Advent Devotions: Week 3

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country. Luke 1: 26-39

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December 14th; Third Sunday of Advent

Joy

by Laura Bannon

Joy isn’t always loud or glittering. Sometimes it begins as a flicker; small, steady, and brave enough to keep shining even in the waiting. Advent joy is not the kind we manufacture; it’s the kind that finds us when we make space for it. It grows quietly in gratitude, in laughter shared, in the beauty of light returning. God’s joy takes root in us, transforming even ordinary moments into signs of grace. On this third Sunday of Advent, we remember that joy is not fragile, it deepens with every breath of hope.

Inhale:

Today I will make space

Exhale:

for joy that grows and grows.

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December 15th

Yes

by David Renaker

Yes! Is there a more positive word in our vocabulary? It's the answer every child wants to hear from their parents. It's the answer we hope for when inviting someone to an event. It's the answer we yearn for when proposing marriage. Sometimes it's impossible to say yes: we can't be in two places at the same time. Sometimes fear keeps us from saying yes.

The woman who consented to bear the Messiah in her body was a woman of courage. She said Yes. Frederick Buechner wrote "the angel, the whole creation, even God, all hold their breath as they wait upon the answer of the "girl".  In this season of waiting for Christ, we should consider the possibility that God is also waiting for us.

We can look for more ways to say "yes" where we would have previously made an excuse to say no.

Inhale:

A hesitant yes 

Exhale:

can still be holy.

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December 16th

Courage

by Patrick Riley

The world can be a scary place at times. There are things real, and imagined that frighten us. We can have bad experiences that lead us not to trust other people or ourselves. How can we live into the fullness of life that God promises us. We can practice courage. Like any skill, courage takes practice. Courage is not a lack of fear, but persisting in the face of fear. 

One of my favorite children’s books for teaching courage is Mikey and the Dragons by Joko Willink. In the story a young prince must take over when his father, the king, dies. The main task of this king is to keep his city safe from the dragons that live in a nearby cave. The boy summons up his courage and, with an encouraging note from his father, finds out that the dragons are small, harmless creatures. That the fear is worse than the actual thing itself. Our brains will lie to us and blow things up to many times their actual size. What dragons are you frightened of? Have you gone into the cave recently? The dragons are smaller than you think.

Inhale:

Help me step forward,

Exhale:

even when I tremble. 

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December 17th

Magnify

by David Renaker

As I have gotten older, sometimes I find that I need to use magnifying glasses to read. Other times I realize that I just need more light. Microscopes use lenses to refract light to help us see clearer. Jesus is the light of the world and our lives can reflect that light to help others see more clearly. God redirects our loving attention back into the world just like a magnifying glass.

In Mary’s Psalm of Praise, God is the only One she magnified. She freely confessed God was the One who had done great things for her, and not vice versa. The song is all about God’s greatness and his faithfulness to all generations.

Even when our lives take difficult or unexpected turns, we can still find joy, peace and light in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Inhale:

May I magnify the good

Exhale:

that surrounds me.

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December 18th

Awaken

by Courtney Brown

When my children were still “children” I began with two premises for Christmas. I told the children that we really were not going to have a big Christmas, as they each smiled, rolled their eyes, and mumbled “she says that every year.” I would also vow to “finally get it right” this year and not get caught up in the materialism of Christmas, but to be awake to God’s gifts of a baby in a manger and his death on a cross for me.

One summer I found a Christmas poem by Macrina Wiederkehr. I almost skipped it, but God knew that I needed a head start on being awake to the spirit of Christmas and the birth of his son rather than focusing on the decorations, parties and material gifts of Christmas so He nudged me to read it. If you struggle as I do with remembering the manger, the cross and the healing of Christmas, I hope that the following excerpts from her poem entitled “Christmas Shopping” will awaken your “Christmas eyes” and the “lights in your hearts.”

O shoppers, dear shoppers

put your carts away.

Please put your carts away

and search deeper down within your hearts

for gifts that will not rust or fade

For where your treasure is

there is your heart (Matthew 6:19-21)

O look into your God-splashed, gospelled hearts

and see! See Christmas standing there

waiting to be, not bought

but given free.

We are Christmas shoppers, Lord

We are shopping for a way

to make your coming last

O take the blind in us and hold it close

O teach us how to see

Decorate our lives with your vision

For Christmas, let us see!

O shoppers, dear shoppers

hang lights in your hearts

instead of on your trees

For the One we’ve hung our hopes on

has come, and now we’re free

but only if we see.

Jesus, we long for Christmas-eyes.

Please heal the blind in us

For Christmas, eyes that see!

1 Wiederkehr, Marcina. “Christmas Shopping.” Seasons of Your Heart. page 48, 1975.

Inhale:

Awaken me

Exhale:

to my fullest, radiant self.

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December 19th

Vulnerability 

by Jeno Smith

When I trust someone, my defensiveness dissipates. I’ll reveal my unprocessed thoughts, my joys and sorrows, and eventually, my sometimes-messy inner self. In this way, I offer myself in the hope for a deeper, more mutually satisfying relationship. 

My guess is this: that you do, too. When we feel accepted, we are more likely to invite others to see us, to really get to know who we are. It is in this circle of trust that we feel safe and choose to be vulnerable. 

Maybe this season I will widen the circle a bit … lean in and not away, knowing my openness to others fosters deep possibilities for authentic friendship. Maybe you will, too.

Inhale:

Deep vulnerability

Exhale:

can create deep possibility.

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December 20th 

Dream

by Pat Goodman

I’ve always found dreams fascinating. On most days there’s something from my dream

I remember. I like to tell people about my dreams because I often find them vivid,

bizarre, entertaining to me, and boring to my friends. So, you can imagine how excited

I was to discover the sleep app on my Apple watch which shows sleep stages

throughout the night. I see how I cycle from one stage to the next and back again.

Since our understanding is that dreams fulfill some sort of psychological function, what if I shifted to thinking perhaps, just perhaps, it is fulfilling insights God has in store for me?

What if my dreams were harnessing the power for my purpose in God’s plan? What if

during this Advent season, I see if I might discern my dreams not to be nighttime

entertainment, but a watchful embrace of God’s future?

“Father, I surrender my plans and desires to you tonight. Align my heart with your will.

Let my dreams reflect your presence for my life. Amen”

Inhale:

God’s dreams unfold

Exhale:

through the work of our hands.