Advent Reflections 2020
Advent Reflections 2020: ‘Hidden in Christ’
In this Advent Season, as we wait in hope and expectation for the coming Saviour, let’s refocus our attention on what this glorious Saviour came to do. The devotional reflections below are based on Colossians 3:1-17 – one of the great passages of scripture. Each takes a single word for our daily inspiration and enables us to drink deep of these great truths: that you are one in whom Christ dwells, and that you live in the strong and unshakeable kingdom of God. In this unique season, never have we needed more to root ourselves in our identity in Christ.
The reflections are excerpts taken from James Bryan Smith’s book ‘Hidden in Christ’, and are reproduced with his permission – our grateful thanks to Prof. Smith, one of the world’s best devotional writers, for generously allowing us to share these free of charge. To buy a copy of ‘the real thing’, the book is sold online in multiple places: currently on offer at hive.co.uk, also at eden.co.uk and amazon.co.uk. Prof. Smith also publishes a regular podcast ‘Things Above’ which you can access here.
Huge thanks to Matt and Alise Trendall for all their work typing up the Reflections for us.
What’s Next?
Thank you for joining us for our Advent Reflections. We hope you have enjoyed them....
Day 33 – Epilogue
In this last daily excerpt from ‘Hidden in Christ’, Prof. Smith summarises the key...
Day 32 – ‘Name’
Nearly every time Christians end their prayers they say: ‘In Jesus’ name. Amen.’ What...
Day 31 – ‘Whatever’
One of the things I love about the Bible is that it does not give us black-and-white...
Day 30 – ‘Sing’
Music is a completely gratuitous and unnecessary part of human life. And yet, music is...
Day 29 – ‘Teach’
When we think about great teachers, we often think about pastors and professionals. But...
Day 28 – ‘Word’
Early in my Christian life I learned that the more I spent time reading, studying and...
Day 27 – ‘Thankful’
In Colossians 3:15-17, Paul urges his readers to be thankful three times: in v15 ‘and be...
Day 26 – ‘Peace’
As we have seen, living and working with others will naturally require us to bear each...
Day 25 – ‘Love’
Jesus was once asked what the greatest commandment was, and he responded, ‘The most...
Day 24 – ‘Forgive’
In addition to teaching us to bear one another’s burdens, living in community makes it...
Day 23 – ‘Bear’
The truth about all community – secular or sacred – is that it consists of people, and...
Day 22 – ‘Beloved’
One of my favourite quotes is from theologian Hans Ur von Balthasar. It reads: ‘After a...
Day 21 – ‘Chosen’
In Colossians 3:12 Paul tells the Colossians that they are ‘God’s chosen people, holy...
Day 20 – ‘All’
In verse 11 Paul tells the Colossians: ‘Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or...
Day 19 – ‘Knowledge’
“Knowledge is power” the old saying goes. And it is true. There is a lot to know in...
Day 18 – ‘Clothes’ (part 2)
In the morning I often stop and think about what to wear that day. Lately, thanks to...
Day 17 – ‘Clothes’ (part 1)
We who are apprentices of Jesus must take off our old clothes and put on new ones. In...
Day 16 – ‘Mouth’
What we say to one another can cause a great deal of harm. In Colossians 3:8-9, Paul...
Day 15 – ‘Once’
Making the adjustment from the ways of the world to the ways of the kingdom is hard. ...
Day 14 – ‘Walk’
The word walk is used throughout the bible as a kind of metaphor for how a person lives:...
Day 13 – ‘Wrath’
In Colossians 3:6, we run across the theologically volatile phrase ‘the wrath of God’. ...
Day 12 – ‘Desires’
God created us with the capacity to desire. Can you imagine what life would be...
Day 11 – ‘Bodies’
Our bodies are really smart. Through habits we develop over time, they actually run our...
Day 10 – ‘Mortify’
It was St Augustine who famously prayed: ‘Lord, make me chaste.... but not yet.’ ...
Day 9 – ‘You’
Several years ago, a friend of mine, who is a guitar aficionado, gave me a very valuable...
Day 8 – ‘Revealed’
I am an avid sports fan. I often record the games of my favourite teams so I can watch...
Day 7 – ‘Life’
In Colossians 3:4, St Paul uses the phrase: “Christ is your life.” Jesus is the true...
Day 6 – ‘Hidden’ (pt 2)
So I am “in Christ”. But what does it really mean that my life is now “hidden with...
Day 5 – ‘Hidden’ (pt 1)
I had a student in several of my classes who was from Russia. Just before graduation...
Day 4 – ‘Set’
My car stereo, like most people’s, has two different bands in which to receive radio...
Day 3 – ‘Seated’
There is one phrase in the Apostles Creed that, for a long time, I never understood:...
Day 2 – ‘With’
One of Jesus’ names is Immanuel, which means “God with us”. We have a choice between...
Day 1 – ‘Raised’
As Christians we put a lot of focus on the cross. It is at the centre of most churches...
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