Advent Reflections
Monday - December 9, 2024
More than just a peaceful easy feeling! - Written by Eric Fulcher
On this second Monday of Advent, we invite you to take a moment to read this reflection on peace, written by our Associate Pastor Eric Fulcher. May you feel God’s peace at work in your life this week!
What comes to mind when you hear the word “peace”? Perhaps, “peace on earth” or the absence of war? Maybe you think of a special place in nature that you like to go to get some “peace and quiet”. Perhaps peace comes to mind when you are with your family or close friends, when you feel at ease and relaxed, with a sense that things are OK with the world.
These are certainly wonderful ways to think about peace. And as is often the case, especially when it comes to concepts we find in the Bible, there is an even greater depth to the concept of peace than we often consider.
There’s a Hebrew word, שָׁלוֹם (shalom), which is one of the most important words in the entire Old Testament (it appears over 230 times!). And while it can mean things like calm, stillness, or quiet, there is so much more to this one little word. Scholars think that the best definition for shalom might be “wholeness” or “completeness”. Think about it. Take a moment to think back to a time in your life when you felt at peace, when things felt right and good. I bet you also felt a sense of wholeness, a sense that you were put together more completely in a way that was meaningful and fulfilling. That feeling of wellbeing is what we mean by peace.
Take this Scripture as an example, from Numbers 6:24-26, which no doubt you’ve heard countless times:
24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
This was a blessing spoken by Moses and Aaron to the people of Israel as they worked out together how they were going to order their lives and follow their God. It was a word of encouragement that God would be with them every step of the way, and that God would give them shalom: wholeness, security, and wellbeing. To a group of freed slaves trying to find their way in the world, I’d imagine that blessing gave them incredible hope.
This is so much more than a “peaceful easy feeling” (though I love the Eagles as much as anyone). Rather, if we’re listening closely to the Scriptures, they might help us think of that peaceful feeling as a wonderful byproduct of something much deeper, namely the confidence that God has put us together, made us complete, whole and well, and is still with us even now.
This is good news! And it just so happens to be the story of Christmas, when God became flesh and dwelled among us, showing us what a life filled with God’s shalom can look like. May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts this Advent and Christmas season, and may you experience deeply God’s shalom!
See also this reflection from Mavis Guelker, current UBC member, about the real meaning of Christmas!
“Before Christmas last year or the year before, they were showing holiday decorations and holiday foods on T.V. and saying “That’s what Christmas is all about” or “That’s the meaning of Christmas.” I found Little Golden Books (a brand of children’s books) that told what the real meaning of Christmas is - about Jesus’ birth - and mailed one to each of my 20 great-great-grandchildren. They loved the books and their parents said they were one of their favorite books.” - Mavis Guelker
“The meaning of Christmas” is a phrase we hear a lot, whether in popular media or in church. What does Christmas mean to you?
2024 Advent Reflections
Monday - December 2, 2024
In this first week of Advent, we invite you to take a moment to read this reflection on hope, written by our Senior Co-Pastor Jon Parks. May your prayer time this week be filled with immense hope!
We witnessed the power of hope firsthand when we lived in Slovakia, visiting different Roma communities. Slovak Roma, commonly known as gypsies, live in settlements that are outside the main cities and villages. Many cannot get jobs because of prejudice or lack of education. Children go to segregated schools. Families live paycheck to paycheck. Because of this, many Roma are – understandably – cynical, guarded and mistrustful of any outsiders.
But we met a few families who were different. They faced the same challenges as their neighbors: racism, segregation, unfairness, and just the general difficulty of life in poverty. But they faced those challenges in a different way. Rather than cynicism and resignation that we saw so often, these families faced life with joy, determination and openness. Rather than hoarding, they shared openly.
Over time, we learned what made the difference between these families, who faced the same difficulties, but faced them with a positive mindset. The difference, it turns out, is hope. These families had hope.
And the sign of hope was an unlikely thing – a refrigerator.
If you're reading this, odds are, you have a refrigerator at home. But that appliance that seems so common to us is actually very uncommon in many Roma households. Living day by day, you don't really have need for a refrigerator. You barely have enough food to eat as it is, and you certainly don't have a need to store it. But when you buy a refrigerator, there's an expectation that you will have enough to eat, and some to save for later.
A refrigerator itself does not give hope. But it's a sign of hope and expectation.
What are our signs of hope? They're familiar to us, but strange to others. A star, a sign of our hope that these dark days won’t last forever. A manger, a sign of our hope that we have Emmanuel, a God who’s with us, even the lowliest of us. A cross, our hope that violence and death don't have the final word.
What sign of hope are you holding onto this Advent season? When you discover it, treasure it. But don’t stop there – share it with others. After all, the hope we have was meant to be shared.
Thursday - December 5, 2024
Maybe You Can Help Someone Else, Someday - Written by Ann Biggers
No one had ever said the words, “Maybe you can help someone else someday” to me. However, people in my life learned those words when my daughter-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. We ended that hard day at our Wednesday evening prayer service. As we sat around the table sharing concerns, Aaron and I told the group of the unexpected and shattering diagnosis. Tanty was only twenty-two, the epitome of strength and energy as recently as a month before. We had expected an inconvenient diagnosis, not a life-threatening one. As we spoke in halting voices, I saw Carolyn Evans’ face fill with such compassion. When the service concluded, she was at our side. She and Duane told us that their son had died of cancer years before. Yet their message was not one of despair. They talked to us of improvement of treatment. They told us that no matter how hard the days ahead might seem, that we would not be alone. They told us to make the days count. How often I think of this. They were willing to open their pain up again and reach out to us, an immeasurable gift.
Apples for Tomorrow - Written by Ann Biggers
Deep inside itself, an apple holds a secret.
A star of promise, a star of surprise and hope.
Within the gentle curves and points of that hidden center,
Seeds of the future find shelter,
Promising us apples for tomorrow
And a feeding of the soul.