Advent

December 25: Read Isaiah 53 NLT Christmas Day has arrived at last! Where has your faith journey taken you this Advent season? To a better understanding of God? A deeper relationship with Jesus? Perhaps a new call to action to further the Kingdom of God? Hopefully to all of these things and more! Let us share one last journey to bring better focus to this day. During the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century in Europe, Napoleon, Emperor of France, was making war on Austria. A certain Austrian town came under interest, and he wanted to capture it. As the town had no strong defense forces guarding…

Every family or individual has traditions they look forward to renewing on Christmas Eve. When I was younger and my family gathered at my grandparents’ home, I would find time to go into the room where the Christmas tree was located and sit in the chair next to the tree. It was simply a time for me to be with God. I would be grateful for God’s gift of Jesus and the gift of family. As I sat in the glow of the lights of that beautiful tree, I let God’s light of love wash over me and I just let myself “be” with God. You may be…

December 23: Read Luke 2:8-11 NLT Christmas is about God’s love for us through Jesus. His birth, life, crucifixion, and resurrection is not just ordinary news, and not even good news, but great news that brings great joy to all people. How will this news spread to all? Through us, Jesus’ followers. We must do our part in sharing the gospel. Christmas would not be complete without singing “Joy to the World.” The first line of each of the 4 verses is what we need to proclaim to the world: Joy to the world, the Lord is come.Joy to the world, the Savior reigns.No more let sin and…

December 22: Read Psalm 32:1-2 NLT One of my favorite Christmas memories was when the family gathered at my grandparent’s crowded house. There were not enough beds (sound familiar?) so some of us young people had to sleep on pallets on the floor while a few lucky ones slept on couches. My brother and I slept on one of the pallets in the same room where the Christmas Tree was located. Our cousin, Mark, slept in the same room, but was lucky enough to snag the couch. My brother and I decided Mark was destined to become a cop because of his determination that night to see Santa…

Winter Solstice/Longest Night December 21: Read John 11:17-44 NLT For many people Advent and the Christmas season are not times of happiness and joy, but a time of grieving and a sense of loss. Especially for those who have lost a loved one since the last Advent season. I have lost both of my parents, and the first few Christmases after their deaths were mixtures of joy and sadness. Because of faith, God will lead us through this sadness with his great love for us. Christmas is a celebration of the coming of the one who will be our sacrifice for sins and who will conquer death for…

December 20: Read Luke 2:21-38 NIV The gospel of Luke mentions two people who have been on a very long journey of waiting for the Messiah to come. Both Simeon and Anna encounter our baby Messiah at the temple. As was custom, Mary and Joseph travel to Jerusalem to give an offering for Jesus’ birth and for ritual cleansing of Mary after childbirth. Led by the Holy Spirit, Simeon is moved to be at the temple when they come. It is highly likely that Simeon is a priest, though scripture doesn’t name him as such, but he performs the rituals of sacrificing the offerings Mary and Joseph bring.…

December 19: Read Hosea 12:6 NIV When I was little, we had these beautiful reindeer ornaments we put on our tree every year. Each reindeer had a name of Santa’s famous reindeer who led him on his Christmas Eve adventures across the land to deliver gifts to children. Those ornaments were my favorite ones on the tree. As we got closer to Christmas Eve, I would move them from the bottom of the tree up closer and closer to the top, signifying they were getting closer and closer to taking off and bringing Santa on his journey to my house…with gifts! It was the anticipation of Christmas Day…

December 18: Read Matthew 2:10-12 NLT The Magi’s gifts have been much discussed over the years. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were costly items. Bible scholars have concluded that the gifts represent Jesus. Gold is a gift for a king, frankincense was commonly a gift for a god or deity, and myrrh was a spice to anoint and/or prepare a body for burial. The Magi’s gifts should make us question what gift(s) we bring to Christ, our King. Of the many beloved Christmas hymns, “In the Bleak Midwinter” includes one of the most moving and challenging verses: What can I give him, poor as I am?If I were a…

December 17: Read Matthew 2:1-12; Isaiah 60:3-9; Psalm 72:10-11 NIV The Gospel of Matthew tells us that the Magi “come from the East,” following a star to bring gifts to the Messiah. But who are these Magi, and why do they want to see the Jewish Messiah? Magi or Wise Men is a vague term our author uses because there is little to be known about these men. Magi in Greek means “one of a learned and priestly class,” but that doesn’t tell us if it was a Jewish priestly class or another god’s priests. They most likely were some type of astrologists of the time who studied…

December 16: Read Matthew 2:1-12 NLT “When you wish upon a star…”; “Star light, star bright…”. Through songs, poems, or star-watching, stars have always fascinated us. The star that guided the Magi was certainly one of the ‘stars’ of the Christmas narrative. What was this star? Some believe it was a comet, others think it was a convergence in the sky of two stars whose lights combined even though they were far apart in the sky. Still others believe it was a special star that God created for that special occasion. Regardless of the star’s origin, the Magi understood its importance and followed it to find Jesus so…