ST. LOUIS—In Bethlehem’s quiet streets and Zion’s radiant hope, God’s ancient promise comes alive: Immanuel has come to dwell with us. This promise is the focal point of The Everlasting Light, the new Advent series from Concordia Publishing House. This all-inclusive preaching and worship series draws on Isaiah 60 and the beloved hymn “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and invites Christians to behold the glory of the Lord shining through the humble birth of Christ. The Everlasting Light is available now on the Concordia Publishing House website.

The series proclaims Christ as the light that overcomes the darkness of sin, tracing that theme through three midweek sermons, a sermon for the Nativity of Our Lord, and Bible studies built around the progression “A Street Called Light,” “A Street Called Beautiful,” “A Street Called Impossible,” and “A Street Called Forever.” Each title corresponds to a passage in Isaiah 60, giving preachers a clear textual and thematic arc for the season.

Sermons and sermon notes, Bible studies, children’s messages, a children’s Christmas service, a daily devotional for adults, and a new children’s Arch® Book make up the series, which will help churches create a cohesive Advent and Christmas season. Congregations can use all the resources together with custom bulletins for their members to enjoy during midweek services.

Visit cph.org for more information about the series. Contact Erica Sontag to schedule an interview with the author.

About the Sermons Series Author

Rev. Dr. R. Reed Lessing is the Edwin F. and Esther L. Laatsch Chair of Old Testament Studies at Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota. He also serves as the university’s director for the Center of Biblical Studies and oversees the university’s pre-seminary program. Previously he was senior pastor at Saint Michael Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and before that, professor of exegetical theology and director of the graduate school at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, and received his BA in pre-seminary studies from St. John’s College, Winfield, Kansas, in 1981. He earned his MDiv (1985), STM (1989), and PhD (2001) degrees from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He was ordained into the office of the holy ministry on June 29, 1986. From 1986 to 1999, he served pastorates in West Monroe, Louisiana, and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.