2020 Advent Devotional

Light World The

of the

CLEVELAND LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

2020 Advent Devotions

Greetings WE ARE PLEAS ED TO PR E S E NT TH IS Y E A R ’ S A DV E N T D E VOT I O N A L , THE T HEME OF WH IC H IS ‘ TH E LIG H T O F TH E WO R L D HA S CO M E. ’ LET US REJO IC E D U R ING TH IS S E A S O N A N D A LWAYS.

“I am the LORD. I have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will hold you by your hand. I will watch over you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations…” Isaiah 42:6 One of my favorite things about living in the Midwest is the regular changing of the seasons. We truly get to experience what fall, winter, spring, and summer uniquely have to offer.

We are blessed with the opportunity to enjoy the warm summer sun, the beauty of the changing leaves, the joy of the first snow, and the hope that comes with the flowers shooting up in April. Whenever I am asked about why I love this part of the country, the seasons of the year is one of my first answers.

The downside to the seasons, though, is that winter often feels as though it will never end. When the thermometer is reading 1 degree day after day, it can feel like winter is longer than the other three seasons combined. We reach a point in late December at which we can drive to work in the dark and then drive back home in the dark at the end of the work day. How dreary and depressing it can be to go days without the light of the sun!

We know that going for a prolonged period of time without sunlight has an adverse effect on our physical and our mental health. It is harmful to live without it.

We often forget how powerful light can really be in our lives. We were designed by the Creator with a real need for light. If we examine our longing for the sun’s light, we begin to see that it mirrors the spiritual need that exists in each of our hearts.

Over and over again in the Bible, we see Christ portrayed as light for a world that is trapped in the darkness of sin and death. The Gospel of John brings this theme up repeatedly, starting in the first chapter and becoming crystal clear in John 8:12 with Jesus’ proclamation “I Am the Light of the World.” But it is not just the New Testament that portrays the Savior as the light for the darkened world. John’s Gospel is picking up on a theme that runs throughout the Old Testament, a prophecy that Jesus was fulfilling.

Isaiah describes the coming Messiah at length and his description culminates in 42:6, where he describes the Messiah as a “light to the nations.” The Messiah will be the one to break the depressing stranglehold of darkness that sin has brought to the world. In Christ, we have hope that our spiritual “winter” is over and that we no longer have to walk in the darkness that has defined our days.

When we begin to walk in that light, it changes everything about our lives. The light of Christ has that type of power. The season has changed and we don’t ever have to go back! The joy of Christmas isn’t just in the birth of a beautiful baby-it is the joy of darkness receding as light begins to dawn in our world and in our lives. Christmas is the start of a new season, one that God has promised will forever change us.

In this year’s CLHSA Advent Devotional, you will read reflections on the light of Christ and how that light brings hope and power to each of us. I pray that, as you read them this Advent, you are encouraged to see the Light of the World breaking into your life daily and moving you into a season of joy, love, and power through His advent.

Chris Steinmann

C LH S A S U PERI NT ENDENT & C EO

2020 CLHSA ADVENT DEVOTIONAL i am the lord; i have called you in righteousness; i will take you by the hand and keep you; i will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations.

Isaiah 42:6 the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:5 esv and who would light a lamp and then hide it an obscure place? instead, it’s placed where everyone in the house can benefit from its light.

Matthew 5:15 tpt in the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

Light Changes Everything

BY GR EG KI TA ’93 AS S I S TANT PRI NC I PAL, LU T H E RAN EAST

In Confirmation Class, I was required to memorize the Small Catechism-memorize it to the extent that we had to take a written test on which we must earn a 90% or higher. The question that I remember the most is: What is God? As a good Lutheran, this could only be answered with an acronym. So the answer is simply: God is MOOBEGHOJUF. Kind of just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? We even made buttons at school with the VBS button maker! I know you have already cracked the code, but if you are struggling a little bit with your Catechism, God is Merciful, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Benevolent, Eternal, Gracious, Holy, Omnipotent, Just, Unchanging, and Fatihful! All of these great attributes of God, and Martin Luther never mentioned my favorite one . . . God has an incredible sense of humor.

Here is just one example: I was thrilled when I was asked to contribute to the CLHSA Advent Devotion. For years, I have wanted to write a devotion-I even knew what I would write about!

I would write about my favorite Bible story that so clearly describes God’s ministry at Lutheran East. It is the story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel - one man plus God did something that one man should have never been able to do: defeat the prophets of Baal and demonstrate the power and authority

of the Lord. This is a perfect analogy for my alma mater, Lutheran High School East! For years, Lutheran East struggled with enrollment and with maintaining financial health. It was as if Elijah kept asking for more and more water to be poured on the altar, then God ignited the altar to demonstrate how valuable Lutheran East is to strengthen the kingdom of God. Now, I walk around the school and see the large number of students in the halls and classrooms. I take a moment to appreciate the privilege I have to partner with my colleagues and the Holy Spirit to change lives for Christ. I know how Elijah must have felt that day!

September 12, 2020 at 2:54 PM. I received an email from the Superintendent & CEO of the CLHSA and the subject line read: 2020 CLHSA Advent Devotional.

This was it! A smile immediately came to my face. I knew this was him asking me to write the devotion that I have been hoping to write for years. I was excited as I read the email asking me to write a devotion to share with thousands of alumni, supporters, and parents. That excitement was diminished as I continued reading that I was not able to write about Elijah but rather about Matthew 5:16 and “letting your light shine.” God sure is funny!

In the Gospel of Matthew we read, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

We live in a crazy world! Every time we watch the news, we witness a world that has seen a deterioration of our Christian teachings. Furthermore, COVID-19 arrived and changed our version of everything we deemed ‘normal.’ Now more than ever do we need to glorify our Father in heaven. According to Matthew, this is done by letting your light shine before others. I interpret this as loving and serving others. If we love and serve others, as Jesus taught us, then we will be spreading the light of Christ in both small and large ways.

Most of you reading this are lifelong Lutherans. I became a Lutheran when my mom enrolled me in the St. John Nottingham Lutheran preschool. It was here, at the age of four, that I experienced the light of Christ each and every day from Mrs. Cavanaugh and Mrs. Johnston. It was evident in the way they spoke to us and in the way they treated us that they were sharing the light and love of Christ with each of their students. What a remarkable way to be educated!

Mrs. Cavanaugh and Mrs. Johnston served and loved their students just as Christ asks us in Matthew 5:16. There is no better way to let your light shine then by serving and loving everyone you come in contact with. During this Christmas time and always, I pray that you will love and serve each other! These simple acts have the power to change the world and to have every individual experience the love of Christ first-hand.

The only hope we have for a better world is to follow the simple command of Christ to: LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Before There Was Light

BY B E T HANY WEI SS, FAC U LT Y, LU T H ERAN WEST

One of my favorite activities to do with my family just before Christmas is to go on “light tours.” We all hop in the car with some hot chocolate and drive around different neighborhoods to look at Christmas lights. In the past 10 years, this has become a much bigger affair as Christmas light displays around the country have really stepped up their game and dedicated an insane amount of time and energy into their creations. One of our favorite light displays was packed with spectators every night in December and cars lined the street on both sides, taking up the entire road. Now, that display has moved to a nearby park where there are light attendants to make sure spectators follow the parking and watching guidelines correctly. I’m sure you have heard of some of these outrageous light displays or seen them yourselves.

I have never attended one of the opening nights at a light display but I can image it’s pretty spectacular. To go from darkness to a multitude of lights and decorations would be quite a sight. It changes everything about the location, just like how the light of Christ has changed everything in our lives.

Before we were baptized or came to faith by the Holy Spirit, we were darkness. We had not a single Christmas light lit up.

Ephesians 5:8 states, “For at one time you were darkness,

but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Paul does not say that we were in darkness, but that we, internally, were darkness itself: sin and death. We were unaware of our selfish ways; we were not worthy of any heavenly glory nor eternal life. However, through Baptism and the Holy Spirit, we have become light in the Lord. We are like those Christmas light displays! But the light that we hold is not just for decoration. It is truly lifesaving, salvation granting, and darkness erasing. We have the light that changes everything.

Being light ourselves allows us to see God and His mercy in this dark world.

The light lets us reflect the righteousness of God through what we say and do. Paul continues in Ephesians 5:9, “for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.” Displaying these fruits of the light is an example of sanctification, the spiritual growth that occurs because the Holy Spirit works in our lives. But we cannot take claim of the goodness and righteousness we display because it reflects the light of Christ. We are enlightened people of God because of what He did, not because of what we do. We didn’t put up the light display that we show, God did it all on his own.

The light that we display also shows us the dirtiness of the world. It exposes the lies, deceit, laziness, and jealousy of our lives. It’s like turning a light on in a messy room. It clearly shows us everything that is wrong. In verses 11 and 13, Paul encourages us to take no part in this messiness, but use light to expose the mess so these sins can be forgiven and transformed by Christ. “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. […]

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.” Christ’s light shines on us and covers our darkness of sin and death, and wholly changes who we are.

Prior to Christmas, the world waited in darkness for the promised Messiah.

For generations and generations, Jews woke up every day thinking that maybe today would be the day light enters the earth. That night in Bethlehem, the light became evident for Jews and Gentiles as God became flesh in Jesus Christ.

The Savior was born who would drive out darkness once and for all. “From the manger newborn light shines in glory through the night. Darkness there no more resides; In this light faith now abides” (Savior of the Nations, Come LSB 332 v. 7). We can walk as children of the light knowing that darkness can be overcome, and our faith is secure in that unwavering light.

Christmas changed the world forevermore, and baptism changed our individual lives forevermore. We are light displays pointing to the work of Christ. Walk as the enlightened, baptized person you are, showing the world how marvelous God’s light is, and how it changes everything.

Far-Reaching Light

BY ALEX ANDRA B EDNARZ, FAC U LT Y, LU T H E RAN EAST

Earlier this week, my husband greeted me when I came home from work by saying, “I have some terrible news.”

One of his coworkers, he went on to explain, had died unexpectedly over the weekend. His name was Patrick. He was young. The tragedy of the sudden loss felt heavy for everyone in the office, and for me too.

I did not know Patrick very well. In fact, I had never even met him. I only knew little things that had come up occasionally in conversation. I knew he had been very skilled at his job and worked with integrity. I knew he had cared about his coworkers and always made time to help them out. I knew that he had loved his family; he was the “fun uncle” whose face lit up whenever he talked about his nieces and nephews. He had taken them on adventures like skiing and often went out of his way to spend weekends with them. His family was always featured on his desktop background.

In Matthew 5:15, Jesus tells us that we are the “light of the world.” Comparing us to lamps, he says, “Who would light a lamp and then hide it in an obscure place?

Instead, it’s placed where everyone in the house can benefit from its light.” Patrick did not hide his light in an obscure place; instead he emitted light every day by doing ordinary good things.

I want to emphasize that Jesus said our light can benefit “everyone in the house.” We do not realize just how large of an impact our actions have or how far they can reach. Our light travels far, like the light from a star, a candle, or a lighthouse. You can see these things from hundreds of miles (or light-years) away, and it does not stop there; it is only just beginning its journey. It is easy to see the biggest, most immediate consequences our good deeds have, but we forget how far-reaching they can really be.

Despite Patrick never meeting me, some of his light reached me and impacted me. I found myself reevaluating how I spend my time—more time cuddling with my baby and less time looking at my phone. Thinking of how much Patrick had valued his family prompted me to call home and make plans with mine. It reminded me to savor joyful moments and worry less about capturing the perfect photograph of them.

Consider all the ordinary light of others that has reached you. Think about the last time you found a birthday card in your mailbox, watched a stranger pick up a piece of litter, noticed the neighbor kid help his mom carry in groceries, were offered to cut in front at the check-out line, or enjoyed the sound of someone else’s baby giggle in the next aisle over. These little candles are constantly flickering all around us. The key, though, is to be on the lookout for them.

Once you notice them, the other awesome thing about these little flames is how quickly they can grow and spread. They multiply like ripples in a pond. Every morning when I drive to work, I pass a man who walks his dog at the same time. Several times I noticed him wave to someone when I drove past, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not pinpoint the other pedestrian he was waving to. Eventually, my obliviousness wore off and I realized he was waving at me.

Finally, I began waving back to him, despite there being a car windowpane between us. Then, his “fire” started to spread: I too became one of those weirdos who sometimes waves at people in cars. Perhaps soon we will all be.

Of course, the ultimate goal is not for us to wave at cars or carry in others’ groceries. Those things are good, but they only serve to point us ever so slightly towards the greatest good of all. Jesus says we should let our light shine brightly before others, “so that the commendable things you do will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). As Christmas approaches, I pray we seek out the light that others are shining, no matter how bright or how dim. I pray we receive that light, let it multiply, and spread it like wildfire. Then, above all, I pray for that light to culminate in exultation for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Absence of Darkness

BY J ACOB O’HARA ’07, FAC U LT Y, LU T H E RAN WEST

“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5 ESV Christmas lights bring joy. While on a walk or drive with my family during this season, we all love seeing the amazing light shows or inflatables, but my favorite are the houses with simple white lights outlining the house.

I feel that those lights make the house look sharp and are not too over the top or sloppy. White lights are pure and bright. Those lights are a reminder that light brings joy.

The look on my kids’ faces as we take in the light displays prove that light brings joy.

Light is something that we take for granted. The definition of light is “something that stimulates sight and makes things visible.” We need light to see, we need light to live. As I have watched a bunch of shows on Netflix that take place in Alaska, I have come to know that I could never live in Alaska. In the winter months, there are days and weeks when the sun never makes an appearance. I cannot even imagine that! I imagine that when the sun finally does start showing up again, it brings the people and the creatures of Alaska great joy!

With light comes new life in the Bible. It is said many times that Jesus is the Light. One of those instances is John 8:12: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” As my family admires the Christmas lights, my wife and I remind them that Jesus is the real light during this Christmas season. That is why people put up lights in the first place, to remind us of Jesus. Even Wikipedia knows the reason for Christmas lights: “Christmas lights are lights often used for decoration in celebration of Christmas, often on display throughout the Christmas season including Advent and Christmastide. The custom goes back to when Christmas trees were decorated with candles, which symbolized Christ being the light of the world.”

Knowing that Jesus is the light makes me think about darkness and how we need light to see. In John 1:5 it says that, “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” I understand that light shines in the darkness, but I have never put much thought into darkness not being able to overcome light.

As I was listening to the radio on the drive to school one morning, I heard about a popular picture that was going around about a match. At first glance, you might think that it’s just a normal picture. However, if you look closely you will see that the match has a shadow but the flame itself does not. Light does not cast a shadow. Darkness is literally unable to be a part of light - light is literally the absence of darkness. It is truly amazing that God created light for our eyes to see, and that there is truly no darkness in light.

Our light, Jesus, is God in human form. He was a perfect human being and had no darkness in Him. It is so comforting to know that the Light of the World that lights our lives has no darkness, and that darkness cannot overcome the light. Light will always defeat darkness. God knew when He created light and used that term to describe Christ that darkness would not overcome light, both with Christ and with matches.

As you go through this Advent season and see the Christmas lights on display in our communities, remember that Jesus is the light and that He shines and will never be overtaken by darkness. Christmas lights bring joy and hope during the season, but it is Christ that brings a far brighter joy during the entire year and our entire lives.

To update your maililng list or be removed from our mailing list, please contact the CLHSA office at 440-356-7155.

Roc k y River, O hio 4 41 16

3870 Lind en Ro ad

Cleveland, OH Permit 2634

PAID

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage