Sunday, December 30, 2012

Devotional 12-30-12

Are you a fan or a follower of Jesus Christ?

I have asked myself this same question many times. I desire and strive to be a follower. I do not want to be just a lukewarm Christian. I want to pattern my life after Jesus. Lord, Jesus, come interfere in my life. If I open my mind and pray, the Holy Spirit will intercede and advise me how to live my life.

I find the words in Luke 13:24-27 somewhat disturbing. We all have many talents. If we are willing to search our hearts and pray – our answers will become very clear.

I personally look for ways to serve Jesus. I am not content just to be a fan – I want to be a follower!

Paul S. Riggs

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Devotional 12-25-12

Luke 2:1-20
I’m pondering the message of the angel to the shepherds in Luke 2:11,12…

“To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
“This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger“

This sign for the shepherds, was it meant to prove that Jesus was the Messiah, Savior, and Lord? How does being wrapped in rags and lying in an animal’s feeding trough prove that Jesus is any of these things? I don’t think it does. The circumstances of Jesus first days did not prove that he was Savior, Lord, and Messiah; all of the angelic singing and radiance was proof enough of that. The circumstances of Jesus’ first days proved he was the Savior, Messiah, and Lord given to the shepherds. Suppose this child had been born in the city of kings, Jerusalem with all of its grand and well-guarded splendor, rather than in the city of David, Bethlehem. Suppose he rested in a regal palace instead of in a stable. No common shepherd could have hoped to approach his quarters, let alone gain entrance or audience with the royal family. So instead his quarters were open to all. Any and every person from every walk of life had access to this infant king. Any and every person could approach his infant throne so long as they didn’t mind the smell of animals and the utter lack of finery. His were the most common and lowly of quarters with no guards or gates, no ramparts or walls. In the city of a lowly shepherd boy was God the son born as the son of man; so that all people might behold him, know him, and go out upon the mountains to tell of his birth.

It is no small matter that even a shepherd could look at the face of God in Jesus of Nazareth, behold his humble poor beginning and say “this is a savior for me! After that, they told all whom they could. Eventually they went back to their work, but from then on their eyes saw their days and tasks differently, for God had deemed their common, ordinary moments so worthy as to visit them with the good news of Jesus Christ. Thus every common moment thereafter was heavy with the possibility of a visitation from the sacred.

“To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

My prayer for you today is that you will take that “you “ personally. Jesus the Christ has been given to you in all of his loving, redeeming, living power. He is Lord forever, giving himself to you and calling you to give yourself to him. Live in the joy and assurance of this unfading eternal gift.

Rev. Joe Hill

Monday, December 24, 2012

Devotional 12-24-12

Christmas Eve

Titus 2:11-14: For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men it teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

For a child, Christmas Eve is the day to point toward. It is the signature date on the calendar when all of the gifts are under the tree; all of the guessing about what Santa will bring and all of the “buzz” of the Holiday Season comes to an end. Children everywhere know when they go to bed that night there will be surprises for them under the tree. No wonder that for some, it is the only day of the year they arise early with no prompting! They are eager for this day to arrive!

For adults, the Christmas season can be filled with anxiety! Questions as to what gifts to purchase for family and friends, will they like what I selected, where are we spending Christmas and what did I forget can all combine to make the Holiday stressful.

Paul’s letter to Titus serves to remind Christians everywhere that God’s grace is for all people. Through Jesus Christ, it is the source of forgiveness and the foundation that we build upon to live a Godly life. Christ makes all things possible!

Tonight, when you lay your head down, do not be anxious about the trials and tribulations that daily living brings. Instead, be eager and look forward to the coming Christmas celebration and be thankful for God’s promise fulfilled through Jesus Christ!

Now that is a present worth waiting for!!!!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the present you sent to each of us. Let us prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth and always to be mindful of the hope he brings. Empower us to do your work in a way that is pleasing to you. Amen

Marv Jones

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Devotional 12-23-12

From the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2:7, “And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

A few years ago when I was in seminary I embarked on a cross-cultural trip with several other students to the Texas/Mexico border to study immigration and the culture that existed in the “borderlands.” The “borderlands” is the land on the USA side of the United States and Mexico, at least in the Southern part of Texas. It is a very liminal area; that is, it is a land “between the worlds.” The culture was a synthesis of Anglo and Hispanic culture and language. While there our cadre of mostly Methodist students stayed at pilgrimage housing at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan de Valle. I thought this was ironic that a group of would-be Protestant pastors were living as pilgrims at a shrine dedicated to the Mother of God.

I learned several things while on that trip to Southern Texas. We were down there for several days and each morning I would walk down to a corner gas station and get an absolutely wonderful breakfast burrito and a newspaper from a man who always stood in the median of the road and sold papers to people in their cars. He always greeted me with a smile. Looking into his eyes I didn’t see oppressive poverty. I saw a man with dignity and pride doing his best in this land between the worlds.

We had the opportunity to meet several local Hispanic families. Our group of seminary students took a group of local kids to Wal-Mart and bought them some clothes, and then their parents cooked for us. The meal was absolutely wonderful. I had the privilege of pressing dough with a press to make tortillas, and we had a sort of taco like meal. There was red and green salsa on the tables. Some from our group thought that if the children were eating the green salsa then that must have been the mild ‘stuff.’ It turned out that the red salsa was very hot, and the green was extremely hot. I love hot food, but many of the seminarians on the trip learned not to judge a salsa by its color.

In Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity there is much reverence, honor, and respect shown to Mary, as the Mother of God. In Protestant Christianity the role of Mary is like life in the borderlands; she is often left to the margins. Her mystery is removed; her status as “Mother of God” affirmed by early Church council is brushed under the theological rug. She becomes a footnote within Protestant Christianity; mostly forgotten – except perhaps on Christmas. In Protestant Christianity there really is no room for her “in the Inn.”

In the majority of the United States the liminal community that exists in the borderlands doesn’t exist. The borderland people are people who live “between the worlds,” between two cultures, a syncretism of both. Like the Mother of God in Protestant Christianity there is no room for them “in the Inn.”

We can make room for all marginalized people in our Inn for we affirm the message of the Gospel. To make disciples of all people requires us to love all people. As we find room for marginalized people due to economic and cultural situations we also find room for people “in our Inn” who are marginalized spiritually.

While on the trip I thought of the irony of staying at a shrine dedicated to the Mother of God studying marginalized people and thinking how Protestantism has marginalized Mary from our religious culture. I’m not advocating Marian “devotion,” but perhaps an increase in respect and love that one might have for one’s own mother. Mary is the mother of our Lord, and if he loved her so shall I.

Prayer:
Gracious and Loving Father, everyone is welcome at the Inn that is your loving embrace, help us to make room for people within our own inn. Help us to know and embrace the ancient custom of hospitality that renews and ignites our souls. Help us to love, and grant us the peace that only you can provide. In the name of Jesus do we pray. Amen.

David Kling

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Devotional 12-22-12

Missing the Main Event

Today is my Aunt and Uncle’s wedding anniversary -- their 51st wedding anniversary. Ask me how I remember the year. I remember because my mother, my aunt’s older sister, was pregnant with me and was not permitted by her doctor to make the trip from Georgia to Huntington for the wedding.

My mom and my aunt were certainly ‘cut from the same cloth’. Caring and giving. Fiercely protective of their children and willing to take self sacrifice to the Nth degree if that’s what was needed to help another. The fact that my mom missed the wedding in no way diluted her love for her sister and did not change the way she felt towards her brother in law. It also did not weaken her love by one little bit that she was not present for the births of her nieces and nephews. We are able to revel in the joy or share in the sorrow of a situation - in absentia – and still have the full power of the event be large in our lives.

Revealed in the beginning of Luke’s birth narrative we find Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth. When Mary greets Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s baby moves. Elizabeth calls Mary’s baby LORD. Elizabeth may or may not have know that she would not be present for the birth of Mary’s baby but that in no way diminished her feeling towards the child.

We do not have to have experienced a hurricane force storm to have compassion for those who have lost much. We do not have to have lost an identical relative or friend to grieve with someone who has. And we do not have to have been present 2000 years ago to love a child that would be savior that would die that would redeem.

This Christmas my prayer is that we (I) put ourselves in another’s ‘shoes’ and laugh with joy, cry with sadness and give until it feels like almost enough > and then give some more.

Steve Matthews

Friday, December 21, 2012

Devotional 12-21-12


Micah 5: 4-5:  And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.  And he shall be their peace.

Christmas is nearly here!  Where has the time gone this year?  As I read the passage above from Micah, I am reminded again of the reasons this season is so very special.  There are so many distractions from the true meaning of Christmas many times we can feel lost.

Jesus was sent to earth be our shepherd.  To guide our lives through love and strength, so that we would know the true meaning of peace.  What an amazing gift!  How many times have you felt lost, or not sure which direction to take? Jesus was born to help us make these decisions, and as we go through this season, he is there providing support and love so that we will know peace in our lives.

As we all prepare for the events of Christmas day, take a moment to reflect on the events of the season, and rejoice in the peace that is Jesus.  Others will know of Jesus’ birth by the love we share with each other.  The advent season is filled with Hope, Love, and Peace.  As we celebrate the birth of Christ, these gifts of Christmas need to be shared with everyone we meet. 

Merry Christmas, and may you be blessed with the love and peace of Christ now and forever.  Amen
 
Hulse Budd

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Devotional 12-20-12

Jesus Offers You Peace with God

You may have never realized that if you're trying to live your way instead of God's way, you're in conflict with God. He created you to live for his purposes, but you've been living in rebellion against God. The Bible says this is a universal problem: "We're all like sheep who've wander off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him (Jesus). It is this unspoken war with God--where each of us chooses to disobey what God has told us to do--that causes tension in your mind and fatigue in your body.

The symptoms of being at war with God are easy to spot: Irritability, a quick temper, insecurity, impatience, manipulation, arrogance and boasting, holding grudges, and many other attitudes and habits that the bible calls the "works of the flesh." The Message translation of the Bible gives this paraphrase: "It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheep sex, a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage: frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness......cutthroat competition: all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants: a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved: divided homes and divided lives......the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival;...uncontrollable addiction."

In contrast, the effects of being reconciled to God--being at peace with him--are all the qualities you'd like to have in your life. The Bible calls these the "fruit of the Spirit" : "When the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this king of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

There is a built-in longing inside each of us to be at peace with our physical fathers. This desire for connection is hardwired into us. Even if your father has been apathetic toward you or abandoned you or even abused you, something feels missing if that relationship is disconnected. We want it to be different, and we long to be reconciled. People do all kinds of stupid things in an attempt to earn the approval of a parent. It's a deep need.

But an even deeper, unconscious need is to be reconciled and reconnected to your Creator, Your heavenly Father. People often tell me that they sense and incompleteness in their lives, but they don't know what they're looking for. "Something is missing, "they say or, "There's got to be more to life than this!" So they try all kinds of remedies--activities, achievements, drugs, affairs---in an attemp to plug the holes in their hearts. What they need is to be reconciled to God. Nothing else can compensate for a broken relationship with God.

The good news of Christmas is that Jesus cam to be the bridge of reconciliation between you and God. The Bible says, "God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold the world guilty of its sins." It also says, "Even when we were God's enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son's life".

How can you, an imperfect person, be reconciled to a perfect God? Well, it's not a matter of compromise or bargaining or negotiating with God. Peace comes from surrender--total, unconditional surrender to God. You admit that God is God and your are not! You give up the ridiculous notion that you know more about what's best for you and what will make you happy than your Creator does. You give up the rebellious attitude that you can pick and choose which of God's rules you'll follow and which ones you'll ignore.

Why should you surrender to God? Well, one fact is certain: there's no way you can win a war against God. As Job's friend said, "Stop quarreling with God! If you agree with him, you will have peace at last, and things will go well for you".

Your Christmas Prayer
Dear God, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, so I could get to know you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being with me all my life even when I didn't know it. I realize I need a savior to set me free from sin, from myself, and from all the habits, hurts, and hang-ups that mess up my life. I ask you to forgive me for my sins. I want to repent and live the way you created me to live. Be the Lord of my life, and save me by your grace. Save me from my sins, and save me for your purpose. I want to learn to love you, trust you, and become what you made me to be. Thank you for creating me and choosing me to be part of your family. Rich now, by faith I accept the Christmas gift of your Son. Fill me with your peace and assurance so I can be a peacemaker, and help me share this message of peace with others. In your name I pray, amen.

Taken from The Purpose of Christmas, by Rick Warren.

Melanie Herr

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Devotional 12-19-12

Please read Luke 1:39-45
What are you hoping for this Advent and Christmas season? Snow? No snow? Presents? Family time? Inspiring church services, either as the planner or recipient? These are wonderful things, but probably not too important in the long run, at least a world like the one in which we live today.

It’s October 26 when I write this, and I find myself wondering what changes will take place in the next two months. On the day after Christmas, 2012, what will we look back on? What hopes were realized? The General Election will have come and gone (thankfully). There may be more terrorist activities. Maybe we will have already had a huge winter storm and we will be shoveling out our driveways. Perhaps some will be dealing with a job lay off. Some will be experiencing the first Christmas without a significant5 loved one. Possibly a new baby has come into your family or a child or grandchild has married. It could be, if we take seriously the Mayan calendar as it’s popularly understood, we won’t even be here and you aren’t really reading this!

The people of Israel had been hoping for a particular event for a long, long time. They were waiting for a Messiah. They were hoping that God would keep the promises he had made for centuries. Mary knew that an angel had told her that she would be the mother of the Messiah. She believed it. She went to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth who lived in a small Judean town some eighty miles from Mary’s hometown, Nazareth. These were two pious Jewish women who knew the Scriptures and beliefs of their people well. Elizabeth becomes full of the Holy Spirit and makes the statement that Mary is blessed. Both women had confirmed to them, in that moment, the assurance that God was meeting the hopes and dreams of his people.

I always find it encouraging that the God of the Judeo-Christians uses regular people for his work. These women were not rich. They did not live in a big city. People like me who are about half an inch left of center in both politics and theology might say they were part of the 47% of recent discussion: insignificant in the eyes of the world. However, God chooses whom He will, whether rich, poor, or in between. The important thing for me this year as I study the Advent Scriptures (with the help of Feasting on the Word, my favorite commentary) is that these two believed what God told them. They had been raised on the teachings of the promised Messiah. Somehow, in a way that is incomprehensible to us, God revealed to them that they were part of his plan. They believed that promise.

That promise in a nutshell is that God is with us. No matter what your hopes or fears or dreams this Advent and Christmas season, surely there is no more powerful promise than that. It is so simple yet so profound. God is with us as we celebrate joys; as we deal with hurts; as we worry about the job market; whatever our particular situations happen to be. God is there no matter where we find ourselves. Let us strive to have that kind of faith, that simple trust that these two women had! There is no greater gift we can give or receive this Christmas. May it be so.

Rev. Dorcas Linger ConradWest Liberty United Methodist Charge
West Liberty, Bethany, and Wellsburg, WV; Independence, PA

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Devotional 12-18-12


ALL LIFE IS FROM GOD
 

Recently, a little calico kitten appeared in our yard. It would have nothing to do with us for it was wild. It also was very thin and I began feeding it and it became friendly. What should I do next? We did not want to keep it. So I made an effort to get it adopted. Finally, I found a loving home for the kitten, and I feel so much better! The owner even sent me pictures so I could see how “Cali” was getting along.

While thinking about the stray kitten, I remarked to my husband that I thought that animal life is sacred, that of cats and dogs, too. Joe looked a bit surprised but agreed and reminded me that “Schweitzer believed in reverence for all of life.” Yes, and I remembered, too, that he let chickens run loose and in and out of the hospital where he worked!

Let us remember this holy season that all life is from God, who made it and found it good. (Gen. 1:25) Jesus said that God cares about the lilies in the field and about every sparrow that falls to the ground, and that he cares much more about you. (Matt. 6:28-30; Luke 12:6-7)

At Advent, many of us have crèche’s. We remember that when Jesus was born, he was surrounded by livestock. Around the manger, we may see cows, lambs, camels, donkeys, goats, and chickens worshiping him.

“The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes,
I love thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh…”

During this Advent , may we all seek “to love Him more dearly and follow Him more nearly” and rejoice with all creation for God’s “unspeakable gift”.

Martha Casey

Monday, December 17, 2012

Devotional 12-17-12

For Olivia

In 1975 I was hired to teach sixth grade in an elementary school in a small West Virginia town. I had just finished my first year of teaching, if you could call it that, and was desperate to find out if the problem was with the students – or me. Of course I already knew the answer, but I had to make one more go of it. How could I tell my parents that their college graduate was not cut out to be a teacher? Fortunately it was that year that I met Olivia Oldster (not her real name).

Olivia had begun teaching in the ‘30s and constantly demonstrated to her colleagues that we were not doing enough. When I complained that the furnace in my room was not working, she would remind me that she had taught in a one-room school where she and her students had huddled around a potbellied stove, fueled with logs she had cut prior to their arrival. When I mentioned it took me over an hour to get home each evening, she would reminisce about her days in the mountains and the times when neither she nor her students could get home due to a blocked road or bad weather. She had done it all, and I felt young and inexperienced. Maybe that was because I was young and inexperienced.

During the next four years, I became a better teacher due to Olivia’s influence. Like Mark Twain’s father, Olivia got smarter as I got older. Subsequently I was asked to join the staff of a new middle school and left the elementary school for another area. I never saw Olivia again, but I never forgot her words of wisdom.

Thirty-seven years have passed. It may sound strange, but I can hear her voice coming out of my mouth when I begin to recall where I was when John Kennedy was assassinated, Richard Nixon resigned, disco was cool, the Berlin Wall fell, the Gulf War ended, the Challenger exploded, and the New York Trade Center was attacked. I can hear her when I explain to younger teachers that education is not about getting rid of the old ways, but retrieving whatever is worthy, adding it to the new, and applying it to one’s life to make it better.

The following is a work that I feel sums up Olivia’s philosophy of life. And while I cannot speak for our Lord and Savior, I think He would approve. Read it slowly. Read it more than once. Read it until in your heart you have rung out the unworthy and rung in the love of Jesus Christ.


Christmas and the New Year Bells

Alfred Tennyson

The time draws near the birth of Christ;
The moon is hid; the night is still;
The Christmas bells from hill to hill
Answer each other in the mist.

Four voices of four hamlets round,
From far and near, on mead and moor,
Swell out and fail, as if a door
Were shut between me and the sound:


Each voice four changes on the wind,
That now dilate, and now decrease,
Peace and goodwill, goodwill and peace,
Peace and goodwill, to all mankind.

This year I slept and woke with pain,
I almost wish’d no more to wake,
And that my hold on life would break
Before I heard those bells again:

But they the troubled spirit rule,
For they controll’d me when a boy;
They bring me sorrow touch’d with joy,
The merry, merry bells of Yule.

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners,purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Amen

Becky Warren

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Devotional 12-16-12

Luke 3:7-18

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’

And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

The Chaff Girl

She grew up in a rough neighborhood. She was one of six children. All of her clothes were hand-me-downs. Her father drank to excess on a regular basis and when he did, he would get mean. She learned to hide the bruises that were on her skin. But it was the emotional scars that still haunted her into her adult years. “You’re no good.” “I wish you were never born.” “Can’t you do anything right?” Those are just a few of the things that her parents told her through the years.

Her older brother was different. He let the words bounce right off of him and never took them to heart. Oh how she wished that she could be like him. Teflon she called him, because he never seemed to let the bad stuff stick. He was always in a good mood. She, on the other hand, took everything to heart. Although never diagnosed, she struggled with moderate to severe depression throughout her life.

Advent and Christmas was her least favorite time of year. In fact, she hated December altogether. Other people would get out nice decorations, sing Christmas carols, and exchange gifts. Her father would always get the cheapest tree he could find at the last minute. It would stand in their living room, looking pathetic. There were no lights, no bulbs, no tinsel, no angel or star on top. Just a plain tree, shedding needles rapidly. On Christmas day, each of the six brothers and sister would get one gift. She remembered getting a doll one year when she was very little. But by the time she was eight or nine it was a pack of chewing gum or a roll of lifesavers. Other kids at school would show up in shiny new clothes and talk about their gifts. She would sit quietly, listening and dreaming of what it must be like.

When she was eleven, she asked her father if she could have some new shoes for Christmas. He told her he would see what he could do. She was so excited that she could hardly wait for Christmas day. That morning she woke up and found a note that said, “Greedy girls don’t get presents.” She never asked for anything ever again.

So a few years ago, she was sitting in one of the pews of a church that she started attending. It was Advent and the preacher was preaching about John the Baptist. “The axe is lying at the root of the trees.” “The chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” No one knows if it was her depression or her life experiences that made her hear those particular words more than the others in the Scripture lesson. But when the preacher said, “Merry Christmas” to her and she responded with a less than heartily, “yea sure, merry Christmas,” he asked if everything was ok.

Everything was not ok. It hadn’t been ok for a long, long time. But nobody really ever cared to ask. So they sat down in the parlor of the church and talked about her life. She was surprised to see that the pastor was really listening to her and was really concerned for her.

“You are not chaff,” he said. “God made you and loves you and you are to be gathered with the wheat.” “But how do you know,” she asked. “Surely someone is chaff or else the Scripture doesn’t make sense.” “It’s not up to me to judge,” said the pastor. “Only God can do that.” “But I do believe that everyone has some wheat and some chaff in them, and just maybe when God separates the wheat from the chaff, maybe God isn’t separating some people from other people, but rather, God is separating out the parts of our lives that are chaff and burning that, but the parts of our lives that are wheat, God is gathering them to keep it together like a quilt patched of all the wheat from every person’s life.”

She had never been baptized before, so the pastor suggested that she be baptized. She agreed. On the day of her baptism, she was asked to remove her shoes. She did not know why, but she did. The pastor’s wife moved her shoes out of the way and looked inside of them to read the number. And two weeks later, on Christmas day, her doorbell rang and there was the pastor and his wife holding a box, wrapped up in green and red paper, with a silver bow and a fruit basket. She opened up the present and found a pair of brand new shoes with a note on them, “Merry Christmas!”


Prayer

Loving God:
There are days we feel like wheat.
And there are days we feel like chaff.
Separate the wheat in our lives from the chaff in our lives.
Remind us that we were all created by your love.
And give us eyes to see your grace for our lives.
And to offer that grace to those around us.
Especially those who need it the most.
In the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Rev. David Stackpole

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Devotional 12-15-12

Great Expectations

For many years, especially when my children were small, I prepared for the Christmas holidays with an energy and zeal I didn’t know I had! We would always start December 1st with the advent calendar, hung where everyone could see it. The children would take turns hanging a little ornament every day, and with the passing of each day, the anticipation of Christmas grew!

I would always give the house a good winter cleaning. Then we’d pull out the decorations and fill the house with greenery and berries, and light candles that smelled of cinnamon. We would also be shopping for gifts, but it never failed that one of the children would scratch something off of or add something new to their list, and in a panic just days before Christmas, I’d be out desperately looking for what I needed. Sometimes I succeeded! Most of the time I failed.

A week before Christmas, we’d search for the tree, set it up in its usual spot, and pull out the tree decorations. We’d turn on the Christmas tapes (yes, it was that long ago!) and busy ourselves with decorating. Every year as we finished, one of the children would inevitably say, “This is the best tree we’ve ever had!” Presents were placed under the tree, spilling out around the edges. On Christmas Eve, we went to the Children’s Service at our church, and then once the stockings were hung and the kids were in bed, I’d sit down in the chair near the Christmas tree and catch my breath.

And then, I would cry. I never understood why. It seemed to happen year after year, and I could not come up with an explanation for this outpouring of tears. Perhaps it was just exhaustion. Every year, on Christmas Day, my expectations for a perfect day would be shattered. It often would turn out to be a day of dealing with everything other than the joy of the season I’d always expected—tired, arguing kids, complaining relatives, unappreciated gifts, and dirty dishes. My greatest expectation had turned to be just getting the holidays behind me.

Then four years ago, shortly before Christmas, I was admitted to the hospital with severe breathing problems. With immediate attention and care and countless tests, x-rays and new medications, I waited with some apprehension to learn what was wrong with me. The doctor explained to me that I had a terminal lung disease. I knew about this disease, because it was the painful cause of death of a close friend of mine. And I was scared.

I learned from my husband that my sister had come, and when we arrived home, I saw that my oldest son had brought Christmas to our house—an artificial tree, already decorated and in place, and through my tears, it was absolutely beautiful. My sister, my husband, our children and grandchildren wrapped me up in all their love, and though we all were full of questions, none of us were ready to talk about looking for answers.

In this sudden onset of fear and anxiety, I turned to God in prayer. I knew I was asking a lot as a non-practicing Christian. How long had it been since I’d actually gotten down on my knees to pray sincerely and wait quietly? I couldn’t remember. But in those moments of waiting, I felt my heart filling with a sense of peace. Later in my discipleship journey, I learned that this was God’s infinite Grace filling up my heart. This Grace had always been there for me, always. But this was the first time I had ever opened my heart to let it in. In my great sense of fear and need, God had come to me.

As the months went by, when my health should have been slowly deteriorating based on my diagnosis, I was slowly getting better. How could this be? Was it a remission? Did people ever survive this disease? Was it a misdiagnosis? I made an appointment at the Mayo Clinic, where it was confirmed I’d been misdiagnosed. I did have a lung disease that was manageable and treatable, but not terminal. I was overwhelmed with gratitude! But a misdiagnosis? No.

This was not the mistake of my doctor. A remarkable change had occurred between my first x-ray and the final x-ray at Mayo 18 months later. The physical signs on the original x-ray confirming the first diagnosis were gone. Only the signs, totally different, of the final diagnosis appeared to confirm the change. This was God at work, letting me know he had some things yet for me to do!

The seasons of my great expectations are gone. The season of Advent is now for me a time when I await the arrival of the newborn Christ, knowing that His expectations of me are simply to love Him and serve Him. How easy is that? We are all prepared for this beckoning from God because His only expectation is the hope that we open our hearts in accepting his infinite Grace, and respond to his call.

Prayer
Loving Father, bless us all during this Advent Season with an abundant faith, a fruitful ministry, and a joyful life. Bless us to continue the work of Jesus. The arrival of this newborn child is Your promise fulfilled, that we may be healed, saved and delivered. Let us rejoice! Amen


DIane Feaganes

Friday, December 14, 2012

Devotional 12-14-12

Phil 4: 4-7

I am sure it was during my time with the youth group that I first heard and committed to weak utterly horrible memory this section from the book of Philippians.

However it never had the life until I reached the my early 50’s.

To make a long story short, my mother was diagnosed with an Altzheimers-like dementia that brought with it more fear and uncertainty than I ever anticipated or imagined.

I have a wonderful sister and brother, and we all lived somewhere other than my mother’s home in Lynchburg, Virginia. There were tremendous life altering decisions and circumstances that needed to be made, and I mistakenly assumed that I would know what to do. I didn’t.

At some point in some very bleak nights and 365 mile drives between my home and Lynchburg this is one thing I could remember that offered hope and peace over time.

Another thing. Even in my mom’s very foggy memory she would say the last part of this verse from time to time.

We live in some moments, from time to time, that we all need some hope.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Merry Christmas.

Mike Bowen

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Devotional 12-13-12

From 52 Hymn Story Devotions, Lucy Neeley Adams, Abingdon Press, Nashville, comes this story of the hymn, "Go Tell It On The Mountain".

"You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain....Lift up your voice with a shout.....say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God!'" (Isa. 40:9, NIV)

The carolers in our town who sing from door to door often sound like a band of angels. One Christmas, in the midst of feverish preparations in the kitchen, I heard them on my front porch, singing one of my favorite hymns, "Go Tell It on the Mountain." " Go Tell It on the Mountain" was printed in a 1907 publication by Thomas Fenner, Original Folk songs of the Negro as Sung on the Plantation. It was then entitled "Christmas Plantation Song." The original verses have been deleted from modern hymnals.

Two verses were added by John W. Work, Jr., a history professor at Fisk University. His son, John W. Work, III, was the author of American Negro Songs and Spirituals(1940), which gives significant insights into the origins of the spirituals. He says, "Many of them were passed down from generation to generation, and after much singing, the texts and melodies varied from place to place. But the gospel message was always proclaimed."

The gospel message of Jesus is certainly proclaimed by those who sing this carol. We are reminded of his words in Matthew 28:19: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations."

Our family will never forget the sermon my husband, Woody, preached on Christmas of 1994, "Where Does God Fit In?" A child had asked that question when he looked at the manager scene.

He had heard that God did something wonderful at Christmas, but he didn't see God in the manger.

Our son-in-law Edward, a nonbeliever, shared with us the good news of the birth of Jesus in his own heart. He joyfully said, "Life will never be the same again. I saw Dad's enthusiasm as he preached. Now I understand where God fits in. He was in the manger---as baby Jesus."

We were reminded that thousands of years ago the prophet Isaiah said, "Lift up your voice with a shout! Say, 'Here is your God!'" the glorious message never changes.

Refrain: Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere:
go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.

African American spiritual: adapt. by John W. Work, Jr., 1907

Submitted by
Kay Lewis

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Devotional 12-12-12

"God Rejoices Over You"
Lectionary Readings: Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12: 2-6; Philippians 4: 4-7 & Luke 3: 7-18.

Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel!! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!...... On that day they will say to Jerusalem, "Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3: 14, 16-17

The verses above are the basis for one of my favorite anthems: "And the Father will Dance" by Mark Hayes. The Zephaniah passage is not well known or quoted but the imagery that it evokes is hard to ignore: GUESS WHAT, PEOPLE??? GOD LOVES YOU SO MUCH, HE IS DELIGHTED WITH YOU AND SINGS PRAISES FOR YOU!!! Someone once paraphrased this passage by saying: "God loves you so much, if He had a refrigerator, your picture would be on the front, held up by his favorite magnet." How overwhelmingly marvelous to be so well loved and cared for. It is almost unbelievable.

On a Christmas morning, many years ago, four generations of family gathered at my parents home to open gifts. The gathering was even more special that year as schedules and travel distances did not always allow these get togethers. My grandfather, unused to an audience as he opened presents, was especially confounded by the attention. You see our practice was to open gifts one at a time, giving each present its special highlight for the giver and the receiver. Each time it was my grandfather's turn to open a present he would say, "Is this for Me? Are you sure?" He seemed awed by the gifts and perhaps by the attention of the family. I had never seen such joy on his face before. Even as he opened them, I don't think he believed the gifts were really for him.

We often prepare our homes for Christmas very effectively, but ignore the preparation of our hearts to receive this miraculous gift. We have become insensitive to the gift's awe and magnificence. We just don't believe that we could be special enough for God to love us this much. So, I encourage you to take a quiet moment today and let this message sink in. GOD LOVES YOU!! He loves you so much He sends His son to you, to live in your heart and mind, to take on your heartaches, your trials, your triumphs and your accomplishments. This gift of LOVE comes packaged in the form of a baby. A baby with arms wide enough and strong enough to enfold the most challenging dilemmas or the most overwhelming joys. A baby who can speak to our hearts without words and calm our fears with a sigh. A baby to rejoice in each of us for all of our days. It may be hard to believe, but is it unbelievable? Because of the gifts of this special baby who became our Savior in His adulthood--I believe. "
Is that a choir I hear singing the praises of God?
No, the Lord God Himself is exulting o'er you in song!"

ear Loving Mother and Father, You tell us that you love us. You show us that you love us. You persevere in your pursuit of us. And yet, we are reluctant to commit to the whole package of this special LOVE. Please help us this advent season to listen carefully for your voice. Help us to open our hearts to receive the love and to sing joyfully along with you. Come, Emmanuel, Come. AMEN.

Chyrl Budd

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Devotional 12-11-12

Onward Christian Soldiers marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before.
We see signs on the back of many cars saying "Pray for our troupes". I've thought more about this since our grandson DJ (Tracey's son) joined the Marines. He is going through very thorough training as I write this, and will be finished by the time this goes to print. We have no idea where he will go after that, but we know he could be sent where there is much conflict.

While he was going through one of his roughest times, he said he heard the voice of God giving him encouragement. This meant so much to us and gave us comfort. So when you have the opportunity, pray for him and all our troupes. Our freedom rests on them.

John Traxler

Monday, December 10, 2012

Devotional 12-10-12

Go read Luke 3:17-22, you snake!

This week’s gospel reading confronts us with an uncomfortable scene. Would-be worshipers who go to the Jordan River expecting to be saved from the wrath of God are instead met by a hellfire and brimstone preacher.

When I was growing up in the coalfields of southern West Virginia, it wasn’t uncommon to encounter a street preacher whose message was similar to John’s but without all the charm. There was always a wide swath around them on the otherwise crowded streets and sidewalks when the crowds came to town on the first Saturday of the month.

What surprises me about the crowds who came to be baptized is how acquiescent they are to John’s good news. It’s hard to imagine congregations today putting up with John for very long. Can you imagine your pastor, instead of greeting the Sunday congregation with a welcome and sharing of pastoral concerns, shouting, “Snakes!” and then berating you and your fellow worshipers for your hypocrisy?

Just comfort me with a chorale, remind me that I’m blessed, and make sure that I’m out in an hour, thank you. Judgment? Wrath? Chaff? Moi? That’s about someone else.

Perhaps John recognized that the crowds came expecting the water from the Jordan to magically save them. They came because it was the thing to do. He needed to get their attention and explain that the change God expects is from the inside out. And get their attention, he did.

Surprisingly, they stuck around, even asking “What are we supposed to do, then?” They needed to hear the truth, and so do we.

John’s answer, in stark contrast to the attention-getting, shocking preface, is a surprisingly simple message of what it means to live in unity, focusing on “the other.” He points to Jesus as the one who will show the way. And Jesus did show the way by repeating John’s message using images of sheep and goats, wheat and weeds, good fish and bad fish. True repentance will bear fruit of good works; like ritual washing, works do not “work” either salvation or repentance, but rather follow necessarily from true repentance.

Dear God, thank you for the Incarnation, where you revealed yourself in the person of Jesus Christ and showed us the way to salvation. By the power of the Holy Spirit, give us the grace to repent from our selfish ways and to live fruitful lives worthy of repentance. Amen.

Jeff Taylor

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Devotional 12-9-12

“. . .the word of God came to John son of Zechariah (and Elizabeth) in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordon, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, - ‘the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. . .’”    (Luke 3: 2-4)

In 2001 after having been diagnosed with a chronic heart condition I had a near death experience that changed my faith journey and set me in a new direction in my life.  Out of that life experience, one of my spiritual disciplines became the daily practice of “praying the Scriptures – lectio divina” as taught by the Benedictines.  That life-changing and lifesaving experience of being in relationship to God - communicating, listening and praying with God’s own word - has continued to sustain my life for several years.

Lectio divina is often described in terms of four stages: lectio (reading), meditatio (meditation), oratio (prayer), and contemplatio (contemplation).  These stages are more of a description of what happens in “praying the Scripture” than steps we must follow.  It is time and communication with God through God’s own word.

Today, in the midst of a busy secular observance and consumer filled experience of observing Christmas I find myself yearning for the quiet experience of preparing myself and being a part of preparing all that is around me for the way of the Lord.  Right here in the midst of a busy holiday activity God is calling each of us to make the path straight.  That is why for centuries the Church has observed the holy season of Advent – a distinct period of time for preparation, anticipation, and expectation.  God has chosen to come into human life!

Find a quiet place. Read the Gospel lesson for this Second Sunday in Advent – Luke 3:1-6; read it aloud if you possibly can.  Read it once, twice, and even a third time.  As you read – catch a word, a phrase.  (What word or thought might God be giving you in the moment?)  Say the word, “chew on it”, and let go of any other thoughts (and busyness) – meditate on the word, the phrase,  and let it flow as you talk with God, as you listen to God.  And in the quietness of the moment let go of the words, thoughts and simply be in God’s holy presence.

O God, how much more can I prepare, what more is there to do?  Forgive all the trappings, all the demands, the rush, the push. Keep me quietly centered and focused.  Like the psalmist sang – “you show me the path of life”. (Psalm 16:11)  My path is crooked, make it straight.  O God, thank you for your gift of life.  Thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus – you choosing to become human, becoming a baby in Bethlehem.  Keep me on your path, keep me in your way. Guide my life, O God.  Make smooth that which is rough.  O God, you are the path;  you are the way!  Amen.”  (Personal Journal entry, Advent 2012)           

Dr. William Wilson

Saturday, December 08, 2012

Devotional 12-8-12

In Luke 1: 68-79, we learn that God is sending a mighty savior from the royal line of David. This will be someone to save us, to guide us to the path of peace. This means so much to the Christian. It has so many ramifications. I wonder if we as Christians really do understand how encompassing this really is. Yes, we are to receive a messiah who will be here as promised. But, what does it all mean to the average Christian?

God has sent his son to die for our sins that we may have everlasting life. What does that mean? We know that when we die, the body is no longer needed. It is either buried or cremated. Where do we go? The Christian believes that the spirit goes to be with God. But what about those left behind? Should we just "suck it up" and go on because we know our loved one is with God? I cannot believe that God intends us to do that. We grieve and mourn for our loved one. God walks beside us during this process. Life is different for those left behind. He will lead us to do our best with gratitude in spite of the different times. We must give God a chance by listening. We must be still to listen. We must learn that people who are hurt or angry hurt others. He will be patient with us as we go through the process.

He will guide us if we only permit Him to do so. To me, the answer is Faith.

Christmas is the time of year of great joy. It should be. But for some , it is difficult to be joyful. We must have faith that God will lead us through to the JOY. He gave us His son who will die on the cross. He certainly knows grief and will lead us through it.

Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly farther,
Give us the patience to be open to hear you as you walk with us through the steps needed to be with our loved ones and You. Amen

Carolee Brown

Friday, December 07, 2012

Devotional 12-7-12

Preparing the Way

The lectionary readings for this week are about John the Baptist, from the prophet Malachi’s vision that he would one day come, to the prophetic words of his father, Zechariah, about what his son would do to prepare the way for the ministry of his cousin, Jesus.

Isn’t it fascinating how God chooses the most unlikely people to witness, prophesy, minister and act on his behalf to accomplish his plan? The Bible is full of their stories woven together to create the fabric of history. Even more surprising to me is the faith and willingness shown by those whom God picked. Many took great risks to do what God asked of them, some giving up everything they had known. Certainly Mary comes to mind as one who showed incredible faith and obedience when called to do something that sounded crazy, and John the Baptist is also a good example. A man who lived in the wilderness, wore animal skins and dined on locusts and wild honey hardly seemed the type to be God’s choice to prepare the way for the savior of the world and then to be given the honor of baptizing him. Would we believe Mary’s story or pay any attention to one such as John today? Probably not.

When reading a devotional recently I was reminded of two other unlikely people who also helped prepare the way for the savior’s arrival - Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth. Theirs is a wonderful story about love, loyalty and trust, but the author of this devotional also reminded me that it is important to remember their part in the lineage of Jesus. Obed, the child born of the eventual union of Ruth and Naomi’s kinsman, Boaz, was the father of Jesse and grandfather of King David, and therefore in the direct line of Jesus. Two poor, homeless widows were used by God to prepare the way for his son.

In this season of waiting and expectation, who prepares the way for us to receive into our hearts the savior of the world? More importantly, whose heart is God calling us to help prepare to receive his son? We all need to make time to listen for God’s direction and to follow his leading. God is still using ordinary people like you and me every day to prepare hearts and minds to receive Jesus, if we will let him. We may not find a place in history for our faithful actions, but the transformation that occurs when we share the love and message of our savior is far greater than any reward we could want.

Prayer:
Thank you, God, for those you chose to help write our history as Christians. May we continue to be reminded that you can use anyone to further your work in the world. Please continue to speak to us, and help us to listen for, and faithfully follow, your leading so that we might also make a positive impact in the lives of others and in the world. Amen.

Mary Taylor

Thursday, December 06, 2012

Devotional 12-6-12

The lectionary readings for this week certainly aren’t abounding in the “warm fuzzies” I normally envision when Advent and the Christmas Season come to mind. Rather, the common thread is the announcement/prophecy of the second appearance of the LORD on earth; the day Malachi warns, “But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.” (Malachi 3:2-4)

Zechariah’s prophecy in Luke and Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi provide a gentler tone when they speak of this Second Advent of the LORD. Zechariah tells his son, John, “And, you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet onto the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76-79) Paul’s words to the Philippian church are even more comforting, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ…And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:6, 9-11)

Recently I came upon this post, and it speaks of the great need we have of God’s intervention, to bring about the completion of the good work begun among us, to give us light, to guide us onto the way of peace, overflowing love and righteousness, made possible by the First Advent of the LORD:

The Edge of Catastrophe

There has hardly ever been a time when it was as evident as it is today that God and His righteousness and love do not yet rule. We see it in our own lives and in current events. We see it in the fate of the hopeless, the millions upon millions of unemployed. We see it in the unjust distribution of goods though the earth offer unstintingly its fertility and all its potentials. There is urgent work that must be done to help humankind, but it is obstructed and destroyed by the injustice of the present world systems.

We are in the midst of a collapse of civilization. Civilization is nothing but humankind’s orderly work in nature. And this work has turned into a disorder whose injustice cries out to heaven. There are hundreds of signs that something is about to happen. Nothing in history takes place, however, unless it comes from God. So our plea to Him now is that He makes history, His history, the history of His righteousness.

And when God makes His history, we all have every reason to tremble. For as matters stand today, He can do nothing unless His wrath first sweeps over all the injustice and lovelessness, all the discord and brutality, that rule the world. His wrath will be the beginning of His history. First must come the day of judgment: then the day of joy, of love, grace, and justice can dawn.


Yes, this post is harsh, not something one would typically choose for Advent; however, the words ring true. We are experiencing first-hand many of the issues the author, Eberhard Arnold, experienced in Germany in 1933, when he penned this “post”; yet he remains hopeful in spite of the circumstances he perceives surrounding him because he has chosen to look to God to fulfill the promise that began with the First Advent over 2,000 years ago. We, too, must be thankful, focusing on the promise, our Savior, of humble birth, the source of our salvation, our hope, and our faith. The Gift of Love and Light.

Loving Father, renew in us the warmth of Christmas joy through the love of Jesus Christ. Send us out in loving service to share the Good News that our LORD has arrived and His light has overcome the darkness of our world. Amen.
 

Linda Summers

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Devotional 12-5-12

EXPECTATION

My husband, Steve took a psychology class at USC as part of an Air Force safety school that he was attending. The professor walked into the room and yelled “PERCEP-TION!” Of course all of those Air Force officers jumped to attention because “ATTEN-TION” is what they expected to hear. That is human nature. We see and hear what we expect.

Christmas is a season of great expectation. Unfortunately all too often the expectation has little to do with waiting for the birth of our Savior, and way too much to do with the expectation of creating the perfect holiday. The perception seems to be that Christmas has very little (and to more and more people) nothing to do with God’s greatest gift of love.

What is your perception of Christmas? What do you expect on Christmas eve? Do you expect the love of God to once again fill your heart with the miracle of his greatest gift to the world, his son Jesus Christ? What will you do to make this miracle happen in your own heart and in others? Will you read the devotionals daily and commune with God? Will you be in church throughout the season and on Christmas eve? Will you give the gift of love, understanding, and compassion to all you meet? Will the expectation and assurance of God’s love shine through you?

“Prepare the way for the Lord” (Luke 3:4 NIV) and make the perception of Christmas the expectation of Christ’s birth!

Margaret Williams

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Devotional 12-4-12

Second Sunday is

LOVE

Throughout the life of our being from Adam and Eve to the present our God has Loved us beyond all comprehension. God LOVES us so much that he sent his only Son to live among us. So that he, Jesus, would teach us Love and forgiveness of others in our lives, and of God’s Love and forgiveness for our sins. And to serve his people with humility.

As we prepare for the coming of Jesus, this Advent season, let us prepare our hearts for the coming of our Lord. That we accept the invitation of John the Baptist to be filled with the Holy Spirit through accepting Jesus as our Savior through Baptism of water and the Word. And that we will serve others in humility, like the Love of Jesus. That those served will see the Love of Jesus and our Father God so that they too will turn to Christ as their Savior.

Read Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 1:68-79, Philippians 1:3-11, Luke 3:1-6.

Pray;

God of timeless grace, you fill me with joyful expectation.
Make me ready for the message that prepares the way,
that with uprightness of heart and holy joy
I may eagerly await the kingdom of your Son, Jesus Christ,
who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

God of hope, you raised up John the baptizer
as a herald who calls me to conversion.
As I joyfully await the glorious coming of Christ,
I pray to you for the needs of the church and the world.

Your Prayers, concluding with:

Hear my humble prayer
that I may serve you in holiness and faith
and give voice to your presence among us
until the day of the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Out of the embrace of mercy and righteousness,
you have brought forth joy and dignity for your people,
O Holy One of Israel.
Remember now your ancient promise:
make straight the paths that lead to you,
and smooth the rough ways, that in my day
I might bring forth your compassion
for all humanity. Amen.

Prayers from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers copyright © 2002 (Edited FH)
Fred Herr

Monday, December 03, 2012

Devotional 12-3-12

Preparing the Way of the Lord
Read Luke 1:67-80

Zechariah’s Song

Zechariah’s words would have engendered either skepticism or hope. The Jewish people suffer under oppressive Roman domination of their promised land. They yearn for God’s intervention in the form of a “mighty savior” who will deliver them from Roman enemies, liberate the Promised Land, and restore them as a kingdom under a descendant of David. This hope however, was repeatedly dashed as the Romans brutally squelched numerous attempts at liberation led by self-proclaimed “messiahs.” Is Zechariah the real thing?

Many people today suffer from various forms of oppression that deny the wholeness of life for which God created them. For some the oppression results from an economy fueled by greed. For others oppression takes root in societal and systemic structures of self-interest in injustice and discrimination are inherent. Yet others find themselves imprisoned by attitudes and behaviors that hold them in bondage. The world offers a multitude of purveyors of hope for deliverance from such oppressions.

These “messiahs” play upon the deep hunger of the heart for wholeness of life, but they consistently fail to deliver.

Why, then, should we heed the promise of deliverance and of hope for a transformed life? We shouldn’t if by “deliverance” we merely seek a self-referenced escape from the circumstances of our life or if by “transformed” we desire God to allow us to be and do what we want to be and do. However, if we are willing to consider a radical way of being in the world and dealing with the circumstances and relationships, then the promise is for us.

My Prayer
Lord, help me be your person in the world. Amen.

Peace, Love and Grace be with you during this Advent Season.

Jim Perry

Sunday, December 02, 2012

Devotional 12-2-12

Luke 21:25-36

One of the delights of having children and grandchildren is the observation of discovery.  New to the world, toddlers do not have a tally of experiences that teach them what to expect from behaviors or interactions with the world.  The older they – and we – get, the more predictable the world becomes.  If we do “this”, we know “that” will be a result.  We can predict future events based on our knowledge and experience in the world.  For infants and toddlers, the “future” comes as “Advent”, breaking news from the future not based on knowledge or experience.

Luke’s text for today is stressful.  Signs.  Distress.  Confusion.  Fainting.  Fear.  Dissipation.  Drunkenness.  Worries.

“Heavens to Murgatroid,” Snagglepuss would say.  Is there not a better gospel text for the first Sunday of Advent?  I want to look for a beautifully worded bit of biblical poetry to invite me to contemplate the coming Christ child.  Yet every year, whether reading from Luke or Mark or Matthew, an anxiety laden apocalyptic passage leads us into Advent. 

The meaning of “Advent”, however, is precisely apocalyptic – something from beyond us is breaking into our present time and pointing us to the end of time when all things will come together to worship and praise God for eternity.  What comes is not something that we can anticipate from our knowledge and experience.  It is totally new – beyond us – FROM beyond us. We can easily look around our world and find distress, confusion, fear, worries.  Turned in on ourselves, we can quickly become depressed by hungers and hurts, sin, natural disaster, emptiness, loss of purpose. 

The good news, from the gospel writers’ points of view, is that from all things that distress us, God brings redemption.  The text feels like anxiety; but it brings the promise of peace.

We have plenty of work to do.  The gospel’s promise of peace does not absolve us of responsibility for the shape of the world around us.  To the contrary, the infant we worship demands strong commitment to his purposes of love and peace – the gospel compels us to love our neighbors, and it gives a really broad description of who our neighbors are.  With our engagement with the world, walking with Jesus, we will be prepared, as Luke invites us, to stand before the Son of Man.
 
"Blessed by the God of Israel, who comes to set us free,
Who visits and redeems us, and grants us liberty.
The prophets spoke of mercy, of freedom and release;
God shall fulfill the promise to bring our people peace.”

                                  -- Michael Perry, 1973

Gracious God, who sent the prophets to be messengers of repentance to prepare the way for our salvation:  open our eyes and hearts to see and receive the cautions of the prophets to forsake our sin and to turn to the light that puts the darkness behind.  May we celebrate righteously the remembrance of holy nativity so that through righteous living, we may wait with joy the coming in glory of Jesus who invites us to live with him and with you and with the Holy Spirit forever.  Amen.

Rev. Jack Lipphardt