On This Christmas Eve 🕯

know that your questions are welcome here

Luke 1:26-38 (NLT):

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.”

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.”

Even Mary, the very mother of the living, breathing, flesh-indwelled God got confused and disturbed. Even she, bathed in the light of heaven as she sat bewildered in the presence of an angel, asked, “But how can this happen?”

We think sometimes that in order to be loved, in order to be righteous, in order to be holy, we must never question God. But it’s in your questioning and wrestling that the truth of God is revealed. If you never ask, you will never know, and God is in the business of revealing Himself to those who seek Him. 

It’s in your questioning and doubting that your faith becomes your own. This is where faith moves from being what you were raised up to believe, to a very real encounter and relationship with Abba, your Heavenly Father.

So here Christ sits, amidst your wondering and beckons you to wander over to Him. He extends His gentle, mighty, bloodstained hands and invites you to give Him your questions, your doubts, your fears, and your uncertainties. He invites you to hand over your faithlessness so that He can transform you into one who is faith-fueled. 

In your wrestling, you will run right into God, as long as you wrestle with Him and not against Him. Because the reality is that He would rather have your doubts and questions pointed to Him than watch you walk away without even a single word. 

Artist, Anthony Gurrola, says that “to wrestle with God, is to still be in His hands. If you are close enough to wrestle God, you are close enough to be embraced by Him.”

Go to Him, dear one, with all that you carry. He is not offended by your doubt, nor is He disgusted by what you don’t understand. He hears your heart cry out, “But how can this happen?” and He longs to embrace you and give you the solution…

Himself. 

So, on this Christmas Eve, if you are not feeling very faithful or faith-fueled, take heart. He didn’t come to just instill a feeling; He came to reconcile you to Himself. He came to show you what real, God-sized love looks like, and He came to be with you in every question, every doubt, every ‘But how can this happen?’ moment.

He came to show you His faithfulness amidst your faithlessness. 

He came to wipe away your tears of frustration and misunderstanding of why the world works the way it does and how easily it can break your heart. 

He came to be the answer to all of your questions and all of your wonderings and wanderings.  

On this Christmas Eve, on the eve of Advent’s end, you can be still and know, your questions are welcome here.

peace be with you,

celia

A Place to Ponder

What questions are you carrying with you today? Name them in God’s presence and ask Him to reveal His glory to you as you prepare your heart for Christmas Day.

A Blessing to Come Home to Yourself

Over the last year, I have found it extremely life-giving to borrow words or prayers, or blessings from others. I’m doing that here, sharing with you borrowed words from John O’Donohue’s To Bless the Space Between Us in an effort to give language to the longings within ourselves. I pray they bless you and keep you.

May all that is unforgiven in you
Be released. 

May your fears yield
Their deepest tranquilities. 

May all that is unlived in you 
Blossom into a future
Graced with love.

Christmas Eve Resources

I found this article by author and writer, Kris Camealy, to be the kind of raw, beautiful honesty we all need as Christ in the form of Christmas comes to us tomorrow: On Being Awake to Your Hunger

Reading liturgies, prayers, or blessings from other writers out loud can take an ordinary moment and make it sacred. Every Moment Holy offers written liturgies for different rhythms and seasons of life. Download one or two and meditate on it today or read it out loud with your family before bed to prepare your hearts for Christ’s coming: Every Moment Holy

Sacred Ordinary Days “offers a fresh approach, holistic tools, and time-honored resources to help people grow in Christ-likeness—and help the church come together—through intentional Christian spiritual formation.” And they happen to have an entire page of Advent/Christmas resources! Sift through it and find something that resonates with you this Christmas Eve: Sacred Ordinary Days

I created an Advent Spotify playlist this year that you can listen to as you prepare your heart for Christmas. The overall vibe is very moody, quiet, and indie… you know, the usual: Advent Spotify Playlist