Rediscover Christmas

This is a season of hope. Advent is all about hope. The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival,” and the season is traditionally a time of expectation, waiting, anticipation, and longing.

Advent is a time to prepare our hearts and help us place our focus on a far greater story than our own—the story of God’s redeeming love for our world.

Advent looks back in celebration at the hope fulfilled in Jesus’s coming, while at the same time looking forward in hopeful and eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when He returns for His people.

When we think of peace embodied in the Christmas story, we can’t help but think of the shepherds. They were the unlikely recipients of God’s message of peace.

In the difficult times, there’s much encouragement to be found in the “rejoices” of the Psalms. Psalm 13 is a great example. It begins with the painful cry, “How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1, NIV). It ends with the reminder and declaration, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” (Psalm 13:5, NIV).

It’s just one of many similar examples. The Psalms are honest and raw as the writers pour out their feelings in these prayer-like poems and songs. Then we see them transition through the process of remembering and stirring themselves to rejoice and find strength in and from God. This is where and how we find authentic joy. This is how we can celebrate in this season as we remember and turn to Jesus, who is come to be with us and to give us joy.

Friends, let’s rediscover Christmas this year by embracing joy, no matter what we’re going through.

These are divided times. It seems our culture, our nation, our world, our people have multiplied the ways to divide us. It seems the “us” and “thems” have been running very high as of late. It’s by no means an excuse, but throughout history, our world has been filled with wars and plunder and oppression. There have always been the weak and the powerful, the haves and the have-nots. There has been too much us versus them since Jesus’s day and even farther back in history. Sadly, there still is.

It’s why Jesus’s teaching was so radical. It’s why God’s love is so radical. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44, NIV).

Friends, as we rapidly approach Christmas Day, I invite and challenge us all to rediscover Christmas by rediscovering the overwhelming, all-encompassing, all-welcoming love of God.

I invite you to Rediscover Christmas through the lens of our Advent attributes of hope, peace, joy, and love.