Thursday, December 1
Isaiah 7:10-8:8; 1 Peter 3:1-22
The beautiful season of Advent is upon us. It is a time of hope and a time of preparation. As the days become shorter and the nights grow longer, we experience more of night, and at the same moment, we are watching for Christ, the Light of the world. We are embraced by the name for Jesus: Immanuel, God is with us. The ancient promise of the prophet Isaiah, revealed in the name Immanuel, God is with us, comes to fruition in the birth of the Christ Child, who is Immanuel, God with us.
God is with us. This is the promise of the holy Advent season.
Today’s text from I Peter invites us to give witness for the hope that God has placed within us through the promise of the Christ Child. In my own life, I receive and share the gift of hope as I celebrate a new year of life with my Advent season birthday, as I embrace my beautiful life as a wife to my wonderful husband and a mom to our precious twin boys, as I engage in the hopeful vocation of teaching and learning, and as I gather with others for Advent worship.
Living in Advent hope is about our daily life in Christ. He is our hope. I love the straightforward directions of I Peter 3:8, Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. God calls us to live these words in our work with each other at Concordia, at home with our families, as a neighbor to all, no matter where we are.
One of the ways our family enjoys sharing Advent hope is through the use of Advent calendars. My boys enjoy this tradition by making Advent calendars for others, and they especially love putting in a treat or two for each day and sharing them with loved ones near and far.
As we count the days of the Advent season, the gift of hope that God gives us intensifies as we move towards the manger. While it is true that we find the Christ Child there, what is most certainly true is that Immanuel, God with us, finds us.
A blessed Advent season to you and your family!
DR. KATHLEEN KANNASS
School of Education, CUW
About this series
“Advent Anticipation: the arrival of our Savior” is a sampling of biblical meditations composed by members of the CUWAA community. It is our prayer that you will take time during the Advent season to read and reflect upon God’s Word and await the coming of Jesus with newfound enthusiasm and anticipation through the Holy Spirit.