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 11 – An advent of uncommon love
Isaiah 28:14-29, 1 John 5:1-21, 2 John 1-13, 3 John 1-15
Growing up on a farm in southeast Wisconsin, our days were filled with a consistent rhythm of daily life and chores. My dad would wake me along with my brothers before the sun came up to help him milk the cows and do other chores. We would often eat breakfast together and then continue off to school, looking ahead to more work together later in the afternoon. That was the common and predictable routine of daily life.
Yet even in that very common farm life, there was something that could be described as uncommon, especially by today’s standards. Every Sunday we would rush to finish the chores early so that we could go to church together as a family. And when the special seasons of the year rolled around, like Advent and Christmas, it would mean starting our work a little earlier or working a little later so that we could worship together. For my mom and dad, this was one important way that they showed their love for us. They wanted us to know about God’s love as they experienced it and shared it with us.
Today as an adult, long removed from the farm, I see how uncommon this type of life has become. The idea of worshiping together on a weekly basis as a family, and even more often during special seasons like Advent and Christmas, is almost unheard of —except among those who have been touched by the uncommon love of God in Christ Jesus. His love for us is not superficial and shallow, but deep and rich. It is that same life that we celebrate and share at Concordia University Wisconsin.
John, the great apostle whose Gospel and epistles overflow with testimony to the love of God, affirms this in his first letter, the fifth chapter, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.”
In a few weeks our family, now far extended, will again celebrate this uncommon love that God has given to us through His Son Jesus Christ. As we worship together, we will be touched by the power of His Holy Spirit and moved to love one another and others who have been born of Him. May you too experience this with your family and loved ones throughout the Advent and Christmas season.
-Rev. Dr. Roy Peterson is the Senior Vice President of Advancement and has served at Concordia since 2007. View a full schedule of “An uncommon Advent” readings here.
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