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Advent 2020 Devotion Booklet PDF Version.Pub

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Advent 2020 Devotion Booklet PDF Version.Pub ADVENT DEVOTIONS 2020 COMMUNITY UMC 2020 has been quite a year. Have you seen the commemorative 2020 Christmas ornaments advertised to help us remember things like: toilet paper shortages, hand washing, quarantining, binge watching, canceled trips/celebrations, flattening the curve, cleaning everything, and the new normal? Sadly, that invites us to focus on some of the negatives. As we close the year, we believe Advent invites us to remember some very important truths about what is possible through Christ Jesus: worship is never canceled, quiet time with God is never canceled, praying for the sick is never canceled, checking on a friend is never canceled, helping others is never canceled, God’s love and grace are never canceled, and being Christ’s body in the world is never canceled. Advent is a time to prepare a place in our homes and hearts for our Savior and King, Jesus. We all need an infusion of the hope, peace, joy, and love Jesus’ birth means for our lives. This devotional booklet is a gift to help you remember what Jesus’ birth means to us— All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23) We do not have a far-off, non-caring, separate God. Our God is with us! God is with us in the joy and in the struggle. Many of our brothers and sisters here at Community United Methodist Church have shared daily devotions about how God is with us. We invite you each day to: Light your advent candle(s), Read the scripture and devotion, Take some time with the Wondering Questions, Listen to the song (YouTube videos work well), Pray, and Participate in the weekly hope, peace, joy, and love challenges. Special Note to Families with Kids: You may want to shorten this daily practice based on the age of your children to lighting the candle, reading the Scripture, discussing the Wondering Questions, and praying. Please invite your children to help decorate and create an Advent Wreath with the candles offered by the church. This is an exciting way for the kids to remember God is with us. We are praying you experience the fullness of what is offered to you this Advent season from our God who is truly with us always! With Love, Pastors Curtis and Angie Olsen Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020 Written by Pastor Angie Olsen Light: Hope Candle (purple) Read: Micah 5:2-5 and Matthew 2:1-2 As a child, the holidays were full of hopeful traditions. I loved digging through the boxes to assemble the tree and find all the ornaments. It was amazing how each year the ornaments brought so many memories and laughter to our home. Putting up the twinkling lights on the tree never failed to bring out a sense of wonder. Making and decorating Christmas cookies filled our house with yummy smells and full, happy tummies. Traveling to see family wrapped me in love and care. Though all those traditions were lovely, my favorite was putting out the nativity. It was a set that my grandmother had painted and my grandfather had made the stable. My brother and I raced each year to see who could find baby Jesus in the trough the quickest. Each piece was rolled in a newspaper and though it was fun to find Mary, a donkey, a shepherd, a wise man, or a camel, the prize was baby Jesus. With reverence, we would unwrap him and smile at his precious form. Kneeling on the ground, we would gently place him in his trough, our King. I hope this Christmas as you celebrate the gift of Jesus in your life, you unwrap him with reverence and love. Praise God for Immanuel, God with Us, our incarnate King! Wondering Questions: Just like the wise men, how can you seek God? What gifts can you give to Jesus this season? Song: “When Hope Came Down” by Kari Jobe All of the angels lifted up their voices And filled the night with Hallelujah's God is with us now Everyone come and join the heavenly chorus Our Savior King is here before us All to hear the sound The song creation sang When hope came down Prayer: Dear God, reveal to us your precious son and give us a sense of wonder at all his life, death and resurrection gives to us. We praise you for the gift of your son, our King. Help us kneel down to praise his Holy Name in all we do. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Week 1 Hope Challenge: How are you getting ready to welcome Jesus? What are you grateful for in this season? Record or share with others how gratitude, and making yourself and your home ready for Jesus is bringing you hope. Monday, Nov. 30, 2020 Written by Andy Upham Light: Hope Candle (purple) Read: Luke 1:26-38 During Advent, we devote ourselves to the study of what it really means to follow Christ. We seek to explore what the gift of the Father’s Son means to us. In today’s verse, we start “at the beginning,” when Mary was visited by an angel and asked to follow her calling. The significance of her calling is truly miraculous. It is no wonder that every time we read of an angel appearing, one of the first things the angel will say is “don’t be afraid.” Okay, let’s be honest and put ourselves in the place of Mary. She was a very young woman who is engaged to be married. An angel suddenly appears … FEAR!!! The angel’s greeting caused her to be “greatly troubled,” “disturbed,” “perplexed,” “baffled,” (depending on the Bible translation you are reading there are many more descriptions for her thought). Who would not feel this? She must be asking herself, “What did I do?” “Who me?” “Why me?” I am guessing you can think of even more ways she would be thinking here. But then the angel, Gabriel, spoke THOSE words, “Don’t be afraid?” Sigh, deep breath, feel that relief … NO? I am assuming, never having had an angel actually appear to me, that the angel could simply exude peace to Mary. Imagine an angel calling to YOU saying, “don’t be afraid.” This same description is given when the angel appears to the shepherds in the field. Oh, the stories Mary and the shepherds could share about angels, but that is a topic for another day. Back to Gabriel, now explaining to Mary, the plan for her to bring the SAVIOR into the world. Gabriel even helps Mary understand that the plan included her cousin Elizabeth and that with God the impossible is possible. Again, what would you do? What argument would you lay out before the angel, before God? Would you be so bold as to answer as Mary did? Would you say, “Here I am, the Lord’s humble servant!” During this season, think about the gifts God has given us: forgiveness, salvation, and His son. His son continues to seek us, even 2,020 years later, inviting us to answer our call. Maybe we won’t see Gabriel walking through the door, but maybe we will have a different call. Staying in the Christ birth story, think of everyone who answers in their own way. The innkeeper opened the only warm place available; the shepherds left their flock; and the wise men followed their call to bring gifts. What is your call? How will you respond? Today, as we continue in this season of Advent, continue to listen for your call, and “don’t be afraid.” Wondering Question: As a teenager, I wonder how Mary felt when the angel appeared? How did she have the courage to say, “Here I am, the Lord’s humble servant?” Song: “Here I Am, Lord” Prayer: Lord, help me not to be afraid. Help me say, “Here I am, Lord,” ready to serve when you call. Amen. Week 1 Hope Challenge: How are you getting ready to welcome Jesus? What are you grateful for in this season? Record or share with others how gratitude, and making yourself and your home ready for Jesus is bringing you hope. Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020 Written by Pastor Jim Hillbrick Light: Hope Candle (purple) Read: Exodus 30:22-32 The Anointed One, Jesus the Messiah, came to bring anointing to His people through the Holy Spirit’s anointing. The practice of anointing with oil is found in Exodus 30 where the oil was special and had very specific ingredients. This particular mixture was only to be used to establish holiness for Aaron, the High Priest, and from Aaron to his sons and the holy priesthood to follow. This also included special anointing of the tabernacle, and temple, and its fixtures. Jesus is our High Priest and brings this special and costly spiritual anointing to His followers. Isaiah 61 prophesies that the anointing of the Lord will be upon the coming Messiah for bringing good news to all people. A key ingredient of the Exodus 30 anointing oil was frankincense. The gifts brought to Bethlehem for the Christ child included frankincense, a very fragrant, precious, and expensive ingredient. The word anoint is translated from the Hebrew word “Mashiach” meaning “anoint” or “anointed one”. Jesus was called, “Jesus, the Christ” or in Hebrew, “Yeshua Ha Mashiach” which means “Jesus the Anointed One”. His precious and costly anointing is powerful and redemptive in purpose for our salvation and our life in the Kingdom of God.
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