"And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”⠀
– Luke 1:45 ⠀
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Traditionally, the Third Sunday of Advent is Mary’s Sunday. We rejoice with her at the news of this birth and light the pink candle on our Advent wreath, the candle of Mary, the candle of our joy.⠀
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Jesus, the Light of the World, will be born. Maybe God knew that the light of love had to shine so brightly in one little face so that the rest of us would remember just how very much God loves each of us and loves this whole world. ⠀
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See you in worship!⠀
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#RevPatriciaFarris #advent @santamonicaumc
Advent Devotional by Whitney Hagan (Luke 1:39-45): What sort of sounds make you leap for joy? A favorite song on the radio? A loved one’s voice? Sounds of nature? The ring of a bell signifying the end of the school day? There are a lot of things that we get excited for in life.
But what about a honk of a frustrated driver? A call from someone you don’t want to talk to? Or the sound of your alarm signaling it’s time to wake up and get ready for school / work (or dare I say, Sunday morning service)? For each day we wake up and hear sounds, we should leap for joy. We are blessed with the opportunity to experience a new day. We are blessed with the gift of hearing and participating with the world around us. Let us remember to seek the path that God has intended for us. Let us listen for His voice and ask, “How can I shine my light for you today, Lord?” 🙏Please join me in prayer, either read silently or aloud:
Heavenly Father,
It’s easy to get distracted by all the sounds in life, especially those we find unpleasant. Help us to remember that in darkness a light shines most brightly. Enter into us your Holy Spirit, so that we may shine Your light to the world. Amen. // During #Advent we share #devotionals written by the @santamonicaumc community.
To read all the daily devotionals go to link in bio. #adventwithsantamonicaumc #shinelight! #devotionalsbyyou #luke #santamonicaumc
Advent Devotional by David & Ann Wilson (Psalm 122): ⠀
We were married just before Christmas last year, and we came back from our honeymoon in time to attend the Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve. Sitting together in the balcony, each of us holding a small white candle, we sang Silent Night with the rest of the congregation. Then the person at the end of our pew lit the candle of the person next to him, and that person lit the next person’s candle, and soon both of our candles were lit, too. Before the end of the hymn, everyone held a lighted candle. Each person’s face glowed with light—even though they weren’t newlyweds like we were! You could feel, and see, the light and warmth of love. ⠀
Psalm 122, written for the people of Israel who came in pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship, ends with prayers for peace, security and prosperity within the holy walls, both for the sake of the house of the Lord, and also “for my brethren and companions’ sake.” We, too, want our church to prosper and to be filled with peace, joy and fellowship. We want God’s blessing on it and on the words and actions of our church family. We want these things not only for our own sake, but also so others have a place to experience the love and salvation of God. So, we know we need to let our small lights shine by supporting our church in whatever ways we can. ⠀
Dear God, Thank you for our church. Show us how to help our church light the way for others, so that they can know your love. Amen. ⠀
During #Advent we share #devotionals written by the @santamonicaumc community. ⠀
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To read all the daily devotionals go to link in bio. ⠀
#adventwithsantamonicaumc #shinelight! ⠀
#devotionalsbyyou #psalm122 #santamonicaumc
