This year, I'm pondering the traditional Advent themes—HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE—found in the apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians (my recent Bible study). We've examined HOPE and PEACE. Today we look at JOY.
Advent
Advent 2025 Second Sunday: PEACE
This year, I'm pondering the traditional Advent themes—HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE—found in the apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians (my recent Bible study). Last week we examined the "hope of righteousness." Today we look at PEACE.
Advent 2025 First Sunday: HOPE
This year, I’m still pondering my recent study of Galatians. While we celebrate Jesus’s birth at Christmas, we cannot separate it from the reason he came nor his promises for the future. Join me here as I look at each of the traditional Advent themes—HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE—found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Today we start with HOPE.
Advent 2024 Fourth Sunday: Love
Love is the opposite of hatred. Love is a selfless desire to do good. Hatred is a self-centered desire to do harm. The "Christmas spirit" of love can camouflage the real hatred in our hearts. But Advent reorients us to real love.
Advent 2024 Third Sunday: Truth
The trappings of the holidays try to convince us that all is well when in reality it is not. But Advent reminds us that these are but falsehoods. Truth, instead, is embodied in the baby born to Mary of Nazareth in the town of Bethlehem in Judea.
Advent 2024 Second Sunday: Light
Light is the opposite of darkness. Light symbolizes all that is good. Darkness all that is evil. Life can look pretty dark these days so Advent invites us to first acknowledge darkness that we might realize how desperately we need light.
Advent 2024 First Sunday: Life
Our annual remembrance of the coming of Jesus Christ as a human baby starts today. This year the words of the apostle John dominate my ponderings. I will explore words he uses to describe Christ—Today, we start with LIFE.
Advent 2024 Fourth Sunday: Prince of Peace
(Oops! This title should be Advent 2-2023). My Advent ponderings this year are inspired by my recent study of Isaiah and one of the most beloved descriptions of the character of the Messiah. The first Sunday, I pondered wonderful counselor. Next mighty God on the second Sunday. Then everlasting father. Finally Isaiah describes this one-who-would-reign-on-David’s-throne as the PRINCE OF PEACE.
Pondered Treasures 