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.

A Letter to the World

I am participating in the Open Letter Challenge writing contest organized by Josh Irby. The following letter is my response to An Open Letter to You from the Rest of the World.

Dear World,

I love you!

I really do.

As I sit hear at Heathrow Airport in London, watching you walk by, listening to your languages and the laughter of your children, I'm struck by my love for you. I haven't always felt this way...but I do now.

For years, I was a afraid of you. You hurt me so many times, and I am pretty sure you'll do it again.

But I love you anyway. Not in a dysfunctional Stockholm Syndrome sort of way. Not in a wounded and abused spouse or child kind of way. Just hanging on and allowing myself to be pummeled for your pleasure sort of way.

I love you in a hopeful way.

I love you because I am part of you. You are my family. We are all children of the same Father. Our family has trouble, like every family, but we have to stick together and get through the trials and the tribulations so we can share in the joy and jubilation.

I know I have hurt you too, and I am sorry. I'm sorry I have lashed out at you. I'm sorry I have ignored and neglected you. I'm sorry I haven't been more responsive to your needs, to your cries.

But I have hope for us, for our family; broken and battered as it is, as we are. It doesn't have to be this way. It can be better. We can change. I know this because I have seen it, because I am living it.

I am changing. I am choosing to love even though it is risky. I am choosing to be brave even though I'm frightened. I'm choosing to care even when it hurts. I'm choosing to serve even when it is not seen. I'm choosing to give even when there is no gratitude. I'm choosing to do hard things, even though I really don't feel like it. I'm choosing to invest in my relationship with God, even though it doesn't always make sense.

As I do this, I am coming alive. I am becoming who I really am. I am finding freedom and joy that I thought were only found in fairy tales and legends. I am getting better. I'm getting stronger. And here's the thing...it's better over here!

There is real hope! We can get better!

Come with me. Lets do this thing together. Let's love and serve and care and give, and discover what we were made for.

We'll all be glad we did.

The Voice

I should be working today.

My desk is a mess. It's so bad that I am not even sitting there as I write this. I've moved into the other room. The problem is that I've been working in this room for a few days now, and I've pretty much destroyed this place too.

It tells me something about the state of my soul, when I allow my environment to disintegrate like this. But it doesn't feel bad. It feels like something is brewing, percolating, poking me.

But what? What is it?

I feel creativity rising up in me. I have felt it for weeks, although I haven't named it until this moment.
I now realize that I have been running from it.

But Why?

Because creativity is scary...at least to me. I feel this urge to create, but then I find myself struggling with my voices. The voices of my past, of my experiences, the voices in my head that come against creating. I recently marveled as I read Josh Irby describe these voices. I thought, "How does he know what happens when I try to create?"

It's not that I've been unhappy, or unhealthy. Aside from staying up a little too late and not getting as much sleep as I should, I've been fine. I've been experiencing God, loving my family, and doing my job. But I have also been trying to ignore The Voice.

There are times when The Voice is telling me to do something I don't want to do. I don't want to speak or to write. I don't want to risk. The voices tell me it is all for the best. I should just keep my head down, not aim too high, not venture too far. They are familiar, they comfort and cajole, they are part of me. When this wears thin, they do their best to intimidate and distract, but ultimately The Voice will be heard. The Voice is relentless.

The Voice invites me to be who He made me to be. The Voice invites me to create, and forces my creativity to the surface, the creative expressive part of me that He is redeeming, the best parts of me, the parts of me that are my own true voice. The Voice pushes and prods, making a way for me to approach the Throne of Grace and to take what I find there and to speak it, sing it, dance it, write it, to communicate it to the world.

Today, The Voice used a video by Dave Grohl (a video not for the faint of heart, but perfect for this old punk rocker) to remind me that my voice matters. To remind me that in choosing to create and express my voice there is freedom and power. The video itself felt like a distraction. But I was drawn to it, and couldn't stay away. In hindsight, I see that He was leading me to a voice that I would resonate with. Profane, but honest and insightful, He used Dave's voice to call forth my own.

So today I choose again to create and write, no matter what the critics think or the market will buy. The joy is in the journey not the response of the spectators. The victory is in the creating. But the greater victory is in harkening again to The Voice and enjoying the fellowship of the Spirit in this previously walled off area of my heart.