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Welcome to #ccdaAdvent.
In the midst of darkness, oppression, and marginalization, Christ entered the scene of the first Advent and paved the way for our communal wellbeing. This Advent season, we invite you to consider the implications of Christ’s coming for our communities. What lessons may we draw from their context?
This year, we are excited to partner with churches participating in CCDA’s Flourishing Congregations Initiative. Each devotional will include a reflection, breath prayer, art, and worship reflecting on what Shalom is in the midst of difficulty, darkness, and crisis.
We pray that the reflections and prayers within these Advent devotionals bring renewed inspiration, anticipation, and hope in the Kingdom of God that has come and is to come. Amen.
Devotional by: Treval Clark Webb
Advent is a season of waiting—waiting for the light of Christ to shine into our weary world. It is also a season of hope, peace, joy, and love. Yet in the midst of holiday busyness, long to-do lists, and burdens of the heart, we often feel anything but peaceful. Into this restlessness, Scripture speaks a word of comfort and rest.
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28–29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… and you will find rest for your souls.” These words remind us that rest is not found in finishing our work or solving every problem, but in coming to Him. True rest—shalom—flows from His presence. Shalom is more than the absence of conflict; it is wholeness, healing, and peace that seeps deep into the soul.
A Promise for Our Weariness
The prophet Isaiah paints a beautiful picture of this kind of peace in Isaiah 35:1–2, 5–6, 10: “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom… Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped… and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
What a promise! God not only meets us in our weariness; He transforms it. Dry, empty places become gardens. Weak hands are strengthened. Fears are calmed. Sorrows flee in the presence of His joy. Advent reminds us that the coming of Christ brings this very hope. He came once into our world of sin and waiting, and He will come again to make all things new.
Patience in the Waiting
Yet waiting is not easy. James encourages us in James 5:7–8: “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting… You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”
Advent is a call to patience. Like the farmer who trusts the unseen work beneath the soil, we wait on God’s promises, trusting that He is faithful.
In this waiting, we find rest not in our strength but in God’s. Jesus, our Prince of Peace, invites us to lay down our anxieties and burdens at His feet. Advent whispers to our hurried souls: stop, breathe, wait, and rest.
So today, pause. Remember that God has already come near in Christ. Remember that He is with you now by His Spirit. And remember that He is coming again to bring everlasting joy. Rest in that hope.
As you breathe in, pray: “Prince of Peace…”
As you breathe out, pray: “…give rest to my weary soul.”
This Advent, may shalom guard your heart, renew your strength, and fill you with peace that lasts.
Amen.
About Treval Clark Webb
Treval Clark Webb is a lay leader for the Rockwell A.M.E. Zion Community Development Corporation in Charlotte, North Carolina, where her pastor is Reverend Jordan Boyd. She has a bachelor’s degree in social work from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and a master’s degree in social work from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is married to Javon Webb and is the mother of Cameron and Jadyn Webb.
Shalom in Darkness
This year, we are excited to partner with churches participating in CCDA’s Flourishing Congregations Initiative.
Each devotional includes a reflection, breath prayer, art, and worship reflecting on what Shalom is in the midst of difficulty, darkness, and crisis.
Click here to download the Advent devotional.
