“There is no room at the inn” is a phrase we hear each Christmas. We see it in our Christmas pageants, as kids dress up like Mary and Joseph. Providing sanctuary was not only part of the Christmas story but is part of our story as people of faith. This Advent, how do we create space in our lives, our churches, and our communities for Jesus, for those close to us, and for the stranger?

Week 1: Room, When Pressure is Closing In | Joshua 2:1-21, Matthew 1:1-5
Week 2: Room in Your Heart| Mark 1:1-8
Week 3: Room in Relationships | Luke 1:24-45
Week 4: Room for Hope | Matthew 1:18-25
Christmas Eve: Making Room | Luke 2:1-20
Week 5: Refuge and Sanctuary | Matthew 2:1-18

Life hands us difficult experiences that weigh us down: despair, anxiety, regret, darkness, and feelings of meaninglessness. In the midst of all this, God holds out precious and life-giving gifts – hope, peace, joy, love, light, and purpose. This Advent season, as we prepare for gift exchanges with friends and family, we will reflect on the gifts given to us by the greatest giver of all and how can we receive and embrace those gifts even in the most difficult of times.

Week 1: Despair for Hope | Psalm 121: 1-8
Week 2: Anxiety for Peace | John 14:27
Week 3: Sorrow for Joy | Psalm 30
Week 4: Fear for Love | 1 John 4:7-19
Christmas Eve: Darkness for Light | Isaiah 9:2-7
Week 5: Meaninglessness for Purpose | Jeremiah 29:11