Third Sunday of Advent What Do You Fear? Even in Our Fear, We are Called Forward Jeremiah 1:4–10 & Luke 1:26–39 This Sunday, Advent turns toward courage… not the loud, triumphant kind, but the kind that begins with trembling hands and a voice that doesn’t feel ready. Jeremiah hears a calling he never asked for. He’s young. He’s unsure. He’s overwhelmed by the world he’s stepping into. And yet the first thing God says is not a command, it’s a reassurance: “Do not be afraid… I am with you.” Then we meet Mary. A young girl living under occupation, with very little power and very real fear. And still, she receives a message that upends her world and invites her into something impossibly big. Her first response isn’t boldness. It’s confusion. It’s vulnerability. And then it’s courage… the kind that grows when someone walks beside you. Because Mary doesn’t go through it alone. She goes straight to Elizabeth. Fear tries to isolate. And Advent keeps insisting that we reach for one another, steady each other, and remember that none of us walks this path alone. So we keep asking the question at the center of this series: What do you fear? Stepping into something new? Not feeling ready? Not feeling capable? The weight of responsibility? The world your kids are inheriting? The silence of God when you need clarity? You don’t have to hide that. You don’t have to be fearless to belong here. Bring your hesitation. Bring your questions. Bring the places in your life where you need someone to take your hand and say, “You don’t have to do this alone.” This Sunday, December 14, we light the third candle. Not because fear disappears… but because courage grows in community. And light grows stronger when we carry it together. Join us for Week 3 - “Even in Our Fear, We are Called Forward.” Sunday at 10am ET Onsite & Online There is room for your fear. There is room for your courage. And there is room for the companions who walk beside you on the way.