Advent Reflections by the Taylor Family

Published January 15, 2019 by SMBC

By Randy, Penny, and Joe Taylor
In the hustle and bustle of the Holiday Season, including the craziness of work commitments and the necessities of home life, celebrating Advent as part of our Worship has helped bring the true meaning to the intention of the Christmas season in our home. Our family had the honor of being part of the Advent emphasis in Worship at South Main Baptist Church the second Sunday of Advent focusing on Love. A most precious, meaningful moment happened as we followed our ?baby Joe? carrying the Love candle in the still and quiet of SMBC Worship. The symbolism, reality, and quietness directed us to something so Divine! Just when we thought we had reached a pinnacle, we returned for the third Sunday of Advent at SMBC and Worship led by song, harp, strings, etc was again a perfect picture of the expectation of our Savior's Birth.

In the past our church membership was in Baptist churches where there was no emphasis placed on Advent; we found it was easier to let the Christmas season pass by without acknowledgement or meditation on the importance and origins of the Season through biblical study or personal devotion. The Advent 2018 book published by SMBC members including their personal testimonies gave us a wonderful guide for our quiet time.

We joined SMBC in February 2018 and within that time period, members of this church have been with us through the sadness that Alzheimer's brings to a family to the excitement of two of our children's engagements for marriage! Members of our Graceland Sunday School Class have prayed with us, cried with us, and finished the year laughing with us around a beautiful Christmas campfire. What a privilege! Yes, we look forward to sharing many more Advent seasons with our South Main Family.