Advent Devotional

by Maria Cupp

advent (n) – The coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important.

The dictionary definition of advent is almost synonymous to the Christian definition of Advent. Advent is, for Christians, often seen as a season of prayer, fasting, and penitence as we wait for the coming or arrival of something extremely important – the Lord. It seems that as the years go by the Advent season becomes less and less about patience, prayer and preparation and more and more about garland, gifts and glitz. As Pastor Matthew mentioned in the e-news several weeks ago, the current manifestation of Christmas is here to stay. Christmas has become a secular holiday that values wants instead of needs and things over people.

I have realized is that although I cannot control the values of others during the holidays or how people choose to celebrate Christmas, I can change the way I celebrate and I can serve as an example. I’m no angel. I still get caught up in the giving and the getting. I start sending gift ideas to my mother in October. I obsess over finding the right gift. I work on perfecting my Christmas cookie recipe, planning our family meal and finding just the right dessert to serve. But things are different. Since becoming active at Holy Covenant my outlook on Christmas – and on Advent – have changed. Prior to attending church regularly, I didn’t “remember the reason for the season” or associate Christ with Christmas. I enjoyed the ritual of Christmas Eve service at my grandmother’s church. I had fond memories of sitting in the pews of my childhood church singing Silent Night while holding lit candles. I looked forward to sharing a meal with my family and hitting up after Christmas sales. I agonized about making sure I spent “enough” on a gift. I went into debt buying the best presents possible…and a few for myself along the way. Since I’ve come to Holy Covenant, the people I’ve met have shown me how to live my life in a meaningful way. Before last Christmas I didn’t acknowledge or understand Advent. My first exposure to Advent and the Advent Conspiracy was deeply profound. I began to see December as more than the twenty-five days leading up to Christmas. I saw the magic that can be created when a group of people get together to make a difference and fight consumerism. I began to understand the reasons for prayer and patience. I saw what Advent was all about.

This year my goal is to understand Advent even more. While I do that I’m trying to emulate the actions of the people I look up to. I’ve found myself trying to do more for others. I’m focused more on the people in my life instead of the things I have. I’m shopping and spending consciously. I’m making gifts and I’m doing things more simply. I hope I’m leading by example, too.

by Linda Effinger Quinde

I don’t experience Christmas in the twinkling lights of Michigan Avenue. I love the wreaths around the lions at the Art Institute, but it’s not there either. It’s not in the smell of Christmas trees, nor the brilliant poinsettias, nor the carols.

I experience Christmas in one place: The simplicity of the nativity scene. All season, I eagerly anticipate Christmas Eve. When it finally comes and I settle into the pew and hear the reading of the gospel, tears begin to flow. The tears wash away stress, superficiality, commercialism, consumerism. As I wipe them away, I quietly contemplate God’s gift to us on Christmas — the gift of his Son, born in a manger, “The Word [who] became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [John 1:14].

It all happened that night in Bethlehem. God became flesh and made his dwelling among us, “full of grace and truth.”

This is hard for me to wrap my head and heart around on a frantic shopping day in mid-December. On Christmas Eve, though, I listen to the scripture in quiet wonder: “ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” [Luke 2:8-14]

The shepherds were scared, but they listened and acted, and they met the Christ child that night. Similarly, the wise men watched the skies that night. They, too, acted on what they saw, and they, too, ended up at the manger: “Wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” …. After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” [Matthew 2: 1-2, 9-11]

I love visualizing this – Mary and Joseph, still wondering how all of this could have happened in the first place, but continuing to trust God; the newborn Christ child; barn animals; curious shepherds; three kings; their enormous entourages…. It’s hard to imagine that it actually happened, and that God really did become one of us. But what I’ve come to realize is that, when it comes to God, I don’t have to understand, or be able to explain, or know where the path is going to lead. Following in the footsteps of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the wise men, I accept that my job is to listen, watch, and be willing to say YES.

Lord, help me to be like Mary – willing to serve you however and wherever you need me, in ways I can’t imagine or even think possible. Help me to be like Joseph and accept that you may have different plans for me than I have for myself. Help me to be like the shepherds and, even when I’m terrified of the possibilities ahead, have the courage to move forward. And help me to be like the wise men, staying on course by paying attention to where you lead. Amen.

By Mary Colleran

Thanks to a recommendation from my friend Suzanne, I now receive Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations. This guy’s musings often make my head hurt in the best way possible. One of his meditations on Advent included this gem:

“The theological virtue of hope is the patient and trustful willingness to live without closure, without resolution, and still be content and even happy because our Satisfaction is now at another level, and our Source is beyond ourselves.”

Live without closure. Anyone I’ve dated surely wishes I accepted this message years ago. I’ve gotten much better at this. I don’t even finish books that I don’t like anymore. Sometimes I leave a dirty dish or two in the sink overnight. My satisfaction is at another level, indeed.

And THIS:

“Any attempts to protect any full and private happiness in the midst of so much public suffering have to be based on illusion about the nature of the world in which we live. We can only do that if we block ourselves from a certain degree of reality and refuse solidarity with “the other side” of everything, even the other side of ourselves.”

EVEN THE OTHER SIDE OF OURSELVES! Woah, Rich. That’s heavy. Let’s all allow that little nugget marinate for a moment, shall we?

So…amidst the figgy pudding and the snow angels and the Charlie Brown Christmas Special and the sharing of our time and talents and Christmas cheer with family and friends, let’s not, this Advent, forget to think about solidarity with everything, including THE OTHER SIDE OF OURSELVES.

What better message is there than to be in solidarity with every single bit of who we are and who we were born to be? THAT is hopeful. THAT is Christmas. I don’t want closure. I want life’s incredible moments to keep surprising me. Let’s Occupy Ourselves this Christmas and every day from here on out.

Merry Christmas, friends.

by Lisa Rothman

When I was asked what the meaning of Advent was and what it meant to me earlier this fall I really struggled to come up anything.  I realized that my memories of Advent (mainly from college) amounted to everything is purple and you can’t sing Christmas songs in church until Christmas. This started me thinking about what I wanted to do differently this Advent.  So for a month or so I planned and planned and each day I had a new plan of what I was going to do this year.

But Advent got the last word. The Friday after Thanksgiving I ushered at the musical The Christmas Schooner which was about the ships that brought Christmas trees to Chicago in the late 1800’s and the dangers they faced in doing so. It hit home for me the importance of traditions and their meaning today in a super busy non-stop world. I realized I finally knew what I wanted to do for Advent explore my family traditions and begin a few new ones.  I asked my parents where my ancestors came from (From my mom’s side I am 1/4 Polish, 1/8 swiss, and 1/8 German, From my dad’s side some combo of Romanian, Russian, French, and either Polish or Austria-Hungary). As I continue to take full advantage of many of the holiday events in Chicago (I am amazed at the number), I now can connect more deeply to the traditions of my ancestors.

I am also going back to traditions from when I was growing up. This includes burning a Countdown to Christmas Candle (like an Advent Calendar but instead of opening one door each day you burn an inch a day) and Reading a story a day till Christmas (Not the books I read as a kid but a set of stories online). I am also planning to make latkes for my roommates later in the month.

Some new traditions include reading an Advent devotional online (I am using “Follow the Star” which is a good balance of scripture, devotion, peaceful music, things to think about as you click through each day and helps me experience expectant waiting, if only for a short period each day) as well as writing advent cards to a friend (I have been mailing her a card to open each Sunday in advent and which I have been decorating).

So this Advent I am not avoiding Christmas and I am not sure I am really doing a good job “waiting” (Christmas music has already played in my apartment) but I am remembering. Remembering traditions of my past, remembering that Christmas is about spending time with family and friends and roommates, remembering the magic of this season. My hope is each of you remembers some traditions which bring joy to you this season. Have a very meaningful Advent.

by Candie ODell

But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6: 33-34 )

We’ve all heard the saying “be present in the moment”. Sometimes this phrase catches me off guard because by nature I am a worrier. I am constantly worrying about the “what ifs” in life. I’m also a procrastinator which doesn’t bode well with my worrying. Though I worry all the time, it doesn’t motivate me to complete things until the last moment such as homework. I like to say that I work well under pressure, but let’s be honest, everything could benefit from a little more time. My schoolwork could be better, time with God, and many other things in life, could benefit from a little more time.

This passage in Matthew talks about always striving for the kingdom of God. As long as we keep the Kingdom (or Kindom as I prefer) all will be given unto to you. This doesn’t mean that just because you think of God throughout the day and the rest of the Kindom, then you will get everything you want. God is not a magic genie nor Santa Claus. I think that it means to always have creation and God’s children in mind when you take action. Who will this action affect is a good question to keep in mind.

During this busy holiday season remember to take time and enjoy the day. Enjoy the person you are with, really listen. Avoid looking at your phone, thinking about your to-do list, emails to return, and the house that needs to be cleaned. Revel in the moment. Call someone you’ve been meaning to reach out to, make someone’s day by smiling or stopping to say hello, Stop and smell the roses if you will.

This is my challenge to myself and to my community. I will be present in my school-work, my job, my relationship, and my intentional-living community. These are my responsibilities today and are what I can focus on today. Tomorrow will come soon enough and will bring its own set of challenges, but what is right in front of me can be solved today. BE PRESENT!!!!!!

Tomorrow will bring challenges all on its own, but today is the only today we are going to get.

by Matt Piechocinski

I was asked to write a blog post for Advent, and once again, I said “sure” … with an unspoken caveat being: “Oh man, I don’t know what I’m going to write! The church folk and I are on different wavelengths.” So, I thought about Rebecca’s and Kate’s sermons on hope, justice and joy, and tried to figure out how to relate what I heard with what I was going to write under the umbrella of great expectations.

Then, tragedy hit. Uncle Ron Santo, beloved Cubs broadcaster, and shamefully denied Hall of Fame player (as he’s one of the best third basemen ever to play the game) died. Thankfully, I was alone that Friday as I watched his televised funeral, because the tears freely flowed. Santo was great, but was pigeon-holed as a “homer,” because he was clearly biased towards the Cubs. It was like having a fan in the booth calling the game. He never gave up … both as a player, and as a broadcaster. The Cubs could be down double digit runs, and you would hear Uncle Ron saying something like: “Oh man. All we need is a stolen base, a double, then a grand slam … and we’re back in this game!”

He expected to win.

Fast forward two days later … the Chicago Bears vs the New England Patriots. No one expected the Bears to win, even the Bears players … you got the feeling that they were starting to write this one off as a loss. That is until Brian Urlacher stepped in and said something incendiary to motivate his teammates. What happened? Blood bath … the game was over when Knox fumbled the ball early in the game.

“Wow. Awesome stuff, Matt, but what’s your point?” My point is this: you have to expect victory in life. That’s a great expectation, right? No matter what the odds, you have to believe that you will win, and eventually, you will. Why, a very real example happened just this month! Both the state of Illinois and the country expected victory over injustice with equality, and what happened? BAM! Civil unions, and the repealing of that goofy mandate of “don’t ask don’t tell.”

That, I guess, is ultimately what I’m saying. You have to expect victory over the ills of the world … expect victory over war with peace. Expect victory over hate with love. Expect victory over ignorance with education. To use another baseball analogy, we might not win today, but there’s 152 games in the season, so we’ll probably win tomorrow.

Law of averages, church folk … law of averages.

by Vicky Nabors

Perception of one’s actions is a funny thing.

You see, as a child I expected to find lots of toys and other goodies under the tree on Christmas morning. As a teenager, and the “assigned” oldest, I struggled to help my divorced mother place one gift under the tree for each of my siblings. I expected nothing. As a young adult, I expected to get bonuses from my employer to provide gifts for my two children. I expected nothing. As an older adult comfortable in my professional career, I lavished my daughter and son with gifts and clothing. I was even able extended my gift giving to my parents, friends, and strangers in need. Still, I expected nothing.

But as I write this blog, I realize I did expect something … all those years. I expected smiles, appreciation, gratitude, more smiles, more appreciation, and more gratitude. I guess in my own way, I’ve been in denial of the fact that I am a “serial giver.” I thirst for the warmth of knowing I’ve brought a smile to someone’s heart. And during Advent, I ask God to give me eyes to see even more acts of kindness as I know “I alone am not enough.”

I’ve learned that sometimes we are so focused on giving that we block others from giving back. I have been guilty of this many times. Yesterday, I was talking to God in a journal entry; I asked that He allow me to see wonderful miracles in my life and in the lives of others on that day. And I expected that God would grant my request because I’ve learned to believe. So I became a river of tears later that day when I learned that my son-in-law had two job offers, and a lost friend asked to work through our differences, and my son volunteered to pay for my car repairs, and 200 kids got new gym shoes from a private donor, and my terminally ill step-father’s heart still beats, and and and! I believe in miracles …

Advent is my favorite season; a time of giving and loving and hoping. Therefore, my great expectation is to continue loving God’s people because I most certainly expect something wonderful in return: affirmation of simple humanity in the form of a smile. It moves me deeply.

by Maria Cupp

Expectations are funny things. They are usually set with the best of intentions, but rarely can ever be truly met. As a culture, or maybe even as a generation, met expectations seem to lose some of their appeal. They are no longer quite good enough. Instead, we raise the bar again and again, always wanting more. Like a hamster in its wheel, we keep running and running, trying to reach an phantom destination; forgetting to enjoy the journey along the way.

I definitely live my life with high expectations. I don’t meant to say that goals and standards are a bad thing, but there is something to be said for gauging how realistic or important the expectation is. This can be especially hard for those like me who are blessed with a “Type A” personality. For example:

My first semester of college I got four A’s – on accident. Seriously. I wasn’t even trying. I got my grades and was stunned. My entire family, however, thought it was the best thing ever. Once I realized the attention those A’s got me, I wanted more. So the next semester I got straight A’s. Every semester after that I expected all A’s from myself. While I managed to maintain a good balance my first three years, my senior year was a challenge. I got those A’s, but I sacrificed what I now realize was my last year of freedom. If I had it to do over again, I’d have lived my life more freely and worried a lot less about getting A’s.

After working so hard for those A’s I got my first job. I remember thinking that the salary — $30,000 — was a fortune. It wasn’t long though before I moved on to a new position and an even higher salary. Then annual raises started kicking in and before I knew it, the salary that seemed so bountiful at the beginning was never quite enough. I was living my life always waiting to have a little bit more. I realize now that if I had focused on what I had instead of what I didn’t have, I’d have known just how lucky I really was.

Instead of enjoying the gifts God has given me as they are, I constantly try to push them just a little bit farther.  As a trained pastry chef, my strengths lie in baking.  Decorating is not my forte.  In fact, I don’t enjoy trying to fancily decorate cookies, cakes or cupcakes.  Inevitably, however, I decide that instead of sticking to what my strengths are — and enjoying myself – I’ll try to bake and decorate the perfect cake.  Inevitably I end up frustrated, covered in sugar and butter, and terribly disappointed.

So what is my point? To quote my mother, “We always have the most fun when we least expect it.” Or when we aren’t trying so hard. Or when we simply let life happen. So this Advent Season, instead of trying to keep up with Joneses, planning the most elaborate holiday party on the block or spending hours searching for the perfect gift, try to expect less. Focus on what we have to be thankful for in our everyday lives. Spend time with family talking and laughing. Share a meal with loved ones. Take in the crisp smell of a cold night, enjoy the beauty of the unblemished snow, and marvel at the world in its natural form. Revel in the glory of our lives – here and now.

We may find that it surpasses all of our expectations.

by Adam Bogucki

I’m one of those weird individuals that people hate: I love the Holiday Season. I LOVE that the stores are busier. I love writing Christmas cards. I love buying presents. I love baking Christmas Cookies. I love the cold and snow (but only during December). I especially love the Peppermint Mochas at Starbucks. I love it all. It feels like Christmas to me.

Last year was the first time I really thought about Advent and what it meant to me and in general. I knew right away that Advent was perfect in describing my feelings for the Christmas season. The waiting. The anticipation. The extra Church services. And this years theme “Great Expectations” is perfect.

I think each of us expects many things during the holidays. Whether that be something as simple as a Christmas card from a good friend, a bonus check at work, or Christmas parties with good friends. I think all of that is important. I think it also offers the perfect opportunity to think about what is expected of us. We are called to “Seek God, Love All People, and Change the World.” What better time to do all of that than in the Advent season?

There are so many opportunities for each of these EVERY day during Advent. Holding the door and smiling at the mom with her three kids and billion bags of gifts. Donating a toy to a local toy drive. Making a homemade gift to really show your love for a friend. Baking goodies to share with friends. It’s all amazing.

So, scoff if you will, but I am going to spend my Advent with my Peppermint Mocha in my hand, smiling up and down the street dreaming of my white Christmas!

by Mark Owen

So, I was again approached about writing a blog regarding the Advent Season yesterday morning. To be honest, I’d shelved it, as I’ve been bogged down with so many of life’s more mundane issues having to do with my work load, job security, possible employment changes, finances, family, insomnia, not to mention searching for inspiration to share with the HCUMC prayer team and Men’s Group, as well as feeling guilty that I’ve not spent near enough time on my choir music for the worship service next Sunday.

Ever felt that Advent and the Christmas holidays simply created more for the ‘to do’ list and all you were going to have to show for it when all is said and done is a shredded calendar after you snapped?

The view in the picture above brought me great peace as I contemplated writing my Advent blog today. Here, in a simple view looking from my living room window at the Chicago skyline and lake front I found a “breakthrough,” a light shining through the clouds. Interestingly, if you’ll notice, it’s somewhat distanced from the city’s intensity. It calls me out, draws my eye away from all the activity and offers rays of light coming through even the busyness and density of the clouds. There, in a simple “breakthrough.”

I’m shown that, above it all, and despite it all, there is light… There is hope…. There is peace.

This Advent Season, as we work through the days ahead, may we, with great expectations, anticipate God breaking through with His light, with His Son, and may we actively anticipate the ‘breakthrough’ of His presence.