Editor's note: "An uncommon Advent: the arrival of a Savior in our lives" is a sampling of biblical meditations composed by members of the Concordia University Wisconsin 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 anticipation and zeal through the Holy Spirit.
December 21 – Advent servants of the Lord
Isaiah 42:1-25 and Revelation 9:1-12
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. (Isaiah 42:1-4)
Advent: anticipating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and the coming of our Lord God in flesh on December 25. Every year I anticipate this wonder as the Holy Spirit joyously lives in my heart every day of the year. God has sent his Son Jesus as His Chosen Servant to impart His wonders in this world – delivering justice to the nations, healing the sick, opening the eyes that are blind.
As an accelerated adult admission counselor, I have the honor of being a Concordia University Wisconsin servant for the Lord. Education is a wonderful gift that enhances a person’s being. Nurturing an adult student pursuing a degree that will propel them in their personal and professional development is exciting and fulfilling. Much like the anticipation of the birth of our Savior, these students are in awe and wonder awaiting and anticipating what their degrees will hold for them. After earning a medical assistant certificate or a bachelor’s degree in one of many programs, these accomplished graduates, through faith and determination, can lift their voices and talents in service to Christ to make a difference in this world.
Jesus, God’s Chosen Servant, offered direction in Isaiah 42:10-12: Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the habitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare his praise in the coastlands.
Let us remember as God’s servants to maintain the wonder of His birth every day of the year through love, faithfulness, and justice. May the peace of the Lord be with you.
-Kathleen Siedenburg is the accelerated adult admission counselor at the Beloit Center of Concordia University Wisconsin and has served since 2017. View a full schedule of “An uncommon Advent” readings here.
—
If this story has inspired you, why not explore how you can help further Concordia's mission through giving.