Advent Banner from In Stitches: Center for Liturgical Art.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES…TO BETHLEHEM
Advent 2014
Daily Devotions
Willow Grove Presbyterian Church
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
An Advent Adventure
Adventure is scary and exciting,
a journey into the unknown.
What dangers, what discoveries await us,
wrapped in the folds of the future,
we do not know.
This Advent adventure is different,
Something comes towards us
through the darkness;
our candles are tokens
of unimaginable light.
Frances Copse,
Candles & Conifers, Resources for Advent Ruth Burgess, Glasgow: Wild Goose Publications, Iona, Scotland 2005.
This collection is part daily devotions, part Bible Study, part invitation to reflect
on The Journey of discerning where God is leading Willow Grove Presbyterian
Church. We hope you will read, reflect and pray each day during Advent. You
can use a paper booklet, interactive online version on church blog on website
or daily email. The Sunday themes will be reflected in worship services.
May God guide us along the journey to Bethlehem and beyond.
The Journey Team – Maryjane Finne, devotions booklet writer Dave Nardone, Kay Lim and Pastor Cynthia Cochran-Carney
First Sunday of Advent, November 30
The Prophet Isaiah Offers a Vision and Seeks God’s Light
Isaiah 9.6
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace
Look at this passage as a vision of God’s future reality breaking into our present
reality. Isaiah is envisioning the future, and this text points to signs of this future
even amid the darkness. Think of it as seeing with spiritual bifocals: in one lens you
see the harsh reality of the world, and in the other lens you see God’s kingdom
breaking into the world. Take time to explore this image. What darkness do you see
in the one lens, and what light do you see in the other? What are the signs of God’s
inbreaking kingdom that you see around our congregation?
By identifying concrete instances of God’s activity, the congregation of Willow
Grove Church can see the signs of God’s reign and live as those who rejoice before
the harvest. At the core of Isaiah’s prophecy is the reason for rejoicing: the birth of
the Messiah, which inaugurates God’s coming kingdom. This messianic hope bursts
into full view as Isaiah paints a portrait of a perfect ruler whose kingdom will last
forever, whose reign will be marked by endless peace, by justice and righteousness.
“ (David L. Bartlett, , Barbara Brown Taylor)
Where do we see “God with us” in our congregation?
How do each of these titles for God shape us as Christians and a church?
Prayer:
Lord, we praise and thank you for coming as a child. Let us remember the words
and music of Handel’s Messiah in this season of hope. Amen.
Please share your comments below.
Holy Adventures 