Advent Season at Bridgeport

The Christmas season is fast approaching and while this is a time of great joy and celebration, it can also be very easy to lose sight of the spiritual significance of this season. In order to provide a greater sense of guidance, we will be taking the 4 Sundays of Advent, beginning Nov. 29th, to contemplate and cultivate our longing and receiving of Christ in this season.

The season of Advent is meant to steer us away from the chaos of our culture into the place of inner poverty where we can once again receive our Lord. It embraces the 3 distinct movements of Christ advent into our lives: Past, in coming to earth as a child; Present, in His presence in us through the Holy Spirit; and Future, in longing for the return of our Lord.

We will be exploring 4 different stories in the narrative of Christ’s birth, each a variation on the theme of cultivating the space in our heart where Christ can come forth and dwell. This sense of inner poverty, this manger of the soul, will be our aim. We will also explore and celebrate this theme in all aspects of our worship. We have chosen the song
‘O Come, O come, Emmanuel’ to encapsulate in music and lyric, the heart of our direction for this time-

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall Come to thee O Israel

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And deaths dark shadow put to flight
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee O Israel

Woship Gatherings: Sunday - 10:30 AM Bridgeport Church 112 W. 18th Street Kansas City, MO 64111	Advent Season at Bridgeport The Christmas season is fast approaching and while this is a time of great joy and celebration, it can also be very easy to lose sight of the spiritual significance of this season. In order to provide a greater sense of guidance, we will be taking the 4 Sundays of Advent, beginning Nov. 29th, to contemplate and cultivate our longing and receiving of Christ in this season. The season of Advent is meant to steer us away from the chaos of our culture into the place of inner poverty where we can once again receive our Lord. It embraces the 3 distinct movements of Christ advent into our lives: Past, in coming to earth as a child; Present, in His presence in us through the Holy Spirit; and Future, in longing for the return of our Lord. We will be exploring 4 different stories in the narrative of Christ’s birth, each a variation on the theme of cultivating the space in our heart where Christ can come forth and dwell. This sense of inner poverty, this manger of the soul, will be our aim. We will also explore and celebrate this theme in all aspects of our worship. We have chosen the song ‘O Come, O come, Emmanuel’ to encapsulate in music and lyric, the heart of our direction for this time- O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appears Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall Come to thee O Israel O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer Our spirits by thine advent here Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And deaths dark shadow put to flight Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee O Israel