The first candle is the Candle of Hope, and we remember the first voice of the prophet Isaiah.

The second candle is the Candle of Peace, and we remember the second voice of the prophet John the Baptist.

And today, we are going to light the third candle—the Candle of Joy. And we will hear the voice of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.

Today’s Scripture is Luke 1:46-47. It says, “And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”

(마리아가 이르되 내 영혼이 주를 찬양하며 내 마음이 하나님 내 구주를 기뻐합니다)

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She sings for joy that she was chosen by God; she was chosen to have the promised King, the Messiah in her body;

she was chosen to be called the Mother of Jesus Christ.

While we are waiting for Jesus to return, our lives as Christians are not always happy.

Sometimes we face difficulties and go through hard times. We may have many unhappy moments.

But just like Mary said “yes” to God, we can also say “yes” to God in our lives 

When we do, God gives us hope, peace, and joy to help us overcome our worries and fears.

This is why we celebrate Advent - we are waiting for Jesus, and we can trust him to fill our hearts with joy, just like he filled Mary’s heart long ago.

Our deacon, 구본곤, who has faithfully served as the head of the English Worship Ministry, will be stepping down from his position.

And, 축하해주세요!!! 가은이가 영어예배 두 번 출석했어요! 앞으로도 계속 함께 해요! 

Have a blessed week with Joy in Christ!