“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.” Psalm 126
Greetings, Fremont Family:
I can hardly believe that the season of Advent is upon us! Wasn’t it just yesterday that we went into quarantine? How did we already move through spring, summer, now fall? Often days feel the same, but then I wake up to realize months have gone by! In this strange stretched out time that is both ordinary and extraordinary, we begin the season of Advent.
This year, our Worship Team has partnered with Sanctified Art to explore the theme of “Those Who Dream.” Sanctified Art is a team of artists in ministry who create multimedia resources for worshiping communities like ours at Fremont. For this Advent season, we will be using liturgies, visual art, and a devotional that will guide us through the season. Together, we will ponder, what does it mean to be “those who dream?”
Personally, I consider myself a dreamer. Sometimes I am a dreamer in the escapist kind of way. That is, I can easily let my mind wander so as to distract myself from the here and now. But, mostly, I consider myself a dreamer in the reformist kind of way. That is, I believe that things can be better than they are. I believe in the power of community to transform the common good. I believe in the defiance of hope. I believe in creating the kind of world we long to see. That kind of dreaming takes imagination, perseverance and courage. It also takes other people. I want to be with “those who dream.” In Advent, we will see that the prophets, John the Baptist, Mary, and Elizabeth, the shepherds, the Magi were all dreamers. They received, discovered, and responded to God’s dreams for the world, and their ability to welcome God’s dreams into their lives changed the world.
My prayer for us this Advent is that we will step into this season of wonder and allow ourselves to dream God’s dreams for the world. Then, in the new year, in 2021, let’s get busy receiving, discovering and responding to what God’s dreams are for us at Fremont, at this particular time in history, in our particular community of faith.
Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and the beginning of a Blessed Advent. So glad to be on this journey of faith with you.
Grace and peace, Pastor Erin