#AdventWord #Grace #感恩 ‘I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus.’ 1 Corinthians 1:4 ‘When my father says grace before a meal, the beginning of his prayer often varies–giving thanks for family and guests, celebrating special moments. But each time his prayers conclude: “Bless this food and the hands that prepared it. May it strengthen us to go and do your work here on this earth.” Grace reminds us that our gifts don’t belong to us alone; everything we have is lovingly made and generously … Continue reading Advent Word 2023 ‘Grace’ 感恩

#AdventWord #Peace #平安 ‘Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’ ‘Peace is my favorite greeting. I love that I can share it verbally and non-verbally with a peace sign. My favorite way to think about peace during Advent is one of the definitions of shalom – completeness. Imagine that every time we speak peace to someone we are praying for them to be complete. And as we pray for them, we pray for our own wholeness. Often we think of peace as the absence of something – war, confusion, noise. What if we … Continue reading Advent Word 2023 ‘Peace’ 平安

#AdventWord #Presence #臨在 ‘In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up your strength and come to help us.’ Psalm 80:2 Have you ever felt the presence of God? A friend of mine once described how she felt the first time she attended our parish, with words I never forgot: “I felt wrapped in the arms of Jesus.” That is a feeling that we Christians should strive for all the time, but I believe it is easier to feel that presence when we are thinking about God, talking about God, and serving God. Maybe this is what Jesus had … Continue reading Advent Word 2023 ‘Presence’ 臨在

#AdventWord #Hidden #隱藏 ‘for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.’ Isaiah 64:7 ‘Lest we think December is all Hallmark movies, hot cocoa, and joyful carols, Isaiah is here to remind us that Advent is also a time of searching and yearning. We empathize with the author’s plea for God to come from the heavens in a show of power and strength to overthrow the unjust rulers of this world, trample down the things that separate us from one another, and let God’s dazzling face shine upon us. And yet, … Continue reading Advent Word 2023 ‘Hidden’ 隱藏