This series invites us to see angels not as distant or imaginary, but as glimpses of the eternal pressing into the temporal. To encounter an angel is to stand in the tension between wonder and uncertainty. God’s messengers come to awaken, to interrupt, to pull back the veil between the seen and unseen. Their presence disturbs before it reassures, and their words leave no life unchanged. The same God who once sent angels into quiet rooms and open fields still moves through our world in ways that both startle and transform us. As we listen again to their voices this season, may we be willing to receive both the comfort and the challenge - to notice what we have overlooked, to respond to what we hear, and to be transformed by the living presence of God among us.

Primary Worship Information is shared below, but please click here to view our Full Schedule of Advent/Christmas Events & Activities

Nov. 30 – First Sunday of Advent

• Scripture Reading: Luke 1:5–25
• Theme: Zechariah’s question of “How can I be sure of this?” captures the tension between belief and doubt. His encounter with the angel leaves him speechless, not as punishment but as invitation. In his silence, God creates room for faith to grow where certainty once stood.

Dec. 7 – Second Sunday of Advent (Communion)

• Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26–38
• Theme: When the angel greets Mary, she is deeply troubled and unsure what to make of his words. Her question of “How can this be?” echoes every moment when faith feels beyond our reach. The angel answers with a promise that still speaks to us: “For no word from God will ever fail.” Peace comes not from understanding everything, but from trusting that God’s word can be trusted even when nothing seems certain.

Dec. 14 – Third Sunday of Advent (Lessons & Carols)

• Our Service of Lessons and Carols is a joyful, scripture-centered celebration that tells the story of Christ’s coming through readings and music. Throughout the service, we move together through key passages of the Bible that trace God’s promise of salvation from the prophets to the birth of Jesus. Between each reading, our choir, band, handbells, and congregation offer musical responses that lift the story off the page and into our shared worship.

Dec. 21 – Fourth Sunday of Advent

• Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18–25
• Theme: Joseph’s world unravels when he learns that Mary is expecting a child. As he wrestles with what to do, an angel appears in a dream to reveal that God is already at work. “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said,” the gospel tells us. In a season filled with questions, Joseph reminds us that faith often begins with listening and that God’s messengers will show up to carry out what God has promised.

Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve (Communion)

• Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1–20
• Theme: In the stillness of the night, the shepherds are caught off guard as heaven erupts with light and sound. The angels appear not to the powerful but to those who keep watch in the dark, announcing that God’s promise has taken flesh. What begins in fear becomes joy, as the messengers of God declare that peace has come to earth and nothing will ever be the same.

Dec. 28 – First Sunday of Christmas

• Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:13–23
• Theme: Even after the joy of Christ’s birth, the world remains dangerous. An angel appears to Joseph in a dream, urging the family to flee from Herod’s rage. Through danger and displacement, God’s messengers continue to act - not to spare them from struggle, but to guide them through it. Revelation does not always bring rest; sometimes it sends us on the road toward new life.

Jan. 4 – Second Sunday of Christmas / Wesleyan Covenant Service (Communion)

• Scripture Reading: Hebrews 1:1–14
• Theme: Throughout Scripture, angels serve as messengers of God’s purpose, but in Christ the message becomes enfleshed. The one whom angels worship now speaks from within our humanity, revealing the fullness of God’s love. As we renew our covenant this day, we remember that the same presence that once filled the heavens now moves through us - calling, guiding, and making all things new.

For more information about participating or leading in worship, please click the following links:

• Sunday Morning Worship Information
• Stilwell UMC's Worship Ministries