Sunday, December 3
Isaiah 9:8-10:11 and 1 Peter 5:1-14
The calendar has officially turned to the last month of the year. Instead of counting down the months until Christmas, many children are now counting days. Adults might be hoping more time will appear, but alas – December is upon us. Of course, a new season is also upon us: the often-overlooked season of Advent.
Certainly, many of us think about the time before Christmas. What do your December days look like? Are there exams to prepare for and papers still to be written? Yes, final exams are approaching! Are there parties to plan and homes to decorate? Yes, our Christmas bins are making their way out of storage. Are there gifts to be bought and then to be wrapped? Yes, this is on our “to-do” list. How many Amazon packages will land at your doorstep in the next three weeks? Much of this is our preparation for Christmas.
But this year, let a different season be your preparation
As we begin Advent, one of the more penitential times of the year for believers in Christ, we reflect on the promises of God and also the hope that is ours in Jesus. Advent gives us space to acknowledge our unfaithfulness, our failings, and our shortcomings. We see the need for this type of response in our readings for today. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord rebuked those who used their abundance for their own gain. Maybe some of us have done the same. In our New Testament reading, Peter reminds us that God is the one who always provides for our needs, which is why we are to be casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). In fact, we are to, Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
Today is a day to begin anew as we begin a new season and a new Church year. As one
Advent hymn reminds us:
Before the dawning day
Let sin’s dark deeds be gone,
The sinful self be put away,
The new self now put on (LSB 331, v. 5)
REV. DR. RYAN PETERSON
VP of Administration
About this series
“God With Us: the uncommon advent of our Savior” is a sampling of biblical meditations composed by members of the CUWAA community. It is our prayer that you will take time during the Advent season to read and reflect upon God’s Word and await the coming of Jesus with newfound enthusiasm and anticipation through the Holy Spirit.