As millions of people prepare for Christmas in December, stories of expectation will be told. Once again, the world is standing on tiptoe like a toddler wanting to watch grandma make gingerbread cookies. The world is anticipating another celebration of the birth of Jesus. Yet, because we are looking back at preparations for this celebration through 2,000 years of history, we cannot compare our twenty-first century preparations to that year long ago when Joseph and Mary waited for Jesus to be born.
When Mary and Joseph welcomed their babyâs cry, they did not have the stories of Jesusâ ministry, the collection of his teachings, the eye-witness accounts of his crucifixion and resurrection, nor two-thousand years of evidence showing how Jesusâ life and teachings have spiritually transformed humanity. All they had were some angelic revelations that this infant would bring Godâs gift of salvation. The angel instructed Joseph, ââŠyou are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save people from their sinâ (Matthew 1:5). The arrival of this child of wonder, child of light, child of royal beauty bright pointed toward a new way of life for all people everywhere. We call this new way of life âresurrection living.â
In 2024, we prepare for another celebration of Christmas through Godâs gift of salvation in Jesus. Throughout Advent, we begin a new spiritual year by embracing and expressing resurrection living. We are offering hope to other people because we experience Godâs gift of hope through resurrection living. We are investing in peace because we know Godâs peace that comes through resurrection living. We are expressing joy to the world not only because the Lord is come, but also because we are being transformed through Godâs joy of resurrection living. And we are sharing love through our ministries in daily life as the scattered Church because we are being remade by Godâs love.
This Advent, we will express our worship to The Living God through the theme, âThe Advent of Godâs Gift: Resurrection Living.â This devotional booklet is to help you reflect on the meaning of this season.
- On December 1, we consider living on this bright side of Advent interpreting destruction through Godâs
- gift of hope.
- On December 8, during âHanging of the Greenâ we interpret conflict through Godâs gift of peace.
- On December 15, we focus on Godâs gift of joy through music by our Chancel Choir.
- On December 22, we renew our commitments to embody the Advent of Godâs gift of love.
- On Christmas Eve, we celebrate Godâs Gift of Resurrection Living from a manger to an empty tomb.
Beloved, let us remember that Jesus said, âYou are the light of the world.â This is so because we allow the Light of Godâs Gift, revealed in Jesus, to shine in us and through us. On Christmas Eve, we lift candles to announce more than the birth of Jesus. We announce our commitment to resurrection living!
