing preparation and response to COVID-19. 

First, I'd encourage you to pray and meditate in three ways:

• For faith amidst fear. 

  • Pray for the death-conquering hope of the Gospel to resound in your own heart and the world over. This is an opportunity for Christians to bear witness to a love greater than fear. 

    • Scripture for meditation: 1 Cor 15:55 | “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

• For peace amidst panic. 

  • Pray for the peace of God to rule your heart and mind, that the church of God would be a faithful and non-anxious presence as the world navigates this threat. 

    • Scripture for meditation: Phil 4:4-7 | Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

• For wisdom amidst chaos.

  • Pray for world, national, local, and church leadership to wisely implement informed protocols in their local contexts, and especially for those in healthcare to safely and wisely address the virus and care for those who have it.

    • Scripture for meditation: Is 33:6 | "...and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure."

Second, as we reject fear, anxiety, and panic and put on faith and peace, wisdom does invite us to consider how we can minimize risk to our community, especially those who are immunosuppressed or over 60. Here are practical steps the ACNA leadership has endorsed as wisdom and Advent will be implementing:

A. Social distancing and self-quarantine guidelines:

• Please do not come to Advent services, small groups, or other events if you or anyone in your household has had any cold or flu symptoms within the last 24 hours.

• Please do not come to Advent services, small groups, or other events within one week of traveling by airplane. If you have travelled, we'd encourage you to self-quarantine for one week while monitoring symptoms. 

• Those over 60 and those who are immunosuppressed should feel free to consider worshiping at home on Sundays until further notice. A fellow ACNA church and valued ministry partner in Denver, Wellspring Englewood, offers a live stream at https://www.wellspringenglewood.com/live, and the clergy of Advent would be privileged to arrange to bring you communion. Having said that, this is completely your choice: If you decide to remain home, you will be missed and yet your absence will be understood. If you decide to attend worship, your presence will be celebrated. 

• A summary in the words of our own Archbishop Foley Beach: Due to the possibility of the spread of the coronavirus, those individuals over age 60 and anyone who is 'immune compromised' should consider worshipping at home on Sundays until further notice. Anyone with any symptoms of cold/flu should stay home and self-quarantine. Anyone who has travelled in any affected area of this country, or another country with an outbreak, must stay home and self-quarantine. 

B. Communion: 

• While some churches move to offering communion only in one kind, we'd like to still offer the bread and wine. However, we will do so using only one method: Those serving bread will dip the wafer (we will use wafers for a season) into the wine and then place the wafer in the palm of your hand.

• All those handling the elements will thoroughly sanitize their hands.

• We are using a much stronger wine to further safeguard against pathogens. 

• We will sanitize the communion rail immediately prior to the service. 

C. Other unique adjustments for this season:

• Please sanitize your hands and the hands of your children on your way into worship.

• We will continue to refrain from physical contact during the passing of the peace and doxology. Physical touch is important and we look forward to returning to a more human way of exchanging the peace in the future. 

• We will not pass the offering basket. Instead, the baskets will be positioned for you to drop your offering off during communion. You may also wish to enroll in online giving, especially as this season may mean more irregular attendance. 

Brothers and sisters, as we wisely love our church family with these and other precautions, put on faith, peace, and wisdom. God is sovereign, even over disease and death, and he invites us to abundant life even now! We can walk with the Spirit through these strange times being assured that COVID-19 is not catching him off guard. In the meantime, I am sorry for the need to take these steps and look forward to returning to normalcy. Please be on the lookout for ways to reach out to, care for, and support one another and our wider community and don't hesitate to reach out if you have special concerns or needs. 

The peace of Christ be with you!

Jordan+

[Jesus cleanses the leper, Mosaic detail, 12th Century, Cathedral of the Assumption, Monreale, Sicily]

Happy New Year!

Caravaggio’s The Incredulity of Saint Thomas

Dear sisters and brothers,

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Having said that, I know more than of few of you who will be quite relieved to see the backside of this season that – though merry and happy for some –has been difficult for you. Holidays do often sharpen the sting of grief. Jennie and I loved getting Christmas cards from many of you, several of which mentioned the loss of your beloved friend and pastor, Rob. Following in Rob’s footsteps here at his church has prompted me to reflect more than ever on a few themes. Prayer... Suffering... Hope... But also on the idea of legacy: What am I living for? Life is not a game. Life is, as I understand Rob powerfully reminded you, a precious and fragile gift. Surely this is a ruthless sermon that loss preaches to us – do not take this breath for granted. Use it to bless. Use it to love. Use it to heal. Use this breath to build a legacy of love, like Rob’s. How utterly sweet it will be to one day tell Rob that his spiritual legacy never stopped living through you.

For others, time with extended family proved trying at best or profoundly painful at worst. Old wounds were opened, predictable patterns of dysfunction dimmed the light of Christmas celebrations, you had to say no, again, to feasts your body refuses you to indulge, or perhaps marital tensions stripped some of the shine off presents given and received.

Jennie and I’s experience of the holidays was also complicated. We visited her family in Dallas where her parents, three siblings and their many kids, cousins, and college friends form a veritable village. The experience of these deep relationships all week made our drive back to Denver somewhat sobering: A place we have been called and are excited to make home but doesn’t quite feel like home yet. As we found ourselves wrestling with feelings of loneliness and displacement, we also found ourselves cleaning throw up off a car seat in a gas station in west Texas. Life plunges forward, doesn’t it?

Whether it’s grief or mild struggles that are common to us all, each of us is, like Christ was, wounded. I’ve already had the honor to sit with people in this church family who testify to unrelenting physical pain, PTSD, crippling anxiety, insomnia, marital strife, discouragement with work, discouragement with parenting... and more.

Though not all of you can relate to being in the throes of pain as we enter a new year, I had it on my heart to write this exhortation to those who are: Remember, in your pain, the spear-pierced side of Jesus. I shared the end of this poem in a sermon not long ago. Here is Edward Shillito’s “Jesus of the Scars,” written to soldiers returning battered by the battles of World War I:

If we have never sought, we seek Thee now;

Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;

We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow,

We must have Thee, O Jesus of the Scars.

The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;

In all the universe we have no place.

Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?

Lord Jesus, by Thy Scars, we claim Thy grace.

If, when the doors are shut, Thou drawest near,

Only reveal those hands, that side of Thine;

We know to-day what wounds are, have no fear,

Show us Thy Scars, we know the countersign.

The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;

They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;

But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,

And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.

So, whether or not it was a “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” for you, may you find strength to abide in the joyous hope of the pierced, crucified, and risen Christ who promises to be near to the brokenhearted.

God’s peace,

Jordan+

A letter from (newly-installed) Pastor Jordan

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

A famous pastor who mentors me (...via podcast...) put it well when he said that we should “turn our sighs into prayers.” Sighs are complicated, aren’t they? Some of them are pregnant. Others are long or heavy. Others are resigned. Others calm our nerves before a big moment.

One Adventer recounted hearing Advent sigh in early August after receiving word of Jennie and I’s embrace of this call. Here’s what they wrote:

I felt like I could collectively feel the sigh of the church as Sara gave the news.
The sigh was bittersweet in some ways as we continue to grieve the reasons for the changes in our church, but mostly it was a sigh of peace knowing that we're not alone, prayers continue to be answered, and an expectation of the continued story of the community.

Well said. The scriptures made it clear that there would be “a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Eccl 3:4). But what do you do when the time to mourn and the time to dance are the same time? Like a sigh... it’s complicated. It is bittersweet.

As I tried to make clear in my first sermon, your community will be a safe place for you to keep wrestling with the bitter way that fallenness falls – and has fallen – even as it will be a place for you to sip the sweet wine of Christ’s death-conquering blood, that foretaste of the fall undone, that weekly promise of heavenly reunions.

Until then, Christ’s church remains about Christ’s work, and Rob’s legacy at Advent endures. Advent lives on and thrives because Rob entrusted her to faithful shepherds. He raised up and empowered wildly gifted and diligent lay leaders like Sara, Stacey, Matt, and Brenda, along with a mature and healthy vestry. Likewise he gathered around him strong, wise, committed and willing clergy: Jeromie, Cindy, Mike, Patrick, Lisa, and Tony.

As a result, the evidence of Advent’s thriving is everywhere. Small groups are busting at the seams. Finances are very strong. Gospel Friendship Groups continue to be a place of deep belonging. Profound testimonies from The Healing Journey abound. Pastor Fahrid and his wife Monica from our sister church, Gran Pastor, in Fresnillo had an immensely encouraging time with us. Many of Advent’s men were recently driven into the wilderness to encounter Jesus... and to tattoo each other with paintball bruises. A youth group is gaining momentum. Weddings are being planned, babies are being born, baptisms are being scheduled, books are being discussed, pageants are being planned, the homeless are being cared for, the Word is being preached, the world is being prayed for, bread is being blessed, broken, and eaten, and the staff and leadership are meeting, praying, planning, and pulling in the same direction. Friends, consider him faithful who has promised! The faithful leaders Rob raised up have been and continue to press into the faithfulness and promises of God, and the signs are unambiguous: Amidst grief, God’s kingdom advances in and through Advent.

So... It’s complicated. Sorrow and joy. Mourning and dancing. Bittersweet. Grieving, yes, but thriving. From the bottom of my heart: Thank you for welcoming me so warmly. It is a weighty privilege to be your pastor, and it’s a title I hope to earn.

If we’ve not yet had a chance to connect, know that I’d love to. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

Sincerely,

Jordan+

Rector

Church of the Advent

Letter from Bishop Ken upon Pastor Rob's death

Dear Church of the Advent,

I am praying for you this morning – wishing I could be with you as you gather, grieve and worship. Many of the Psalms are laments – pouring out our hurt is part of worship: we are to bring all of who we are into His presence. I am praying that the Lord Jesus is powerfully present with you this morning.

I am grieving with you.
The whole diocese is grieving with you.
Rob was a good friend – and he was a spiritual giant. He brought such life to so many.

There is comfort in knowing that Rob now sees Jesus face to face, and that Rob is now more fully Rob than he has ever been before: his glory now is greater than we can imagine. Thursday was the Ascension – when Jesus ascended to heaven. Part of what Jesus was doing was opening the way for us to come home. This is what Jesus tells his disciples in John 14:2, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” He has gone ahead to open the way and prepare a place for Rob and for us.

And there is deep loss for us who can no longer see, touch and hear Rob. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 3:13 that we grieve – we are supposed to grieve – but in our grieving we are also held by hope. We look forward to the New Creation where “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” As we come to the Communion this morning, we join Rob at this table because we are participating in the inaugural banquet of that New Creation: the wedding feast of the lamb where all the faithful from all time gather to celebrate Jesus and be celebrated as the bride of Christ.

I pray you know the comfort of Jesus, His grace, love and presence in this day and in these days.

Much love, +Ken and Sallie

Anastasis: Resurrection in Jinja

One of our congregants, Catherine, recently returned from a trip to Uganda for her capstone project for her Masters of Public Health. The following are excerpts from emails sent while in country.

Most of my days have been spent in the district hospital in Jinja, approximately 30 minutes south of here as the car drives, but closer to an hour as the mutatu jolts, considering time needed to fill the taxi, and extra stops along the way. Jinja is just as beautiful as I remember, and the lake and river still speak of great mystery and ancient stories. I will never get over the Nile.

The hospital is a sprawling compound with big white tents pitched at intervals on the grass in between operating theatres and wards, homes for women and their caretakers while they wait the surgery to reverse their fistula and their lives. Each tent is stamped in big letters: USAID From the American people. I walk past them every day and wonder: do the American people know where these tents are scattered all across the world? Do I know? I sit in the shade of the tents with Loy and Evelyn, our fistula program coordinators, and a stream of women who wash up by my chair, deposit their stories into my scribbled notes, and drift away, but not too far, to listen to the next woman’s grief. I wouldn’t expect someone to be so forward about such a horrifying injury, and perhaps an America wouldn’t be, but the women let their words spill all over my paper. The notes jotted on the surveys are all different, and all the same: “labor for 4 days,” “baby born alive, died after two days,” “living with parents, husband sent her away,” “stigmatized,” “self-isolation,” “life would have been better if at least the baby had lived, someone to love her,” “tried to commit suicide, but found and stopped.”  I know that this is not where the story ends, because Loy and Evelyn tell me so. 
“Even me, I was so sad. I wanted to die. I cried every day.” 
“But you are dry now. Everything is better?” 
“Yes, I am dry now. No more leaking, and no more crying.” 
Even still, the little clipped stories stare horrified at me from my dusty papers as I code the surveys each night.

It amazes me that these women can look me in the face, can sit and tell of such sorrow, can make a journey filled with hope and fear, and then reclaim their lives from the wreck they became. “Me, when I am healed I want to have children,” “I want to open a stall to sell tomatoes,” “I want to learn tailoring,” “I want to go back to school.” This last was from a bright, feisty 17 year-old, living with fistula for 5 years. 
“She fell out of a mango tree.” 
“She fell out of a mango tree and got a fistula from that? When she was 12? Loy, madam, do you really believe that?” 
“That is what she says.”  
But you can’t pry, and whatever horrific violence has been done to that child will stay with her until she finds her voice and tells her story. She grins at me and walks back to her mat under the tent and I pray for school uniforms and classrooms full of books.

I do not know what to do with all these stories. The data goes, obediently enough, from my papers to my computer, but the faces, the stories, the press of a hand in mine stay, imprinting themselves more deeply than the Nile could ever cut through my memory. St. Veronica, bleeding, fingers brushing a tassel, lurks in the corners of my vision everywhere I turn. The adhan rolls over our backyard every morning, words pleading, threatening, promising: “hasten to prayer, hasten to salvation, prayer is better than sleep.” Exhausted I agree, stagger out of bed, and join my Gloria to the chant, in search of the one Word that can bring redemption and closure to so many fractured, unfinished stories.

…

After several days of coding and pouring over notes, I returned to the big white tents. They still stand on the hospital grounds, daubed rust red from the earth and ashy from cooking fires, but empty, echoing like a tomb. When I stepped inside the biggest, all I saw was a sleeping mat and a few pieces of kitenge fabric, remnants of someone’s bed. The silence in that tent was full of hope and confusion; where was everyone? At the same time I understood, and didn’t, that the women had been sorted and scattered to wards across the hospital recovering from, undergoing, awaiting their surgeries. They were all caught between the now and not yet of waiting to see whether the surgery would hold, whether they would return home whole and healed. Through the rails of the veranda of the nearest ward I saw the bright, smiling 17-year-old. I had a thousand questions for her, but not the vocabulary for them. She waved at me, and I prayed again for her teacher.

The second half of my project consisted in calling the women who had gone through UVP’s reintegration program to test my follow up survey. Seated on a broad wooden bench next to the empty, flapping tent we called woman after woman, Loy chatting happily with them while I scribbled notes furiously. It was obvious that Loy loved translating these stories. 

“She says she is so happy to be sleeping in a dry bed.”
“She has so many new friends, and no one isolates her anymore.”
“She is very valued in her family and community.”
“She was elected women’s chairperson in her community.”
At the last one, Loy burst out laughing until she cried.
“She says, ‘since I survived fistula, I don’t think I will die.’”
“She survived fistula, so nothing can kill her?”
“Yes, nothing can kill her, she will live forever.”

I glanced back through the bars of the veranda at the 17-year-old, and it occurred to me that I don’t remember her name. In the years to come, when the memories roll over me, what will I call her? Not “the 17-year-old.” Not “that one fistula patient.” I hoped that she would forgive me, and in the quiet of my mind I named her Anastasia, and wished with all my heart that it would be true of her.

( If you are not familiar with obstetric fistula, I recommend this video: )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVx1NfKV0BM 

- Catherine

Pastor Rob's 2017 Letter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,                                                                                

Thank you so much for generously supporting and joining in the work of Church of the Advent in 2017! We are very thankful for the ways you enabled us to fulfill our mission: “Sharing in the life of God together by redefining and reorienting everything around the gospel of Jesus Christ.”   

Here are just a few highlights of the work God did among us and through us in 2017:

• Our sermon series on Prayer in the summer and The Hesed (faithful love) of God in Micah, Habakkuk, and Joel were particularly powerful and helped to prepare us for the difficult season we are facing with my (Rob’s) brain cancer. Making our home in the Father’s love has become a powerful theme for us, inviting us to live with true peace, hope, and joy even amidst adversity. 
• We have been slowly, but surely, growing in our new space, with nearly 10% more people worshipping with us this year. We ended the year particularly strong with a streak of no Sundays below 80 people, which is unusual for us Coloradans! ☺
• We opened our parsonage to a refugee family from Syria and continued to rent out our basement to Head Start, which provides free child care for preschoolers to families in need, as well as hosting the El Rio de Dios Spanish speaking congregation. Great to have our space bless others!
• We provided Thanksgiving Baskets for 20 families through Eagleton Elementary. Each basket had a $500 gift card (along with a turkey and sides) due to the generosity of a family outside the congregation! We also hosted two great Block Parties that many neighbors attended (one in partnership with El Rio de Dios) and offered a “Rake and Bake” to our neighbors. We love Villa Park!
• Our desire to develop long-term relationships that express the love of God continues to take form among us in wonderful ways. Huck and Loyce Burns moved into the neighborhood and have worked with their small group to discern ways we can bless our neighbors. We are very excited about possibly partnering with Hope in Our City, which serves a housing project just 10 blocks from the church in Sun Valley. They have also led the charge, along with the Wright’s, Hamiltons, and Shaun Tay Canady, to develop a sister-to-sister relationship with a church in Fresnillo, Mexico (El Gran Pastor). They are taking a scouting trip in March of this year to explore this further. 
• Although we moved out of Baker, we have continued to pour time and energy into the Baker neighborhood and surrounding community through monthly game nights at Hirschfeld Towers and the Women’s Homeless Initiative.            
• 29 new people joined our church and 8 babies were born.  
• 6 people were baptized and 4 people were confirmed in faith and commissioned to minister in their diverse vocations in the power of the Holy Spirit.
• 63 people participated in six small groups, three of which were brand new, and 39 people attended four summer studies.

Through our diverse efforts, lives were changed by the grace of God.  Thank you for your commitment to the work of Jesus Christ through Advent. We are heading into a very exciting year for Advent as we walk through the challenges presented by my brain cancer, but amidst it, we are going to experience a powerful work of God as he deepens our trust in his goodness and grace through adversity. I am so thankful for this congregation and all the ways God reveals his love in and through us! 

In Christ,

Rob Paris    

Answering God’s Call to Villa Park

by Huck Burns

Loyce and I returned from Advent’s mission trip to Peru last February with a strong sense that the Lord was calling us into mission work.  However, we also felt strongly that God wanted us to minister to our family here in Denver, who were going through a very tough time.  God revealed to us that we could be missionaries right here in Denver and continue to be there for our family. In fact, he called us to be missionaries in Villa Park and its surrounding neighborhoods!  We recently moved from North Park Hill, where we had lived for 16 years, to Barnum---just a few minutes from Church of the Advent.  We plan to focus on the Villa Park, Barnum, West Barnum, East Colfax, and Sun Valley neighborhoods.  These are some of Denver’s lowest-income areas.  

We want to work under the authority and guidance of Pastor Rob and the leadership of Church of the Advent.  We’ve started a new small group at Advent which is focused on this ministry.  For the immediate future, we are seeking the Lord and trying to learn as much as we can about these neighborhoods.   We would appreciate everyone’s prayers that God will reveal to our small group how we can best serve our neighbors and lead them to the Gospel.  

Moving In - God's goodness and provision in our new building

“Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forevermore.”

We began using this acclamation, a condensed version of Ephesians 3:20-21, at the beginning of our worship service a few months back. So wonderfully fitting! After a year of searching, praying, discussing and fundraising, we found a home that far exceeds what I imagined to be possible. I sometimes feel like pinch myself because it is so hard to believe.

The beauty of the sanctuary,
the joyous sound of our proclamations of faith and our songs of praise,
the room for our kids to learn and grow,
the fresh opportunity to connect with new neighbors,
and the financial freedom of having it cost even less
than we were paying at Mi Casa…is all amazing to me.

Of course, it has not been perfect. There have been challenges with the trash removal and with the renovation of various parts of the building, the sanctuary does not afford a lot of room to grow, and it remains sad to no longer be in Baker, but all these things pale in comparison to the gift we have been given.

But, perhaps more than any of this, I have been blessed to see so many invest so much in this new building. The hundreds of thousands of dollars we have raised, the small army of people who gathered to fix it up the day before our first service, the multitudes that have come by to help with envisioning, cleaning or fixing or painting or tearing things down during the week, the little team that went and met with neighbors, and the great group of people coming together each Monday to discuss how our new location impacts our mission as a church.
Our shared energy and enthusiasm has been beautiful to behold.

In the coming year, I pray that this church building not only gives us a greater sense of stability and a wonderful place to worship. I pray that it gives us a greater sense of ownership and togetherness as a church. This is a home we all share in together. It will be exciting to see how our family grows up here together: who God will add to us, how many kids will learn about Jesus among us, how many potlucks and parties and weddings and baptisms and funerals will be held here, and how we will share the hospitality of the gospel with our neighbors in Villa Park, West Denver, and throughout the Metro area.  

There are still a number of finishing touches that will take shape over the coming months. If you have an aesthetic bent, let us know and we would love to get your input. If you have not been able to worship in the new building yet, I pray you will join us soon. I believe you will come away greatly thankful for this space.

Our “grand opening” complete with block party is scheduled for September 18th.
Hope you can make it…and that you might even consider inviting some friends!

- Pastor Rob Paris

An End of 2015 Letter from Pastor Rob Paris

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we come to the end of 2015 and prepare for the birth of Christ, I want to write to thank you for another great year at Church of the Advent!

We have welcomed a wonderful new people to Advent. Every year I am so amazed at the quality of people God sends our way, and this year was exceptionally blessed.
Of course, we said good bye to many wonderful people as well, including Ken and Sarah, but we have continued to move forward and I see signs that we have grown in our sense of ownership and focus as a congregation. 
We have five wonderful small groups and a multitude of relational connections that are weaving us together as Christ's Body and spurring us on towards love and good deeds.

We have begun to raise funds for a new building, and have raised $182,000 towards our goal of a $250,000 down payment. We raised over $29,000 since the end of October and as a result, the $25,000 matching goal has been met!! Thank you to all of you who have given. We still have $68,000 to raise in order to hit our $250,000 down payment goal. God is faithful! 

With so much to be thankful for in 2015, I am really looking forward to 2016!

We hope to make substantial progress on our building fund and property search in the coming months. Cannot wait to see what space God will lead us to!

We look to have a new ministry to refugees forming in the coming months, as Jennie Ridley has brought together a group of folks who are eager to take this to a new level in the congregation. Very exciting!
We will continue to do the great work we have begun in Baker and beyond through our connection with Hirschfeld, the Women's Homeless Initiative, potlucks in the park and so on.
We will continue to offer relational discipleship opportunities for all, now with an new and improved curriculum that I am very excited about.

All that to say, we have much to give thanks for and to look forward to as we end 2015.
May you enjoy a very blessed and encouraging Christmas as you reflect upon the gift of Immanuel!

God's Peace,

Rob

Lincoln High School

by Lindsey Hazel

Hi! My name is Lindsey and I‘m really excited to share a little about myself, my passion for working in impoverished Latino communities, and how the gospel of sharing God’s love inspires me every day.

I work for Denver Public Schools in the southwest region of Denver at Lincoln High School, located at the intersection of Federal and Evans. Lincoln is 99% latino with almost every student living at or below the poverty line. It also has one of the lowest graduation rates in all of Denver with less than 70% of students graduating from high school.

The struggles that students face everyday are real—from hunger and homelessness to gang violence in their homes and neighborhood. One example is a student that I work with named Christian. Christian lives with his mom and dad, both of whom work full time jobs. Their salaries, however, are not sufficient to provide for Christian and his two younger siblings, especially with rent in Denver rapidly increasing. As a result, Christian works a 30 hour week at a nursing home, in addition to attending school, in order to buy food for his family. He often misses school because he is tired.

Studies show that the most effective way to help families overcome poverty is through education, education for both students and their parents. Once parents become more involved in their children’s education, their children tend to increase their attendance and academic achievement.

Listening to the sermon series on money, and tangible ways that we can use our money to support the gospel, my mind immediately jumped to Christian and how we can support his family, and so many other families at Lincoln.

One of the initiatives I lead at Lincoln is a parent engagement initiative. Each month I conduct a series of parent trainings. Once parents attend these trainings, learn about the school and the how important education is, they are more likely to become involved at the school and strong advocates for education. As a result, their students perform better at school, are more likely to graduate and help to move their families out of poverty.

In order to increase attendance at parent trainings, I always try to offer a gift card raffle to parent participants in attendance, which often doubles parent attendance. So today, I would like to ask the congregation of advent for support of the parent training initiative at Lincoln, both through prayers and the purchase a $10-$20 gift card to King Soopers or Walmart. The purpose of the giftcard is twofold- through a gift card raffle at my next parent trainings, I will be able to provide a family like Christian’s a little extra support around the holiday season, and secondly, I will be able to invite parents into the school community, allowing them to become empowered and to positively influence their children’s education. 

A Wilderness of Plenty

by Gladys Drew

Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? - Psalm 78:19

One of the things God gave me to woo me to Himself, was food. I have always been interested in food-- nutrition, recipes, cooking, health and taste. I had also heard of Jesus, but I didn’t know much about Him. What I did know was substantial, but I was clueless about it:  that He was the Subject of every church and the Person in whom you prayed to God.

In 1991, I lived in a small ranch home with a fellow artist and her children. The ‘Dolly Hut’ was a little addition to my friend’s house that had its own entrance. It was a magical jumble of dolls, fabrics and embellishments. I occupied the ‘Dolly Hut,’ where I created and sewed my art dolls. Things were going very well and we had plenty of work in the public school system, area galleries and with private and public dollmaking classes.  I felt on top of the world.

But things came crashing down when I returned from a ten-day trip to Jamaica and started having mental health challenges. I soon lost much sleep and became fatigued. Frightened, I wandered from one fellow artists’ studio to another, unable to work, just sitting there and staring at their hands while they worked their creations.

“You’re depressed,” said one of them. “You should apply for disability.”

Not knowing what else to do, that’s what I did. A friend offered me their cabin in Conifer and I took off for a mini retreat thinking that I was just overtired. In the meantime, my housemate’s boyfriend moved in and took over the Dolly Hut. When I came back from my little rest, I had to move out immediately and found myself homeless.

Thankfully, my former housemate knew someone who worked in a private shelter that could put me up in staff housing until the summer was over. People were there in the daytime, but I never saw them. I started pounding the pavement looking for a sufficient job. At night, there was no one there beside myself. I was told to eat anything I found in the refrigerator each evening. What I found was a lot of gourmet dishes donated by local restaurants and my,
they were so tasty. It was surreal, all these wonderful dishes during such a difficult time in my life.

I landed a job in a fine craft gallery. My friends kept coming in to say hello, but that would trigger an outburst of tears on my part, and I finally had to quit the job. I just couldn’t hold it together. I moved back to my hometown where I stayed with friends while awaiting disability. I still did not know God, in fact, the last thing I had said when asked about Him was, “I don’t believe there is a God.”  My questioner had gasped. At the time I felt her reaction to be rather ironic, since this woman worshipped many gods and not just one.

My depressed emotional state continued on. I called my friends to talk and tried to explain what was happening to me. That proved to be impossible, since I didn’t even know myself! Having enough funds was another issue, so little by little, I sold off my belongings to raise the money for food and rent. After the money and possessions ran out, I started to pray in earnest to a God that I did not know… in Jesus’ name.

One fall morning there was a knock at the front door. I answered and there were a group of college students standing on the porch with boxes.

“Do you need any food?” they asked.

‘Wow,’ I thought to myself. That was a quick answer to the prayer that I had prayed only the night before! They asked if they could come inside, so I invited them in. They had a small illustrated tract, which they showed me and read to me.  It explained that I was a sinner, and that Jesus was the only bridge back to God. I learned what sin was, what Jesus did to repair our broken relationship with God and what one’s response must be to gain forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life. They asked me if I prayed and I got excited as I ran into the other room to retrieve the latest book I had been reading about prayer. It was authored by a guru and they shook their heads as they went out. I took the box of food they left and feeling ashamed, I threw the book away. 

Two days later, I was kneeling by my bed after the events of a very strange day. I had had the feeling that I was being urgently pursued by God Himself. So I prayed yet again, this time telling God that I surrendered. That He could have me. I felt a great sense of relief and peace.

There are many more stories I have of God providing me literal food for His table in my disability wilderness—the day I received $50 from Publisher’s Clearing House which I cashed for groceries, the evening a believing friend called and asked me if I needed food.

“God told me to buy you food. I want you to fill your cart all the way.
I mean it,” she said insistently.

And yet another time where He demonstrated that He could provide for TWO tables at once; one for me and one for a disabled friend. She had lost her food stamp benefits and I told her God would bless her. And indeed He did, so much so that she gave the overabundance to me. The more she gave, the more she gained. She ended up with more food than she ever had while on food stamps. This happened without her even having the cash for much food. Supernaturally, the food came her way through others, through ridiculously amazing sales and through circumstance. Needless to say, we were astounded and deeply grateful to God.

We laughed with joy every time we recounted that season of wilderness. Through it, I learned that Jesus is my Portion, my heavenly Bread and my spiritual Food. He is the great I AM who tells me to ‘be still and know that I am God.’  I open my mouth and He fills it. He welcomes me to ‘taste and see that I am good.’ He feeds me His body and His blood in remembrance of Him. In Christ, I am fattened with satisfaction and blessed beyond belief.
There is no turning back for me.  
Amen.

Valentine's with the Homeless

On Valentine's Day 2015, a large group of Adventers joined with our regular team that serves at the Women's Homeless Initiative to throw a Candlelight Dinner for these beloved ladies.  Below, you'll find pictures (click on the cover photo to see them all) and hear a few glimpses of where those who helped saw the love of God expressed.  If you'd like to join the WHI team on a regular basis, contact Emily Fitzrandolph at emily@saskia.com.

“I really saw love in the way the women interacted with Emily’s dog, Quincetta. It was clear that the unconditional love of a dog is powerful and the women were clearly so happy to see her, pet her, love on her. It was fun to watch! Also, it was amazing to see people working together. There was a lot of unity of purpose and vision in the group. ”

“I saw love in Pablo washing dishes with one of the women. ”

“I saw love in Ginny’s careful addressing of valentines to all the women.”

“I think all the Adventers went into the evening with enthusiasm and love. What I sensed from the women was the pleasant and upbeat conversation during the meal. I’m more comfortable giving them hugs than I used to be.”

“I saw love in [client] Cindy’s face to face loving of Quincetta. Cindy told me that all the necklaces she wears are from her street children. She has many. Her love for everyone is evident.”

“[I saw love in volunteer] Saundra’s desire to give back to those who are in the situation she was in for a couple of years. She is a lovely woman who is willing to do anything.”

Redeeming Resolutions

New Year’s Resolutions are pretty predictable endeavors: 1 part hopeful imagination mixed with 2 parts “pull-myself-up-by-my-bootstraps” usually equals failure by February. At best, New Year’s Resolutions become a punch line.  At worst, they become another reason to wallow in guilt and lose hope that our lives can ever really change.

The Spiritual Practice of Resolving 

But these resolutions can be more than just failed self-help exercises: they can be channels through which God transforms our lives to reflect the new creation He is bringing into the world.  The simple act of making a resolution requires some basic gospel attitudes.  For one, to make a resolution is to confess that you haven’t liked where you’ve been.  To have a resolution is to say, “I want to get better at that,” and the very act of saying you want to get better reflects a conviction that there was some lack in that area previously. Second, you’re repenting (“turning around”) and taking steps forward into a new kind of life.  Repentance is the process of leaving behind one thing and turning towards another. It's fundamentally a change – of heart, and of practice – that can become very specific in a resolution. 

Confessing and repenting are the entryway into the family of Jesus, and they are our ongoing spiritual food along the length of the journey.  We never need to stop confessing, and we never need to stop repenting.  New Year’s resolutions are a great yearly reminder to make these practices tangible in our lives.

A Tool for Discernment

But what to resolve?  There’s no shortage of things we want to change!  Many people use New Year’s Resolutions as an opportunity to intentionally grow in their relationship with God.  The “Advent Cross,” which we use at Advent to describe different areas of our church’s ministry and every Christian’s life, can be a helpful tool for discerning where you feel drawn to grow.

Worship and formation describe the way the gospel transforms our relationship with God. In worship, we’re drawn into God’s larger story of the re-creation of the world.  In formation, we see our lives being changed as our stories intertwine with God’s.

Community and mission describe the way the gospel transforms our relationships with others.  In community, we realize that we have brothers and sisters who are also part of the family of Jesus, and – like any family – we need to support one another (and let ourselves be supported by them!).  In mission, we seek to be a channel of blessing to those who are not experiencing God's re-creating love, either because they are resisting the love of God or are crushed by the brokenness of the world (poverty, poor health, etc.).

The Advent Cross can be a great tool for discerning where God may want to work in your life. Which area jumps out at you? Some potential resolutions for each area might include the following.

Worship
Attend Sunday service more regularly
Have a consistent, personal daily time of worship
Intentionally listen to worship music on your commute
Memorize some prayers from Sunday morning worship to use throughout the week

Formation:
Find a “spiritual friend” who will encourage you in your journey with Jesus
Read some solid Christian literature on a topic you’re interested in
Commit to seeking a particular virtue (kindness, humility, self-control, etc.)
Read through the Bible in a year (or at least get started!)

Community:
Invite people from the church or your small group over for a fun dinner
Send notes of encouragement to those who have impacted your faith journey
Join a small group or attend a Men’s & Women’s Gathering if you haven’t yet
Invite others into areas of your life you’ve kept hidden for a long time

Mission:
Make a connection with a next-door neighbor you haven’t met yet
Free up the finances to give generously to the church and ministries devoted to God’s mission
Serve the marginalized in an ongoing, regular capacity
Have some hard conversations with friends about your concern for their spiritual lives

There are, of course, a million things you can resolve that impact your spiritual life. Since we are whole people whose spirits, bodies, and minds are all inter-connected, exercise and healthy eating can dramatically impact our spiritual health as well as our physical health. God’s re-creation is touching everything: nothing in the world, and no part of us, will be left out! Therefore, everything is spiritual, and every resolution is too.

Not What, But How

But the most important thing is not that you resolve, or even what you resolve: it’s how you resolve.  The most important part of that “Advent cross” we put above – and the most crucial part of our life with Christ – isn’t the wings of the cross.  It’s the middle.  It’s the hub of the Christian life.  It’s the message that our salvation doesn’t come in what we do or accomplish, but in what He has done and is working out in us.  It’s the gospel.

Resolving without the gospel means we’re reliant on our own strength and efforts to accomplish our goal.  And unless it’s a pretty small goal, we’re probably going to fail.
Resolving within the gospel means we have the resources of the Holy Spirit – God’s presence with us on earth – to support us in the task.

Resolving without the gospel means that when we fail, we fail. End of story. Done. Until we have the energy to get going again, at least.
Resolving within the gospel means that our failure is a tool God uses in our restoration. Our failure isn't the end - it's just the beginning. As we fail, we can confess that we’re weak, repent to get back on track, and start again knowing that God hasn’t given up on us.

Resolving without the gospel means that whatever progress we make here, it has an expiration date: one day we’ll die, and our achievements will die with us.
Resolving within the gospel means that what we do in this life echoes in eternity.  As Saint Paul said in 1 Tim. 4:8, “…godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life, and the life to come.”  In the re-creation of all things, all our efforts here will be wrapped up into the wondrous renewal of God, and none of it will be in vain (1 Cor. 15:58).

Resolving without the gospel means that, ultimately, our destiny is in our own hands.  We are our own Gods and Goddesses, our own Lords and Masters, who rise and fall by the sweat of our brow.
Resolving within the gospel frees us to live in the knowledge that we do not hold on to our lives nearly as tightly as we are held.  Christ, as perfect man and God, lived the life we could never live.  As we are united to him, we are united to his life.  When we look at life through this gospel lens, all our successful “resolutions” are simply a participation in his perfect resolve. And all our failures are reminders that it’s not our resolve that ultimately matters, but his.

Philippians 2:12-13 says it well: “Therefore, my beloved…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”  This year, “work out” your resolutions with everything you’ve got, while always remembering that it is God who is at “work in you:” with more resolve than we can ever muster!

Happy New Year, Advent!

Pastor Ken

P.S.  For those of you who are curious, my New Year's Resolutions are:
(1) Worship: Praying the Daily Office (an Anglican "daily devotional") each day
(2) Mission: Getting through 3 CD's of my Rosetta Stone Spanish Language Program
(3) Exercise: Run. Often.
(4) Family: Serving my wife when the baby gets up in the middle of the night without complaining (Lord, have mercy...I'm gonna need it).

The Power of Confession

This journal entry was sent to us by our very own Kelsey Detzner.  Thank you for sharing this part of your journey with us, Kelsey! Confession is available at any time through one of the clergy, and there is a confession liturgy you are free to use at any time with anyone.  Contact either Pastor Rob or Pastor Ken if you're interested, have questions, or would like to learn more.  

Growing up in the evangelical tradition, I was skeptical of the idea of confessing with another person.  To me, this seemed to go against the grain of the idea that Jesus was our High Priest and Mediator—what did I need with another person when I could approach his throne of grace with confidence on my own?  However, when Ken and Rob offered confession to the congregation at the beginning of the Lenten season, I knew it was something God was inviting me into.  So I set up a time and went, not knowing quite what to expect.  

Without going into all the personal details of my confession times, I can only say that God has used them to bless me beyond measure.  The original nudge towards it was the continuation of a theme that the Father started for my season of Lent.  I was in a place where my thoughts and feelings were tangled up inside me and cycled through my mind, becoming (like most things closed off from light and air) toxic and putrid.  I had convinced myself that I was alone and that the cycle was doomed to repeat endlessly.  However, God used the words of a friend to begin to invite me out of that: “Pour out your thoughts—I can’t fill an already-full vessel.”  Confession was the beginning of this outpouring for me.  

Even more, it was a safe place for this.  I have never been to a time of confession without shedding tears and feeling incredibly exposed and vulnerable.  But I have also never been to a time of confession where I was received with anything less than complete lack of judgment and shown the utmost grace, dignity and compassion.  This was key for me.  Part of my struggle dealt with trust towards God and others, and in fear of being hurt, I had withdrawn into myself. In inviting me to share my heart in the presence of another - in a safe, sanctified space - the Father was leading me out of hiding.  It has been a process of slowly rebuilding the trust I had lost.  And since my first time of confession, God has continued the work He began in my heart.  He has used it to break barriers I didn’t even know existed so that everything blocked up inside could flow freely.

Another blessing I’ve received is the way God has been able to speak to me through another person.  When I’ve gone to confession, the person I've confessed to (known as the "confessor") has always had an insight or verse to share that furthered my journey, which I wouldn’t have come on alone.  This speaks to the concept of community, something that an introvert like me can easily forget.  We were never designed to live in solitude; we were built with the need for other people, and this is reflected in the way that confession is doubly powerful when another person can speak their perspective into your life.  This was clear to me from my first confessional visit. The minute I began praying with my confessor, the tears started flowing. They led me through the prayer of confession in the Book of Common Prayer, but when it came time for me to pray out loud and confess my sins, the words stuck in my throat. Finally I admitted that I didn’t feel I could pray a prayer of turning from my sin and turning toward Christ when I knew my sins were still in process, and I feared I would return to them. They nodded understandingly and gently reminded me that while my sins may be in process, God’s forgiveness isn’t.  I could pray in the confidence that, no matter what path my actions took, Jesus’ saving grace still covered me.  With that reminder, I was able to pray.  Afterwards, although I was tempted to return to those sins again, it was almost laughable, because they were so powerless in the light of Jesus’ already-won victory over them.  In having already named them, I was easily able to call them out.

Rembrandt's "The Prodigal Son"

I still believe that Jesus is our High Priest and Mediator, and we can confidently approach his throne on our own.  However, speaking as one who used to live in this place, if you feel alone in your faith, or if your heart desperately needs to receive some grace and compassion, confession is a wonderful way to receive it even when the darkest, ugliest parts of yourself have just been exposed—and to be reminded that those dark, ugly things have no power. Confession isn’t a time to feel ugly and low and lament our own smallness.  It’s a time to see God’s beauty and strength, and recognize His greatness.  

Exploring the Art for the "Waiting for Jesus" Sermon Series

This Advent season, we're turning our focus towards "Waiting for Jesus" with sermons based on the gospel stories preceding Jesus' birth.  In a world that can't (and won't) give us all we want or need, our posture is one of waiting for Jesus to come and restore the earth in the ways he promised. Each sermon will highlight a different aspect of what it means to wait for Jesus: a needed perspective in a culture that seems to be allergic to the concept of waiting!

For our bulletin art, we chose to feature H.O. Tanner's "The Annuniciation." H.O. Tanner was the first widely-recognized African-American artist, although racism in the United States made his adopted France a more comfortable "home base" for his vocation.  A poor, religious upbringing probably contributed to the fact that many of his works portray scenes of ordinary African-American life or religious themes. 

"The Annuniciation," painted in 1898, portrays the encounter between Mary and the angel, who announces that Mary will be the mother of the Christ-child (Luke 1:26-38). This passage will be the focus of the 2nd message in the series.  Tanner's depiction is beautiful, realistic, and restrained.  Mary looks rightly perplexed and concerned; the depiction of the angel, instead of veering into schmaltz, simply reflects how indescribable it must be to encounter an angel! Mary's clothes practically swallow her, signifying the role she is stepping into is far too large for her to fill.  The red cloth hanging on the wall seems to point forward to the pain this incredible announcement will one day cause. But for now, Mary sits - waiting - with closed body posture but eyes open to a wondrous possibility.  "Could it be?..."

Our website banner had much humbler beginnings: as a stock photo. But the empty chairs, vibrant colors, and modern "Bebas" font give can give us a different glimpse into waiting on Jesus. The chairs seem like they might belong in a waiting room somewhere, but not a normal waiting room. The variety of colors suggest that everyone's waiting will be different: everyone's journey to, from, and in these chairs will be potentially exciting, potentially vibrant, potentially transformative.  The chairs also aren't so comfy that they're a destination.  They're a stop, a resting place, on the way to something bigger.  And significantly, the chairs aren't full. Waiting is not a matter of stopping and giving up; waiting is simply a different type of "going." Waiting is launching out into life in trust that a place to sit and rest truly exists, and that it will be available when we need it. Waiting isn't drudgery: it's claiming a role in a larger adventure. And these chairs - in some small way - seem to communicate just that.

We hope and pray this art helps you enter the Advent season more fully.  Many, many blessings on you and yours as we wait for the coming of the King!

- Pastor Ken

What Are You Doing With Your Bible?

A guest post by the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, Foley Beach.  Archbishop Beach is based in Atlanta, and is actually the bishop who ordained our very own Andy McGowan! This article - based on the collect prayer we read at worship last Sunday - was first published here.

“Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reignswith you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

— Collect for Proper 28 from the 1979 BCP

As Anglicans we have an incredible heritage regarding the Bible. The Collect above was put in the first Book of Common Prayer by Thomas Cranmer, and has been in every BCP since. It reminds us that the Scriptures have been written for our instruction and gives some practical ways to learn them. Based on Romans 15:4, the prayers tells us that God is the One who caused the Scriptures to be written, and as 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us: All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for correction, for reproof, and for training in righteousness so that the man (or woman) of God may be equipped for every good work.
The prayer offers five suggestions for us to “take in” the Bible.

1) Hear them – In the first century through the fifteenth century century, the main way for most people to understand the Scriptures was by hearing them read in their local church. In our modern world we still read the Bible in church but we have other ways to hear the Bible: iPods, iPads, CDs, radio, and smartphone apps. A friend of mine downloads parts of the Bible to his iPod and he listens to it every morning as he takes his morning walk.

2) Read them – In the 21st century we are blessed to have an abundance of Bibles here in North America. We have an unbelievable privilege of having the Bible available in a variety of translations and paraphrases, with study guides and notes, available for our computers,
iPads, smartphones, and Kindles. 

In the 1500s there was an Englishman named William Tyndale who attempted to translate the Bible from Latin into the English language. He was branded a heretic by England and went to Germany where he translated the Bible into English by hand. Pocket-size versions of his Bible began to be smuggled into England and ordinary people were
able to have their own Bibles. Tyndale was burned at the stake for his gift to the human race in 1537. A few decades later in 1611, his translation was used almost word for word in the King James Version – so ordinary people could read the Bible.

You and I are blessed to have the written Word because of the sacrifice of others who literally gave their lives, preserving it, translating it, and printing it – so we could read it ourselves.

3) Mark them – This means to underline, circle, highlight, and make notations in one’s Bible. It is okay to write in your Bible. Underline important passages that speak to you. Circle key words. Highlight connecting thoughts. Put question marks by things you don't understand. Write other verses in the margin which relate to the passage. Write dates next to a verse when God speaks to you through the passage.

4) Learn them – What does the verse or passage really mean? What is the context of the passage? How does this apply today to my life and ministry? How many of the 10 Commandments do you know? How many of Jesus’s Commandments do you know? Can you explain God’s plan of Salvation? Do you know any of the promises of God which apply to your life now? Can you share any of the miracles which Jesus did? Can you explain any of his parables and what they mean? God’s people need to learn the Word of God. Learning the
Word of God includes studying and memorizing it.

5) Inwardly digest them – This means to meditate on them; reflect on them; and think on them. The Hebrew word for meditate is a word picture of a cow chewing its food. How does a cow eat the grass? Chews on it; swallows it; brings it back up; chews it some more; swallows
it; brings it back up; and chews it some more. This is what we do with the Word of God. We are to inwardly digest it; think about it.

What are you doing with your copy of the Scriptures? I want to encourage you to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them– so that you may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which God has given us in His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach
Archbishop and Primate
Anglican Church in North America

Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

By Ken Robertson

The other night, I was with my family at the Albertsons on Alameda and Broadway, perusing the Redbox with my clerical collar on.  Normal.

A short, Hispanic man approached me. One tooth, wrinkled face, slightly bent over.  He asked if I was a pastor. I prepped myself for the request for money. Normal.

Then he asked me if I had a degree in Divinity. Not quite normal.

Then he asked me if I had ever read the Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas (one of the most complex, rich works of theology in all of Christian history). Not normal.

Then he asked if I would read some of his own writing on how the Summa Theologica could be read through the lens of modern Christian existentialism. DEFINITELY NOT NORMAL.

As it turns out, my new friend Gill is a devout Catholic, a self-taught theology student, an aspiring writer, and a man who loves thinking God's thoughts after Him. We stood and talked for 15 minutes: we swapped favorite movies, talked authors, and he even gave me a volume of C.S. Lewis as a gift (right out of his backpack...of course).  I gave him my number, and he promised to contact me.  I hope he does.

Because he's a powerful reminder that my eyes aren't yet trained to see a kingdom that sprouts up in the most unlikely places. 

“...for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

— 1 Samuel 16.7

Confirmation 2014 - Testimonies & Callings

Confirmation is a one-time opportunity for those who have already been baptized (either as an adult or infant) to celebrate & confirm God's work in their life and be strengthened by the Spirit to follow their God-given calling.  It is, in a sense, an "ordination of the people." 

On Nov. 2nd, 11 people were confirmed at Church of the Advent. Each confirmand participated in a month-long class rooted in the fundamentals of the faith, reflected on the work of God in their life, and met with a pastor to discern their gifts and personal calling from God (“vocation”). A glimpse of the fruit of this preparation is below.

May these testimonies encourage you in your own walk with God: God is working!

---

Bethany Bailey

Since I came to know God in my early childhood, He has affirmed in my life the truth of His presence, the goodness of His ways, and the unending grace of His love. God has shown me His incomparable peace in an uncertain and ever-shifting world, and has grown my faith in His will for me. He continues to reveal the joy that comes from a life lived in faithful communion with Him, and has reignited the desire to know Him deeply and to share His transformative work with those around me.

Bethany approaches life as a contemplative, seeking to engage people, ideas and God deeply and meaningfully. She expresses her heart for marginalized people and her passion for language and communication in her career as a speech therapist (a source of much joy!). She loves to take care of people in creative ways, and hopes this may involve being a mom one day as well. Pray for Bethany as she continues to weave her gifts of discernment, mercy, and teaching together with these skills and passions to love and honor Jesus. – Pastor Rob

Josh Bailey

My faith has been strongly reinforced by family and friends throughout my life; however, my faith life has endured seasons with varying degrees of conviction and varying emphases within our Christian tradition. Throughout college I grew in my appreciation of God’s heart for the oppressed, non-violence, and in the understanding that Jesus’ incarnation affirms the beauty and centrality of the material world, including human bodies. Together these principles have impacted my desire to serve and support marginalized populations through medicine. More recently, I have mostly experienced intimacy with God through this church community and in contemplative practices, and I have regained a deeper sense of trust in God’s goodness and faithfulness.

Josh Bailey’s faith and ministry are deeply rooted in the compassion of Christ. The oppressed and marginalized are a constant burden on Josh’s heart, and he senses God asking him to devote his life to serving “the least of these” through a career as a medical doctor.  Josh’s vocation also goes beyond outward healing: his heart yearns for reconciliation, wholeness, and “shalom” in relationships between those who would naturally be strangers in this world. Pray for Josh as he discerns the next steps after medical school, seeks God more deeply through prayer, and journeys into his call with his wife, Bethany. – Pastor Ken

Bekah Chew

Since my baptism in 2007, God has brought me face to face in new ways with the depth of my own brokenness and the vastness of His grace. He has walked me through many seasons, including the loss of relationships and the gain of sweet community, dark months of depression followed by months of healing and joy, and a period of doubt while considering a different faith, which was eventually replaced by a rooted confidence in the Christian God as revealed by the Bible. Through these experiences, He has been teaching me the difference between merely understanding who He is and actually being in a dynamic, intimate, and exhilarating relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ. I have come to personally know Him as a faithful, loving, and merciful Father as He has spoken truth into the lies I have believed, as He has exposed and healed sin patterns and wounds, and as He has been patiently teaching me how to simultaneously carry my cross and rest under his light and easy yoke.

One thing Bekah is confident of is her calling to intentional relational ministry.  Currently she lives and works at Providence House, a community of recovering addicts. She has a deep sense of God’s calling to this type of ministry.  The specifics of how God will continue to lead are not immediately obvious to Bekah, but at this point her vocation seems to be entering into relationships with the profoundly broken who are out of resources and pushed to the margins of society. Pray for Bekah as she listens for and obeys Christ’s call. – Deacon Cindy

Christina Dudley

Since baptism at 15, God has taken me from a broken home and given me a faithful family in my own home and church. He healed me not only from lymphoma cancer at 26, but from emotional wounds and misconceptions that came from my past. In these past 18 years, He has used me and my story here and abroad to teach His Word, lead others to Christ, and also to write and perform dramas and dance to impact others toward Him. 

Christina is called to teach the Word and languages.  The Lord is using this vocational calling to allow her to influence students with the Gospel and expose them to Kingdom principles for living.  Her call also includes a desire for the global mission field for her future.  Christina envisions her vocational calling to teach as an avenue to share the Gospel abroad. Pray for Christina and Jason as they discern next steps together. – Deacon Cindy

Jason Dudley

Growing up in a Christian home and being baptized at a young age, much of my life has been post-baptism. As a teenager, I made a deep commitment to Christ at a youth camp worship service and God has kept me close ever since. As an adult, I've been on a journey toward authentic and free faith that is true to the Gospel, as well as discerning my unique call to serve the Kingdom. This has been primarily through biblical studies (seminary included) and the "iron sharpens iron" of marriage and parenting, but also a personal renaissance of creativity in recent years.

Highly adaptable and flexible, Jason employs his positive, joyful spirit to bring people together, usually around humor (laughter ensues whenever Jason is around). He also utilizes his broad base of skills (graphic design, videography, web design, and programming among others) to enable others to do whatever they do with greater excellence and beauty. A man with a servant’s heart, he deeply enjoys helping other people’s vision come to fruition.  Pray for Jason as he seeks to take more risks in life so as to invest in the kingdom of God through the creative arts. – Pastor Rob

Danielle Elliott

I grew up in a loving home with a very strong and dedicated Christian mother and supportive and loyal father. I had a very powerful and emotional encounter with Christ and asked him to be my savior in my middle school years. In high school and college I decided I knew better than everyone else, including my Heavenly Father, and walked on my own for several years; yet always had a stirring in my heart to be back close to my Father. In 2009, I moved to Colorado and through the support of an incredibly loving Christian man and a faithful church community, my relationship with God has been restored, and I have been growing in his likeness ever since.

Danielle combines an empathetic heart with an analytic mind in beautiful ways. She is usually on the go, working hard at her job as a Nurse Practitioner, at church as a Small Group Leader, or at home as a wife and new mom. She feels a deep longing to nurture and guide people in their spiritual journey. Pray for Danielle as she explores how she might utilize her gifts of hospitality, service, leadership and teaching even more effectively in the coming years, perhaps in a pastoral role working with youth.  – Pastor Rob

Thomas Elliott

I was baptized as an infant by my great-grandfather and later made the decision to follow Christ as a result of involvement in Young Life during high school.  The Lord has taken me on quite the adventure ever since: I have been stretched, lead, and taught in ways beyond what I ever imagined.  I’m redeemed and forgiven, I’ve been given grace and mercy, and I am learning to give to others.  Since being married to Danielle and John Pierce, I’ve seen God in new ways and understood his love from an entirely different perspective.

Thomas Elliott reflects God in the world through a genuine welcome and a desire to pour his life into others.  Whether at work, with his family, or tutoring at-risk children, Thomas demonstrates deep care for those around him and tries to find ways to help others realize their full potential. He relishes the meaningful conversations that come from working alongside other men in the construction industry, and he finds deep satisfaction in spending time with his wife and infant son. Pray for Thomas as he learns to become the pray-er, husband, father, and worker that God has made him to be. – Pastor Ken

John Knippa

In the last few years, I have experienced some deep struggles and have felt lonely not being able to 'see' God as I once had.  Yet God is showing me a broader picture of his faithful presence during times when I have doubted that he even remembers or cares for me.  Through some difficult pain and suffering,  God has continued to bring me inner healing, leading me to live more fully into his grace and love, which is good news to a guy who has lived with a deep-seeded drive to 'be' good enough to be loved.  God is slowly breaking down my fears and self-reliance, leading me to be loved by him, and to love him and others.

John Knippa most clearly senses he is a channel of God’s blessing when his hands are getting dirty, either in tangible service or in life-on-life ministry. As a carpenter, John longs to not only frame houses, but to use his gifts to serve the needy and provide mentored training to carpenters just entering the business. In his volunteer work, John is journeying towards a vocation of service to those who are hurting, left out, or lonely by building meaningful relationships and blessing them in tangible ways. Pray for John as he asks God to bring these passions together over the coming years in new and transformative ways. – Pastor Ken

Sara Knippa

In my adult life, God's journey with me has been about moving from a place of "supposed to" and fear of what others may think to a place of freedom to be the unique person He made me to be.  I'm learning to express more honesty, generosity, and openness.  It's still a work in progress, but I'm seeing God work through His grace, rest, and gift of “life with abandon.”  I look forward in faith to the future.

Sara’s gift of discernment is evident in her vocational calling as a wife, in her workplace, and in relationships. Her calling to be John’s wife is to be both supportive and encouraging. Her calling in the workplace is to serve others as a coach and mentor, helping them to determine and move in the direction they are to go. As a friend, Sara is a compassionate listener and faithful guide. Pray for Sara as she embarks on a season of listening to God in order to know his will for her more deeply. – Deacon Cindy

Danielle Williams

Saved from a young age, I grew up in the church with high school and college being especially formative as I encountered God through worship, missions, and Godly mentors. Looking over my journey of ups and downs, I overwhelmingly identify with the psalmist who says, "where can I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to the heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! ...[if I] dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me" (Psalm 139). He has lead and sustained me even through times of darkness, and shown Himself to be my Comforter, Deliverer, Healer, Provider, Savior and truly a "love that will not let me go." I seek to have a willing and open heart to follow where He leads next and always.

Danielle has a tender heart for God and for people. This is powerfully expressed through her career as a nurse, her joy in worship, and her investment in her family. She has a passion for women’s health, a gift for hospitality, and creative skills in problem solving.  Please pray for Danielle as she explores the possibility of bringing these gifts and passions together in a new way, either at home or abroad. – Pastor Rob

Josh Williams

I am grateful to my parents who set me forward on my lifelong journey of faith. Now, I know the journey has become my own. As I reflect on the miles behind me, I am grateful to God for upholding me in thick forests of doubt and for leading me to gilded peaks offering glimpses of heaven. I feel blessed to know more fully who I am. And, I am thankful for the traveling companions he has given me: a loving wife, a joyful daughter, and a thriving community. With confirmation, I raise an Ebenezer of gratitude to the steadfast God who sustains me, and I trust in Him to lead me wisely on the uncertain miles ahead.

Josh Williams experiences deep joy and fulfillment in moments of tender care and wondrous adventure: caring for small children as a pediatrician, traveling abroad with his wife Danielle, or rocking his daughter Eden to sleep. Josh has felt the lure of prestige and worldly success, but he feels God calling him to lead his family into a shared journey of mission, serving together in a way that allows his family – and his patients – to flourish. Pray for Josh as he discerns the next steps for life after medical residency and continues to listen for God’s call. – Pastor Ken

Trusting God with Audrey

Adventers Lauren & Will Darr have had quite the journey since their daughter Audrey was born 6 months ago. Open-heart surgeries, angioplasties, and lots of visits to Children's Hospital are not what any new parents hope for.  On Sept. 5th, Lauren and Will found out that Audrey will have to have yet another surgery.  This was Lauren's blog post later that day...

Today we found out that Audrey will most likely need another surgery in the next year. I guess there’s really no way the doctors could have predicted this, but it still feels like a surprise. Today we had a follow up appointment after the angioplasty a few weeks ago. Dr. Shaffer explained the approximate upcoming year plan for Audrey: angioplasties every 2-3 months until Audrey’s artery is wide enough for a surgery.

Honestly there are moments of panic when I just want to move back “home” to Dallas where my parents and family live, thinking it will be better to face this reality with them. Just a few weeks ago I was suggesting to Will that we can just sell our house and move back to Dallas. However, I know that’s not what needs to be done. Driving home after the doctor appointment today I thought of this option but then quickly dismissed it. Our home is here in Denver with our church, friends and this city. Just last night Will and I were talking about how perfect my new job is, how God clearly has been providing for us. I only work Tuesday-Thursday each week and it’s a pretty peaceful situation, taking care of Audrey and one other little baby. I get a 4 day weekend every week, so it feels like I have vacation at the end of each work week. I thought about this today as I look ahead at the coming year. We make Audrey’s angioplasty appointments for Fridays, then come home Saturday and we still have Sunday and Monday off before work. It’s really going to be okay.

I asked Dr. Shaffer when all this would be over and I guess there is no answer. The surgery would make Audrey’s artery larger but then it might need to be worked on again as she grows bigger. This next surgery will hopefully solve the main issue of blood flow to her left lung and the rest would just be maintenance.

It’s really hard imagining your baby in the hospital over and over and over. This is why I have thought about moving home so many times, because I would rather hide in a cave than face this reality of being strong for Audrey. Each hospital visit is being strong and happy with her, pressing forward and hoping for the best. It’s emotionally exhausting! She is an extremely happy baby though and she’s doing so wonderfully. I thank God for her joy and for giving Will and I patience and love for her. I’m also really thankful for our Bradley Method birthing classes and Attachment Parenting for teaching Will and I how to nurture and comfort Audrey in ways I was unaware of before she was born. I have a desire to encourage other moms to hold their little babies close, especially in hospital situations. Maybe this is a new calling, maybe it’s not about me at all.

We are going to stay here in Denver though, and press forward through all of these hospital visits and another surgery. We aren’t going to focus on the visits though, we are going to continue living our life each day and finding the joy and beauty around us. I haven’t always trusted God through all of Audrey’s health issues, but I can honestly say that I know God is good and He is taking care of us.