Friends University 2018 Advent Devotional

AD VE NT DEVOTIONAL

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Advent 2018 I am pleased to present the third annual Advent Guide for the Friends University community. In this season that can so often feel overrun by the busyness of schedules, the pressures of finding just the right gifts, and the obligations of others on our time, energy and attention; taking time to intentionally reflect on the meaning and significance of the Advent season seems all the more important.

Advent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the commemoration of the arrival of Jesus at Christmas. The term, Advent, is a version of the Latin word meaning “coming.”

Advent reminds us of the once and future visit of our Lord Jesus Christ. May Christ make himself known to all of us this Christmas! May these devotionals help prepare our hearts as we journey through this season.

Each day I invite you to read the scripture and the accompanying brief devotional. Then, take a few moments to be still and present before the Lord, as you consider the significance of Christ’s coming.

This Advent guide is a great collection of contributions from various faculty, staff and students who have read, prayed, reflected and put their thoughts onto paper – for all of us. I am thankful for their kind and thoughtful participation. I am thankful for Aubrey VandenHoek, Chapel intern, who has taken this on as a “special project.”

May these reflections on Scripture help you walk each step of the Advent journey until you find yourself in the manger on Christmas Day! Grace and peace, Guy M. Chmieleski Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Campus Ministries

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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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WEEK ONE It was not a silent night There was blood on the ground You could hear a woman cry In the alleyways that night On the streets of David’s town 4

Sunday, December 2, 2018

Isaiah 2:1-5 | Psalm 122 | Romans 13:11-14 | Matthew 24:36-44 There is a gaping moment between letting go of sin and taking hold of Jesus. It is the space between the leap from the plane and the opening of the parachute, the question and the answer. It is the vacancy of waiting.

This Advent, I urge you to wait for Jesus as you remember the long years the Israelites waited for His first coming. When I say wait, I’m not talking about curling up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a screen of Netflix until Jesus comes and bangs on your door. Instead, I’m talking about an active, audacious waiting. The kind an acrobat experiences when he hurtles his body through the air to clutch the trapeze in grateful hands.

Romans 13:11-14 paints a picture of a life that rigorously anticipates Jesus. The anticipator of Christ is eager and prepared for the Advent, the coming, of Jesus. She is wide awake, much like a child robbed of sleep on Christmas Eve, because “salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” It is so near that she can smell it, and the scent keeps her awake and hopeful.

The anticipator of Christ does not stop at merely staying alert and eager for the coming of Christ. He reasons that morning is near, so it makes sense to get dressed, putting “aside deeds of darkness” putting “on the armor of light,” and behaving “decently, as in daytime.” Such an anticipator has a clock telling him that the sun will rise soon, so he puts on his jacket and jeans. While this makes him appear out of sync with the still dark horizon and the pajama-clad dreamers around him, he is in line with the reality of the fast-approaching dawn.

The most reasonable clothing for an anticipator of salvation, it turns out, is the Savior Himself: “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” In order to put on Christ, though, he must take off the pursuit of the “desires of the flesh.” Otherwise, he will be too inflated by desire to fit in the robe of Christ. This means he must undress before equipping himself for salvation. He must be naked.

My friend, I challenge you to be bold and plunge into the anticipation of Jesus Christ. Instead of trying to get Him to come quicker, stoke your appetite for Him so that when He does come, you’ll want Him. Instead of distracting yourself with fleshly desires while you wait for Him, prepare yourself for Him by ruthlessly stripping away the dark things that bring you only shame and misery anyway. Jesus is near. All He asks of you is to wait for Him in courage and vulnerability.

Bethany Filer Freshman, Vocal Performance

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Monday, December 3, 2018

Psalm 124 | Genesis 9:1-17 | Hebrews 11:32-40 The Psalmist declares in a triumphant voice, if the Lord had not been on the side of the people, they would have been swallowed, swept away, overtaken, destroyed.

God was on their side, and they were safe.

And God is still on our side. We are still safe.

This is Truth. This is real.

When you are weary and worn, nowhere to turn to, no refuge that remains for you, nothing to hold you up and keep you going.

God was on their side, and God is still on our side.

God is on our team, cheering us on. Cheering us when we can fight no more, cheering us when all of our wells have come up dry, cheering us on when we have given all we have, and cheering us on when we hold all we have close.

Maybe things won’t work out how we expected. That’s real, that’s reality.

God was on their side, and God is still on our side.

We can lift our eyes up to the hills, the skies, the beauty of the mountains, the eyes of our loved ones, and remember, The one who created all of this bounty, the one who gave us such splendor.

God was on their side, and God is still on our side.

We ask, “God, are you there?” We hear no reply.

God was on their side, and God is still on our side.

Open your eyes to see the colors before you, the things you were created to enjoy, the glory of the Lord, shining forth through his creation, through his people.

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You were made for this. This was made for you.

God was on their side, and God is still on our side.

Amidst all the turmoil and strife around us, the destruction, the pain.

God does not create the pain. God does not enjoy it.

God was on their side, and God is still on our side.

God will always be on our side.

Maybe things won’t get fixed with superglue or patched up like we want. Maybe we will be left still feeling dry, still feeling lost.

God will always be on our side.

God is still on your side. God is on your team.

Sometimes hindsight is 20/20.

God is here now.

You can be here now.

You are held.

Laura Jo Peck Senior, Sociology and Christian Spiritual Formation

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Psalm 124 | Genesis 9:1-17 | Hebrews 11:32-40 In today’s Scripture reading of Genesis, we see the end of an apocalyptic story. Most of humanity was wiped from the earth because of how wicked they were. God chose Noah and his family to survive through that catastrophic event. Noah was the most righteous man of a wicked generation. Honestly, if you read his entire story you realize quickly that Noah wasn’t that great of a guy. In today’s reading, we find ourselves toward the end of the story where God promises to never flood the earth again. He even gives a sign to serve as a reminder of the Noahic covenant God made with not only humanity but with all creation.

Advent allows us to sit in the darkness as we wait for dawn to come over the horizon. I would encourage you not to move past the waiting. Advent moves us through the desperation of creation in need of a Savior before Christmas morning when God meets humanity in the person of Jesus. We are waiting on the covenant to be fulfilled. We are waiting on God to show us the way. We are waiting on a Savior who will take up a cross and call us to do the same. Sit in the waiting. Christmas will be here soon enough. What is God teaching you in the waiting?

As we move through other stories like the ones we read today, I would invite you to think about the ways our world is in deep need of Christ’s presence. Where are the places in our world that seem as though they are without hope? Where are areas in your life that are without hope? Hold on. Christ is coming. Meanwhile, wait in the darkness because it is always darkest before the dawn.

Haley Alloway Associate Campus Pastor and Outreach Coordinator

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Wednesday, December 5, 2018 Psalm 124 | Isaiah 54:1-10 | Matthew 24:23-35

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like I’m drowning. This life moves so fast and we can so easy get swept up in our sin or in our busy lives that we forget about God. We forget about what Christ came to earth to do. One of my biggest struggles is setting aside daily time to look to Him and just keep up our relationship. This should be the most important relationship in my life, and I crave to make it deeper. After He has done so much for us, it should be easy to devote ourselves to Him if we truly feel gratitude for His sacrifice.

“For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” –Romans 6:10-11 Even so, this is a challenge. I find that I am so busy, that from when I wake up to when I go to bed, I am thinking about what other people expect of me and the responsibilities they have given me when it would be more appropriate to be more concerned with what God expects of me each day.

So whenever you are feeling like you can’t handle the pressure or the weight of your sin, remember what this season is about – Christ! He came down from heaven to die for our sins, God sent Him as our life raft, our life saver! He loves you and through Him you can find the forgiveness and the rest that you are craving. Call out to Him and tell Him about what is heavy in your heart. He is always there to listen and ready to forgive.

Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Gabrielle Annonson Senior, Zoo Science

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Thursday, December 6, 2018 Psalm 72 | Isaiah 4:2-6 | Acts 1:12-17, 21-26

“In his days, may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more” –Psalm 72:7 Psalm 72 is the psalm of the “Perfect King.” Solomon, the wisest king Israel had known, was praying to God to grant his son justice and wisdom to rule the nation of Israel. From reading this passage, we can see an image of a true leader. He judges the people with righteousness and the afflicted with justice (72:2). He defends the afflicted, saves the children of the needy and crushes the oppressor (72:3). He is a ruler who endures as long as the moon and the sun (72:4). This definitely sounds like a person I would want as a ruler. To me, this sounds an awful lot like Christ.

God sent us His only son to bring salvation. Not only did He bring us the gift of life, but also He came to lead us and guide us through the life He has given. Jesus Messiah is the only King who can rule with perfect justice and can bring perfect peace.

Isaiah 4:2-6 speaks about the “Branch of the Lord.” This most likely refers to the Messiah. Isaiah tells us that the Lord will wash away the filth and cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and of fire. He will create shelter as a place for refuge from the storm and rain. Christ is our shelter from the storm. He is our spirit of fire. He is our perfect King.

Looking at the passage in Acts, we can see that the disciples and early believers were in a state of distress.

Jesus, the Messiah, the one who came to save, was no longer with them – the one whom they followed earnestly trying to learn how to live as He lived. Christmas can a very stressful time as well. During these days, do as the disciples did and gather together in prayer. Pray to center your hearts on Christ and give thanks to the Lord for all He has done and has yet to do.

“Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.

Praise be to his glorious name forever, may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.”

–Psalm 72:18-19 Mark Persinger Junior, Health Sciences

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Friday, December 7,2018

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 | Isaiah 30:19-26 | Acts 13:16-25 Hundreds of years before the coming of Christ, the nation of Israel carried the hope of the return of a triumphant king, one who would guide them into a new era of prosperity and joy, free of tears and sorrow.

By praying or singing through the Psalms that call for the coming of the king, Israel anticipated the Messiah’s arrival, an event that would herald this new age.

Although this came as a surprise to many of the Jews at the time, the coming of the Messiah did not cease the flow of tears nor put an end to all pain. Even now, we find that promise of peace and everlasting delight has not been fulfilled here on earth. Wars rage on, suffering afflicts Christians and non-Christians alike, and like Israel, we continue to ask God, “How long?”

Nevertheless, we have not experienced the end of this story. Jesus came down to us and then returned to His Father, but He is coming back, never to again depart. The time that Isaiah describes as “The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted” is still going to happen!

As Israel knew, this anticipation of the future is not meant to lead to despair in our own time. Christ’s birth delivered a hope not just for that generation, but for all. This hope still fills our lives today, giving us the strength and courage to face the hardships, the difficulties, the times when this life seems to lose its pale sheen. We can know that our experience in this world is not the end all of all, yet that does not stop us from making the most of the time we have been given.

Rejoice in God’s provision in the past, trust His steadfast love in the present, and freely give in to the hope for the future coming of the King!

John Ralston Senior, Spanish

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Saturday, December 8, 2018

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 | Isaiah 40:1-11 | John 1:19-28 Comfort. Looking forward to the celebration of the birth of Christ, traditions abound. In these traditions such as being home with family, eating delicious food that someone has labored over for hours and opening presents that have been bought just with you in mind, we often find comfort. But this comfort found in the familiar is nothing compared to the comfort that God offers through His son Jesus Christ.

To receive this comfort, we must be Christ followers. In our reading from Isaiah 40, verse 3 makes reference to John the Baptist, saying “a voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” In the reading from John 1:19-28, John makes clear that “’I [John] baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.’” (John 1:26-27). In this passage and the one from Isaiah, John is reminding us of the need to repent of our sins. Repentance of sins and acceptance of what Jesus has done for us leads to beautiful and eternal comfort in Jesus Christ. Isaiah 40:1 begins with “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” Israel is facing captivity in a foreign land many miles from their home city of Jerusalem, yet God has urged His prophets to speak comfort to His dear Israel. They are His covenant people, never to be permanently cast away from Him. We as Christ followers are to find comfort in this as well, that God will never leave us nor forsake us.

That “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms” (Isaiah 40:11a). This advent season, may you find comfort in the one true comforter, Jesus Christ.

Ashley De La Torre Adjunct Spanish Professor

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WEEK TWO And the stable was not clean And the cobblestones were cold And little Mary full of grace With the tears upon her face Had no mother’s hand to hold 12

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Journaling Isaiah 11:1-10 | Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 | Romans 15:4-13 | Matthew 3:1-12 As Advent is beginning, take some time to reflect on your past experience with waiting. What have you waited expectantly for? How has that waiting shaped your view of patience and waiting for Christ? Journal about how you would most like this waiting to transform you.

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Monday, December 10, 2018

Psalm 21 | Isaiah 24:1-16a | 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 …But couldn’t there have been another way?

This was a comment made by a student in my class during a recent discussion we were having regarding the crucifixion of Jesus.

Could not there have been another way? Could God have chosen another plan to accomplish His task of making things right in the world?

Yet, it is unmistakable that by the time we reach the ministry of the prophets, God’s people have wandered so far away from Him that the relational damage appears beyond repair. Isaiah makes clear the coming devastation that will befall all of creation – as judgement for their waywardness.

Well, the short answer is an obvious “yes.” God could have chosen any number of ways with which to accomplish His task of making a way for humanity to be back in right relationship with God – once again.

In fact, many of the prophets have a similar message of impending doom – but also hope. While judgment for their unfaithfulness was coming, that would not be the end of the story. God was not done. God still believed that the Israelites – and ultimately you and me – were worthy of being redeemed.

But He didn’t.

Jesus was the plan. Jesus still is the plan.

God chose to send His only Son into the world. To live among us. To set for us a perfect example. And ultimately, to serve as a once-and-for-all sacrifice – in order to make a way for us to be acceptable in the eyes of a perfect God.

This season of Advent is an annual time for us to reacquaint ourselves with this life-changing reality and to consider how we might better re-orient our lives around God’s redemptive plan for the world.

But why?

Our passage from Isaiah sets the specific context for us in clear-cut fashion. God’s chosen people had strayed away from the covenant relationship God had established with them once again. The Old Testament tells the dramatic story of God’s relentless pursuit of a habitually wayward people – continually trying to win them back and make things right between God and His people.

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Come, Lord Jesus, come.

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

Tuesday, December 11, 2018 Psalm 21 | Isaiah 41:14-20 | Romans 15:14-21

O come, O come to us, divine love! Our only worth is found in your love for us. In this season of anticipation, let our only worth be found in waiting – waiting for you to come and dwell among and within us. May we receive your love with open hands and open hearts, for it is the only thing that keeps us alive.

There’s a reason all good things are called “fruits of the Spirit.” They come from God himself. If we are to bear good fruit, we must abide in Christ. We must stay attached to the true vine and let His lifegiving water flow through us. Apart from Him, we are dead, and our only fruit is death. As Paul said, “we claim no accomplishments except those things which God has done through us” (Rom 15:18).

Think of the first advent. The world had waited so long for Emmanuel. The Jews were oppressed by the Roman empire and in need of a savior. The whole world needed Jesus. When Jesus came, however, most people had no idea. Just like every time before, and every time since, he came quietly. He came gently, and yet, in his meek, pathetic beginning He was still the almighty God incarnate. Anyone would have looked down on Him in pity, yet He was our true ruler – the Lord of all creation!

The incarnation was part of God’s plan to bring all people back to Himself. His centuries-old romance with humanity was being fulfilled, and it is still, each year at Christmas, and every day in between. Love is moving. He carries us softly through life, even though we don’t often perceive it. He wants to enter into our hearts, but we must be humble enough to let Jesus, even when we see him as an infant in a manger, take us over.

People couldn’t understand why He came the way He did then, and often we can’t understand why He comes to us in the way He does now. We must remain alert and respond to his presence, for He is consistently entering our lives in ways we don’t expect – in ways we cannot even imagine. Pay attention to the people. Listen to the blessings you usually take for granted. Embrace the periods of waiting and find rest in the anticipation of Jesus’ next step. You’ll find him in this season.

Nathaniel Filer Junior, Mathematics and Christian Spiritual Formation

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Wednesday, December 12, 2018 Psalm 21 | Genesis 15:1-18 | Matthew 12:33-37

“For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.” In a season of anticipation, where are we placing our trust?

Are you waiting for some unfulfilled desire, some hope that seems to be turning to doubt? Do not despair, God can be trusted. Read today’s passages and see how God proves himself faithful repeatedly!

In today’s passage in Genesis, we can learn a few things from Abram, as we wait and trust God too. The first lesson to be observed in this passage is that Abram spent time with the Lord. They conversed and we see God speaking with Abram, and Abram asking questions of God. As we wait and learn to trust God, are we spending time with him daily? Are we waiting for God to speak to our circumstances?

Secondly, when God did speak to Abram and professed a promise of things to come, Abram BELIEVED! He believed that God would do what He said He would do. Wow! Do we believe that God will do what He has promised? Abram believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness; he was “set-right-with-God.” Do we believe?

Thirdly, we see Abram do what God asks of him. However, take note, God does not ask for much, just participation. The splitting of animals in v. 9-10 reflects an ancient covenant ritual where the two parties in the covenant walk between the pieces signifying the taking on of themselves, the same fate, should they violate the covenant. However, in this story, God is the only one walking through, thus giving divine reassurance that He alone will fulfill the promise.

God can be trusted and will keep his promises because of who He is. Do we spend time knowing God and His character? “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me,…Then the Lord replied: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:1-3 Lacey Landenberger Co-Director of Residence Life

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Thursday, December 13, 2018 Journaling Psalm 146:5-10 | Ruth 1:6-18 | 2 Peter 3:1-10

Who do you expect Christ to be in your life? Where has Christ appeared? Where would you like him to appear?

Journal about where you have seen Christ and where you have waited for Christ in your life.

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Friday, December 14, 2018 Spiritual Exercise

Psalm 146:5-10 | Ruth 4:13-17 | 2 Peter 3:11-18

Thinking about Christmas is such a happy thing. Children writing letters to Santa; people buying gifts for their loved ones. Mistletoe. Sugar cookies.

So much good. This year for Advent, as we near a sort of middle, engage in your own sort of happy thing. Write a letter to God. Practice what it means to pray expectantly. Advent is a season of anticipation, so today, write a letter to God about what you want this Advent season. What do you want to see God do today? How do you want to experience the Lord as you remember his innocent, reckless, majestic coming? Ask him to appear—tangibly and apparently. Write and ask and wait. Wait in anticipation and desire.

You’re going to meet with him!

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Saturday, December 15, 2018 Psalm 146:5-10 | 1 Samuel 2:1-8 | Luke 3:1-18

Advent Season I believe we serve a God of seasons, whether we currently find ourselves to be in a season of goodness or a cold winter, the time of Advent brings about a renewal of hope.

Psalm 146:5 says “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.” Someone once pointed out to me the beauty in the phrase “The God of Jacob.” Jacob goes through this season of wrestling God, but, almost immediately following, God blesses, restores and renames him.

Psalm 146 goes on to remind us of the promises we have to hold onto. Promises of fulfillment and liberation.

2 Peter 3:13 states a similar promise: “We are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” We are waiting. Advent is the season of what is to come. Our hope lies upon waiting on the Lord.

Waiting for our next season. Waiting for the wrestling to cease, and the renewal to be fully revealed.

We serve a God who grants us new mercies every morning, and with that, there is ability to grow in hope. Hope that even within the cold winter seasons, the grace of our Heavenly Father can shine through in some of the least expected ways. Hope for restoration, redemption, and a season of newness and growth.

Matty Donaldson Junior, Business Administration and Christian Spiritual Formation

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WEEK THREE Noble Joseph by her side Callused hands and weary eyes There were no midwives to be found On the streets of David’s town In the middle of the night 20

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Isaiah 35:1-10 | Psalm 146:5-10 | Luke 1:46b-55 | James 5:7-10 | Matthew 11:2-11 As we move through the Advent season, reflect on what it means for YOU to expectantly await Jesus’ second coming and celebrate His first coming. Does it mean that you read through one of the Gospels, wake up a little earlier to spend more time praying or participate in a service project?

I am called to action many times through scriptures and the Holy Spirit, to praise the Lord all the days of my life!

I praise Him for the dormant winter, for the perseverance to finish the semester, for extra time with family, for challenging relationships, for all the joyful and troubling times. I patiently look to the promises of His coming and draw closer to Him (James 5:8). I desire to praise Him not only for His coming, but for everything, by looking to His many promises.

In Isaiah, the prophet artfully prophecies the twofold coming of Jesus, “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom (35:1).” What a beautiful promise! After finishing up all your finals you may feel “parched,” your creativity or motivation exhausted, but we are promised a winter break. In the same way we are promised the coming of the Lord when we feel our work here on earth is in vain!

During the Christmas season we are continually reminded of the “reason for the season” and like Mary we are overflowing with praises to God! In Luke, she is singing God’s praise as an expectant mother that is favored and blessed. During Advent, sing God’s praises, but when the season of Advent fades, let us think about Isaiah’s call, “Be strong, do not fear (35:4).” So, be expectant of His coming, praising His name and relying on His promises for hope this season.

Samantha Camden Sophomore, Business Administration and Marketing

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Monday, December 17, 2018 Psalm 42 | Isaiah 29:17-24 | Acts 5:12-16

“I long to drink of you, O God, drinking deeply from the streams of pleasure flowing from your presence.

My longings overwhelm me for more of you! My soul thirsts, pants, and longs for the living God. I want to come and see the face of God.” (Psalm 42:1-2 TPT) What are you longing for? What does your soul seek?

As human beings, at our very core we long for God. Whether you realize it, acknowledge it or believe it does not change the fact that the entirety of the human race has an innate need for a relationship with our Creator. Everyone requires Jesus to nourish their innermost being, but the question is: are you hungry for this beautiful fulfillment? Are you thirsting for living water? Are you actively pursuing harmony with the presence of God? What you are craving determines what you are feeding on. If you choose to hunger for the world, you will feed on the world and fill your mind with spiritual junk food. As Christians, even when we are wanting to actively seek Jesus, sometimes we consume so much junk that we no longer have an appetite for what is good. That’s when lethargy creeps in and apathy takes over. It gets harder and harder to seek His face with the same joy and excitement. Spiritual junk food might taste good for a moment, but what your soul really needs is spiritual nourishment, the bread of life.

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Are you willing to push deeper and deeper into knowing Christ and seeing Him radically change your life? Because He will.

“Ask, and the gift is yours. Seek, and you’ll discover.

Knock, and the door will be opened for you. For every persistent seeker will discover what he longs for.” (Matthew 7:7-8 TPT) What your soul really longs for is the Lord. It is not a matter of getting through daily devotions, or fulfilling a church obligation, it is a matter of saying, “My life is the Lord’s. What I am hungering for is Jesus Christ, my creator, my redeemer, my friend.” This is where your soul finds rest in its longings. This is where healing, deliverance, restoration and redemption take place.

Long for His presence. Be filled with His Spirit. Give Him your burdens. Talk to the Father. Rest in His glory. Be in intimate relationship with the one who gives abundant life. Hunger for God. Emma Browning Sophomore, Ballet

Tuesday, December 18, 2018 Journaling Psalm 42 | Ezekiel 47:1-12 | Jude 17-25

Sometimes God is quiet in our lives. Sometimes we aren’t listening. How can you pay close attention to God, even when God seems silent? Journal about what it means for you to be aware of God, even when God seems to be hidden by the darkness.

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Wednesday, December 19, 2018 Psalm 42 | Zechariah 8:1-17 | Matthew 8:14-17, 28-34

When I was young, I held a very distorted image of what it meant to be a Christian. In my mind, the perfect Christian was without sin, traveling to all the world and telling them to also be without sin so we can all live together in heaven. I had attended church with my family since I was born, and week after week I would hear all about how we had to save the terrible sinners and help them live, like us, without sin. All of this was well and good I suppose, but it always seemed like something was missing.

Not long after starting college, I joined a young adult group that was reading a book about pursuing the likeness of Christ. A few weeks in I started to realize that my understanding of Christ and Christianity as a whole was fundamentally flawed. Ministering to others isn’t about feeling better about my own mistakes, keeping myself or them from eternal punishment, or an excuse to condemn the ones I feel are unworthy from my tower on high. It is a way to live life, possibly even the very best way. Through the pursuit of this likeness we are exceptionally well equipped for ministering to the world around us I believe my misunderstanding of ministry stems from a categorical failure to imitate Christ. When ministry is focused more on numbers, results or the spiritual needs of the world, we forget about the physical and emotional. In the reading for today, it is clear that Jesus (and by extension God) cares deeply for our physical and emotional health, in addition to our spiritual well-being. Beginning in Psalm 42 it is clear that God promises to be near us in times of trouble and sadness to care for the well-being of our body as well as our mind. In Zechariah, the titular prophet is relaying a promise of God to redeem his beloved people, to not only save their hearts, but their land, crops and entire nation if they follow his commands. Lastly, in Matthew we follow Jesus as he takes disease and emotional burden upon himself, expecting nothing in return.

A ministry and life that looks like Christ sounds intimidating. However, the secret to a full, righteous and bountiful ministry is love and sacrifice. Foster a spirit in your heart that yearns to carry the world’s burdens when you are able and seek out friends who will do the same. Today, I challenge you to begin an intentional habit of loving and caring for everyone you encounter with a heart that mirrors Christ.

Ethan Harvey Senior, Graphic Design

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Thursday, December 20, 2018

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 | 2 Samuel 7:1-17 | Galatians 3:23-29 I was listening to a podcast by one of my favorite musicians the other day, and he was picking apart his original Christmas song, “Snow,” and explaining how it was birthed. This song was written for those who, around the holidays, experience more feelings of loss than hope, more tragedy than tradition, more fear than love. The song is important, because there are people who feel rather distant and alone during the holidays. This Advent, I want to reach out to those of you who feel distant and alone. I want to encourage you, and even myself, to cling tightly to the Christmas holiday knowing that this is the time God became flesh and literally shined his face on us for the first time.

In the Psalm passage for this day of advent, David writes, “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” I know I’m not “supposed” to, but this is sometimes how I feel during the Advent season. I feel like I need saving; I need restoration; I need God’s face to shine on me and look at me. I can’t help but guess that others feel similarly during this season. Maybe you feel you need God to look at you and tell you that you are saved.

Well, friends, the good news in Galations 3 is that God has looked on us. During Advent season, we have the grand opportunity to recognize and remember that God sent His son to be fully God and fully man. He sent His son as a baby who would grow to heal the sick and cast out demons. He sent His son to gather us together as members of His one family, to be children of God. As Galations 3:26 says, “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Because of Christmas, because of Advent, because Jesus came, God came, down to dwell with and within us on the earth, you belong. For this reason, you belong. You belong. You do not have to be distant and alone this Christmas, not this time. Now you can go out in love, you can go out in understanding that the love of the Lord and the family of the Lord is yours.

Aubrey VandenHoek Junior, English

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Friday, December 21, 2018

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 | 2 Samuel 7:18-22 | John 3:31-36 Inadequate. Unworthy. Undeserving. I repeat these words to myself every day without realizing it. They reside in the back of my mind until they are brought to the forefront by messages of the Church preaching of lowly sinners in need of God’s grace. I look at my life, decisions, mistakes and failures and relate to King David’s prayer of vulnerability in 2 Samuel 7:18-22 and ask myself regularly “Who am I Sovereign Lord?” What have I done to deserve being a disciple? Why do you choose me every day? Why do you pursue me when I turn away from you? Feelings of guilt dwell in my heart for being so inadequate of this beautiful, never-failing love I know I can never fully give back.

Galatians 4:7 reminds us of the best promise “So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” We don’t have to be slaves to questioning our worth in the eyes of the Lord. We can rest in knowing we are his beloved children and heirs to the throne. Our mouths can sing “How great you are, Sovereign Lord!” without guilt of measuring up or questioning our place in the Kingdom.

This is especially true as we prepare for Christmas on Tuesday. We don’t have to work for anything or earn our place in the story of Jesus. We simply get to be present. Every year we have the opportunity to experience the Christmas story with a new approach; to shed our old understanding of inadequacy and to live into the beauty of the birth of Christ and the Good News that will shake us every day. In the next four days, rest in the gift of not earning love and applying that to every aspect of our life.

Anna Griekspoor Senior, International Business and Christian Spiritual Formation

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Saturday, December 22, 2018

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 | 2 Samuel 7:23-29 | John 3:31-36 As ones who believe in Jesus, the Christ, we are given a wonderful gift. Advent is a season of expectant waiting, as we look forward to the day where we can celebrate the coming of Christ. This season, like so much of the Christian experience, is paradoxical. It is a time of the year that encourages us to examine our life with God in all tenses: past, present and future. We have a chance to reflect upon the incarnation of Christ; the stories He told, the actions He performed and the lessons He taught in his time walking among us.

In the days leading up to Christmas, I encourage you to think on the Christ and his presence with these words.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Perhaps we feel a sense of wonder as we put ourselves in the shoes of those who knew him personally. At the same time, we are able to look at our own circumstances and see how His presence is felt even now, thousands of years after He moved into the neighborhood. We may even look with hope to the future and what it might hold as He continues to reveal himself to us and to the world in which we live.

Whether our gaze falls behind, beside or before us, we may catch glimpses of Christ and His Kingdom.

My prayer is that these glimpses enable us to more fully engage with the hopeful prayer, “on earth as it is in heaven.”

Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

Samuel J Dupuis Senior, Zoo Science and Field Biology

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WEEK FOUR So he held her and he prayed Shafts of moonlight on his face But the baby in her womb He was the maker of the moon He was the Author of the faith That could make the mountains move 28

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Isaiah 7:10-16 | Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 | Romans 1:1-7 | Matthew 1:18-25 In Isaiah 7:10-16 the kingdom of Judah lead by Ahaz was in distress. They were being asked to join a war. Isaiah the prophet counseled King Ahaz and told him to trust God. The Lord requested for Ahaz to ask for a sign from the Lord. Ahaz refused as he did not want to test the Lord. Isaiah tells him that he will receive a sign from God whether asked or not. The sign is a child born of a virgin to be named Immanuel.

Life, by default, puts us in a state of distress. We may not be asked to join a war of nations but we are in a spiritual warfare -- a battlefield that we face every day. This battlefield extends from our thoughts, to our homes, to our jobs, to our churches and to our schools. The only way to win this war is through Jesus. David writes in Psalms 80:1-7, 17-19 that we need to be restored, led and saved. Only God can save us and at his right hand, like a vine, is Jesus. The vine is fruitful and cannot be cut.

Jesus was expected to be a war hero; to come into the world and lead his people to military victory. This is reasonable with what the Jewish people had been through under the rule of many different nations. Joseph in Matthew 1:18-25, while considering divorcing Mary, was met by an angel in a dream. He was told that Mary will “bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins�. Jesus came and won a different victory. He did not come to win a war against other nations with swords and shields. He came to win the war against sin and that was accomplished on the cross.

What distress are you in? What hidden secrets do you have? Just like King Ahaz we need to trust God. The Lord has already given us a sign. A child born of a virgin sent to live the life that we should have lived and to take the punishment we deserve. We need to lift our distress up to him for everything was already taken care of through Jesus.

Chris Breshears Senior Desktop Support Technician

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Monday, December 24, 2018 Spiritual Exercise

Luke 1:46b-55 | Isaiah 60:1-6 | Luke 1:67-80

During this Advent season, think about all of the people who came before us who waited expectantly. Think of those who waited for their deliverer to bring them out of Egypt, away from Pharaoh. Think of Jonah who waited to be retrieved from the belly of the whale. Think of Mary who waited to give birth to Jesus, who waited to finally see the physical face of God, of her child, her baby, shine into her own. Think of this and wait.

Wait in the silence, in the tension of knowing that once upon a time, the world held its breath. And it watched. And it waited. Be challenged to turn off the lights and sit in solitude, in the darkness. Sit in this and remember.

Remember that many years ago people waited expectantly, urgently, patiently impatient. They waited with great joy and with great fear, with holy longing and with holy faith. Remember this and wait. For tomorrow soon will come. Tonight soon will pass. The Lord soon will come.

We simply must be still.

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Tuesday, December 25th

Isaiah 62:6-12 | Titus 3:4-7 | Luke 2: 1-7, 8-20 When working on my Advent devotional, I thought of three things to remember: family, faith and new beginnings. These three things are very present during the Advent season.

When talking about family, Advent is a perfect time to share those stories from the past no matter if they are good or bad. Our families are the ones that will listen and give a lending ear, no matter what the news might contain. Families will also help us to get refocused on our faith.

Faith is an item we don’t realize is so important until we don’t focus on it or feel like it is in our life. The Advent season can be that time to refocus on our faith and find out just where it fits in our life. Faith can also refocus us on what is important during the season of love and kindness. These are items we tend to lose focus on during the school year; they are items that can help us remember that we belong.

Advent also symbolizes the birth of our Christ Jesus, the Savior, along with a change to have our own rebirth. This is really important to remember, no matter how tough the last year was or how unique; we can always have a fresh start with the celebration of Christ’s birth. Our rebirth can also bring about a new focus on what is most important in our lives.

This rebirth comes in very handy if we have had a big hardship or down side in our life. We can refocus on either cutting out the bad from our life or correcting it going forward. Sometime it is even just accepting and going on!

The season Advent reminds us to hold our faith and family high on our list, and how Christ’s birth or our own rebirth might be something that can brighten our lives. So remember what is important to you this Advent season and cherish all the faith, fun and opportunities to refocus on the important parts of life.

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased! (Luke 2:14) Allen Eberwein Director of Casado Campus Center

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Campus Ministries at Friends University Chapel

Mission Trips

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

Thursdays at 11 a.m. | Alumni Auditorium

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.

Vespers

Retreats

What’s the best way to end your weekend and start your week? Join other members of the Friends community for an intimate time of worship through song, prayer, scripture, silence and space. All are welcome!

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.

Prayer

2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at 8 p.m.

Location: Lower Casado

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.

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!

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.

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2018 Friends University 2100 W. University Ave. Wichita, KS 67213 friends.edu/campus-ministries

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