Advent Reflections
This year, our Advent series centers on the reminder that Jesus is and was “God With Us”.
In a world awash with suffering, chaos, and injustice, Advent reminds us of the profound nearness of God. The incarnation is not a remote act of love, but one of costly solidarity. Jesus, the Word made flesh, entered our world to dwell among us, bringing hope, peace, joy, and love that are not distant but personal, not abstract but embodied. Join us as we explore what it means that God is truly with us, entering our lives, our struggles, and our world to transform them from within.
Each week, we’ll share a reflection on one of the four Advent themes - hope, peace, joy, and love - on our social media channels and on this page.
We hope they guide you in your own reflection this season.
Week 1
Hope
a poem by Amy Sawyer
(with borrowed phrases from Emily Dickinson, A Charlie Brown’s Christmas, and Luke 2)
She says it is the thing with feathers
but we know it to be sown in soil.
Hope is the reason we bury tulip bulbs in the fall,
when nothing grows, but roots.
It is the pregnancy announcement after a loss,
as fragile and shimmering as a bubble.
It is the phone call when you finally apologize
and the silence as you await their response.
It is a new job, a new city, a new sparkling love,
and staying when the newness wears off.
It is the fertile soil tended by our grandmas and aunties,
the soil of ancient Babylon. Aren’t we all
carrying soil that was trod upon by Solomon,
or Joseph, or even Mary? Her hands weren’t clean,
even as the magnificat pulsed through her palms,
her mudstained feet connected to earth.
Soil is dirt with history, fungi and humus, decay and promise,
bacteria and host, worms and hands to see to it.
It is a great multitude of earthly hosts,
praising, singing, planting, sowing, always hoping.
Reflection
Read Luke 2:8-15. In what area of your life or circumstance are you facing
do you need the hopeful presence of Christ?
Week 2
Deserts into Gardens
An Advent essay by Rich Rivera
Advent is a sacred season, a time for reflection and anticipation.
It's a season that invites us to ponder the profound truth that we stand between what God has already done and is yet to do. As we journey through this in-between time, we catch glimpses of God's glory, a foretaste of the ultimate redemption and restoration He promises.
Isaiah 35 paints a breathtaking picture of God's transformative power. It's a vision of hope-filled joy and a promise of deliverance for God's oppressed people. This ancient prophecy resonates with us today, offering light in our own spiritual wilderness. In it...
We Have The Promise of God's Blessing
The chapter begins with a declaration of God's blessing. The desert will bloom, the parched land will rejoice. This isn't just a metaphor; it's a tangible promise of God's grace. We all experience spiritual droughts, moments when our faith feels barren. But God promises to refresh and revitalize us, turning our deserts into gardens.
We Have The Promise of God's Justice
Amidst the oppression and injustice of their time, Isaiah's people needed a word of hope. They needed to know that God would intervene, that His justice would prevail.This promise of divine justice is as relevant today as it was then. We live in a world marked by suffering and inequality. But God's justice is on the horizon, and it will bring healing and restoration.
We Have The Promise of God's Unending Joy
The ultimate goal of God's redemptive work is to bring us into a state of unending and everlasting joy. Isaiah paints a vivid picture of a transformed world, a place where God's people will experience joy and peace. This joy is not merely a fleeting emotion; it's a deep and abiding reality that flows from our relationship with God.
As we journey through Advent, let us embrace the Lord’s hope and peace as experienced through the promise of joy found in Isaiah 35. Let us trust in God's power to transform our lives, our communities, and our world. May we experience the joy of God's blessing, the assurance of His justice, in anticipation of His eternal kingdom breaking in on us both now and later.
Lord, we long for joy in our hearts and peace in our souls. Bless us with joy, that we might smile inside and give you praise for your good gifts. Draw us near to you, guide us in your perfect will, and open our eyes to see your work in every part of our lives. Help us trust your promises, even in struggles, and keep our hearts focused on eternity with you. Amen.