Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

Arise! Shine! Your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has dawned!
Isaiah 60:1
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Written by Keith Miller

​What are you waiting for? 

That's a common phrase used these days to communicate impatience, isn't it? And the answer is usually implied: Nothing! You're waiting for nothing. So go ahead and do it already!  What are you waiting for? 

This time of Advent, this time of waiting, has been more appropriate than ever this year. But when I parallel the advent season only with my longing to get back to "normal," and trying to patiently wait for the pandemic to be behind us, it's possible for me to miss an important element of this whole thing. And that is this: 

It's not simply about what (or who) we're waiting for. It's about who we become as we wait. 

When we think about the purpose of the Advent season that is drawing to a close, author Brian Zahnd suggests that,  
"We are not so much waiting for God to act as we are waiting to become contemplative enough to discern what God is doing."

Each and every minute of our lives is an opportunity. There is something available to receive all the time. There are gifts around every corner, in every minute, and in each conversation. That is the beauty of the God we see in Christ. And our task is to have hearts that are rooted in God's goodness and eyes that are focused on his Kingdom, so that we become "holy noticers" of God's presence. These are the times to slowly hold things within our hearts, like Mary. And that takes time. It takes waiting. 

So now, on this final day, we wait doubly. We wait not simply for Jesus to come, but also so that we can get ourselves in a position to receive him when he does. 

That waiting is just about done. A few hours from now, as our Christmas eve celebrations draw to a close... the waiting ends and the celebration begins. 

My prayer for you is that the coming days are days of fulfillment. Days where you can joyfully receive the gift of God, because you are becoming something new. We've waited patiently, we've waited painfully. And we're ready to see God come to life around us in our own spirits, in our relationships, and in the things that we set our minds and hands to. 


Have faith that the waiting is worth it-- that there was purpose in it-- that Jesus is ready to come to life in you this year. Arise, shine, for your light has come! 


Have a blessed Christmas. Party well. 
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Jesus, there’s a reason I’ve been waiting this month. I’m ready to receive you. 

Conclude with Stillness (2 minutes)

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Luke 2:19
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Written by Bethany Miller
I used to throw myself into creating elaborate Pinterest-y themed birthday parties for my boys. Our celebrations were huge and intricately planned and memorable. But by the time they turned eight, I was exhausted. The huge indoor parties had taken their toll, so we decided to do something different that year. We replaced our traditional big party with simple family celebrations. Pancakes with candles, cards created by their little sister, going out to dinner at their favorite restaurant, and lots of extra hugs and cuddles throughout the day. Instead of investing all of our time and energy into a few hours of intense celebration, we ended up taking a thousand little moments throughout their birthday week to anticipate, celebrate, and shower them with love. I remember Keith and I worrying that this shift might make the boys feel like they weren’t fully celebrated because of the lack of fanfare. But it turns out they actually felt more special and loved! And by stripping it all away, I was able to learn something important about myself. I realized that the elaborate celebrations were more about others’ expectations and my own desires than about honoring and celebrating the birth of my children. As this year requires a stripping away that many of us didn’t choose, may we find new opportunities to celebrate Jesus even more deeply.
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God, free us from the external expectations of the coming holidays, so that we can love you and those around us in the deepest way possible.

Conclude with Stillness (2 minutes)

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:13-14
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Written by Duane Cottrell

I want to talk about celebration. 

For most of my life, celebrating the “Holiday Season” from Thanksgiving to Christmas meant joyous music, bright twinkling lights, luscious heavy foods, tantalizing sweet treats, aromatic spices, and of course, gifts.

But then it all would end.

On the evening of that one chaotic day, after the gifts had been unwrapped, the food had been eaten, and we’d said good-night to our family and friends with whom we had celebrated, I settled into bed with nothing to look forward to on December 26.

But as I’ve gotten older, the nuances of the Christian calendar have become more interesting and more meaningful to me. This time of year is actually marked by TWO distinct seasons — Advent and Christmastide. Advent is silent, calm, tender, mild, deep, dark, and holy. We sing of love's pure light and solemn stillness. And we wait. “Rejoice, O Israel, Emmanuel shall come.” Christmastide, on the other hand, is triumphant, glorious, joyful, jubilant, bright, and exultant. We sing of the victory of love born among us. And we celebrate. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come.”

That’s an important distinction. Advent is a time to reflect on the world as it was before Christ, pregnant with expectation. But that’s not Christmas — Christmas is a time to pull out all the stops and celebrate like you’ve not celebrated all year. And perhaps the most important thing I have learned is that Christmastide is TWELVE days long.

You remember the song, right? Imagine a party in your house on the night of January 5 that includes, among all your friends: twelve drums, eleven wind instruments, ten dancers, nine more dancers, eight gallons of milk, seven swans, six geese, five really expensive gifts, four more birds besides the swans and geese, three other kinds of birds, two more birds, and you guessed it — one last bird in a pear tree. That’s a party! (And a lot of birds!)

Celebration of the infant Jesus coming into the world is worthy of twelve full days of celebration. After all, we’ve waited expectantly for at least 28 days, why not extend the party until Epiphany on January 6? Love has come down at Christmas. The Lord is come. The Savior reigns. Gloria in excelsis deo!

A number of years ago, when our kids were smaller, we started celebrating for 12 days by giving a gift each day. (This doesn’t have to be extravagant — think of 12 small stocking stuffers wrapped under your tree.) And after the Advent calendar ran out of chocolate there were 24 candy canes hanging on our tree — one for each child every day. Many of our “12 day” gifts are family experiences — a hike together, a board game, baking cookies, or making gingerbread houses. And some years we’ve even thrown a huge Twelfth Night party with wassail, king cake, and all our friends. But our tree, lights, and decorations absolutely do not, under any circumstance, come down before January 5.

​However you may choose to do it, I encourage you to fully celebrate for 12 days this Christmastide. Whenever you smell the deep rich smells of the season, stop and celebrate. Whenever you see twinkling lights or deep reds and greens, stop and celebrate. Whenever you indulge in sweet delicious treats, stop and celebrate. Whenever you hear joyous music filled with blaring brass and sweeping strings, stop and celebrate.

Celebrate that the world has changed. Celebrate that He is come. Celebrate that darkness has already been defeated and we are children of the light. 

​Celebrate! And have a very merry Christmas!
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Lord, help me to not only anticipate, but to revel in and fully celebrate your coming this Christmas. 

Conclude with Stillness (2 minutes)

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27
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Written by Jess Sinarski
One of my boys just had an epic meltdown! Serious “downstairs brain” situation complete with threats and breaking ornaments. There are times I end up right there in the threats and tantrum with him, but this time was different. As he and Matt left the house to burn off some energy, I felt God prompting me to take a moment of quiet with Him. He probably prompts me a lot when I’m not paying attention, but this time I listened and sat down and wrote what I heard:
I’m here.
I see you.
You matter.
You are loved.
I’m holding you.
I am holding your boys. 
I’m holding you as you hold your boys.
Feel me. 
Feel my love, my peace.
I know you. 
I know them.
I brought you here.
I am with you.
I’m covering you with my beauty and grace like the snow covers the winter grass.
Let your heart be at peace.
As a therapist, I bristle a bit at the idea of telling people not to feel their feelings, but I see this as a beautiful invitation. Jesus is inviting us to choose Him, to choose His peace in the face of fear. I know many in our community and beyond are dealing with so much more than the normal parenting ups and downs. My prayer as I type this is that we can turn to Jesus for the peace that truly surpasses all understanding. Know that you are loved and held and known.
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Jesus, thank you for being the God who Sees. Please fill my troubled heart with your perfect peace. 

Conclude with Stillness (2 minutes)

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33
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Written by Rachel England
I have been accused of having my “head in the clouds” more than a few times in my life. It always makes me giggle because I am often actually daydreaming about Heaven. (This does not so much amuse those who have lost my attention.)


One of my first memories of Sunday school was a lesson on John 14:1-4. Jesus is preparing a place for me! Shortly thereafter I learned how to use a concordance because I wanted to know everything there was to know about Heaven. What it would look like, feel like, be like. If you’ve ever done this concordance search, you can imagine my frustration at the surprising lack of details. I didn’t know then that searching “Kingdom” rather than “Heaven” would have provided more of a glimpse. 


Nevertheless, John 14 was quite enough fodder for my imagination. I often directed Jesus as to how he should prepare my place. I’d see a friend’s canopy bed and be like “that’s the one I want for my bedroom Jesus! And don’t forget I want an indoor pool with 4 slides and penguins!” I imagined that if the streets are made of gold then the house Jesus is preparing for me must be made entirely of diamonds! My imagining was not limited to possessions. I imagined learning all the instruments I needed to learn to create a perfect song. I loved to think about what amusement parks would be like. No limits, no nausea, and no lines! Just imagine!


I’m embarrassed to say it took many particularly humbling experiences to learn that everything I desire and every choice I make will impact everything and everyone far beyond my understanding. For better (God’s glory) or for worse (death). And it is only when I am seeking His Kingdom and not my own heaven that I will know the difference. 


Knowing the difference and acting accordingly is when I receive what I never knew I wanted. Not earthly desires, or heavenly daydreams, but the kind of riches that are enduring and priceless. Knowledge, connection, forgiveness, patience, goodness, revelation...


I still daydream about the perfect art studio or the perfect apple pie, and these are sweet moments with Jesus (which incidentally help to curb my appetite for material possessions and personal achievements), but I am now keenly aware that in order to understand Heaven (through a glass dimly) I have to earnestly seek the imperishable character of his Kingdom here and now.  
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“Every kingdom work, whether publicly performed or privately endeavored, partakes of the kingdom's imperishable character. Every honest intention, every stumbling word of witness, every resistance of temptation, every motion of repentance, every gesture of concern, every routine engagement, every motion of worship, every struggle towards obedience, every mumbled prayer, everything, literally, which flows out of our faith-relationship with the Ever-Living One, will find its place in the ever-living heavenly order which will dawn at his coming.” ~Randy Alcorn 
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Jesus, help me pursue and place my hope in the beauty of your Kingdom above all today. 

Conclude with Stillness (2 minutes)

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
Romans 8:21 
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Written by Ian Yue

I work in the environmental field, and it can be really disheartening sometimes. You’re constantly faced with issues of ecosystem degradation, lost and invasive species, conflicts over access to natural resources, and humans suffering under compromised environmental conditions. It so often feels like an uphill battle that you sometimes ask yourself, “Why do I continue to work in this field?”

For some of my colleagues, the answer to that question is a belief that we can dig ourselves out of the environmental mess we’ve created. While I don’t underestimate the power of human ingenuity, as a Christian, I cannot put my trust in humans alone. I know that humanity, in its sinful nature, has caused generations of harm to God’s creation (Romans 8:20). However, I also know that destruction is not the end of the story; redemption of all of creation is (Romans 8:21-25). As such, I must believe that my work is both a confirmation of the inherent value of creation and a proclamation of God’s continual redemption of the world around me.  
Reminding myself of this “cosmic purpose” has helped me find meaning in my work in the face of disheartenment. Beyond that, though, it has helped me maintain faith in His work, which undergirds what I do. At work or not, I can keep my eyes open for God’s redeeming hand and always expect that He will show up, whether in my life or someone else’s.

The practice of holding onto a “cosmic purpose” has been invaluable to me in navigating 2020. In the bleakest of moments, I’ve learned to ask myself to simply look for God’s redeeming work. I am then challenged to live in the spirit of that redemption, finding ways to affirm the inherent value of all of God’s creation – including those around me who have hated, hurt, or disappointed.
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During advent, we light candles to represent the hope, faith, joy, and peace that comes with the arrival of Christ. It can be easy to think that Christ simply brought these things to us through a promise of a better life beyond earth. But, over these last few months, I’ve come to see that Christ’s “cosmic purpose” provides us a faith that we can experience the joy, hope, and peace of His redemption right now. And that’s anything but disheartening.
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Lord, thank you for the hope you inspire as I think about your redemption of all things. Give me faith to live my life in partnership with your unfolding work. 

Conclude with Stillness (2 minutes)

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 
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Written by Anna Brewster
A personal journal entry:

As I sit here staring out the window into the dull gray of the evening sky, I see pockets and feathers of blush pink and sandy peach, windows of pale blue, and I crave the expanse of the world outside the walls of my house. Tears stream down my cheeks and I wonder why life has to feel so hard. So hard to pick myself up and keep going with a smile for others, an intentionally kind tone when I just want to snap, wanting so badly to be a source of love, acceptance, forgiveness, fun and joy for my kids but struggling in an environment charged so often by negativity, conflict, hostility and unrestrained expression of emotional upset and needs. Needing reminders multiple times a day, sometimes every few minutes, to refocus on trust in Jesus to bring me through another day when I feel so overwhelmed with everything and so utterly worn. Wishing someone would take care of me instead of always being the caretaker and peacemaker- constantly needed, constantly wanted, constantly demanded of. The sensations of feeling like I’m going to explode or implode course through me while I allow my emotions to bubble up, be seen, heard and acknowledged, without feeling an urgency to act or create judgements. I choose to sit at the feet of Jesus. 

       He listens. I pour out my upset and he just lets me talk and He listens. He doesn’t judge me for where I am on the journey. He doesn’t tell me I should be further ahead. He doesn’t try to fix everything. He doesn’t get frustrated with me for my lack of faith and my tears and frustration. He just opens His arms. I tell Him that no matter how hard it feels on this earth, I still choose Him. Then I sit and listen. I’m not very good at it yet but I’m quiet. I breathe deeply- cool air in, filling my lungs, slight pause, exhale. Again. Again. As I sit there in the silence with Jesus, it all begins to lift. The weight, the pressure, the hopelessness, the darkness closing in – it’s replaced by a lightness that I feel from top to bottom. My head feels less foggy and heavy, the path in front of me more clear and bright. Nothing in my physical world – my environment, challenges, disappointments, limitations – no changes were made. But I shifted my cares from my shoulders to Jesus’. Not by any great doing on my part, because it was mostly just expressing my troubles and asking for His help. And then choosing Him above everything else that feels so real in this earthly life. I am keenly aware that felt release doesn’t always come so immediately, so I bask in it today for the breath of fresh air that it is. 

            As I sit with Jesus, I am filled with the comforting awareness that His desire and plan for His people - for His bride - for me – is for complete PEACE and JOY without limits. That’s His heart. And I can access that now no matter what it looks like around me. I can BE and WALK in that joy and love and peace because I know how the story ends. Not all of the details. But I know the important part. Jesus wins and I get to BE WITH HIM. That’s the best thought ever. Best goal ever. Best existence ever. No sin. No hate. No pain. Just every person experiencing God‘s love in their deepest parts every day, without hindrance. That’s my future. That’s my hope- WITH Jesus forever. 
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Jesus, please help me set the hope of my eternity with You before me every day as a shining beacon of JOY and HOPE for my future. What I’m facing now will not last. It will not be dark forever. YOU are forever - forever good, forever limitless, forever love. I rest in Your arms and in Your future.

Conclude with Stillness (2 minutes)

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38 
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Written by Tori Meeder
​
2020 has brought about a shift in my perspective. I used to divide my emotional states into “good” and “bad.” I could pray and come to God when I was experiencing the “good” range, but I acted as if something was wrong with me if I was in a “bad” emotional state. I had to tough it out, to return to my equilibrium before I felt acceptable to turn to God. 

Now I understand that God is not is not put off by the full range of human experience. In fact, God can use our emotional landscape to teach us. I am getting better at identifying and feeling my emotions, rather than developing anxiety about my feelings. And, most importantly, I’m learning to turn toward God with whatever I’m feeling. God doesn’t want to be with me only when I’m happy or when I need something. God can handle my rage, my bitter disappointment, my loneliness, my blues, my listless apathy. So I’m learning to have peace, whether or not I’m feeling peaceful. I can bring it all to God while still knowing that I am fully loved.
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Jesus, thank you for the safety of your presence. Thank you for welcoming all of who I am and what I feel. 

Conclude with Stillness (2 minutes)

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

"Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts…”
Hebrews 3:7 
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Written by Bethany Miller
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Life comes in waves.

Waves of joy and purpose and hope. Waves of pain and sorrow and fear. These waves can feel all encompassing at times and it is in these moments, both the good and the bad, that I am often most aware of God’s presence. 

But all of life cannot be lived in the extremes. There are many moments spent between the waves.

Hours of normal, commonplace activities. Days without big highs or lows, when I competently go through the motions of working and playing and resting without much awareness or felt need for God.

Sometimes in this space between, I feel self-sufficient and strong. Sometimes I feel aimless and lackadaisical. But one defining feature of those in-between moments is the struggle to feel God’s presence. 

Even though God IS present. Even though God is still speaking. 

Hebrews 3:7-8 says, "Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness.”

The wilderness was not an easy place to be. The time spent between pain-filled Egypt and the joy-filled Promised Land was marked by doubts, discontent, and blah-ness as the Israelites spent year after year aimlessly plodding through sand. They actually longed to return to slavery because the wilderness felt so difficult. 

But God WAS present in the wilderness. God was still speaking.

God was in the steady constancy of the pillars of fire and cloud. God was in the daily provisions of water and manna. God was in the spoken words revealed through Moses. 

God was present. God was speaking. 

Our call in the wilderness, between the waves of highs and lows, is simply to listen with soft and malleable hearts. To remember Emmanuel, God with us, is always true, no matter what our feelings feel.
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Lord, tune my heart to receive your presence and follow your guidance in the intense and the mundane moments that today brings.

Conclude with Stillness (2 minutes)