An Introduction to the season of Advent:
Welcome! We are so grateful that you are choosing to join us in this Advent|Christmas devotional. Advent is the season of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. The term is a version of the Latin word meaning “coming”.
During the season of Advent, we anticipate and celebrate that God comes to us in Immanuel—God with us. But Advent is also a time for us to respond to Jesus’s invitation, “Come to me…” (Matthew 11:28)
We celebrate Advent by lighting the candles to symbolize the coming of Christ’s light into our world. We may use an Advent calendar to enhance our anticipation of the celebration of His coming. We may display nativity scenes as visual reminders of what is coming, of who is coming. We sing special songs to stir in us the beauty and wonder of His coming.
This book is designed to help us as we come to Him.
A word from Eugene Peterson:
God isn’t an immovable object at the center of the universe. He’s not a fixed point on an astronomer’s map. He’s active and moving – he comes. And this movement has direction – he comes to us. We are his destination.
And he didn’t simply come once and then return to spend the rest of eternity, like an old tourist, telling stories of his trip and boring the angels with slides of his visit to earth. He came, and he will come again. The Christian life is lived between these two comings. In light of that, how should we live?
We’d like to suggest that we follow Jesus’ example – that we would come to Him. That’s what this book is about. We hope it will be a tool that helps you come to Jesus this Advent and Christmas, and beyond.
Table of Contents
Advent Sections:
All who are seeking (The Wise Men)
All who are lowly (The Shepherds)
All who are questioning (Joseph)
All who are willing (Mary)
Christmas Sections:
All who are weary
All who are burdened
How to Use this study:
Come Curious. Come Humbly. Come Expectant.
This study will guide us daily through the 4 weeks of Advent leading to Christmas and the 2 weeks of Christmastide that follow.
Each week, we will focus on coming to Jesus through a daily scripture and through the examples and stories of others who have come before us. We will focus inward with reflection—listening to and interacting with the scripture in us, asking: “Father, what do you want me to KNOW?”
And we will focus outward with connection—asking, “Father, what do you want me to DO?” —listening, and then taking some simple action to give our faith traction in our life, our neighborhood, and our world.
We pray that you will come curious – ready to listen to God speak: Through scripture – the very words of God spoken to and for us; through your life, the world around you, and your imagination; through the Holy Spirit who lives in you. (To be sure, in our efforts at listening, we’ll get it wrong some – a lot? – but let’s try to tune our ears to His voice, to get more familiar with it.)
We pray you’ll come humbly, ready to be honest and real. “Confession” is simply truth-telling. Let’s truth-tell with God and with ourselves.
We pray that you’ll come expectant, believing that God is for you and will speak to you.
“Therefore, the Lord longs to be gracious to you, He waits on high to have compassion on you… How blessed are those who wait for Him.” Isaiah 30:18
To help us reflect on what we are reading throughout the week, we have included a picture reference for each week. We hope that by displaying the pictures for each week as you leave this book out on your desk or coffee table, it will prompt you to remember what you have been reading and learning and perhaps even spark some good conversations.
