2020 Friends University Advent Devotional

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ADVENT 2020 I am excited to present the fifth annual Advent Guide for the Friends University community. Fredrick Buechner so eloquently introduces us to the season as “The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens. Advent is the name of that moment.”

This season on the Church calendar is one ripe with expectation. It invites us to an expectant waiting and preparation for the coming of Christ. My hope is that as you journey through these pages with our community, you will encounter Christ.

Each devotional contains a daily reading of the scriptures as well as reflections from a staff member, faculty, or student. Some days simply invite you to read scripture and provide a guide for a spiritual practice.

I am grateful for all the staff, faculty, and students who shared their thoughts and reflections for us to consider this season. I am thankful for our Lounge Host, Jolene Jensen, who has taken this on as a “special project.” None of this would be possible without these contributions.

I pray these reflections on Scripture will guide you on your journey to encounter Christ in the manger on Christmas day.

Grace and Peace, Haley Alloway Associate Campus Pastor of Formation

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A GUIDE FOR DAILY DEVOTION Quiet Your Heart As we seek the Lord, it is important that we slow our pace, our mind and our body, so we might better “see” and “hear” what the Lord might have for us. A major part of preparing a place for God to speak involves turning down the volume of the noisy world we have become so accustomed to living in. Take a few minutes to focus your mind’s attention and heart’s affection on the ever-presence of Jesus.

Opening Prayer Comfort, comfort your people, O God! Speak peace to your people.

Comfort those who sit in darkness and mourn.

Forgive us our sins and end the conflict in our lives.

The Reading of Scripture Take time to slowly and prayerfully read the Scripture passages assigned for the day. Pay special attention to words or phrases that might stand out to you.

The Devotional Reflection Read the devotional reflection for the day. Look and listen for how the Lord might be speaking through the thoughts and reflections of another.

Listen for God Before you rush on to the next part of your day, take a few moments to sit with the things you have read and ask God if there is something specific for you to take away for today. If you sense a leading, be willing to follow it. Maybe write it down somewhere where you will be reminded of it. Allow this to orient you and the work, relationships and experiences you have throughout your day.

Prayers The following is a suggested guide for prayer during Advent: • Pray for all Christians around the world and especially for those who endure persecution for their faith.

• Pray for our nation and all those in authority.

• Pray that Christ’s peace may cover the world. Pray for the end of conflict and war and the triumph of truth and justice.

• Pray for those who suffer and grieve.

• Pray for all those who engage in the educational ministry of the Church and especially for Friends University.

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 ISAIAH 64:1-9 | PSALM 80:1-7, 17-19 | 1 CORINTHIANS 1:3-9 | MARK 13:24-37 Advent is a season of actively waiting. It is easy to wait passively, to put out of our mind things that are yet to come and numb ourselves and be caught by complete surprise when Christmas day comes, and joy begins. Most of us have lived this year passively, each day becoming a blur until all of a sudden we look up and we’re in our final days of 2020. It’s very hard to live in a time like this and not want to numb out. God’s people have lived in hard times before and we will again. In this season we are called to take up a posture of longing, of desiring, and waiting, on our God. To make it to the end of 2020 and come out better on the other side we’re going to have to be present in these final moments. We’re going to have to actively desire God, search for Him in every moment, and make His love known to others. We have all gone through so much this year with all that 2020 has brought to light but it would be a shame to waste this opportunity for growth. We have a great opportunity as individuals, a body of believers, a nation, and a world for growth, improvement, and transformation. We have spent a lot of time this year in different hardships and we’ve all had numerous letdowns. It is important for us to feel the feelings that come, bring them to God, give Him our heart as it breaks apart in our hands, and reflect. We have to reflect on what has happened so we can be formed into who we are meant to be. Advent is a time of waiting, but it can be a time of active waiting. Spend this time of waiting, reflecting, growing and loving. Be present for it all and do not be caught by surprise when you find God along the way, He was always there.

Sarah Lazar-St. John Junior-Psychology & Christian Spiritual Formation Major Volleyball Chaplain Psych Club Treasurer

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2020 PSALM 79 | MICAH 4:1-5 | REVELATION: 15:1-8 This time of year is different than usual. Usually, as it starts to drop in temperature and the days become shorter, we look forward to the holiday season. The holiday season is when we come together with family and enjoy each other’s company.

It’s filled with laughs and bellies full of delicious food. However, this year it seems that may never come as if we must stand across the room from one another, and that’s as close as we can get.

Similarly, in the Revelation of John, God is across a “sea of glass.” In essence, He is beyond our reach, much like how we see our loved ones and possibly God himself during this season. Nevertheless, while God is across this sea, the angels still sing praises!

I hope you take the time to praise God throughout these difficult times. Even though we may be distanced physically, we are all capable of having a posture of worship. God is always present, He’s just across the sea.

Questions: 1. How distant are you from God? 2. In what ways can you practice being in His presence today?

Max King Senior Religion and Philosophy

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 PSALM 79 | MICAH 4:6-13 | REVELATION 18:1-10 So much of our life is spent waiting. We wait in line. We wait for shipments and mail to arrive. We wait for the next season, the next family gathering, for the next available checker at the grocery store, for babies to come, etc.

We wait.

Sometimes we wait for painful times to end. We long for a day when our suffering will be over. We wait for the day the fever will break, for the remission to come, or in our most desperate times, for the release of the pain this life holds and to be united with God. This second kind of waiting is part and parcel of the spirit of Advent. The world, through sin and its deleterious effects, is broken and full of pain. In this season of a global pandemic, political turmoil, and the struggle for a more just nation, we know pain and loss.

We wait for the kind of day God talks about in Micah 4:6-8, when God will rule over us and establish the dominion of the Kingdom of God in this world. Take some time today to think about the things that will be made right when Christ returns to reconcile all things back to Himself. Wait for the day when the Lord will assemble the exiles and those who have been brought to grief.

Luke Stehr Associate Campus Pastor of Outreach

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020 PSALM 79 | MICAH 5:1-5A | LUKE 21:34-38 Advent is marked by four weeks, with each week having its own designated theme. The first week of advent is the week of hope. You may wonder why Psalm 79 would be included in a theme about hope, as on the surface its verses seem to be conveying the direct opposite of hope. “They have poured out their blood like water,” verse three reads, “all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.” Verse four continues, “We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us.” That doesn’t sound very hopeful to me.

Many of the Psalms, including Psalm 79, act as petitions from the people of Israel asking for God’s justice to be enacted over the enemies of the nation. These Psalms belong to a category called imprecatory Psalms. The Israelites, as we know, endured a history that included violent conflict, wars, insurrection, and exile. They sometimes found themselves feeling downtrodden and defeated. Yet, Israel held onto a hope that there would be justice restored. They held onto a hope that the world would be made right.

Our world is also crying out for God’s justice right now. Generations of systemic racism can no longer be ignored. A pandemic has killed hundreds of thousands of our people. Economic inequality is at an all-time high. We too are calling out, asking Christ to make us right again. As we wait for peace to come, for equality to be restored, Israel’s hope is our hope today.

Lacey Morris Junior Human Services/Sociology

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2020 PSALM 85:1-2, 8-13 | HOSEA 6:1-6 | 1 THESSALONIANS. 1:2-10 There’s so much repeated encouragement in these verses. Sometimes I get in the groove of expecting hard conviction or reading scripture for a class that I forget the comfort provided for me in these words. As C.S. Lewis says, “it pierces with such sweetness.” I’m learning that it can be good to set aside the information and study the gospel simply to experience the sweetness. Psalm 85 paints that feeling in verse 6. It says “righteousness and peace have kissed each other,” which just lends my soul to stillness. When I encounter verses like that from the readings, I can’t help but celebrate the assurance. This is a good segue into the anticipation of the Messiah this time of year. I can celebrate every single day for what has been fulfilled, and celebrate the promises that I know are yet to be fulfilled. What sweet joy! Read those verses again and revel in the stillness, be filled with the giddy joy. Wahoo!

Jolene Jensen Junior Zoo Science

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020 SPIRITUAL PRACTICE | COUNT YOUR HATES PSALM 85:1-2, 8-13 | JEREMIAH 1:4-10 | ACTS 11:19-26 This is a play on Count Your Blessings. Instead, count the things you hate in this world. Think of the injustices you see affecting people and consider what you can do to nurture peace in those places. Make a list of your hates, and make a list of how you can be a light there. Then pray the prayer of St. Francis: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace Where there is hatred, let me sow love Where there is injury, pardon Where there is doubt, faith Where there is despair, hope Where there is darkness, light And where there is sadness, joy O Divine Master, grant that I may Not so much seek to be consoled as to console To be understood, as to understand To be loved, as to love For it is in giving that we receive And it’s in pardoning that we are pardoned And it’s in dying that we are born to Eternal Life Amen

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2020 PSALM 85:1-2, 8-13 | EZEKIEL 36:24-28 | MARK 11:27-33 In the book of Mark, Chapter 11, the leaders of the synagogues came up to Jesus and asked him “on what authority do you have to do this,” trying to get Jesus to give them an answer that they can rip apart to discredit Jesus as the Messiah.

They wanted him to slip up so that they had grounds to go to the public and outcry that Jesus was a liar even more. Instead of giving them a straight answer, he instead asked who John was baptized by. Was it heaven? Or man? After realizing the double-edged sword Jesus had lain out in front of them they decided not to answer at all. If they had said it was from heaven, then Jesus would then ask “Then why didn’t you believe him?” and if they had said it was from man, then the public would reach out in anger towards the priests, for John was revered as a prophet. So they took the easy way out and said “I do not know.” Jesus then responded with “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” The most important thing to remember when going through these passages is that even leaders in the religious world when Jesus was alive and walking were often skeptical of his legitimacy.

Today, it would be smart to meditate for 5-10 minutes, doing your best to reverse your skeptical beliefs. Instead of thinking of reasons why Jesus might not be there for you, think of times and instances in your life where you can look back on them and say that didn’t happen by accident. Things that seem planned to help you become the person you are today. Think about why you are happy he is along this journey with you and why you are grateful for his presence.

The word “Advent” means coming in Latin, however, all you can do when something is coming is wait until it has arrived. I urge you to wait in prayer with God, be patient and allow him to speak to you while we focus on the coming of Christ to the earth.

Joel Gaddie Sophomore Chemistry

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020 ISAIAH 40:1-11 | PSALM 85:1-2, 8-13 | 2 PETER 3:8-15A | MARK 1:1-8 Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” We know that we need to put our trust in God rather than in humans, because people can be unreliable, and God is always faithful. We long to hear the word of God and the promises God has for us; we long to hear God’s voice. But sometimes it feels like God is not speaking, or we are waiting for a long time.

Today, I’d like to suggest that there are times when you will be waiting for a long time, and that in these times of waiting we are to lean in and be attentive. Many times, we expect God to just reveal things to us without us having to do anything. I’m not promoting a works-based Gospel, but there is such a thing as active waiting, where the only thing you can do is turn to God and listen. In Psalm 85:8, the psalmist says, “Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.” The Lord will speak to those who turn to him in their hearts. If we are not turning to God in our hearts and becoming in-tune with the Holy Spirit, how can we then expect that we will hear God’s ever-present voice or understand what God is saying?

Our passage in 2 Peter chapter 3 speaks to our waiting for the day of the Lord and to the coming of the new heavens and a new earth. Verses 13-14 say, “But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish.” How does one “strive to be found without spot or blemish? Verse 11b suggests that we need to lead lives of holiness and godliness. We know that we can’t do this alone and that only God, through the Spirit’s leading, can guide us to be these kinds of people. So I urge you to lean in, to be active in your waiting and turn to God when all else fails.

Sarah Mason Campus Ministries Graduate Assistant MA in Christian Spiritual Formation & Leadership

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 PSALM 27 | ISAIAH 26:7-15 | ACTS 2:37-42 In Psalm 27 I hear two clear statements, wait, and you are safe. “For in my time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion.”

When he asks us to seek his face it will require patience. In this time of advent where we try to patiently await the day of Christs birth, surrounded by family and gifts, God’s face seems very evident. Now what about those of us not surrounded by family and showered with gifts? Waiting on God may take a bit more patience. In our hard time God is with us all the more.

Protecting and keeping, but these are the hardest times to rest in this knowledge of God’s immense love. Oh how simple a life God calls us to live, a life like Christ’s. Acts 2:38 says “Repent and be baptized” and again we see the simplicity of God. Along these same lines Matthew 18:3 says “Unless ye be converted, and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” So throughout this wonderful season of Christmas and advent as we await the celebration of Christ’s birth I hope we can remember and practice our child-like relationship with our Father, King, and friend!

Logan Krenn Senior Biology Education

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2020 PSALM 27 | ISAIAH 4:2-6 | ACTS 11:1-18 In life, there are always things that get us down, and it seems those are the moments where it is hardest to feel God’s presence. When we are struggling we often ask ourselves, “How could God do this to me? Why God? How is good to come from this?” In hard times it is difficult to understand why we experience so much pain. When we are consumed by our own struggles it can be harder to see God’s plan for us. Our pain and hardships can act as a shadow on our connection to God. Although it can feel like we are far from God it is important to not let those thoughts and feelings pull us from God. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, God has a plan for our lives, as it says in Psalms 27, “The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I fear?” There is nothing in this world that our God cannot handle. It is in the moments where we are most down when we need to turn to God even more so than the happy moments. Isaiah 4:2 tells us God is our shelter, shade, and refuge. When we feel like there is nothing that can help or save us, I promise you God can. Turning towards God doesn’t have to look the same as how everyone else does. Raising your hand in worship is a way for some people to connect, but so is sitting in nature and just being silent. Worshiping our God comes in so many different forms and however you connect to God, it is perfect in its own way. In Acts 11:9 Peter is called by God to, converse with people who were declared unclean at the time. However, in verse 12 it says, “The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them.” This world can be so judgmental of us, but I encourage you to be with God in the way you connect with him. Let the spirit guide you. Your relationship with God belongs to you and how you connect with him is up to you. So when you experience hardships, and you will that’s just how our broken world works, lean into our God. Through Him, you will find healing.

Alaina Madden Freshman Language Arts Education

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2020 PSALM 27 | MALACHI 2:10-3:1 | LUKE 1:5-17 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and take heart And wait for the Lord.

The theologian Jürgen Moltmann wrote a book called Theology of Hope. In this wonderful book, Moltmann lays out that because we know how things are going to end, with the goodness and love of God conquering sin and death, we can live with a hope that charges us forward in the present and inspires us to work for the good of where we are. He says: “That is why faith, wherever it develops into hope, causes not rest but unrest, not patience but impatience. It does not calm the unquiet heart, but is itself this unquiet heart in man. Those who hope in Christ can no longer put up with reality as it is, but begin to suffer under it, to contradict it. Peace with God means conflict with the world, for the goad of the promised future stabs inexorably into the flesh of every unfulfilled present.”

As we wait for God’s promised good future, we can continue to work for the good of the world in which we live. How is Christ challenging you to come into conflict with reality as it is? How is God calling you into conflict with the world?

Luke Stehr Associate Campus Pastor of Outreach

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 PSALM 126 | HABAKKUK 2:1-5 | PHILIPPIANS 3:7-11 Some things are worth waiting for. We say that phrase a lot, but how much do we really believe it? I will be the first to admit that patience isn’t a virtue that I really possess. I am the type to leave the line at the grocery store if it’s taking too long and I loved being the line leader when I was a kid. I am not really one to wait very long for anything, even something I really want.

But every once in a while, I hold out hope for something special, and I am patient but only if I believe the reward is worth the wait. When I was eight, I was excited to go to church camp. I had heard only good things about it, the problem was, I had to wait a year since I wasn’t old enough to go. When all of my siblings that worked there came back from camp and told stories, I was disappointed and nearly cried that I had to wait a whole year. But my dad said that age old phrase, “Rachel, some things are worth waiting for.” and so I stopped crying and hoped he was right. When I went to camp the next year, it was worth the wait. I was with one of the counselors that was known for being the most fun and some of my best friends.

I also got to do activities that hadn’t existed until that year because they remodeled the spring break before. It was worth every day that I had spent thinking about it in that year and I’ve never forgotten that what happened in the end was worth it.

Advent is about waiting, even though patience is often not very easy for us. The Jews waited thousands of years for a coming King who was nothing like they expected, yet, he was better than they could have imagined. The reward was worth the wait.

God was coming to set right the wrongs they had experienced, to restore life to his people, to make things perfect. Not only that, but he was going to do it all through his own Son. In our verses today, we see some prophecy, the coming of the restoration of the Jewish kingdom, and the destruction of their enemies. A world made right. We then see that Jesus is where these prophecies come together, anything aside from him isn’t worth much at all. The beauty of it is, we are a part of this new kingdom, and the end goal. We are a part of helping to set things right in God’s kingdom that is both here and now, and that is growing toward a future. That’s the sort of waiting that I can get behind, and the best part is God’s promises are always worth waiting for because the return we get is always worth the wait.

Rachel Harvey Freshman English

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2020 PSALM 126 | HABAKKUK. 3:2-6 | PHILIP. 3:12-16 “...I stand in awe of your deed, LORD. Repeat them in our day...” (Hab. 3:2) What a simple act it is to appreciate God’s “deeds”, yet it brings such joy to our hearts. Often I find that I can miss much of the beauty God has to offer us. Every day we are greeted with a beautiful sunrise. Every night we have the opportunity to watch a magnificent sunset.

It’s not just the beautiful imagery of the sun that has God’s work painted on it. We often overlook the good deeds others perform. Every day there is an opportunity for you to find joy in someone else’s selfless deed, you just have to look for it.

Similarly, we always have the opportunity for our own actions to bring joy and benefit to others.

Every day we have the opportunity to see God’s deeds. While we may have missed them yesterday, there’s no reason we can’t be marveled at them today. This can be seen in many ways, the beauty of nature and the actions of humanity were just examples. Take time to appreciate all that is around us.

Question: 1. I wonder, where do you see God’s deeds take place in your day-to-day life?

Max King Senior Religion and Philosophy

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2020 PSALM 126 | HABAKKUK 3:13-19 | MATTHEW 21:28-32 Advent is desert time. Moses and the Hebrews journeyed through the desert for forty years. Elijah fled to the desert for forty days. Jesus was in the desert for forty days and then tempted. Even the Apostle Paul went to the desert for three years.

Desert time is a theme repeated in both the Old and New Testaments. God’s people need desert time.

Churches that observe the Christian calendar practice desert time twice a year. Lent in the spring and Advent in winter. Lent is modeled upon Jesus’ time in the desert. And Advent on Israel’s time in exile.

Isaiah 9:2, “The people living in darkness have seen a great light”, is a common Advent theme. It is a cry from the midst of exile for YHWH’s deliverance, the light of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Exile in Babylon was not unlike Israel’s wandering in the desert of the Exodus hundreds of years before.

It has been almost a year since we learned of COVID-19. We have endured shut-downs, school closings, mask-wearing, and social distancing. Some of us have been infected and recovered. Some of us have lost loved ones. Christians have learned to worship outside of our normal routines. We have felt the loss that comes from social distancing. COVID has been an exile of sorts. It is our desert time.

Advent is desert time we enter on purpose. Through Scripture and prayer and worship we prepare ourselves for the coming King, the light of Christ, delivered in a manger on Christmas.

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations,

“The LORD has done great things for them.”

3 The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.

4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negev. ~ Psalm 126

The Negev is the desert of southern Israel. It is a dry, deserted place. For Israel to have their “fortunes restored” was like having streams flowing in the desert. It was refreshment in the face of exhaustion and life in the face of death. Advent may not be a desert place but it is our desert time. A time we enter with confidence knowing we will find water in the desert, God’s hope in the midst of pandemic.

Paul Hill Adjunct Religion Professor Pastor of Wheatland Mission Church

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2020 ISAIAH 61:1-4, 8-11 | PSALM 126 You glance at the clock; the hands seem to be going in slow-motion. Your eyes sparkle in anticipation as you eagerly wait for the perfect time to come. A smile spreads across your face as you feel it getting near and… finally, it is time! As we go into the season of advent, it is important to remember that it is a time of expectation for Jesus and a time of hope and joy. Both the book of Isaiah and Psalms show this joy and expectation for what God is going to do.

In Isaiah 61:10, Israel is looking forward to the time of the LORD’s favor and a time of freedom and restoration. In Luke 4, Jesus reads from Isaiah 61:1-2 and says he has fulfilled these words Isaiah prophesied. The Messiah that Israel had been waiting for and the time of the LORD’s favor were here! What great joy they had that their expectation and hope were being realized! As I remember what God has done for us by sending His Son, it brings out a sense of thankfulness and anticipation to see what He is going to do next. May we sing and be thankful to God as David did in Psalm 126.

Psalm 126:1-3 (NLT) “When the LORD brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.

And the other nations said, ‘What amazing things the LORD has done for them.’ Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy!”

How do you see the joy of what God has done in your life?

Talk to three other people today and share stories about what God has been doing in your life.

Vivian Titus Sophomore Elementary Education and Christian Spiritual Formation

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2020 SPIRITUAL PRACTICE | FASTING PSALM 125 | 1 KINGS 18:1-18 | EPHESIANS 6:10-17 The Quaker writer Richard Foster defines fasting as “the temporary removal of an otherwise normal life function for the purpose of intense spiritual activity.” Based on this definition, practice one of these types of fasting.

Wesleyan Fast One of the main ways people have fasted throughout history is to go without eating for a period of time. A moderate form of this is known as the “Wesleyan Fast.” John Wesley encouraged all of his ministers to fast on Fridays. This did not mean not eating for an entire day, rather it went like this:

1. Fasting from breakfast and lunch on Friday 2. Break the fast in mid-afternoon (3-4:00) by having a small snack 3. Eat a normal dinner (but don’t overeat to make up!)

This may not seem very difficult, but Wesley was not interested in spiritual heroics. Instead, he wanted his ministers to learn how to train their bodies to live with gladness under minor depravation on a regular basis.

Sidenote: Please do not practice the Wesleyan Fast if you have medical or personal reasons for not doing so.

Media Fast The second practice is a media fast. Here is a definition of media: Communication channels through which news, entertainment, data, or promotional messages are disseminated. Media includes every broadcasting and narrowcasting medium such as newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, podcasts, and internet.

Today, you are to be “media free,” meaning no TV, no internet, no YouTube, no movies, no music, no Netflix. Yes, this also includes Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter! The easiest way to accomplish this may be to leave your phone at home.

With both forms of fasting, be mindful of how you will fill the space left behind. Make plans before the fast so you can dedicate some time to prayer, scripture reading, meditation, or worship so that your fasting may also be feasting. A simple practice could be to pray the phrase “Hallowed be thy name” when you feel hunger pangs or miss your media.

Reflection Once the day has come to a close, consider the following questions: What was your overall experience with this form of fasting? Did the practice bring you closer to God? How did you deal with an empty belly, and the silence created by the absence of media? And how might fasting train you in other areas of your life, such as what you do when you don’t get your way?

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TUESDAY DECEMBER 15, 2020 PSALM 125 | 2 KINGS 2:9-22 | ACTS 3:17-4:4 Our lives are often measured on what we’ve done, but God adores us for who we are: His creation, that is so good is His eyes.

Along the same lines, we can get caught up in our failures instead of rejoicing in who God calls us to be despite our shortcomings. If only we could trust in the image the Lord has of us, we may become more accepting of ourselves, others, and His grace.

Today, take time to reflect on what you’ve endured. These may be tough moments to look back on if you feel they were times of weakness or failure. But find the good that has come from your trials, your story, your life. Have you not become stronger from them?

Psalm 125 verse one says: Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

In your moments of weakness and trial- did you trust in the Lord? Trusting is scary and puts us in a vulnerable position but we can be reassured that Christ is more than worthy of our trust. He is fighting for you. In fact, He has already won the battle.

Christ suffered, “so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

(Acts 3:19) This is all to say….

1. Your weakness is a means to Trust in the Lord.

2. Dependence makes your faith stronger, makes you stronger, like Mount Zion.

3. Rejoice in your imperfections (weird, right??) But God only uses broken people.

4. Rest. Because the battle is won, you are loved, your true identity is God’s good creation.

Grace Garrison Junior Psychology

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020 PSALM 125 | MALACHI 3:16-4:6 | MARK 9:9-13 Advent is my favorite season on the Church calendar. This year has been one I don’t think any of us could have anticipated.

We have found ourselves on the backside of an extremely contentious political cycle and election. We’ve also endured almost a year of a pandemic that has thrown us all for a loop. Advent reminds us that we are not only awaiting for Jesus to make His first appearance here on earth in the Incarnation but we are also still awaiting His return.

Psalm 125 belongs to the group of psalms known as the Psalms of ascent. Worshipers traveling to Jerusalem for feasts would sing these songs along their journey. Much like those worshipers, we find ourselves on a journey. Although ours isn’t necessarily a physical pilgrimage we are all on a pilgrimage of our own, a spiritual pilgrimage.

This psalm reminds us of the faithfulness of the Lord. It encourages us to put our trust in the most faithful One. I find this encouraging in the midst of these dark and trying times. The beautiful thing about the God we serve is that He is always faithful to us even when we fail to trust. His faithfulness never wavers.

I encourage you this season to lean in. Closer and closer. Listen for what God has for you. In the silence He speaks. Lean into the anticipation of Advent as we eagerly await His return.

Haley Alloway Associate Campus Pastor of Formation

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020 SPIRITUAL PRACTICE | SCRIPTURE MEDITATION PSALM 89:1-4, 19-26 | 2 SAMUEL 6:1-11 | HEBREWS 1:1-4 Choose one of the three passages above. Then follow the next few steps as you read through the Scripture.

1. Read through the Scripture passage slowly.

2. Read through the Scripture passage again, this time paying attention to any words or phrases that

catch your attention. Write those down as you come across them and focus on them.

3. Read through the Scripture passage another time. This time meditate on how this passage of Scripture

touches your life.

4. Finally, read through the passage one more time and ask God if there is any action this meditation

might be calling you to.

5. Pray and thank God for your time together with Him. Haley Alloway Associate Campus Pastor of Formation

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2020 SPIRITUAL PRACTICE | CONFESSION PSALM 89:1-4, 19-26 | 2 SAMUEL 6:12-19 | HEBREWS 1:5-14 There’s something truly challenging about confession. In it, we confront the shame of the things we shouldn’t have done or should’ve done, but didn’t. The larger the wrong, the more difficult it can be to bring it to light by confessing it to another.

Even so, confession is a fundamental part of our lives as Christians. As a part of growing in your faith, we’d like you to work on making a regular practice of confessing the things you’ve done wrong in prayer. This prayer below may be helpful for you.

“Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name.”

Haley Alloway Associate Campus Pastor of Formation

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020 PSALM 89:1-4, 19-26 | JUDGES 13:2-24 | JOHN 7:40-52 Today, we will explore how God shows up in unexpected ways and look to join God in what he is doing. In John 7, the people were divided over if Jesus was the Messiah because he was from Galilee, and they expected the Messiah to come from Bethlehem. The Pharisees also had unbelief about Jesus and wanted to condemn him. But when they asked the guards who had gone to arrest Jesus why they did not do so, the guards replied, 46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does.”

Jesus was not the sort of person the Jews had anticipated, yet even the guards could not deny His teaching.

In the reading from Judges, Manoah did not understand that the man who came to his wife was the Angel of the Lord until they sacrificed their offering to God. Judges 13: 17-18 says, “Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, ‘What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?’ He replied, ‘Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.’” After they realized it was the Angel of the Lord himself, they were obedient in doing what the Angel of the Lord instructed them to do and God’s word came to pass—Manoah’s barren wife had a son and named him Samson.

God shows up in unexpected ways and we aren’t always ready to see Him when He comes. But while we wait for God, we can prepare ourselves by being faithful and obedient, and be on the lookout for what God is already doing. You’ve heard it said that “God works in mysterious ways.” He could be working through your prayers, through the presence of a friend, or even through the words of an enemy. Practice seeking God’s presence and action today by asking the question, “where might God be already working?”

Sarah Mason Campus Ministries Graduate Assistant MA in Christian Spiritual Formation & Leadership

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2020 2 SAMUEL 7:1-11, 16 | LUKE 1:46B-55 The song of Mary is one of the most joyous sections of scripture. As Mary realizes what God has done and who He has chosen her to be she is overjoyed. Waiting on God can be hard, we have a timeline we made and want to stick to. However, we can only see so far in one direction. God is working for our good and bringing us blessings long before we realize it. He is blessing everyone in many different ways and as simple as it sounds, we just need to wake up to His presence in our lives.

God is present all around us and in every moment, but we are often asleep to His presence. We can find ourselves praying for God to be with us through hard times and bring us comfort, but He is already doing that work for us in every moment. He delights in us and draws near to us constantly. We are the ones in need of awareness of Him. We can pray for comfort and a feeling of nearness when we need it, there is nothing wrong with that, but don’t miss out on the opportunity to pray for an awareness of His presence. God can make His presence known however He sees fit, big acts like the Immaculate Conception or small acts like catching the perfect little snowflake on a chilly day. All of the blessings we feel in this life flow from the heart of God, lets wake up to it all, and dip our toes into that stream.

Sarah Lazar-St. John Junior-Psychology & Christian Spiritual Formation Major Volleyball Chaplain Psych Club Treasurer

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2020 1 SAMUEL 1:1-18 | LUKE 1:46B-55 Has there ever been a moment when you have felt God fill you with a vibrant and contagious joy? It feels as though your soul is overflowing with peace, love and praise? There have been times in my life when God has completely refreshed my soul; filling me with an unexplainable, joyous energy I wish would last forever.

I believe this is how Mary felt right after she was told she would be giving birth to baby Jesus. Her spirit was overflowing with worship and praise for her heavenly Father. Nothing could stop her from feeling the pure joy of God’s presence and blessing in her life.

Although life is full of wonderful days like these, I also experience days of deep anguish, uncertainty and senseless worry. I feel trapped in a state of desperation where all I want to do is hide in my painful emotions. It is in these moments I relate to Hannah’s story. We find her weeping bitterly, feeling forgotten and alone as she struggles with her inability to have children.

She desperately cries out to the Lord, pouring her soul out to Him as she is drowning in her sorrow and grief. However, what I find beautiful about Hannah’s story is that even though she is in the midst of suffering, she does not turn her eyes away from the Lord.

It would be easy for us to feel far from God in times of darkness, confusion, and worry, but are we actually far from God? I trust God is with us in our joy and in our suffering. There have been times I have felt extremely near to God on my good and not so good days. No matter what life throws at you, or how you are feeling in a given moment, God is there. He is with you through it all.

In what ways have you felt God’s presence in the midst of joy and in suffering?

Where do you look to in times of desperation?

Abigail Dundee Junior Elementary Education and Christian Spiritual Formation

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2020 LUKE 1:46-55 | 1 SAMUEL 1:19-28 | HEBREWS 8:1-13 The concept of a covenant, as in Hebrews 8:1-13, is a reoccurring theme throughout both the old and new testament. A biblical covenant is similar to the common definition of covenant in that both are like a contract, an agreed upon set of terms in which two parties interact. In a biblical covenant, terms are how God and his people will relate.

There are five major covenants in the Bible that can be used to separate Biblical history. First, the Noahic Covenant, then the Abrahamic Covenant, the Mosiac Covenant or Israel’s Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and finally, the new covenant spoken of in Hebrews. The first four covenants included rigid tenants that must be followed in order to maintain the favor of God. Abraham needed to lead his land, the commandments had to be kept, and the Sabbath had to be maintained.

If the tenants weren’t followed, the people would be exiled, there would be judgement, death, or worse. God dwelled in the most inner parts of the temple, called the Holy of Holies, and priests only entered this room to be with the presence of God a few times a year. The priests had to ceremoniously purify themselves before entering and tied ropes around their ankles leading to outside the room in case the presence of God was too strong, and they were killed. The Jewish people also maintained a holiday called Yom Kippur, in which animals, often goats, were taken by the priests and given for ritual sacrifice for the sins of people. Negotiating and appeasing God was a complex system, that one did not dare to get wrong.

Jesus, the second he died on the cross and the veil that separates the temple was torn, ushered in a new and last covenant.

No longer did we have to petition God by perfectly following a contract, ritual sacrifice, or through intermediaries. As Hebrews 8:1-6 states, we have a new “high priest” that has “obtained a ministry that is much more excellent than the old as the covenant He mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.”

In our new high priest, we no longer only relate to God on the basis of sin. Our wrongs have been atoned for, and now we approach God as holy and right in Him. Jesus was the final scapegoat for our sins. “I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more,” He says. The new covenant, Christ, has done the work to set us free. The old has gone, and the new has come. I pray that you come to know the acceptance and peace you have in our new high priest, Jesus.

Lacey Morris Junior Human Services

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2020 LUKE 1:46B-55 | 1 SAMUEL 2:1-10 | MARK 11:1-11 In two days, we will be celebrating the birth of our Savior! As the season progresses, I come back to the Christmas song “Mary, Did You Know.” The song mentions the miracles that Jesus performed while He was living on earth, but these stories would be impossible without first the miracle of Christ’s birth. In Mary’s song, our passage from Luke today, the mother of our Savior shows us a true worship of God. You see, Mary had already understood and “rejoiced” in God; that understanding of who God is and what He has done allows her to have complete and utter excitement about worshipping Him. Thinking of Mary in this instance, I would assume she is absolutely terrified to have the responsibility of carrying the Savior and Redeemer of the world. However, never does Mary allow her feelings to get in the way of her worship and obedience to God. The foundation that Mary had was from a knowledge of Scripture and a deep, intimate relationship with the Father. Her words mimic the song of Hannah, our second passage, in which Hannah mentions her “heart rejoices in the Lord.” Mary would have been familiar with this passage and felt the emotion of Hannah to be proverbial for her situation; both women used their deep-rooted faith and humbly gave their lives to the work of the Kingdom. Mark 11, though familiar to us, depicts a lesson we all need to hear: Jesus spent his entire life humbling himself before God. The choice Jesus made that day to ride a colt was not unlike any decisions he had made before or any to come after this moment. Everyday Jesus humbled himself on earth, in front of the Father, and as an example to us of what we should be doing to truly worship God each day.

Jesus humbled himself daily to allow God’s will to be done. Hannah and Mary rejoiced when they were called to serve in various capacities. Aren’t you and I called to do the same? In response to knowing the character and love of God through our relationship with Him, we humbly serve, worship, and rejoice as enablers of His work. In two days, we celebrate the miracle of Christ’s birth, but let us not forget the examples from Hannah, Mary, and Jesus himself of the true worship of God Almighty.

Bayli Waters Sophomore Business Admin and Christian Spiritual Formation

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 ISAIAH 9:2-7 | PSALM 96 | TITUS 2:11-14 | LUKE 2:1-14, (15-20) It’s Christmas Eve. How are you doing? Are you tired? Worn out? Feeling over stimulated by the season’s mad dash from Thanksgiving? Do you find yourself stressed over the money spent or not spent this holiday season? Was a present not delivered and you’re a little ticked off about it? Are you longing for that person not around this Christmas or afraid for those who are sick today? Perhaps you are frustrated with the person you’ve become or the life you’ve found yourself in?

On days like today, we are tempted to turn on all the lights and pretend that the darkness isn’t dark. As if we could hang up Christmas lights and pretend that the light Himself was not born in a stable. Or to call his refugee parents, vacationers on an adventure. We are often drowning in sentimentality. No, on days like today we can be honest that we are in need of prophets like Isaiah who reminds us that, “it is the people who walked in the darkness that have seen a great light. It is to those who live in a dark land that the light has shined.”

To be pilgrims on a journey toward Christmas joy is not to deny the darkness or to collapse into it as if to say that it has won the day. To be Christians, celebrating Christmas Eve is to be reminded that the darkness around us, the darkness in us doesn’t have the last word. We see this clearly in verse 3 of the Isaiah reading. Against the backdrop of the Assyrian Empire ruling and reigning over the people of God, Israel continues “multiplying the nation” and in doing so, “increasing its joy.” It is a deeply subversive act of hope to have children at a time where the future is dark and hopeless. And yet the Israelite people did so with the certainty that evil would be defeated (verse 5) and that the Christ child’s birth would bring about endless peace, justice, and righteousness. His name would be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and the authority over darkness would rest on his shoulders (verse 6).

How do we hear these ancient prophesies today? We live on the other side of them but in our honesty, we might admit that it sometimes seems like Assyria is winning again. What is our subversive act on a day like today? The Psalmist reminds us to sing. To sing to the LORD a new song (verse 3), to join in with all of creation (verses 11-12), and declare God’s glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples (verse 3). Singing such words may seem like absurdity but that is precisely the point. The absurdity of the Gospel is a good way to detach the sentimentality of the day. It is in our song that we find the courage to call the darkness dark and are reminded that in a dark stable the light of the world entered into it. No wonder why we sing these words on Christmas Eve; A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks, a new and glorious morn. What foolishness, unless Christ is that light.

So how are you doing today? Are you feeling lonely? Ashamed? Embarrassed? Anxious? Do you and your people not fit the perfectly put together family mold you expect yourselves to be on a day like today? Let me encourage you. All is not lost. In fact, if this is you, like it is so many of us, then it’s a good thing tonight is Christmas Eve. We are, in fact, in very good shape for Christmas and you are invited to a stable where a young mother will give birth to Light himself.

Fr. Kyle Fleet Pastor, Professor, Friend

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2020 ISAIAH 62:6-12 | PSALM 97 | LUKE 2:1-7, 8-20 | TITUS 3:4-7 Merry Christmas!

It’s early October as I reflect and write this devotional. We’re not quite to fall break yet, so Christmas seems like an eternity away – at least by academic calendar standards. And with all that’s going on in our world right now, it’s hard to imagine where we might be as a human race come Christmas morning.

I imagine that the pandemic will still be with us, but I hope not.

I know that we will have had an election here in the U.S., and that close to half of our country will likely still feel out of sorts because of the outcome, but I hope not.

I’m sure that there will still be issues of racism and racial injustice plaguing our systems and relationships, but I hope not.

Hope is a curious thing. It causes us to be open to the possibility that the best is yet to come. Beyond what reason might agree to, we find ourselves willing to trust in the possibility of a better way and a brighter tomorrow. The end to what was, and the promise of a new beginning. The prospect that all that distorts and destroys our world will cease, so that peace and comfort and joy might be ushered in.

As I sit at the desk in my office on campus, sun washing in and illuminating different elements strewn about, I’m reminded that I’m still on this side of the pandemic. And this side of the election. And this side of a racially and socially just society.

So I cling to hope.

The passage in Titus 3, referenced in today’s list of scripture readings, speaks of hope. In verse seven, Paul mentions “the hope of eternal life.” He reminds Titus that when Jesus came it was to create a way for us to reconnect with God. To restore the relationship that was broken between God and humanity. The eternal life that Paul speaks of is an eternal life with God – where peace, comfort and joy are vibrant realities. That is the prize that awaits us on the other side of this life. But in this life, Paul would state, we are called to do good. To be good in a world that seems to need it more and more.

Without fail, Christmas comes each year and serves as a gentle, peaceful, joyful reminder that although all might not feel right in this world, there is still reason to hope. God has come that we might have life and have it to the full. In this life and the life that is to come.

That is what I cling to today. Jesus Christ, come to earth, providing hope for today and tomorrow and all of eternity!

Guy Chmieleski Dean of Campus Ministries and Vice President of Student Affairs

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CAMPUS MINISTRIES AT FRIENDS UNIVERSITY Chapel

Retreats

Join the Friends University community as we gather to worship, to pray and to explore what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Recharge away from campus with a fun time of learning and resting while growing in your faith. Be on the lookout for opportunities over the fall and spring breaks.

Thursdays at 11 a.m. | Alumni Auditorium

Small Group Communities There will be numerous ways for you to connect with others through intentional small group communities on campus.

If you’re looking for a place to get plugged in, please visit with one of our campus pastors, and they’ll help you get connected.

Local Service Projects Love where you live! Impact the community by volunteering!

Have an idea? Come tell us about it. Looking for a place to serve? We can help you find a great place to get plugged in!

Mission Trips Work with a team over Christmas break, summer break or both to explore important issues in our world and serve alongside churches and organizations that are making a difference.

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Prayer Have a prayer request? Our Campus Ministries staff is committed to praying for the needs of the campus, and we invite you to share your requests with us by emailing

prayerrequest@friends.edu.

Individual Pastoral Care and Spiritual Direction Our full-time Campus Ministries staff members provide a safe and supportive environment to help you navigate life’s challenges. Regardless of where you are on your faith journey, our doors are open to meet with you to explore and expand your understanding of who God is, who you are, and what you and God are doing together in the world.

0 2 0 2 y it s r e iv n U s d n ie Fr

2100 W. University Ave. Wichita, KS 67213 friends.edu/campus-ministries