December 7, 2024 - Hope, Peace and Joy

Hope, Peace and Joy

Saturday, December 7, 2024

by: Mallory Snodgras

 

Stand up! Shine brightly! Now your light has come! The Lord's glory has risen to shine on you. Look! Darkness covers all the earth and its people. But the Lord shines his light on you, so that his glory appears over you. People of other nations will come to your light. Kings will come to see the light of a new day that shines on you. Look all around you! All your people are coming together to return to you. Your sons are coming from far away, and they carry your daughters in their arms. As you see this, your eyes will shine with joy. Your hearts will beat fast, and you will be proud to see them. Traders will bring valuable things to you from lands across the seas. The riches of other nations will come to you.” 
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭60‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭

I love the holiday season but I do not love the hustle and bustle of everything. The expectations for gatherings, mile long to-do lists, shopping, and the busy schedules send me into an anxiety spiral. I prefer a much simplistic approach to the holiday season. 

We have kept our Christmas traditions simple where they still spark joy and remind us what the season is all about. We love to be with our family and close friends and we also love to be at home together in our small family unit. I try to keep decorations minimal but the magic memorable for our son. One of my favorite traditions as a teenager and young adult was Christmas Eve service at church. Not only was the sanctuary beautiful but you just could not help but feel the hope and joy of the Christmas season. 

In the verse above, it mentions “now your light has come and to shine brightly.”  I think of many Christmas Eves from years past sitting and listening to the Pastor and choir feeling filled with hope, peace, and joy. It was truly my favorite tradition. The twinkling lights, everyone singing Silent Night by candlelight, was magical. You could feel the magic, the love, and Holy Spirit was alive. 

To recreate that feeling sometimes I love to sit in our home at night with only the Christmas lights twinkling just remembering our Lord and Savior and how simple his first Christmas was. When expectations are high and there seems to be so many things we think we must do, I remember that first Christmas. There was not a need for all the gifts, lavished parties, or high expectations to make things perfect. It was perfect just how it was. 

A Prayer for the First Sunday of Advent

Father, let your hope arise in our hearts! Lift our eyes up to see that you alone are where our hope comes from. Help us to shake off the anxiety, discouragements, and distractions that have filled this year.

May we pause to remember that we have hope in you.

You know the end of our stories, and we give thanks because you have promised that it will be a victorious ending. Give us the grace we need to wrap up this year joyfully.

We invite your Spirit into this beautiful Advent season. Renew our sense of holy anticipation! Let us be those who are waiting eagerly for Jesus to come again.

More than anything, we ask that you be glorified in this season of expectation. Amen.

Crosswalk.com - Thr First Sunday of Advent