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Morning Devotion for the Season of Advent
December 4, 2024
Invitatory
Thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, “I dwell in the high and holy place and also with the one who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully maltreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.
Meditation-Rebecca Northington
Sunday was the first day of Advent. We have entered into a season of waiting; of patience and of expectation. Most of us relate to the expectation part of this season more than to the waiting or the patience. For many of us it feels like we can’t catch our breath in December. It can feel overwhelming and too loaded with expectation; expectation of parties, of abundance and of gift giving and receiving. This beautiful season of preparation for our savior has been co-opted. Let’s take a moment to reframe it.
Sunday evening at Youth Group we talked once again about joy. We reviewed the joy found in Thanksgiving and the practice of gratitude, and began to look forward to the joy found in giving. We spent time with Luke 1:26-56 which includes Mary’s Magnificat, or Mary’s song. The Angel Gabriel comes to Mary and announces that she will give birth to the Son of God, as a virgin, as of yet unmarried; and she says “I am the Lord’s servant”. She offers herself as a vehicle for God’s plan. She gives of herself, asking nothing in return while rejoicing over the magnificence of God.
In Paul’s letter to the Thessolonians Paul reminds us that the apostles took great personal risks in spreading the Gospel. It is not out of greed or self that they persevere. They give themselves, Paul reminds the Thessolonians, out of love, self-emptying love: agape. In this time of giving it is easy to be swept up in the giving of material goods. Mary and Paul remind us that it is in the giving of ourselves that we give the greatest gifts. We asked the kids to be vigilant to the opportunities in their lives to give of themselves this week, and in the weeks to come.
We eagerly anticipate. We prepare. We cook, we wrap, we decorate- out of love for one another. Out of gratitude for one another. Out of love and gratitude for something so much greater than the packages, the parties and the feasts. It is a celebration of humanity, Christ’s humanity, and most poignantly of God’s love for us in the giving of his only son, in the stable, to a poor husband and wife who willingly give their own bodies and lives to serve God, and ultimately all of us. In the busyness of the season I hope we will all persevere, be vigilant to our opportunity to give, and spread the love of Christ.
Prayer
God of love, as we approach the celebration of the birth of your Son, help us to embody the love that He brought into the world. Teach us to love one another as you have loved us. Amen.
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