Arotahi has created a prayer guide with daily readings for the season of Advent (1 December to 6 January) – download the PDF here. Each week of daily readings will arrive on Baptist NZ on Fridays. In this article, Sunday 15 December – Saturday 21 December. View other weeks here:
Sunday 1 December – Saturday 7 December
Sunday 8 December – Saturday 14 December
Below are a mixture of stories and reflections from Arotahi people and partners from around the world. As we read these, may we become more aware of the glimpses of hope, peace, joy and love that are springing up through people, places and land. As well, we anticipate the fullness of God’s promises for our world.
Join us in prayer this season of Advent.
From the Arotahi Team.
Sunday 15 December
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12
Joy
Joy to the world!
the EFTPOS handset beeps
among the tinsel, lights,
shoppers shoulder-jostling, purchasing the ghost of Christmas past.
In vain we seek the Christmas spirit
lurking in a cup of punch, the parties,
and the smell of pine.
This Advent, God, teach us again
where joy is found at Christmas:
wrapped in swaddling bands
and held within the gaze
of two new parents
marvelling at the life new born before them.
Light a candle of hope and peace and joy to proclaim that God’s light is coming into our darkness.
How often joy enters our lives when we least expect it. In the midst of sorrow, or pain, or everydayness, joy may suddenly come to us. This Advent, whatever our circumstances, let there be moments of true joy, as we embrace the presence of Christ in our world.
Immanuel shall come and dwell with us. We look for you. We wait for you. We rejoice in you.
Brenda Stone
Worship Curator | markpierson.org.nz
Monday 16 December
If we skip ahead in the Christmas story, we read about the Magi in Matthew 2:
“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
Matthew 2:9-11
They are described as overjoyed. Other translations talk about them being “filled with joy” or that they “rejoiced with exceeding great joy”.
At times, it can be easier to notice the gaps and the half-empty cup. Our world knows joy… but it’s not quite there in all its completeness. In this season of Advent, there’s an invitation to notice the glimpses of joy in the midst of the messiness.
The Woven Life Foundation is located in Thailand. They share a story of how people were able to come together to support a family going through a hard time. Joy doesn’t gloss over the hard things, but it creates space to see the transformation that Christ is ushering in.
“Staff from WovenLife recently came into contact with Khun Mint, a single mother with 4 young children. The house this family was living in was in very poor condition, with a leaking roof and damaged ceiling - meaning water came into the house whenever it rained. WovenLife was able to help repair the roof by arranging for donations from local
churches to cover the costs of the materials and then co-ordinating the repairs, with the staff assisting with the work that needed to be done. This family is now on the way to having a dry and secure home for the future. By bringing different churches together, WovenLife is able to facilitate a greater impact than any one church could have by working alone.”
Tuesday 17 December
Verse 3 of O Holy night says:
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us
Praise His Holy name
Christ is the Lord;
O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim
Over the year, at Project Esther, we have connected with women and children navigating such things as: physical abuse at the hands of husbands, living with injuries and pain, staying in refuges, having things like food, money, transport and the laundry controlled and withheld, not being able to get medical help, having no access to their visa information, being told their husband is in charge, having no earning rights, being ineligible for benefits or social housing, being homeless, and being quoted sacred texts with threats about their rights and safety.
When I sing this verse at Christmas time, I can't help myself from singing very loudly “For the slave she is our SISTER!”
I long for gender based (and other forms of oppression) to one day cease. And they will! Because our beautiful God sent his precious Son as a tiny vulnerable baby to show us love and invite us into peace. To show us how our broken world needs the chains of oppression broken and replaced with sweet joy, one day…. and forever.
Daphne Marsden
Project Esther Trust
Wednesday 18 December
Christmas is a time when gifts can be given and shared. They can sit under the tree and tempt little fingers. Gifts can be a way to show love and connection. And sometimes gifts can feel like an obligation and can get us caught up in consumerism.
Advent is a chance to remember the greatest gift: the birth of Jesus. But it’s also a chance to think of the gifts and skills we are equipped with that we can use to see kingdom transformation. P&D share a story about some of their unexpected gifts at work:
“I was reflecting recently about how Father can use all kinds of things from our background and story to help us connect with people and make an impact.
Amongst the various things we're involved with here, one of the things we've enjoyed is connecting with young guys who I met through a local autism school. We get to journey with them, and they've been journeying with us too. When our little son Sean was born recently, one of these young guys' mum brought along nappies and clothes for him, and gave him a traditional local gift.
One of the young guys from the school likes to call me (Peter) sometimes to chat. He has always had a really keen interest in different countries, and each time he calls he loves to chat about different countries he's been thinking and hearing about recently. It's a great test for my language abilities, as I try to recognise the names of countries all over the world in the local language. It occurred to me, that back in my intensive language-learning days, when I was working through flashcards to learn the names of countries - who would have thought that this seemingly random and insignificant experience would someday turn out to be the key to connecting with this young guy? What has Father put in your ‘toolbox’? I wonder how he will use those things in the future?”
P&D
Thursday 19 December
What we do, we do together
There is strength and power in numbers. Here in the mega city where we live, there are a lot of people, and there is also a lot of crazy traffic. We’re often surprised that we don’t see more accidents on the road, given the sheer volume of vehicles and seeming lack of order! Like most places, pedestrians here have to wait for traffic to stop at the lights in order to cross. But there are crossing places that do not have traffic lights or zebra crossings. And sometimes in those places we experience the power of people. If enough pedestrians start to move together to cross the road, the traffic will slow down and sometimes even stop for them. One person on their own won’t cause this to happen – they'll end up trotting/jogging across to dodge tooting cars and bell-dinging cycles. But if people all start to move together, they can literally stop the traffic.
This culture where we live is very community-based. Celebrating and mourning together. Knowing each other’s news and goings-on. There isn’t much to be hidden, especially when you live in places which are that are jam-packed with people. There is nowhere private to have an argument; if you accidentally burn dinner; if your baby is colicky or your kids love singing a certain song, your neighbours know about all of it. What we do, we do together.
Jesus came to this world as a babe. He brought people together in a way that no one else has before or since. His disciples, just a small group, were brought together from different backgrounds, and even with – or maybe because of - their differences, continued the movement Jesus started, and did their bit to change the world.
We are reading the book of Acts at the moment, and the reminders of the early church and their actions are timely. They went into the world sharing the good news and following the mandate of Jesus. When we work together, we can bring change. Change for good, for the better, for the poor and marginalised, for the lonely, for the outcast. Is that not why Jesus came?
Jo and Charlie
Friday 20 December
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say,“Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
He who testifies to these things says,“Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Revelation 22:16-17, 20-21
It's the best of times and it’s the worst of times.
Something in the mood of the country changes by the time we get to mid October, and the tension begins to rise. Ridiculous music, bad advertising, budget worries, guest lists, parties and holiday plans, PLUS… for anyone in a tent in the months of December-January in Aotearoa New Zealand: rain.
One theme that runs through much of this is 'anticipation’, captured by the classical response in many Advent prayers: “Come, Lord Jesus!” Anticipation is my favourite advent word when I think about what God has done in Jesus. In rare moments when I manage to shut out the noise, anticipation is a useful idea to sit with, pray with, read scripture with. And the classical response is hard to beat: Come, Lord Jesus.
The people of God are so often called to be a people of anticipation – ushering in, preparing the way, getting ready, foreshadowing the last day in how they live right now, trimming their lamps, pilgriming towards.
This year, I’m anticipating the fullness of his Kingdom, because the tension seems heavier and harder than usual: Come, Lord Jesus!
The ugly and busted things in life are the opposite of the Kingdom promises Jesus announces: Come, Lord Jesus! Race hate, nationalism, warfare, government failure. Even new-born children in the Holy Land itself are being bombed to hell: Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, Lord Jesus. As we anticipate your coming, use us to foreshadow your Kingdom.
Chris Chamberlain
Upper South Baptist Association leader
Saturday 21 December
The third week of Advent has passed.
In the Sunday to Saturday waiting,
I am reminded that the days approaching Christmas are also about
Mary
And the irreplicable mix of anticipation and discomfort
A pregnant body carries leading up to birth.
God with us,
But not quite.
Mary at the end of herself.
Mary on the precipice of a new beginning.
Mary brooding with life
And life
And so much unknown.
She carried the hope of her baby
Before she cradled the flesh of her child.
God was in her
Before God was with us.
So, we too wait a little longer,
Like Mary waiting,
For the breaking-in of God’s kingdom
That was once ushered by the breaking of her waters.
We trust the undoing of us
Might somehow nurture the fullness of life.
We allow our weary selves to be cradled.
We acknowledge the discomfort.
We wait in Advent anticipation.
Lizzie
Loyal Workshop
Image: From the cover of Arotahi Daily Advent Readings 2024 PDF
