- 38 Johnsons Mill Road
- Orrington
- ME
- 04474
(207) 825-3404
Email Us
DEVOTION:
Isaiah 51:3
“The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her deserts like Eden, Her wastelands are like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and the sound of singing."
The photo was taken on our front patio.(November 13th) Nancy and I did not plant this type of flower this year, but it thrived through the drought, frost, and hardship better than the ones we did plant.
THOUGHT:
As we begin the sacred journey of Advent—the season of watching, waiting, and hoping—may this simple image guide our hearts: a single bright flower pushing through a crack in the pavement. No gardener planted it. No one tended it. And yet it blooms—boldly, unexpectedly, and beautifully.
This is the story of Advent. God’s hope appears where we least expect it. Light breaks in where the world only sees darkness. Life springs up in places that look too hard, too barren, too broken.
The world tells us that joy will come when life is finally easy, comfortable, and successful. But Jesus turns everything upside down. He leads us into the places that seem unpromising—the rough edges, the cracks, the places we try to hide—and there He plants His Kingdom. He announces blessing over the poor, the mourning, the meek, and the persecuted because God Himself meets us in the places the world avoids. Advent begins with that same truth: God steps into our ruins, our silence, our waiting, our longing—and from there, He brings forth life.
Isaiah reminds us:
“The Lord will surely comfort Zion
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
He will make her deserts like Eden,
Her wastelands are like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
Thanksgiving and the sound of singing.”
Isaiah 51:3
Advent is God whispering, “Watch the cracks… I make gardens out of wastelands. I bring flowers out of stone. I bring My Son into the very heart of your need.”
So today, as we light the first candle and begin our walk toward Bethlehem, let this be our reflection: If God can make a flower bloom through concrete, what new hope might He be planting in the cracks of your life this Advent? Where is He breaking through in small, surprising ways? Where is He calling you to slow down, look closely, and welcome His coming?
Advent is not just about waiting—It is about noticing. And God is already at work.
PRAYER:Almighty and Holy God, as we step into this first Sunday of Advent, we pause before You in gratitude, wonder, and hope. You are the God who brings life out of barren places, who causes flowers to bloom through cracks, who brings Your Light into our darkness. We thank You for the promise that You are already at work, preparing the way for Your Son to come anew into our hearts, our homes, and our church.
Lord, today we lift up our church family to You. We pray for every person who gathers in this sanctuary, for every soul joining from home, and for those who long to be here but cannot. Strengthen those who are carrying sorrow. Comfort the ones who are anxious. Heal the ones who are hurting in body or spirit. Restore relationships that feel strained. Renew those who feel tired or worn down. Let Your peace settle gently on the hearts of Your people.
We thank You for the fellowship shared over this Thanksgiving weekend. And now, Lord, we ask Your protection over all who are traveling—those returning home from family gatherings, those navigating busy roads and full airports, and those beginning the long drive back to their routines. Grant them safety, patience, alertness, and peace. Bring them home in Your care, without harm or delay.
We pray for our elderly members, our homebound brothers and sisters, and those recovering from illness or surgery. May they feel the warmth of Your presence even now. Wrap them in Your love and remind them this church family deeply treasures them.
We pray for our children and youth, that this Advent season would awaken wonder in them, stir faith within them, and help them see that Jesus is not just the Savior of the world but their Savior, too. We pray for our leaders, volunteers, musicians, teachers, servers, and every person who makes ministry possible in this place. Fill them with joy as they serve. Strengthen their hands when they grow weary. Remind them that every act of love, seen or unseen, is precious in Your sight. Lord, we pray for our world—its unrest, its hunger, its divisions, its longing.
Let the Light of Christ shine in places where hope feels lost. Let wars cease, injustice fall, and peace rise. Make us agents of that peace in our own neighborhoods and circles.
And now, Lord, prepare our hearts for the journey ahead. Slow us down. Quiet us. Help us to watch for Your coming with expectant hearts. As You once came to a stable in Bethlehem, come again into the unexpected places of our lives. Come into our doubts. Come into our fears. Come into our waiting. Come into our worship. Plant joy in us this Advent, Lord; joy that blooms even in difficult seasons, joy that grows in the cracks, joy that comes from knowing You are with us, You are for us, and You are coming again. We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus,
our Hope, our Peace, our Joy, and our Love. Amen.
Isaiah 51:3
“The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her deserts like Eden, Her wastelands are like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and the sound of singing."
The photo was taken on our front patio.(November 13th) Nancy and I did not plant this type of flower this year, but it thrived through the drought, frost, and hardship better than the ones we did plant.
THOUGHT:
As we begin the sacred journey of Advent—the season of watching, waiting, and hoping—may this simple image guide our hearts: a single bright flower pushing through a crack in the pavement. No gardener planted it. No one tended it. And yet it blooms—boldly, unexpectedly, and beautifully.
This is the story of Advent. God’s hope appears where we least expect it. Light breaks in where the world only sees darkness. Life springs up in places that look too hard, too barren, too broken.
The world tells us that joy will come when life is finally easy, comfortable, and successful. But Jesus turns everything upside down. He leads us into the places that seem unpromising—the rough edges, the cracks, the places we try to hide—and there He plants His Kingdom. He announces blessing over the poor, the mourning, the meek, and the persecuted because God Himself meets us in the places the world avoids. Advent begins with that same truth: God steps into our ruins, our silence, our waiting, our longing—and from there, He brings forth life.
Isaiah reminds us:
“The Lord will surely comfort Zion
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;
He will make her deserts like Eden,
Her wastelands are like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
Thanksgiving and the sound of singing.”
Isaiah 51:3
Advent is God whispering, “Watch the cracks… I make gardens out of wastelands. I bring flowers out of stone. I bring My Son into the very heart of your need.”
So today, as we light the first candle and begin our walk toward Bethlehem, let this be our reflection: If God can make a flower bloom through concrete, what new hope might He be planting in the cracks of your life this Advent? Where is He breaking through in small, surprising ways? Where is He calling you to slow down, look closely, and welcome His coming?
Advent is not just about waiting—It is about noticing. And God is already at work.
Almighty and Holy God, as we step into this first Sunday of Advent, we pause before You in gratitude, wonder, and hope. You are the God who brings life out of barren places, who causes flowers to bloom through cracks, who brings Your Light into our darkness. We thank You for the promise that You are already at work, preparing the way for Your Son to come anew into our hearts, our homes, and our church.
Lord, today we lift up our church family to You. We pray for every person who gathers in this sanctuary, for every soul joining from home, and for those who long to be here but cannot. Strengthen those who are carrying sorrow. Comfort the ones who are anxious. Heal the ones who are hurting in body or spirit. Restore relationships that feel strained. Renew those who feel tired or worn down. Let Your peace settle gently on the hearts of Your people.
We thank You for the fellowship shared over this Thanksgiving weekend. And now, Lord, we ask Your protection over all who are traveling—those returning home from family gatherings, those navigating busy roads and full airports, and those beginning the long drive back to their routines. Grant them safety, patience, alertness, and peace. Bring them home in Your care, without harm or delay.
We pray for our elderly members, our homebound brothers and sisters, and those recovering from illness or surgery. May they feel the warmth of Your presence even now. Wrap them in Your love and remind them this church family deeply treasures them.
We pray for our children and youth, that this Advent season would awaken wonder in them, stir faith within them, and help them see that Jesus is not just the Savior of the world but their Savior, too. We pray for our leaders, volunteers, musicians, teachers, servers, and every person who makes ministry possible in this place. Fill them with joy as they serve. Strengthen their hands when they grow weary. Remind them that every act of love, seen or unseen, is precious in Your sight. Lord, we pray for our world—its unrest, its hunger, its divisions, its longing.
Let the Light of Christ shine in places where hope feels lost. Let wars cease, injustice fall, and peace rise. Make us agents of that peace in our own neighborhoods and circles.
And now, Lord, prepare our hearts for the journey ahead. Slow us down. Quiet us. Help us to watch for Your coming with expectant hearts. As You once came to a stable in Bethlehem, come again into the unexpected places of our lives. Come into our doubts. Come into our fears. Come into our waiting. Come into our worship. Plant joy in us this Advent, Lord; joy that blooms even in difficult seasons, joy that grows in the cracks, joy that comes from knowing You are with us, You are for us, and You are coming again. We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus,
our Hope, our Peace, our Joy, and our Love. Amen.