ADVENT DEVOTIONS 2023 Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA Inspire. Ignite. Invite.
Sunday, December 3: We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:20-22 (NRSV)
I hope for a lot of things. I hope my team wins. I hope my flight is on time. I hope it snows on Christmas. Then there are bigger things that I hope AND pray for – that those I care about are safe and healthy, that wars end, that lost souls find a path home. In these things I am so invested that I also have to give them to God. My hope alone is not enough.
In reality, God knows all I hope for, whether or not I deem the hope important enough for additional prayer. Sometimes He even makes things I barely even dare to hope for possible, and in this I rejoice. As we enter Advent, we wait in hope for the coming of the Lord. Having lost my father the day after Christmas, I understand that the holidays may be difficult. However, my father’s love of Christmas and his joy in the promise of Emmanuel, God among us, showed me how to move forward with hope and joy, in spite of loss.
Prayer: Dear God, we hope and pray for your peace and joy this Advent season, and that we all may find a way to rejoice in the coming of the Lord. Amen.
Anne – Inspire. Ignite. Invite.
Trinty Lutheran Church, Lebanon, IN
These Advent Devotions are provided to you as a gift from the participants of the IN-KY Synod Spiritual Renewal Process – Inspire. Ignite. Invite. Siblings in Christ from seven Lutheran congregations and one Episcopal congregation began meeting in April 2023 with a focus on the theme “Inspire.” During the monthly ZOOM meetings, participants learned a variety of spiritual practices, created their own descriptions of spirituality, expanded their awareness of the Holy Spirit, developed relationships with others across the synod, and deepened their own spirituality.
Thank you to the leadership team for Inspire. Ignite. Invite. – Jon Dahl, Cross of Grace Lutheran Church, New Palestine, IN; Pr. Sharon Walker, Christ Lutheran Church, Kokomo, IN; and Pr. Nancy Nyland, Director for Evangelical Mission. An immense thank you to Carol Ann Webb, Administrative Assistant, who edited and formatted this devotional collection and to Susie Swenson, IN-KY Synod Storyteller, for sharing this collection via social media, the website and the weekly synod e-news.
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