Advent 2


We look forward to lighting our second candle this week! We’ll be posting the weekly devotional video at 5pm on Sunday and it will be available to watch here and on our YouTube channel.

Keep your eyes on the Prince of Peace, the one who doesn’t cling to his divine power; the one who refuses to turn stones into bread, jump from great heights and rule with great power; the one who says, “Blessed are the poor, the gentle, those who mourn, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; blessed are the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness” (see Matt. 5:3-11); the one who touches the lame, the crippled, and the blind; the one who speaks words of forgiveness and encouragement; the one who dies alone, rejected and despised. Keep your eyes on him who becomes poor with the poor, weak with the weak, and who is rejected with the rejected. He is the source of all peace.

– Henri Nouwen

 

scripture

“I am leaving you with a gift–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 14:27

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

REFLECT

This week as we light the candle of peace we are acutely aware that the world cannot offer a lasting peace. It’s cease-fires are short and the next conflict looms large on the horizon. Jesus knew we would be troubled and afraid as we see this scene unfold around us. And so He assures us that, we can experience peace in Him. We are not stuck with the counterfeit peace that the world offers. There is a peace that fills our hearts and mind that can only come from God. It is a gift that we are offered this Christmas that we should not wait to open and enjoy.

Perhaps there are personal circumstances that threaten to darken your Advent season. Jesus calls them trials and sorrows. He too experienced trials and sorrows in His life. But for our sake He not only endured, but overcame those things. And because of that, we too can overcome whatever the world throws at us and we can have peace.

There are so many sources of anxiety in our lives that threaten to steal our peace, but God has told us we have another path available. We can choose to refocus on Jesus instead of our anxiety. And we are told how to do that; with prayer, petition and thanksgiving. So spend time this week talking to God, bring your requests confidently before Him, and recall how many things you have to be thankful about. Breathe in the peace that defies explanation, and allow His peace to guard your thoughts and emotions from the worries of this world.

pray

Prince of Peace,

We are in desperate need of your peace. Jesus, please reign within my heart and over my life so that I may experience true peace. Help me to be a peace maker in my family and my community. Fulfill your promise of peace in our world. Heal the deep divides among us. Forgive us for our inability to live in peace. We invite you, the Prince of Peace to come. Let your peace begin in us.

AMEN.

 

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