Advent Devotional 12-25-24

 Jesus’ birth 

Luke 2:1-20 [CEB] 
       

In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. ²This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. ³Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. ⁴ Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. ⁵He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. ⁶While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. ⁷She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom.

⁸Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. ⁹The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified.

¹⁰The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. ¹¹Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. ¹²This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” ¹³Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, ¹⁴“Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”

¹⁵When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” ¹⁶They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. ¹⁸Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. ²⁰The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told.

Christmas Greetings All,

I hope you enjoyed our Advent Season celebrating your blessings, finding many things for which to be grateful, and anticipating the coming of the Christ Child. I certainly did! Even now I continue to be thankful for the beautiful Advent and Christmas carols I enjoy beginning the day after Thanksgiving.

Today, there’s a song in the air! Love has come down and God’s promised King has been born!  The first song I heard streamed online this morning was “Away in a Manger,” one of my all-time favorite carols. I remember first singing it when I was a young child in our church Christmas program. All the old familiar carols call to mind Christmas celebrations of the past and the anticipation of Christmases yet to come. There is something about singing cherished carols in praise of God’s love expressed to us in the coming of a tiny babe. Emmanuel: God with us.

We know him as Jesus who came to earth to live as one of us, fully human and fully Divine. He is the one who would take our sins upon himself all the way to the cross, die our death, and rise again on the third day to new life. Because he overcame the power of sin and death forever, we may also have eternal life once we accept him as our Savior. This is indeed something to sing about with songs of praise and thanksgiving for what God has done for us and in anticipation of his coming again at the end of time.

For now, we live expectantly waiting for his return by celebrating his first coming into our world. We continue the traditions of the Church and of our lives: singing carols, reading beloved Bible passages of his promised coming and birth, and worshiping with our sisters and brothers throughout the world. In so doing, we prepare our hearts and commit ourselves to receive the Savior of the world anew.

As I close, “Away in a Manger” continues to play in my head, and I do my best to sing along. I am smiling knowing that we are not alone. God is with us. May we welcome the coming of our Lord!
 
Grace and peace to you and yours at Christmas and throughout this Christmas season.

Rev. Annette Carper

Advent Devotional 12-24-24

 Immanuel

Read Matthew 1: 18-25   

It came to my attention recently that there are only two references to Jesus as “King of the Jews” during his life on earth.  The first we recall was from the Christmas narrative when the Magi saw a star in the East and journeyed to Bethlehem to meet the new born child, “the King of the Jews,” and bowed down before Him with their gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.   Herod, the ruler at the time, was disturbed by the news so the Magi returned home another way to avoid sharing where they found the child.  The other incident was at the death of Jesus.  Recall that Pilate could find no fault in Jesus and asked him: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus replied: “Yes, it is as you say.”  Pilate gave into the demands of the crowd but to their dismay had the words “King of the Jews” written above the cross. The title appeared at the beginning and end of His life.   

Jesus was born in obscurity, in the most humble setting, a manger at an inn since there was no other place available in Bethlehem.  Indeed, some came to worship Him and realized who he was. Yet, many doubted then and through the ages to the present time.  He did not fit the image of “King of the Jews” and was not the Messiah for which the crowds were looking, not what they had in mind.  Have you ever received a gift which was not what you anticipated at the time although it turned out to be a very meaningful gift?   

So, who was this Holy child entrusted to Mary and Joseph?  As foretold by the prophets of old, the Messiah would come to serve, “a suffering servant” recorded Isaiah, to model what it means to love one another, to seek the least and the lost, to forgive our sins by taking them to the cross. “Who is He?” Immanuel, God with us! The incarnate Word made flesh coming from heaven to earth to live with us and give His life for us. Note the present tense - God with us, not in the distant past, nor some remote time in the future but now. God is with us in our struggles, our sorrows, in disappointments as well as in our joys when we open our hearts to Him.  May we worship Immanuel in wonder and awe this Holy Season and may you indeed have a blessed Christmas.  

Sue D. Woods

Advent Devotional 12-23-24

Please read Luke 2:1-20

Here we are, just two days away from Christmas! I remember this day growing up, just wishing it was Christmas Day already. Now, I wish for this day to last at least another week.

While preparing to write this, I was reading several translations of Luke 2 and what struck a chord in every translation was the angel’s proclamation, “Do not be afraid.” Today we have a lot of things to be afraid of, and when we let ourselves focus on all the negatives it can lead to a dark place filled with fear, anxiety, and loneliness. Having recently been in that dark place, I was reminded of an anthem near and dear to my heart that comes to us from lyrics based on Isaiah 43, “Do Not Be Afraid” by Philip W.J. Stopford. 

Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by your name;
you are mine.
When you walk through the waters,
I’ll be with you;
you will never sink beneath the waves.
When the fire is burning all around you,
you will never be consumed by the flames.
When the fear of loneliness is looming,
then remember I am at your side.
When you dwell in the exile of a stranger,
remember you are precious in my eyes.
You are mine, O my child,
I am your Father,
and I love you with a perfect love.

God’s love and faithfulness are beautifully expressed throughout “Do Not Be Afraid.” In the face of life’s uncertainties, we can be comforted knowing that God is always with us. He walks with us through the darkest valleys, protects us from harm, and is our guiding light.

This Christmas, as we reflect on the birth of Jesus, let us embrace God’s love. Let us find comfort in knowing that He walks with us through every storm, every valley, and every mountaintop. May the angel’s proclamation and the lyrics of the anthem inspire us to trust in God’s unwavering love and to live with hope and peace in our hearts.

Prayer: 
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your unwavering love. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us. Help us to trust in Your promises and to live in the light of Your love. In Your name, we pray. Amen.

Christy Carson 

Advent Devotional 12-22-24

 O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
Phillips Brooks

Read Micah 5: 2-5a

Micah had the unenviable task of being called by God to offer God’s prophetic word to people living in a difficult time and place.   Life was insecure and anxious for the people living in the 8th Century BCE in Judah.  There was no “peace on earth” and Micah was not happy.  About ten years before Micah began offering his words, the northern kingdom of Israel had fallen to the Assyrians. People moved to Jerusalem thinking that life would be better there, but the flood of people just made Judah poorer and less secure. The people of Judah were fearful that other kingdoms surrounding them would battle to take them over in the same way as their relatives in the north had been defeated.  The King and leaders of Judah began to pay tributes and make treaties with these foreign leaders in the hope that they would not be attacked. Maintaining a defensive army was not cheap and the people of Judah were overwhelmed in hardship, confusion, and despair. 

Micah challenged the leadership and people to change their ways and return to a proper relationship with God. In these verses, Micah spoke of his hope for leadership. He speaks for God when he announces that help can come from the most unexpected of places, the town of Bethlehem.  Tiny Bethlehem was a “one camel” town with little to offer, yet it was the birthplace of King David.  It had now been 300 years since David led the people of Isreal in the glorious and faithful days of prosperity, respect, and security.  
    
This new leader that Micah announces will be one, like David, who “shall feed his flock in the strength of the Lord.”  This leader will honor the majesty of Israel’s God. This leader will bring about a sense of security and hope.  This leader “shall be the one of peace.”  It was a passionate word of hope!
  
Micah did not live to see the fulfillment of his words of hope, but over 700 years later, his prophecy came to light.  It just didn’t happen as quickly as Micah had dreamed.  It didn’t come in the way of security and hope for the kingdom of Israel that Micah longed for.  But in God’s time and in God’s way, those promises of the prophet were fulfilled. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. He is the shepherd who feeds his flock; the One who brings majesty and security in the name of the Lord God. Jesus is the one of peace!  

This is a Ruler like no other. This is our hope; for Christ brings to our darkened world the everlasting light. 

Prayer
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord, Emmanuel! 

Rev. Dr. Mark Conner

Advent Devotional 12-21-24

The Biltmore Connection

During the Fall of 2018, my partner, Jon Parlier, suggested we go to Ashville, NC, to visit the Biltmore, the eight-thousand-acre estate of George Vanderbilt, son of shipping and railroad magnate, Cornelius Vanderbilt. Jon had gone to school in Ashville but had never visited the estate.  We decided to drive down on Christmas Eve, tour the home on Christmas Day, and drive back the next day.

On Christmas Eve, we left early, arrived at noon, and toured the village. Before going to dinner, we decided to attend the Christmas Eve service at Biltmore United Methodist Church.  The service was beautiful, but by the time it ended, we were famished! The restaurants we had planned on visiting had closed, but there in the distance was a brightly lit McDonald’s sign!  As we pulled into the parking lot, the sign went dark! McDonald’s had closed, and because it was Christmas Eve, almost everything else had closed, too. 

We found one open gas station. There we grabbed two gas station frozen burritos, some chips, and two Cokes. That food, zapped in a microwave, would be our Christmas Eve feast! The next day, we toured the beautiful Biltmore and drove home.  We had enjoyed a wonderful trip! 

Recently I ran across the bulletin from that Christmas Eve service. I wondered if Biltmore UMC had fared well during Tropical Storm Helene.  When I Googled it, a posting informed me that the church was permanently closed.  As I researched further, I found that Helene was not the cause.

A newspaper article from 2021 said that the church was selling its building and moving to a building which housed a mortuary and crematorium.  Their Facebook page said they became a Reconciling Ministry in 2022. Somewhere along the way, they joined forces with Wellspring Congregation and became Biltmore Village Cooperative Parish. Lucy B. Robbins is still their pastor and her on-line sermons continue to be filled with joy.

I am writing about this so that churches in similar circumstances can learn to be less fearful. Biltmore UMC gave up their big building because they decided that the people were the church, not the building. Then they decided God’s grace was for everyone. In addition, they have loved and have been loved by their female pastor who did not forsake her congregation.

I am thankful that Jon and I spent that Christmas Eve with such a loving congregation. I am thankful that we were not there to see the beginning of the end of Biltmore United Methodist Church but the advent of a congregation that continues to evolve. 

Prayer: 
Dear God, your church continues to evolve just as this race of humans does the same.  Ease our fears as we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory. Let us look to congregations such as Biltmore UMC for guidance. Bless them and keep them safe as they traverse a different path. Amen

Becky Wright Warren

Advent Devotional 12-20-24

Scriptures for Week 4:  Micah 5: 2-5; Psalm 80: 1-7; Luke 1: 39-55; Hebrews 10: 5-10.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin’s name was Mary.  He came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”  Luke 1: 26-28

Angels are prominently included in the story of the Messiah’s birth. Zechariah encountered an angel who revealed that his prayers for a son (John) were being answered. An angel appears to Mary and shares that she will bear a son without being with a man.  Joseph dreams of an instructing angel that guides him to accept Mary as his wife and child.  Angels appear to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth and are told to go and worship him. In each instance, the mortal being visited is overcome with fear-so much so that the angel’s first concern is to say:  “Be Not Afraid!! I come with good news”. Or “You have found favor with God.” Or “Your prayers have been heard.”

Angels have appeared previously in the Old Testament:

• The seraph with the sword sent to guard the gate of Eden
• God’s messengers sent to Sodom to save Abraham’s relatives there
• Angels ascending and descending the ladder to heaven in Jacob’s fitful dream
• The angel of death who passed over the homes of God’s faithful in Egypt
• The stately six-winged seraphim Isaiah saw before the throne of God
• The angel who slew 186,000 enemy troops to deliver Hezekiah and Jerusalem in the days of Isaiah
• And Daniel wo was preserved alive in the lions’ den as were his 3 friends in the fiery furnace

The psalmist proclaims that “God will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91)  I find these stories and scriptures very comforting.  In this world of chaos and confusion, God is still listening to our prayers; our concerns; our fears.  Most of us will never see or experience an “Angel Visit”, but perhaps we have been visited by “angels unaware”.  In Hebrews 13: 1-3 the writer shares: “Let mutual love continue.  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” I am certain that angels have cared for me, watched over my family and been a companion in my dark days.

As our family adds the angels handcrafted by my mother to our trees each season, it sweetly reminds us of the love-gift God sent us that first Christmas. What God’s angels were sent to tell is not an announcement of some distant birth of a friend or relative, but a birth that truly matters to each of us. Jesus’ birth is an “Up close and personal” event.  “Unto YOU is born this day in the city of David!” Jesus’ birth was over 2000 years ago, but he is born anew in our hearts each day of the year – but each of us have to prepare our hearts and invite Him in to our lives each season!

Prayer:
Dear Lord and Savior:  Thank you for sending your angels to continually share the good news with us. Help us to serve as caring servants to others so that the world might see you amid our fear and the world’s darkness.  May your light be reflected in all we do.  Amen

Chyrl Budd

Advent Devotional 12-19-24

 

The Magnificat – MARY’S SONG

Luke 1:39-55

In these verses we read the lyrics to the song Mary sings when she visits her cousin Elizabeth, who has also miraculously has recently become pregnant when past her child bearing years.  Mary’s song is called the Magnificat and is one of the  eight most ancient Christian hymns.  Originally sung as a Gregorian Chant or 5th century plainsong numerous composers have created their own settings of the Magnificat.  There are numerous hymns based on the Magnificat including The United Methodist Hymnal hymn called “My Soul Gives Glory to my God.” 

I have 3 instant reactions when contemplating these verses in Luke.  First that a woman and mother’s song has become one of the most celebrated songs of the Christian faith.  This gives me hope that the female perspective has had a greater impact on Christianity than history often portrays.  The prayers of a woman facing pregnancy and the joy of a woman proclaiming her faith are central to all of Christian faith.

A second thought that struck me was even before Jesus was born Mary understood what his message would be.  She speaks of God and his works and proclaims he has “scattered the proud in their conceit, casting down the mighty from their thrones and lifting up the lowly. You have filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”   These words are considered so revolutionary in India, Guatemala and Argentina that they banned Mary’s Song during different periods in their history.

The third is that when the mother of Jesus needed to share her joy and faith she did so through music.  Music is the medium where I have most often felt enveloped by the Divine.  Because words are inadequate the emotion of music can create an opening in the heart for us to receive God’s message and feel his love.  Music is frequently referenced in the Bible.  All manner of songs and instruments are mentioned.  Indeed, the whole book of Psalms is a collection of poems and songs meant to be sung.

Psalm 98 exhorts us to “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!” 

So perhaps we can take time this Advent season to reflect on 3 things. 

1. Think about the joy and hope mixed with sorrow all mothers face when carrying a child.  Mary, so faithful and full of wonder and hope who will soon face hardship and sorrow.  As an unmarried pregnant woman who must give birth in a stable and later watch her son be prosecuted and executed before He arises from the Dead.  How quick are we to judge women who are pregnant or caring for children?  What do we really know about their lives and circumstances?  Have we extended respect and understanding to mothers for their joy and sorrow to come?
2. While we all try to make our holiday decorations beautiful and to shop for the most perfect present remember Mary’s words and Jesus’s teachings.   We all do not need more things but there are many others who do need even the basic things.  We all could use a helping hand or a kind word or a moment of laughter and so can those around you.  Do we need all those calories so easy to come by at Christmas?  Share it with those in need.
3. As we hear an endless stream of Christmas music everywhere we go pay special attention to the old carols and hymns.  Think about their words and give yourself over to the music and the message.

Leslie Petteys