{"id":10917,"date":"2025-10-30T19:19:45","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T19:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/?post_type=article&p=10917"},"modified":"2025-11-06T18:12:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T18:12:27","slug":"advent-2025-people-in-uncertain-times","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/article\/advent-2025-people-in-uncertain-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Advent 2025: People in Uncertain Times"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ver P\u00e1gina en Espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we as Christians \u2013 as a community focused on advocacy \u2013 show up in a period of uncertainty?<\/strong> Our Advent devotional wrestles with this question. Advent, as a season of waiting and uncertainty, is an especially appropriate time to reflect on this question.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each weekly devotional message approaches this question through the lens of the traditional Advent themes of peace<\/span>, love<\/span>, joy<\/span>, and hope<\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Wear<\/strong> urges us to move toward God so that we might experience God\u2019s peace and take it into the world. Rev. Lori Tapia<\/strong> invites us to love our neighbors when political polarization makes it challenging. Rev. Heather Taylor<\/strong> shares a model for finding joy in darkness. And Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson<\/strong> reminds us that we can find hope in God\u2019s presence with us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This devotional is appropriate for both individuals and groups. It is structured with scripture that comes from the Revised Common Lectionary, a reflection, a prayer, and a prompt for deeper reflection and discussion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One practice that is helpful in times of uncertainty is to slow down and ground ourselves in our bodies. Take your time as you read. While the reflections are short, there is a lot packed into each of them. Every person may engage with each devotional in different ways. In group settings, you might consider building in time for stillness in silence or with musical accompaniment, discussion of the question provided or other pieces of the devotional, and prayer with the text provided and\/or prayer specifically for one another.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On behalf of Bread for the World staff, we wish you a meaningful and joy-filled Advent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Rev. Nancy Neal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are Bread for the World\u2019s 2025 weekly Advent themes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>
\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Week 1: \u201cBeing Peace\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Scripture:<\/strong> Isaiah 2:1-5 and Psalm 122

Reflection:<\/strong> Peace comes from the Lord. He causes the nations to change their foreign policies. While they once invested in tools to kill and destroy, they will now invest in tools to grow and nurture. The people ascend the mountain of the Lord, and everything changes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Advent, we wait on the Lord, who can teach us and change us into people of peace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Michael Wear<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Read More<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Week 2: \u201cBeing Love\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Scripture:<\/strong> Romans 15:5-13, Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

Reflection: <\/strong>As Advent people in uncertain times, the call to love becomes both a hope and a challenge. The words of Paul in Romans invite us to live in harmony, \u201cso that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Rev. Lori Tapia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Read More<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Week 3: \u201cBeing Joy\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Scripture:<\/strong> Luke 1:46b-55, Psalm 46:5-10

Reflection:<\/strong> Mary\u2019s Magnificat in Luke 1 is a renowned song of praise in the Advent season. It is a direct response to God\u2019s prophetic word to her in a profoundly dark time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christ\u2019s birth is not only a witness of God\u2019s glory, but also a reflection of our Creator\u2019s desire to send light, hope, and transformative power in the darkest of times through us as conduits<\/em> if we remain humble and believe God\u2019s Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Rev. Heather Taylor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Read More<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Week 4: \u201cBeing Hope\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Scripture:<\/strong> Matthew 1:18-25, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

Reflection:<\/strong> Advent is a time and season of expectation. Great expectation. The coming of the Christ child brings mystery, hope, and signs of God\u2019s presence at work in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advent is a reminder that God is with us. We carry with us this hope that God is present and does not leave us. As people of faith, we bring with us the truth that God\u2019s presence with us makes the difference in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Read More<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/span>
\n
\n

Download Bread for the World\u2019s free Advent devotional for in-depth scriptures, reflections, and prayers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bread for the World <\/strong>
Advent Devotional<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Free Download<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ver P\u00e1gina en Espa\u00f1ol How do we as Christians \u2013 as a community focused on advocacy \u2013 show up in a period of uncertainty? Our Advent devotional wrestles with this question. Advent, as a season of waiting and uncertainty, is an especially appropriate time to reflect on this question.   Each weekly devotional message approaches<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10918,"template":"","tags":[142],"focus":[7],"topic":[28],"resource_type":[57],"class_list":["post-10917","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-advent","focus-faith","topic-faith","resource_type-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/10917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/10917\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10917"},{"taxonomy":"focus","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/focus?post=10917"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=10917"},{"taxonomy":"resource_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bread.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_type?post=10917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}