Latest / Eurasia Region Podcast / S1-E26 | Everyday Eurasia | Kristin Burchfiel

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S1-E26 | Everyday Eurasia | Kristin Burchfiel · Eurasia Region Podcast

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  Welcome to the special Advent series of the Everyday Eurasia
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  podcast, Inspiring Fate for every day.
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  In the coming weeks, they'll be journeying together toward
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  Christmas. A season of anticipation,
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  reflection, and light in the darker days.
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  During this special season of Advent, we will journey through
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  the Advent themes of hope, peace, Joy and love.
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  The second week of Advent, we will join Kristen Birchfield.
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  She grew up in Medford, OR USA. She spent her life surfing both
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  locally and globally. Kristen serves now on the
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  Eurasia region where she and her family have lived since 2020,
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  first in a Mount Jordan and now in Lisbon, Portugal.
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  She currently coordinates Nazarene mission teams for the
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  Western Mediterranean field and Nazarene Compassionate
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  Ministries for the Portugal District.
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  Kristen, we'll speak this week about the team.
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  Edwin Peace. Hello everyone, Greetings from
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  Lisbon, Portugal. My name is Kristen Burchfield,
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  and I'm excited to be here on the podcast with you this week
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  as we journey through this Advent season together and
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  specifically as we reflect on the theme of peace.
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  The theme of peace is significant in this season
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  because it reminds us that Christ's coming is meant to
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  reconcile humanity with God and with one another.
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  It's about the peace that Jesus brings, and that this peace is
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  not just the absence of conflict or the peace that comes with
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  pretending everything is fine. The peace that Jesus brings is
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  so much deeper than that. It's a restoration of right
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  relationship with God, through Jesus, and with our neighbors as
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  we seek to live like Him. So this week we will focus on
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  this reconciliation through Christ and the anticipation of a
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  world where true and lasting peace is restored through Him as
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  we reflect on our own lives and how we can be instruments of His
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  peace, how we can be peacemakers in our relationships and in our
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  places. So we're going to start this
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  journey in the opening verses of Isaiah Chapter 9 and many of us
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  are familiar with, especially when it comes to Advent, verse
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  6. For to us a child is born, to us
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  a son is given. But I'm going to back us up a
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  bit. Beginning in verse 2, the people
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  walking in darkness have seen a great light on those living in
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  the land of deep darkness. A light has dawned.
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  You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy.
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  They rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest,
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  as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.
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  For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the
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  yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod
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  of their oppressor, every warrior's boot used in battle,
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  and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for
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  burning, will be fuel for the fire.
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  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the
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  government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called
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  wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of
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  Peace, of the greatness of his government and peace, there will
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  be no end. He will reign on David's throne
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  and over his Kingdom, establishing and upholding it
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  with justice and righteousness. From that time on and forever,
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  the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
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  Clearly here, Isaiah's words anticipate the birth of the
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  Messiah, offering a powerful message of salvation and hope.
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  The light of Christ breaks through the darkness of sin,
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  oppression, and despair, bringing peace, justice, and
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  joy. This passage reminds us that God
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  is not distant. He steps into our world to
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  redeem and transform lives. It points forward to Christ's
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  birth and ministry, where the light of His Kingdom overcomes
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  spiritual darkness and ushers in everlasting peace.
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  I have to laugh, though, because as I read this passage and think
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  about what it means for us today, I can't help but remember
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  the time our family visited the Church of the Nativity in
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  Bethlehem, which is said to be the very site of Jesus's birth.
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  So it's no surprise that it's one of the most popular
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  destinations for anyone visiting the town.
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  Before we moved to Portugal, our family had the privilege of
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  living in Jordan for a few years.
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  We arrived there during COVID and so as you can imagine, we
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  didn't get to travel much at first.
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  But in the spring of 2023 we finally had the opportunity to
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  visit the Holy Land, and one of our days there was spent in
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  Bethlehem. And let me tell you that there
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  is nothing peaceful about the line to get into the church,
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  where you could then stand in another line to squeeze into a
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  tiny room with way too many other people to catch a glimpse
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  of the spot on the ground that marks where Jesus was born.
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  But as I felt my anxiety rising, I started looking at the faces
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  of those that I was squeezed into this tiny space with faces
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  of people desperate to see where Jesus was born.
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  And I found myself not frantically trying to get out of
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  this tight space, which would be my general response to such a
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  situation, but instead looking around and seeing how emotional
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  people were. And that despite the sheer
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  number of people that made it feel chaotic, the atmosphere was
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  actually full of anticipation, of excitement, of joy and
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  friends. We have more to anticipate than
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  seeing the location of the birth of the Prince of Peace, though I
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  do feel really lucky that I got to do that this week.
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  As we anticipate the coming of the Prince of Peace, let us
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  begin to examine where each of us is at.
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  Do you have peace with God? Do you have peace in your heart?
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  Are you a peacemaker in your place?
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  Is the light you have in your life brightening the path for
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  others? This is where we are headed this
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  week, and I look forward to continuing the journey with you.
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  Let's pray. Gracious God, thank you for
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  meeting us here today as we begin this Advent journey.
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  We thank you for sending Jesus, the light who breaks through our
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  darkness, and the Prince of Peace who brings us back into
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  right relationship with you. By your grace, make your peace
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  real. In our hearts.
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  Where we feel anxious, bring calm.
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  Where we feel burdened, bring freedom.
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  Where we feel distant, draw as close again.
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  And by the power of your Holy Spirit, continue shaping us into
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  people who look and live more like Jesus.
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  Lord, help us not only to receive your peace, but to share
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  it. Make us instruments of your
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  peace and our families, our neighborhoods.
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  And in every place that you send us, Let the light you've given
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  us shine in ways that guides others toward hope.
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  As we go from here, keep our hearts expectant for the work
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  you are doing in us and in the world.
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  We pray all of this in the name of Jesus, our Savior, our peace.
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  Amen. Thank you for listening to the
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  everyday Eurasia podcast, Inspiring Faith for Every Day.
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  For more Everyday stories, subscribe on this podcast
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  channel, follow our social Facebook and Instagram or our
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  newsletter snapshots. For our newsletter and further
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  information about the Eurasia region, visit our website,
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  eurasiaregion.org.