Series Introduction

Over the next week, Steven McCready is inviting you to join him on a faith-filled journey into and through the Christmas story. “Most of us are familiar with the big ideas of Advent, but I want us to pay attention to the details of the Adventure. ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the father, full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14). Incarnation comes with an invitation! The invitation comes with expectation! What we are about to experience is good news, of great joy, for all the people.

Reflection:

When my children were little, there was a special moment that I celebrated every night in my house. Each night, my wife and I would tuck our kids into bed and then come downstairs, and the clean-up would begin. Dishes would get washed; laundry got sorted, all the Lego blocks were picked up off the floor and tidied away, the surfaces would get cleaned, the floor brushed, and once everything was sorted, once everything was in the place it was supposed to be, the kids were safely asleep in bed my wife and I would sit down, throw our feet up, and usually make a sound that goes something like this — ahhhhh.

Many of you know that exact moment and that same feeling. A mixture of relief, joy, love, and exhaustion! What is most remarkable about this routine is that we would do this every night. We would do it in the knowledge that just a few hours later, our then three-year-old would come ripping down the stairs to begin a new day, and the Lego is going to go everywhere, crumbs all over the place, sticky chocolate hands on the wall and crayons on the floor. It was temporary, but those few moments each evening when we would experience a few moments of peace were glorious. “Peace at last,” one children’s book beautifully proclaims.

The pursuit of peace in our lives is a quest that we are all on. We get to taste it every so often or sample it and instantly want more. But then it seems to allude us. We know peace is essential, yet it often seems absent from our lives.

As we set out to journey towards Christmas, we want to remember the big picture of what is happening. What is happening in the birth of Jesus? What is the point, the big picture, the plan?

Jesus is God’s clean-up and clear-up plan for the whole world. The babe has been spent on a special mission: to put everything back in its rightful place, to fix what is broken, to clean up the mess, to rearrange the chaos and to bring peace at last. The Prince of Peace comes to make peace and to offer peace to a world in need of peace.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we invite you to lead us into a season of peace and peace-making. Give us your heart and hands as we navigate this busy, complex, and chaotic time of year. Help us to know the peace of God that surpasses all understanding and guards our hearts and minds in you.