Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Reflection:

This past fall I took my oldest daughter to obtain her learners permit at the DMV. Upon reviewing her picture, I could not help but notice how much we looked similar in our driver license photos. While it is not surprising that a child would look like their parent, such apparent similarities are typically reserved for my wife and oldest daughter; most recently being asked if they were sisters to my wife’s amusement. Yet, in this particular instance, I could see my own reflection in my daughter’s face which came as a delightful surprise.

When the writer of Hebrews introduces Christ, we are told he is the one for whom the prophets had spoken promises about for centuries, the one through whom the world was created and sustained. Christ Jesus comes into this world as the Son of God reflecting the glory of God and presenting as the exact imprint or representation of God the Father. This Christ is to rightly then be worshiped and honored as God Himself without fear or reservation of His being anything less than the real deal. We find at the Transfiguration where Christ is pronounced by God the Father as his beloved son with whom he is pleased. Therefore Christians have looked upon Christ as the embodiment and manifestation of our eternal God in a form and fashion we can know ourselves.

And yet in all my encounters with Christ, I must agree with E. Stanley Jones who wrote, “We know now that God is like this that we have seen in Jesus. He is Christlike. And if he is, he is a good God and trustable. If the Heart that is back of the universe is like this Gentle Heart that broke upon the cross, he can have my heart without qualification and without reservation…Strange, a Man lived among us, and when we think of God we must think of him in terms of this Man.”

The Incarnation continues as God’s ultimate reveal and to be Christlike remains the highest description of character, whether it be for God or any of us. As Advent prepares us for the coming of Christ, may we reflect upon the idea that to know the Son is to know the Father, we can trust that when we look to Christ, we have set our sights on nothing less than the fullness of God Almighty.

Prayer: Merciful God, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation. Give us grace to hear their words that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Reflection:

Prevenient grace is the grace that goes before us. It is the loving initiative of God that stirs and draws us toward Him long before we ever think to seek Him. This persistent movement of God’s heart toward us precedes our decisions, our awareness, and even our existence. “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so”—yet even as I sang it, I thought His love was something I could somehow earn by being good enough or faithful enough. I believed that following Jesus was about my choices and devotion and that the turning of my heart was a sign of my own sincerity or effort. I assumed that whatever faith I had came from within me. I didn’t even know when that love had begun. When did it start? At what moment did God decide to love me?

As temporal beings, that question makes sense. We exist in time, thinking in beginnings and endings. To us, love starts somewhere and grows from something, whether it’s an interaction, a memory, or a choice. But God is not bound to time. He is not shaped by minutes and years. God transcends time and space, and He is the One who simply is: Beginning and Eternity, Alpha and Omega. For us, love has a starting point. For God, love simply is.

And this is where prevenient grace becomes breathtaking. We ask why God loves us, often imagining God as though He were our equal, as if He responds to us the way another human might. Yet, God is not our equal but our Creator. All things came into existence by His breath. Every heartbeat is His gift, and every moment is held in His sustaining will. It is the unfathomable outpouring of God’s own eternal nature. It is self-originating, uncreated, and immutable. God does not love us because of what we do. God loves because God is love

Christ took on flesh so we could see the heart of God revealed in a life poured out. Through Jesus, we witness the character of God expressed not only in words, but in a way that draws us into the very life of divine love. In this beautiful closeness, we remember that the One who calls us friend is also the One who spoke galaxies into being. His love is foundational, and it precedes our questions and existence. It is His prevenient grace that was reaching out before we were even aware of it.

So when did His love begin? From our perspective, He loved us, is loving us, and will love us. But from God’s perspective, love has no tense. It is not the past or future. It is the eternal “now” of God’s being. And in that love, we find our dwelling place. May this truth humble our hearts and lift our praise. For all that we are, and all the grace that has ever carried us, belongs to God alone. To Him be all the glory.

Prayer:

Father God, we thank you for this day and every day. Thank You for the grace that reached for us long before we ever knew to seek You. Teach us to rest in the depth of Your eternal love, and let us be free from striving or fear. May our life reflect Your glory as we walk in the confidence of being held by You from beginning to eternity. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.

Reflection

The age-old question has emerged yet again and reached no consensus: when should we begin decorating for Christmas and listening to Christmas music? At this point, the decorations are either up or in the process of being put up and the music is playing constantly, so the question doesn’t really matter. But still we should consider beginnings, for in this season of Advent we remember and await the beginning of something new. And no, I’m not talking about the beginning of the end-of-year deals online.

In the beginning was the Word, and that same Word is our Beginning. When God spoke creation into being, He was the beginning of this universe and all of us within it. When the Word took on flesh and came to dwell with us, He was the beginning of a new covenant and hope. When Jesus was crucified in our place on Calvary’s mount, He began a new work within our hearts. When Christ rose and sent His Spirit down to us in the fires of Pentecost, He began a new creation out of what was dead in sin. We can work through the whole liturgical calendar and even further just looking for all the ways Christ is our blessed Beginning. So where do we even begin to worship Him today?

You may have begun your Christmas celebration three days ago, or you may be going three years strong with an artificial tree in your living room; as Christians we are always a Christmas people as we share our joy with the world. Jesus came down to earth to be our Emmanuel, God with us, and that didn’t just happen once for us to remember once a year on a holiday; He is always with us through His Spirit, and He will come again soon! As we bustle through the broken ornaments and travel plans of the holiday season, He’s right there with us for every step, joyful and stressful. As we slog through the mundane days of the rest of the year, He’s there too, just as close. As Christmas people, we don’t just remember the Beginning of our hope once a year; we get to joyfully live out the new life Christ has begun in us every single moment. Our joy doesn’t stay confined to a day or a season; it rests in the new beginning that Christ gives all of us each day to dwell in His presence and become more like Him.

So where do we begin? Right where you are, each and every day you have in this life under the sun! Every Advent we celebrate the Beginning; the beginning of a new covenant, a new life, and a new hope. We celebrate Jesus, who is that Beginning; who is the Word; who is Emmanuel. So as we journey through this season again, let us rejoice in the beginning of a new life with Christ each day! Let us rejoice that the One who began all things is the One working within our hearts! Let us rejoice that God came down to earth to be with us as He began something new. Let us rejoice in what Christmas really means.

Prayer

Almighty God, you who began all things and hold all things together, thank you for your gift of ongoing creation. Lord Jesus, we pray for the strength and wisdom to dwell in your Word and presence each day, that we may rest in the joy and assurance of how you are continuing to shape our lives. Embolden us, we pray, to proclaim your goodness to all the world and reflect your joy to all we meet this Advent. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

Reflection:

Advent tends to put me in a spot of deep reflection. Well, maybe not deep, but it certainly gets my wheels turning. This particular Advent season, I’ve been thinking a lot about the annunciation. Which turns into thinking about announcements. Which turns into thinking about milestones. Which turns into thinking about how many moments are actually beginnings.

The annunciation is a form of a “beginning” for Mary. The news that the angel Gabriel brings is not just a save the date to add to the calendar. It’s a notification that life is about to change forever. It’s the moment where the Creator of the Universe chooses a simple, small town girl to do something new—not just for her but for all of us.

When we read the story of Gabriel, we often imagine what it would be like to be Mary in that moment. Maybe there’s fear, or excitement, or trust, or all of the above. But we don’t have to be Mary in order for this annunciation to belong to us, because Gabriel is not just speaking to Mary. Through time, through all the generations of people who have held this story as sacred, this annunciation is for us, too. The news that changes Mary’s life also changes our lives. Two thousand-ish years ago, long before all of us reading this existed, God created a new beginning for me and you. The God who does not follow the rules of time still steps into ours, always, always, always doing something new.

Prayer:

God of beginnings, you have graciously stepped into our time, doing and working the unimaginable within us. Open our hearts this season to the beginnings you are stirring up in our lives. Amen.

For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Reflection:

My son’s homeschool class recently went to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. As we moved through the galleries, a friend asked if I had seen the painting Saint Paul Writing His Epistles. I had, but her complete awe told me I had passed it by too quickly. I immediately went weaving back through the galleries to see what I missed. Again, I noticed Paul at work writing, leaned over his table in a dark room, but then I saw it. The reflection shining up from the tabletop was not Paul’s face at all; it was the face of Christ crowned with thorns.

It’s a wonder. A canvas painted, then twice repainted, has given up its secret over 400 years: the mocking of Christ has risen to the surface. It isn’t distracting or hidden. It is near the center, exactly where a glance might mistake it for Paul’s own reflection. Though one could imagine the artist intentionally invoking Paul’s words, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” imaging revealed a more humble cause. Through pentimento, the degradation of pigments over time, the face of Christ emerged from the painting below. Countless conditions had to converge for the painting to appear as it does now. The glory of God revealed in the face of Christ—and I almost missed it. Isn’t that just like everyday life?

What looks like an ordinary moment often carries a hidden meaning beneath the surface. What we think is our own reflection is quite often Christ at work. What can seem like a mistake or damage turns out to be a place of beauty where Christ is evident. And when we miss it, what a kindness of God to send a friend to guide us to the revelation of Christ.

During Advent, we ready our hearts for the light of Christ to shine anew. Over the years, our hearts collect stories and moments, worn by the weight of loss, grief, pain, and the burdens we bear. Yet these very places are where God’s gaze meets us, where His sacrificial love shines most clearly. As we wait for His coming, may we slow down long enough to see Christ emerging through the ordinary, especially in the places we least expect, and may we be instruments of His light, helping others see the face of Christ revealed in plain sight.

Prayer:

God of Glory, as our days gather layer upon layer with simple moments, joys, and burdens, may the face of Christ shine upon us, and may we kindly guide others to the light he reveals in the ordinary. Amen.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 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.

Reflection:

I go to the movies on average once a week. Last week my friend and I watched Bugonia, the new Emma Stone movie about a CEO who gets kidnapped by two men who believe she is an alien. It was a good movie. The acting was fantastic. The story was compelling. But it was bleak when it came to its view on the human race.

This led my friend and I down a path of discussing why, though nihilistic movies can be compelling, they are not the sort of stories that we love. The stories that do root themselves deep, not just in our hearts and minds, but our souls, have an undercurrent of hope, no matter how sad or tragic they are.

In his gospel, John wrote, “He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 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.”

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

On a macro scale, there’s a lot of darkness to contend with. The news is bleak. Our country is divided. The things we see on our phones sow anxiety. On a micro scale, we all are battling our own darkness. Maybe it’s grief or financial stress. Maybe it’s a scary diagnosis or broken relationship. Maybe it’s a heavy mind or heart.

We each play a part in furthering God’s Kingdom and his light. But today I want to speak specifically on how we, as Christians, or “little Christs” are capable of infusing God’s light into our creations to shine brighter than the darkness we face this Advent season.

As a Christian and a storyteller, JRR Tolkien, the author of the Lord of the Rings series, wrote an essay on his view of “sub-creation,” which is the belief that since we are made in the image of God, the ultimate creator, we are capable of also creating as a form of worship.

Though not all of us are famous authors constructing fantasy worlds or film directors shooting alien movies, we are all inclined to create. Where is God’s light in the things you create? In the lunch box you assemble for your child? In the friendship bracelet you make for your best friend? In the spotify playlist you put together for your significant other? In the Christmas cards you write for your loved ones? It’s there, even if you don’t recognize it. This Christmas, try to do some time not just recognizing that light, but infusing it into your creations.

Prayer:

God, thank you for creating us and the wonderous world you’ve placed us in. Let us do our part in shining your light through our own creations. Amen.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”

Reflection:

Have you ever walked into a conference room to give a presentation and felt your palms start to sweat? Or sat outside a door before a job interview with your heart racing? Maybe public speaking doesn’t bother you, but your knees shake when you look down from the top deck of Kyle Field. These are all physical reactions to fear, your body responding to what your mind perceives as a threat. Scripture is full of people who experienced fear, and King David is certainly one of them. He faced Goliath with just a sling and some stones, dodged a spear meant for his heart, and spent years on the run. Yet in this Psalm, David writes: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”

I think we can all agree that the darkness can be frightening—we don’t know what could be lurking. There are many instances in the Bible where evil is characterized as darkness. But while darkness can be frightening, light reveals what is hidden. Here, David reminds us that God is that light. He is always present, always revealing, and always protecting. If His light is with us, there is no reason to fear the dark.

David also calls God his salvation. In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, salvation literally means deliverance from danger or difficulty. And in a theological context, we understand salvation to be deliverance from sin and its consequences. No matter how we define it, salvation means being rescued from what threatens us. By acknowledging God as his salvation, David shows his faith that God will deliver him from any fearful situation. This reminds us that we have no reason to be afraid when we trust in God’s power to save.

In the final sentence of this verse, David describes God as the stronghold of his life. Generally, strongholds are places of safety and protection. Here, David once again reminds us that with God as our protector and safe sanctuary, there is no one we should fear. When we put our faith in God, we can withstand any attack or siege.

During Advent, a season of preparation and anticipation, we may feel anxious while we wait. But we can find peace in knowing that God is our light, our salvation and our stronghold. He will protect us from anything that may cause us fear.

Prayer:

Lord God, we bring to you our anxieties and our fears. Please remind us that with your as our light, our salvation, and our stronghold, there is nothing to be afraid of. Help us to remember that you are always with us, saving and protecting. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

Reflection:

If you listened to Christian music in the 80s and 90s (back in the 1900s, as my kids say), you may read this scripture and immediately hear it as a song. I hear it so clearly as Thy Word by Amy Grant that I listened to over and over with my church youth group. Amy set this scripture to music centuries after the Psalmist wrote it, yet the words remain as true as ever. God’s word guides us, and He graciously sends light to illuminate the path that He lays for us.

When we walk into a dark room, the first thing we do is turn on the light. We’ve done this so frequently that it is an automatic response. Just as often as light illuminates a dark room, God has shown us that He will light our path if we sincerely seek him. The first step in God’s creation was light. He knew that the rest of creation could not exist without light, so he made it first and called it good. Later, He sent a pillar of fire to guide the Israelites through the wilderness. Exodus tells us that the pillar of fire never left its place in front of the people so they could travel by day or night. When Jesus was born, the wise men followed the Star of Bethlehem to find the place where they could worship him. Without question, they knew that the starlight led them to something good. As a young coach’s wife (barely after the 1900s!), I didn’t have a map on my phone to lead me to my husband’s football games. Another coach’s wife and I would travel to the small town where the game was being played, and just drive until we saw the stadium lights. These lights always led us where we needed to go. A few years ago, I was going to a Christmas party at a co-worker’s house. I was running late (no surprise), and I had to park far away from the house. My frustration and uncertainty were high when I realized I couldn’t find the house after parking on the side of an unknown, dark road. I was about to give up and head home when my friend Kristin appeared with her flashlight. She knew I would be running late and waited for me with a flashlight so I could get to the party. Kristin provided the light for us both to get to our destination, and it was good.

Maybe football stadium lights and a friend’s flashlight are not quite the same as the Star of Bethlehem. But I sincerely believe that God sends people and sources of light to guide our path to follow him. To borrow words from a Lauran Daigle song, we simply need to “Look up, child” to see His light. He will always show us the way. Prayer:

God, thank you for lighting our paths ever since we could sing the words “this little light of mine”. Please continue to be our light in whatever darkness we face. Each time we turn on a light, we promise to remember your promises to us and to seek your guidance for our lives. Amen.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

Reflection:

I went for a walk while on a retreat and found myself truly, deeply lost. I had no cell phone and no sense of direction—just miles of unfamiliar road ahead. Eventually, I came upon a farm-to-market road, nearly six miles from where I was supposed to be. Two men were working on a car nearby, and I asked them where I was and if they could give me a ride. To be honest, I was scared.

We are most found when we are most lost.

When we reach the end of ourselves—when our plans fall apart, when the path disappears, when the voices around us no longer comfort—that is when we begin to understand what being alone can feel like. Yet that is also the very space where God meets us. He specializes in the wilderness, in disorientation, in the moments when we whisper, “I don’t even know who I am anymore.” The truth is this: feeling lost often prepares our hearts to be found. Lostness humbles us, silences our pride, and opens space for grace. In that space, God reminds us that His presence does not depend on our direction, His love does not waver with our confusion, and His hand is never too short to reach us.

So if you feel lost today—uncertain, weary, even ashamed—remember: your Shepherd sees you. You are not overlooked. You are not beyond His reach. You may be closer to being found than you realize, precisely because you’ve discovered you can’t find your way on your own.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for never giving up on me, even when I wander. In my lostness, help me rest in the truth that You are seeking me, holding me, and guiding me back home. Teach me to trust that when I feel most lost, I am most found in You. Amen.