Saturday, November 30, 2019
An Introductory Word From Pastor Charlie
Happy Advent! A time of anticipation, hope, peace and joy fills the season as we prepare for Christ's coming once again.

Advent is unique. We are awaiting a great surprise, but we already know what that surprise is going to be. It's like taking a test and knowing all the answers! When that happens, we are filled with hope, peace and joy.

As we prepare our hearts and homes, may the hope, peace and joy of the season be yours. May this wonderful compilation of devotions be a tool for you in your daily walk with Jesus, the Savior whose birth the angels sing.

A favorite Advent hymn of mine is "Toda la Tierra," a Spanish song celebrating the news that we are not alone in our anticipation. ALL the earth celebrates this child, who comes to redeem ALL creation!

Amen, Come Lord Jesus.
All Earth Is Hopeful
Toda la Tierra
All earth is hopeful, the Savior comes at last!
Furrows lie open for God's creative task:
this, the labor of people who struggle to see
how God's truth and justice set ev'rybody free.

People of Israel, you heard the prophet tell:
"A virgin mother will bear Emmanuel";
she conceived him, "God with us,"
our brother, whose birth
restores hope and courage to children of this earth.

Mountains and valleys will have to be prepared;
new highways opened, new protocols declared.
Almost here! God is nearing, in beauty and grace!
All clear ev'ry gateway, in haste, come out in haste!

We first saw Jesus a baby in a crib.
This same Lord Jesus today has come to live
in our world; he his present, in neighbors we see
our Jesus is with us, and ever sets us free.


Text: Alberto Taulé, b. 1932; tr. Madeleine Forell Marshall, b. 1946Spanish text © 1993 and English text © 1995 Centro de Pastoral Liturgica, admin. OCP Publications, 5536 NE Hassalo, Portland, OR 97213.
Pay Attention
Getting the Most Out of Devotions
by Kim Villalva
We are delighted to present Epiphany's 2019 Advent Devotion book for your personal and/or family study as we approach the birth of the Christ Child.

These Advent Devotions are written by our Epiphany family and reveal beautiful insights, reflections, stories and more. Each day's devotion begins with Scripture and ends with prayer. A full listing of daily readings is also provided in the book for further prayer and study.

This year we are focusing our Advent Devotions' theme on our desire to pay attention to God and all of the ways God shows up when we least expect it. Advent is a season of anticipation and surprises. The Christ Child showed up where no one expected - in a stable and born to a humble virgin.
 
Reading through the devotions, you will see ways that our writers encountered God when they least expected it. Perhaps it was at a church event they hadn't originally planned on attending. Maybe it was in a family member who showed up to a family gathering after a disagreement. Wherever these surprises happened, they show us once again how God is always at work in our lives.

As you read through each day's devotions, here are some suggestions for how you can draw nearer to Christ. Consider reading with a journal in hand to make notes, special insights or prayers. 
  1. Find a quiet spot and pray that God is revealed to you as you read.
  2. Highlight key words in Scripture. Which words really stand out for you?
  3. After reading the devotion, reflect on the "God moments" in your life where God showed up unexpectedly.
  4. Ponder how the devotion can be applied to you. How can you challenge yourself to pay more attention to those God moments in your life?
  5. What stood out to you from the day's reading that you can share with others?
  6. End with prayer.
If you see one of our writers this holiday season, please thank them for sharing their hearts and their talents in this book. We are so very grateful for the opportunity to provide this "homegrown" devotion book to our church family! 

Blessings to you this Christmas!
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