Advent devotions 2008

Wed, 26 Nov 2008

NOV. 27 - LIVING IN HOPEFUL EXPECTATION
By Amy Showalter, a senior Bible and religion major from Harrisonburg, Va.

SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 (NRSV)
Scroll down for complete Scripture.

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DEVOTIONAL:
As I read today's text, I’m struck by the promise of God's faithfulness to accompany us as we wait. We of course are waiting for Jesus, and the world that will come on his return. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians holds true for us. We have been enriched and strengthened in Jesus Christ. Our spiritual gifts are plentiful, and we have been called into fellowship that belongs to Jesus, but includes many. These realities cause our waiting to be joyful and hopeful.

God accompanies us, and turns what could be our passive wish for the future into an active hope. This hope allows us to engage the present in a way that looks toward and believes in a different future. Our present engagement with the world and our attempts to move toward God's Kin-dom -- a realm of equality and inclusiveness -- are driven by God's presence within our hearts and our relationships with others.

Cynicism comes easy in a world where individuals and systems cause pain and unbelief, but Christ’s message provides an alternative. As we await Jesus' birth, we also await his life and resurrection, and his return. We live in hopeful expectation of a world where life and love are one, and struggles for power cease to exist.

We simultaneously accept and invite God's accompaniment and grace, realizing this is what empowers and guides our present task. We recognize the fellowship to which God calls us, seeking God's presence and peace within our relationships and faith communities. We wait together, joyfully participating in the transformation of our world.

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SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 (NRSV)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind -- just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you -- so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.


Posted at 16:54 #



Disclaimer:
The views and beliefs expressed in the devotional piece prepared by each individual reflect their own spiritual growth journey and thoughts, and while created in a campus environment that encourages thoughtful questions and reflection on biblical Scripture and contemporary Christian themes, do not necessarily represent the official institutional positions of Goshen College or Mennonite Church USA.