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Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love in Mary’s Story
As we head into the final week before Christmas, we expectantly anticipate the coming—the Advent—of the Son of the Most High as his mother, Mary, did. Consider with me the traditional Advent themes as seen in Mary’s story. HOPE “Listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” —the angel Gabriel to Mary of Nazareth (LUKE 1:31-33) The Bible defines hope as patiently…
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Do Not Be Afraid, I Am With You
Since my word for the year 2023 is “with,” I’m sharing a chapter entitled “With You” from my devotional Favored Blessed Pierced: A Fresh Look at Mary of Nazareth in preparation for the upcoming Advent season. So the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid.” Luke 1:30a The angel’s preface to his commissioning, “Do not be afraid,” is the most commonly repeated command in the Bible—with good reason, for we are people of fear. Last year, I finally admitted that I feel anxious when I travel. While I have the privilege of traversing the globe in my ministry to cross-cultural workers, I rarely travel alone. Still I worry. Will we make…
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Meaning-full Holidays Benefit from Advance Planning
My shopping list includes “Halloween candy,” and my neighbors’ yards feature cobwebs, ghosts, and the Grim Reaper. Yet I just received a gift catalog from an aid organization, an invitation to a holiday brunch, and ads for Advent products in my social media feeds. It feels too early to think about whether to include marshmallows on the sweet-potato casserole. But we also know planning ahead will help make the holidays more meaning-full, right? Here on the Engage blog, I have annual tradition of offering suggestions for doing so. Here’s my 2023 Top Ten list: Prefer a book? I love Fleming Rutledge’s Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ. I get…
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Luke 2:14—Peace on Earth to Those with Whom God Is Pleased
“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Those are the words the collection of angels declared to a band of shepherds. Their words filled the night sky right after an angel of the Lord announced to those shepherds about the birth of Jesus who was “the Savior…Christ the Lord.” The Grand Birth Announcement Listen carefully An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: Today your Savior…
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Advent as Reality Check: Learning to Wait
The thirty-minute sitcom has played havoc with my perseverance. Growing up as a child on a media diet of seeing wrongs righted and relationships healed in 30 minutes flat gave me a false sense of how the world works. Advent cures that mindset. At Advent I sit, waiting with Israel under Roman rule. I look for the Messiah. I don’t know the time of His coming. Will I recognize him? O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. At Advent I fix my eyes on the coming Christ. O come, Thou Bright and Morning Star, And bring…
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What mystery
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Approaching Advent
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Plan Ahead for Meaningful Holidays: Make This The Year You Get It Right
A ceramic pumpkin centerpiece still decorates my table. And we have yet to plan the Thanksgiving menu. Maybe instead of turkey we’ll have breakfast for dinner like we did last year—complete with Eggs Benedict slathered in Hollandaise sauce. For some of us it feels a bit early to plan now for the Christmas season. But the first Sunday in Advent falls on November 27 this year. And we want to experience a sane, wise holiday season, right? We want to eschew the insanity that often comes with the celebration. And that requires some planning. And so I give you my annual list of seven suggestions. Here’s the 2022 offering. Select…
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Choosing Insignificance with Elizabeth and Joseph
“I want to write a book, but I don’t want anyone to read it.” This declaration to my husband describes my angst with writing, platforms, and my significance. Almost every time I open the Bible, I see a lesson or an application I want to share. My mind is filled with devotions, questions, and ideas. But in order for my messages to be read, they must be communicated somehow. So, I’ve tentatively put my words into public spaces, gradually increasing my boldness. I’ve added a few hashtags along the way and expanded to more platforms. Yet even as I’m growing more comfortable with this, I’m reticent. After all, why would…
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Advent FAQ
What is Advent? The first day of Advent marks New Year’s Day in the church year for many Christians. (Happy New Year!) The word “advent” means coming. The term is derived from “ad” meaning “to” as well as from “vent,” a form of a Latin word meaning “coming” (think of the first word in: veni vidi vici—I came, I saw, I conquered). So in short, Advent is the name of a season of the liturgical year that most Christian denominations observe as a time of waiting expectantly and preparing for both the celebration of the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming, which could happen at any time. When…