2019 Advent Devotional Teaser
Jesus said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
“Advent…helps us to understand fully the value and meaning of the mystery of Christmas. It is not just about commemorating the historical event, which occurred some 2,000 years ago in a little village of Judea…The whole of our life must be an ‘advent,’ a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ.
To predispose our mind to welcome the Lord who, as we say in the Creed, one day will come to judge the living and the dead, we must learn to recognize [Jesus] as present in the events of daily life. Therefore, Advent is, so to speak, an intense training that directs us decisively toward him who already came, who will come, and who comes continuously.”
— Pope John Paul II
What has Jesus done? What is Jesus doing? What will Jesus do?
Our lives are a journey through a story that God is writing about us and the whole world. Where are you on that journey right now? It’s not quite as easy as pulling out your phone and finding your location on Google Maps. There are no notifications that will alert you when “you have arrived” at another way-station along the path. Without realizing it, it’s easy to get stuck circling around the same destination like a plane awaiting permission to land–meanwhile your fuel starts to run dangerously low.
Christian tradition thinks of the journey of faith as an encounter with God’s grace in all its expressions. God comes into our lives before we can recognize it, inviting us into a new life. Our sin is exposed as convicting accusations swirl through our mind–reminding us of our unrighteousness, but God throws out the charges, declaring us forgiven. As forgiven people, our lives are transformed to shine the brightness of Christ. And finally, someday, we will enter God’s Kingdom and God’s plan will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
This is the story of which all of us are a part. Even if you’ve never been to church before, you have a place in this story. Join us this Advent as we enter the story of preparation for the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ.
Members of our congregation, maybe even you, will write reflections on scriptures that will draw us closer to God and help us to find our way on this journey.
When we recognize that we are weak and in need of a savior, Jesus comes into our lives and makes us strong. Join us this December as we embark on the journey of faith and learn about the geography of our salvation.
Week 1 — A Pending Invitation (Preparing Grace)
Week 2 — A Tangible Hope (Justifying Grace)
Week 3 — A Desert in Bloom (Sanctifying Grace)
Week 4 — Between Heaven and Hell (Glorifying Grace)