Devotional 12-5-16

Psalm 146:5-10 Common English Bible (CEB)

5 The person whose help is the God of Jacob—
    the person whose hope rests on the Lord their God—
    is truly happy!
6 God: the maker of heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
God: who is faithful forever,
7   who gives justice to people who are oppressed,
    who gives bread to people who are starving!
The Lord: who frees prisoners.
8  The Lord: who makes the blind see.
    The Lord: who straightens up those who are bent low.
    The Lord: who loves the righteous.
9  The Lord: who protects immigrants,
        who helps orphans and widows,
        but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!
10 The Lord will rule forever!
    Zion, your God will rule from one generation to the next!
Praise the Lord!

I am the only member of my family that didn’t go to seminary. Both of my parents are currently serving churches. My brother is a minister in a church in Pittsburgh. My sister in awaiting a call (Presbyterian ordination process) in Chicago, after graduating in May. My aunt is a minister, my grandfather, my great uncles… and on back…all minister. Then I married a minister, who’s father was a minister, and who’s grandfather was a minister. There is never a lack of theological discussion at my house. I think that is a lot of the reason why I love Advent and Christmas.

For just about 1/10th of the year (the four weeks leading up to Christmas, then the 12 days of Christmas) we surround ourselves with reminders of what has happened and what is to come. We put up trees and tell stories about the ornaments on that tree… my favorite is the crystal star that Benjamin and I were given by a church member on our first Christmas. It was an ornament she and her husband, who had recently died, received on their first Christmas, about sixty year prior.  We make batches of Chex mix, put hot punch on the stove, sit in cozy couches, and read by the light of the many Christmas trees we have in the house. During Advent we do everything we can to prepare the house to be a place you want to spend time. We set the stage and then the discussion follows.

When I read all of the assigned passages for today (Isaiah 35:1-10, Psalm 146:5-10, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11, Luke 1:46b-55) I see a pattern. (Except James, but now you’ll just have to read them all to see that it doesn’t fit) I see a lot of different people remembering. They are not just praising God they are acknowledging the things God has done.  The psalmist tells us about the creative God, that continues to protect those in need. Mary talks about a good God, who cares about all people. John asks Jesus about the things he is doing, which was referencing more memories and more scripture. These aren’t just praises. They aren’t just someone else’s scripture.  They are memories. They have become real to John and real to Mary. They are like that crystal star on the tree.  It may have been someone else’s ornament at one time, but now it is ours, and hopefully one day it will be in someone else’s Advent devotional.  We do the preparations and it becomes real. We can have our own theological discussions about the second coming of Christ, giving exegesis on the Christmas stories, or discussing the fact that there isn’t an innkeeper and there aren’t three kings. All of these things are wrapped up in the Christmas story.  Making it real again… to a new time… to a new people.  As you surround yourself with Christmas this Advent season, be thankful like the psalmist and Mary for what God has done, and that your own memories can be added to the memories from these stories of God.

Tobyn Domske Wells