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A Different Kind of Christmas

2020 Advent Devotional A Different Kind of Christmas 2020 Advent Devotional

Welcome to A Different Kind of Christmas daily devotional. Inside you’ll find meditations and reflections on the meaning of Christmas as it connects to the four themes we’ll be considering during the Advent season to help us truly live and give like Jesus in celebration of his birth and all year round.

Each week begins with a Sabbath pause on Sunday. There is no reflection or scripture to read only a prayer focus for the week and an invitation to rest in preparation for the coming week’s exploration. Then each day offers a brief reading (sometimes including scripture and prayer) written by church members and staff to help focus us on the week’s theme and draw us closer to the power of God in the sending of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Suggestions for use: • Use this booklet at the same time every day • Prepare a space that is free of distraction and spend at least 10 minutes reading, praying, and being present to God • Consider holding a sacred object in your hand such as a cross, a nativity figurine, a cherished ornament, or other object that will help you focus on the gift of Jesus Christ • Above all, expect God to show up and don’t give up if your time doesn’t feel immediately transformative. Trust that the Holy Spirit is at work in you through this journey.

Sunday, November 29th

Expect a Miracle Rest. Prepare. Expect.

Your journey begins today.

This week’s prayer focus: Trust that God is at work. Ask for the courage and hope to dream big Holy Spirit filled dreams. Pray for those who feel hopeless and alone and how you can help them expect more than another empty promise or broken holiday.

Monday, November 30

John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

After 10 years of living in her own home with Alzheimer’s and a part-time caretaker, Patsy, my mother was moving into a memory care facility. Although I had accepted losing bits of her little by little, this decision was almost unbearable for me. My brother bore most of the burden, and tension that had never existed between the two of us was now obvious.

Mom loved Patsy so we asked her to help transition Mom into her new home. On that dreaded first day, Patsy called to tell me that Mom was unhappy, and she didn’t think this was the best plan. Patsy and I cried to each other over the phone, and then assured each other that God would work things out. As we were about to hang up, a question came out of my mouth from nowhere. “Patsy, would you be willing to quit your job and apply for a job at Mom’s facility?” She immediately said she didn’t want to leave Mom and agreed to see if there were openings. Goosebumps spread over me as I recognized God at work. In less than two weeks, the facility hired Patsy even while she completed necessary training.

I have been so thankful that Christ filled us with His peace that day and in the days to come. Tensions eased into peace. During this time of COVID, Patsy has been our only link to Mom this entire year. What wonderful blessings come from Christ. We have not been able to be with Mom and she probably hasn’t understood, but God provided Patsy to love her in our place, and we are all at peace.

May you, too, find peace this Christmas.

Pat Davis

Tuesday, December 1

Malachi 3:6: Yesterday, today, forever; Jesus is the same.

What a huge blessing that we each can rely on this Biblical promise. This truth does not change no matter the circumstances in which we may find ourselves. We can rest in the knowledge that our God is THE God of miracles. God; three in one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What a profound miracle! God is the maker of the Universe, not just the planet we live on. We cannot begin to ponder the vastness of the Universe. We each are a dot the size of a particle of dust within it. Yet, it all is freely given.

The miracles continue with Jesus being sent to us. He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) and then died an agony of death to forgive us any sins and give us Eternal Life. (Luke 19:10). He loves us in spite of the occasions of our foolish decisions and ways

Then another miracle, the Holy Spirit, comes to live within us, continuing Jesus’ work in us after Jesus returned to God. (John 16:5-8). The Holy Spirit is our helper, guide, comforter, and even our conscience.

So yesterday, today, forever, all this is bountifully given because of God’s grace and love. It is up to us to accept these gifts in this season of giving that never stops. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we praise you as the God of miracles for the miraculous gifts you gave graciously given us. Please show us ways to share with others as our way to thank you, and honor you. Linda Westmoreland

Wednesday, December 2

Do You Not Know? An Advent Meditation Based on Isaiah 40*

Gruesome wars, failed kings, unethical politics, pandemics & plagues Comfort, comfort my people1 Slavery, exile, oppression, abuse, racism I will break this yoke and tear off the bonds2 Idols, faithlessness, usurped power To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? 3 Weariness, shame, hopelessness Everlasting God, creator of all, never tires but gives his strength and power4 Over and over and over and over we fall short, are prideful, greedy, unkind, hateful, unjust, merciless; yet there remains... Everlasting love, loving kindness, building up5

Do I know this miracle of comfort and everlasting love? Do I anticipate it every day and with every failure? Do any of us really comprehend or fully believe?

These words lift me up, comfort me, ignite hope, not because I understand, but because they are truth. When I make space for the gift of the Holy Spirit I know the comfort, justice, mercy, strength & power that no other can offer, and I believe.

The glory of the Lord will be revealed. All will see it6 Every knee will bow Every tongue confess7 For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it6

Rebekah Ellsworth

*Is 40:21, 28 1Is 40:1 2Jeremiah 30:8 3Is 40:25 4Is 40:28-29 5Jeremiah 31:3-4 6Is 40:5 7Philippians 2:10-11 Thursday, December 3

Isaiah 9:6-7: A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be vast authority and endless peace for David’s throne and for his kingdom, establishing and sustaining it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of heavenly forces will do this.

Just imagine how Mary must have felt, knowing she was to be the mother of such a miraculous child. How strange to know even before your child is born what would be in store for him. Most of us approach parenthood with hopes and dreams for our children, not having any idea of the type of person they will ultimately become. But Mary knew with all certainty from the very beginning – her son was the Messiah. She had the responsibility of nurturing the Savior of the world, God’s son. How wonderful – yet overwhelming – the thought must have been for her.

God’s passion and love for us was the reason he provided us a way out of our sin and back to him – through his Son, sent to this world as a tiny baby. Jesus was the miracle the world was waiting for. He would be the Savior whose coming prophets had foretold; he would be God’s loving gift to the world.

Diana Spitzer

Friday, December 4

Nothing Is Impossible for God

Some of the funniest movies begin with a case of mistaken identity. This trope also sets up suspense thrillers and action movies. In fact, it has been used in just about every genre out there.

When John was preparing the world for the coming of Jesus, baptizing people in the Jordan River, calling the people who came to him to change their hearts and lives, he was fulfilling the words of the prophet Isaiah. But his work only prepared the way for someone else.

Unsurprisingly, the chatter everywhere was that John might be the Christ. This man walking about in camel hair might be the Messiah prophesied long ago. If that isn’t the perfect set up for a case of mistaken identity, I don’t know what is. In the movies, sometimes the person whom the other characters have mistaken for someone else runs with it. Sometimes, they have no choice. But John knew his life’s work and was not going to allow any confusion about it.

Luke 3:16 - John replied to them all, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than me is coming. I’m not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

John knew his part to play in helping people expect a greater miracle and he never failed in his ministry. He knew his role as herald of the Christ. He did not try to be a miracle. He pointed others to it.

I like to think that this is good advice for all of us. Be yourself. You have been given an important part to play in this world by God. Live into that and herald a great message through your life about God and his plan for everyone. Never doubt that God can do great things through any of us for nothing is impossible for God.

Chili Thorstad

Saturday, December 5

A Good Christmas

Read Philippians 2:1-18 Christmas was good… • Our first year of marriage, though we knew Don would be in Viet Nam and danger by January 7 • The year Daddy died in November • The December full of radiation treatments after my cancer surgery • The years we celebrated with Don’s dad after a severe stroke took his speech and his free movement • Every year, easy or difficult Why were these Christmases good? Because… • Christmas doesn’t depend on gifts, special foods, decorations, health, or even what family members are present with us. • Christmas is about Jesus. It’s a spiritual celebration of his coming to earth as Emmanuel, God with us • We know who Jesus is and what he sacrificed for us and what he accomplished for us, because of his love • Thankful, joyous hearts ensure a good Christmas This Christmas will be good. We just have to decide it will be good – or even great. Our God is good, and a pandemic can’t destroy his good plans for us. If we expect the miracle of a good Christmas even in hard times, then God promises to show up, just like 2,000 years ago. So, let’s celebrate! Prayer: Abba, Father, thank you for your plans for humanity and your gift of Jesus. Help me cultivate the right attitude and heart to make this a special Christmas. Amen. Pat Johnson

Sunday, December 6

Give up on Perfect

Rest. Prepare. Release.

The journey is difficult.

This week’s prayer focus: Admit your fears and failures to Jesus. Ask for peace and sense of beloved worth despite your imperfections. Pray about your own ideas of perfection and how you can help others break out of the need for “perfect” to celebrate this season.

Monday, December 7

Giving up on Perfect

Luke 1:30 - 34 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Perfect: accurate, flawless, being without defect, or corresponding to an ideal standard.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a perfectionist. I am a detailed person who will line up my potato chips in descending order according to size and brokenness. My perfectionism makes me attempt to live a perfect life, but no matter how hard I try, I cannot be perfect.

What about you? Are you dreaming about that perfect Christmas? Does your perfect Christmas include the perfect food, table setting, guests, and yes, the presents?

Mary’s life could not have been less perfect to bring about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ - young and pregnant, exorbitant taxes, and traveling long distances. The birth of Jesus was not perfect - our Savior was born in a manger among barn animals. Whose picture-perfect Christmas is that?

God’s favor is upon us as it was upon Mary. God does not expect perfection. Instead, God meets us in our fear, suffering, pain, frustration, brokenness, and messiness. Then transforms it, and if like Mary we allow it, uses us to enter someone else’s imperfect. It may be a homeless person sitting along the exit of I-26 or serving clients at our local food pantry. But by the work and help of the Holy Spirit, we are lifted to the peace, joy & hope found not only in the Christmas season, but every day. Our attempts at perfection take away from the gift of God’s grace freely offered to us. How will you give up on perfect and rest in God’s favor this Christmas season?

Sue Ciaramitaro

Tuesday, December 8

Giving up on Perfect

Do you know anyone who is perfect in every way? Anyone besides Jesus? No. We all make mistakes and have our imperfections. But often we think some people have the perfect life and wonder, “Why can’t my life be that way? I want to be happy and as stress free as they seem to be.”

I admit that I’m not perfect. I try to avoid mistakes because I don’t like the result – whatever that may be. I’ve certainly made mistakes and had regrets in my life. But I wonder if perfection is what God expects.

At the start of my career in banking back in 1990, I tried very hard not to make a mistake. I felt I had to achieve perfection in my role or I would lose my job. One of my worst fears was being reprimanded by my boss. I was so afraid of making a mistake and feared what others would think of me, or even worse, thought that my boss would write me off as someone who couldn’t be successful in this business. Overcoming those feelings of insecurity can be significant for many people.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul writes about Jesus, “He said to me, ‘My grace is enough for you, because power is made perfect in weakness.’ So I’ll gladly spend my time bragging about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power can rest on me. Therefore, I’m all right with weaknesses, insults, disasters, harassments, and stressful situations for the sake of Christ, because when I’m weak, then I’m strong.”

For me, overcoming the need to be perfect in my job came to me over time. I realized that God’s grace was there for me and that I didn’t need to worry or be afraid. God’s power is displayed when we are weak and we rely on His strength, allowing it to be shown through our imperfections.

Parrish Little

Wednesday, December 9

Romans 5:1: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We will have a different kind of Christmas. It has been such a difficult year. I lost my Uncle Harold, cousins Richard and Ann, and my college friend Brenda last December. My husband Richie had knee replacement in January. My dear friend Helen died suddenly in February. My sister Carroll died from cancer in March. Then the country shut down. Our coming and going ceased. June 10th our son Michael suffered a stroke. He spent twelve days in ICU on a ventilator, five days in step down at Mission and fifty-three days at CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital. He is at home now doing outpatient rehab and we are praying for good results because God is Good. My nephew Larry spent two months at Baptist Hospital Burn Center. Richie has recovered from his bout with COVID, but his brother-in-law, Sam, sadly died from the virus and Richie lost his hunting buddy of 50 years, Hallett, in October.

A different kind of Christmas - but blessed in many ways and when we remember the suffering and death Jesus bore for us how can we not celebrate His birth. Nothing about our lives or the reason God became a baby in Jesus is perfect. But the peace we’ve been promised and the love we can know because God came among us – that’s perfection.

II Thessalonians 3:16: Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Delores Meadows

Thursday, December 10

Being Imperfect

I recently saw a woman at Ingles wearing a sweatshirt that read ‘continue being the imperfect you’. I smiled and thought to myself, “that about sums it up.”

Scripture is full of stories of how God uses imperfect people to carry out His plan of Salvation. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, God indeed made them leave Eden, but He did not abandon them. Instead, He sewed clothing from animal skins to cover them. Moses stuttered severely, yet he went to Pharaoh Ramses again and again with messages pleading to release the Hebrews from bondage. David committed adultery, yet the Messiah was born through David’s royal line. Mary was a teenage virgin, yet she bore God’s son. Disciples Peter, John, and James were uneducated fishermen known for being selfish, ambitious, judgmental, short tempered, and impetuous. Jesus patiently transformed these character traits into passion for leading others to know the love and grace of God.

What will your Christmas look like this year? Are you going for a ‘Hallmark’ experience? Will you remember people that can’t or won’t have any type of celebration due to circumstances they never invited? Will you continue to walk in faith and pray for God’s grace through Jesus Christ to guide you and your loved ones through the commercialism and glossy ads that tempt us? Will you ask forgiveness for your own imperfections and tolerate everyone else’s?

I hope you will just continue being the imperfect, grace-given you. Keep seeking opportunities for God to use you in His plan. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Shalom.

Karen Maddox

Genesis 3:1-13, 21-24; Exodus 3:9-12, 4:10-17; Psalm 51, Luke 2:4; Luke 1:26-34; Matthew 26:50, Mark 1:16, Mark 10:35-43, Luke 9:51-56, Acts 4:1-31, Galatians 2:9; Romans 16:20

Friday, December 11

2 Cor. 4:7-10: But we have this treasure in clay pots so that the awesome power belongs to God and doesn’t come from us. We are experiencing all kinds of trouble, but we aren’t crushed. We are confused, but we aren’t depressed. We are harassed, but we aren’t abandoned. We are knocked down, but we aren’t knocked out. We always carry Jesus’ death around in our bodies so that Jesus’ life can also be seen in our bodies.

My early Christmas decoration this year is a pottery candle holder. A gift from my husband, Kenny, its wide vase shape with the Holy Family carved into it allows for a candle inside to shine its light through the figures. This perfect arrangement of family and candlelight moves me to ask: How do you want your light to shine through me, God?

I can never measure up to the tasks you gave to the three Holy Family members represented in my candle holder. And I certainly don’t expect a sign such as you gave through the angel sent to Mary and Joseph. Perhaps being a spouse, parent, and community member is enough; blooming where I am planted, staying open to your nudges to do small things. After all, small deeds and simple prayers can turn out to be big things once God gets hold of them.

Prayer: God, I want to do your work and will, and I’m not always as open to You as I ought and wish to be. I pray You will move my thoughts, my hands, my feet to share Your Love, especially this year at Christmas. And into the new year too. May Your light always shine through me to others.

Tabea Davenport

Saturday, December 12

Suffering in Obedience

Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

When you celebrate Christmas, do you include the darker elements or leave them out? There are a lot more difficult things going on than Mary’s reputation being questioned. Remember Mary’s extremely hard and uncomfortable rip in the last stages of pregnancy? Do you think the trek might have been financially difficult, too? Can you imagine arriving, exhausted, and seeing that huge crowds had taken all the places to stay? Can you feel the frustration, fear, and possible anger Mary and Joseph felt, being bunched together with others, maybe pushed and prodded?

Joseph must have been frantic to get Mary settled before her delivery. Then, when a place was provided, it was shared with smelly animals. The comforts of home were missing. And Mary was probably scared, feeling the pains of childbirth, knowing she was away from her mother, facing delivery without female companionship or help. Then, the shepherds came. Wouldn’t that have scared you – strangers, essentially outcasts – showing up, just when you delivered your son and were still uncomfortable and vulnerable? How about Joseph? Don’t you think he was scared when God told him to flee with his family to Egypt? How about the story of Herod killing the young children in his attempt to destroy Jesus? Do you skip over that, too? There are lots of emotions and struggles going on throughout this story. But all these struggles and uncertainties, and fears broke open to reveal god among us in Jesus. The perfect response to our imperfect world.

Prayer: We’re so thankful for Romans 8:28, Father, where you tell us you’re working out all things for our good, since we love you. We see how you worked the difficult parts of Jesus’ life into a good ending for us, and glory for you, and we thank you. Amen.

Pat Johnson

Sunday, December 13

Scandalous Love Rest. Prepare. Receive.

The journey is radical.

This week’s prayer focus: Open yourself to love and grace. Ask for the humility to receive Jesus’ presence so that you can more fully give it. Pray for those who are marginalized and rejected and look for ways to welcome those around you into loving relationship. Monday, December 14

Come, Lord Jesus, Be Our Guest

Luke 15:1-7 (New American Standard Bible) Now all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

And He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it?” “And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’” “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety- nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

When I was a boy my grandmother lived with us and took care of us kids so my mom could work. My father left us when I was two. My grandmother was my hero and the smartest person in my world. She immigrated from Germany at the age of eight and spoke both German and English. Sometimes at mealtime she would say the blessing in German, it began with the words, “Komm, Herr Jesus, sei unser Gast.” “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest.” One of my fondest memories of her.

Luke begins his scripture talking about Jesus eating with sinners. Imagine, eating with sinners! These people he was associating with probably didn’t wash up much less say a blessing before eating. But Jesus chose to associate with people who were not always right, people just like us. How thankful we should be that he selected the ones who were lost (us) to search after and change our hearts to love God and neighbors.

In this season of Advent, remembering the God who still loves us enough to come among us, let’s say, “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest,“ live in our hearts and minds. Remind us often that we were lost but now have been found through the efforts of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Make us truly thankful Lord.

Will McClung

Tuesday, December 15

Hoping Days

Luke 1:46b-52 (ASV) And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For he hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaid: For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is unto generations and generations on them that fear him. He hath showed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart. He hath put down princes from their thrones, And hath exalted them of low degree.

I have always enjoyed the “Family Circus” cartoons by Bill Keane. In one printed years ago, it features little Billy standing in front of a calendar dated December 18 and Billy says: “Only seven more hoping days ‘til Christmas!”

What are we hoping for these days? The One who comes in our midst and transforms the mundane to the meaningful. Holy is His name – the One who does great things in each of us if we but receive the great gift of love. And we need that gift – we who understand mundane far more than we understand meaningful; we who understand conditions far more than a God who says – “Here it is, my love available for you – just receive.” We don’t get that, we don’t buy in to it. Instead we battle taxes we have to pay and marriages we are trying to save. We don’t understand that kind of love. What we do understand is trying to make enough money to pay the bills; yet God comes in our midst – right in the middle of conflicts, right in the middle of the common cold. God comes to us in the middle of a pandemic and political turmoil. In it all – Emmanuel – God IS with us.

Donald Selby says God understands our stress when we say too much too soon or not enough too late. He understands that we too often withdraw with broken hearts into a world of silence and misunderstanding. He understands and He comes into our poverty as we struggle to make ends meet. He understands and He comes into our affluence when all we have doesn’t satisfy the poverty of our souls. He understands and He comes into the routine of daily work ---- at every intersection where the crowded way of our lives collides. He understands and the ho-hum becomes the holy; when God comes to us in Christ, his coming is always a glory. How, then, can we be anything but hopeful? How can we hope for anything mor than such scandalous, radical love?

That is what Advent is for me: it invites me to return to a spirit of hope! I pray it ushers in the spirit of hopeful waiting and eager anticipation for us all this season.

Debra Gaddy Wednesday, December 16

How Can This Be

Luke 1:28-34 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

How can this be? Since the days of Adam and Eve, we’ve been so imperfect. Soiled by sin and prone to jumping to wrong conclusions, especially with respect to God’s desire for our lives. Even Mary doubted and wondered at the Angel Gabriel’s pronouncement that she would be with child and give birth to God’s son. Not to mention Joseph’s perfectly understandable reaction, to quietly divorce Mary. And yet...

God showed his perfect love to an imperfect world by encouraging Mary and Joseph to bring forth into our presence this perfect baby, the Son of the most high, this man child whose name is Jesus. In Hebrew, the name Jesus means “one who will save his people.” And so, He has, year after year, decade after decade, millennia after millennia, to our present age. In a world like ours, how can it be that such love persists?

Our response? Only wonder at the unexplainable love of God. Still, like Mary, sometimes we can’t help but ask “How can this be?”

Craig Kirkpatrick

Thursday, December 17

The Poinsettia Luke 1:37: For nothing is impossible with God.

Pandemic, Shelter in Place, Social Distancing, are words that are a part of our lifestyle. I’ll admit I was scared and nervous at first. I didn’t sleep well, my mind filled with thoughts such as, “what’s going to happen to us, my family my friends, I miss my routine, I’m scared, etc.” Oh no, “what are we going to do during the holidays?” I was feeling sorry for myself and I lost sight of the blessings that God was showing me.

As I walked outside via the garage each day, I walked past the poinsettia that I discarded because I was tired of dealing with it. The poinsettia that I purchased for our church sanctuary, Christmas 2019. The poinsettia that Pastor Rennie said something like, “take your poinsettias home and nurture them.” Nurture, sure I thought to myself, it’ll shed, make a mess and die, I thought to myself.

One April morning as I was going for a walk, I noticed the poinsettia had new growth. After my walk, I trimmed it, gave it water, and placed it on the side porch to get the morning sun. I brought it inside during cold nights. I nurtured the poinsettia. It’s blooming now, white blooms. Not as big as last year, but I’m fine with it. Christmas will be different in 2020, and I’m fine with it. Sure, I’ll miss the family traditions, church celebrations, social gatherings and more. However, I’m learning, throughout the pandemic, to keep an open mind to see the ways God plucks us off the discard pile of life and lovingly nurtures us back to bloom. You can too.

Prayer – Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that we remain faithful to you always. We may get wilted in our faith and we place our faith in you to guide us, so our trust is with you. For in you, everything is possible.

Karen Nantz

Friday, December 18

The Shadow of the Cross

When waking up one morning, I saw a shadow of a cross in the bedroom window. There was no cross in the room or on the window. How was I able to see a cross? It was a reflection from a telephone pole. That’s what God’s love does. It shows up out of nowhere. I prayed, “Thank you God for reminding me to focus on You and for watching over me so faithfully.”

When traveling with our young children, we played a game of counting cows, horses, blue cars, red cars, etc. to keep them entertained. When you’re looking for it, God’s love is easy to see. Looking around our house, I found doors and windows that made the shape of the cross. In each one, I see God’s love for us in Jesus.

How many crosses can you find today?

O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens. Psalm 8:1(NKJV)

John Davis

Saturday, December 19

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Luke 15:1-7: All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it? And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders. When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives.

Shepherds take care of sheep. If a sheep is lost, a regular shepherd will go to no special trouble to save it. A good shepherd knows and cares about all his sheep. So, when even one sheep goes astray, as sheep often do, a good shepherd has to leave the many to save the one. Jesus is a great shepherd who cares so much about all of us. He goes to extreme measures to save us, even just one of us.

This is why God sent His him to pay the penalty for our sins so that we would not have to. Jesus died on the cross so that we could live with God in ever-greening pastures. God knows the condition of our heart and soul and seeks us out anyway. He wants all the lost to be found, all the endangered saved.

Are you feeling lost this year? Do you know someone who is lost? Jesus, the good shepherd, is on the way. Do not give up on anyone who is lost or has wandered from the faith. Instead, pray for them and love them. It could lead to rejoicing in Heaven!

Ruth Williams

Sunday, December 20

Jesus’ Wishlist

Rest. Prepare. Give.

The journey leads to action.

This week’s prayer focus: Consider what you will give beyond stuff this Christmas and beyond. Ask for a heart of generosity and a purpose toward engaging others with charity. Pray for those who lack daily needs, are suffering, or who are selfish and what you can give to ease their burdens and share Christ’s miracle, peace, love, and generous grace.

Monday, December 21

A Different Kind of Christmas: Jesus’ Wish List

Matthew 9:10-13 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

One of my favorite things to do is volunteer my time at Fishes and Loaves Food Pantry. The clients are grateful and thankful for the food that they receive. I often see them smile as they receive a box full of food items or their favorite loaf of bread or sweet treat. I like to think of these times as reminders. Reminders that they have love and mercy from Jesus. We show mercy by giving our time to help serve the clients at Fishes and Loaves Food Pantry.

The passage talks about how Jesus speaks to the Pharisees about how he helps those who want to be healed, whether it is spiritually or physically. Jesus wants us to show mercy to those that do not receive it on a daily basis. Let us become more merciful to those that we think that don’t deserve it. It is what Jesus wants for Christmas.

Alianna Ciaramitaro

Tuesday, December 22

A Different Christmas

Matthew: 25:40 “Truly I say unto you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.”

It was Christmas of 2010; I was to be away from my family for Christmas. I had recently taken a job in Salt Lake City, Utah starting December 15th, just 10 days before my favorite holiday. The family remained back East, and I was facing a Christmas with no family, no friends, no church, and no promise of anything except a day off work.

For most of my adult life, I thought feeding the homeless at Christmas would be fun, but family celebrations and small children always kept me from pursuing that option. That Christmas I realized nothing was stopping me. So, I began a search and quickly found a mission group in downtown Salt Lake City that fed the homeless every weekend, and Christmas morning was no exception. They welcomed me with open arms.

At daybreak on Christmas morning about 50 of us set up an open-air kitchen under an overpass in downtown Salt Lake City. For several hours, we cooked turkeys, hams, yams, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, etc. - a full course Christmas meal. We set up tables with hygiene products, blankets, socks, gloves and mittens, caps, sleeping bags, etc. that had all been donated as gifts. The hustle and bustle as well as the love and fellowship among the volunteers was extraordinary and in couple of hours, we were ready to welcome our guests.

I don’t know how many guests we had that beautiful Christmas morning, but at least several hundred came and they all left with food in their stomachs, warm coverings for their bodies and the true love of Jesus in their hearts. I will be forever grateful for that opportunity to see Christmas in a whole new way. A Christmas morning that I will never forget.

Ben Montgomery

Wednesday, December 23

Making a Difference

I grew up in a mixed home culturally. My mother is American and my father was Mexican. This provided great opportunities for me to see the world in different ways. One of the ways that had a significant impact on my life was watching my family in Mexico be so grateful and blessed by gifts that were small. Each summer my family would travel to Mexico to spend a month with them. I was able to see how not everyone in the world lives like we do here in America. I was able to experience poverty on a real and tangible level.

One of the ways I experienced this was seeing those excited to receive clothes that I had grown out of. We would take bags and bags of clothes that my family no longer wore. My family in Mexico would have huge grins on their faces when we would take the bags of what I considered things I no longer wanted. Being able to have new to them clothes brought them relief and joy. This experience showed me that a small gift can make a huge impact on people.

We do not have to go to a foreign country to experience poverty. Right in our own backyards there are people who are hurting and in need. Proverbs 14:31 tells us that, “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” During this advent season take time to consider how you can help those who are in need. Jesus calls us to a life of service and giving. Let’s be people who make an impact on this world one small act at a time.

Danielle Hortelano Thursday, December 24

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year. I like it better than Christmas Day or even Easter. What I love most about it is the anticipation. As the hymn “O, Little Town of Bethlehem” reminds, “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” Christmas Eve is a day and night of joining all the anxieties of our lives with all the hopes of God’s redemptive gift in Jesus Christ. It’s a perfect mixture of joy and trepidation. Sometimes we call that excitement.

Usually, the experience of Christmas Eve culminates in the most well attended worship gathering of the year with powerful music and inspiring Bible stories. It is almost like the cathartic release after your heart breaks open and tears of sadness and relief flow. Jesus came as a baby, and though we don’t talk about it much during the season, that’s how we know he’ll come again. But what do we do while we’re waiting? What does he really want from us?

Jesus is hard to shop for because what he wants you can’t find on store shelves. More than anything, Jesus and his Father want your heart. Whether your bank account is big or small, your theology is well reasoned or simple minded, your life is lined up like ducks or a chaotic miracle of survival until tomorrow, you can worship like you always have or you have to worship differently, you have what God wants. Your life, your heart, your love is all that is needed.

So, take a moment on this Christmas Eve and wrap your life in whatever joy you can scrounge up and say, “Jesus, here’s my heart, my life, my everything. It’s all I have, and it’s yours.”

Rev. Rennie Salata

Friday, December 25

Christmas Day

“Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere. Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.”

“Glo – o – o – o – ria, in excelsis Deo.”

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive the King. Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing.”

This is a day for singing, shouting joy, and laughter. And it can and should happen no matter what awaits you in the morning dawn. Shepherds, angels, and even the plants, creatures, and substance of earth can’t keep their silence any longer. God has come among us in Jesus Christ! The Spirit enlivens as we all can breathe a deep sigh of relief. The world is no longer as it was, and it will be redeemed.

Your celebrations, today, will be unique. You’ve never had a Christmas like this one before, but that is not cause for complaint or moping. Instead, it is a gift that makes it possible for all future Christmases to be something more than what they have been. This year, we could let our lives be profoundly changed. Take the presence of God, the gift of Jesus, and the work of the Holy Spirit you have experienced through our Advent journey and apply them to your every day, week, and year. Start a new tradition that expects God to show up. Let go of those things that only brought you anxiety and false perfection and distracted you from Jesus. Let your love be scandalous and open to people you never imagined. And give your life once more to the King of Kings! Then every year will be a different kind of Christmas.

Rev. Rennie Salata

A Different Kind of Christmas 2020 Advent Devotional

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