Episode 112 :: Beth Wayland :: Simply Advent : Emmanuel, God With Us, Through the Ministry of Presence

Today I have the absolute pleasure of sharing my conversation with the wonderful Beth Wayland. Beth has been in relational ministry for a very long time first with Campus Crusade for Christ, which is now called CRU and for the last five years she has been working with a ministry she founded called WITH where she ministers to those working in churches, para church ministries and more. Beth is a woman who is deeply passionate about caring for people’s hearts where they are, and especially pressing into places where the pain is intense, relationships may be struggling, and people may not totally know where they belong in the Christian space. From that same space, Beth is both honest (and hilarious) in sharing insights from her journey as a single woman in her 40’s, as well as walking out her experience of finding a place in the Church again after some deep hurt.

Beth is the perfect person to speak into the darkest week of the year, but also herald the process of the Light coming. Jesus came to practice the ministry of presence in each of our unique seasons, and we need to look at how Jesus was with people in tumultuous seasons, including His own birth in Bethlehem. When we look. When we practice healthy curiosity, the results can be truly breathtaking, and life changing. She also provides some incredible questions for us to ponder where we are in our thought process, our pain, and even some practical things that she’s worked through in her relationship with the Lord and with others that I really believe can minister to many in this season.

Friend, I hope as you walk into your Christmas weekend, that you take a deep breath. Wherever you are, you are not alone. Whether for the first time, or for the 50th time, I hope that you are able to take a moment to consider the incredible audacity of God becoming limited and small and vulnerable, the God man. It just overwhelms me with awe and gratitude when I think about Christ coming to be with us down here… meeting messy people where they are, getting to the core of people’s broken hearts… what a wild and loving God who would do such a thing.

And that is why we celebrate Christmas. He came down to become like you, to show you compassion and empathy, to show you how to love others, no matter how different you are. And then, he paid the ultimate price for you. He took on sin and death, and won. By His death that He chose, His burial that entombed the curse that had held the Earth in its grip for so long, and then He was resurrected, totally 100% alive, and through His sacrifice, all of it, we too now get to be 100% alive. The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is our great High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, our struggles and our sufferings. He knows that life is hard. Jesus said “in this world you will have trouble, but take heart for He has overcome the world.” The Light of the world came to overpower the world of darkness. And He has, friend. Take heart. And Merry Christmas. You matter, and your story matters.

Connecting with Beth:

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Website

*Check out her Events page to see information about her Soul Care Retreat and her Rest in the Wrestle Retreat

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References:

-”curse of the bambino”