Advent is my favorite season of the church year.
I love the hope, the preparation and the expectation.
I find it reassuring to acknowledge that we are surrounded by darkness and struggle,
and still, we focus on God’s promises that light will come and will not be defeated.
I rejoice in the realization that the light of God’s love and good news are already here,
and will be coming even more fully when the time is right.
May this Advent season give you a chance to rely on the God who promises that
darkness and death will not win in the end.
May you find moments of peace and quiet, to consider the tremendous gift and blessing
of a God who treasures you enough to come live as a human, and is with you now.
May the journey toward Christmas be filled with joy and wonder for you.
And may your work be blessed with Advent peace and productivity!
A passage and a prayer
(This is the new testament passage for this coming Sunday. It seems like a particularly good set of verses for this time of the academic year.)
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
—-Philippians 4
God of Grace,
Help me to remember the countless reasons I have to rejoice each day.
Guide me to gently share your love and compassion with those around me.
Show me the ways you are here.
Help me to turn to you with the things that trouble me, to trust them to you in prayer.
Bring me peace (even when it doesn’t make sense to be peaceful) as I rely on you.
Amen.