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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: Chiquita Shepard-Knight
Advent is a season of waiting, longing, and preparing. In this time, we prepare for the coming of our righteous King in the manifestation of God’s kingdom. We find inspiration within the scripture of Isaiah 11 to live out righteousness and faithfulness in our own lives, where these qualities reflect how we actually treat others and the world around us.
Righteousness heals what has been broken and restores God’s good creation. It is the world as it was always meant to be. We’re called agents of reconciliation and peace, working toward solidarity and justice as described in His prophetic vision until God is fully realized. Righteousness here is not mere moral correctness. It is the ordering of life in harmony with God’s justice, truth, and calmness.
In Psalm 72, the psalmist pleads for a king who will rule with God’s righteousness, defending the cause of the poor, delivering the needy, and crushing the oppressor. Righteousness is not abstract; it is deeply practical, as expressed in the Psalm 72 prayer. When righteousness flourishes, creation itself responds: “May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness” (Ps. 72:3, NRSV).
Righteousness and Repentance
And yet, into this vision steps John the Baptist in Matthew 3. He does not arrive in fine clothes or temple courts but in the wilderness, calling God’s people to repentance. His message is clear: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt. 3:2). If Isaiah and the psalmist describe the beauty of righteousness, John tells us how to prepare for it, through repentance.
Repentance is not simply feeling guilty or sorry for our sins. It is turning around, reorienting our lives toward God. To repent is to make room for God’s righteousness, to clear away the debris so that the new shoot can grow. John calls his listeners to confess their sins and be baptized, not to preserve tradition but to prepare their hearts for the One who is coming, the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
In this season of Advent, we hold both visions together. We long for the righteousness of Christ to transform our lives, our communities, and our world. We ache for the day when justice rolls down like waters and peace covers the earth. But longing alone is not enough.
We are called to repentance, to honest self-examination, to the turning of our hearts so that God’s Spirit might renew us from within. Prepare the way of the Lord, not only in the world around us but in the landscape of our own hearts. We repent not out of fear, but out of hope.
We know the One who is coming; the righteous King, the Prince of Peace, and we make room for His reign.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Make me righteous in you.
Let every breath carry hope.
Thank you for your mercies that are fresh and new daily.
Let every heart know that the King is coming.
You are a faithful God, with arms wide open;
Let this simple prayer carry us through our day,
Aligning our hearts with the Advent hope of righteousness
And the call to repentance.
Thank you for being a God of abundance and of second chances.
In Jesus’ name, A-men.
About Chiquita Shepard-Knight
Chiquita Shepard-Knight joyfully serves in her local church at Bethel AME Zion Church, Kannapolis, NC, in a myriad of capacities, also serving as a District Officer within our beloved Zion. I’m grateful to be in my second year as Lay Leader of the VCDC, representing my church and having the honor of working with four extraordinary team members. We’re grateful for our faithful pastor’s unwavering guidance and support.
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.
