Advent: The Nearness We Notice — The Nearness of Peace

Devotional

Day 1: Surprising peace arises from the stump.

The vision of a shoot rising from the stump of Jesse invites the congregation to see life where things look dead: a promise that even in devastation God’s redemptive work is at work, producing a humble ruler whose strength comes from wisdom and righteousness. This image reframes despair as a place where God’s unexpected growth can begin, a call to watch for new shoots in the places one least expects. Receive the possibility that God’s peaceable kingdom can begin in small, unlikely ways among ordinary people. [45:09]

Isaiah 11:1-9 (NIV)

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Reflection: Where in your life do you see a “stump” that looks dead but might still bear new growth? Name one small, concrete way you can nurture life there this week.

Day 2: Welcome one another as Christ welcomed you.

Paul’s plea to the Roman church calls for a posture of mutual acceptance across difference so that the church might reflect Christ’s mind and glorify God together; this welcome is practical, sometimes requiring adjustment of personal norms to prevent others from stumbling. The invitation is communal: endurance and encouragement are gifts from God meant to shape how believers relate to one another in worship and daily life. Trusting the God of hope leads to joy, peace, and overflowing hope poured out by the Spirit amid real differences. [59:07]

Romans 15:5-13 (NIV)

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: 'Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your people.' 10 Again, it says, 'Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.' 11 And again, 'Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.' 12 And again, Isaiah says, 'The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.' 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Reflection: What specific habit, tradition, or expectation could you change this week to make a neighbor from a different background feel genuinely welcomed?

Day 3: Repentance prepares the way for God's kingdom.

John the Baptist’s call—“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”—is an urgent summons to turn around and reorient life because God is breaking into history; repentance is not mere guilt but metanoia, a change that opens people to the nearness of God. This turning involves concrete fruit—life adjustments that reflect the coming kingdom rather than appealing to lineage or past belonging. Consider repentance as an invitation to participate now in the unfolding of God’s peaceable reign. [52:16]

Matthew 3:1-3 (NIV)

1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"

Reflection: What is one pattern, attitude, or practice you have been reluctant to “turn” from, and what concrete first step toward repentance can you take this week?

Day 4: Baptism by Spirit and purification by fire.

John points forward to One greater who will not only baptize with water but will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire, signaling both empowering presence and refining judgment; this expectation shapes how people live now—awaiting Spirit-led transformation and purification. The promise of Spirit and fire invites openness to being changed from within, not merely outward conformity, and calls the community to readiness for God’s near kingdom. Embrace the possibility that God’s refining work is present even in ordinary rhythms of life. [53:38]

Matthew 3:11 (NIV)

11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

Reflection: If you believed you might be baptized by the Spirit and refined by fire, what everyday habit would you be willing to change first to prepare your heart?

Day 5: God promises an end to violence.

Isaiah’s picture of nations streaming to the mountain of the Lord and turning swords into plowshares flips the brutal logic of power by promising a future where dispute is settled without war and creation is reconciled. The peace of Advent is not merely the absence of conflict but the reordering of relationships—across nations, within communities, and even between species—toward healing and flourishing. This vision calls believers to work for and embody shared peace now, trusting God’s promise even amid current grief and injustice. [38:35]

Isaiah 2:2-4 (NIV)

2 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Reflection: Where have you grown resigned to violence, avoidance, or injustice as inevitable, and what one concrete act of reconciliation or nonviolent witness could you take this week?

Sermon Summary

Peace breaks in where it seems least likely. Isaiah speaks of a promise of peace delivered right into a landscape of ruin—empires raging, injustice rampant, communities split, and faith compromised. Into that setting comes the image of a felled tree, the stump of Jesse, and a surprising shoot of life that grows exactly as God designed it to: quietly, stubbornly, and full of promise. That shoot becomes a picture of a new kind of ruler—discerning, humble, and Spirit-filled—whose reign does not secure peace by domination but by seeing beneath appearances and lifting the lowly.

This reign creates a world that feels strange to us because it subverts our hierarchies. Isaiah’s “peaceable kingdom” imagines predator and prey at rest together, children playing unharmed near deadly dens. Even our imperfect attempts at peace—like those captured in Edward Hicks’ paintings—reveal our ache for a reconciliation we cannot engineer. Still, small glimpses come: in the beauty of creation, in trust across species, in poems that steady us, and in communities where ordinary moments become holy surprises.

John the Baptist announces that this kingdom has come near and calls us to metanoia—not performative regret, but an actual turning toward the new reality God is bringing. The kingdom has not waited for us to be ready; it arrives because God draws near. So our part is to turn, to bear fruit worthy of that turning, and to participate in its coming.

I see this most in shared life—like in L’Arche—where laughter cuts through mundane tasks, grief is held in community, and joy is not a mood but a practice. Paul urges the church in Rome to live this out: welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, adjust for the sake of your sister or brother, and glorify God with one voice across real differences. Peace is surprising, subversive, and shared. It meets us in chaos, asks us to turn, and trains us to welcome. What if we believed life can grow from our stumps? What if we moved into the world God keeps showing us—even now?

Key Takeaways

1. Peace grows from ruined places God’s promise doesn’t wait for perfect conditions; it takes root in what looks like failure. The stump of Jesse is not an epitaph but a nursery, where genetic possibility becomes grace-filled reality. Learning to see life in stumps reshapes our despair into expectancy and our prayers into patient attention. [43:19]
2. The King’s power is humble discernment The promised ruler judges beneath appearances, acting with wisdom and understanding rather than force. Humility doesn’t weaken authority; it purifies it, freeing power from self-interest. When we follow this King, we practice a justice that listens deeply, protects the vulnerable, and restores dignity. [45:09]
3. Repentance turns toward a new world Metanoia is not feeling bad; it’s facing a different direction because a different reality has arrived. If the kingdom has come near, clinging to old patterns simply misaligns us with what God is doing. Turning is costly, but it opens us to Spirit and fire, to a life that actually bears fruit. [53:38]
4. Welcome across difference embodies peace Paul calls us to adjust our preferences so others don’t stumble, and to glorify God with one voice. Christian unity isn’t sameness; it’s a shared life that honors conscience and culture while centering Christ. This is how the church becomes a sign of the peaceable kingdom in real time. [59:07]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[38:35] - Peace promised amid chaos
[41:15] - Advent: the nearness we notice
[41:47] - Surprising, subversive, shared peace
[43:19] - Stump of Jesse: hope in ruins
[45:09] - A humble, discerning King
[46:06] - The Peaceable Kingdom envisioned
[46:40] - Edward Hicks and imperfect treaties
[50:37] - Glimpses that change how we live
[52:16] - John the Baptist and metanoia
[54:55] - L’Arche: peace in shared life
[56:52] - Romans: welcome across differences
[59:07] - Overflowing hope and peace
[82:41] - Announcements: potluck and toy drive
[85:35] - Benediction of peace

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Isaiah 11:1–10 (NIV)
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

Observation questions

What does the “shoot from the stump of Jesse” suggest about hope and life in the middle of devastation? [43:19]
Which of the ruler’s qualities listed in verses 2–5 (wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the Lord, righteousness, faithfulness) most surprises the reader, and why? [45:09]
What do the images of predator and prey living together (vv. 6–9) communicate about the scope of this promised peace? [46:06]
Where did the sermon point to everyday glimpses of this peaceable kingdom (poetry, animals, L’Arche, shared life), and which example stood out as most concrete? [50:37]

Interpretation questions (third person)

How should the image of a new shoot growing from a stump shape one’s understanding of God’s timing and presence in places that look like failure or ruin? [43:19]
In what ways does a ruler described as humble, discerning, and Spirit-filled challenge common ideas about power and leadership? What would it mean for authority to be “purified” rather than enforced? [45:09]
What is the theological relationship between the arrival of the kingdom “near” and the call to metanoia (turning)? Does repentance make the kingdom come, or does the kingdom’s nearness make repentance possible? [53:38]
How does the call to welcome one another in Romans function as a present, visible sign that the peaceable kingdom is breaking into ordinary communal life? [59:07]

Application questions (personal and concrete)

Identify a “stump” in your own life or in your neighborhood—some place that feels dead, broken, or hopeless. What is one patient, watching step you can take this week to look for God’s new shoot there? [43:19]
Think of a situation where you exercise influence (home, work, church). What is one concrete action you can take to practice the ruler’s humility and discernment this week (for example: listen without interrupting, ask a clarifying question, protect someone vulnerable)? [45:09]
Name one habit, attitude, or pattern you need to turn away from so you can align with the nearness of God’s kingdom. What is the first specific, doable step toward that metanoia you will try in the next seven days? [53:38]
Who in your circle is culturally or theologically different from you and might be stumbling because of your preferences? What is one small adjustment you could make to welcome them (change a habit, remove a barrier, sacrifice convenience) and when will you do it? [59:07]
Where will you look this week for a small, real glimpse of the peaceable kingdom (a nature walk, a poem, time with a pet, a visit to someone who’s lonely, or a local community like L’Arche)? Schedule a specific time to notice it and plan to share that glimpse at the next meeting. [50:37]
As a group, what one practice could you adopt this season to embody shared peace across difference (a shared meal, a listening night, a welcome project for a neighbor)? Pick the practice and commit to a date to try it. [56:52]

Sermon Clips

In Isaiah's words to us today, Something surprising happens. A promise of peace is delivered to a very Decidedly unpeaceful and chaotic place. In the passage from last week, Isaiah chapter 2, The prophet sees a promise That violence will turn to peace. Weapons will be turned into gardening tools. There is a promise of hope That Rachel just highlighted for us. But even still, If you continue to read Isaiah chapters 2 through 10, Clearly, This day of peace is not yet here. [00:38:23] (42 seconds) #HopeInChaos

The prophet has been called To preach to a people Who will not understand Nor will they perceive His message. And as Andrew reminded us last week, The Assyrian empire Has absolutely devastated Israel. And they're looking to take Judah too. The nation has suffered a civil war. And within the northern And the southern kingdoms, There's widespread injustice, Political corruption, Religious hypocrisy, And economic oppression. Talk about a terrifying call To ministry for Isaiah. This hardly seems like a place Where peace is possible. This seems more like a dead stump Than a flourishing plant. [00:39:05] (52 seconds) #StumpOfHope

So, when this new shoot pops up, It is a marvel. And it's operating just as God designed it to. Because Israel, Because they are God's people, Called by God's name, A seed of hope does remain. The branch that is forming Ushers in a new kingdom With a different kind of ruler. This king Isaiah speaks of Is unexpected. As we see in the first couple of verses Of the chapter here, This ruler is not driven by power grabs. He looks beneath the surface. Beneath what is seen and what is heard. This ruler's discernment Is rooted in wisdom And understanding. [00:44:37] (55 seconds) #SeedOfHope

His power Is only more firmly Solidified by his humility. Strange. Isn't it? The world that this ruler's reign Ushers in seems to be strange, too. This world of peace, It subverts the natural order of things And the hierarchy of things. Those without power And those who have been held down Are lifted up by this humble king. This subversion It's also, It's not just among the humans. It touches all of creation. The categories of predator and prey Seem to be no more. And children Lead and play Around the dwellings of cobras And vipers. [00:45:32] (49 seconds) #HumbleStrength

My dad On the other hand I've shared before With many of you He's also expanded That love To even more Species Many of which Most of us Would put in the Dangerous category And we would Never touch He sees the beauty Of creation And the glimpses Of this future Interspecies Peace in them Too Basically He is that child Sticking his hand Into the viper's den These are In small ways Glimpses Of the peaceable kingdom A place that's marked By true peace Not just the absence Of conflict But reconciliation Unthinkable Reconciliation Of all creation Peace is promised Peace is possible [00:49:03] (50 seconds) #InterspeciesPeace

So How do we respond When the kingdom of God Comes near To us And we catch These glimpses The way of peace Is complicated In this broken world The longing that we have Will only be fulfilled Through the promise And the power of God But it's possible And we're invited To participate In this unfolding If we can say yes To this crazy dream Of a kingdom Say yes To repentance To turning From parts Of our lives And our hearts That aren't bearing fruit [00:54:12] (34 seconds) #EmbraceRepentance

A daily care task Gets pierced With the best laugh I've ever heard In my life Or I'm absolutely Roasted by a friend As we poke fun At one another But it's also Like any community There are arguments And tempers There's discord Between different personalities People get bored And mad And irritated And we also grieve together We sit in silence We sing Around a candlelit table We celebrate big And these moments Make me believe That this peaceable kingdom Is possible Then and it's possible Now [00:55:22] (54 seconds) #EverydayPeace

This peace This surprising Subversive Shared peace Comes to us In the midst Of our chaos And our grief In the midst Of this world That we can see The reality Of the one to come What if we believed That life could arise Out of this stump What if we believed That the peace God promises Is possible And it's nearer Than we can even see And what if we received This invitation To repentance From God A turning around That leads to a renewed world [00:59:58] (47 seconds) #SurprisingPeace

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