The world rushes forward, lighting up screens and decking out storefronts in a mad sprint toward the next thing, but Advent pulls us back.
In Scripture, laments are raw expressions of grief, but they always point to hope. What if our culture’s obsession with holiday lights is an unconscious way of crying out, “We need good news, and we need it now”?
Below is an excerpt from the personal devotional included in this year’s 1517 Advent Resources.

All Articles

When the waters of anxiety and depression rise, there is One who understands.
Amy Mantravadi asks if we should forgive others even if they are not repentant
No plot spoilers here just some really Good News
Confession and absolution offer more than assurance, they gift real and genuine Divine promises.
1517 Resources to help Celebrate Reformation Day
Human solutions to problems, important as they are, are inadequate to meet our deepest needs
The goodness of God's grace is also offensive to our egos
Christ reshapes what forgivness means and why it's important
As much as we want the glory, riches, and knowledge of Dantes, what we need is Jean Valjean's candlesticks.
The Lord has remembered to help his servant Israel, to fulfill his promises to Abraham and to his offspring forever, not mostly or mainly because of his mercy, but exclusively so.
When God remembers his covenant with Noah and causes the flood to subside, he also chooses to forget.
Faith sees your neighbor not as a means to an end, not as a way to score points, but as an object of love: Christ's love and yours.