The individuals and families in Emerging FIELD range widely in age, but they all share a common characteristic: they are working toward and waiting for a brighter future. It may be rather inconvenient for a mother to lug around several young children to attend Reading & Math Buddy, but she does it because she believes the class will help her child become a better reader. It may be humbling for a well-educated adult to move to a foreign country, learn a new language and customs, and continue studying, but he/ she does it because of the outlook of a better or more fulfilling future.
Emerging FIELD is characterized by hope. Hope drives parents to work hard for their children, and hope motivates our students to keep moving toward their goals even when they face brick walls.
Did you know that Christmas is characterized by hope as well? Underneath the shiny decorations, frenzied shopping, and bright lights, at the heart of Christmas is the celebration of hope fulfilled. The Jews had waited many long years for a promised Savior, a Messiah. The birth of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of that hope.
For Christians, Christmas is a celebration of a Savior who came into the world to rescue powerless sinners from darkness. How despondent and hopeless life was when I recognized the evil within me and my inability to do anything about it. Yet joy and light overcame that when I took on a new identity as a Christ follower.
The waiting was long and hard, but for those who accepted Jesus for who He was - God the Son, God incarnate - what sweetness it was to have the hope fulfilled! When Jesus was presented at the temple in his infancy, both Simeon - who "was waiting for the consolation of Israel" and Anna - who was "looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem" recognized the Child as the One for whom they were waiting. That moment of encountering of the Lord was worth their years of waiting.
The period of four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day is called Advent, a word which means "coming" or "arrival." There is a tradition in many churches and families in which four (sometimes five) candles are placed in an Advent wreath. Every Sunday, starting four Sundays before Christmas, one candle is lit. On Christmas Day or Eve, the fifth candle is lit. The Advent wreath is a reminder of the waiting that accompanied the Savior's birth.
This time of year, children are unabashedly eager for Christmas to arrive. "I can't wait!" they say gleefully. One Emerging FIELD mother said that her children are so eager for Christmas, they have already wrapped their old toys and placed them under the tree! The waiting is for something exciting, something wonderful that will come.
Praise be to God for the Savior who has come, and who will return a second time to right all wrongs and fully restore us. Come, Lord Jesus!
Emerging FIELD is characterized by hope. Hope drives parents to work hard for their children, and hope motivates our students to keep moving toward their goals even when they face brick walls.
Did you know that Christmas is characterized by hope as well? Underneath the shiny decorations, frenzied shopping, and bright lights, at the heart of Christmas is the celebration of hope fulfilled. The Jews had waited many long years for a promised Savior, a Messiah. The birth of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of that hope.
For Christians, Christmas is a celebration of a Savior who came into the world to rescue powerless sinners from darkness. How despondent and hopeless life was when I recognized the evil within me and my inability to do anything about it. Yet joy and light overcame that when I took on a new identity as a Christ follower.
The waiting was long and hard, but for those who accepted Jesus for who He was - God the Son, God incarnate - what sweetness it was to have the hope fulfilled! When Jesus was presented at the temple in his infancy, both Simeon - who "was waiting for the consolation of Israel" and Anna - who was "looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem" recognized the Child as the One for whom they were waiting. That moment of encountering of the Lord was worth their years of waiting.
The period of four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day is called Advent, a word which means "coming" or "arrival." There is a tradition in many churches and families in which four (sometimes five) candles are placed in an Advent wreath. Every Sunday, starting four Sundays before Christmas, one candle is lit. On Christmas Day or Eve, the fifth candle is lit. The Advent wreath is a reminder of the waiting that accompanied the Savior's birth.
This time of year, children are unabashedly eager for Christmas to arrive. "I can't wait!" they say gleefully. One Emerging FIELD mother said that her children are so eager for Christmas, they have already wrapped their old toys and placed them under the tree! The waiting is for something exciting, something wonderful that will come.
Praise be to God for the Savior who has come, and who will return a second time to right all wrongs and fully restore us. Come, Lord Jesus!