Advent Devotions
All are invited as we Make Room this Advent season.
You’re Invited to See the Power Struggle
Today’s author is Prince of Peace’s Intentional Interim, Pastor Steve Sylvester.
Water into wine. Nice!
Sick boy gets well. Heartwarming!
Blind man sees. Colors abound!
Lame man walks. Skip to my Lou!
Dead man comes to life. Mic drop.
Dead man comes to life. This was the one. No possibility of thinking it was smoke and mirrors or card tricks. No, “Were you REALLY born blind?” or “The kid had a fever? Big deal!” This was the one that made people want to sign up and follow Jesus. It was also the one that made people want to kill him (and Lazarus too, by the way).
You’re invited to see the power struggle. That’s our theme during the season of Lent. Jesus is using his power to bring life from death. That’s a good thing, right? But power is an odd thing. Sometimes we simply want power for its own sake, so we grab at it and do anything required to keep it. Sometimes there is something specific we want to do, and we can’t do it without power, so we go all in. To put it even more bluntly, it is our tendency to be curved in upon ourselves, to make decisions and seek things that are to our benefit, even at the expense of others or God’s good creation.
Throughout this season of Lent, we will be considering the power struggle between Jesus and those who opposed him. And in some cases, it wasn’t even that they opposed Jesus, it was just that his agenda was not their agenda. Pilate and Caiaphas the High Priest might have been in this group, as they were not so much against the good Jesus was doing as they were alarmed by the possibility that the goodwill he was garnering might negatively boomerang back on them.
Power—the ability to act—is a simple thing. It is also the most seductive of things. There is not a lot we can do without power, and if we have power, and amass more, there is little we cannot do. As we make our way through this season, take note how Jesus treats power, how he pursues it, or doesn’t, and what he does with it. Take note too how others in the story of John’s Gospel chase after and use power. Those things will tell us a lot, about Jesus and about ourselves.
Previously…
Independence Daze
On the heels of Independence Day, we shift to consider what it means to be created free, not just the privilege of living that way. On Sunday, we’ll read from Romans 12, where Paul urges us not to conform to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This transformation allows us to discern and live out God’s vision for the world as we have been made good, pleasing, and perfect.
Created to be Authentic
To be authentic to me means to be pure and real. With inanimate objects, there are certain qualities that is has to have to be authentic. But with people, I believe that the only person than can tell you how to be your authentic self is yourself.
This Little Light of Mine
This past April 7th, my sister and I drove from the Twin Cities to Decatur, Illinois, where we would spend the night before driving three hours south to our final destination: Carbondale! Under normal circumstances, Carbondale, Illinois, wouldn’t have been on either of our bucket lists. But something truly AMAZING was about to take place – a total solar eclipse – and Carbondale was in the path of totality!
Let Your Light Shine
To be authentic means embracing and expressing our true selves as God designed. It means recognizing and celebrating our individuality, not conforming to societal pressures or expectations. True authenticity involves vulnerability and openness, sharing our real selves with others.