From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" for December 14

"Advent ushers us into a season of anticipation, hope, and joy, as we await the day of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Messiah ... We intend this Advent Devotional booklet as a gift of the season for you, to signify our deep appreciation for all that you do for Austin Seminary. And we hope that you will share it with others, so that they may also partake in the blessings of Advent alongside us. Be assured that our hearts are joyful to overflowing as we celebrate together this season that anticipates what my dear friend John Rogers described in the title of his book, “The Birth of God.” May your heart overflow, as well."

G. Archer Frierson

Chair, Austin Seminary Board of Trustees

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Advent Devotional for December 14

• Luke 1: 39-45

A reading in the time of #metoo. An uninvited man comes upon a young girl alone. He calls her by name. Mary. He makes all kinds of promises. She protests. He persuades. She resists. He persists. Finally, she tells him what he wants to hear and he leaves. Nevertheless, she ends up pregnant. Like pregnant teenage girls often do when that happens, she runs away. The angel said her relative Elizabeth was pregnant. If Mary could verify this with her own eyes, maybe she could believe the rest of what the angel said. Maybe she would have proof that what happened was not her fault. And then other people—her mother, Joseph—would believe her story, too. Forty miles up into the hills she walks to see her relative.

Elizabeth was home in a space of silence and solitude; a thin place, surely, holding the miracle she was growing in her body. Elizabeth’s life had become the story she had longed to live, yet it was not just her story now. Somehow she was now a necessary part of a story begun before her and continuing after her. This mystery was beyond her sight, like the baby hidden inside her. But like the moving baby, she knew it was real.

Imagine Mary bursting into Elizabeth’s house, exhausted from walking and dehydrated from morning sickness, eyes hungry for the sight of Elizabeth’s bulging womb. When their eyes met, the baby kicked and flipped. A piece of the mystery became clear to Elizabeth: Mary was also carrying a child, the cousin who would be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel. As Elizabeth’s words confirmed what Gabriel said, Mary believed. This woman, Elizabeth, whom Mary trusted, anointed her, blessed her, and Mary’s confusion dissolved.

Thanks be to God for the Spirit’s revelation in the lives of women shared. Mary claimed her faith through her relationship with Elizabeth, a woman who was open to the Spirit. Mary’s belief that there would be a fulfillment of God’s promises shows us a way that faith is born through deep mutual relationship. When one of us can’t be sure what has happened to us, may others be there to affirm God’s promises.

Help us, O Lord, to build up and encourage each other, especially in our moments of vulnerability. Amen.

Melissa Wiginton
Research Professor in Methodist Studies

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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.

We hope that you are preparing the way for the Lord in your life as you read these meditations and prayers. And, we hope this Advent season is a meaningful one for you. Please know that Austin Seminary’s dedicated, diverse, and loving community of faith is not complete without you. Did you know?

   • Students in our masters-degree programs receive up to 85% need-based tuition aid.
   • Historically, more than 80% of our graduates are called to congregational ministry.
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