Christmas Day

Scripture Reading for Today:

Isaiah 9:2-7, Psalm 97, Titus 3:4-7, Luke 2:1-20

Isaiah 9:2-7

2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

Psalm 97

1 The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all peoples see his glory.

7 All who worship images are put to shame,
those who boast in idols—
worship him, all you gods!

8 Zion hears and rejoices
and the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments, Lord.
9 For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light shines on the righteous
and joy on the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
and praise his holy name.

Titus 3:4-7

4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Luke 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

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.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

NIV

Merry Christmas

by Amy Bratton

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Every year since my kids were old enough to anticipate Christmas, I have hoped to add practices to our family routines to mark the days of Advent with a touch of the sacred among the commercialism that crowds in at this time of year. So far, I have had little success making space for my idealism, and this year is no exception. Here we are on Christmas Day and life got busy. The beginning of December snuck up on me and even the simple Advent countdown we have used for several years remains in the jar where it has been since last December

This year I have been trying to go easy on myself and pay attention when I am at my limits, instead of pushing beyond my capacity as I listen to the whisper inside my head of all the things I should be doing. I’ve been trying to unravel the internal expectations and respond with gentleness when I give up on things I had hoped would take place. In that respect, I have had tiny victories this year.

As I write this, a clean white layer of snow is falling here in Saskatoon. Fluffy white snow is my favourite type of snow. Part of what I love about fresh snow is that it covers up the flaws of the landscape, leaving a clean blanket across spaces that are often filled with evidence of human presence on the land. As the snow falls and changes the landscape from icy, gravel-covered roads to pure white, I am hopeful for a change in season in my interior world, as well. 

I am struck by the images of change in the Isaiah passage in today’s readings, so often read at Christmas. The shift from darkness to seeing light shine. The shift of struggle to victory. And the transformation at the birth of a child. Especially, the birth of God incarnate that we celebrate on this, the Feast of Christmas.

In this spirit of hope, I am also filled with immense gratitude.

Thank you!

Thank you for reading along with us this year. Each year I am so grateful for the community of readers who wholeheartedly read and open their hearts to be touched by the reflections in this collection.

A huge thank you to all the authors and artists who shared their hearts for the Advent Reader this year. Your words and images have been earnest and insightful, vulnerable and courageous. I am grateful for how you have articulated your story and how it fits inside God’s story. It has been a joy to work with all the contributors this year.

Thank you to Alanna Johnson, who did the graphic design for Advent Undone. She has not only made the words look beautiful but also selected the images you have seen alongside the words of the contributors. Alanna takes time each year to think about the feel of the collection and always creates a beautiful place for the words to rest. Thank you for your care and attention to the Advent Reader.

In a year when the New Leaf Network has been aware of our own limitations of time and capacity, it has been a joy to see that the reading community for the Advent Reader has grown once again. Thank you for walking with us for Advent Undone.

Thank you to those of you have have already donated to New Leaf in gratitude for the Advent Reader. If you have appreciated this collection, we suggest a $25 donation and larger gifts will also support the wider network work. With your financial backing, we can keep working with Canadian leaders to make and develop this resource. The encouraging notes and donations help us make this project happen each year.

We have so much to be thankful for. As we head into 2025, the New Leaf Network continues to feel the pull of listening to and working with leaders in the Canadian church. We have some plans for the coming year. Would you help us continue this work with a donation? 

If a donation is not possible at this time, there are many ways to support the work that we do. Sharing our events and resources on social media and within your networks. Buying a book from New Leaf Press. Subscribing or reviewing the podcasts in the New Leaf Podcast Network. Attending an event in the coming year. Reaching out to us to let us know what you are doing in the Canadian church, or how we can help. We appreciate all the ways you engage with New Leaf throughout the year.

As you celebrate Christmas this year, may the places where Advent has come Undone also be places where you are held by God and woven into the larger story of Love.

Peace to you during this season of Christmastide,

Amy Bratton

Editor, New Leaf Advent Reader

Director of Operations & Publishing, New Leaf Network

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Explore the year’s Advent Reader posts:

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