Advent 2025, Day 9
Day 9 , December 8, 2025
Theme: Peace
Readings:
Reflections:
Light those two candles, one for Hope and one for Peace. Begin with a prayer for peace and hope in your immediate household or family. Then work your way out to your workplace, city, church, and nation. Imagine Peace rocketing across the globe like a sunrise viewed from space that races across the landscape.
Speaking of something spreading quickly across the world, the Genesis passage today paints a picture of enmity's effect on peace. Chaos and consequences hit Eden like a tornado. Adam associated shame with his design and natural state of nakedness. Adam freaks out and blames his wife and hides from God, his father. Eve blameshifts as well. Both Adam and Eve resort to covering themselves for the first time. God curses animals. Chaos after disobedience. This started so simply- the only rule was "Don't eat from that tree there," and it was too hard to follow.
Peace is the original state, and was shattered by disobedience. Throughout this week of peace, let us examine how true peace flows from a life of righteousness and obedience. In our day and age, peace requires struggle to regain it. To return to wholeness and holiness means we grapple with our lack of integrity and our profanity. This process is simply called sanctification. Salvation is justification and requires no work other than believing and receiving it with obedience. Santification, on the other hand, is a constant project, requiring presence, vulnerability, exposure, and work. Lots of work goes into growing in holiness. How are you like Adam or Eve? How quickly do you rationalize and finger-point? How often do you pause and apologize to others or to God? What are your convictions about spiritual formation and growth over your lifetime?
Ephesians highlights the maintenance of peace. Jesus himself did the work of providing and maintaining peace. So, despite any and all reflection on our righteousness or obedience, and our best effort, we cannot sustain it. We just can't. So we echo Paul's praise of Jesus in Ephesians. Read the Ephesians passage out loud as a prayer, slowly and mindfully.
Finally, in Luke, we see Jesus, the Prince of Peace, being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of his mother, who, herself, was committed to obedience and peace. Mary, whose simple 'yes' redefined history, stands as an eternal witness! She took the call seriously and said it aloud, "I am the Lord's servant." Her response is what we should consider as we confront big challenges to our comfort, patience, and the way folks perceive us.
Song: Ave Maria (Traditional)
Bonus! My Advent 2025 playlist is ready for you to listen to on Apple Music. It's diverse, and it was so much fun to put together as I read through the scriptures and wrote this series.
NOTE the songs are on Apple Music, which you can get for a month for free if you are new... I just didn't want an obnoxious YouTube Ad ruining your quiet time :-)
Feel free to share your reflection on today's devotional below. A Gmail account is required to comment.
If you are looking for a nondenominational church in the Denver area, check out denverchurchofchrist.org
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