Advent Reflections: Love
This Advent season, we are giving you the opportunity to learn with New Ventures leaders on the enduring themes of hope, joy, love, and peace. How is Jesus at work in different communities across Canada, sparking new dreams and a deeper embrace of God’s slowly incoming kingdom?
This week’s reflection is from Owen Scott, a New Venture leader in Dauphin, MB.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 1 John 13:34-35
As we journey through this Advent season, I can think of no command more needed in our world right now. We desperately need to know, experience, and live out the love Christ has shown us through Advent. As Amanda and I prepare to plant PAC Dauphin, we’re excited to partner with New Ventures to do exactly that.
We are in the early stages of preparing to plant a new expression of church in Dauphin, MB. Dauphin is a relatively small city in northern Manitoba that God has put on the heart of Prairie Alliance Church. Our family will be moving from Portage La Prairie to Dauphin summer 2022, and as Amanda and I co-pastor this new work in Dauphin we’re convinced that love is going to be the driving force of our community.
As we’ve been getting to know the community, a common story we’ve heard is one of hurt at the hands of the church. Some stories are ones of misunderstanding and conflict, others are the direct result of exclusion and spiritual abuse. However the story goes, the end result has been the same, a disconnect from the church and from the love Jesus brought as an infant that first Christmas.
Having experienced hurt ourselves, we know the most effective bandage for the wounds we experience at the hands of the church is to be shown the love of Jesus through the church⏤to truly experience what it means to be loved. and to deeply love one another.
We find love in this baby we celebrate at Christmas who would bring about the restoration and healing of all things. We find love through Advent as we draw close to the heart of our God who would come as a child to bring us hope. That is the love that we all long to bring to our world where love seems to be running thin. And as for our family, it is the love that we hope to help people encounter in Dauphin.
Encouraged by this reflection? Learn more about leaders who are dreaming of new things across Canada and find a New Venture to support this Christmas season.