Christmas Day Devotional

What will we do with him? How are we going to take care of him? These thoughts ran through Maria's mind as she dressed her newborn for the trip home. Snow had already begun to fall outside and the air was cold and crisp - it would be a challenge to keep the baby warm under conditions like this. Maria's husband, Joe had gone to get the car so that they could begin the trip home. As Maria bundled up the little squirming bundle and began buckling him into his car seat, a nurse came into the room with a wheelchair.

"You all ready honey?" she asked trying to be sure the baby was secure in his seat.

"I think so. We have really appreciated all the help you have given us along the way. I just hope we can do all the things you've shown us."

"You'll be fine. And just remember, if you need anything all you have to do is call. Now - let's get you home before the big snow storm comes."

The trip home was one filled with silence and tension. There was not a sound in the car except the baby's coos and gurgles every once in a while. The snow was beginning to fall harder now and the streets were beginning to be covered with a white carpet. The car turned into a little driveway outside a run down house. Joe helped Maria out of the car and got in the back seat to get the baby.

Everything looked so new and different to her. Someone had put a wreath on their front door and there were lights around the window. Seeing the new decorations, Maria was reminded what day it was - it was Christmas Eve. A little knot built up inside her stomach as she remembered how special Christmas had been when she grew up. All holidays, but especially Christmas were filled with joy and laughter, food and family. There was always a huge feast created by the entire family. Maria's favorite was her aunt's red raspberry cream pie that was always made especially for her, or so she thought.

A tear ran down her cheek as she was also reminded that this year was going to be vastly different from any Christmas before. Her family did not approve of her marriage to Joe - they thought the couple was entirely too young. And when the news came of her pregnancy, the hostility toward the young newlyweds grew even worse.

Maria opened the door into the small home and was met with a warm burst of air. Joe was close behind her with the infant carrier in his hand. She looked around the room and saw a small Christmas tree over in the corner and stockings over a makeshift fireplace. "It's beautiful," she said.

"Yeah, I thought we needed something to bring this little tyke home to. After all, he can't have his first Christmas without a tree and all the trimmings."

The little family sat in the living room for what seemed like the longest time. They watched the lights on the tree blink on and off. Joe cooked Maria dinner - a humble meal from the freezer to the microwave. The baby was changed and fed without any trouble and then he was laid down for the night. Maria drifted off to sleep as Joseph stayed up to ready things for the next day.

It was mid-morning when Maria got out of bed for the day. The first night at home went rather well ... only two feedings throughout the night. She looked around the bedroom and began to get up and ready for the day. As she did, she noticed the aroma that filled the air ... it was ham ... and potatoes ... and ... was it? Yes, raspberry cream pie!! She also heard voices downstairs. What was going on? Who was here?

She quickly got dressed ... and ran to the living room to see it packed with people ... relatives! Her parents were there ... her aunt was there ... her brother and sisters were there! It was just like all her other Christmases ... only different. Everyone seemed to be around some focal point in the room. In a rocking chair sat Maria's grandmother ... with her great grandson in her arms. She was rocking him and telling him stories. Stories that Maria remembered from when she was a child.

Maria's heart was filled with joy, happiness and love as she looked around the room. Her eyes lay upon Joe as he readied the table for the Christmas dinner. "Thank you, honey," she said giving him a hug, "having my family here means more than you'll ever know."

"They wanted to come. They wanted to see the baby," Joe laid the final napkin on the table. Now everything was perfect. The family had crossed through their differences to be together on this Christmas Day. All because a new child had come into the world.

From the time Jesus was brought into the world ... people have been gathering together to see him in their midst. We share around the table in the name of Jesus. We bury old grudges in the name of Jesus. And we restore relationships in the name of Jesus. On this very special day in the life of our church and family, let us pause and give thanks for this little baby…the Christ Child that has come into our midst to make us new.

"And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth."

Rev. Carol McKay

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Note from Kim: One of the subscribers to the Advent Devotional email list, David, passed away on Christmas Eve. Please say a special Christmas prayer for his family and friends, and lift them up to God.

I hope each one of you has a wonderful Christmas. Thank you so much for sharing our devotional with us. May God bless you throughout 2006.

Grace and peace,
Kim

December 24 Devotion

Christmas Eve

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given:
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end.       (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Imagine for a minute you are standing among the group of people in the southern kingdom of Judah, as the prophet Isaiah is speaking these words about their "Messiah,"  the One coming to reign over them.  Isaiah has already reminded these people that they must turn from their evil ways of living, and return to their sovereign and holy God. Now God is sending them a Savior, a light for them to follow in the darkness of their ways and their days, whose reign will never end.  Isaiah is making this prediction over 700 years before the birth of Jesus.

And yet, now as we stand here, almost 3000 years later, we must certainly realize that these words spoken so long ago, predicting the arrival of a Messiah, continue to be exciting - dynamic - true words spoken about Jesus Christ, the Lord of our lives, our light, our king.

As we prepare ourselves and our families to celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus tomorrow, let us always remember these words spoken so long ago, and sung by choirs everywhere at this festive time of the year, explaining the wondrous nature of our Messiah, born as a baby in humble surroundings, who reigns as our light and love still today.

Wonderful Counselor - the great wisdom, teachings and servant leadership of Jesus

Mighty God - Jesus, the Son of God, part of the trinity

Everlasting Father - Jesus' perpetual relationship to us and God

Prince of Peace - Ruler of our lives and our souls

And His presence and His light will never be extinguished.

May the light and love of Jesus Christ fill you, guide you and bless you this day and for always.  Amen

Suzanne Ellis

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December 23 Devotion

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but he darkness has not understood it…The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. John 1:1-5, 9-10 (NIV)

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.  Hebrews 1:1-3a (NIV)

During Advent, as I listen to the familiar story of Your birth, it all comes back -- the extraordinary real-ness of the night my Elementary Sunday school class took our sacred journey to Bethlehem, to share and celebrate Your birth with our audience of parents, friends and church family, as we imagined it might have been so long ago.

We set out together, striding from our classroom to Your manger / cradle in our recreated Bethlehem, eager to welcome You to the world. Larry and Jeff and Tommy were the shepherds. They wore bathrobes belonging to their fathers and carried their sisters' stuffed animals. Vicky and Debbie and I were angels, in identical long white nightgowns bought specifically for this night, tinseled halos and wings of cardboard and aluminum foil. We argued about which one of us would say to the shepherds, "Fear not! For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy…"  And we all knew, as only children can know, that You were there, too. Except You must have been invisible to the grown-ups because they didn't seem to recognize You at all.

After the program ended, we talked about how sad it must be to be a grown-up. How could they have missed you?  Maybe they were only pretending You were invisible because Your Light was so bright and hurt their grown-up eyes.

Dear Father, may my grown-up eyes see You again through the spirituality of childhood, pure and fresh and honest. Perhaps Bethlehem will become extraordinarily real once more if a child takes my hand and leads the way … Amen.

Linda Summers

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December 22 Devotion

It is interesting to look into the Old Testament and read a story with events similar to Jesus’. Judges: 2-24 is the story foretelling the birth of Samson. Angels speak to mortals, miracles occur; the purpose of Samson's life is laid out. And rules of behavior are explained. This Scripture tells us Manoah fears God will kill him. At the same time God blesses Samson.

Miracles. Contradictions. How literally shall we take the details?  What relevance does this Scripture have for my life?  Why take time today for this story?  How could they think God would kill them for looking upon Him?  Sometimes Bible verses leave us asking more questions than they answer.

Many times I simply absorb and keep a story with me. I weave together experiences and information, thoughts and feelings. Christmas is the perfect time to see wonderful gifts in complicated packages. Samson's birth must have seemed an incredible blessing from God to a childless couple. But try to imagine the news of your pregnancy coming from an angel making rules about your diet.

December 22 is the day I lost my dear maternal grandfather. He had been in a nursing home with Alzheimer's for a year. A few weeks before his death, he rallied and spoke to me. I had the opportunity to ask him if he was hungry or cold or in pain. He told me he wasn't and asked me to bring his great-grandchildren, then 5 and 2, closer to him.

I regard this experience as a wonderful gift from God. In the year he was so ill, I had rocked my children to sleep, with tears falling on them because I worried my grandfather was suffering.

December 24 we laid my grandfather to rest. His burial was in a country cemetery in northern West Virginia. From the cemetery I drove directly to Johnson Memorial, arriving just as the Children's Christmas Eve Service began, the sanctuary full of singing and excitement. Charlie and his mom had taken care of all the last minute Christmas details.

My Johnson Memorial family held me and helped me cope that Christmas.

Sue Sisson

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December 21 Devotion

The Promise of the Manger

"Praise God!  God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord!  God bless the coming kingdom of our father David! Praise be to God!" Mark 11:9-10

The crowds accompanying Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday shouted these words as they threw branches in his path. The words would have been just as appropriate had they been said at the time of Jesus birth in the stable. This is the promise of the manger; God's son had come to earth as a human baby, born to a lowly virgin, to reveal and fulfill God's plan for the salvation of the world.

At Christmas time we celebrate the birth of the Christ child and at Easter we celebrate his resurrection from the dead. Between the manger and the cross, Jesus lived here on earth as a human being and as the Son of God. He loved, preached, taught, healed, raised persons from the dead, and cast out demons. He rebuked the Jewish leaders who had become too ritualistic with the law and had forgotten God. He made his teaching clear to his listeners through parables and he taught his listeners the meaning of the commandment to "love thy neighbor."

One promise of the manger is love, the love of God for all mankind. He loved so much that he gave his own Son so that the world might be saved from sin. The Son loved so much that he gave his life for his people, the Jews, as well as for all other people of the world so they might have life abundant.

Jesus provided an example of how we should love God and one another. The thirteenth chapter of Corinthians tells us that Jesus described love as patient and kind and as free of jealousy, conceit, and pride. Love doesn't keep records of other's wrongs and is happy with truth, not with evil. Love never gives up; its faith, hope and patience never fail. Jesus said, " . . . faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love."  How do we love like this?

Jesus birth and life remind us of our responsibility to seek to be Christ like, to love in a sacrificial way. Our faith journey helps us grow in understanding of how we as individuals and as a church should exhibit that love in our families, in our communities, and in our world. At this Christmas season, let us think about the promise of the manger for our lives. Let us pray that God will show us ways that we as individuals and as a church together can contribute to the building of God's kingdom through sacrificial love for God's children everywhere.

Maudie Karickoff

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December 20 Devotion

Scripture -- Isaiah 53, Luke 2:1-14

The Greatest Gift

How simple yet how wonderful
That one day long ago
A Child was born on Christmas morn
Beneath a star's bright glow.
The gentle cattle and the sheep
Stood close beside His bed
While shepherds came to praise His name,
For here the star had led.
The One of whom the angels sang
Now lay within a stall
On lowly straw, yet shepherds saw
The greatest gift of all.
May we, like those who came to kneel
And worship at His feet,
Find love to keep, know peace so deep
It makes our lives complete.

 --Jean Conder Soule

The Real Meaning of Christmas

It's all about the Baby,
It's all about the One.
It's all about the Father
Who sent to Earth His Son.
It's not about the Christmas trees
Or presents by the score.
It's not about the parties
Or the snow piled high once more.
It's all about the Glory
God sent to earth that day --
A Baby, Christ our Savior,
Who sleeps upon the hay.
It's not about the season;
It's all about the Son.
Let's bow and give Him honor,
Jesus Christ, God's precious Son.

-- Mary Ann Jameson

My Special Christmas Guest

Christmas night years ago
I as all alone,
So I invited the Lord
To have dinner in my home.
I set my small table
With a feast enough for two.
I used the best I had --
For nothing less would do.
I waited and I waited,
Then a knock was at my door.
I shook with excitement
As I hurried across the floor.
An old woman stood before me,
Shivering in the snow.
Why she as out on such an night
Heaven would only know.
I brought her in by the fire
So that she could get warm.
When I covered her with a blanket,
She gently touched my arm.
I asked, "Why are you alone this night?
Do you have no one?"
She smiled a loving smile
And said, "I have an only Son."

— Dellene Kopplin Blackmore

From "Glory to the Newborn King," Salesian Missions, 2005

Prayer: Our Father, as we anticipate the joys and excitement of this season, help us to focus on Christ, the enfleshed Word. As revealed in the scriptures, God sent his Son to awaken us from complacency so that we might believe and be transformed in this world in preparation for eternal life. Amen

Chuck and Pam Gruber

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December 19 Devotion

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?

He had been wondering about it a lot lately. He even wondered why he wondered about it. He would think about it during long drives. Intuitively he believed it has some meaning for him. Otherwise why would he think about?

It began innocently enough many Christmases ago. He's not sure how many. At least 45 years ago he thinks. Maybe it has been as many as 50. That's a long time he thinks. He was with his mother one day, perhaps he was 10 to 12 years old, while she was doing some shopping for Christmas gifts. The small town in which he grew up had no real stores at which gifts could be bought. One could buy some trinkets there and, perhaps a box of chocolate candy. To purchase other things, his mother would sometimes take the train to a larger town some 60 or so miles away. You see, his dad worked on the railroad and consequently the family received "passes" and could take the train to other places without paying a fare. Riding the train was one of his favorite things to do. In fact, he and his friends would sometimes catch the train, pay the conductor a dime, if they had one, and ride about 3 miles to the next stop and walk back. But that’s another story for another time.

This particular shopping day his mother and he had traveled by car to another town some 20 or so miles away. His family didn't own a car and he doesn't remember who they traveled with to the nearby town. They were in the Rexall Drug Store when he noticed a box into which entries could be placed to win a Lionel train. Heck, you didn't even need to buy anything to enter. All you had to do was put your name and phone number on a form of entry and put it in the box. Well, he put his name on the paper and slipped it in the box. Then he put his mother's name on a slip and put it in the box. Then he put his father's name on a slip and put it in the box. Lastly, he put his dog's name on an entry form and put it in the box. He didn't expect to win, but even then he knew something about odds. He figured the more names he placed in the box, the better chance he had of winning. His momma was raising no fool here.

He forgot about the drawing. He settled into his normal routine, which wasn't much of one of course. School during the day. Homework at night. Wearing out the Sears and Alden catalogs looking at things he would like to get as Christmas gifts. Making lists of those gifts, throwing the lists away and making even longer lists. As Christmas neared, it started snowing. He lived in the mountains and it was not unusual to have many inches of snow fall during a snow storm. Salt was not placed on the road in those days. The State Road Crew would scrape the snow off the road and then use either sand or cinders to provide traction. Of course drivers used snow tires and, if necessary, tire chains. It would not be unusual for snow to accumulate on the roads and for snow banks to be on the berms as a result of the snow removal. It was early Christmas Eve afternoon when the phone call came from someone at the Rexall Drug Store. "Kewpie" had won the Lionel train and he or she needed to come to Rexall's before the close of business to pick it up if Kewpie wanted it in time for Christmas. Now, Kewpie was a good ol' dog, but he likely would have a tough time wiring the transformer to the connections on the rails. So, rather than sending Kewpie to pick up his train, Kewpie's master thought it best that he go get it.

Well, the weather was bad that day. It was snowing hard. The wind was blowing hard, causing the snow to swirl and reducing visibility. Snow had accumulated on the roads and had not yet been cleared. The roads were getting a little hazardous. His mother sure wanted to pick up the train so he could have it the next day, Christmas. But for that to happen, she would have to find someone to take her and him to Rexall's Drug Store.

As if by some fortuitous stroke of luck, the next door neighbor's young son, Charles, was home on leave from the Army. Charles was about 22 years old and somewhat of a cocky sort. He wanted to make the Army his career and was rising through the ranks as an enlisted soldier. He had been in the Army 4 or 5 years. As soldiers sometimes do when they are on leave, Charles was celebrating by having some beers that day and doing nothing. After all, he had nothing he really had to do. Just relax and wait for his leave to run and then return to his unit. By having nothing to do, that meant Charles was available to take mother and son to Rexall's Drug Store to get the train set. But mother had a dilemma. She wasn't sure she wanted Charles, who had been drinking, to drive the some 20 or so miles through the bad weather to just to get the train in order to have it by Christmas. After all, it could be picked up anytime. And given the circumstances, bad roads and a driver that had been drinking, perhaps it was best to wait. But the son persisted, and against her better instincts, the mother asked Charles to take them to pick up the train set. Of course, Charles agreed to do it. He had nothing else to do and the beers could stay on ice until he got back.

The trip to and from Rexall's Drug Store was slow and tedious, but it was made without incident. The son had the train in time for Christmas. He put it together for that first Christmas and for several Christmases after that first one. After he went away to college, it wasn't used as much, although he did put it together at least one time during graduate school when he and his wife were celebrating the Christmas season in the small apartment they occupied. He still has the train set. It still works. He put it together for his children a couple of times for display under the tree at Christmas time. He has not yet put it together for his grandchildren, but he thinks he likely will one of these days.

It was in March 1967 that the news came. Charles had been serving in Viet Nam. It was the day before his 33^rd birthday when the Jeep in which Charles was riding struck a mine, and he was killed. The incident seems in so many ways unrelated to anything else.

But now the entire story surrounding Charles' gift, in the mid 1950's, of simply doing a kind act to make a young boy's Christmas a bit happier is praying on the mind of that boy, now a man in who is approaching retirement age. Why is he thinking of it now? When he tries to sort it out, he complicates matters even more by juxtaposing Charles' good deed that day with his drinking and even wonders if the fact that Charles had been drinking somehow taints or negates the view that God might have of Charles' kind act somany years ago. So far as he remembers now, Charles was not particularly religious in the sense that that is thought of. Charles married and had two children, a girl and a boy. Charles was away most of the time being posted in different places and ultimately in Viet Nam. So far as is known, Charles and his family did not attend church regularly, but little is known of the strength of his faith. Would God smile favorably on Charles for the seemingly insignificant act of taking the young boy to get the train?

When he tried to put the story in a religious context to get some meaning out of it, he would sometimes think of the story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:30-37. But that never quite seemed to fit for him. He even thought of the story of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15:11-32, perhaps because Charles had come home to his family that Christmas season and perhaps because he had been sort of rebellious. But that never quite fit either. Maybe the meaning could be found in the fact that Charles died doing something in which he believed. Sort of a sacrifice for others?

Then one day while driving, the simplicity of the meaning came to him. At least it has given to him some meaning surrounding the story. Perhaps it has other meanings to other people. Whenever he thought of the story of the Good Samaritan, he was focusing too much on the people in the story and their respective roles in it and not on the broader context of the story. Charles' act was simply that of a neighbor doing a neighborly act. And although he had heard it many times, the "love thy neighbor" commandment had not penetrated the complexity he had built into the story in searching for its meaning. Charles had shown a love that day that all are taught to give in Luke 10:27 when Jesus confirmed the lawyer's answer to the lawyer's own question about how to achieve eternal life. He suspects that Charles never thought about the theology embedded in his simple act. Charles knew that if he would help his neighbors he would bring some additional joy to them during the Christmas season, particularly the young kid next door. Wouldn't Charles want someone to do that for him if he needed help that way?

So, at last he has satisfied his craving for some sense to why he had been thinking about these things for so long. Some meaning has been found for him. Love to one's neighbor may be shown in seemingly insignificant acts that later have profound effects. And although more often heard in the context of the Passion lesson and not in the context of the Christmas season, isn't Jesus' instructions to love one another as he loves us one of the central themes of a life that begins with the Christmas story about the birth of a love that would be given as a gift through sacrifice? For the boy with the train, he can now stop wondering. And, he now finds it ironic that he had not noticed before that Charles' two given names were Charles Wesley.

Roy F. Layman

December 18 Devotion

Song of Joy

Luke 1:46 - 55

And Mary said,

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;

He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,

According to the promise he made to our ancestors,

To Abraham and to his descendants forever.

How she must have danced, the traveler thought. How the mother of the baby must have danced when her cousin Elizabeth affirmed the new life within both their wombs. Her song rings down the ages with the freshness and authority of a long-awaited covenant promise. All those sacrifices from ancient days, all the struggles to obey and serve God. All the treks across wilderness after wilderness for Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, come to fruition. Mary's praise of joy expresses the culmination of them all, a new beginning for humankind, and for herself, a new song to sing.

No more waiting, the Christ would become the fulfillment of those ancient promises to Israel. A Messiah, a Savior whose coming turns things upside down (which, according to God’s wisdom, is really the right way up). The Christ would bring satisfaction for the poor, authority for those without status. Pride, riches, all go to the wall, as a new set of godly priorities takes precedence over previously held sinful and destructive values.

No wonder Mary sang this wonderful song. But for it all to come about, the young girl had to say "yes." She had to trust the heavenly vision and agree to the angel Gabriel's message. The Bible recounts how he did not depart from her until after she had agreed that it would be as God had said. We might imagine the angel bursting through the gates of heaven shouting for joy, "She said 'yes'!"

What might have happened if Mary had refused? God, loving and tender as God is, would not have forced the vision, the Lord never does. Oh, God could have found another way to birth the son and bring about the divine purposes for the world. God always can. But, Mary, what a tragedy, if she had missed out on the cooperation with that divine will.

To learn to sing in our hearts, to feel the joy of the dance of the soul, to embrace the pain that pierces our hearts also, is always our choice. The vision is God's, the choice is ours.

The traveler stayed kneeling a long time, considering again the practical implications of bringing the baby home. The difficult struggle to explain what had happened, to those who had been absent from her experience in the stable. The obstacles of the pressures at home, the duties demanding her time, the daily boredom and frustrations of each day's routine tasks. The baby's eyes still shone bright in her memory but when the memory lost its luster, the channel of prayer got blocked with exhaustion, and her home surroundings screamed rational, software-technological logic through the computer screen and onto her fingerprints, what then? When everything else is trapped in the virtual, what becomes the reality? Could she carry on singing that new song?

Would the tune fade, the lyrics get confused, or deafened out by million other tunes along the way? She would not let that happen. God would provide strength. She would be faithful. God would do the rest.

It was only a few days into the new year and already the problems of the old were encroaching. She needed to keep singing regardless of the outer circumstances that surrounded her journey and dogged her path. What better song to sing than Mary's --- magnifying God more than contemplating her own situation, letting her spirit rejoice rather than dwelling on the negatives; recognizing where she stood in God's sight and God's affection; acknowledging the gratitude she owed to the Lord. Acknowledging God's holiness; God's mercy; God's strength; God's overall control in every circumstance; God's priority for the underdog, the needy; God's perfect sense of justice; God's faithfulness toward the covenant people. When we do all this it is as if we hear God speak our name and whisper, "Happy New Year."

God, I hear it. Just as Mary heard your words that day, I hear your earth-shattering, wonder-filled music of gentle joy and promise. Show me no proof, give me no sign, except for your own presence in me and with me forever. And may I dance daily to your Song of Joy. Amen.

Amy Inghram

December 17 Devotion

Read Psalm 125

As I think of the advent season, I am reminded of the Real Reason for the Season -- JESUS!!

JESUS is the reason we celebrate Christmas. If He had not been born the world would have been in utter despair. How awful that would have been. But thanks be to GOD that he sent his own son to die for our sins and give us eternal life. All we have to do is know him, and ask him to come into our heart and deliver us, show us the way; the truth and the light.

When you do bring him into your heart you will experience love like no other. After you do this, Oh, what a feeling of unconditional love from a friend who will never leave you, JESUS!!!!!! Just let go and let God take over and guide you to do his will.

During this holiday season, try not to get caught up in all the rush of shopping, decorating and all the other stuff. Don't miss the real reason of the season…JESUS!!

There is one hymn that I think sums it up for me, and I get teary eyed every time we sing it and light the candles on Christmas Eve in the sanctuary. "SILENT NIGHT." Just think about the words and apply them to Jesus. If you put your trust in Him you can have silent nights, calm bright days, by focusing on the "holy infant so tender and mild who sleeps in heavenly peace."

Remember, Jesus is the son of God whose "loves pure light" that can give you the "radiant beams" of the Holy Spirit when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Just accept the redeeming grace for God and pass the light on to others so that they can share in the love of Jesus through this Christmas season.

Let us pray,

Dear Lord, we praise you for all that you do for us. Help us to know what you would have us to do for others during this advent season. Just let us feel the love of Jesus in our hearts so that we may pass it onto the others in our church, in our families and in our community. Guide us to do your work this holiday season and direct all of us to follow the light throughout the coming year and treat our fellow man the way you would have us to. Amen

Let your Light Shine
Melanie Herr

December 16 Devotion

Advent Thoughts

"Exit Strategy," a phrase we've heard many times in the last few months referring to the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. As I walked in Ritter Park one morning wearing my headphones and listening to a talk show it occurred to me that there is a perfect God-given exit strategy out there for everyone in the whole world. It's the exit strategy that takes us from despair and hopelessness to the joy and hope of a new life. It takes us from sin and fear of death to redemption and belief in eternal life. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." (John 14 v.6). What a glorious "exit strategy" he has given to all who believe in him.

I don't always listen to the radio as I walk. Sometimes I just want to soak up the beauty around me without any voices to disturb my contemplation of the trees, the flowers and the sound of the creek as it flows to the river. Sometimes that sound is a gentle rippling whisper. After a time of rain the sound brings to mind West Virginia's rushing mountain streams. But whatever the sound or the season I'm reminded of God's gift of beauty that in the hustle and bustle of everyday life we may overlook. (Genesis 1 v.11 & 12).

As we move from Thanksgiving into the Christmas season with its joys and giving of gifts, let's share the greatest gift of all, our "exit strategy" from death into life.

Jean Dean

December 15 Devotion

Lectionary Reading: Malachi 3:16 -- 4:6

Stay Warm

At the end of the Civil War novel Gone With the Wind, Rhett Butler tells Scarlet O'Hara that he's had enough of her shenanigans and walks into the night. I, like many readers, was furious with Scarlett. She'd been given one chance after another to make things right with Rhett, and now she was alone. My heart was broken, and all I could do was hope that Scarlett would change her ways and win Rhett back. Margaret Mitchell had given me that flicker of hope in Scarlett's last line, "Tomorrow is another day."

Reading "Malachi," the last book of the Old Testament of the Bible, was like that. In the preceding books, we read about the creation of the earth, the love God had for mankind, and the many times mankind tested that love. "Malachi" should have been a celebration of love between God and His people, but it wasn't. The people felt forgotten, became lost, and were told the consequences if they did not change their wicked ways. In Malachi's words I sensed anger, darkness and depression -- until I reached this line: But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. Just as Mitchell gave her readers hope that Scarlett would change and find happiness, God, through Malachi, gave mankind a flicker of hope for the future.

But what form would that hope take? It has been said that English teachers will find symbolism where there is none, but I think Malachi's meaning was pretty obvious. The sun of righteousness was the Son of God, and the healing in its wings was the healing warmth that Jesus brought to the world.

During the holidays, we gravitate toward warmth due to the cold weather or tradition. We invite people in for hot chocolate or spiced cider, we sing carols that warm our hearts, and we decorate with candles and lights that cast a warm glow. But keeping the real warmth, a light and heat that can sustain us through our darkest times, takes work. Long before Rhett left, Scarlett sensed she was letting love die. Long before God gave his final warning, His followers knew they had disappointed Him. It takes work to sustain a fire and dedication to sustain a church's mission. Like the hymn says, "They'll know we are Christians by our love, " -- our warmth -- our works.

May the sun of righteousness and the Son of God warm our hearts and heal our pain. Pass it on.

Becky Warren

December 14 Devotion

Well-Kept "Big" Secrets

Mark 9:9-13

This particular section from the book of Mark is a media person's nightmare and may be why the secrets of Christmas possess their value.

Peter, James and John have been invited by Jesus to spend some time with Jesus. While they are with Jesus at this high mountain retreat, Jesus becomes transfigured, and Elijah and Moses show up at the same spot. If that were not enough for a thrill, a cloud appears, and out of this cloud comes the voice of God proclaiming, "This is my beloved son, listen to him." The cloud, and the prophets vanish and Jesus instructs his disciples to keep quiet until after the time of his resurrection.

Peter James and John in real terms had to be saying to themselves, "You have got to be kidding us." If we had been one of the disciples, how hard would it have been for us to keep our mouths closed? Most of us have a hard time not telling what we know even if it is shared with greatest of confidence. We all have dreamed of being the well placed source in a Pulitzer Prize winning news story.

Christmas however presents a different circumstance. Coming from the transfiguration, Jesus knew the story might lack credibility. He asked his disciples to wait until after the resurrection to tell the "rest of the story." The resurrection validates everything else.

There is no need to keep secret the Christmas Story. Peter, James and John were asked to put the story in their "figurative pocket" until a time when it was appropriate.

The Christmas story has never had a better place or time to be shared with its real meaning. May our actions and words tell that story loudly and with conviction.

Mike Bowen

December 13 Devotion

II Kings 2:9-22

In his book "The Joyful Christian," C.S. Lewis writes that after giving a talk to the R.A.F., an old hardbitten officer got up and said, "I've no use for all that stuff. But, mind you, I'm a religious man too. I know there's a God. I've felt him: out alone in the desert at night: the tremendous mystery. And that's just why I don't believe all your neat little dogmas and formulas about Him. To anyone who's met the real thing, they all seem so petty and pedantic and unreal."

Lewis goes on to report that he agrees with the man that his experience in the desert was a real encounter with God. However, he also points out that although what happened to that man in the desert may have been exciting, nothing comes of it. It leads nowhere. C.S. Lewis points out that you must follow Christian doctrines which are made up of the experiences of hundreds of people with God in order to complete your journey as a Christian. If you sit back and merely enjoy the pious felling of an encounter with God, it is like watching waves from the beach; all thrills and no work.

This story about the R.A.F. officer contrasts sharply with today's scripture about Elisha. Although Elijah gave Elisha several opportunities to stay behind, while Elijah journeyed on to be taken unto heaven, Elisha refused to be left behind. He continued to follow Elijah from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho to his ultimate departure in a whirlwind up to heaven.

Unlike the R.A.F. officer in Lewis's story, Elisha did not merely sit back and ponder the awe of what he had witnessed. After all, he had seen chariots and horses of fire in addition to the whirlwind lifting his mentor, Elijah, up to heaven. He could have easily said that after that experience, nothing on earth could compare and all religion seemed trivial. Instead, he took up Elijah's cloak; parted the waters of the river Jordan; returned to Jericho, and cured the waters of the town with a small measure of salt and his great faith in God.

Lee Oxley

December 12 Devotion

"O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright.
Westward leading still proceeding
guide us to thy perfect light"

The light referred to in the nativity story may have been a star, a planet, or a comet.  It was unusual in that its visibility was so bright and it was obvious that the travelers knew it was something out of the ordinary.  The wise men acknowledged it, followed it, and found the Christ Child.

Songwriters call it "his star," "the perfect light," "a holy light."  Nursery rhymes refer to "star light, star bright."  Christmas cards and decorations often include stars.  We may think of these stars as signs of hope and/or promise.

 

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world," and in Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."  Advent reminds us that each of us has the light of a shining star within us, that we can radiate love and goodness to others.  We may be a sign of hope to others at the very time that they need it.  We may be at the right place at the right time. Just as a star led the wise men to the Christ Child, by our actions and deeds we are meant to be the stars that lead others to the Christ.  Others also act as stars leading us to a closer relationship with the holy one.

 

May the light of this shining star dance in each of our lives and bring joy to us and those we meet each day.

 

Marilyn Holleron

 

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December 11 Devotion

It just occured to me that I forgot to send out Sunday's devotions.  So sorry!  So I'll spend this evening catching up.  Kim

Never Give Up

Middle School track…makes one learn patience whether one wants to or not. The venue, Laidley Field in Charleston; the event, 200m low hurdles. Grant, our 12 year old, then 11, was a full-fledged member of the Beverly Hills Middle School track team.  Already a seasoned shuttle hurdler, he was asked this particular evening to run the 200-meter low hurdles, an event he had never run.  The event started on the section of the track furthest from the stands so that it ended in front of the crowd. The runners lined up, and Grant’s groupies -- Mom, Dad, brother, Grandma and friends rushed to the fence for the two minute event.  I was watching through binoculars as the starting gun fired.  The field is poorly lit on the outside fringes, and the hurdles were a height unfamiliar to my favorite runner.  As he stretched to clear the first hurdle -- he did not.  He caught the edge of his foot on the edge of the hurdle and went down -- flat.  As I watched the fall unfold, larger than life (remember the binoculars), my heart stopped.  I wanted to jump the fence and run to him.  While the thought was still gelling in my mind, he got up.  He continued the race, clearing all remaining hurdles and to top off the story with whipped cream and a cherry, he finished ahead of two other runners in his heat.

Jesus was born in a stable, and he didn't give up.  He was taunted by the skeptics, and he didn't give up.  He asked to be relieved of his burden on the cross, and he didn't give up.  He didn't give up then, and he won't give up on us now.  This Advent season let us remember his determination and when we trip on our hurdles and lay on the pavement flat on our faces, let's not give up on Him. Get up and run the race knowing that He is at the finish line.

Steve Matthews

Sunday Evening

The Voice of Truth

Scripture: Psalm 46

What an interesting October I have had.

The first half of the month was spent in preparation for Laity Sunday.  I had been asked to deliver the sermon.  I had spent a couple of weeks thinking about the lectionary reading -- the "Greatest Commandment" passage from Matthew. T he talk I was preparing in my mind really wasn't coming together.  Jeff Taylor (our lay leader, who had asked me to speak, and had gotten me into this mess) was emailing me, asking for a few details that he needed in order to put together the service.  I wasn't ready to give answers; nothing seemed quite right.

I took another look at the lectionary reading for the day. WHAT?  It wasn't the Greatest Commandment -- it was actually the Matthew passage "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's."  No need to panic, I told myself.  There isn't actually a rule that says ONE MUST GIVE A TALK CONCERNING THE LECTIONARY READING.  I could just continue on with what I had planned -- even though I didn't really like it.  After all, speaking about loving God, oneself and one's neighbor had to be easier than speaking about TAXES. Right?

Finally, I let go of what I had planned, and considered the actual lectionary reading.  In about an hour I realized that the Caesar passage would work much better.  God and I worked on that "talk" for the rest of the week.  I drove around with my car radio off, I woke up early in the mornings (not on purpose), and I spent quiet time thinking about what to say.  One particular part of the talk that God placed in my path was the song The Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns.  That week, I bought a CD at WalMart (just by chance), stuck it in the CD player in the car, and listened.  The Voice of Truth was the first track. I had heard this song before, but never really listened to it.  This time I listened. The words were perfect; I used it in three places in the talk.

Later that month I attended the Walk to Emmaus.  As part of that experience, I was in a worship service in which we were asked to consider our worries and our concerns.  What role could God play in these concerns?  What would God have us to do?  I again felt that God was working in my life, laying thoughts on my heart during these prayers.

But, have you ever wondered if God was at work in your life, or if you were only talking to yourself?  I did that night. Was this God, or was this only me?

The time of silent prayer was over, and the wonderful musical team began to sing.  Guess what song they sang?  The Voice of Truth.  God works in our lives, and He has a wonderful sense of humor.

Advent is about the coming of Christ.  We celebrate His coming at Christmas.  We consider His second entry into the world during Advent. Perhaps we also need to take time to remember that He comes into our lives everyday, if we are only quiet enough to pay attention.

But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story.

The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid,"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for my glory."
Out of all the voices calling out to me,
I will choose to listen and believe
The Voice of Truth.

Psalm 45:10a: Be still, and know that I am God.

Kim Matthews

 

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December 10 Devotion

I am so blessed. These are the first words that come to my thoughts as I sat down at my desk to write once I had read the lectionary reading which is Psalm 27. Basically, the reading has to do with feeling safe and secure in the arms of God and leaving the fears and apprehensions in His hands. This has always been very difficult for me.

This past summer has been a difficult one for me because of my health. When I was in the hospital, I learned how God's angels here on Earth can put their arms and prayers around me. I was touched by their care and prayers. I know that this made all the difference in my recovery. I felt His hands on me at the height of my pain. I could feel myself getting better. A dear friend sent me a card that read, "Relax, God is in charge." It was that simple.

These words came from Psalm 27, "I will see the Goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." I am confident of this.

I am blessed.

Carol Brown

December 9 Devotion

Read Acts 11:1-18

In today's scripture reading, Peter is called on the carpet by the other early Christian leaders for opening the doors of the early church to the "uncircumcised," unclean Gentiles. Peter defended his actions to the other believers, step by step. He explained the dream that he had on the rooftop at Joppa of animals of every kind (clean and unclean under rabbinical law) and how that led him to enter the home of Gentiles and to share the gospel message with them. He also explained that he had resisted at first -- he had never eaten anything considered "unclean." The voice in his dream had to repeat the message three times before he would agree to eat "unclean" foods -- at the table with "unclean" people, no less.

Jesus had been criticized by the Religious elite because he ate with sinners. In His last words recorded by Luke, Jesus commissions the disciples to preach repentance and forgiveness in His name to all nations. How quickly they forgot!

We are critical of these early Jewish Christians and their notion of the exclusivity of God's grace. But they weren't the first to be indignant about the spreading of the "good news" to another nation. Or the last.

Before we get too judgmental about the speck in the Apostles' eyes over Peter's opening the church to the Gentiles, perhaps we should remove the log from our own eyes.

Are there those the church excludes today from the table of grace because they do not measure up to our standards of "cleanliness?"

Who are the unclean today?

The voice in Peter's dream on the rooftop reminds us, "What God has made clean, you must not call profane." Luke 11:9 NRSV

Jeff Taylor

December 8 Devotion

Judah Unfaithful and the Day of Judgment

Malachi rebukes the people for their sin of marrying pagan women and for divorce. They have profaned the covenant of their fathers and have broken faith with one another. Which brings us to the remembrance of the young expert in the law in Jesus' time on earth. He was testing Jesus and asked him, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answers the question with a question: "What is written in the law?" The expert replies, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 9:27)

One does not break faith if one loves God and one another with all ones heart, soul strength and mind. At this time of year we spend our time and money with giving gifts, not only to our loved ones, neighbors and friends, but sometimes we even give gifts and money to the needy. Wouldn't if be lovely if there were a Christmas Spirit everyday of the year, and we would remember our shut-ins with phone calls, visits, cards, letters, and gifts and therefore keep our faith with God and with one another.

After chastising them for breaking faith with "the wife of your youth," God says he hates divorce and violence. Malachi tells them to guard yourself in your spirit and do not break faith, but he also sends them hope if they will prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord:

"See I will send my messenger who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the Lord Almighty." (3:1)

John the Baptist came and prepared the way for Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate his life in a way that we know would be pleasing to him by thinking of others at this Advent Season.

Gloria Peak-Rosenblum

December 7 Devotion

Lectionary Reading: Mark 11:27-33

The Life Application Study Bible, New International Version, references this reading in these words:

'The religious leaders asked Jesus who gave him the authority to chase away the merchants and money changers. Their question was a trap. If Jesus said his authority was from God, they would accuse him of blasphemy, if he said his authority was his own, they would dismiss him as a fanatic. To expose their real motives, Jesus countered their question with a question about John the Baptist. The leaders' silence proved that they were not interested in the truth. They simply wanted to get rid of Jesus because he was undermining their authority.'

It was by God's authority that Jesus was there and is here living in and through us.

Thanks be to God.

Please pray our Lord's Prayer.

Kay Lewis

December 6 Devotion

Read Exodus 3:1-6

Ray Buckley, the Director of the Native People's Communication Office for United Methodist Communications, tells of a large rock on the Lakota Reservation in South Dakota. This rock is 40 feet high and is divided by one narrow crevice that extends deep into the rock. Ray's father, prior to his death in 1990, frequently went to this rock to pray. As he would pray, he would write down the prayers and the prayer requests he had, fold the papers, and then drop them into the crevice.

Sometime after his father's death, Ray and his brother visited the rock. When they looked into the crevice, they could see the shards of paper on which their father had written. Ray and his brother decided to leave the papers where they were -- for it is a sacred place for them both. It is a place where their father communed with God.

I have sacred places, too. When I walk around at the farm in Buckhannon, particularly when I am there by myself, I can hear the conversations of my grandparents, and aunts and uncles, and mother -- conversations with one another and with me and conversations with God. These are the people who taught me the faith, who taught me what it meant to believe in and follow Jesus Christ. And the farm is one of the places where those sacred conversations often took place.

Where are your sacred places? It may be your church, it may be a homeplace, it may be your back yard, it can actually be almost anywhere. Where are those places that speak to you of the presence of God, where have you met God in your life, where are the places that speak of the presence of those who have taught you about God? Where can you go to stand on holy ground?

Be thankful for the places where you have met God -- for those places have become for you holy ground, just as the location of the burning bush became holy ground for Moses, and a stable in Bethlehem became holy ground for Mary and Joseph and some shepherds, and the rock is that for Ray Buckley, and the farm is that for me.

"We are standing on holy ground, and I know that there are angels all around, let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in his presence on holy ground." Amen.

Dr. Joe Shreve

December 5 Devotion

Isaiah 26:7-15

Several years ago while Emerson Wood was our pastor the following appeared in the Voice under "From the Pastor." It has had a prominent place on my refrigerator and in my heart ever since!

"Sometimes in the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper in the heart giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, hope to despair."

In this hectic Christmas season lets take a few minutes to be still, listen and let the "stillness of the quiet" seep into our hearts, and minds, and souls.

Prayer: Lord in this season of gift buying and giving help us to remember your gift of love to us -- your son Jesus Christ -- and his gift of forgiveness. Help us to take these gifts of love and forgiveness and expand them by learning to love and forgive ourselves and others. Amen

Margaret Williams

In addition, I receive the following email from Pastor James Milnick, West Milford UMC. The devotion that he sent fits so well with Margaret's above, that I thought I would include it today. Below is his note and the devotion written by a lay member of his church -- Kim

Kim, Each week a lay member writes a weekly mediation that is shared via e-mail. I feel lead to submit this weeks for your use in your booklet.

Blessings of Peace,
Pastor James R. Malick

A Season of Giving

As we approach Christmas, we think about giving presents, special gatherings, and so on. What can we do; and will it be enough. Perhaps we would do well to put our thoughts, and our giving on a higher plane.

A young child wrote in and asked, "What can I give my Grandpa, I love him and he has everything." The reply came back, "give him a big box of candy, then jump up into his lap and help him eat it."

Why can't we do this with God? He has everything except our Love and this we must freely give. Why don't we give Him our love, and our heart, then jump up into his lap and help Him enjoy it?

Matthew 18:3; "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

Perhaps we can grow nearer to God by appreciating what He has created.

Psalms 19:1; "The Heavens declare the Glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

We will never know everything, but we can show God that we love Him by trying to learn as much as we can about His wonderful creation, and showing Him that we are interested. In this way, we can give Him our heart. Our very lives will be immersed in Him and we in effect will jump up into His lap and help Our Heavenly Father, who Loves us so completely, enjoy everything that He has created.

For sure, God Loves us, let us be determined to love Him right back, and be willing to jump up, "right into His lap."

Ron Kirby
West Milford UMC

December 4 Devotion

We have a devotional that touches our hearts, and we want to share it with you. We can't recall its origin, but we think it is based on a true happening.

A young (early 30's) Jewish woman died. She had a very nice funeral with many friends and relatives in attendance. Everything was proceeding according to custom and protocol -- with one exception: in her right hand the deceased was holding a silver fork.

Of course, this was noticed by the mourners and many of them approached the Rabbi and asked him about the fork. In reply, the Rabbi related this story -- It seems that the young woman had known for several months that she had a terminal illness and had sought out the Rabbi for counseling. During these sessions she had specifically requested of the Rabbi that, at her funeral, a silver fork be placed in her right hand. She was recalling the happy occasions of her childhood when she and her family would to go her grandmother's house for special celebrations which, of course, would always involve a sumptuous meal. At the end of these meals, as her plate was being cleared away, her grandma would lean over and quietly tell her, "Now, Honey, you keep your fork." As a child, she learned very quickly that when she heard those words, "keep your fork" that the really good stuff would soon follow -- not just cookies, but strawberry short cake or apple pie with ice cream! Yes! The really good stuff was yet to come.

And this, she told the Rabbi, was how she felt about death. Death was not just the end of life, but the beginning of a new life. The best was yet to come.

Scripture: John 14:2
Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house; if there were not, I would have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you may be too. You know the way to the place where I am going.

Charles and Margaret Ann Lewis

Sunday Evening

Lectionary Reference: Isaiah 40: 1-11

Scripture proclaims Israel's great expectations for the promised Messiah. In Chapter 40, Verses 1 through 11, the prophet Isaiah not only announces Messiah's coming but also states with particularity the accomplishments which He will deliver. Jerusalem will be comforted. Israel will fight no more wars. The chosen people will be forgiven of their sins. According to Isaiah, no force will prevent Messiah's success: even in the wilderness and out on the desert the Lord's way will be forged; every valley will rise in his coming and every hill which he passes will be made low; crooked roads will be made straight; and rough places made plain. All of this for God's glory to be fully revealed. Such glory will be observed without hindrance, since all flesh shall see it together. Isaiah does not make these promises based on his own authority but from the mouth of God who has spoken it. (Verses 1-5)

All mankind is to experience Messiah's considerable power. Isaiah predicts that Messiah will elevate Zion to the top of the mountain where Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah will live without fear and will reap the blessings of good tidings. Since he possesses strong arms, Messiah will come with great might. He will avenge Israel against her enemies and bring her great rewards in all things -- even feeding the sheep of His flock like a shepherd. (Verses 9-11).

Little wonder then that Israel's leaders expressed a keen disappointment when a little Nazarene baby was born amid the mud and manure of stable animals with only humble shepherds to herald his arrival. Where was the long awaited military muscle in those events? And eventually, when his Divine message included the condemnation of the scribes and chief priests for their misunderstanding of the nature of sin and their misapplication of God's law in human affairs, Israel's leadership became absolutely convinced that Jesus was not Wonderful, not a Counselor and certainly no one's Prince of Peace.

2000 years later we must honestly ask ourselves this question: if so many people in the first generation of Christendom could not see this baby for who He is and they were physically present to greet him, how can we be expected to objectively see Him today? The honest answer is that we can not. We may search for Him in history, but we will always only experience Him through the eyes of faith.

In 1742, George Frideric Handel demonstrated such a faith. That year he composed the most influential oratorio of all time -- The Messiah. The oratorio's first movement draws heavily upon Isaiah 40: 1-11, but its backbone is the birth narrative from Luke's Gospel. Through Handel's pen these two passages of scripture unite to produce a Pastoral Symphony of great calm and peace. . . its power almost defies description. When King George II of England heard Handel's full oratorio performed for the first time, he stood up for the singing of The Hallelujah Chorus which occurs in the third movement. Afterward George II said that no person, monarch or otherwise, should remain seated in the presence of the King of Kings.

The good news of Advent is this: once again, through the grace of God, our Messiah is coming into our lives on Christmas Day. Let us be on our feet to receive Him.

Tom Craig

December 3 Devotion

Psalm 79:10a -- Why should the nations ask us, "Where is your God?"

When the radical Muslim leadership in the Middle East look at modern America, I hear them asking the question,  "Where is your God?"  We are offended by that question. It is interesting that when the religious right in America looks at the moderate center, they ask the same question.  What is similar to both fundamentalist groups is the certainty that lies behind the question.  Since both groups "know" where their God is, everyone else must be wrong.  With that knowing comes the desire to enforce certainty.

I have never been a part of the "certainty" club. In my lifetime, I have been on the wrong side of the integration, homosexuality, abortion, the death penalty and same sex marriage.  I have been told that I am going to hell or that my salvation is in peril.  I have heard Christians condemn other Christians for not believing the same ideas or theology.  For me this is very sad.

Why should the nations ask us "Where is your God?"  Maybe is it because we don’t act like we know the answer? Those answers seem so simple and non-complex.  Yet in our day-to-day world, our religious life has become so dogmatic and full of requirements.

This past summer my first grandchild was born.  I held Mattie Clark and wondered what she would be like.  Questions flowed through my mind about how she would look, act, wondered about her temperament style, etc.  I wanted to know with certainty.  I have to live in faith because I know she will provide those answers.

In this season we celebrate the birth of a child named Jesus.  That birth creates interesting answers to the question  "Where is your God?"

Answers such as:

1. In a manager

2. Hanging on a tree

3. In a garden

4. With tax collectors/sinners

5. In heaven with God

6. In our hearts/souls

The reality is that all these answers are correct and all are incorrect at the same time.  The most correct answer is an answer of faith.  An answer that states, "God is born into the world.  Hallelujah!!!"

David Johnson

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December 2 Devotion

I Thessalonians 4: 1-18

In today's reading Paul is instructing a relatively new church on how a Christian should walk in holiness, especially in view of the second coming of Christ. He taught that we should walk in holiness, walk in love, walk in diligence and of course walk in hope. Paul urges us to live a life that is pleasing to God. There is more to Christian living than simply loving other Christians. We must be responsible in all areas of our lives. We must love others as we love ourselves. It's never been said better than "They will know we are Christians by our love."

Now, what is it that pleases God? What one quality in life is essential to please God? Faith - without faith it is impossible to please our God. A life of expectation that the God who lives in you will manifest his life through you is the kind of life that pleases God. We should strive to be like Jesus in all we do. It isn't a life of your efforts, struggling to live up to a standard you've imposed upon yourself, or someone else has imposed upon you. It is a life in which you are constantly dependent upon the one who dwells in you that will keep you doing the things he has planned for your life.

Paul talks to us about brotherly love. As we have watched the disasters that have hit our country over the last few months, we have as a country stood up and written the definition of brotherly love, especially our churches. We have learned that material possessions really don't mean that much when we're fighting for life and limb. The raping of children, looting, and shootings only show that Satan was present and accounted for. For the most part we were definitely Jesus' hands extended.
We watched private planes, buses, trucks, vans and cars go to these areas to pick up people they didn't know to take them safely to places to visit or stay if they so wished. Locally we saw our churches collect supplies, clothes, money or whatever else we could do for these people who had lost everything. Doctors, nurses, firemen, policemen and anyone who felt they could help rushed to these areas to offer their services. Many of these people saw things they will never forget and the experience has changed their lives forever. Jesus said that what you do for the least of these, you have done for me.

These people saw a helping hand that didn't want anything in return only to provide help in a time of need. Some people saw Jesus for the first time in the hands of someone handing them clothes, water, food or a place to stay. They were told they had someone who would never leave them, never forsake them. It didn't matter what they have done all they had to do was call his name.

Paul wanted to make sure that the church kept a watchful eye for our Lord's return which caused a lot of confusion in his day as it has throughout history. These disasters only show that none of us are guaranteed the next breath we take. God alone has the knowledge of when we will die, just as he alone has the knowledge of when the trumpet shall sound and the voice of the archangel will be heard calling his children home. Belief in Jesus is the only way to ensure that when our body takes its last breath we will have the promise of everlasting life. In reality, he is all we have that is true and sure. Trust in him today!

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, in many ways we recognize the days in which we live as very similar to the days in which this letter was written; yet from our vantage point of twenty centuries away, we can see that although their hopes burned brightly for the coming of the Lord, then, they were a long way from the goal. Father God, only you know when Jesus will come to take us home, but help us learn to live that no matter when it happens, we will be ready. May we live a life that will have our Lord and Savior saying "well done my good and faithful servant." Lord, help us to walk in the light of this, as we've been exhorted and admonished by the Apostle Paul. We ask it in Jesus' name, Amen.

Suzi Bowen

An Extra Devotion

A Conversation

 

The night was silent.

Darkness had settled like a shroud.

It was that part of the night when nothing is awake.

When stillness covers everything

And doubt obliterates even the stars.

 

The ground around the tiny house

Was trampled down, worn with use.

Inside, a young girl lay in her bed,

Crying, doubting, afraid.

Why did I say yes?

What will happen to me now?

 

An angel had visited her earlier

And told her the unbelievable, the miraculous.

She had said yes.

Who was she to be the mother of God?

Who was she to be a mother at all?

 

In the quiet

In the darkness

In the midst of her doubts,

She heard a voice,

And felt a presence.

She knew it to be God.

 

What is it, Mary?

Why are you crying?

 

I am afraid.

 

Set aside your fear, Mary,

Know that I am with you.

Through this night, into tomorrow,

Through everything that will happen.

You are not alone.

I know that you are afraid tonight,

And it will not be the last time.

But even through the worst,

I will comfort you.

 

Why have you chosen me?

 

You have been chosen

Because you are the mother that

Our son will need.

Your faith and your trust in me

Will give you strength.

And even through the worst,

You will comfort me.

 

Why are you doing this at all?

 

I do this because I love you.

I do this because you are mine.

Through our son you will see me.

It is the only way to make you understand.

Perhaps if you see me, if you know me,

Then you will realize how much I love you,

And you will allow me to save you.

All of you.  Each of you.

And through the worst,

You will know me.

 

Death will slink away

Darkness will be lifted.

Doubt and fear will be quenched,

The trampled ground will heave a sigh of relief,

The star will shine brightly.

We will know the love of God

 

Kim Matthews

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December 1 Devotion

Read Micah 2:1-13

Hey, listen I have a little secret to tell you!! There is going to be a birth real soon, it will be a boy. He'll be very special to all of us and we all know his father. Keep it under your hat; his father is GOD!!!!

It has also been said, that his son is to be the long awaited Messiah. The one that will save us from our sins, shows us how to LOVE one another. To care for the sick, help the lost and needy.

There'll be one catch. We will have to open our hearts and give all of ourselves to him and allow the Holy Spirit to flow into every inch of our being. Then we will be like him letting his LIGHT shine through us to all we care for so that they too may see him.

Oh!! What is his name?? Well, you know it!! It's Jesus.

Prayer; Heavenly Father, thank you for all you have given us, for sending your heavenly son to live among us here on earth. That He would show us the way, the truth and the light. For your forgiveness of our sins through your son Jesus. And now I ask for the Holy Spirit to flow into my soul so that I too can share the light with all who I touch. So they too will see Jesus. In Christ Jesus' name, Amen

All God's Blessings
Fred Herr

November 30 Devotion

Lectionary Reading: Matthew 24: 15-31

Verse 30: Then the sign of the son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

One of the comedians I enjoy listening to is Bill Engvall. He has several routines that revolve around "Here's Your Sign." The premise of the humor is that people ask questions of others regarding very obvious circumstances and thus expose themselves to their own inadequacy. For example: you are parked along the side of the road and one of your tires is flat. A passing motorist stops and asks: "Did your tire go flat?" You reply sarcastically: "No, the other three tires just swelled up." ("Here's Your Sign") The unspoken part of "Here's Your Sign" is that the passing motorist who asked about the flat tire is not observant of the obvious details of the scene.

One of my main responsibilities as a nurse is to make observations of my patient's signs and symptoms. A fever, a fast heart rate, a red eardrum, all could mean that there is a disease process at work that needs attention. It takes practice to be observant of these signs and to ask the right questions to gain more precise information about how the signs are interconnected. Sometimes my observation skills are just not what they should be. I have missed key and sometimes obvious signs.
The lectionary reading today speaks of a mysterious future and prophetic descriptions of false Messiahs and great suffering. But in the end there will be a sign of the Son of Man in the heavens -- A trumpet call will send angels to gather all the elect. One might call these signs of a second coming of The Messiah. There will be signs -- but will we be able to recognize them? Will we miss the obvious and the significant?

The shepherds received a message from the angels: "And this will be a sign for you: You will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:12)

The wise men followed the sign of a star in the east to guide them to Bethlehem. We have been given numerous signs of the coming of Christmas Day: decorations, carols, concerts, shop displays, advertisements, and on and on. These signs are obvious about the day itself, but are we missing something more significant to us and our relationship with God?

What are the signs of this Advent Season? What message is meant to be revealed to us as we travel through these days waiting for the "Main Event?" We keep our traditions; we sing the same carols; we hear the same scriptures year after year -- what is the message or sign God is sending directly to you this year? Only you can answer. But in order to receive, you have to keep your heart, your mind and your soul open for God to fill you with the "Sign" that is meant for you. Stay Alert. Be Ready. God is sending you a Sign.

Prayer: Direct our thoughts, O Lord, to your message this Advent. Open our hearts and minds to receive your gifts. Quiet the clamoring of the world and the busyness of our lives so that we may clearly define the signs of Your Love meant for us this season. AMEN.

Chyrl Budd

November 29 Devotion

Lectionary Reading: Zechariah 14:1-9

GOD'S MUSICAL TOUCH

I love music. I mean I really, really love music. All kinds, too. Bluegrass, Country, Lullabies, Ballads and even Opera. My favorites are probably Hymns and Anthems. I can't sing worth a darn. Years ago I had polyps removed from my throat and that was pretty much that concerning my singing voice. Most of the time though it really doesn't bother me at all. That's because you see, most of the time I would rather cry than sing anyway. My poor husband has had to put up with my emotional weeping for years. When a large gathering sings the "Star Spangled Banner," I don't sing - I sob. Ditto "America The Beautiful". Ditto "God Bless America". I don't even try to sing them anymore. I just prepare myself by grabbing a handful of Kleenex from my purse and clutch them ready to wipe my face. It's almost pitiful.

JM's beautiful music on Sunday morning is a real challenge for me. Most of the time when we begin our truly beautiful hymns I sing the first stanza and weep the last four or five. No surprises here. One exception is "Let There Be Peace On Earth." I can't sing this hymn at all. In fact I usually start tearing up by just turning to page No: 431. While everyone else sings their hearts out it's all I can do to stifle myself. I simply want to bawl out loud. Sometimes I feel the presence of God there with us so intensely I have to hold on to the back of the pew in front of me to keep my feet on the floor. I almost feel like I'm rising up in the air. Want a one word description for that? "WOW". No other way to say it. Just plain "WOW". All those tears, all that water, all that cleansing. I've learned to rejoice in those tears and let them flow down my face, and I pray through my heart and my soul.

Now, however I should explain there are some songs I must sing. I must sing them because I can't cry with them. Let me hear the first notes of "Lord Of The Dance," and I'm all puffed up and ready to sing all five verses with great gusto. My husband smiles. He knows me so well. Bad voice forgotten, I sing of a joyful Lord and how much He loves me and how much I love Him in return. No tears here. Toe tapping maybe, smiling and joyful faces for sure. No I can't cry with that hymn. I've figured out it's really simple. If I can't sing it, I cry. If I can't cry, I sing it. And how about this: I don't ever have to try and remember which to do when the music starts. He decides all that for me because I believe in Him. How blessed is that? Amen.

Carol Lee Bolling

November 28 Devotion

The Present of Presence

God sent a present into the world, the gift of a loving presence named Jesus. The gospel stories indicate that Jesus gave few material things to people. What he gave most was his personal presence, gifts that were treasures of the heart: belief in self, inner healing, peace of mind, compassion, forgiveness, dignity, and justice. This loving presence lives on in us and is the central focus of Christmas gift-giving.

Sharing the gift of personal presence means that we see ourselves as a gift holding the goodness of Jesus who is Emmanuel, God-with-us. Like Jesus, we can give from our inner abundance, gifts from the heart. Moments lovingly spent with another through prayer or through personal presence carry more beauty and have more endurance than anything material we could give. What greater gifts could we share than ones that reflect the one Great Love we have known in the person of Jesus: our care and concern, our hope, our joy, our understanding and forgiveness, our kindness, our patience?

When I think of my hurried pace of life, I see myself as deeply entrenched in my western culture. I look at how Advent gets lost in "the Christmas rush". The messages are all around me: "Buy this and you will be happy; buy that and you will prove your love." Sharing presence is hard to do in a culture that keeps promoting material things as a sign of how much we love others. Sharing presence is difficult in an environment that encourages us to be as busy as possible so that we will be rich, successful, and important---and able to buy more things.
When we are busy, rushed, and pressed it is easy to miss awareness and union with those around us and with those in our larger world. Advent is a good season to be more deliberate in sharing the present of our presence every day. It may be through a phone call, a letter, a visit, or through the bonding of prayer as we focus love and attention toward those who need the strength of God to be with them.

The following are suggestions for "being with" others during Advent, one for each of the twenty-five days before Christmas. You may think of other ways to share your presence in order to deliberately choose "being" over "doing". When the feast of Christmas arrives may you be more aware of the power of Emmanuel's presence within you and your ability to warm the lives of others because of the Gift of Love.

Taken from Out of the Ordinary, copyright 2000, by Joyce Rupp. Used by Permission of Ave Maria Press. All rights reserved.

Suggestions for Giving the Present of Presence

Here are two possible ways to be with someone: (a) be physically present with another or (b) be present "in spirit" by deliberately sending prayer, compassionate thoughts, and kind feelings toward another person or group. Either approach could be appropriate for each of the following suggestions.

Be with someone who needs you.
Be with a person who gives you hope
Be with those who live in terror and fear.
Be with an older person.
Be with someone who has helped you to grow.
Be with one who is in pain.
Be with a war-torn country.
Be with yourself.
Be with someone who has written to you.
Be with a child.
Be with a refugee who is fleeing from harm.
Be with an enemy or someone you dislike.
Be with a farmer losing his or her land.
Be with someone who has terminal illness.
Be with the homeless.
Be with those who suffer from substance abuse.
Be with hungry children.
Be with a coworker.
Be with those whose hope is faint.
Be with world leaders.
Be with someone in your family.
Be with men and women in prison.

Be with someone working for justice.
Be with those who are abused and neglected.
Be with your loved ones.

Taken from Out of the Ordinary, copyright 2000, by Joyce Rupp. Used by Permission of Ave Maria Press. All rights reserved.

Submitted by Vicky Shreve