nother Advent season is upon us. Each year our church observes this time as a congregation. It’s not biblical, per se. There are no exhortations to celebrate Advent in the New Testament, but it seems a good op- Aportunity to join together and encourage one another during a very focused and yet frantic time in our culture. This year our theme is Advent Conspiracy. Conspiracy is, admit- tedly, a strange word to associate with the Christmas season. It suggests secret plotting or manipulating to bring about the desires of a potentially harmful group. Do we want to be associ- ated with anything so negative? The idea behind Advent Conspiracy is simply that we encourage one another to reflect on our approach to Christmas. By consid- ering pertinent scriptures each day perhaps we will hear the Lord asking us to make some sacrifice, forgo some pleasure, or include a forgotten person in our holiday activities in order to know Him more. The writers of these daily devotionals offer our reflections in all humility, as we have prayerfully and thoughtfully sought God’s leading on each scripture passage. We have struggled ourselves with what it means to Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All. There are reflections for every day of the week except Sunday. On that day, we’ll begin our contemplations on the week’s prin- ciple with our Pastor’s message. May God use this booklet in our individual lives and in the life of our church to lead us towards Christlikeness. The Reflections Writing Team November 2016 Monday, November 28 Matthew 2:1-11 nly one way to approach the Child. O One path under the star— Only one path for kings to take To a stumbling block in swaddling clothes. A corner stone, under draped cloth, In a shed. Everyone stumbles over him— The hard thing and the impossible demand— Now and then, even we. Not over the real him, perhaps, But over the idea And the question, What must I do to imitate you? Jesus, help us to come to you in simplicity. George Anderson Tuesday, November 29 Hebrews 1:1-4 orship involves recognizing the object of worship for what it W really is. Here, who Jesus really is becomes clearer through comparison with angels. During Advent the picture of angels at the announcement of Jesus’ birth inspires awe. Indeed, elsewhere in scripture, whenever angels appear to men as angels, their appearance strikes fear into men’s hearts. Luke records, “And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear (2:9).” I tend to think of the marvelous angel announcing the birth of a baby, but he announces the birth of a Savior. And then the angel says the shepherds will find a baby. Suddenly “a multitude” of angels join the messenger. I see the sky blazing bright with the glory of their presence, where moments before there had been the deep dark- ness of rural night. The angels broke into the lives of the shepherds, and into my life, in an incredible way. And then the narrative moves from the brilliance of the angelic chorus to the dimness of the stable. Mentally, I relax. All I have to do now with the Advent story, with the Advent season, is to deal with a baby—a special baby, but still, just a baby. But we are told in Hebrews that Jesus “is the radiance of the glory of God” and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. Jesus was a baby in a manager, but he was not just that. He is one who is far superior to the angels. The contrast between his radiance and the stable dimness is unimaginably greater than the contrast between the brilliance of the angelic multitude and the darkness of night. Awe-inspiring as they are, angels are created be- ings. Jesus is the Son, the heir of all things. He is the one through whom all things were created. The angels announced. Jesus sustains by the power of his word. The angels stand in God’s presence. Jesus is seated. In the angels’ announcement the spiritual broke through and showed itself to man. How much greater was the act of Jesus’ birth, the break- ing into the existence of man by the One through whom man was cre- ated! How much greater than angels is the One I am called to worship. O, Lord, remind me of Jesus’ radiance. Mark Foster Wednesday, November 30 Hebrews 1:5-13 esus is begotten of the Father, the world is begotten of Jesus. Jesus is J the ruler of a great kingdom, an eternal kingdom that will last long after this world will cease to exist. As believers, we are confronted by eternity every time we open up the scriptures. Likewise, we are shown the intimate connection between Christ and his creation, and our relationship to it. The first chapter of Hebrews contains some interesting observations and even mysteries about the way God interacts with his creation and hints at the re- creation of all things as the new heavens and new earth. 10 “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; 11 they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, 12 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” For us mere mortals, this concept of eternity is difficult to fathom. The fact that one day the creation as we currently know it will cease to exist, replaced by something even more magnificent, is something we can only dream about. Thankfully we have a God who is both Creator and Redeemer, who knows what is best for the world he has made. Christ became one of us, lived in the flesh, and yet he has been raised to eternal glory. This is our hope and promise. Dear Lord, we praise you as Creator, Redeemer and King. Help us to live in your kingdom every day, never forgetting your promise of eternal life, even as we struggle with living in a fallen world. Rick Hawksley Thursday, December 1 Colossians 1:15-20 rom the beginning of his life it is clear that Jesus was worshipped-- F by angels, and by men who saw his star in the east. As will become clear in the devotionals to follow this one, he is still being worshipped, by angels around the throne, and by men and women of faith. I am writing this devotional on “worshipping fully” on October 18; and, if you recall or keep a journal, you will know that it was one of the most beautiful days possible in northeast Ohio. Sunshine, seventy degrees, with a clear blue sky as a backdrop for golden maple leaves. After sev- eral hours of not knowing what to write about worshipping fully, I de- cided to try to do it instead. How does it happen? 1. Find a closet. Your closet can be a forest, a room, a spot in the sun— whatever. The only requirement is that you are alone or with fellow believers. 2. Clear your mind of everything but the remembrance of God’s love for you in that he sent his image, Jesus Christ, the Creator of all things in heaven and earth, so that through him you could be reconciled to himself. 3. Focus on the utter wonder of God-made-man to redeem us. There is no need to sing (though Saran might) or pray or praise (though that is encouraged). Lay this devotional down and try it now. 4. Back already? That clearing the mind thing is difficult but “be still and know that I am God” is good advice. 5. Now that you have worshipped, do not forget that, although we have been granted grace through our Lord Jesus, we ought to go out in full obedience to his commandments. Those are still in place: love the Lord with all you heart and your neighbor as yourself, no lying, stealing, or bearing false witness. Worshipping fully is not a short term stint once a day or on Sunday. It requires a complete commitment of emotions, intellect, and actions. So go forth today, worshipping to your capacity every minute. He doesn't really need it, but we do. Praise be to God, who was pleased to have his fullness dwell in a Savior for me. Joann Lambert Friday, December 2 Revelation 1:9-18 ometimes in our efficiency-loving, work-filled, menu-selecting, S selfie-taking, “I-this-and-that” modern lives, I find it difficult to expe- rience true worship. Alone, I am easily distracted by my to-do list for the day, checking the newsfeed on my Kindle, or the start time of my favorite television shows. With others, I can be critical of worship songs I hear, the way someone reads a passage, or the length of someone else’s prayer. Instead of engaging my mind and heart in worship, I en- gage them in our culture’s “my way or the highway” attitude. I forget the focus of my worship and find I am focused, instead, on myself. In his book The Insanity of God , Nik Ripkin explores the perseverance of those persecuted for the sake of Christ.