While a similar rush to celebrate Christmas (and shop!) is so common in our culture today, as I grow, I find the waiting and the honesty of Advent more essential and refreshing than ever. And each year, something new is often revealed to me. It might be something I had not noticed before or had forgotten, or perhaps something I had noticed, but now I experience on a deeper level.

This year, as I was praying about what to preach on during Advent and Christmas, I was struck by how unlikely it was that God would come to us in the way he did—the people to whom God spoke and with whom God worked. The same is true of the geography, the culture, and the reality of the Roman Empire under which all of this took place.

In the coming weeks, we will consider the stories of Zechariah, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the Magi, and of course, the Christ Child. And, as always, we look forward to our children leading us through the entire Christmas story with a special program. This year, that will take place on Sunday, December 15.

I invite you to embark on this journey of anticipation, reflection, and prayer with me. Embrace the challenge of slowing down and dedicating just 10 extra minutes a day for prayer, silence, and Scripture. As Mary treasured and pondered the events surrounding Christ's birth (Luke 2:19), let us prepare room for him in our hearts, as the hymn “Joy to the World” exhorts us.

One way to deepen our experience is by engaging with our Daily Scripture Emails. Each email comes with a simple introduction on how to read through the day’s passage prayerfully and expectantly. If you haven’t subscribed yet, click the button below to join us.

As we wait together for the celebration of the birth of Christ, may we discover God at work in unlikely places—in the pages of Scripture and in our own lives.