As we venture through Advent, our 2023 Saint Luke Advent Devotional writers will guide us on a journey of love, hope, peace, and joy, illuminating the true meaning of the season. We will discover that the most significant longings of our hearts are not found in gift-wrapped boxes but are gifts from a loving God. These reflections will inspire and elevate your Advent experience as we reflect together on what we truly want this Christmas.
Today’s devotional is from Pastor Matt Staniz. Pastor Matt served as our Pastor for Youth, Family and Service for 10 years before being called as Lead Pastor in 2022. Since 2009, he has been a leading faith-based advocate for ending extreme poverty with the ONE Campaign. Pastor Matt lives in Chesterbrook, along with his wife Monica and their son Michael.
GATHER AT THE MANGER
“So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.” -Luke 2:16
Every December we are challenged to “keep Christ in Christmas.” While I reject the way these words are often used—in a harsh, judgmental tone—I relate deeply to such a desire to be connected the story of God’s arrival in this world. There are so many ways that we can be distracted from the good news that Jesus has shown up in this world. We can get caught up—overwhelmed even—by the pressure to have a perfect holiday, even to the point of spending too much. Some of our deepest hurts come right to the surface at Christmas time, including our grief for loved ones who have died along as well as the ways that our lives aren’t going exactly the way we imagined this time last year. We are also surrounded by so many circumstances in the world around us—warfare, incivility, and simultaneous crises of addiction, climate change, hunger, and poverty—that obstruct our view of God’s presence with us.
As we face all of this, may we be like the shepherds of Bethlehem. May we go with haste to find Mary, Joseph and our newborn savior lying in a manger. We grow best in community, and the potential “to keep Christ in Christmas” will be at its best when we gather together around to hear the story, to sing, to pray, and to worship Jesus together. May God bless our worship gatherings this Christmas Eve; I hope to see you there, gathered at the manger.
Dear God, as we find ourselves surrounded with so many distractions, draw our attention to the good news of Christmas and the opportunity to gather at the manger as a community. Inspire us, like the Bethlehem shepherds, to make time to focus on the gift of Jesus coming into our world. Give us opportunities to invite others into the good news that Christmas brings into our lives and into this world. Amen.
Christmas Eve worship with Saint Luke includes services starting at 10:30am, 4pm, 7pm & 9pm. Livestreams of the first three services can be found at SaintLukeDevon.org and will remain available at the Saint Luke Devon YouTube channel throughout the Christmas season.