Advent Devotional: Dec 6

Psalm 21 | Isaiah 41:14-20 | Romans 15:14-21

I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. (Romans 15:18-19a)

There is a lot of “noise” in the world. Television, streaming services, music, news, social media, audiobooks, email, text messages, phone calls. Endless channels for people to talk and for voices to be heard. None of these channels are good or bad in and of themselves. What matters is how these channels are being used and whose voices are being heard. Some voices point us to the grace, mercy, and love of God. Those voices connect us to God and to our neighbors. Other voices point us to anxiety and fear. They disconnect us from God and from each other.

Saint Paul kept his eyes on the work of God in his life and encouraged the church in Rome to do the same. He used his time and voice to share the grace he received from Jesus with people who were not connected to the Jewish community. Saint Paul taught about the power of Christ to rescue us from darkness. He wrote letters about how we can live with each other to promote peace and grace, about how we can worship God and be counted among God’s people, and about how we as Christians can respond to a world around us that does not know Jesus.

Part of my own repentance - turning away from darkness and toward God - is reducing the time I spend listening to voices that cause me to feel anxious about the challenges that face our world and community. Turning toward the grace of God means making more space in my life to be with others who share my hope and to listen to voices that lift up the name of Jesus.

Reflection questions: Who in your life is good at reminding you that there is hope, love, joy, and peace in our world? What can you do today to connect with that person? How can you be that person for someone else today?

Readings from the Revised Common Lectionary
Scripture taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica, Inc.
Reflections by Rev. Serena J. Wolfe