As we begin December, we wanted to share a few ways our team at CCBC is taking time to Behold Jesus, reflect on God’s goodness, and be intentional with those in our community. We hope you will join us as we celebrate the Savior of the World this season!
Reflecting on a Year of God’s Faithfulness
-Rory Daugherty, Academic Coordinator and Faculty
As the 2024 year comes to a close, many will turn their attention toward their own achievements and accomplishments, or they may focus on their difficulties and failures.
When we focus entirely on self we lose sight of the true author of our stories, our Creator. In seasons of difficulty, we tend to only look at the immediate circumstances. Our noses touch the page of our stories, and we are wholly consumed by the moment with eyes for nothing else.
As we reflect on 2024, we must zoom out and look at all that God has done this year in authoring our lives. Remember that he is, with lovingkindness, working out his will through all circumstances, writing every success and failure as part of the testimony of his faithfulness to his people. The Lord applies ink to the page of our lives with the same “outstretched arm” that saved Israel from Egypt (Ex. 6:6) and restored them from their exile (Ezk. 20:33-34), with the same “hand” that spread out the heavens (Isa. 48:13), upholds the righteous (Ps. 63:8), molds the clay (Jer. 18:6), exalts the humble (1 Pet. 5:6), and touches the unclean to restores them (Mt. 8:3).
Therefore, we have so much to reflect on from this year, but it’s not because of our own doing, but because of the one who has beautifully composed yet another chapter in our stories and highlighted his faithfulness and lovingkindness that endures forever (Ps. 100:5).
May the shalom of our Messiah be our comfort and strength.
Fun On-Campus
To celebrate together as a community, our student life department came up with a fun surprise for the students as they return from Thanksgiving: a community stocking wall.
Each student will have an individual stocking with a personal letter from a member of the student life team. Students can then write additional letters to their friends and roommates to encourage them with Bible verses or revisit memories they’ve shared together. The fun will wrap up at Banquet with a few other surprises in each student’s stocking.
Try this idea with your friends, small group, or class!
Reclaiming Christmas through Advent
-Brandon and Brittani McCulloch, Faculty
Christmas has become too much. Stores bring Christmas to us earlier every year. Gifts for those who need nothing get harder to find. Events crowd the calendar until even church gets missed. “Peace on earth” feels more like chaos; the most “wonderful time of year” seems like the most difficult time of year. How can the Christian reclaim the awe and wonder of Christmas? Our family has discovered a deeper experience in Christmas by observing the ancient tradition of Advent.
Advent is a Latin word meaning “coming.” For over a thousand years, Advent has invited Christians to look backward at Christ’s first coming and forward to His second coming. It occurs during the four Sundays before Christmas (which this year begins December 1). Many consider Advent as the start of the Christian year which, when observed this way, teaches us that nothing can begin without first waiting on God. Advent cautions us against ambitious New Year resolutions and reminds us that nothing happens until God acts. This is something every busy life needs to remember.
Our family observes Advent through three simple practices: candles, fasting, and Scripture.
First, the lighting of candles can mark the passing of each week of Advent. While many use special Advent wreaths, all one needs is four candles—one for each Sunday in Advent—arranged in a circle. A white candle may be placed in the center to be lit on Christmas Day. As each week passes, an extra candle gets lit, building anticipation as the circular arrangement gets completed. When the center candle is finally lit on Christmas, the glowing symbol of Christ as the light of the world cannot be missed. Our children look forward to this simple ritual every year.
Second, Advent is a fast. During a season of cookies and parties, this stirs a visceral yearning for the feast of Christmas. Fasting is a simple way of denying oneself an innocent pleasure. By doing so, the soul experiences a decluttering and greater yearning for Christ’s presence. How to fast is up to the individual. In our family, the kids choose their own fast (we do not want to force this on them) while Brittani and I follow the ancient Christian fast from meat and dairy. (Yes, this rules out Christmas cookies and eggnog!) Yet this delayed gratification heightens the climactic arrival of Christmas. And because we hadn’t worn ourselves out with Christmas before Christmas, we get to celebrate the twelve-day feast through January 6.
Third, incorporate Scripture that highlights the anticipation for Christ’s coming. One way my family and church do this is by singing four verses from “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” alongside Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55. For example, during the first week of Advent, we sing, “O come, O come, Emmanuel; and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appears.” Then we recite Mary’s song, singing between each verse, “Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” Each successive week repeats this pattern, incorporating a different verse from “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” In this way, each week of Advent acquires its own theme, fueled by the rich theology of this hymn alongside Mary’s song in Scripture.
Through these simple practices, the ancient tradition of Advent can not only help protect us from the crazy season the world has made Christmas into, but invites us into deeper anticipation and yearning for who Christ is. Nothing sings, “Joy to the world,” louder than a Christian at peace amidst the surging madness of the holidays.