The Advent season is the beginning of a new liturgical year (in the Western churches) and encompasses a brief, four-week span of time from the fourth Sunday before Christmas to the celebration of the birth of our Lord on Christmas. The word “Advent” derives from the Latin “Adventus,” meaning “Coming” or “Arrival.” During Advent, we wait and watch for the coming, the arrival of Jesus Christ. Advent guides us through the Biblical story of hope and expectation for the long-awaited Messiah; God’s chosen servant who will set the world (our world) right. In order to accomplish this task, Advent looks back at the birth of Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promised Messiah and forward to the promised second coming of Jesus to consummate the divine promise of a healed world. As Advent turns to Christmas, we celebrate the joy of Jesus’ birth, the fulfilled promise that Messiah Jesus has come! The carols of Christmas, as well as the popular Christmas songs, extol the promises, hope, and joy of this holy season! From “O Holy Night” to “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” we are reminded that, through the birth of Jesus Christ, God fulfilled His promise to set the world to right, to bring to a climax the Biblical story of God’s redemptive actions in human history! In a season often marked by frenzied busyness and stress, Advent and Christmas is an opportunity to set aside time to prepare our hearts for, and to place our focus on, the greatest story ever told—the story of God’s redeeming love for you and our world through Jesus