Advent, the still time of year to prepare our hearts, minds and schedules to celebrate Christ Jesus’s birth. Each Sabbath of Advent leading up to Christmas, we’ve lit a candle for the week’s focus word. This year, we’ve focused on Hope, Faith and Peace and next week Joy! We read a general meditation on the meaning of the word in light of the Messiah’s coming. On a different night throughout the week, I, Drew, Brother or Sister bring a verse, song and meditation to go along with the focused word. For instance, last week’s word of Faith came from Hebrews 11, Zechariah 4:10 (not despising the day of small things), the servants described in Luke 19, Namaan & Elisha, and the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. It’s been wonderful to hear what each family member brings throughout the week as we learn from one another, discuss and prepare our hearts. Christmas day we'll light the center candle for His birth.
Our rhythms have continued with our Strayer family church held 3 weeks a month, the International Prayer Gathering where Sister serves the kids once a month, El Monte Calvario once a month, and Brother serving once a month at a large local church on the youth tech team.
A milestone of our Strayer church plant has been crossed ... Peace City Church was approved by the Pacific Conference of the Brethren in Christ (BIC) denomination on November 14th! A to do list awaits for logistics to move forward legally, but this recognition and validation within our church conference is a cause for celebration, and we wanted to share this with all of you out there.
On Christmas Eve, we will host another neighborhood drop in to gather neighbors, have snacks and sing Christmas carols. Our family would love prayer protection and prayer for those God may bring into our home.
I’ve been pondering all these traditions in the Christian faith we do surrounding Christmas. We are called to anticipate and make Him room in this busy time. Turn off the screens, lights and phones ... to let the darkness be present as we light a candle and reflect on the light not being overcome by darkness. We know darkness ... our culture, terminal sickness, dysfunctional earthly families, thoughts in our own minds. But God did amazing significant unexpected things in the arrival of Jesus Christ to earth. I pray we may each allow room for the unexpected in our Christmas season. Yes, our family LOVES tradition but we also love and serve a God who broke into tradition to give us a gift -the best gift- the Messiah.
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