Devotions for the Week

Devotion based on the scripture from December 14, 2025.

Keeping Watch

There’s nothing quite like the first smell of springtime flowers emerging from the earth. The sensory explosion often catches us by surprise, reminding us that new life is surely coming soon, even though the world still seems to be slumbering and the buds we watch impatiently refuse to open. This third Sunday of Advent lifts the church and stirs our senses as we receive word, along with John the Baptizer, that Jesus is indeed the one we’ve been waiting for, the one who will turn buds into blooms. This is good news!

We might wonder, however, why we are hearing this news from John’s perspective, out of all the voices in the growing community of Jesus-followers. Can we trust his word? After all, John is sitting behind bars at this time, caught in the gears of the world’s injustice. John’s unjust imprisonment reminds us that working for justice in the world can cause conflict with those in power. But while the world imprisons the innocent and strains to protect the corrupt and cruel, God sees such injustices and works to undo their power. This, too, is good news!

This third Sunday of Advent is sometimes called Gaudete, meaning “Rejoice.” Cultivating joy amid the brokenness seen in the world is difficult, but God brings new beginnings where we have known only endings. New tendrils of life are emerging! Something new is coming! Let’s share the good news as we wait and keep watch together.

Items Available – The following items are available in the gathering space for you to take home and complete.

A Gift for All: 10 Christmas Reflections on God’s Gift to Us—Jesus

God’s greatest gift to us was His son, Jesus—our Savior, who died and rose again so that we may live eternally with Him. This unending gift is for everyone. With this truth, we get to be united with a diverse family of believers all over the world.

This Christmas season, you’re invited to set aside 10 days to reflect on what this means for you, and how you might share this good news with others.

Humble and Holy: Devotions for Advent & Christmas 2025-2026

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ELCA World Hunger Advent Calendar 2025

The Advent calendar evokes feelings of a welcoming hearth during the harsher months of winter. The activities inside start with a standing nativity scene, ready to be colored throughout the season. Alongside each day’s craft activity, the calendar includes: 1. Opportunities from ELCA Good Gifts to generously support the church’s national and global work to end poverty. 2. Everything you need to create “Stocking the Streets” bags for your unhoused neighbors. 3.Scripture, prayers and hymns for seasonal reflection.

Study Guide

This season’s ELCA World Hunger study guide provides reflection questions for engaging the brand-new, ELCA World Hunger–produced short video documentary “Intersections: Justice Ministry With ELCA Partners.” The video and study guide ask viewers to think differently about the root causes of hunger and poverty, making complex issues seem manageable through our collective action as the church.

Advent Bible Reading Plan