1st Sunday of Advent 2025: November 30

Due to snow, we will not have a live service for the 1st Sunday of Advent 2025. Instead, we will present a 2022 service that aligns with today’s readings. In this post, you will find the video so you can worship with us.

Happy New Year! Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical year, transitioning our readings from Year C to Year A. During this time, we prepare our hearts and minds for the season of Christ’s birth. Join us as we embark on this new year and Advent journey together.

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If You Cannot Join Us In Person for the 1st Sunday of Advent 2025!

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The Collect for the 1st Sunday of Advent 2025

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Readings for the 1st Sunday of Advent 2025

Old Testament: Isaiah 2:1-5

1 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.

3 Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Psalm 122

1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

2 Now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.

3 Jerusalem is built as a city that is at unity with itself;

4 To which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, the assembly of Israel, to praise the Name of the Lord.

5 For there are the thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.

7 Peace be within your walls and quietness within your towers.

8 For my brethren and companions’ sake, I pray for your prosperity.

9 Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek to do you good.”

The Epistle: Romans 13:11-14

11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;

12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;

13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.

14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

The Gospel: Matthew 24:36-44

36 “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark,

39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.

40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.

41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.

42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.

44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Reflection on the Readings for the 1st Sunday of Advent 2025

Join us as we look at the readings for this Sunday!

Old Testament – Isaiah 2:1-5

Isaiah’s prophecy presents a vision of God’s future kingdom, where all nations will come to the Lord’s mountain in search of guidance and wisdom. This passage promises a time when instruments of war will be converted into tools for agriculture—swords will become plowshares and spears will turn into pruning hooks. The prophet envisions a universal peace in which nations will no longer train for war. Isaiah concludes with an invitation for God’s people to begin walking in this light now.

Psalm 122

This Psalm of Ascent conveys the joy of traveling to Jerusalem and God’s house. It celebrates Jerusalem as a unified city where the tribes gather to worship and praise God’s name. The psalmist calls for prayers for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem, acknowledging that it is a sacred responsibility to seek the well-being of God’s house and His people.

Epistle – Romans 13:11-14

Paul urgently calls believers to awaken from spiritual slumber, emphasizing that salvation is drawing nearer with each passing day. He uses the imagery of night and day, darkness and light, urging Christians to abandon the works of darkness and to don the armor of light. Paul clearly defines what this entails: living honorably instead of engaging in excess, debauchery, or quarrels. The solution is not merely to modify behavior but to ‘put on’ the character and presence of “the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Gospel – Matthew 24:36-44

Jesus warns his disciples that no one knows the day or hour of his return—not even the angels or the Son, but only the Father. He uses the example of Noah’s generation, who continued with their everyday lives, unaware of the impending flood. This illustrates the unexpected nature of his coming. His repeated command is clear: “Stay alert” and “be ready,” for the Son of Man will arrive at an unexpected hour.

The central theme of these readings is the importance of vigilant preparation and hopeful anticipation. Advent begins not with sentimentality, but with a call to awaken, remain alert, and walk in God’s light. We are encouraged to live now in the light of both Christ’s first coming in humility and His promised return in glory. This entails transforming our lives to reflect the peace and justice of God’s coming kingdom.