I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. —Philippians 1: 9 – 10

One of the things that I remember most vividly about my father is his comments about “baby’s cheeks” – they are “just right for smack-a-roos.” My father LOVED to kiss babies’ cheeks. It was always the same: see a baby, make the comment. It was terribly embarrassing as a teenager to have a father who acted like that – who made comments like that. However, later in my life, as a mother, I began to understand just where my father’s sentiments had come from. His love for me and my brothers, my mother and for life itself was so great that it spilled over into his love for all babies, all children, all people.

There is, perhaps, no emotion that evokes more response in and from people than love. Across the centuries, there is probably no emotion that has been more written about, sung about or thought about, than love. From the romantic lyrics of “Come What May” in the musical Moulin Rouge (“Come what may, come what may, I will love you ‘till my dying day”), to the touching lines of the children’s book “I’ll Love You Forever” (“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be”), to the faith-filled lines of the hymn, “Love Divine All Love’s Excelling” (“Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art”), people are touched by the idea of love in each of its forms.

We as human beings long for love, are lost without love. As babies, we need to be held, kissed, snuggled and hugged. As teenagers, although most don’t like to admit it, we still need hugging and holding. (One of my fondest memories is of my college-aged daughter climbing in her daddy’s lap for some snuggles.) As we grow older, we still need that loving touch, and perhaps we understand more dramatically and deeply the significance of love in our lives and in the world.

Surely the One who created us, knows better than even we ourselves do how much we need love in our lives. Perhaps that is why our creator sent Jesus: to love us and to show us the way to love others. The words of one of my favorite Christmas hymns come to mind: “Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, Love divine, Love was born at Christmas; star and angels gave the sign.”

Holy God, you know us Oh so well and call us your beloved. Let our own lives reflect your love to a world that longs for your coming. May your love be born anew again, this Advent season, in our hearts and lives. Amen.

Rev. Marie Williams

Read other Advent 2020 Devotionals or download the book as a PDF.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” —Luke 2:8-12

Listen! Silence is calling.
Moon casts no shadow and owl rests from her hunt.
Orion’s belt shimmers in the black sky.
Do the stars ring like tiny bells?

Listen! Holy is the ground you stand upon.
Holy is the silence.
Touch the quiet, breathe the calm, absorb the turning of the universe.

Listen! The trees hold their breath.
Keep watch with your heart. Drink with your eyes.
Feel the atoms of love shimmering around you.

Listen! Do you hear angels singing?

Holy God, still our hearts this Advent season. Help us to see the “holy” in all that you have created. We listen for your voice. Amen.

Betty Schroeder

Read other Advent 2020 Devotionals or download the book as a PDF.

Advent Week 2
Sunday December 6, 2020

In both the Gospel of Matthew and Isaiah, a messenger appears as a sign from God, heralding a new era. In each passage, the words “do not be afraid” appear… offering a clue that the messenger was referencing something that induced fear in the recipient. A new way of being together, of relating and loving takes courage–giving up the present order, so that a better day can be born.

Holy One,
we thank you for the glimpses we catch
of your gift of daring love.
Even in the midst of fear,
of challenge, of struggle–
even when we cannot yet see a better day
when we will act
like the human family we are,
ignite the flame of love within us,
that we might glow with its brilliance
from the inside out. Amen.

(Light the candle of Love and relight the candle of Hope.)

Read Isaiah 7:1-14 and Matthew 1:1-25

Litany of Love

In times when humanity disappoints,
perhaps when even our own thoughts and behaviors disappoint,
it is an important act to call out, name and claim
the consequences of our wrongs.
And in times of distress it is a prophetic act 
to call out, name and claim our belief that daring to 
love each other as God loves us is a faithful response.

Hear these statements of belief from members of our own congregation:

Holy is the ground we stand on, holy is the silence
We listen for the echoes of Your love.

Sculpted by the Master’s hands we yearn to be held and loved
We hunger for the embrace of Your love.

In the beauty of a blue sky or the cold of the rain
We stand in wonder and awe of Your love.

Come Lord Jesus, come
We welcome you in love.

Benediction

We wait for justice
but we do not wait to work for change;

We wait for restored health
but we do not wait to work towards healing; 

We wait for wholeness
but we do not wait to work at binding brokenness; 

We wait for peace
but we do not wait to work to eliminate hatred.

Go into your lives humming the tunes that keep that love alive in you and that spur you on in your work of justice and reconciliation. Raise your voices and say, “Do not be afraid!” Amen!

Adapted from Worship Design Studio materials by Marcia McFee.
Used With Permission.

Read other Advent 2020 Devotionals or download the book as a PDF.

One of the things we all love about Advent and Christmas is spending time with loved ones. One favorite tradition is to watch beloved Christmas movies. Each Saturday we will recommend one such movie geared toward families that relates to that week’s Advent theme and includes related Scripture and prayer. We invite you to read aloud these passages and prayers and consider how they may relate to the movie each week. There is also a movie option for grown-ups who want to dive deeper into that week’s theme.

Family Movie: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Comfort, comfort my people! says your God. Speak compassionately to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her compulsory service has ended, that her penalty has been paid. —Isaiah 40:1-2

These words were written hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Isaiah was giving God’s people hope, reminding them that, even in captivity, God was with them and that there would be better days ahead Hope is such a powerful force. It’s the belief in something happening and the confident expectation that it will.

We invite you to watch the classic Christmas movie that embodies hope: A Charlie Brown Christmas. Where does Charlie Brown place his hope, and does this story leave you feeling hopeful?

Loving God,
We have you,
And there is hope.
We have each other,
And there is hope.
We wait for Jesus,
With confident expectation,
And there is hope.
Amen.

Dive Deeper into Hope: Film Suggestion for Grown-ups

Defiant Requiem, available on Amazon Prime (defiantrequiem.org)

Defiant Requiem highlights the most dramatic example of intellectual and artistic courage in the Theresienstadt (Terezín) Concentration Camp during World War II: the remarkable story of Rafael Schächter, a brilliant, young Czech conductor who was arrested and sent to Terezín in 1941. He demonstrated moral leadership under the most brutal circumstances, determined to sustain courage and hope for his fellow prisoners by enriching their souls through great music. His most extraordinary act was to recruit 150 prisoners and teach them Verdi’s Requiem by rote in a dank cellar using a single score, over multiple rehearsals, and after grueling days of forced labor. The Requiem was performed on 16 occasions for fellow prisoners. The last, most infamous performance occurred on June 23, 1944, before high-ranking SS officers from Berlin and the International Red Cross to support the charade that the prisoners were treated well and flourishing.

Adapted from Worship Design Studio materials by Marcia McFee.
Used With Permission.

Read other Advent 2020 Devotionals or download the book as a PDF.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering on the surface of the waters. —Genesis 1: 1-3

I believe even when…

You call me to be open.

I have put up wall after wall, closing myself off.

It’s easier in here, inside a world I can pretend to control.

You call me to wade out into the chaos.

Your people are out there, and I can’t hide here forever.

You call me to give up.

I can’t have all that I want and be able to accept what You want for me.

I have to give up my plans and exchange them for ones I cannot see.

You call me to trust that You have a brighter dream ahead for me.

You call me to wait.

Growth is done in secret, too slow to see up close.

I want to be whole now. I want to measure up now.

Patience is a virtue and a challenge I don’t want to face.

You call me to heal slowly this time, to heal right.

You call me to hope.

The night is so long and so empty, Lord.

You call me to believe even when dawn is far away.

Gracious God, sometimes our belief seems small and clouded. At times we want to hide away to avoid the struggles that seem to consume us. Grant us courage this Advent season, that even when we stand in the darkness, we can believe that we are held in the creator’s hands. Amen.

Kristine Isenhower

Read other Advent 2020 Devotionals or download the book as a PDF.

Restore us, God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. —Psalm 80:7

In this season amid a pandemic, which has taken the lives of many and changed the lives of so many others, we find ourselves in a period of waiting. We first heard that it would be only a few weeks, so we waited; a few weeks turned into a few months, and again we waited. This period of waiting has often shifted to doubt, distrust, anger, more questions, and rebellion. We wait for someone to do something! We wait for someone to take action!

Psalm 80 echoes these longings and emotions of a community that was also facing calamity. The Israelites were a people who felt abandoned and rejected by Yahweh. God’s people felt puzzled because this was not the Yahweh they remembered from the past. They remembered a God of action! The One who listened, gave ear, and attended to His people! They prayed and pleaded for the day His favor would be restored.

It is with hope that we remember who God is in our lives. May we not lose hope or turn away from Him. May we have peace as we wait!

O God, help us to still trust, believe, and have faith in you. May we never lose hope or forget you as Shepherd, Father, and Lord. May we praise you as we wait for the day of restoration. Amen.

Rev. Latrice Mallard
Minister of Mental and Spiritual Care

Read other Advent 2020 Devotionals or download the book as a PDF.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to know and believe what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. —Romans 12: 2

What we have experienced becomes a living part of us if we accept it with an attitude of growth.

Only we can know and reflect on these moments of transformation in our life.

Once there, the hope never leaves us and the experience will come again:

To open us to new possibilities
To stretch us
To diminish our boundaries

To teach us to love better

In times of despair or times of joy, we wait patiently for this encounter to return.

You, Oh God, sent your messenger to Mary with the news of a child to be born. Not knowing what her future might hold, she opened her life to all the possibilities. In this Advent season, teach us to grow and open ourselves to the love you have for us. Amen.

Jean Clark

Read other Advent 2020 Devotionals or download the book as a PDF.

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. —Psalm 130:5

It is hard to believe even when…
in many ways we are disenfranchised by the world.

It is hard to believe even when… you are bombarded by all the things of this world – money, power, big houses, fancy cars, nice clothes, expensive perfumes and, yes, even elaborate Christmas gifts. We often think that these “things” are what we need to make life full and complete.

It is hard to believe even when… everywhere you look the world is faced with natural disasters, climate changes, famine, lack of medical care, and yes, a world-wide pandemic.

It is hard to believe even when… social injustice looms large, prejudice of color, status, sexual identity, socioeconomic disparity, not only here, but all around the world.

It is hard to believe even when… you suffer a life-changing loss. Loss of employment, loss of home, loss of health, loss of independence, loss of a loved one, and now the loss of even gathering with one another without fear.

All of us, yes all of us, struggle to believe at one time or another during our lives. We all face situations when it is difficult, yes, even “hard” to be a faithful Christian. However, when we truly believe in the birth of Jesus Christ, suddenly it is so much easier to believe. A god who would humble himself and come to live as we do makes it easy to believe even when …

We often feel overwhelmed by expectations, disasters, and the injustice around us. When we struggle to believe, remind us that you have a plan and a hope for us that is good. Remind us that you are in control. Come, Lord Jesus, come.

Susan Johnston

Read other Advent 2020 Devotionals or download the book as a PDF.

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. For in Christ Jesus, nothing is impossible.”—Matthew 17: 20

I believe even when a pandemic has the world in lockdown.

I believe even when wildfires are raging in the west and hurricanes threaten the south.

I believe even when it seems there is no hope, because I have seen a mother and her child reunited.

I believe even when others do not, because I have seen the diseased and addicted change into beautiful, productive people.

I have truly seen faith, the size of a mustard seed, move mountains.

I believe even when the days are dark and the nights darker because the sun will rise again, and God isn’t finished moving mountains.

Creator God, you have formed the seas, the sky, and the mountains. You have known me before I took my first breath and have counted the very hairs of my head. You walk beside me even when I cannot believe, and you are the small seed waiting to be born anew. Create in us all, new hearts and minds this Advent season, for in You all things are possible. Amen.

Brycen Stubbs

Read other Advent 2020 Devotionals or download the book as a PDF.

Advent Week 1
Sunday November 29, 2020

This Advent, we are looking to hear some words of comfort, of challenge and of good news. The prophet Isaiah and the four Gospel authors were writing in a time when people needed desperately to hear all of these as well. This first week, Isaiah, the prophet, and Mark—the Gospel writer who published first—reassure the people that good news is beginning, and yet they both say, “Make yourself ready! Raise your voices, change your hearts, get ready to be transformed, because now is the time.” As we light this first candle of Hope, let us embrace hope that we can do what needs to be done to bring more light into the world.

Holy One,
we thank you for the glimpses we catch
of your gift of untiring hope.
Even in the midst of fear,
of challenge, of struggle–
even when our view is obscured
by clouds of doubt,
ignite the flame of hope within us,
that we might glow with its brilliance
from the inside out. Amen.

(Light the Candle of Hope.)

Read Isaiah 40:1-11 and Mark 1:1-15

Litany of Hope

In times when humanity disappoints,
perhaps when even our own thoughts and behaviors disappoint,
it is an important act to call out, name and claim the consequences of our wrongs. And in times of distress, it is a prophetic act to call out,
name and claim the belief in our hope for tomorrow, which is in Christ Jesus.

Hear these statements of belief from members of our own congregation:

When a pandemic has the world locked down,
and our spirits feel locked up,
We believe in God’s hope.

When life changes so quickly, when we are faced
with so much loss and injustice,
We believe in God’s hope.

When we feel stretched, or diminished and are so very tired of waiting,
We believe in God’s hope.

Give ear to your people, O God.
Let us not lose hope this Advent Season.
We place our hope in you and
turn our hearts once more to your coming.

Benediction

We wait for justice
but we do not wait to work for change;

We wait for restored health
but we do not wait to work towards healing;

We wait for wholeness
but we do not wait to work at binding brokenness;

We wait for peace
but we do not wait to work to eliminate hatred.

Go into your lives humming the tunes that keep that hope alive in you and that spur you on in your work of justice and reconciliation. Raise your voices and say, “Do not be afraid!” Amen!

Adapted from Worship Design Studio materials by Marcia McFee.
Used With Permission.

Read other Advent 2020 Devotionals or download the book as a PDF.