The guide is intended to be used every other day. Watch the opening videos on day one, and read the devotional articles and other resources on alternating days.
The aim of the guide is to be a tool that helps you reflect on the meaning of Advent and the ways that the Spirit wants to remind us that, because of Jesus there is good news and great joy.
Joy: Devotion & Worship
Reflection
Take a few minutes this week to reflect on where you see Jesus in and around you. Where can you see Jesus moving and working in your life and in the world? Write those things down or share them with someone else.
Things That Bring Me Joy
by Harry Baker
World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker is a poet and a maths graduate. He writes about important stuff like hope, dinosaurs and German falafel-spoons. His work has been shared on TED.com and viewed millions of times worldwide, as well as being translated into 21 different languages. When there’s not a global pandemic on he performs all over the country. He’s currently working on a new collection and excited to be touring his new show ‘Unashamed’ in 2022/3.
Find the text of Harry’s poem here.
Reflection
Harry shared this ahead of his poem for Christ City’s Advent Guide. “I loved writing this. I recently read a Mary Oliver poem that said “Joy is not meant to be a crumb”, and sure enough, by focusing on these smaller things that bring me joy it brought about a deeper sense of gratitude and openness to the wonders that this world holds. My hope is that it may spark a similar reflection and journey for you, however small or big that may start or end up!”
Today, let’s follow Harry’s example and write down things that bring you joy.
After spending time writing things that bring you joy, what did you notice about the experience? What surprised you? What encouraged you?
Each thing that brings us joy is a reflection of the joy God has for us, and is an invitation to experience the joy that comes from God. Spend time giving thanks to God for the things that bring you joy.
Images of Joy
Visio Divina by CCC’s Teen City
In Luke 2, the angel encourages the shepherds by saying, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Today’s devotion is a visio divina wherein we will reflect on a Scripture and on images provided by the Christ City Church teenagers in Teen City. All the images in this week’s Visio Divina are original photographs from Christ City Church youth.
Adele Ahlberg Calhoun in her book, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, Practices that Transform Us she defines this ancient practice this way: “Visio divina, or holy seeing, is a way to pray with the eyes.” Like lectio divina, visio divina is also a practice that requires time and attention to Scripture, whether that is a few brief minutes or an hour. Mary Gardner, from the Coracle Center for Spiritual Formation and Action, shares four basic steps to help guide you in visio divina:
Read through the passage of scripture and sit in stillness. Settle into a posture to listen to God’s voice.
Meditate. Ponder the words, then gaze, look, observe, ask questions, and ask God to help you see what he wants you to see or what he wants you to notice. What stirs within you?
Pray. Pray through the text and pray through the images as you sit with them. Ask for the Lord’s help.
Contemplate. We live the text and live into the responses the images are asking of us. A contemplative spirituality is meant to lead us to gospel action in the world and deeper connection with God.
For today’s visio divina, the scripture that will guide us is: Psalm 126. The images that will guide us are a series of photographs from the Christ City Church Teen City. The youth were asked to reflect on the Advent Theme of Joy and take pictures from their lives that stir in them ‘good news and great joy’.
Joy Rooted in Love
by Daniel Harris
Daniel Aaron Harris is an author, artist, and activist hailing from Memphis, Tn. Daniel identifies as a cerebral palsy man. Currently, he is working on his doctorate from Western Theological Seminary studying the connection between disability and the blues, and Daniel is currently writing his 10th children's book. You can find more information about Daniel’s writing, art, and ministry at danielaaronharriscreations.com.
Joy in 2022 is hard!
Watching the news, reading the headlines, and sometimes simply listening to the hardships of those around us is a reminder that we live in a world that is filled with fear. The reminders of the brokenness of the world get mixed with our own uncertainty at what is ahead and we can feel like we’re swirling in fear. Maybe we have experienced so much fear that even the word joy seems like a naive notion.
Growing up with cerebral palsy, the Church gave me a very fearful perspective of God. Because of many of my experiences in the church - and in parts of society - I can begin to believe that I don’t belong; that I don’t belong among the able-bodied, or among the better off.
But in Luke 2, we see God reminding the shepherds that they do belong. God’s inclusion of the shepherds is a continual Advent reminder to me, and all of us, that we too can find belonging with Jesus. Seeing God’s care for the shepherds through the message of the angels is a sign of belonging. Because God doesn’t say to them, “fit in, change yourself, conform to the world, stop being who you are”, this message gives those of us with disabilities hope-filled joy that in Jesus we don’t have to change to fit in.
Sometimes I believe we put the shepherds and wise men together. The wise men were looking for Jesus, the shepherds living for the day. The shepherds were working and grinding away. Who knows how many attacks on their sheep the shepherds had to defend against? I can imagine the shepherds wondering if the angels’ arrival was another attack.
I identify with the shepherds. Moving through my downtown Memphis neighborhood, sometimes I can get overwhelmed by fear. Will someone help me open a door? Will the restaurants and businesses I want to frequent be accessible to me? Will my church recognize the faith, and leadership I can bring to bear for the sake of the gospel in my community? Will I be bullied or victimized by strangers? But I can’t be silenced or stifled by fear. I have to - like the shepherds, keep moving forward.
Sometimes, if we’re not careful, fear is something we get used to.
The appearance of the angel caused great fear to come into the hearts of the shepherds yet, the angel knew something greater than fear. The angel knew the joyful news that Jesus, the One who would display to the world God’s deep love, had been born into the world!
This was the motivation for their proclamation of the good news which would cause great joy. What then did the angel know? The angel knew God and that experience of knowing God birthed joy! Joy is the product of knowing God, And God’s love. John tells that God is love. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8)
Sometimes, even good things, beautiful things, and even joyful things can stir fear in us.
The good news at first can cause fear because we realize it’s too much to think about, handle or imagine. When we truly know God and the love which makes up God, then joy becomes one of the ways we experience this love.
Sometimes we confuse happiness with joy.
Joy may be found in those around us, in our relationships - especially those relationships that display to us God’s love, care, and embrace. Joy is not dependent on us knowing that everything is going to be ok but it is in knowing God himself.
In this season, where are we? Are we looking at the things around us or are we experiencing the unshakable joy that comes from knowing God’s love? Do we know that Love has a plan for you and that it’s bigger than what is going on in the moment? That’s why the angel in Luke 2:10 could say “fear not “ because the angel knew full well of the God who is love. This is precisely why the angel could go on to say, “I bring you good news of great joy!”
The good news is that Jesus stood in our place so that we could have a deep relationship with God, and we could know that we are loved, just as we are - whatever our abilities or disabilities - we are ‘fit’ and belong in God’s Kingdom, and that is good news and great joy.
Reflection
In what area of your life do you need to be reminded that you ‘belong’ and that God loves you?
How might God want to use you this Advent season to remind someone else that they too belong and that God loves them?