by 
Thursday, December 1
When God is a child there’s joy in our song.
From When God Is a Child
By Rev. Gloria Hernandez
Advent is probably my favorite of the church seasons for a number of reasons. Advent comes just as the hours of daylight are at their shortest and cold is settling in for the winter . . . Advent brings us warm candlelight and anticipation. Advent is full of the wonder and mystery of “God with us” . . . Emmanuel. Advent is full of wonderful scents, beautiful visions, and glorious sounds . . . evergreen, pine, and cedar, royal blues and purple, and hymns not quite Christmas. The season of Advent gifts us with hymns like “When God is a Child.”
This relatively new hymn reminds us that with extravagant love, God came to us as a child . . .helpless, vulnerable, and needy. But it also reassures us that “When God is a Child” there is hope, peace, love, and joy for us because God is Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy! The refrain of this hymn challenges us as members of a community of faith to be hope . . . peace . . . love . . . and joy in our world, which is sorely in need of healing. When we are able to share hope, bring peace, and do all things with love, then there is “joy in our song . . . and none shall be afraid.”
Prayer: Loving God, may each day of Advent bring us closer to You. Teach us to be hope, peace, and love to those closest to us, to those who love us, and to those who don’t. Fill our hearts with anticipation and joy. Amen.
