Advent: Dec. 7th

ADVENT WEEK 2 ~ PEACE

LET'S GO LUKE 2:15
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

HIS PEOPLE
PSALM 29:11
The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.

QUESTION

There are subtle, and not so subtle, transformations happening here. Remember those "terrified" shepherds? Now they can't wait to go be a part of the whole thing! Also, remember, the shepherds started out with Angels speaking to them? Now they acknowledge "the Lord has told us". How have you experienced God transforming your fears in to His Peace? How have you experienced an ordinary conversation with someone and came to realize there was a Word from God in it for you? "Let's go" share that with someone today. Be sure to LISTEN to their story also. As you are LISTENING give them your undivided attention, eye contact, your presence with them. Listen well ~ do not interrupt, do not editorialize, do not formulate your own response before they are done, don't fix them, just listen with presence and empathize to understand what this is like for them (don't project yourself into it.) Repeat back to them to clarify what you heard and ask "did I get that right? and "is there more?" Listen for God; His Word and His Holy Spirit's guidance.

PRAYER: Lord, hear my prayers ...

Traditions From Around The World

Africa

Christmas is celebrated throughout the African continent by Christian communities large and small. There are approximately 350 million Christians in Africa. On Christmas day carols are sung from Ghana on down to South Africa. Meats are roasted, gifts are exchanged and family visits made. The Coptic Christians in Ethiopia and Egypt celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December in their calendar, which is the 7th of January for most of the rest of us. Kwanzaa is not celebrated in Africa, as it's an African-American holiday. And unless you're in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, there's little chance of anyone enjoying a white Christmas in Africa.

Even in some of Africa's predominantly Muslim countries, Christmas is still marked for celebration. In Dakar, Senegal's capital, hawkers are happy to sell plastic trees and inflatable santas. "While secularism may mean elsewhere that each person is free to celebrate his or her own holidays, many in Senegal have interpreted it to mean they should celebrate all holidays." (Mail & Guardian).

Gift Giving ~ Those who can afford it will generally give gifts at Christmas but the holiday is not nearly as commercial as it is in Europe or the Americas. The emphasis is more on the religious aspect of celebrating the birth of Jesus and singing in church, than it is on gift giving. The most common thing bought at Christmas is a new set of clothes to be worn to the church service. Many Africans are too poor to be able to afford presents for their kids and there aren't too many toy stores in rural Africa to shop at anyway. If gifts are exchanged in poorer communities they usually come in the form of school books, soap, cloth, candles and other practical goods.

Website created by Sherry Perkins
www.mywebwelder.com
All rights reserved
Best viewed on Internet Explorer
1024 x 768 full screen
Psalm 19:14

LET'S GO	LUKE 2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
HIS PEOPLE	PSALM 29:11 The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
QUESTION
There are subtle, and not so subtle, transformations happening here. Remember those "terrified" shepherds? Now they can't wait to go be a part of the whole thing! Also, remember, the shepherds started out with Angels speaking to them? Now they acknowledge "the Lord has told us". How have you experienced God transforming your fears in to His Peace? How have you experienced an ordinary conversation with someone and came to realize there was a Word from God in it for you? "Let's go" share that with someone today. Be sure to LISTEN to their story also. As you are LISTENING give them your undivided attention, eye contact, your presence with them. Listen well ~ do not interrupt, do not editorialize, do not formulate your own response before they are done, don't fix them, just listen with presence and empathize to understand what this is like for them (don't project yourself into it.) Repeat back to them to clarify what you heard and ask "did I get that right? and "is there more?" Listen for God; His Word and His Holy Spirit's guidance.