Love: Make Room for God With Us

Sunday, December 21st

LOVE: The Word Made Flesh | Advent at The Circle | John 1:1–18

Reflect:

John describes John the Baptist as one who would make a way for the light in the world (John 1:6-8)

• Why does God prefer to work through a human being? Why not just do it quicker and easier? God can do anything, so why choose a person?

Share with your community: What do you most look forward to during this season/holiday? From food to time with family, from movies to presents, what do you "have to do" every year? Share with us!

Monday, December 22nd

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

– Proverbs 27:17

“If the iron is blunt and one does not whet the edge, then more strength must be exerted, but wisdom helps one to succeed.”

– Proverbs 10:10

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.”

– Romans 12:15

“If you can’t love yourself, how [in the world] are you gonna love someone else?!”

– RuPaul

Yesterday, Sunday the 21st , is the longest day of the year. It is when a lot of churches do a “Blue Christmas,” or “Longest Night” service. This is when people can be part of a service that is not as happy-go-lucky as other Christmastime services. A lot of people who have lost loved ones around this time of year, or other people who want to worship without being roped into being inauthentically happy, attend such services.

One of my favorite shows was called Enlisted. The finale episode features a man who survived an attack in Afghanistan that not everyone did. His brothers celebrate his “Alive Day,” but at the end, he breaks down, guilty that he survived and his friends did not. “Why should I get to celebrate anything?” His commanding officer, someone who has been tough on everyone the whole show, sits with him, points to his prosthetic leg, and tells him, “Because you lived. I have an Alive Day too, you know. It’s okay to feel guilt, son. But it’s okay to feel joy, too.” Sometimes we all have reasons to be somber when everyone else is celebrating.

If you need to express your authentic self, then do it, because that’s the only way those who love you know to sit with you and cry, laugh, hug it out, whatever. It’s not always the happy songs that give us joy, but the friends who hold us when we don’t feel like singing.

Your assignment today is to be authentic. If you cannot keep from singing, sing! If you need someone to sit with you while you cry, reach out! If someone needs such a friend when you feel like singing, then check out that verse from Romans: Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Sit with them in their reality. Share what makes you happy while mourning their loss with them.

We cannot be friends who sharpen each other if we don’t tell each other when we’re dull. This week is about love. No one can love you if they don’t see the real you—they can only love the image you put out there. I look forward to being a source of joy in this way for you when there is no source of current happiness. Try sharing something that makes you happy this time of year, or which makes you sad this time of year. I bet none of you are alone. Let’s not continue to feel like it.

You are dearly beloved.

Tuesday, December 23rd

There's an old African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child." Which means means that raising a child successfully requires the support, guidance, and involvement of the entire community, not just parents or guardians.

Whether you have children or not, the implication of this proverb extend past just raising children. It's a larger reflection on the importance of community on an individual's development.

I saw a video recently of someone reflecting on the modern disconnect in people's relationships and the speaker summarized it with "Everybody wants the benefit of a village without being a villager." They were addressing a pattern they were seeing in the world around them, and I wonder if you've seen it too-- people treating relationships as a chore instead of a blessing. Friends consistently bailing because they don't feel good, are too tired, too busy or otherwise--except it becomes the case on a weekly basis. Family upset that they would be asked to use their free time to drive someone to the airport, or help with grocery shopping.

Community comes at the price of inconvenience because often the truest way to show love is to show them you're willing to sacrifice something for them. It's a statement that shows them they are more important in that moment.

-Kiersten

Today’s Practice

If you'd like to make this a list, you can--or you can simply meditate on it as you light your Love candle today.

Consider those you have in your village. How do they support and nurture you? Each person probably has something that you particularly appreciate about them. If you're struggling to isolate what it is--consider what happens to your life if they weren't there. Can you identify changes in your life if they weren't a part of your story?

Hopefully that was easy--but that was only part one.

Your true challenge is to spread the love. Find a meaningful way to tell as much of your village how much you appreciate them and what they bring to your life. It's simple but often we get so caught up in the hustle & bustle of life, we forget to stop and truly thank the people who get us through each day for one reason or another. People may not know how impactful they are to you unless you tell them.

Scripture for Today

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

A Thought to Hold

Imagine the story of Jesus' birth from Mary's revelation to the visitors in the manger, but take out every character except Joseph, Mary and Jesus. What happens when you remove their "village?"

Community Question

What interesting things do you notice happens to Jesus' ministry if you remove the supporting characters outside of Joseph, Mary and Jesus.

Bonus: What happens to you own story if the village disappears?

Prayer

God of Love,

You have placed so many amazing people in my village. Thank you for the friends, family, and loved ones that you use to speak through and minister in my life daily.

I pray you give me the love, strength and patience to be a villager for others so that I may minister to them in return.

Give me a selfless spirit full of love and empathy to show my community Your love and compassion even when I don't feel like it.

Amen

Wednesday, December 24th

The Light That Came Into the World

Advent has been a season of waiting. Waiting with hope. Waiting for peace. Waiting for joy. Waiting to love and to be loved. And today, we light the Christ Candle.

For me, Christmas never quite feels complete without a candlelight service. Standing close to family and friends, singing Silent Night, watching the room slowly fill with light, and somehow, every single year, getting hot wax on my hand even though those little paper drip protectors promise they will help and never really do. It is a small, familiar inconvenience, almost comforting in its predictability, and it reminds me that Christmas is not abstract. It is physical. It is shared. It is real.

We light the Christ Candle today not because the room is dark, but because the world still needs light. Hope. Peace. Joy. Love. All of it finds its center here, in Christ. The Christ Candle tells the heart of the Christmas story. God did not send instructions or keep distance. God sent presence.

Jesus enters the world not in perfection, but in vulnerability. Not with power, but with closeness. Not to remain untouched, but to dwell among us. The light of Christ reminds us that God chose to be known not only in heaven, but here among families and friends, traditions and memories, bodies and voices, and ordinary moments that often carry more meaning than we realize at the time.

This is the light we celebrate today.

~ Aaron Bostwick

Today’s Practice

As you light the Christ Candle, pause for a moment and notice the flame. Notice its steadiness and how it holds its light even in a bright room. Listen to or sing Silent Night and let the light remind you that Christ comes not only to be seen, but to be shared.

If you are holding a candle, feel its warmth in your hands.

Let the physical presence of the flame remind you that God came not as an idea, but as a person.

Take one slow breath and quietly say, “Christ is with us.”

Scripture for Tonight

“The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” (John 1:9)

“The Word became flesh and lived among us.” (John 1:14)

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” (Isaiah 9:2)

Together, these scriptures tell us what this candle means. Christ is not light for a few, but light for everyone. Not light that avoids the world, but light that enters it. Not light that fades, but light that dwells.

A Thought to Hold

The Christ Candle tells us that God’s light is strong enough to enter our darkness and gentle enough to be held in our hands.

Family / Community Question

Where have you noticed God’s light showing up in ordinary moments this year?

Prayer

God With Us, thank You for coming close. Thank You for light that can be held, love that can be shared, and hope that does not fade. As we light the Christ Candle, help us carry Your light into the world not only on Christmas, but every day. Amen.

Thursday, December 25th

Merry Christmas, everyone!

What does Christmas mean to you? No, for real, tell us below, and if you look forward to pie more than listening to some preacher, you can tell us. We won’t tell.

It’s a day that means something different to different people. That’s okay. If we look at the four Gospel writers, each one had different priorities in telling Jesus’ story, so it’s okay if you have a different thing you love about today.

Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ fulfillment of the Jewish prophecies. Mark is more concerned with concise historical documentation of Jesus’ life, miracles, and teachings. Luke displays Jesus’ message being for everyone, not just any one group. John concerns himself with showing Christ’s divinity, Jesus’ oneness with God.

If Christmas to you means looking at Historical Jesus, if it means celebrating God being with us, if it means fulfillment of God’s promises, or if it means all people being reconciled with God through God’s reaching and sacrifice, those are all good things. If the celebration of Christmas is supposed to look like ham, turkey, cranberry sauce, presents, trees, and candles for you, then that’s a great way to do it.

I don’t mind at all how you keep today holy and celebratory. I do care that you feel loved. Praise God that we have miraculously been sent this baby! But if you do that with family, friends, charitable organizations, or alone, I’m glad that you celebrate today, however that looks.

Today we celebrate God with us. God is love. Show love in the world today in order to celebrate Christmas! Shed the stress of the season and hug someone! Love is the best way to celebrate.

Luke 1:14: "And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth"

Psalm 65:11: "You crown the year with your goodness; your paths overflow with rich food."

Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

Isaiah 9:6: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Luke 1:35: "And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God."