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
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
6 comments:
Chyrl, That was a beautiful devotional, and all the more significant since it came from both your experience and your heart. Thank you for sharing such a kind and wonderful 'sign' with us.
Nolan Grubb
Another good one, Chryl. You never let us down!
Chyrl, I truly enjoyed reading your devotional this evening. As you know, John is very observant and I'm a space cadet. I just hope and pray that one of you guys is near by so you can nudge me when that all-important sign appears...
Nita
I too enjoyed reading this devotional. You certainly have a goft for putting your thoughts into words!
Oddly enough, I got my sogn, BillEngvall style, several hours before reading this. I was cutting back a plant I'd brought in for the winter and somehow managed to cut a chunk out of my finger. I can just hear him (and the Koinonia Amen Corner) saying "here's you sign!"
anonymous is actually me. Looks like I hit the wrong buttin--here's my sign....
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