And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on Earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." — Luke 2:13-14
Stephen and I intended for Christ to be part of our marriage, but somehow found ourselves distracted along the way. After a few years of marriage, we decided to refocus and actively seek Christ as part of our marriage. God pointed us to South Main exactly when He knew we needed to be there. Our first week at South Main was the first week of the sanctuary renovations, with Steve preaching three sermons each Sunday in the chapel. Little did we know, God was doing something big at South Main, and he was doing something big in our life, too. The chapel was my own version of "Little Church."
It provided the intimacy and sense of peace I needed as I recommitted to my walk with God and as Stephen and I refocused our marriage.
For many years, the period leading up to Christmas was defined by a set of cultural norms completely unrelated to the true reason for celebration. Until recently, I had not experienced Advent and Christmas for the celebrations they are truly meant to be. South Main's intentional observation of Advent provides each of us an opportunity for reflection and clarity during a time of chaos.
Our choice to follow God has been, and will continue to be, the greatest adventure of our life. Advent offers a time to reflect, refresh, and reinvigorate our joy for the blessings we have been given, the greatest of which are the birth, life, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Abbie Perry has been a member of South Main since 2016 and was baptized in March of 2017 with her husband Stephen. Abbie is a member of the Nearly/Newlywed Sunday School Community and participated in the Servant Leadership Development Program this fall.
