Tag: Christian

Posted in Different Moments, Different Thoughts

Advent: For Your Home

Posted on by Wick

For a long time now, the season of “Advent” (which means “arrival”) has helped Christians to prepare for the celebrations of a special worship service celebrating the birth of Christ.  It includes the four Sundays leading up to Christmas – with a special emphasis for each week.  We believe many of these things can offer new opportunities for us to reorient our lives, our relationships, and our homes around anticipation of what Christ is doing even this year.  With this in mind, we believe Advent can be an incredible season of prayer, celebration, conversation, and devotion as we prepare for Christmas. Here is an easy and tangible way to bring this season into your home:

Advent Wreath – Often seen in sanctuaries, but traditionally this was also done at home.  You don’t need to make it look “churchy”, or even use the traditional colors (though you might find that fun too!).  Any 4 candles (one for each week of Advent) and one central candle (for Christ) will work.  If you have kids, feel free to invite them to help assemble a nice (non-flammable) display for the candles.

When?  You might light the Advent wreath during a mealtime, family devotions, bedtime, or whenever it works out.  Remember, it’s not a rigid discipline – but an invitation to reorient our moments & hearts.

What?  Each time you’re able, light the appropriate candles and make time and space for each person to respond.  Close the time of conversation in prayer, and for young kids especially – take turns blowing out the candles!

  1. Week One: Light one candle, and focus on the word “HOPE”.  What are you each hopeful for?  What is something fun you’re hoping for?  How can hope transform someone’s life?  Where have you seen hope today/this week?  READ Isaiah 7:10-14
  2. Week Two:  Light two candles, and focus on the word “PEACE”.  What does peace feel like to you?  Where is an area of your life/world that needs peace? Where have you seen peace today/this week?  READ 2 Samuel 7:10-16
  3. Week Three: Light three candles, and focus on the word “JOY”.  What’s the difference between happiness and joy?  What brings you joy?  Where have you seen joy today/this week?  READ Isaiah 61:4-11
  4. Week Four:Light four candles, and focus on the word “LOVE”. What helps you feel loved?  Who is someone you know who needs to experience love?  Where have you seen or felt love today/this week?  READ Isaiah 40:3-11
  5. CHRISTMAS EVE/CHRISTMAS: Lighting all 4 surrounding candles and the 5th “CHRIST” candle also. Why did God come as an infant?  What message does that send us?  If Jesus was sitting in your home today, why would He get excited that you have received Him? How will you respond?  READ Luke 2:1-21

(Here’s a printable version of this same content, you can edit for your context!)

Posted in Spoken Word

Matthew 24:36-44

Posted on by Wick

Matthew 24:36-44

Lord, when You finally come return
Fully revealing Your redemptive plan
When all of creation, swallowed by Love
Including every woman and man

Up until that day, none will be counting
As if they’re knowing the date
Some will have lost all awareness
Yet You call us to actively wait

There will be a disturbing encounter
Love itself meets those living opposed
All false selves will be dissolved as You come
All Truth is then fully exposed

May we be those who remain in Your coming
Love, the very mode of our being
Not blinded by the glory of Your Lordship
Well practiced in such ways of seeing

Make us so aware of Your coming
That here even as we await
We are not those slumbering or watching clock
But those who actively participate

You’ve begun to arrive by Your Spirit
By the ways You’ve already revealed
May we not remain desperate for healing someday
But come as those now being healed

Posted in Different Scriptures

1 John 4:1-6

Posted on by Wick

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world.

Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (NRSV)

Here is how we know a false prophet
Or if in the mirror, one be
If they would speak not of Jesus
Or aim not His Kingdom to see

If they come saying “look toward this worry”
Or even “look here at this peace”
If such things have nothing of Jesus
Let all that is said, be released

If someone has a spirit denying
Jesus or the Kingdom He brings
Such a spirit, you’ve already conquered
Worry not, of such earthly things

For the One who is in you is greater
For in Christ, what you say comes from God
The world will to the world listen
The deceived will find the Truth odd

Yet before we start pointing fingers
May we listen to what words we live
Is our life being shaped by this Jesus
Or is it lip service we give?

Easily we could become a false prophet
The spirit of error so followed
Lord help us today, to live by the Love
Of Your body and blood we have swallowed