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Hope Rising: Beginning the Advent Journey Together
This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent, one of my favorite spiritual rhythms of our Unity tradition. While many faiths celebrate Advent as a countdown to the birth of Jesus, we in Unity recognize it as something profoundly personal: a four-week journey of awakening the Christ Light within ourselves. It is not about waiting for something outside of us to arrive, it is about preparing room in our own hearts for something new to unfold.
The four themes of Advent—Faith/Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy—aren't abstract ideas or seasonal decorations. They are spiritual gifts already planted within us, waiting to be tended, nurtured, and brought forward into expression. And as I reflect on the year behind me and look toward 2026, I feel profoundly called to lean into each of these gifts in a fresh, intentional way.
Faith & Hope: Walking Into the Unknown with Open Hands
This first week of Advent invites us to center ourselves in hope and walk by faith. If 2025 taught me anything, it's that faith isn't a concept, it's a lived experience. Caring for my parents, navigating big transitions in our church, celebrating milestones and grieving losses… I could not have made it through any of it without trusting the unseen.
Faith has become my compass, and hope has become the light I keep following, even when I can't see the whole path. As I step into 2026, I'm committing to bringing that same hope-filled faith into everything I do. I'm choosing to believe that Spirit is already preparing blessings, opportunities, and healings that I cannot yet imagine. My job is simply to stay open, stay willing, and stay connected.
Peace: Creating Sacred Inner Space
The second Advent candle reminds us that peace is not the absence of noise; it is the presence of God in the middle of it. This past year, I learned to cultivate peace in ways I had never needed to before—quiet moments in hospital rooms, deep breaths between meetings, stillness in early morning prayers.
In 2026, I want to make peace a non-negotiable practice. Not something I stumble into accidentally, but something I consciously create. Whether that's five minutes of centering prayer in the morning, a gentle walk, or simply saying, “Spirit, let me see this differently,” I am committed to choosing peace as a way of life.
Love: Living with an Open Heart
If there's one spiritual gift I never run out of enthusiasm for, it's love. Love carried me through this year—your love, my family's love, the love of this church, and the ever-present love of God expressing in every moment. Love held me through grief. Love lifted me in celebration. Love gave me strength when I wasn't sure I had any left.
And so, in 2026, I'm choosing to express love even more boldly. I want to love my
people deeply, love myself honestly, and love this community with the full, radiant joy I'm known for. Love is how we transform our world—from the inside out.
Joy: Allowing My Spirit to Shine
The final week of Advent brings us to Joy—a gift I believe we sometimes underestimate. Joy is more than happiness; it is a spiritual power, a vibration that lifts us, heals us, and opens us to abundance.
This year reminded me that joy doesn't always come from circumstances. Sometimes it arrives in the middle of chaos, surprising us with the reminder that Spirit is still alive within us. In 2026, I am cultivating joy on purpose. I want to laugh more, celebrate more, sing louder, dance often, and say “yes” to the things that make my soul feel alive.
Moving Into 2026 with Intention
As we journey through Advent together, I invite you to join me in using these four
spiritual gifts as our guiding lights for the new year:
* Hope that rises even when the world feels uncertain.
* Faith that moves our feet even when the path is unclear.
* Peace that steadies our hearts.
* Love that expands us.
* Joy that carries us forward.
May this Advent season prepare us—not just for Christmas, but for a transformed 2026.And so it begins… Hope rising. Faith walking. Love shining. Joy overflowing.
I'll see you Sunday to kickstart our sacred journey!
— Rev. Bobby
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