Dear Family and Friends,
Each year, we at TUMI produce a calendar that follows the seasons of the liturgical year. This helps us to remember and re-experience in a yearly cycle the life of Christ beginning with his first coming (Advent and Christmas), followed by his ministry (Epiphany and Lent), his suffering and death (Holy Week), his resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit (Eastertide), and concluding with his session in heaven and his return (Kingdomtide, the season after Pentecost).
This journey through the life of Christ each year has blessed us and grounded us no matter what our weeks and months have brought us, and this year is no exception. At the end of a year of isolation, grief, social injustice and unrest, and political ugliness (and still with no end in sight), we remember the hope we have in Jesus, and we get to begin our journey with him again. Our calendar describes Advent and Christmas this way:
Advent joyously affirms the First and Second Comings of our Lord. Through the prophets, God foretold the Messiah’s appearing to his people, Israel. Through the angels, he announced his birth to Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds. Let us reverently ponder the sure promise of God – the Deliverer will come and ransom captive Israel and the world.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Messiah, Jesus, who is the incarnation of the Son of God, Mary’s child. He is the Word made flesh, the conqueror who enters this fallen world to reveal to us the Father’s love, to destroy the devil’s work, and to redeem his people from their sins.
Jesus is Lord, no matter what things look like in the world. He is still transforming lives, marriages, families, and communities, and He will come again to make all things new. We joyfully proclaim this in all of our programs and resources. We are grateful for the way He has led us and enabled us to adapt our ministry to the current situation around the world. We are awestruck by our partners, who continue to do all they can to plant healthy churches in communities of poverty. And we thank the Lord for you and your prayers and gifts which make this work possible.
Wishing you and yours a blessed Advent and a merry Christmas. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!”
Carolyn and Dan Hennings
