Introduction

The theme for this year’s devotional writings is “Making Room”. The season of Advent – a mere 4 Sundays before Christmas Day – is all about making room for Jesus in our lives and in the world.

We’ve arrived at the time of year when many of us get caught up in earthly-focused activities. Decorating our homes. Shopping for gifts. Social gatherings with friends. Annual family gatherings. Traveling, sometimes great distances, to be with loved ones. These activities fill our schedules … sap our energy … center on us.

Advent is much more than any of these human-centered, temporal activities – so we invite you to make room - to pause, to re-center yourself, and to be present with God through these devotions.

Christmas is primarily a celebration of the birth, the first coming of our Lord who became fully human (incarnate) in Jesus. Advent is a season of prayer and preparation for the return of Christ. Advent invites us to intentionally make room for God to journey with us patiently, faithfully through life working for justice and mercy as we move ever closer to that day when hope is fulfilled with redemption as Christ returns.

Advent is about hope: Hope for the return of Messiah. Hope for peace in our world. Hope as we wait. Hope as we light candles reminding us that the “light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it”. Hope in the yearning words of “O come, O come Emmanuel”.

These devotions invite us to make room for hope in the face of seemingly intractable divisions and conflicts around the globe.

Advent is about light overcoming the world’s darkness. We yearn to see the star and to hear the angels sing “Glory to God in the highest heaven” as God’s glory blazes across the night sky announcing the Messiah’s birth to the shepherds.

Again this year, siblings in Christ at Christmas Lutheran in Bethlehem and St. John’s Lutheran in Salisbury have prepared these Advent devotions. These devotions give witness to our covenant to accompany one another in our journey of faith, to walk in solidarity in our struggle for mercy and justice, and to learn from the other’s experience and wisdom.

We give thanks and praise to God for the presence and movement of the Holy Spirit in both of our congregations. We rejoice that together we are making room for Christ in our lives.

Advent blessings to you.

Pastor Greg Williams
St. John’s Lutheran Church
Salisbury, North Carolina, USA

Pastor Munther Isaac
Evangelical Christmas Lutheran Church
Bethlehem, Palestine