City Of Light Anglican Churchaurora, Illinois

John 1:19-28 Isaiah 65:17-25 Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Mark 1:1-8; Isaiah 40:1-5 Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Mark 13:24-27, 32-37 Isaiah 64:1-8 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 season of Advent is here! Father Trevor and City of Light member Rachel Wassink talk about following the church calendar, the meaning of the season of Advent, and how to practice it in our households with family, roommates, or on our own. Find more Advent resources at http://www.cityoflightanglican.org/events/advent

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Psalm 100 Luke 19:1-10 Christian gratitude is not simply positive thinking or a happier perspective. It's a connection to God’s goodness that transforms us, replacing isolation with relationship and bitterness with joy. We can pray, "God, where did I see your goodness today?"

HEBREWS 13:1-8, 14–16 Psalm 67 Luke 20:45 - 21:4 A person who gives thanks is a person who gives. Gratitude connects us to God’s goodness and invites us into his generosity. When we experience the good gifts of God given to us, we begin to more deeply trust his generosity. When we experience his generosity, we can participate in his generosity. But generosity is not only the response to God’s goodness, it can be a way in to God’s goodness. Just like practicing gratitude teaches us to see God’s good gifts. Practicing generosity teaches us to see God’s good gifts. When we risk to live generously, we put ourselves in a place of relying on the goodness of God.

Colossians 3:12–17 Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 Luke 17:11-19 "Gratitude is a gateway to the goodness of God. In the midst of our day to day lives, the practice of giving thanks shapes us to see and receive the goodness of God our loving father."

11/22 WK10: A Spirit-filled Kingdom SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 5:16-28 SUMMARY: Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks in the midst of suffering fills us with the Spirit and transform us into people of heaven. DISCUSSION: In the midst of the many challenges of 2020, what can you thank the Lord for? What are the gifts large and small that he has given you this year? How can you continue to pray throughout your days, asking the Lord for what you need and interceding for others? Rejoicing in the Lord rehearses the good news that Jesus is healing our hurts. How can you rehearse the story of the kingdom of heaven this week?

11/15 WK9: A Kingdom Built Up SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 5:11-22 SUMMARY: The culture of the kingdom is built up through love, encouragement, care, and patience. DISCUSSION: Who are the faint-hearted in your life and how could you encourage them in their life in God? Are there ways that you have been idle in your spiritual life or the life of the church? How is the Lord admonishing you to re-engage? With so many challenges, how can you “give thanks in all circumstances” this week? As you spend time in the Bible and prayer this week, ask the Spirit, “Lord, who needs encouraged in the Lord right now?” http://www.cityoflightanglican.org/events/kingdom-people

Bishop Stewart and Mama Katherine's opening teaching from Revive 2020 about who we are as a church during the challenges of the pandemic. Find all the Revive teaching audios here: https://soundcloud.com/midwestanglican/sets/2020-revive-a-house-on-the-move And full video of the services here: http://revive.midwestanglican.org/live

11/8 WK8: A Kingdom That Is Here SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 5:1-11 SUMMARY: The church today is called to live the culture of heaven in the midst of the cultures of earth. We are children of the day, staying awake to the day when Jesus will return to bring heaven to earth and living in that future day today. DISCUSSION: Are you eagerly awaiting the coming of Jesus? Why or why not? Paul encourages us to not fall asleep or get drunk. What are ways in your life that you can fall asleep to the reality of the kingdom of heaven? Where are places in our world or our church where we need more of the culture of heaven to heal our cultures?

11/1 WK7(All Saints Sunday): A Kingdom That Is Coming SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 4:13-18 SUMMARY: King Jesus will return and all those who follow him will live in his kingdom forever. DISCUSSION: There are many details about Jesus’ return that we do not know and that Jesus tells us in Acts 1:7-8 that we do not need to know. What are the main things that Paul wants the Thessalonians and us to know? According to v. 13 and 18, why does he want us to know this? How has the Resurrection provided hope for you in times of grief? How could it offer hope during this pandemic? Paul writes so that we do not grieve as those who have no hope, but not that we don’t grieve at all since we are also called to “grieve with those we grieve” in Romans 12:15. How are you grieving well and with others during the pandemic?

This is a demo version of the "Sanctus" (a piece of liturgical music sung during the celebration of the Eucharist)sung in Spanish. Written and performed by Mark Meyers, Bonnie McMaken, and Eduardo Dávila. Find the lead sheet, lyrics, and chart here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t8noemij9xmdfp1/AAC1O3KbXyt-cyoKA8HHWTXTa?dl=0 Copyright © 2019 City of Light Church Aurora

Note: Due to technical difficulties, the audio quality for the first three minutes is poor, but improves shortly thereafter. Anuncio: Por causa de dificultades técnicas, la calidad del audio al comienzo es mala, pero mejora después de tres minutos. THE MESTIZO CHURCH | LA IGLESIA MESTIZA Lucas | Luke 10:25-37 Hechos | Acts 2:1-12 In such divisive times, the church can look to mestizos, those whose very lives embody multi-ethnicity or multiculturalism, for guidance for cultural healing and reconciliation. In this sermon, Deacon Eduardo (City of Light Aurora) celebrates how the church has always been a mestizo church, and is the only place that offers cultural healing and hospitality to the world. The sermon is delivered in Spanish and translated live by Mimi Guiracocha (Cornerstone Bridgeport), and directed to a culturally mixed audience for our annual diocesan gathering, Revive. En tiempos tan divisivos, la iglesia puede encontrar guía en los mestizos (aquellos cuyas vidas encarnan la multietnicidad

10/25 WK6: A Culture of Sexual Holiness SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 4:1-8 SUMMARY: Following King Jesus teaches us what is truly loving and empowers us to live in holiness. DISCUSSION: Find all of the mentions of the word “holy” or “holiness” in this section. What is holiness? In v. 3, Paul says that Jesus instructs us to avoid all sexual immorality. Have you seen how sexual sin has hurt you or hurt others? What would it mean for you to believe and obey that in your life? What happens in v. 6 when we do not follow God’s way of holiness? How can we stay more connected to the Holy Spirit so that we can live a more holy life?

10/18 WK5:A Hard-working Kingdom SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 4:9-12 SUMMARY: In the culture of the church, we work hard at being generous. DISCUSSION: In the ancient world and in many cultures today, large extended families share their home, their resources, their food, their work, their lives. How do we normally think about the church as a the family of God in our culture? How is the Spirit inviting us into a deeper relationship as brothers and sisters in his household? How does the broader culture think about work and money differently than the Kingdom of God culture? How could you take a step of Kingdom generosity in your financial life? What’s holding you back?

Matthew 22:15-22 How should Christians vote? What are our Kingdom politics? Not only does Jesus avoid the trap set for him in this malicious public debate, he gives us a diagnostic question for where we have placed our own allegiance.

10/11 WK4: A Culture of Closeness SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 3:1-12 SUMMARY: In the kingdom, we grow closer together when we suffer together. DISCUSSION: How would you feel if someone at church use words as affectionate as Paul does for the Thessalonians? Why? How can we intentionally show our affection to one another during this pandemic? In Acts 16:19-26 Paul and Silas are beaten, thrown into prison, and then spend the night singing hymns out loud. Paul references this in 1 Thessalonians 2:2. How would going through that affect Paul and Silas’ relationship? Can you think of a time when you suffered and someone was there with you in it? What did that mean for your relationship? How can we grow closer to one another during this season?

10/4 WK3: A Kingdom Leader SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 2:5-12 SUMMARY: Kingdom leaders lead like a loving mother and father. DISCUSSION: Have you followed trustworthy leaders? Have you been hurt by untrustworthy leaders? Are there ways that your relationship with earthly parents has impacted your relationship with God? With the church? In your own life, how might the Lord be inviting you into leadership that is more humble, more loving, more like a parent? Paul said that he was “encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God.” Where do you need encouragement, comfort, or urging today? How might you encourage, comfort, and urge those you are leading to live lives worthy of God? http://www.cityoflightanglican.org/events/kingdom-people

9/27 WK2: A Kingdom Culture SCRIPTURE: Thessalonians 1:8 - 2:4 SUMMARY: Following King Jesus means turning from following other kingdoms. DISCUSSION: What are idols in our culture that are also in your life? That are also in the life of the church? How is the culture of the Kingdom of God different in that area? What would turning from those idols look like in your life in God? In our church? Are there brothers and sisters in the Lord in your life from a different culture? How does their life in God look the same as yours? How does it look different? What might they have to teach us through the way the Kingdom of God is being shaped in their culture and lives? How might their life in God expose the idols in our lives and culture? http://www.cityoflightanglican.org/events/kingdom-people