Second Sunday of Advent (Sunday, December 7th, 2025)

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Words of Reflection

On the remaining Sundays during Advent we sit with an instrumental version of a popular carol. There is no written devotional for the day, just an invitation to ponder the words of the carol (found after the video) in a spirit of prayer and listening. What is God’s invitation for you in these words? How do they fill you with hope, with peace, with joy, or with love? What words or phrases in this carol move you to prayer and worship?

Song: Of the Father’s Love Begotten

Carol Lyrics

Of the Father's love begotten
Ere the world began to be
He is Alpha and Omega
He the source the ending He
Of the things that are that have been
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore

O ye heights of heaven adore Him
Angel hosts His praises sing
Pow'rs dominions bow before Him
And extol our God and King
Let no tongue on earth be silent
Ev'ry voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore

O that birth forever blessed
When the Virgin full of grace
By the Holy Ghost conceiving
Bare the Savior of our race
And the Babe the world's Redeemer
First revealed His sacred face
Evermore and evermore

Christ to Thee with God the Father
And O Holy Ghost to Thee
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unwearied praises be
Honor glory and dominion and eternal victory
Evermore and evermore

Seventh Day of Advent (Saturday, December 6th, 2024)

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Words of Reflection

The ministry of John the Baptist is an important one for us to reflect upon during the Advent season. Among other things, John reminds us of the important role of the herald in God’s coming kingdom.

Heralds are the ones who bring important news. They go ahead of a traveling dignitary or royalty and prepare their subjects for the visit. The royal arrival may be a peaceful one, but can it also bring judgment to a rebellious people. In that light, the word of the herald can sometimes be good news, but it can sometimes be a warning.

John’s ministry is both. The coming of the Messiah is a gift, and his herald message echoes the promise of Isaiah:

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’”—Isaiah 52:7 (NRSV)

But John also brings a prophetic warning to those who use power to oppress and subdue God’s people. He quotes another passage from Isaiah which reminds us that Jesus came to turn the established order on its head:

"...as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, 'The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.''" —Luke 3:4-6 (NRSV)

Both the announcement of the gift and the call to repent, strangely enough, are words of comfort, at least to those who have ears to hear. The offering of peace and invitation to turn from sin are both gifts of mercy from a God who looks at the damage wrought by sin and human cruelty and says, “Enough!” The words of the herald announce not only a royal visitation, but the coming of a new kingdom altogether.

We still wait for that new kingdom to come in all of its fullness, and until that day we take comfort in the promises of the herald. And we, also, become heralds as we share the good news of Christ’s coming, as the carol encourages us:

Comfort those who sit in darkness,
groaning from their sorrows’ load.
Speak to all Jerusalem
of the peace that waits for them;
tell them that their sins I cover,
that their warfare now is over.

How might God call you to be a herald of his kingdom during this Advent season?

Scripture for Meditation:

“As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’”
—Matthew 10:7 (NRSV)

“He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
—Colossians 1:13-14 (NRSV)

Song: Comfort, Comfort, O My People (lyrics here)

Questions for Contemplation

Who do you know right now who is “sitting in darkness” and “groaning from their sorrow’s load?” How might you be in prayer for them this Advent season?

Spend some time today reading and thinking about the ministry of John the Baptist. How does his ministry resonate with you right now? How might God use you this Advent season to herald the good news of Christ’s coming?

Who has served as a “herald” in your life, reminding you of God’s gracious gift or perhaps challenging you to follow Christ more closely? Spend some time in worship and gratitude before God for the heralds in your own life.

Sixth Day of Advent (Friday, December 5th, 2025)

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(please note—due to copyright, versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

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Words of Reflection

Yesterday we spent some time thinking about names and titles associated with Jesus. There are many we could focus on—after all, according to some resources there are nearly 200 names and titles for Christ found in the pages of Scripture. There is one name, though, that we tend to only hear at Christmastime because of its appearance in a familiar carol:

O come Thou Dayspring come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here

The reason we don’t encounter the word “Dayspring” in most modern contexts is because it’s a word that was used by the King James Bible in translating Luke 1:78:

“Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”—Luke 1:78-79 (KJV)

Most modern translations, however, simply use words like “dawn,” “sunrise,” or “light” when translating the Greek word ἀνατολή from that verse. It’s part of the song of Zechariah where John’s father is describing the call of his son:

“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”—Luke 1:76-79 (NIV)

It’s such a perfect image for Jesus: the long-awaiting sunrise after a long night of darkness and despair. The name “Dayspring” calls to mind a sudden appearance, as the sun “springs” over the horizon. It can also mean source, as a spring serves as the source of a river. Both resonate with the coming of the Messiah—he is the source of all things (John 1:3), and he is the one who suddenly appears on the horizon of human history and changes it forever (Galatians 4:4-5).

The carols of Advent and Christmas are filled with images of light, and they remind us that Christ not only comes to bring light to the entire world, he comes to bring light to each of us. Left to our own devices and decisions we stumble in the darkness, but when we encounter Jesus we find illumination for our souls. When that happens, the shadows no longer have any claim on us. As John wrote:

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”—John 1:4-5 (NIV)

May the Dayspring from on high visit us anew this Advent season. Oh how desperately our world needs that light.

Oh how desperately we need it that light as well.

Scripture for Meditation:

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”—Isaiah 60:1-3 (NIV)

Song: Advent Hymn (lyrics here)

Questions for Contemplation:

How does this image of “Dayspring” speak to you during this Advent season? Into what shadows, what long night, are you hoping to see the light of God break through? Spend some time simply asking for the dawn of God’s love to be known wherever the darkness still reigns.

How can the image of God’s light of love be something you can return to as Christmas approaches, allowing the comfort and encouragement it brings to speak to you? Perhaps the use of a candle, or an image, or even the lights on your tree can become a tool for reflecting on Jesus our Dayspring.

How do these workd from Christy Nockel’s song speak to you today? Sit with them in expectant prayer, and lay your soul’s longing before God.

So here I wait in hope of you
All my soul's longing through and through
Dayspring from on high be near
Day Star in my heart appear

Fifth Day of Advent (Thursday, December 4th, 2025)

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Words of Reflection

During our Advent journey we often find ourselves meditating on the names and titles associated with Jesus, such as:

Emmanuel (God With Us)
Christ (Messiah)
Prince of Peace
Logos (Word of God)

And of course, Jesus/Yeshua, which literally means “salvation.” We learn this when we read of the angel’s visit to Joseph:

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”—Matthew 1:20-21, (NRSV)

How often does it occur to us that whenever we use the name “Jesus,” we are proclaiming God’s saving grace? Throughout the centuries the name of Jesus has inspired some of the most meaningful lyrics in Christian hymns and worship songs, any of which can become a powerful meditation during our Christmas preparations. (for a list of worship songs around this theme, many of which are Advent-related, click here)

But the truth is that if we’re not careful, we can take his name for granted…or worse. All around us at this time of year are signs that read, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season,” and we need to be on guard that we don’t become numbed by overexposure and familiarity. With that warning in mind, Advent can become a time for us to intentionally and prayerfully sit with the meaning of Christ’s name, the name that Peter proclaimed as the heart of his salvation message:

“This Jesus is

‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” —Acts 4:11-12 (NRSV)

As you make your way through Advent, pay attention to the number of times you encounter the name “Jesus.” Let each of those moments be a place of gratitude and worship as you remember God’s salvation.

He is Almighty God, Immanuel
The Prince of peace, so wonderful
They worshipped then, and we do still
His name is Jesus
Almighty God, Immanuel
The Prince of peace, so wonderful
They worshipped then, and we do still
His name is Jesus

Scripture for Meditation:

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”—Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”—Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

Song: His Name is Jesus (lyrics here)

Questions for Contemplation:

For our time of contemplation today, spend some time reflecting on these names/titles of Jesus which are used in today’s song. Give each one a few moments and ask yourself these questions:

—What about that name/title speaks to you?
—Which grabs your attention most? Why?
—Are there any you find difficult to embrace? Why?
—What can you learn about your relationship with Christ as you reflect on these names/titles?
—What does is stir you to offer in prayer?

Jesus (salvation)
Almighty God
Emmanuel (God with us)
Prince of Peace

Fourth Day of Advent (Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025)

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(please note—due to copyright, versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

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Words of Reflection

“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will
prepare the way for the Lord.”—Luke 1:76 (NLT)

In this Advent devotional, as we allow the songs of the season to draw us into the wonder of Christ’s coming, it’s important to remember that even before a single carol was written there were wonderful songs of Christmas to be found in the gospel accounts themselves.

Two of those songs can be found in the first chapter of Luke’s gospel, Mary’s song (which we will look at closer to Christmas), and the song of Zechariah, John’s father. Remember—Zechariah has been silent since the angel’s incredible announcement that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a child at their advanced age. When the child is born, Luke tells us that Zechariah “was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.” (Luke 1:67)

The words which the Holy Spirit gives him are known as “Zechariah’s Song,” and they speak of God’s covenant love, his promises to Abraham and David, and the salvation that the Messiah will bring to God’s people. The first stanza is a powerful testimony of God’s faithfulness and redemption, and it reminds us that what’s unfolding in the Christmas story is nothing less than our deliverance. It uses language of a “rescue mission,” which is what salvation history really is: God’s great plan to rescue us from the dark powers that have ruled over us for so long.

Then in the second stanza Zechariah’s attention turns to his own newborn son and the role he will play in this story of rescue. He will be known as a prophet, for he will go before the Messiah to prepare the way for him. John will be a messenger of salvation and forgiveness, pointing people to the “tender mercy of God” which guides us from the shadow of sin and death into the light of grace and salvation. The one who has been sent to prepare also proclaims a message of preparation: in the words of the great carol, “Let every heart prepare him room!”

This description of John’s mission is a good one for us to consider during our Advent journey, because this season is also a time of preparation. In our hearts we are “preparing the way” for the Christmas story to unfold again and remind us of the amazing, unfathomable love of God. Like John, we are messengers of salvation, continuing to point people to God’s tender mercies as we celebrate once again the birth of his one and only Son.

These weeks of Advent are often filled with preparation as we shop, decorate, cook, gather, and plan for our activities at home and in our churches. But Zechariah’s Song is a good opportunity to stop our busy-ness and simply ask ourselves, “How am I preparing a way for the Lord to come anew in this celebration of Advent and Nativity?”

Let every heart prepare him room!

Scripture for Meditation:

“A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’”—Isaiah 40:3-5 (NIV)

Song: Prepare Him Room (lyrics here)

Questions for Contemplation:

What does it mean for you to “prepare him room?” What practices and disciplines are helpful, especially at this time of year, in that journey? Are there other preparatory aspects of the Christmas season that can get in the way of that journey? How can you make space for the most important work of preparation?

The song for today reminds us that “all creation groans in labor waiting for our humble savior.” Does that Scriptural image resonate with you, and if so, how? What groanings are you most aware of in your own life or in the larger world? How can that move you towards prayer as you approach Bethlehem?

Spend some time reading Zechariah’s song (Luke 1:67-79) slowly and prayerfully. Are there words or phrases that help you connect to the journey of Advent in a particular way? How can you make note of those words or phrases and find ways to reconnect with them as you move towards Christmas day?

Third Day of Advent (Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025)

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(please note—due to copyright, versions of songs on the playlist may differ from those used here)

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Words of Reflection

In the 63rd chapter of Isaiah, the prophet reflects on God’s actions on behalf of his people and their stubborn rebellion even in the face of his faithfulness. He looks out and sees the people suffering from their own self-destructive choices, and he pleads with God to do something radical in the face of their selfishness and failure. His cry reaches a dramatic and climactic point at the beginning of chapter 64:

“O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence—as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence!”—Isaiah 64:1-3 (NRSVUE)

Isaiah has in mind a terrifying revelation of God that would strike fear into Israel’s enemies and echo the “awesome deeds” of old, like the days of Moses and Joshua. He wants to see God "tear the heavens open” and come as a mighty warrior to smite the wicked and cause the very foundations of the earth to shake. It’s an awe-inspiring image.

But even though it didn’t take place exactly as the prophet envisioned, the basic thrust of what Isaiah wanted to see is exactly what happened—God did, in fact, “tear the heavens open and come down.” The mountains may not have quaked, the nations may not have (yet) trembled, but the cosmic impact of what took place on that first Christmas morn was beyond measure. Heaven came to earth, the power of creation’s author was found in a tiny child, and (as songwriter Michael Card puts it) “eternity stepped into time.” The true scope of what took place at the incarnation is far too vast for any human mind to comprehend, and yet during the Advent season we are invited to dwell in the wonder and mystery of it all the same.

We are also invited, I think, to make Isaiah’s prayer our own as part of our Advent journey. “O that you would tear the heavens open and come down” is still the cry of our heart during these particularly chaotic times. Every concern we bring to God is a plea for God to be known in the midst of it, for a fresh revelation of his supernatural power and peace to be manifest in difficult and painful situations. Even as we ponder the Incarnation, we ask God to be made real anew in our world through the power of his Spirit and the ministry of his people.

The ancient carol “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” invites us to do both of these things—to sit with the glory of the Incarnation as we “ponder nothing earthly minded,” and to join our voice with Isaiah’s in a plea for God to intercede where evil still has the upper hand “that the powers of hell may vanish as the darkness clears away.”

And through it all we join the ceaseless chorus in a cry of worship: “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia God Most High!”

Amen.

Scripture for Meditation:

“From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.”—Isaiah 64:4 (NRSVUE)

“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross." —Colossians 1:19-20 (NRSVUE)

Song: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (lyrics here)

Questions for Contemplation:

As we hear the carol’s invitation to “ponder nothing earthly minded,” what does that mean for you personally? How do you find ways to set aside the concerns of the day in order to simply sit with the mystery and wonder of the Incarnation? If you find it a struggle, ask God to reveal to you ways of quieting yourself before the manger. The Spirit is faithful to guide us in our desire for time with him.

Into what particular situations are you asking God to “tear open the heavens and come down” right now? Sit for a moment of intercession and ask God to help you offer these concerns with confidence and assurance in his goodness and faithfulness.

“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” was originally a Eucharistic hymn that has since transitioned to an Advent/Christmas carol. This is particularly noticeable in the line “He will give to all the faithful his own self for heav’nly food.” How might a celebration of Communion be particularly powerful for us during Advent? How has it spoken to you in the past about the depth of God’s love for you?