Multimedia Advent Devotional – Week 4-2, Monday
2024:
Week 4, Monday:
• Scripture: Psalm 25:4-5ab, 8-10, 14 (Jeanne Vick)
• Reflection (Michael Sculley)
• Prayer (Tamera Neal)
• Artwork: “Adoration (Nativity)” (Adolf Hölzel)
• Music: “Psalm 25” (Exodus Road Band) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHJa7W2Vqlo
2022:
Week 4, Monday:
- Scripture: Luke 1:39-45 (Paul Sculley)
- Reflection (Karen Sculley)
- Prayer (Michael Sculley)
- Artwork: “Nativity” (Ballinasloe, Ireland)”
- Music: “Awaken and Prepare Us” (Herb Frombach and Mark Hayes) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X5nzx3xfJg
Reflection on Luke 1:39-45 (NLT) – “A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, ‘God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.’”
The first time Elizabeth encountered Jesus, while Jesus was still in Mary’s womb (and John the Baptist was still in Elizabeth’s womb), so many things happened. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. John leaped within her, jumped for joy. Elizabeth gave a glad cry. Elizabeth exclaimed that God had blessed Mary above all women. Elizabeth exclaimed that Jesus was blessed. Elizabeth called Jesus her Lord. Elizabeth explained that Mary was blessed because she believed that the Lord would do what he said.
Interestingly, the word translated Lord twice is the Greek word Kyrios, which means God, the Messiah. Jesus is God-with-us. When we encounter Jesus, we are encountering God-with-us. When we encounter God, may we be filled with the Holy Spirit. May we allow ourselves to jump for joy and give glad cries. May we believe that God will do what He says. May we bless the Lord. And may we bless others.
Paul instructs us in Ephesians to be continually being filled with the Holy Spirit. Could you ask God to fill you with His Spirit again? We can praise God with our bodies and voices as well as our hearts and minds. Could you set aside time to jump for joy and give glad cries to the Lord? What has God said that you have struggled to believe? Could you ask God to help you overcome your unbelief? Consider God’s goodness and grandeur, God’s kindness and character, God’s presence and provision, God’s lavishness and love. Could you bless God wholeheartedly today? Consider those who have not treated you or others as well as you would have liked. Could you bless them with a generous heart today? Here’s a short prayer from the St. Hilda community that you could offer as a blessing: “May the blessing of God, the eternal goodwill of God, the shalom of God, the wildness and the warmth of God, be in us, be among us and between us, now and always.”
Each short Multimedia Advent Devotional is an invitation to set aside time each day during a typically busy season preparing for Christmas to rejoice in the coming of our Savior, Christ Jesus, and to respond to God’s invitation to us to join with Him in what He’s doing today.
Advent is a season of the liturgical year observed in most Christian denominations as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity and is part of the wider Christmas and holiday season. Advent is a period in which we are invited to set aside time each day during a typically busy season preparing for Christmas to rejoice in the coming of our Savior, Christ Jesus, and to respond to God’s invitation to us to join with Him in what He’s doing today.
This collaboration is brought to you by Liberty Vineyard Church
