THE UNION CHURCH OF GUATEMALA
  • Home
    • News
  • Who We Are
    • Statement of Faith
    • Church Covenant
    • Church Governance >
      • Church Council
      • Elders Board
      • Women's Ministries Board
      • Finance & Administration Board
    • About Us >
      • New to UCG?
      • Become a Member
      • Alumni of U.C.G.
  • Our Ministries
    • Christian Education >
      • Union Kids >
        • The Lesson for This Week
        • Sunday Activities
      • Sunday School
    • Women's Ministry
    • Youth Program
  • Give/Generosity
    • Give
    • Food Bank >
      • Food Bank Impact
      • List of Items to Bring
      • Disaster Relief Tropical Storm "Julia"
  • Worshiping With Us
    • Worshiping Online
    • Sunday Sermons in the form of Podcast & Video
  • Connect
    • Prayer Requests
    • Connect Online
    • Devotionals/Encouragement
  • En Español
    • Servicio de Adoración en Línea (Traducidos en Diferido)
Picture

Finding encouragement
through God's word

"The Paradox of Christmas" by Joel Aguilar

12/9/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners. (Isaiah 61:1 NIV)

Most of us await Christmas with high expectations. We love getting together with family, remembering great times, and for those of us who live in Guatemala, waiting for the fireworks at midnight. We love the Christmas carols, the church service, and many other things. All of that is fun and beautiful. No wonder the expectation of this time of the year is so high.

Simultaneously, the holidays are also a time of mourning and remembering. In many cases, we remember loved ones who have passed and have left an empty place in our lives. Those who come from dysfunctional families may not look forward to being with relatives. Even more so, Christmas can be a time of the year when many people feel extremely lonely.

When we look at Scripture, the coming of Christmas occurs during one of the worst times in the history of the people of Israel. Christmas starts to approach after four hundred years of silence, after God has kept apparent distance from Israel. Christmas approaches slowly as people grow desperate. Israel is under oppression. They have fallen in the hands of the almighty Roman Empire. Right before the birth of Jesus there are rebellions, social unrest, and violence. Does that sound familiar?

This year has been quite strange. In many cases, we have been quite isolated. Some of us have not seen our families. Some of us have lost people we loved either to the pandemic or other causes. Funds that were to help the poor amid the pandemic are often delayed, misused, or not seen as sufficient. It is amidst strange and turbulent times that Christmas approaches.

The second week of Advent, which we started on Sunday, is a week of preparation. We hear the voice of John the Baptist preparing the way for the arrival of the Son of Man. This preparation, however, is not the triumphant arrival of a king, but of one who would fulfill Isaiah 61:1. As we await the celebration of the birth of Jesus, we are reminded that when Jesus came, he shared in our pain, mourning, and suffering. God became Immanuel, God with us, with the purpose of bringing good news to the oppressed, healing our brokenness, freeing the captives, and releasing the prisoners.

Yes, 2020 has been a hard year for many. However, our hope lies in the coming of Jesus to be God with us.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    UCG Writers Group

    The writers group exists to provide hope and guidance through God's word.

    Archives

    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020

    Categories

    All
    Encouragement

    RSS Feed

Worship Services
  • Sunday Worship Services:
    • Live broadcast via Facebook, YouTube & Twitter @ 8:15 AM.
    • In-person worship services: 8:15 AM, 11:00 AM & 6:00 PM.
  • ​All broadcast services are translated to Spanish via Facebook & YouTube
​
The Union Church of Guatemala
  • 12 Calle 7-37 Zone 9, Plaza España. Guatemala City, Guatemala 01009

  • You may reach us for ministerial purposes via our email address: unionchurchguatemala@gmail.com
 
  • If you need to contact someone in the building, you may reach us at the following phone number: +(502) 2331-6904 ​
Church Leaders
Mark Hunt
Senior Pastor

Sam Llanes
Elder Chairman & Communications Director

Eddy Tabush
Moderator

Gustavo Ortíz
F&A Chairman

Cathy Baldizón
Women's Ministry President

Rodrigo Pemueller 
Treasurer

Abby Morales
Union Kids Director  

Heber Morales
AM Music Director

Church Staff
Sofía López
Church Administrator
 
Jenny Contreras
Church Secretary
  • Home
    • News
  • Who We Are
    • Statement of Faith
    • Church Covenant
    • Church Governance >
      • Church Council
      • Elders Board
      • Women's Ministries Board
      • Finance & Administration Board
    • About Us >
      • New to UCG?
      • Become a Member
      • Alumni of U.C.G.
  • Our Ministries
    • Christian Education >
      • Union Kids >
        • The Lesson for This Week
        • Sunday Activities
      • Sunday School
    • Women's Ministry
    • Youth Program
  • Give/Generosity
    • Give
    • Food Bank >
      • Food Bank Impact
      • List of Items to Bring
      • Disaster Relief Tropical Storm "Julia"
  • Worshiping With Us
    • Worshiping Online
    • Sunday Sermons in the form of Podcast & Video
  • Connect
    • Prayer Requests
    • Connect Online
    • Devotionals/Encouragement
  • En Español
    • Servicio de Adoración en Línea (Traducidos en Diferido)