Advent Challenge Day 12
The Faith of our Fathers
Read Together
Isaiah 41:13 & Psalm 145:3-19
Light two candles and say together
One generation will declare Your works to the next.
(from Psalm 145:4)
Reflection
Christmas is full of traditions, and as we decorate and prepare during this season, much of what we do is in response to what was done in the years and generations before us. We treasure the nostalgia as we recreate memories from the past, and we are so hopeful that the new traditions we carefully curate will matter in the long term to those we celebrate with. Journeying through these holidays with people we love and with the memories of those who have gone before us is one of the things that makes these times so special and memorable. One of the most meaningful gifts during this season is the people we celebrate with.
Christmas is a time of celebration best experienced with others. Our faith is the very same. That first Christmas may be referred to as a “silent night” but it wasn’t lonely. Jesus was born into a family and a whole company of heavenly and earthly communities met that family on that night to welcome that promised child. We are given the gift of each other.
Our faith is shaped by our history. We may have embraced the faith of our predecessors or, we may have rejected it. We may have taken what we learned while growing up and adapted it. We often get to a point in our life where we must sort through all that we received and determine what was baggage and what was gifts.
One of my favourite repeated patterns in the Old Testament of the Bible is when God introduces Himself as “the God of your father...”. Often, it isn’t just one generation, but multiple. For example, in Exodus 3:6, Moses meets God in a burning bush and introduces Himself by saying “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Here, Moses is a few generations removed from Jacob (let alone Isaac and Abraham), so let’s back up and look at Abraham and his son Isaac.
Abraham was 100 years old when the son God had promised him for years was finally born. And then, God asked Him to sacrifice that very same son. In the heartwrenching story of Abraham leading his much-prayed-for son Isaac up a mountain to be sacrificed in obedience to God, Abraham had already seen that God fulfilled promises and was faithful. Abraham had over a century of trust built up with God. And as they walked up that mountain, Isaac had the gift of Abraham’s faith as they journeyed together until such time that Isaac’s faith became His own. (from Genesis 22)
Isaac’s son Jacob knew God as the God of his father and grandfather until Genesis 32 when Jacob spends an entire night wrestling with God. By daybreak, Jacob knows without a shadow of a doubt that He has seen God face to face (Genesis 32:30). God is no longer someone He knows of, He's now on a first-name basis with Him.
These forefathers were known by their faith, and God’s faithfulness to them was used as a reference for generations of people. When Scripture refers to God as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” it is such a tender thing. We are being invited to rely on the strength of the faith of these people who went before us. God’s hope for us is that we would experience a relationship with Him, but He doesn’t ever expect us to come to trust Him in a vacuum. While we grow to see His hand at work in our lives and discover Him faithful, we can already have the assurance of His faithful love by observing the work God is doing in the lives of others who have walked with Him for longer than we have.
Today, we started by reading one verse in Isaiah 41. “’For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.’” We may hear that promise but it may be a stretch to see God’s faithfulness at work in our own lives enough to trust it. But in Psalm 145, we are reminded of the gift of community and the gift of generations, who can declare God’s faithfulness when we aren't strong enough to believe it yet.
This Advent, as you prepare your traditions marked by generations, remember that you also are not being asked to do your faith journey alone. You don't even have to be strong enough to believe that all these promises are true. Your doubts may be loud even as you light candles and read the prayers and set out the nativity scene.
But you are also not alone. And God is patient. And faithful.
Look for ways to accept the gift of the strong faith of others this season. And if your faith is strong, look for ways to encourage others about God’s faithfulness.
Talk About
- What are some of your most meaningful traditions? Are they brand new to you, or have you adapted them from traditions in your past?
- How can you help combat loneliness this holiday season? Whether you’re likely to feel lonely or not, make a plan to connect with others, especially someone (else) who may be feeling lonely.
- Do you think you are someone who could use some extra faith-strength from others right now? Or do you have some extra faith-strength to share?
- Share a time you've seen that God has been faithful to you.
Pray Together
Lord, you are so great! Let each generation tell of your mighty acts. We will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendour and your wonderful miracles. You are merciful and compassionate and filled with unfailing love. You keep your promises! Our eyes look to you in hope.
Amen.
Put it in Action
Find a person of faith that you trust and ask them to tell you of a time that God has answered their prayers.
To Go Deeper, Read
Genesis 22 and/or Genesis 32