Daily Advent Devotional
104 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingPhillips Theological Seminary is providing you, our gracious donors and supporters, with a daily Advent Devotional podcast. Phillips is grateful that we can offer you this resource. You may also read the devotional on the Phillips website.
This year has been difficult and strange in so many ways. But we have the hope, peace, joy and love that Advent brings. I personally hope and pray that each devotion speaks to your life and is a balm in this weary time.
The devotional is an important part of our goal to support and educate the whole church. We value your contribution to the seminary and consider you a part of our community.
We have hope in the unchanging, sacrificial love of God, love of each other, our congregations and the love that brings equality and justice into the world through the birth of Jesus. We hope that as you read this booklet you are inspired to deepen your faith and you renew your hope.
Peace and Blessings,
Malisa Pierce
Senior Director of Stewardship and Alumnae/i Relations
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Episodes
Past, Present, Future
December 24, 2023 12:06 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBLuke 1:26–38 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. Luke 1:32 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Details of Right and Rites
December 23, 2023 12:05 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBJudges 13:2-24 Then Monoah entreated the Lord and said, “O my Lord, I pray, let the man of God whom you sent come to us again and teach us what we are to do concerning the boy who will be born.” Judges 13:8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Golden Repair
December 22, 2023 12:04 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBHebrews 1:5-14 “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” Hebrews 1:9 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Reflecting Jesus
December 21, 2023 12:02 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBHebrews 1:1-4 (Jesus) is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being. Hebrews 1:3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Book of Remembrance
December 20, 2023 12:01 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBMalachi 3:16-4:6 But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 4:2-3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Finding Joy in Divine Presence
December 19, 2023 12:03 - 3 minutes - 66.9 MBPsalm 125 The people who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion: never shaken, lasting forever. Mountains surround Jerusalem. That’s how the Lord surrounds his people from now until forever from now! Psalm 125:1-2 (CEB) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Peace and Troublemaking
December 18, 2023 12:03 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MB1 Kings 18:1-18 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” He answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals.” I Kings 18:17-18 “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” John Lewis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Joy
December 17, 2023 12:12 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBIsaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; I Thessalonians 5:16-24 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. I Thessalonians 5:16-18 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
New Expectations
December 16, 2023 12:02 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBMatthew 21:28-32 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. Matthew 21:31c-32 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On Being Human
December 14, 2023 12:19 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBPsalm 126 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy carrying their sheaves. Psalm 126:5-6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Do Not Be Afraid
December 13, 2023 12:19 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBLuke 1:5-17 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified, and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. Luke 1:11-13 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Faith, Not Fear
December 12, 2023 12:17 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBPsalm 27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Radical Peace
December 11, 2023 12:10 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBIsaiah 26:7-15 O Lord, may you ordain peace for us, for indeed, all that we have done, you have done for us. Isaiah 26:12 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Bridge of Restoration
December 10, 2023 12:14 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBPsalm 85:1-2, 8-13 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Psalm 85:10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Word of Hope
December 09, 2023 12:13 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBEzekiel 36:24-28 Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:28 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Beacons of Light
December 08, 2023 12:11 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBActs 11:19-26 Now those …traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, and they spoke the word... Acts 11:19 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hope from Dawn and Rain
December 07, 2023 12:09 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBHosea 6:1-6 Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth. Hosea 6:3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One of the Little Clans
December 06, 2023 12:07 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBMicah 5:1-5a But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days ... and he shall be the one of peace. Micah 5:2, 5a Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Imaginations of Others
December 05, 2023 12:06 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBRevelation 18:1-10 “Alas, alas, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For in one hour your judgement has come.” Revelation 18:10b Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A World of Divine Imagining
December 04, 2023 14:05 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MBIsaiah 2:1-5 …they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more. Isaiah 2:4b Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Embrace and Extent
December 03, 2023 13:56 - 3 minutes - 66.8 MB1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tis the Season to...
December 25, 2022 11:10 - 3 minutes - 50.1 MBTis the Season to… Titus 3:4-7 When kindness and benevolence appeared through G*d, our savior, appeared, it was not a result of those deeds…. Titus 3:4-6 (A. Carter Paraphrase) It’s commonplace to describe our society as results driven. Metrics, measurables, and product, with good reason, have become outcome-oriented benchmarks that establish and legitimate organizational value, worthiness, and rationale. Such perspectives are important correctives that challenge rigid power structures an...
Love
December 24, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.4 MBLove John 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Conversation and the Conversation was with God.” When the Gospel of John was translated into Latin from its original Greek, translators of the first few centuries used the Latin word sermo for the Greek word logos in this passage. There’s a perfectly good Latin word that denotes a single linguistic utterance—it is verbum, word in English. Sermo, according...
God is at Work
December 23, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.8 MBGod is at Work Luke 2:1-14 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. Luke 2:1 Shootings. Extremes of wealth and poverty. Food insecurity. Racial-ethnic tensions. Corporate greed. Military invasions. Divisive leadership. Limited access to healthcare. Cultural and political divisions. Societal intolerance and violence. And so forth. One might wonder, where is God in the midst of our broken world? What is God doing? If anything? The firs...
Facing the Vortex
December 22, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.3 MBWeek Four December 22, 2022 Facing the Vortex Isaiah 33:17-22 But there the Lord in majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, where no galley with oars can go, nor stately ship can pass. Isaiah 33:21 The late Civil Rights champion, James Baldwin once asserted that not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. During Advent, we must face that fact that we are living during perilous times. Our era has been accented by the en...
Grandparent Stories
December 21, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.4 MBGrandparent Stories Matthew 1:1-17 An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1 The late New Testament scholar Doug Adams contrasted parent stories to grandparent stories. Parent stories tend to clean up and prettify their own youthful years in order to claim the moral high ground. “When I was a child, I never talked to my parents that way.” The grandparent version of the same story might be: “No, you did not talk back to me but inst...
The World Upside Down
December 20, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 44.5 MBThe World Upside Down Samuel 2:1-10 Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies because I rejoice in my victory… the bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. 1 Samuel 2:1, 4:4-5 Hannah has just left her long-desired infant so...
Staying Open to Closed Doors
December 19, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 47.7 MBStaying Open to Closed Doors Genesis 17:15-22 God said to Abraham, “As for Sarah your wife… I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her.” Genesis 17:15-16 Imagine (or recall) a whole life of your partner leaving the toilet seat up even if you (or child) continuously falls in, or a whole life of having a roommate that won’t stop leaving the kitchen cabinet doors open after literally thousands of pleas to STOP THE MADNESS AND CLOSE THE CABINET DOORS, THE CAT IS GETTING THE D...
Dreaming During Advent
December 18, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.8 MBDreaming During Advent Matthew 1:18-25 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him... Matthew 1:24a Deeply embedded within African American culture, dreaming is a resource for surviving the everyday traumas of being Black in America. In the days of my youth, dreams were understood to be messages from God as guidance for daily living. Everyone, whether within the church community or the extra-church community, understood the messages from dreams to promote i...
Embracing the Both/And
December 17, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 49.3 MBEmbracing the Both/And John 3:31-33 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. John 3:31-33 “In a world that tries to push us to either/or, the true gift we give ourselves is embracing the both/and.” These words from...
What is my House?
December 16, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.7 MBWhat is My House? 2 Samuel 7:18-22 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 2 Samuel 7:18 The ark of the covenant carried God’s presence. Up to this point, the ark was being carried around in a mobile tent, with no permanent home. After David is anointed as king, he defeats the Philistines and after defeating them, David is tasked with building a house for God’s presence to dwell in. David se...
No Bartering Required
December 15, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.5 MBNo Bartering Required Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 May You honor the people at Your right hand. May You honor the nation You have raised up for Yourself. Then we won’t turn away from You. Give us new life [and we] will worship You. Psalm 80.17-18 (NIRV) Like many of us, I have favorite Psalms, but the ones I like least are what I call Psalms of Barter. They acknowledge God’s greatness, ensure God understands how desperate and dire things are, and then make conditional promises: “We’ll do this for ...
Joyful Action
December 14, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.2 MBJoyful Action Zechariah 8: 1–17 These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace, do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate, says the Lord. Zechariah 8: 16–17 In this section of Zechariah, the prophet speaks of a God who makes a lot of promises. God promises to restore Jerusalem in many ways. God promises long lives and joyful ch...
Time for Wavering
December 13, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.4 MBTime for Wavering Jude 1:17-25 And have mercy on some who are wavering. Jude 1:22 I’ll be honest: being assigned this passage felt a bit like sitting next to someone on an airplane who, after a few minutes of pleasant chitchat, mentions sotto voce that we are clearly living in the end-times. “Oh no,” one thinks. “This is going to be a long flight.” At only 24 verses, the book of Jude at least spares us a lengthy voyage; it’s more of a puddle-jump. Nevertheless, the author is eager to le...
Seeking What is Holy
December 12, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.2 MBSeeking What is Holy Psalm 42 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. Psalms 42:1 A popular Psalm and possibly even a more popular song derived from the Psalm invoking images of a deer thirsting for water symbolizing the author’s thirst for the divine. In a world where having clean water and even having access to water is a growing threat to the wellness of creation, we are reminded of the simple need to live in balance and harmony recognizing the divine or h...
Joy and Grief
December 11, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.5 MBWeek Three December 11, 2022 Joy and Grief Matthew 11:2-11 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Matthew 11:2-3 Imagine John in prison defeated, frustrated, angry, grief stricken. Then he hears rumors of a man—the man he baptized—teaching and healing. Then John receives confirmation that Jesus is the one that he was proclaiming. The scripture does not mention...
A New Kind of Music
December 10, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.7 MBWeek Two December 10, 2022 A New Kind of Music 1 Samuel 2:1-8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. 1 Samuel 2:8a Faithful Hannah sings thanksgiving and praise. With God’s help, she who was thought barren, has brought new life to the world! Her nation is in crisis. Her son, Samuel, will be Israel’s dynamic prophet-leader. Kings Saul and then David whom he anoints, will lead the Israelites to ...
A Second Coming
December 09, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.6 MBWeek Two December 9, 2022 A Second Coming 2 Peter 3:11-18 Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. 2 Peter 3:14 At a committee meeting in the 4th century, a date was set for Easter; an annual celebration of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus would occur on the first Sunday, after the first full moon, after the spring equinox. A date for Christmas c...
Peace
December 08, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.7 MBWeek Two December 8, 2022 Peace Psalm 146:5-10 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God...Psalm 146:5 Peace has of recent become more of a wish than a reality! Something so elusive, almost unattainable. When was the last time we thought we could be in a state of “completeness, wholeness, or safety?” We talk about the realities of our times: covid (and its strains), monkey pox, inflation, Russia and Ukraine. It almost feels like the world is acc...
Spirit into Action
December 07, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.7 MBWeek Two December 7, 2022 Spirit into Action Matthew 12:33-37 Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. Matthew 12:33-35 Most if not all of us have had the experi...
Peace and Power = Bold Peace!
December 06, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 48 MBWeek Two December 6, 2022 Peace and Power = Bold Peace! Romans 15:14-21 Nevertheless, on some points I have written to you rather boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:15-16 (NRSVUE) As we come to the close of 2022, I embrace the thought of desiring and praying for peace....
Steadfast Love
December 05, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.7 MBWeek Two December 5, 2022 Steadfast Love Psalm 21 In your strength the king rejoices, O Lord, and in your help how greatly he exults! […] His glory is great through your help; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. “You bestow on him blessings forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.” Psalm 21:1, 5-7 Psalm 21 constitutes an expression of gratitude for victory, lik...
Envision the Impossible
December 04, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.5 MBWeek Two December 4, 2022 Envision the Impossible Isaiah 11:1–10 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:9 In Isaiah 11:1-10, we find words attributed to Isaiah of Jerusalem, the 8th century BCE prophet, directed at the nation of Judah. In 722/21 BCE, the Assyrian empire had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and forced Judah to pay tribute. This new financial strain was n...
Hope
December 03, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.7 MBWeek One December 3, 2022 Hope Isaiah 40:1–11 “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem…” Isaiah 40:1-2 (NRSVUE) When it comes to Isaiah’s chapter 40, there’s a tendency to jump into the drama of preparing a way in the wilderness, straightening out twisting highways, leveling mountains, lifting the tilted slabs of the desert. Big drama. God stuff, on a cosmic or at least geological scale. Which means we rush past the quiet introduction, as we so often ca...
Legacy of Love
December 02, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.9 MBWeek One December 2, 2022 Legacy of Love Acts 13:16–25 …God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised… Acts 13:23 In Antioch of Pisidia, Paul (Saul’s newly-mentioned Gentile moniker) and Barnabas sit down in the synagogue on the sabbath day. After the Torah and the Prophets are read, Paul is asked to share a word of exhortation. He outlines the history of God’s covenantal actions: from the exodus to the wilderness to the Promise Land to the judges and the prophets to the kin...
Love Wins
November 30, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45 MBWeek One November 30, 2022 Love Wins Isaiah 54:1–10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10 In this scripture, the Holy’s love becomes steadfast, overcoming the stories of “divine wrath” that make up parts of the Hebrew bible and Hollywood movies with an ancient biblical focus. This shift promises that prior shame, disgrac...
The Hope of Repeated Promises
November 29, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.3 MBWeek One November 29, 2022 The Hope of Repeated Promises Genesis 9:1–17 “…When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the Earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:16-17 Earlier chapters of Genesis share destruction, flooding, death, and traumatic events, and I can imagine fear taking hold...
Restoration
November 28, 2022 11:10 - 2 minutes - 45.8 MBWeek One November 28, 2022 Restoration Genesis 8:1–19 God did not forget Noah and all the animals in the ark, and sent a mighty wind over the earth so that the waters began to subside. The springs of the Deep and the windows in the heavens were closed up. The rain from the heavens stopped. The water covering the earth gradually dropped, until at the end of 150 days it was gone. Genesis 8:1-3 The crisis is over. God has not forgotten us. In this third Advent season beyond the squealing ...
A Familiar Place
November 27, 2022 11:15 - 2 minutes - 45 MBWeek One November 27, 2022 A Familiar Place Psalm 122 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Psalm 122:1 Familiar, from the Latin, “belonging to a family, of a household, intimate. Also, famulus, family; familia, household servant. I like to attend worship. It is familiar and it always feels like home. During seminary I served as the associate minister at First Christian Church of Stroud, Oklahoma. I worked with the youth groups and participated in Sund...
Christmas Day: Life
December 25, 2021 14:00 - 3 minutes - 2.97 MBWeek Four December 25, 2021 Christmas Day: Life John 1:1-14 What has come into being through him was life… the light for all people. John 1:4 John’s Gospel opens its presentation of Jesus with a communication metaphor, the Word. And it employs the Hebrew Bible paradigm of Wisdom the communicator. The Hebrew Bible, notably Proverbs chapter 8, presents Wisdom as a female figure who exists “in the beginning” with God. She comes from God to communicate divine presence and purposes among ...