The Advent of Hope – December 2, 2013

Suggested Reading: Luke 1

The world is messed up!

There are wars and rumours of wars. There are economic problems, political problems, racial problems, family problems, and the list could go on and on. Proposed solutions and the people proposing them come and go, but the problems remain. In the midst of all of this, it is easy to become discouraged. Just a quick glance at the headlines on any given day gives us many reasons to despair and few reasons to hope.

We may imagine that we are living in a uniquely terrible time in history, but many generations have seen similar times and felt similar things. Empires have risen and crumbled and people in those times have lived through a level of pain and chaos that most of us have never experienced. And, I hope we never will. The Jews living in Palestine at the turn of the first century knew more about these things than we do in the West at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

They were living under an oppressive foreign regime who installed a puppet king. They lived under military occupation, subject to brutal treatment and crushing taxation. They longed for someone to deliver them. They lived in anticipation that God would intervene and save them, setting them free. They dreamed of the coming of the Messiah, the promised deliverer, the long delayed fulfilment of the ancient prophecies, already hundreds of years old in their day.

When Zechariah was ambushed by an angel of God in the temple, the plot began to thicken. There were rumblings and rumours – not of war – but of hope. Could this baby be the Messiah? Could this unborn child of a barren old woman and a dried up husband be the One? There were whispers in the hills of Judah. God is on the move! There is something special about this child!

But this baby, miraculous though his birth was, was not the One. There was another coming. A birth even more miraculous was on the way. Not one originating in the temple, but in a backwater town. God initiated another visitation, and another miraculous pregnancy, this time in a virgin womb. God's only Son became human, the Spirit of Christ enfleshed in the waiting womb of a willing young woman. Mary was to be the mother of Our Lord, the Hope of Nations.

The Advent of Christ was a rebirth of hope; more than that, a fulfilment of hope becoming flesh and dwelling among us. God drew near to us and demonstrated His love in the most tangible way possible, He became one of us. The God who created all things humbled Himself and became part of His creation. He began the remaking that will ultimately be fulfilled when His reign is fully established. But what a beginning He has made!

He is not distant or disengaged. He is not against us. He is one of us. He is among us. He is for us. We can know Him and know that He understands us. He is the reason for and the embodiment of our hope—the hope that came at Christmas!

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Questions:

What pain, conflict, or problem is challenging your ability to live in hope?

How does the miracle of Christmas restore your hope?

The Advent of Reconciliation – December 1, 2013

Suggested Reading: Colossians 1:15-23

As Advent begins, I find myself reflecting on what it all means. What is the purpose of the coming of Christ? I have found a simple and potent explanation in the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. I am struck by the immensity of the miracle as well as by the purpose of the incarnation. God became one of us so that we could be reconciled to Him!

Have you ever been alienated from a loved one? Have you ever been estranged from a friend? Have you experienced separation where you desire connection, distance where you want closeness?

I have. I have experienced geographic distance, as I have lived across the sea from my family and friends. But I have also known what it is to be physically close but a million miles away in the heart. How many times have I looked across the table to a vacant look in their eyes? Physically present, but distant or guarded; not available, not here with me. We have all known broken or damaged relationships. We know the pain of it, but sometimes we do not know how to make it better. Sometimes we try, only to find our efforts at reconciliation rebuffed and we are left with more pain than before.

Relationship is the root and trunk of the universe. God designed and created us for life with Him. We are hard-wired for relationship. But we messed up. Both corporately and individually we have made mistakes (some of them wilful) that have broken our relationship with the Community that is our Trinitarian God.

So, The Trinity decided to achieve reconciliation where none seemed possible. The Son became one of us, a human being, while simultaneously also being part of the Godhead. He brought the two irreconcilable sides together in Himself. The God-Man reconciled God and Man!

Now, because of the miracle of the incarnation, we can walk and talk with God as Jesus did. This is the Gospel and the miracle of Christmas. Although once we were alienated, now we have been reconciled. When we could not close the distance, God broke through. Where once we could not reach Him, now He is with us! We never have to live apart from Him again.

May we continue to draw near and experience all that Advent means this Christmas, and every day.

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Questions:

In what areas of your life are you aware of God’s nearness?

How might you cultivate broader and deeper awareness of Him?

As you approach advent, is there anyone with whom you need to seek reconciliation?

Advent Reader

Today is the first day of Advent, and I have published a devotional reader this year. A few of the readings started out on posts on this very blog. I thought it would be fun to publish the readings here for those who might want to receive the readings directly into their inbox, or be able to forward them easily to friends of family. If you would like to download the ebook, head over to smashwords and get it here, or you can head over to www.dfrbook.com and get a pdf version from here.

The Advent – An Introduction
The term Advent comes to us from the Latin “Adventus” which literally means coming.  The season of Advent is a traditional time of spiritual preparation, for the coming of Christmas and for the future coming of Christ. Christians have observed this special time of remembrance, preparation, and anticipation for more than 1500 years.

As we prepare to celebrate the fact that Christ came, so long ago, we reflect on the implications of the incarnation, the in-fleshing of God for us today. The fact that God became one of us, like a stranger on the bus, is one of the most profound mysteries of our faith, and is unique to Christianity.

Only Christianity tells this particular story. Other religions have men pursuing God and of God speaking, of God coming toward them; but only the Bible tells the story of the God of the universe becoming one of us. He did this so that we could become one with Him. It is all about relationship.

Over this Advent Season, I invite you to join me on a journey of reflection and anticipation, as we examine different facets of the beautiful jewel of the gift of God with us. It is dazzling from a distance, but let’s not stay at a distance this year. Let’s examine it carefully and prayerfully. Let’s be amazed again as we stare into the depths of this mystery that lies at the heart of our faith.

This book was written with a heart for relationship with God and also with each other. While I hope it will be helpful for individuals, I have written it specifically with families and communities in mind. That might include a daily gathering for reading, discussion, and possibly prayer, or it might be done individually with the idea of sharing the experience in community while only gathering occasionally during Advent.

Each day includes three items: 1 - An advent reflection to stimulate your thinking, 2- Some questions to help you reflect personally or corporately, and 3- Suggested biblical passages that relate to the theme for the day. I have tried to include questions that will help you to dig deeper, while also providing simple applicational questions that even young children can consider.

My prayer is that the words on the pages ahead will lead you deeper into the word of God and lead you closer to the Word that is God.