First Steps – December 7, 2020

It is Advent—Christmas time! I love this time of year. The decorations, the music, the smell of the Christmas tree, the many gatherings, and the merriment are my favorites. In a year of pandemic (2020), it is easy to forget what normal feels like. Perhaps things are a little muted this year especially because of the limits due to the Covid virus. However, I think this current situation creates the right environment for one to really understand what many felt in the 1st Century. Things were bleak, a world full of oppression and despair, and there was a deep longing for change. They longed for deliverance. They longed for the promised Messiah, the anointed savior.

Think of the lyrics of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

As you prepare for Christmas, use your current situation to embrace a greater understanding of the coming Christ. Just because there are limits to the normal doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from them. From longing and despair can come great rejoicing and praise. 

• Monday – 2 Corinthians 1
• Tuesday – 2 Corinthians 2
• Wednesday – 2 Corinthians 3
• Thursday – 2 Corinthians 4
• Friday – 2 Corinthians 5

• Families in crisis.
• Friends and family members battling illness.
• Those seeking to find their way.
• The St. Paul Church family and our ministries.
• The United Methodist Church family.
• Our leaders, our country, and our world.