Scripture – Psalm 126 Reading Psalm 126 in the season of Advent helps us remember that life moves in cycles. There are seasons of happiness and seasons of sorrow, and throughout both of those times people cry out for God…
Read more »Scripture – Luke 3:7–14 I was nineteen years old when I first encountered the reality of modern warfare. I was standing on the deck of a troop ship as it entered the harbor of Le Havre, France. As we threaded…
Read more »Scripture – 2 Peter 1:12–21 The Advent season is a busy time. We often become so distracted by the bright lights, gifts, and festivities that we don’t stop to think about the real reason for the occasion—the birth of the…
Read more »Scripture – Luke 1:46–55 The stories of the birth of Jesus are witnesses of the many ways in which people can experience the transformative power of God’s presence in their lives. They also are echoes of the powerful hope this…
Read more »Scripture – Matthew 24:1–14 Now We Wait Again Tune: Picardy Now we wait again, O Jesus, For your coming in our day; We are weary with our anguish, Unto you we humbly pray: Let your healing touch our sorrows, Lead…
Read more »Scripture – Isaiah 7:10–25 In one of our conversations with the street dweller kids in Manila, we asked them to draw on a big paper plate the food they wanted to eat during Noche Buena (a traditional Filipino dinner on…
Read more »Scripture – Luke 22:1–13 Why is one of the last chapters of Luke one of the first readings for Advent? Why is a story about preparations for the Last Supper at the beginning of our expectation for Christ’s birth? The…
Read more »Scripture – Isaiah 6:1–13 Finding himself unemployed, Suriya spent three days in prayer, asking for God’s direction. Then, like Isaiah, he received a vision he didn’t expect and a mission for which he felt inadequate. Yet, like Isaiah, he ultimately…
Read more »Scripture – 1 Thessalonians 5:12–28 I gained a greater appreciation for Mary during two Advent seasons when I was either on maternity leave or pregnant. Sleep deprivation and morning sickness made it easy to empathize with Mary. Although to us…
Read more »Thanks to the Ministerio de Vida Abundante de la Iglesia Presbiteriana en Puerto Nuevo, San Juan de Puerto Rico for providing a Spanish translation of the Advent devotions on their blog.
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