December 21, 2020 - Advent Devotion
We are reaching capacity for Christmas Eve Worship, this Thursday, December 24, 4 p.m.
Join us for Lord of Life LIVE on our Facebook Page!
Access Pastor Jamie’s Christmas Letter here
A merry and blessed and holy Christmas to each of you and your loved ones!
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth,
Good will to all,
From heav'n's all-gracious king."
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.
“When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.”
Today is the shortest day of the year. The fewest hours of sunshine. The least amount of light. Our day today is between the two longest nights of the year, the most amount of darkness.
At times, our days can feel short, and our nights can feel so long. We long for light, and yet, the darkness feels like it is all around us. It is in the darkness that we need light, some light, any light. Please take careful note of this point, this will be a sign for you: No matter how dark it is, any light at all allows one to get through the darkness, any light at all means it is not "completely" dark.
Joseph had every right to feel in the dark when Mary broke the news to him that she had been visited by an angel, that she had now conceived, that she was carrying The Son of God. How Joseph could even sleep is a mystery, now he is awakened, not in the dark, given an angel's command, and he goes forward trusting what must have felt like barely enough light. Soon he would know The Light, The Brightest Light, and he would name him Jesus.
It came upon the midnight clear, at the darkest point of the night, a sign of God's grace. In that darkness, Heaven's All-Gracious King provided just enough light: Peace on earth, Good will to all!
Even in the joy and hope and promise of Advent and Christmas, the world and our lives and our spirits can so easily feel lost in the darkness. May The Light of the world provide you and your loved ones with enough light this year to know and believe you are not completely in the dark, to surrender to the truth Isaiah prophesied, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness shall not overcome it," to find assuring hope in the light that shines bright in every sign of God's grace! May you name this hope, this Light, this grace: Jesus!
Let us pray: Light of the world, shine on me and my life and my spirit today. The world and circumstance can overwhelm me with darkness. The signs of your grace, help me through the darkness. Not every midnight is clear; I can be overwhelmed; I long to hear your angels sing. Assure me each and every amount of your light overcomes my every darkness. Shine on me with your gift of peace, that like Joseph, I may go forward trusting I am never completely in the dark. In the name of Jesus, The Light, I pray. Amen.