Christmas and Advent

[The Remonstrant]

Cow Poke, may I ask which denomination (if any) you presently identify or associate with?

[Cow Poke]

Cow Poke, may I ask which denomination (if any) you presently identify or associate with?

Southern Baptist. And I'm learning that a number of my colleagues have been having Advent services in their Baptist churches!

Actually have done a lot of research on this of late, and it's interesting - the history of Advent.

[Cow Poke]

Cow Poke, may I ask which denomination (if any) you presently identify or associate with?

I started to answer, "yes, you may".

[The Remonstrant]

I started to answer, "yes, you may".

The closest Baptist denomination to my present beliefs (but not close enough) would likely be the Free Will Baptists. Thank you for your response.

[One Bad Pig]

The closest Baptist denomination to my present beliefs (but not close enough) would likely be the Free Will Baptists. Thank you for your response.

Since the SBC is not officially Reformed, there are Free Will Southern Baptists (I was one, before I bolted for Orthodoxy).

[Thoughtful Monk]

Hi Cow Poke,

Thanks for starting this thread. I appreciate how it got me thinking more about the season.

On a deeper level, I appreciate how important having God incarnate as a man really is. Yes, God gave His Son to the world. Its a more intimate gift. Having Him in the world, having Him incarnate opens up a more the possibility of a more personal relationship with God. Before the Incarnation, there is this distance between God and man that could never be bridged. Certainly, man could not reach up to God. God came down and dwelt with us. We should never lose the wonder and gratitude for this. This year, I really appreciate how Advent & Christmas moved the restoration so far along to, of course, complete in the Crucifixion event.

Christmas is not about gifts. Christmas is about relationship. First between man and God and then when that relationship is restored, between men.

Merry Christmas, everyone! ✝