January 6 Devotion

Light Leading to Light

Lectionary Readings:
Matthew 2:1-12
Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14
Isaiah 60:1-6

Included texts (Italics and indicated by asterisk)
* Matthew 2:6 (from Micah 5:2)
** Isaiah 60:1-3
***Psalm 72:12-14

Three men,
Wise in years and
Old in wisdom
Stood in front of King Herod.
Their surroundings were opulent,
Rich in the most extravagant of ways.
The tones of the ones in the room were hushed,
And the king was secretive.

“I have been told,” he whispered,
“That in the small town of Bethlehem,
A child has been born.”

And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel. ^*

“Tell me, if you know,
Tell me, if you can,
What about this baby?

This wonderful baby who has been born
And will be king of the Jews?
I want to worship him.
I want to pay him proper homage.”

The king’s words were slick,
Almost seductive in their tone.
These men had been following a star.
How can a star be a secret?
Not trusting the king,
And yet not seeing any danger,
They told him of the star they had been following.
This star that had become an obsession,
A quest.
They told him how they were searching for the child,
And how they believed that this star would lead them to him.

The king smiled,
A smile of maliciousness masked in patronizing approval,
Pleased in their cooperation.
He told them to stay on their quest
To let no obstacles deter them.
To find the child.
To send word to him.
“I am as anxious as you are.
I await your news with uncontainable anticipation.”

The men set off,
Not easy in their visit with the king,
But determined to follow the star,
And find the baby.
Once again, the star led the way.
Light pointing the way to light.

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
And thick darkness the peoples:
But the Lord will arise upon you,
And his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your dawn.^**

Their guidelight, the star
Stopped in a surprising place
The antithesis of where they had been.
A humble dwelling, bathed by starlight,
Containing the light of the world.

Their search had ended
They had found the baby
Held gently on the lap of his mother.
A king, above all kings.
Son of David.
Son of God.

For he delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his sight.^***

Overcome with joy,
Overwhelmed with awe,
They offered him gifts
Fit for the king that he was
Or at least the best that they could bring
Gold, frankincense and myrrh

His mother watched.
Nothing escaped her notice
Not even that one of the gifts
Was for use at a death.
She held the baby closer,
And gave thanks to God for this gift.

Men, wise and perceptive
Listened to their dream
Another gift from God,
And departed,
Traveling a different way
And avoiding the danger of Herod.
A quest completed

A quest for Jesus.
A star followed
A light found.
The men, wise in their years,
Left behind their gifts,
And took with them
A gift beyond price.

Kim Matthews

January 5 Devotion

Lectionary Reading: Hebrews 9: 1-14

Getting the Really Tough Stains Out

As father and sole clothes washer for a very active, five-year-old tomboy named Diana, I know what it takes to get the tough stains out. The knee length socks soiled with dirt from diving on the soccer field, the sleeves dotted with brightly colored markers from a creative moment, or the collar lightly streaked with brown from a much-anticipated and slowly-savored chocolate are no match for my arsenal of soaps, sprays, and automatic washer and dryer. I seldom misfire at these prominent targets. However, I have lost many battles to more clandestine enemies such as tissues stuffed in pants pockets and small forests of playground mulch lining the insides of socks. After a thorough washing and drying, I am doomed to pick the debris off of every piece of laundry. I learn my painful lesson and for a time I remember to check all of the pockets and to unroll all of the socks. But inevitably, I let down my defenses and it happens again.

Sin is a lot like this. When our family, coworkers, or neighbors see our failures and transgressions prominently and publicly displayed, we take corrective actions. We use our arsenal of social and spiritual resources to make things right, to restore our broken relationships and trusts, and to ultimately repent before a loving and merciful God. “Private” sins are a different matter entirely. Sins of commission that “don’t really hurt anyone else” and sins of omission that result from lives of busyness and apathy subtly and steadily accumulate. We seldom acknowledge them or repent of them. One day we awake to realize that over time every part of our life has been touched and we are completely tainted by sin. Although still children of our loving Father, we are effectively separated from a Holy God. We are unable to clearly hear His voice. We are impotent and unable to serve and to glorify Him. We then begin the arduous process of cleaning up the debris one piece at a time. We finally repent. And for a time, we walk uprightly and humbly. But inevitably, we let down our defenses and we sin again.

God knows we are like this, and He lovingly provides for us in our weakness. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle with a blood offering covering his sins and the sins of all the people. This ceremony accurately depicts our need for cleansing from our sins to enter into the presence of a Holy God. But as the writer of Hebrews explains in chapter 9, it did not effectively do that. God in His infinite mercy and wisdom does provide for our cleansing through the atoning blood of Jesus, which covers all of our past, present, and future sins. Jesus and God’s Holy Spirit support us as we continue taking small steps towards walking with God. We are not alone when we stumble and fall. We have a high priest and friend in Jesus who has known all of our temptations and human limitations. He even understands our dirty laundry and how to get all of the tough stains out!

Prayer: Holy, merciful, and loving Father, thank You for making a way for us to be with You through Jesus. Please reveal to us our sins and lead us to repentance and to a right relationship with You today and every day so that we may serve You and glorify You. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

John White
(Chuck and Pam Gruber’s son-in-law)

January 4 Devotion

My advent devotional was just about complete, only a few more lines to add. Its submission was one day overdue but somehow what I had written didn’t seem quite right. Instead, the words and music of a certain hymn kept pulsing through my head, "This Is A Day of New Beginnings". I threw out what I had first written and started again. I hope these words resonate with you as they did for me, not just in the first few days of the New Year but each and every new day.

This is a day of new beginnings,
Time to remember and move on,
Time to believe what love is bringing,
Laying to rest the pain that's gone.

We can only learn from past mistakes. Dwelling on them will not help us to do better in the present nor prepare for the future, "time to remember and move on".

For by the life and death of Jesus,
God's mighty Spirit, now as then,
Can make for us a world of difference,
As faith and hope are born again.

Then let us, with the Spirit's daring,
Step from the past and leave behind
Our disappointment, guilt, and grieving,
Seeking new paths, and sure to find.

The tentacles of discouragement and disappointment can hold us back from living the Christian life to its fullest. As followers of Jesus "God's mighty Spirit...can make...a world of difference" so that we can "leave behind our disappointment" and seek "new paths".

Christ is alive, and goes before us
To show and share what love can do.
This is a day of new beginnings,
Our God is making all things new.

We step into this New Year knowing that Christ goes before us to help us "show and share what love can do" for everyone we meet. Truly "this is a day of new beginnings" and "God is making all things new". What wonderful promises for the year of our Lord 2007.

Jean Dean

January 3 Devotion

These Little Lights of Mine
On an early September Sunday, I attended a baby shower for my oldest daughter, Anna. Before she opened each gift, she silently read the card so that she could keep her composure at a time when every feeling was so close to the surface. As she peered into the colorful bag that contained her sister’s present, she saw the card, tore it open, and began to read. Her eyes filled with tears, and I wondered what Betsy had written that would bring such response.

Dear Anna,

I know that you’ll be a great mom because you’ve always taken such good care of me.

Love,
Betsy

As I read the inscription, I was reminded of a time long ago when my girls were very young. It was another Sunday, twenty years before, and I was secretly watching as they played with other children in the primary Sunday school room.

Betsy’s premature birth three years earlier had caused a problem that necessitated the use of a leg brace attached to her shoe. The brace was cumbersome at best, but it never dimmed Betsy’s sweet smile.

The children had gathered in a circle to play Duck, Duck, Goose, a “chase” game. The child who was “it” would run to catch another child who would then be “it”.

Betsy was quickly caught, and it was her turn to do the chasing. I was apprehensive because I knew that she would not be able to catch the other children. As the children chanted “Duck, duck, goose,” Betsy chose five-year-old Anna to chase. It was then that I noticed that Anna had slowed to a trot so that Betsy could catch her. I smiled and went into church; I knew that Betsy would be fine in Anna’s care.

But Anna wasn’t always the one who did the protecting. As the girls neared adulthood, Don and I would occasionally leave them on their own. One October we attended my nephew’s wedding in Florida. I called home to check on things only to be told that everything was just great. It was years later that we were told the real story.

A friend of Anna’s had come to the house to watch TV, and the two had somehow ended up in an argument. Anna had asked him to leave, but he wasn’t moving fast enough for Betsy. Suddenly, like a mother hen protecting her chick, Betsy burst from her bedroom and pushed him out the door. He was so shocked and embarrassed that he never set foot in our house again.

Today’s scripture says, “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.”

Anna’s and Betsy’s lamp lights have shown for each other always. And even though, like most sisters, they have had some fights, most of them weren’t with each other but for each other. The more love they have shown, the more they have been given. That is what God promised; that is the lamp light He holds out to each of us every day. Bask in His light; bask in His love. Then let your little light shine! Amen

Becky Warren

January 2 Devotion

Lectionary Reading: 2 Chronicles 7:1-11

"On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he (Solomon) sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the good that the Lord had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel." 2 Chronicles 7:10 NKJV

One of the most common responses my freshmen college students experienced each fall was eagerness to escape the watchful eyes of their parents. To these students leaving home and moving into a dormitory with other young freedom seekers was a dream come true.

In contrast to that point of view was the little boy who, after wandering from his mother's side, soon found himself in the toy department. As he played happily on the floor with a bright yellow dump truck, his mother rushed over to him. "Bryan, I've been frantic. I had no idea where you were!" Unperturbed he looked up and said sweetly, "But Mama, you always know where I am. ...See, you're right here beside me."

For those of us who wander into the toy department and hope not to be discovered, we want to remember God views us through the lens of grace. That grace seeks to protect us as well as love us.

Written by Marilyn Meberg"Women of Faith Devotional Bible"

Please pray the Lord's Prayer.

Kay Lewis

January 1 Devotion

Tradition

Please read Numbers 6:22-27

As this New Day and New Year rang in at midnight, most of us followed a tradition. Silly hats, noisemakers, a toast, a kiss, watching the ball drop.

When I was growing up in L.A, ¹ one of my family’s traditions was for all of us to go outside on the porch while I honked a boisterous Dixieland version of “When the Saints go Marching In” on my trombone at the top of my lungs.² It sounded good…to me.

Some traditions may not be worth keeping.

But whatever your New Years’ Eve or New Years’ Rockin’ Eve tradition, if you were up past midnight this morning, you probably sang or at least listened to Auld Lang Syne.

Tradition!

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?” The lyrics and the pitch trail off after that, based in part on the fact that we don’t really know the song that well. The song reminds us each New Years’ Eve that we should not forget about the past. We are connected to the past, to the history, the people and traditions of auld lang syne. Let’s drink to that!

Tradition!

Today’s scripture reading is the traditional UMYF Benediction. When I was in the UMYF in L.A.³, we would close our meetings by joining hands and repeating the following benediction, also known as the Aaronic Blessing.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
May the Lord make His face shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you,
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace. AMEN

Tradition!

Now that I am a “former youth,” I am thankful to be a part of the leadership team of our church’s UMYF. At the conclusion of our Sunday evening meetings, we circle up, join hands with right arm over left, and repeat the ancient blessing. Upon the “amen” we “twist out” while we remain holding hands. This reminds us that as we leave, we remain connected.

Tradition!

It is a great benediction. A blessing of God’s favor and peace, that connects me to my past as a youth, and connects all of us to “auld acquaintances,” Moses and Aaron.

Tradition! Happy New Year!

Prayer: May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Oh Lord, I want to be in that number, when the Saints go Marching in. Amen.

Footnotes:

1. The “Logan area” of West Virginia is frequently called “L.A.” by me and a handful of others.
2. The truth is, my family only went out on the porch with me once. From then on, it was my solo tradition.
3. See Footnote 1, above.

Jeff Taylor