From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" for December 18

"A gift from our community of faith to you. We at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary are devoted to preparing outstanding leaders for Christ’s church. One of the ways that we nurture leaders is by building a loving community of faith and extending God’s grace to others. In this season of anticipation, we extend God’s grace to you and invite you to explore this book of Advent devotions. Through this collection, please join us as we prepare to receive God’s greatest gift—the birth of Jesus Christ."

• CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of this season's devotionals.
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Advent Devotional for Friday, December 18

• John 3:16-21

One of my favorite activities during this time of year is driving around town looking at the Christmas lights that illuminate otherwise dark yards. My family tradition is to pack up mugs of hot cocoa and set off on our adventure looking for the lights with a sense of awe and wonder. There is darkness but we anticipate the lights. Sometimes we find a solitary spiral tree in a lawn and other times we find a few neighbors joining together to illuminate the block. Always the light shines in the darkness and brings smiles to our faces and joy to our hearts.

This time of year, as we approach the winter solstice, the days are short and the darkness of long nights seem to overtake the light. The solstice is the turning point, the point when there starts to be more light as the days become longer. At sunrise, we can see the sun rays bursting forth from the recesses of the darkness, painting the sky in a colorful spread of pink and orange and purple. The colors and lights of a sunrise always make the most elaborate of Christmas lights seem faint.

Sometimes, in our world we see overwhelming darkness. We see darkness in the business of the season, excessive spending, and expectations that don’t match our reality. We see darkness in the evil that separates us from the love of God. When we concentrate on the darkness, we forget that there is light. God’s gift given in love has brought light into our world. It is not like the light of a simple strand of Christmas lights. It is the overpowering, darkness-busting light of the Christ child bursting forth pushing out all darkness.

This Advent season, where are we expecting to see the light? Are we only looking for the light in the small acts of kindness like the tiny touches of an illuminated spiral tree? Are we expecting the light of community that can be found as we gather together? Or do we have that sense of awe and wonder as we expect the light of God to burst forth on the horizon, pushing out all darkness, and painting the recesses of our world? God’s gift of love is that brilliant type of light.

God of Light, we give you thanks for the ways that your gift of love illumines the dark places of our lives. Help us to have a sense of awe and wonder and we rest in the anticipation of your dawn. Amen.

Adrienne Zermano
MDIV Student from Brownsville, Texas

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For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.

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