Call it the waters of salvation or the garlands of gladness.
Call it the grave-clothes falling away or call it the loosing of the chains.
Call it what binds us together: fierce but fragile but fierce.
Call it he will rejoice over you with gladness; call it he will renew you in his love; call it he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.
Call it the thin, thin place where the veil gives way. Or call it this: the path we make when we go deep and deeper still into the dark and look behind to see the way has been lit by our rejoicing.
It is a joy to present the 2025 Advent Devotional: Everyday Advent. Advent is one of the “special seasons” in the church year. We set apart these four Sundays each and every year to remember that story of Jesus’s birth and its familiar cast of characters: angels and shepherds, wise men and doting parents, power-hungry political leaders and faithful prophets. It’s indeed a special time.
Yet, before there was a special season, before the story of Jesus’s birth was written down in our gospels, all of it was shrouded in the ordinary. A couple making a weary journey to fulfill bureaucratic demands. Shepherds sleeping in the fields at night. Priests and prophets doing their best to serve faithfully. In and through the ordinary, God did the extraordinary.
In a similar fashion, this year’s devotional invites us to explore how the Advent themes of hope, peace, joy, and love show up in the real, ordinary moments of our lives. The start of each week provides a definition of the week’s theme, a few Scripture passages related to the theme, some reflection questions, and a memorable quotation related to the theme. The contributors to this year’s devotional used that information to help shape their reflections.
It is a delight to present these reflections to the congregation! The reflections are rich and varied and deeply meaningful. May this year’s readings help shape your own experience and perception of the ways that the Advent themes of hope, peace, joy, and love appear in the everyday routines and practices of your life.
Grace and peace,
Chris Holmes Chief Ministry Officer, Stembler Scholar
in Residence, and
Director
of Biblical and Theological Education
W eek 1 – H ope
Hope is trusting God’s promises, even when the way is not clear. It is waiting with expectation for the fulfillment of God’s word.
Focus Texts from Scripture:
Psalm 65:5: “By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.”
1 Peter 1:13: “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.”
Prayer for the Week (from the Book of Common Worship):
Faithful God, your promises stand unshaken through all generations. Renew us in hope, that we may be awake and alert, watching for the glorious return of Jesus Christ, our judge and savior, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
• Where do you see signs of hope in the ordinary rhythms of life— especially when things are uncertain or incomplete?
• How do this week’s Scripture passages invite you (and us) to wait with expectation, to trust God’s promises, or to act in hopeful ways in our daily routines?
“Hope is nothing else than the expectation of those things which faith has believed to have been truly promised by God” (Jürgen Moltmann).
Hope in God’s Unchanging Nature
By Beatrice White
Iwas taking my daily walk in our neighborhood, admiring and pondering the nature, clouds, and what else that I came across, when it dawned on me that in reality, within a year, all places on earth receive the same amount of light and darkness. The only thing is that the distribution of the proportion of light and darkness within a 24-hour period differs from place to place. So, for example, whereas in June, the Equatorial regions receive nearly 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness, the North pole and South pole regions would be experiencing either nearly 24-hour total light or 24-hour total darkness.
This equal supply of light and darkness on earth is assured and available to everyone, and it is but only one of God’s awesome deeds and acts of creation (Psalm 65:5) and promise, including the return of Jesus, the Messiah, that are freely given to all who would seek them. They demonstrate the unchanging nature of God regardless of human choices or circumstances in our lives.
It encourages and gives me the confidence that, despite any situation I may find myself in, God’s love, care, and favor are there for me. I can depend on God, and I can set all my hope on the grace that Jesus will bring when He is revealed (1 Peter 1:13).
A Candle in a Dark Room
By Andre Myette
Hope is a candle in a dark, dark room. Anyone who has stood in a place that has absolutely no light, that is pitch black, can feel the inky darkness that envelops the space. But once a candle is lit, complete darkness is completely gone. Corners of the room may still be dark, and a candle is dim to be sure, but it takes a mere flame to completely eradicate the lack of sight—just one flickering candle. First Peter 1:13 tells us to set our hope on Jesus. To hope in the grace that he will bring us when he is revealed. And what is more, Psalm 65:5 holds that God is the “hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.”
So, if it only takes one small candle to cut through the inky darkness of a room, isn’t it truly awe-inspiring that the hope from God is so much more? That God is powerful enough to reach beyond that space all the way to those ends and those seas? We see the power of God’s hope right from the beginning when he commands that there be light, and even more powerfully in the birth of Jesus in a time of oppressive Roman rule, when the word of God hadn’t been heard for four centuries, and the inn was full. God’s hope radiates brightly through uncertainty just as a candle shines brighter as a room gets darker, as if defiantly challenging, “Bring it on.”
The hope God brings is always with us, always glowing, but we have the honor of waiting with expectation through four weeks of dark nights. Come Christmas morning, God’s light will, inexplicably, shine even brighter.
Unbound Hope
By Fonde Werts
Imagine yourself in a prison. You made a big mistake and have been incarcerated, away from your family, your community, and your church. Most of the things you took for granted have been taken away: your choices of how you spend your time, what you eat, when you go to bed and get up, your ability to work and support your family, your contact with friends.
Now, imagine that you have been granted a transfer to a transition facility. There you will be able to finally have the possibility to show your good intentions, your diligence at work details, your studies to improve yourself, and eventually you may be able to get a job on “the outside” and transition back into society. Your hope is renewed!
It is my privilege to teach quilting to a small group of women at such a center. They are believers, and their hope is in the promise that they find in scripture that grace is theirs, no matter their past. They are preparing themselves for action, disciplining themselves, and setting their hope in the promised grace of Jesus. In them, I see signs of hope as they wait for the slow grinding of the system: for a job, for months of work and saving money, and then the day when they will achieve their goal of release to return home. Over the two years of our quilting classes, several women have been released!
What joy and what hope their experiences give to others who are still hoping, still waiting, still expecting, still trusting in God’s promises.
Keep Hoping
By Frank Brannon
Hope: something so important in human life that our existence would be impossible without it. What is hope? Here’s what AI says it is:
Hope is a confident expectation or desire for a certain thing to happen, often coupled with trust that the outcome will be good or meaningful—even if it’s uncertain or unseen.
Hope looks forward with confidence that something better lies ahead.
Hope is essential to be able to keep pressing ahead, to get out of bed in the morning and carry on through your day. Hope keeps your attitude positive when things around you look pretty dire, such as uncertainty about your career or someone close to you getting sick. Hope gives us an excuse to see a future that looks promising, or at least better than today. Without hope, how would we carry on?
As the Psalmist reminds us in our passage for this week, God is the “hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.” And in 1 Peter, our faith keeps our hope intact as we wait for the revelation of Christ. This is not wishful thinking; we are assured that this will come true. Our faith keeps our hope alive that Christ will save us from our sins. And in this season of Advent, as we are “watching and waiting” for Jesus’s fulfillment of the prophecy of His coming to Earth, hope stands for the expectation of His arrival and His salvation. All we have to do is keep hoping.
Hope
By Kathleen Lewis
Hope is where we begin. Soft and low, a heartbeat. The flame that opens the door to believing. Dear Lord: we are swathed in purple, awaiting your arrival. We hope because we trust; We trust because we hope. All over the earth and every day, the sun arises and we awaken. Your grace astounds us. Come, Lord Jesus.
Running toward Hope
By Bob Alford
Each Sunday morning at the 11:00 a.m. worship service, just before Pastor Tony begins his sermon, the children are invited to meet Ms. Katie for “Godly Play.” What typically follows is an eruption of joyful energy as they make their way out of the sanctuary toward their own time of learning and wonder. Their movement is full of life: small feet carrying big expectations!
For me, that beautiful moment captures the spirit of Advent. We wait for Christ’s coming, but not with stillness. Real hope is active; it leans forward, ready for what God might do next. Just as the children trust that something good awaits them beyond the sanctuary doors, we believe that God’s promise of peace and renewal is already unfolding among us.
Years ago, my theology professor at Candler, Dr. Jurgen Moltmann, taught us that hope is never quiet or passive. It stirs the heart and sends us moving into the world that God dreams. A world where light breaks through darkness, and justice and joy take root. Though I’ve often been faithfully imperfect, I still believe that our active hope is a hallmark of Advent.
Those energetic footsteps and bright faces each Sunday morning remind us that hope always looks forward. We, too, are called to look forward and actively believe that Christ’s light is already on its way.
May the little children lead us! Amen
Week 2 – Peace
Peace is not merely the absence of conflict; it is the wholeness and well-being that comes when justice and mercy embrace.
Focus Texts from Scripture:
Isaiah 11:9: “They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”
John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
Philippians 4:7: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer for the Week (from the Book of Common Worship):
God of all peoples, your servant John came baptizing and calling for repentance. Help us to hear his voice of judgment, that we may also rejoice in his word of promise, and be found pure and blameless in that glorious Day when Christ comes to rule the earth as Prince of Peace. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
• How does peace show up in the ordinary places of your life?
• How has God or God’s word brought you peace in the midst of an everyday struggle?
• Have you felt God’s peace during a time in your life when all around you was in chaos, or when life was stressful?
• How may you be invited to bring peace?
“There is ever present in me a searching longing for some ultimate resting place for my spirit—some final haven of refuge from storms and upheavals of life. I seek ever the kind of peace that can pervade my life, finding its quiet way into all the hidden crevices of my being and covering me completely with a vast tranquility” (Howard Thurman).
Peace in the Park
By Allen Collins
Ioften find myself walking in nature when I want to talk and hear from God. It’s not the only place I reach out to Him, but it is often when there are times of deep strife or trouble. I resonate with Psalms 23 of lying down in green pastures and being led beside the quiet waters. I also go there to praise Him. He has been faithful in directing me through my darkest valleys, and I want to give thanks.
I enjoy viewing our city from Piedmont Park. There’s a special spot where I can see our city and the landscape it sits in. It’s not a scenic state or national park, but it’s a beautiful view, especially at sunset when the city lights begin to glow.
In these moments, I find His presence and His peace. I seek Him and He often shows up in ways I don’t expect. Just His presence fills me with Peace, something I don’t even ask for. It is His gift (John 14:27). I often can’t express or understand it fullness (Philippians 4:7), but I accept without hesitancy and with humble gratitude.
In this Advent season, you may be in your own season of celebration or strife. I pray that you seek His presence, and He will show up. He will fill you with Peace, not as the world gives, but as only He can. He will take your fears and troubles, if you let Him, and He will fill you with His presence and peace. May you experience both this season.
Let Go, Let God
By Lorraine Carribean
Years ago, I read these words on a bumper sticker while stopped at a red light. At first, it seemed like a nice phrase. But the more I thought about it, the more it stayed with me. Over time, it began to challenge me. What does it really mean to “Let go, and let God?”
That simple line led me to a deeper journey of reflection—about surrender, control, peace, and faith.
We live in a world full of wonders and contradictions.
We can now view distant galaxies with the click of a button. We unearth long-buried civilizations and stand in awe of human history. We breathe in beauty. We cry—tears of joy, tears of heartbreak. We endure illness and loss. We experience healing, and sometimes, deep grief. Life rarely gives us simple answers. But it does invite us to ask deep questions.
And in the middle of all this, God offers us peace.
Psalm 103:19 reminds us that God is sovereign over all. But this isn’t a call to passivity—it’s a call to faith. God asks for a heart that is willing and open, even in the face of uncertainty. In John 14:27, Jesus promises a form of peace that the world cannot give. His peace is not tied to circumstances. It is rooted in His presence, through the Holy Spirit. Even when life is uncertain, God’s peace is steady.
I am still learning to let go. Still learning to trust God more fully. But I have discovered that peace often comes not in the absence of pain, but in the presence of surrender. God’s peace doesn’t always take away the storm, but it meets us in the middle of it.
Christmas Peace
By Jack Sibley
Jesus is born the Prince of Peace. His birth brings Peace on earth to us. He gives us Peace and tells us not to let our hearts be troubled, not to be afraid. Christmas Peace.
The promise of Christmas Peace makes “theology,” the study of God, a puzzling subject. Theological answers often leave us wanting more with inexplicable tragedy and disaster, war, family division, social disruption, and a lot of incessant, disturbing news. I remember applying theology, as I understood it, to obey. I felt like I was balancing an urn full of rules on my head; I had to walk very carefully so none spilled out; some did anyway. It was not a peaceful walk.
The Psalmist tells us we “will have no fear of bad news.” Paul says he has learned to be content in every situation. As one definition puts it, contentment means, “a deep inward state of satisfaction and Peace with one’s circumstances.” Paul tells us Christians we have peace with God. Let’s worry less about correct theology and rest in the knowledge that God believes in you and me. Peace with God, content in all circumstances, Christmas Peace.
Centered Peace
By Florida Ellis
Jesus said many enigmatic things, and among them is this promise in John’s gospel: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives you.”
What exactly did Jesus have in mind when he spoke about peace? Can we look into the biblical record and learn anything about how peace manifested itself in Jesus’ life? I think we get a glimpse of this in Luke 4. Jesus had returned to his hometown, Nazareth. On the Sabbath, he was given the scroll of the prophet Isaiah to read. After this, he said that the passage he had read was being fulfilled “today.” He went on to say some challenging things to them, and they became enraged and even tried to hurl him off a cliff. I think this is a demonstration of peace in action. Jesus was centered in his sense of being anointed to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, and freedom for the oppressed. This centeredness was so strong that the opposition of people in his hometown could not draw him into engagement with their anger. He simply walked away – right through the midst of them and went on his way. In this and other accounts of Jesus’ lived experience, I think we get a glimpse of peace in action.
But the next question is to wonder how we might cultivate this kind of peace in our own lives. Perhaps a path to help us is found in Philippians 4: “Do not worry about anything, but in everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Peace in Troubled Times
By Jesse Breite
When Hurricane Helene ripped through Atlanta last year, my family and our neighbors fled to our houses and settled into basements with flashlights and a supply of nonperishable food. When the sun rose, we had no power and took our children into the streets to see the damage. Trees had fallen, and creeks were overrun, even sewers were spouting water. I met neighbors whom I had never encountered. We shared vehicles and resources, and our children played. Eventually, the waters receded, and we returned to our routines. But the calmed storm allowed us to see each other and perhaps even encouraged our benevolence.
Jesus calms the storm in every gospel. In Mark, Jesus proclaims, “Quiet, Be still!” (NIV). Other translations prefer the imperative: “Peace!” After Jesus commands and calms the extrinsic storm, he casts demons out of the possessed man. Consecutively, he commands and stills the external and internal chaos. His peace runs through the storm into the deep waters of the soul. In doing so, Jesus changes our posture toward one another, and we become peacemakers, offering peace, not “as the world gives” (John 14:27).
Our response is not to be troubled or afraid, but to live into the calmed storm, God’s salvific abundance, and to share such abundance with our neighbors, even those we have never encountered.
The Stump and Shoot of Peace
By Saranell Hartman
Iam naturally resistant to stillness. In our ever-busy world, trees invite me to be still. Trees remind me that rootedness (deep-inthe-ground roots) provides stability, so when the wind blows and the storm rages, the trunk and branches bend and bow, without breaking.
When I am among the trees in my backyard, my spirit shifts. The pressures and demands of life that scramble my mind fade. My breathing slows. With just five minutes among the trees, the peace I feel opens me to receive the peace that Jesus is.
In Isaiah 11, the prophet gives us an image of where peace originates: a stump and a shoot. Out of the stump of Jesse will grow a tree. The Messiah, Jesus the Christ, brought peace. Jesus’s kingdom is a peaceful kingdom in which justice and mercy embrace.
In this kingdom, the predators do not consume the prey; each is filled full enough so as not to devour the other. They live together; they rest together. These are images of wholeness and well-being that grow from deep roots in the sufficiency of God.
Richard Rohr writes, “And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled world.”
Jesus—the tree—invites us to receive peace from him and to bring peace with us into our world.
Peace is Not Pixie Dust
By Peter Boorn
“And give them peace, tonight and every night, Amen.” It is hard to imagine (given the absolute insanity that frames the thing known as bedtime in our household), but almost every evening, we close out our nighttime routine by praying over the kids with that prayer. Yes, by all means, please, Dear God, give our crazy kids peace. But what about us, the socalled adults in the room? From where does our peace come?
As I struggle to answer this question for myself, I would think that the “easy” answer lies in Philippians 4:6–7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” But knowing those important verses and living them out in today’s pressure-packed world are two entirely different things.
Our Lord seems to be saying that we shouldn’t expect peace to be magically sprinkled into our hearts like pixie dust. We have a role to play by actively turning our hearts and minds toward God. Once centered on Him, we can turn our thoughts over to Him, knowing that He will give us the strength to endure any and all challenges.
As we journey through this Advent season, my hope for myself, my family, and for our congregation is that we seek to give our Lord everything by prayer and petition (and with thanksgiving), so that Christ’s peace may guard our own hearts and minds, tonight and every night. Amen.
Week 3 – Joy
Joy is the deep gladness rooted in God’s faithfulness. It is not dependent on circumstances but springs from God’s presence.
Focus Texts from Scripture:
Isaiah 35:1–2: “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.”
Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.”
John 15:11: “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”
Prayer for the Week (from the Book of Common Worship): Almighty God, you have made us and all things to serve you, now prepare the world for your rule. Come quickly to save us, so that wars and violence shall end, and your children may live in peace, honoring one another with justice and love; through Jesus Christ, who lives in power with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
• What does joy look like in your everyday life—not just celebration, but deep, sustaining joy?
• Where in your life or community do you see joy breaking through even in the midst of grief, waiting, or the mundane?
• How do the Scripture passages reveal joy as a gift, a practice, or as a sign of God’s presence?
“Discovering more joy does not, I’m sorry to say, save us from the inevitability of hardship and heartbreak. In fact, we may cry more easily, but we will laugh more easily, too. Perhaps we are just more alive. Yet as we discover more joy, we can face suffering in a way that ennobles rather than embitters” (Desmond Tutu).
Joy along the Way
By Adrienne Duris
Leonardo da Vinci’s mural painting, “The Lord’s Supper,” is my happy place and brings me much joy. My grandparents had a replica of “The Lord’s Supper” in their dining room. I have very fond memories of family dinners in Pittsburgh with all our ethnic Slovak foods and having a wonderful time with my parents, grandparents, sister, and Aunt while that mural was on the wall. I think of that painting and my grandparents’ house whenever I am feeling low, missing my parents and other family who have passed, or just want something uplifting.
Last fall, when I walked the Camino with the group from First Presbyterian, I stopped at one of the churches along the 72-mile trek, and there was a replica of Davinci’s “The Lord’s Supper.” I took a picture of it and shared it with my aunt, who now owns my grandparents’ house. That picture brought me much strength as I trekked along the trails of the Camino.
As you approach the holiday season, I hope you have a happy place that brings you joy in your everyday lives.
Made for Joy
By Bill Todd
For some time in my own faith journey, I have wondered about the difference between happiness and joy.
Both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament address this directly. But so does pop culture. Alan Jackson of country music fame and a Newnan, Ga. native asks in live shows, “If my music brings you happiness and joy, then thank you.”
The Rev. Al Green, great Motown star, sings plaintively about “Love and happiness.” And in Scripture, the legendary poet/philosopher writes, “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing” (Isaiah 35:1–2).
And finally, the Gospel writer most focused on love says, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (John 10:11).
For me, this is more than a game of semantics. I believe that joy is the true goal and that happiness is the penultimate. Perhaps this speaks to a mighty personal fault, that I am never quite satisfied. Maybe it is being an engineer and manager devoted to continuous improvement and the Toyota Production System. Or maybe it is 18 years of being taught by priests and nuns and from then on by lay leaders in the Reformed tradition.
I am convinced that it is a song from the Barbie Movie “What was I made for?” My purpose is to bring joy to all by following the Way.
Joy
By Cheryl Hughes
Joy …
Bubbles up from deep within,
Comes from a thankful heart,
Sees God’s hand in nature,
Feels God’s loving arms surrounding, Hears God’s voice amidst the chaos of life saying, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Remembers God’s faithfulness down through ages past:
• Fulfilling God’s promise
• Guiding Mary, Joseph, Shepherds and Wisemen
• Using angels, a star, and an inn-keeper
Therefore, rejoice!
Have joy, my friend, knowing that God’s plan will also be accomplished in you and me.
Surprised by Joy
By Gary Shell
John 15:11 “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” C. S. Lewis, in his memoir Surprised By Joy, wrote that joy was not like happiness or pleasure, which come to us mostly by our own efforts. Instead, joy comes to us as it will, unbidden and unplanned, pointing to “something other and outer.”
We have all likely been surprised by the transcendent, what we call joy, in otherwise mundane everyday moments: seeing the crystal blue sky of a crisp autumn morning as the leaves begin to turn, hearing the sounds of water, whether ocean surf, tumbling stream, summer rain, or garden fountain, feeling the gentle weight of the baby who has fallen asleep on your shoulder, or listening to music that suddenly and inexplicably stirs the heart and wells the eyes.
Joy can also appear even in the most difficult times: waiting anxiously for a medical test result when your cellphone vibrates with an unexpected text message from an old friend, or sitting with a dear one who is lost in the mystery of dementia but, in a flash of clarity, offers a wry comment that makes both of you chuckle.
Lewis writes that joy blends the transcendent with something like “grief” because joy is but a hint of the loving reality behind creation, only a brief glimpse of God’s faithfulness and presence. In this way, joy is like the season of Advent—when we look forward with wonder, drawn by the person of Jesus toward a place that feels both like home and unknowable destination.
Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart
By Shay Herman
One of my favorite parts of worship is the singing of hymns, both by the congregation and by the choir. Having no real musical aptitude myself, I especially appreciate the ability of others to make beautiful music. So, it makes sense that I particularly love the Advent season when we hear some of the loveliest and most joyous music of all, both in worship and outside of it.
Strangely, though, when given this assignment to reflect on joy, I didn’t think first of some of the great “joy” hymns we sing in church: “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” “Joy to the World,” or “Angels We Have Heard on High.” The first song I thought of was the one I sang with children I taught in Sunday School: “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, Where? Down in my heart! Down in my heart to stay.” The subsequent verses include “I’ve got the love of Jesus down in my heart,” and “I’ve got the peace that passes understanding down in my heart.” Love and peace are addressed in other weeks of this Advent devotional book. Let’s stick with joy right now.
Most folks equate joy with happiness, pleasure, or delight. And that’s fine. But I think those of us who have journeyed long to find a deep, sustaining faith know there’s a special, sacred joy that comes from the warmth of God’s love. Feeling God’s protection, knowing Jesus is walking beside us, and being filled with the strength of the Spirit—that’s the joy described in scripture.
In Philippians 4:4, Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Because we belong to the Lord, our hearts can be filled with joy even in painful and difficult times. We’ve got the joy of our strong and comforting faith down in our hearts to stay.
No, This is Joy
By Bland Byrne
We had two dogs. One (Jasmine) was athletic, and if she wasn’t running, she was jumping. The other (Chloe) was not athletic. She liked to lie or sit and pretend to be a rock. Only a squirrel could stir her up.
Our days always began with a game of fetch with one while scratching the ears of the other. One morning, we were in our accustomed positions when Chloe saw a squirrel. She quivered with excitement as everything in her body longed to catch that squirrel. Everything but her ears, which liked being scratched. So she just sat there and quivered, staring at the squirrel. And I thought, “This is joy.”
But just then Jasmine bounded up boisterously and dropped a soaking wet tennis ball at my feet, tail wagging impossibly fast, and I thought, “No, this is joy.”
But as I threw that sloppy tennis ball and scratched Chloe’s ears, all three of us in the same positions doing the same things we did day after day, I thought, “No, this is joy.”
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:4).
Week 4 – Love
Love is God’s gift in Jesus Christ—embodied, sacrificial, and steadfast. Love binds us together and calls us to one another.
Focus Texts from Scripture:
1 John 4:7, 11–12: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.”
1 Cor 13:13: “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”
Psalm 103:17: “But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children.”
Prayer for the Week (from the Book of Common Worship): God of grace, your eternal Word took flesh among us when Mary placed her life at the service of your will. Prepare our hearts for his coming again; keep us steadfast in hope, and faithful in service, that we may receive the coming of his kingdom, for the sake of Jesus Christ the ruler of all, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
• How do you experience love as a daily, embodied practice?
• Where have you seen or experienced God’s love made real through the presence, kindness, or sacrifice of another?
• How do you see love come alive in ordinary moments—through hospitality, vulnerability, rest, or simply paying attention?
“We cannot love God unless we love each other, and to love we must know each other. We know him in the breaking of bread, and we are not alone anymore” (Dorothy Day).
Sacrificial, Embodied, Steadfast Love
By Mary Claire Allvine
One of my colleagues, a dedicated, doting aunt to nine nieces and nephews, announced this year that she’s pivoting away from Christmas presents. She loves her nieces and nephews. But it’s Jesus’s birthday, not theirs! They’ll celebrate together, just not with a bonanza of bows and glitter.
This colleague can make this pivot because her extended family knows how deeply she loves each one. We might not be quite ready to give up the joy of stuffing stockings, but her leadership reminds us that Jesus himself was the gift. God’s sacrificial, embodied, steadfast gift of love to each of us.
What if we looked at a creche scene and thought about how we might seek to be the embodiment of that most miraculous gift in our modern lives? Could we “present” ourselves to this broken world as fragments of God’s love? What could our love-gifting look like?
Sacrificial: What can each of us do for others that would take us out of our comfort zone?
Embodied: In our increasingly virtual existences, can we choose to be physically present with one another?
Steadfast: Who can gift the patience a difficult loved one needs? Who can give grace when the other does not reciprocate?
Were we able to embody this type of love during this season, I know our world would shine that much brighter.
Love that Can’t Be Bound
By Iris Dodge
“A
nd now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Alexei Navalny, the famous Russian dissident who recently died while imprisoned in Siberia, was raised to be an atheist. In 2001, Navalny’s world changed dramatically when his wife gave birth to their daughter. Every child is a gift from God, and this former atheist, watching the miracle of new life and profound love unfold, turned to Christianity. He began to study the Bible, becoming a new man, rooted in love for God, his fellow human beings, and nature.
In prison, conditions were abominable. Navalny suffered terribly, yet he never gave up his faith in God, his country, and humankind. He treated his guards kindly, realizing that they were fellow creatures of God who were not responsible for his plight. He became a voice of encouragement, love, and even humor despite constant pain.
As we look forward in love to the birth of the Christ Child, let us reflect upon these words in Navalny’s memoir:
“My job is to seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and leave it to good old Jesus and the rest of his family to deal with everything else. They won’t let me down and will sort out all my headaches. As they say in prison here: they will take my punches for me.”
Alexei Navalny gave his life for love of God, his family, and his country. As we learn in the book of John, “no one has greater love than this.”
The Great Commandment
By Paul Dimmick
“What would Jesus do?” This phrase has been trivialized by bumper stickers and coffee mugs. For the serious Christian, however, the question is real. In facing contemporary issues, we turn to Scripture for guidance on how to approach a given situation or topic. Unfortunately, we often find Scripture to be ambiguous, heavily contextualized, or just plain silent.
But what Scripture does provide is the fundamental revelation of God’s character in Jesus Christ. First John 4:9 says, “God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.” Verse 12 adds, “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.” Verse 20 concludes: “… for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, (they) cannot love God whom they have not seen.”
Loving one another is the great commandment. Jesus tells us that all the law and the prophets hang on loving God and loving our neighbor. With this, we do have a standard by which to judge the questions of the day. If our actions and demeanor offer hospitality, generosity, forgiveness, affirmation, and dignity, then we are doing what Jesus would do. If our actions and intentions degrade, humiliate, and are otherwise not motivated by goodwill, then it is of sin.
What would Jesus do? Find God’s love through every person you encounter.
For God So Loved the World
By Susan Farrar
Remember when you were a child and your parents firmly said “NO”? It stung, but their correction guided you toward what was right. In the Old Testament, God did the same— He gave us laws to show right from wrong. Yet, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Why send His Son if we already had the law? Because we needed more than rules. Like children, we needed to be shown love—a love that explains, forgives, and embraces. Jesus came not as a reward for good behavior, but as a gift of love despite our failures.
We easily love those we care about: family, friends, people like us. But Jesus challenges us to go further—to love those who are different, even our enemies! He loves us freely, with no strings attached, and calls us to love others the same way.
As we enter this Advent season, let our hearts be filled with the love of God through Jesus Christ, and let us pass that love on, unconditionally, to everyone.
Love in the 21st Century
By Raymond Broadhead
One of the greatest obstacles that many of us have as humans is to value the differences of others.
Almost every human experiences love in his or her immediate family. Love may spread to other relatives and members of the community. The challenge for us in the 21st century is to try to understand what Jesus is asking us to do. That is to love those who think differently from us, behave differently from us, or have a different color of skin from us.
In Jesus’s world, there were tribal differences, and they were generally communicated face-to-face (I am pretty certain that they also had gossip!). In our world, tribal differences are communicated through the Internet, without us having to see or feel the emotions of those we hurt.
This is the season of love. For us to truly love one another in the 21st century, while we should continue to love our neighbor, we must think carefully about what we say to the world.
Welcome to the Family
By Tony Sundermeier
It is a strange thing when you think about it. The One whom John calls the Word made flesh arrived not in a palace, not even in a proper nursery, but in a borrowed barn. He came the way we all do: small, hungry, crying, vulnerable. The cattle watched. The shepherds gawked. The angels sang to a crowd that nobody important even noticed. And right there, in that humble place, something new began. A family.
Mary, exhausted but radiant. Joseph, uncertain but faithful. The child, tiny and holy. Three people who barely knew what they were doing, suddenly joined by a love they did not create. You could call it grace. You could call it God’s doing. You could call it the start of everything.
Christmas is not a polished scene. It is the moment when heaven and earth touch. God moved into the neighborhood, and that movement made family out of strangers. Shepherds stood beside angels. Wise men bowed beside peasants. It was the birth not only of a child but of a new kind of kinship, one that stretches across bloodlines, nations, and generations.
Part of what Christmas means is that we belong to one another now. Not because we chose each other, but because God chose to be with us. The manger is crowded with all sorts, yet there is always room for one more.
Merry Christmas. And welcome to the family.
We are so grateful to all of the authors who took their time to thoughtfully and prayerfully write their reflections for the devotional this year. This devotional and the collective effort that goes into it are some of my favorite traditions at FPC of Atlanta. Cheryl Hughes once again provided her excellent editorial expertise as well as offering her own reflection (and recruiting other authors). Thank you, Cheryl!
We are grateful to Brandi Kirkland, a member of the team at Ministry Architects. This is her second year working on the devotional, for which we are grateful. Finally, thanks to Mark Wallace Maguire, FPC’s creative and communications director, for designing the cover art.
As one of our FPC employees likes to say, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Indeed, it does! What a joy it is to be a part of the team that helped create this devotional.
