Advent Devotions: The Manger vs. The Mall

For the Third Sunday of Advent our Devotional is “Encountering God in the Checkout Aisle: Finding the Manger Amidst the Madness of the Mall.” An excerpt:

Every year around this time, I have a familiar experience. I’m out shopping, and I’ll go through the checkout line, and pay for my stuff. When the cashier hands me back the change, they’ll say “Happy holidays,” or perhaps even “Merry Christmas.” I’m aware that they may be saying this because they’ve been told to, and suspicious of the whole business. But at least once every year, I have a cashier who looks me in the eye and says “Merry Christmas,” and really means it. And it changes my whole day.

Read the rest at our Advent Devotions pages. We’re featuring a different Advent Devotional on each Sunday of Advent, closing the series on Dec. 23. We hope these meditations will be a blessing to you!

Advent Devotions: The Messiah’s Mom

There was plenty in the Old Testament about the Messiah, but not a word about being the Messiah’s Mom. So when Gabriel appears to Mary to deliver the news about her role in God’s plan, the young girl has no Scriptural or historical playbook to work from. We can try to imagine ourselves in Mary’s shoes, but I don’t expect we can ever really grasp the enormity of her situation. Mary must have known there could be problems. But rather than focusing on the size of her problems, she chose to trust in the size of her God. You can read our entire Advent Devotional on Mary for additional reflection.

We’re featuring a different Advent Devotional on each of the next five Sundays, closing the series on Dec. 23. Our first devotional focused on Zechariah and his visit from Gabriel. We hope these meditations will be a blessing to you!

Advent Devotions: Zechariah

What would happen if one morning, during the middle of your daily routine, an angel appeared and told you that God had a plan that would completely change your life?

Zechariah’s dilemma is recounted by Luke in Chapter 1 of his Gospel. How would you respond? That’s the subject of the first of our Advent Devotions, titled simply “Zechariah.” We hope these meditations will be a blessing to you!

What Is Advent?

December 2 is the first Sunday of Advent, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of Christmas, and the beginning of the Western Christian year. The name Advent is derived from the Latin word “adventus” meaning “the coming” and equates to the Greek term “parousia” which is often used in reference to Christ’s Second Coming. The season serves as a dual reminder of the Israelites’ lengthy anticipation of the arrival of the Messiah, as well as our expectation of Christ’s return.

The earliest Advent can begin is November 27 and the latest is December 3. Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24). When Christmas Eve is a Sunday, as is the case this year, it is counted as the fourth Sunday of Advent, with Christmas Eve proper beginning at sundown.

For more, see our Advent Resources page.