Anticipating the Arrival of the Hope of the World...

We are about to enter into the second week of advent, a season of longing and anticipation for Jesus’ arrival. The frenzied pace of our culture and the commercialization of the Christmas season have me realizing that there are very few things that we have to wait for. Our sense of anticipation and longing has been dulled or reduced to matters of time. How long will this take? Or, how long before I get what I want?

The disciplines of waiting, longing, yearning and anticipating have been replaced with irritation or boredom if waiting takes longer than we expect. The season of advent is an annual rhythm that challenges us to slow our pace and to restore our ability to desire and yearn and ache for God to do something in a lost and broken world. What we wait for, the solution we so desperately crave, comes of course in the gift that is Jesus Christ.

This week, allow yourself to freshly anticipate, desire, yearn for, wish and plead for the arrival of the hope of the world that is Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us.

Here’s a prayer I wrote that you might want to pray for the next few days.

Gracious, patient God. Let this be a season of active waiting with my whole being, not given too quickly to the distracting lights, sounds and commotion of what Christmas has become. I ask for the grace to fully immerse myself in the anticipation of Jesus' arrival into this world and into my life.  Amen.

Blessings,
Pastor Kevin

Reclaiming Advent

The season of advent is almost here. Sunday December 1 begins a four-week journey in the Christian calendar which is a period of longing, hoping and expectation.  It’s the season of coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important.

How do we recapture advent? Why do we need to?

To recapture advent in our daily lives is to recover how to live in a world of impatience, as a patient people. I encourage you to read Luke 1:46-55, a passage of hope. Hear these words from Mary and the hope that seems to be pouring out of them.

Advent is patience. Advent is yearning. Advent is longing. Advent is waiting.
It is how God has made us a people of promise in a world of impatience.
And Christ has made that possible; for us to live patiently in a world of impatience.

Now, take a moment and patiently pray these words in preparation of this coming season.

Unexpected God,
Your advent alarms us.
Wake us from drowsy worship,
from the sleep that neglects love,
and the sedative of misdirected frenzy.
Awaken us now to Your coming,
and bend our angers into Your peace.
Amen.

Greg Ramsden

'Something' More Eternal...

Psalm 73:25-26

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

There are so many things that compete for the allegiance and attention of our hearts. Money, success, knowledge, entertainment and others unite their voices to woo our hearts with bold claims of satisfaction and fulfillment. The reality is that each one, when pursued as an end in itself, leaves us craving something deeper, more real and more eternal than any of these offerings can ultimately provide.

We long for the transcendent. We long for what is Divine. There is nothing of this earth that can satisfy in us what we were truly made to experience. It is God Himself we need. He is the end and the fulfillment of all that we seek. All the other blessings of life pale in comparison to the richness of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord.

What the Psalmist declared by faith, we can echo in the pursuits of our lives and make the prayer of hearts today: God, we desire You and You alone. You are the all-sufficient One and we look to You for the satisfaction of our souls.

Peace,
Wade

Saying No

Hey Friends,

Each time I’m in this spot, I ask myself, “Self, how did I get here?” I go through these cycles where I prune back the to-do list, the demands on my time, commitments I make, etc…and then, somehow, they creep back in and before I know it, I’m feeling weary and burdened and talking to myself.

As tough as it is to say “No,” sometimes it’s exactly the right word to say. A good friend witnessed my juggling act recently and gave me this text: 

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 

Mark 1:35-38, NIV

So I thought I would share it with you…no in-depth analysis or commentary, just simply sharing with you my realization that as humans, we simply can’t do everything or be everything to everyone. Jesus realized this and gave this knowledge to His disciples (and to us) as a gift – yes, everyone may be looking for you, may want your time or talents or whatever, but sometimes saying no is the most God-honouring thing we can do. We can trust the promptings of His Spirit to show us the times to engage and the times to move into solitary places.

To follow Jesus is not a burden; He promises to share and even carry our burdens (Matthew 11:30). So why wouldn’t I take him up on this offer? 

Learning in Christ together,
Mandy Johnston

A Life Following Christ...

A life following after Christ can be hard. As we’ve been studying Matthew, I’ve been struck by the call of Jesus to take up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow after Him (Matthew 16:24). Following after Christ is not supposed to be easy. There are seasons where we will be called to follow in ways that we may not like; to take up the cross is a heavy burden. Yet Jesus also promises in Matthew 11:28-30 what seems to be the opposite:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

While this seems to be a contradiction, I believe that it is in the trying times that we truly understand that Christ’s yoke is easy and burden is light. This has been my experience as I’ve been placed in situations where I could be overwhelmed.

These days, taking up my cross means to forgive those that don’t necessarily deserve it. I’ve found that giving grace and surrendering my frustrations and burdens to the Lord has been so freeing. In following Christ, I’ve been led to be challenged, yet I’ve also been blessed with a supernatural peace and patience.

I pray the same for you this week!

God bless,
Eric Hochhalter