Advent Challenge Day 13
Planted
Read Together
Isaiah 48:17-18 & Psalm 1:1-3
Light two candles and say together
Happy are those who delight in the law of the Lord.
(from Psalm 1:1, 2)
Reflection
One of the central decorations at Christmas time is a Christmas tree. Whether real or artificial, these trees bring signs of life, beauty, and joy into our homes and our communities.
As we read through Scripture, nature continually serves as a lens through which we can see God and experience His attributes. In Psalm 1, the person who meditates on the Word of God is compared to a tree planted in hydrated soil near the source of its life-sustaining water. This tree stays healthy and fruitful. The fruit itself is a natural metaphor to help us see that when we are strong and healthy, it is not just meant for our benefit, but we are meant to use our health and wealth to serve others. And as we jump to Isaiah 48:18, peace and well-being are said to flow like rivers and seas. It is offered to us abundantly!
One of the blessings of our faith is being able to find moments where our natural world interacts with the heavenly realm in a way that makes God more real to us. Advent itself is one such season. There can be moments in this season when the veil between heaven and earth feels thin as if we could reach out, touch, and experience the realness of God in such a tangible way, (like, perhaps, holding a newborn baby after giving birth in a stable under a Christmas star).
So as nature is used in Scripture to open our eyes to the realities of God, and we literally bring nature into our homes during this season in the form of a tree, let's consider how that tree can give us one of those moments that can help us stop and really see God. Every once in a while someone tries to write about what the tree symbolizes at Christmas, and we could try that here. But I think that in order to make this more spiritual and less academic, I want to offer you a prayer called A Liturgy for Setting Up a Christmas Tree. You can find it here. Pray with it today, or save it for when you set up your Christmas tree. And as this tree stands in your home, I pray it will invite you deeper into moments that tug at your heart and draw you nearer to the God who came in the middle of the night to be laid in a manger so that He could be near and be held.
Talk About
- Have you discovered any moments this Advent that has helped you feel closer to God?
- What about the Christmas tree points you to God?
- How can you make space and time to experience these spiritual, veil-thinning moments that Advent can bring?
Pray Together
Today, if you haven't already, pray A Liturgy for Setting Up a Christmas Tree.
Put it in Action
Find something in nature today, whether inside your house or outside, that reminds you about who God is. Pray & thank God for that!