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Posts Tagged: 2012 advent devotions
December 15, 2012
by Luba Kravchenko, director of Liturgical Music, Seventh Avenue Presbyterian Church (San Francisco, California) Luke 22:31-38 The disciples said: “Lord, look, here are two swords.” He replied: “It is enough!”Faced with the imminent fulfillment of ancient prophecy, Jesus tries to impart to his companions the full weight of the crisis they are about to face…. Read more »
December 14, 2012
by Angelica Bevelle, student, University of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois) Luke 22:24-27 As the Christmas holiday nears, one word that comes to my mind is: competition. People spend countless minutes and dollars striving to give the best gifts, donate the most money, and help the most people. We forget the real reason we celebrate this holiday…. Read more »
December 13, 2012
by Catherine Gillette, student, College of Wooster (Wooster, Ohio) Psalm 147:12-20 Sometimes a “mountaintop experience” is necessary to remind us of the splendor we live within and to help us recognize God’s incredible, loving power. This past summer, I worked at Ghost Ranch—a Presbyterian Conference Center in New Mexico. Originally from the East Coast, I… Read more »
December 12, 2012
by Sophie Beal, Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations, Summer Intern (2012) and student, Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, Massachusetts) Isaiah 6:1-13 In my first college class my favorite professor told me that the fundamental question about religion is, “How do we live?” We ask ourselves this question every day as we struggle to navigate… Read more »
December 11, 2012
by Laura Stricklen, Presbyterian Hunger Program, AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer (Louisville, Kentucky) Psalm 146 A few years ago, for the first time in my fairly privileged life, I found myself in a foreign country with the wrong visa. During my first month abroad I visited the immigration office several times, waited in long lines, met with… Read more »
December 10, 2012
by Grace Bickers, intern, Presbyterian Ministries at the United Nations and student, Columbia University (New York, New York) I Thessalonians 5:1-12 Today we celebrate Human Rights Day, an opportunity to rejoice in the entirety of God’s creation and reflect on ways we can share God’s compassion and love throughout it. In its call for respect… Read more »
December 9, 2012
by Sara Sotelo, Communication Specialist, Compassion, Peace and Justice Ministry (Louisville, Kentucky) Isaiah 5:1-7 With Christmas quickly approaching, it seems like more people go out of their way to do nice things for each other. Children are on their best behavior, more people go to church, and people in the holiday spirit donate more money… Read more »
December 8, 2012
by Ben Wiley, Presbyterian Peacemaking Program Summer Intern (2012) and student, Davidson College (Davidson, North Carolina) Luke 21:10-11 “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:10-11). In many ways… Read more »
December 7, 2012
by Kris Clutter, Legal Assistant/Receptionist, People’s Law Office (Chicago, Illinois) 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 While I was reading this passage, Lady Gaga’s song, “Bad Romance” happened to come on my Pandora radio. Naturally, the first question that came to mind was, “What does a bad romance look like in the eyes of God?” At first glance… Read more »
December 6, 2012
by Abigail Heimach, Program Assistant, Presbyterian Peacemaking Program (Louisville, Kentucky) Psalm 18 Psalm 18 is filled with violent images—portraying God as a strong man. The imagery is far from my experience as a peace-seeking feminist, and I struggle to focus on God as a source of strength. I used to see my reliance on God’s… Read more »
