Tag: Christian living

Advent Reflections: Psalm 150

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“Hallelujah! Praise God in his sanctuary. Praise him in his mighty expanse. Praise him for his powerful acts; praise him for his abundant greatness. Praise him with the blast of a ram’s horn; praise him with harp and lyre. Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and flute. Praise him with resounding cymbals; praise him with clashing cymbals. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Hallelujah!” (CSB)

Over the course of the various birth and infancy narratives of Jesus in the Gospels, every time someone encounters the baby who was God in human flesh their response is uniformly one of worship. Worship is something we are called to again and again throughout the Scriptures. Yet it often feels like worship can only happen in a limited number of ways. If you don’t happen to fall into one of those categories, too bad for you. Is this really how things are? Not for a second. Let’s talk about worship and Advent and encountering Jesus in the ways God designed us.

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Advent Reflections: Luke 11:1-4

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“He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘Whenever you pray, say, Father, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation.’” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Throughout the season of Advent, we are to be preparing ourselves for Jesus’ arrival. One of the best ways to do this is through the spiritual disciplines. Of these several lines of ancient practice intended to put us into a posture of readiness for the action of God in, through, and around us, prayer sits among the most foundational. Knowing how to pray is something we often wonder about. Thankfully, Jesus gave us some instructions. Let’s talk about them.

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Advent Reflections: Colossians 3:1-4

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“So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I read an article the other day that talked about how college students can’t read like they used to be able to read. I don’t mean they can’t read at all. I mean they can’t stay focused enough to read long passages or books anymore. The author blamed a combination of our digital age and shifting emphases in education for the deficit. Whatever the reason, we can’t stay focused like we used to anymore. This is not a neutral phenomenon either. It is a formational one. How can we combat the impact of our distractible age especially in this season when life can feel extra distracting? Paul offers some helpful insights here. Let’s talk about them.

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Advent Reflections: 1 Peter 5:6-7

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“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Years ago I was watching a cooking show, and the host went out of her way to emphasize that salt is not a spice. When used properly, it is a flavor enhancer. It takes what is already there and highlights it and makes it more pronounced in the dish. Yesterday we talked about the importance of humility in the Advent journey. Humility, like salt, is fundamentally about being honest. And when we are honest, a host of other things begin to become possible. One of these is something the apostle Peter highlights here. Let’s talk about a powerful thing humility can accomplish in and for us.

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Advent Reflections: Matthew 2:10-12

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“When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

At one point in Jesus’ ministry, a group of mothers were attempting to bring their children to Jesus so He could bless them. The disciples started to scold them for interrupting their master when He was teaching. Jesus stopped what He was doing and immediately scolded the disciples. He told them to let the children come to Him because unless you come to Him as a child, you’ll never get to Him at all. That episode was far removed from the one we see in our passage here. The two scenes, though, are more connected than you might think. Let’s talk about why as we continue our Advent journey today.

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