During the time of advent we are going to be using a devotional written by young adults from the Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church.
If you would like to download the whole devotional you can visit here
Sunday, December 15 Third Sunday of Advent
Patricia Watson
Focus: Not what I expected.
Matthew 11:2-11
I grew up playing baseball. It seemed that the older I got, the more competitive things became. Initially, I wasn’t one for the pressure. When the game was on the line, my greatest fear was that I would get called on. This is exactly what Jesus is talking about here; he’s calling on us! As a member of Jesus’ team, we can’t put off our role and wait for someone else to win this for us. The blind can see, the deaf can hear and the dead are raised. The game is on, and we’re up! I eventually began to step up more and more in those tight ballgames. I gained confidence in my abilities and the abilities of my teammates. When we step up to the plate for Jesus, we are batting for the winningest team is history. Jesus conquered death in such victorious fashion that there will never be a rematch. By grace, Jesus has shared his victory with us. The choice now, is ours: do we proclaim his victory across the earth, or wait shyly on the bench, hoping not to get called on?
PRAYER: God, even in the midst of your light, we often find ourselves blind. Unable to see your works around us, we shy away from your call in fear, self doubt and hesitations. But through Your Son, you have offered us new life and a spot on your roster. We ask that you give us the strength to thrive, the peace to love, and the joy to spread Your word. Amen
Monday, December 16
Jordan Andrews
Matthew 11:2-11
There comes a point in life where an important decision has to be made; well maybe there is quite a few times. Choices like what college to go to, what major to complete, where to move to, who to be friends with, who to date, what car to buy, where to go to grad school. The list only gets longer as life goes on, or so I’m discovering. Along with all these decisions come anticipation, expectations of the good, the bad and the unknown. Think back to that first “feels like life changing” decision you made. Maybe it was who you went to a dance with or maybe it was a job opportunity. Like many people, that first big decision for me came on the verge of high school graduation and as college approached. Where would I go? How do I get there? What do I major in? Eventually the decision was made; I was set to go to Messiah College in the fall and major in Christian Ministries. The summer before was full of anticipation of what my life would look like. I would be on my own, living with strangers, going into unfamiliar places. The anticipation was exciting, but it was also scary. I’ve discovered that those decisions become more and more numerous as college progresses, impending graduations approach, new families form and job opportunities appear. In all of these situations anticipation is apparent, anticipation of great things yet to come. In every opportunity there is the hope of the Lord’s redemption.
PRAYER: Lord, as we anticipate your coming again in the form of a small child, help us to see how your presence lives in every corner of our life. Amen.
Tuesday, December 17
Victoria Tice
Focus: Anticipation
Isaiah 35: 1-1
In the desert where we were, a tall blue flag shot up into the sky, anchored to the dusty earth by a blue jug. Water. Here, on the border, where so many are lost in the wilderness, whether the symbolic wildernesses of greed or grief or the actual desert, here, there was water breaking forth. This hospitality is what we had been waiting for, whether we knew it or not. We were a group of young adults participating in an experiential education program focused on immigration. Earlier that day, we met with some high school students living on the border who, when we shared our names and what the border meant to us, overwhelmingly spoke of death. That stuck out in my mind as we saw this flag that symbolized water, which was being offered by a migrant shelter in Altar, Mexico, a simple place with hot food and a warm place to sleep. When we arrived, no one was there yet for the night, so we waited. We had no idea what we should expect, but one of us got out a guitar and began to sing. Slowly, people began to arrive, including a young family, a teenage boy, and two brothers. They were exhausted and the language barrier made it difficult to strike up a conversation, but they joined us in song. Then we ate together, piecing together stories. That night was filled with life and warmth, even though the realities of the dangers of the desert hung over us. Reading Isaiah brought me back to that night at the migrant shelter. Isaiah’s litany is one of hope in the midst of death; the hope we have been waiting for in the midst of the death we have seen around us. Preparing ourselves for Jesus’ arrival this Advent season is about opening our eyes to that hope at the same time it is about how we can nurture those blossoms God has planted in the wildernesses of this world. As that shelter on the border was, we can be waters breaking forth, offering life to people in their wilderness places.
PRAYER: Holy One, we reach out to you, seeking relief from the wildernesses around us. But we know we aren’t the only ones. Return us to your joy, and give us the courage to bring your realm to this place. Amen.
Wednesday, December 18
Shannon Sullivan
Focus: Opening your eyes to hope.
Isaiah 35:1-10
Today, it seems like we hardly have to wait for anything anymore. So much in life is instant: instant communication with our friends and family; instant coffee; instant food via microwaves or a fast food restaurant; and even instant access to movies and TV shows. Waiting can be a good thing. For instance, waiting to talk so you can choose your words wisely; waiting for a certain event to take place; waiting for direction from God on which path to pursue. Waiting gives us something to look forward to, something to hope for. It gives us this sense of anticipation that can fill our thoughts with longing and joy. Waiting, however, can also be scary. You’re unsure of what’s to come and afraid of the outcome. Waiting can cause fear that blinds us to the good that may be ahead of us. It robs us of the good that may be in front of us at this very moment! God tells us in Isaiah 35:4 “Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.’” God doesn’t want us to be afraid; God knows what’s ahead and we need to trust Him that it’s the best plan for our lives. As a Christian, we are waiting for God to reclaim His Kingdom, to establish His justice and destroy all evil. We don’t know when that day will come, so we wait expectantly with a heart full of hope. One day we will walk in the Kingdom and no evil will touch us. What a glorious day that will be! But until then, we must wait. So do we wait with a spirit of hope and expectation for new life to come while enjoying this life, or do we wait with a spirit of fear and timidity allowing it to rob us of living the life now that God want us to?
PRAYER: Living God, the day of your Son’s birth is so near, I can hardly wait. Help me to wait with a spirit of hope and expectation, that I may be surprised by joy once again this Christmas. Amen.
Thursday, December 19
Cindy Pastorius
Focus: Good waiting
Scripture: Isaiah 35: 1-10
Storms are exciting. Clouds darken, winds howl, stubborn dead leaves explode from their branches and swirl to the ground. Storms remind us just how immense the world is. Maybe a storm will come while you’re sipping your Chai latte at your cubicle staring at your computer screen, or while you’re microwaving your lunch in the office kitchenette, or while you’re on your phone checking your friend’s status update. A storm can blow it all away: the internet connection to your computer, the power to your microwave, the service to your phone. Your whole self-constructed world; your world. This isn’t always a bad thing. Without interruption, we spend our days searching for the right gift on Amazon. We dress for the next party our friends are throwing. We stay busy hopping from “obligation” to “obligation” until it’s finally the New Year. In all the hurry, I hope we didn’t stop looking for meaning. In the story from Matthew, the crowds were looking for something: a reed blown about by the wind, a richly attired courtier. The political winds of the time ebbed and flowed for and against the ruling authorities; the same was true for Herod’s well-clad “supporters.” So which way does John lean? Jesus speaks for him, and by extension himself, when he claims a new kind of identity, one which breaks from the entrenched social groups of his world and submits solely to the God of Israel. That’s something new. When have we given up our priorities and plans so that Christ can lead us? If only we could always opt into God’s Kingdom, releasing our unfounded claims to power. But, sometimes, a storms hits. It ruins your plans and you discover God is in the background, still watching over us, still welcoming us to be part of something bigger than our self-constructed worlds. Thanks be to God for storms.
PRAYER: When the storms of life are raging, Lord, stand by me, and help me to see you standing there, watching, waiting, loving. Amen.
Friday, December 20
James McSavaney
Focus: Life in the storms
Matthew 11:2-11
One family vacation took us to Hammondsport, NY, to visit the Curtiss Museum, filled with old airplane parts, engines and motorcycles. Dad was excited to go there and the excitement was contagious—until we arrived. Mom and I saw what was actually there, and exclaimed, “This is it?” It was not what we were expecting. John spent his life teaching that one who is greater than he—the Messiah—is coming to baptize people not with water, but with fire and the Holy Spirit. King Herod Antipas had put him in jail. As John sat there, he contemplated life and whether his life has been “worth it.” He questioned if Jesus is really the Messiah or not by asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus is supposed to be the Messiah—he’s the one fulfilling prophecies, but John wonders “Is this it?” Jesus seems ordinary. We can sympathize with John. All of us have excitedly received a gadget, book or movie we thought we’d love but turned out awful. Or we thought we had the perfect life planned out—with the perfect spouse, the perfect job, the perfect house; and after we got there, we realized that life wasn’t as perfect as we had imagined. We doubt ourselves and God—how could this happen? Where’s God in the middle of this? Does God care about me? The problem isn’t that God doesn’t care, or is inactive. The problem for John isn’t that Jesus isn’t the Messiah. Rather, the problem for John is that Jesus isn’t the Messiah John had imagined. The problem for us is that our expectations don’t match reality. Instead of realigning our expectations with reality, we keep dreaming of what we want and imposing our ideas of what God should be or what God should do or how the Messiah should act instead of looking at what God really is, what God really does and how the Messiah—Jesus Christ—really acts. God is not always what we expect or want—God is what we need: a baby born in a manger.
PRAYER: Lord, help me to not place expectations on you. Help me to see you for who you are—a Savior. Give me what I need, not what I want. Amen.
Saturday, December 21
Bonnie McCubbin
Focus: Expectations
Matthew 11:2-11
Joseph was a righteous and godly man. When he found out that his fiancée Mary was pregnant, and knowing that the child was not his, one can assume that he was upset, disappointed and heartbroken. And yet, Joseph did not act in a spiteful or vindictive way. He did not shame Mary. Scripture says that he “… had in mind to divorce her quietly.” Despite the hurt he felt, Joseph did not want Mary to endure the potential physical pain of being stoned (a common punishment for adultery) or bring shame and disgrace upon her and her family. Before he was able to quietly divorce her though, God intervened through a dream and confirmed that Mary was pregnant through the Holy Spirit and that Joseph should not be afraid to keep Mary as his wife. And that is exactly what Joseph did. Can you imagine the reaction from family, friends, and neighbors? How uncomfortable it must have been for him to continue to be in a relationship with a woman who was not carrying his own child. One can only imagine that friends and neighbors did not understand why he would continue to stand by Mary’s side and care for her and this unborn child. Imagine what that would look like today…people whispering and talking behind your back, judgmental stares from across the aisle in church, and friends who once regularly visited and shared meals would suddenly be “too busy” to spend time together. Despite his hurt feelings and the discomfort of being “different” than his friends and neighbors, Joseph remained true to Mary and to God. As Christians, we should look different and will feel uncomfortable at times in a world that rejects God and rejoices in sin. Following Jesus means that we must release ourselves from what the world thinks of us and get comfortable with being different. It’s difficult to be different, but Jesus calls us to follow him and not the ways of the world. In this season of Advent, I pray that we can all follow the example of Joseph: to step out of ourselves in faith and allow ourselves to confidently be different.