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Advent 2015 Weekly Reflections, Annual Posada, Dec. 18 & more ...



As I'm reflecting during Advent, I am really drawn to this idea of an Annual Posada. I'm thinking of setting something like this up next year. There are a lot of traditions that I want to collect from the past, and also new ones that my friends and family can appreciate moving forward.

Check this out

How to Celebrate a Mexican Posada: A Packet for Lay Leaders, Musicians, and Clergy
by Hugo Olaiz

Keeping Advent

I am thinking about how we as Christians fail to bring the Love of Jesus, and instead bring about hate and American frustrations out on the people who are struggling through this world beside us. In People magazine I read about two Muslim Mosques that were vandalized with the word “Jesus” written on the walls. This made the news, it made my radio broadcast on KFI that I listen to, and it really got me thinking. I don’t believe this is THE WAY that Jesus set our for us. Jesus would NOT have done this.

This goes back to a major point that I am starting to acknowledge. There are two types of boxes we can place people in:
  1. There are those who follow Jesus - like truly picking up their cross and following Him. Obeying His WORDS and following Him as best as they possibly can. They do this by learning about Him through constant prayer & meditation on The Bible, and keep with His teachings by having  Social Christian Fellowship. 
  2. And then there is everyone else. 
I believe more and more that it is OUR GREAT COMMISSION as Christians, given to us by Jesus Himself, to take as many people as we can and in loving faith walk them hand and hand as lovingly as possible over from Box 2 to Box 1. It doesn’t matter so much if they say they say they are Christian, or if they go to OUR Church; or any other Church. What matters is that THEY ACTUALLY ARE living their lives for Jesus; and that we are not watering down what it means to be a Christian. We don't need to redefine Christianity, we just need to be reminded that it means we are FOLLOWING CHRIST. And this gives us ample opportunity to speak Biblical Truth.

I think we get scared. We get scared because society tells us that this is wrong, or this is passé, or that this is against the civil rights movement, or what the monoculture has declared as okay. And so we in most cases, humbly acknowledge that we will live like Christians in our homes, but when we go out into the secular world, we are simply not going to raise any red flags, we aren’t going to upset the flow of things, and we are going to leave well enough alone. 

We are supposed to be meek Christians after all. And that got me thinking: Does God Want us to be Meek? Part of the definition of meek includes "spiritless" which doesn't seem to be something God wants us to be. 



Yes, God does want us to be meek. 

And so there is this fight within us, to do what we would naturally do as human men, women and children, and giving the power to God, and living a simple and meek like trusting that God will have our best interests in mind. 

And He does!

I am learning more and more this year what "Waiting on the Lord" actually means. God is so good to us. OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD! I am reminded this oh so much if I truly just meditate on what He has done for me, for my family, for us, for humanity; and all the blessings that God has bestowed upon me. 

During this time of Advent, before the white noise of the holiday rush gets too great, I want to take the time and really reflect. I am looking to improve the way that Christianity is perceived, and also the way in which Christianity is acting by promoting Jesus to the number one priority, and making sure that people are taken care of and that people are feeling the love. I think that I can do this by focusing on traditions, and rituals that Christians have forgotten about, or which haven't been organized in my family and in my circle of influence.

The four traditions I have in mind are:


  1. A Family Tamalada 
  2. Annual Posada
  3. Lent 
  4. Passover 


With more research, I will probably either add more, or streamline the thought process here. If you would like to be involved with, help out with, or attend any one of these ... please let me know.


What do we think about this?












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Location: Whittier, CA, USA

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