Advent Day 6: Hope

By



“Without the incarnation, Christianity isn't even a very good story, and most sadly, it means nothing. "Be nice to one another" is not a message that can give my life meaning, assure me of love beyond brokenness, and break open the dark doors of death with the key of hope…  The incarnation breaks it open and brings us new possibilities.”
― Michael Spencer, Mere Churchianity








Light in the darkness
by Karlie Harper
“This past week, I was devastated by the events in Ferguson, MO. As I watched Ferguson burning, my heart sank and I was dismayed; separation between God’s people was apparent. However, I participate in a sharing group on Facebook. People who are in need of items such as clothing for themselves or their children, furniture, help moving and so on can post seeking aid. Then others can respond offering the help or items. The two parties agree on place and time to meet, and the need is satisfied. No payment is ever made, and many online conversations end with “God Bless”.  The folks who belong to this group have embraced the idea that we all belong to each other, and we need to take care of each other. The love and compassion that I saw during the week leading up to Thanksgiving was astounding. There were whole families invited over for Thanksgiving dinner, or several folks would get together and purchase the items needed for the family to cook their own Thanksgiving dinner. In the midst of darkness and chaos on a national level, it was so wonderful to see the gracious love of God being spread to others. So as I prepare my family and my heart for the birth of Christ during this Advent season, I will kindle this light in my heart and hope to then spread it to others. There is always a light in the darkness.”


Song of the day can be found here:
"Hope for Soon" by Lancelot Shaubert


See the day or hour no one knows
when our King will draw his broom
to sweep away the pain of earth
but we know he will come soon.
When He comes, we will know
and He’ll come not in ways we assume,
but for now we hope for soon.
There had been no king for millennia
but the prophets sang their tune
of an Infant God in the virgin,
Mary begging, “King come soon.”


Tomorrow’s word: Peace →

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Seventh Symbol of the Jesse Tree: 12 Tribes of Israel

By
Image
Seventh Symbol of the Jesse Tree: 12 Tribes of Israel And Israel (previously named Jacob) had 12 sons who didn't all get along (despite their Father's dying attempt to gather them together for blessing and peace...). These sons became the 12 tribes of Israel. Genesis 49:1-28  God could have chosen any tribe or any family lineage--God could have skipped the family drama and tribal violence of the Old Testament tribes, but God chose to remain faithful to those ancient promises. God chose to root new  life and new  peace in a previously violent story. Praise be to God!  Just for fun: Which of the Twelve Tribes of Israel are you? (online personality quiz)  Tribe of Jesus: · Matthew 1:1–6 and Luke 3:31-34  describe Jesus as the tribe of Judah . ( “Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.” ~Revelation 5:5) ·   Mary, Jesus’ mother, was also related to ...
Read more

Eleventh Jesse Tree Symbol: Gideon's Clay Pitcher

By
Image
Eleventh Jesse Tree Symbol: Gideon's clay pitcher The Israelites enter the promised land, but the next generation stops worshipping God. When enemy armies attack and conquer them, the  Israelites turn back to God and cry out. God--in grace--raises up a judges (like Gideon) who leads Israel back to victory.  Gideon 6:11-16, 7:19-23 (or all of 6-8 if you're feeling ambitious)   Gideon--Peace by Karlie Harper I love the story of Gideon because it is an underdog story. In this story we see a man who is so full of doubt of himself that he does not recognize the Spirit of the Lord sitting right in front of him. For someone like me who battles doubt and anxiety, this story is particularly meaningful.  In the verses we see the Lord trying to build up Gideon’s courage by calling him a “might warrior” and telling him “Peace, do not be afraid”. But Gideon, not unlike myself, doesn’t listen to his Lord right away. If we read the story we go on to learn how Gideon—...
Read more

Twelfth Symbol of the Jesse tree: Ruth's wheat

By
Image
Jesse Tree Symbol #12: Ruth, shaft of wheat I n the days of the Judges, famine left an Israelite woman named Naomi widowed and without both her sons. As she moved back to her hometown, one daughter-in-law (Ruth) stayed with her. This  penniless  foreigner--this outsider--Ruth was cared for and brought in to the Israelite family tree... the roots of Christ  Ruth 1:6-9,15-18; 2:1-12 and 16 Matthew 1:1-5                                       Reflection b y Peg Powell After reading these passages in Ruth, I was reminded of one of my favorite stories. Long ago, there was a mayor who lived with his only son in the hills of China. None of them in this village owned a horse, but one day, out of the blue, a stallion appeared at the mayor’s home.  All of the people exclaimed, “How lucky you are.” The mayor said, “We’ll see.” A few days later, the stallion disa...
Read more