Advent is a time of preparation as people worldwide begin to prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ. Since 2001, Goshen College students, staff and faculty are being offered an online spiritual resource to help prepare our hearts and minds for this season.
Daily Advent devotions, a collaboration between Campus Ministries and the Public Relations office, are being offered online at www.goshen.edu/devotions, by daily e-mail or via an RSS feed. The theme, “Floods of Mercy,” is taken from Mennonite Church USA worship resources found in Leader Magazine. “It’s an opportunity for us to engage in the season itself, a time of centering and preparing for worship,” said Bob Yoder, campus pastor. “They are short devotions, it only takes a couple minutes.”
Every Monday an introduction to the sub-theme of the week is presented in the devotional. Then, following the lectionary, each weekday’s author reflects on a specific scripture passage. The Advent devotions begin the Monday before and relate to the coming Sunday’s lectionary. Doing it this way allows the reader to prepare and anticipate the coming Sunday. "Otherwise we would be reading about Christmas after Christmas," says Bob Yoder.
All contributing writers are either Goshen College employees or students. “I’ve been developing a list and I send out a mass email," says Bob Yoder. "The first ones to reply I pass along to Jodi Beyler and the Public Relations office and they get it out to the RSS feed and website. "
Goshen College also offers a similar online resource in the spring for the season of Lent.
