Advent Devotional 12-8-25

 

When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him. Joseph got up and, during the night, took the child and his mother to Egypt." --Matthew 2: 13-14 CEB

I recently came across a painting called Streetcar Madonna by Allan Rohan Crite, and was instantly drawn to it. It's certainly different from the "Flight into Egypt" paintings we are used to. 

Allan Rohan Crite ( 1910-2007) was born in New Jersey and raised and spent the duration of his life in Boston. He participated in the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the 1930's. He created neighborhood paintings depicting Boston's predominantly African American Roxbury district.  Community was sacred to Crite. His art and generosity endure through his depictions of neighborhood life and the many artists and leaders he inspired.  His Episcopalian faith influenced many of his works.  He often presented iconic Christian imagery overlaid onto contemporary city life. He designed the covers of church bulletins in several states.

Streetcar Madonna  (1946) depicts a Black Mary and baby riding Boston's Orange Line. I wonder what the women behind them are thinking. Are they judgmental of this woman in strange clothes with a crown of stars and a baby emanating rays of light? Or do they even notice this strange twosome? Maybe they are just talking about their day. 

Would we recognize the Holy Family if we came upon them?

Anita Farrell

Advent Devotional 12-17-24

A highlight of the Christmas Season is our Sanctuary Choir’s Service of Lessons and Carols which includes Scripture readings, anthems and Christmas carols. One of the most delightful anthems is the Zither Carol, a traditional Czech folk tune with a waltz-like rhythm. The carol is named for the zither, a stringed instrument. While not always played on a zither, the carol is named for the instrument’s unique melodic sound. The lyrics were written by Sir Malcolm Sargen (1985-1967), an English conductor, organist, and composer, who arranged the version we hear.

Zither Carol

Girls and boys
Leave your toys
Make no noise
Kneel at his crib and worship him
At thy shrine
Child divine
We are thine
Our Savior’s here

Hallelujah the church bells ring
Hallelujah the angels sing
Hallelujah from everything
All must draw near

On that day
Far away
Jesus lay
Angels were watching ‘round his head
Holy Child Mother mild, undefiled
We sing thy praise

Hallelujah the church bells ring
Hallelujah the angels sing
Hallelujah from everything
Our hearts we raise

Shepherds came
At the fame
Of thy name
Angels their guide to Bethlehem
In that place
Filled with grace
Saw thy face
Stood at the door

Hallelujah the church bells ring
Hallelujah the angels sing
Hallelujah from everything
Love evermore

Wise men too
Haste to do
Homage new
Gold, myrrh and frankincense they bring
As ‘twas said
Starlight led
To thy bed
Bending their knee

Hallelujah the church bells ring
Hallelujah the angels sing
Hallelujah from everything
Worshiping thee

Oh, that we
All might be
Good as He
Spotless, with God in unity
Savior dear
Ever near
With us here
Since life began

Hallelujah the church bells ring
Hallelujah the angels sing
Hallelujah from everything
God head made Man

Cherubim
Seraphim
Worship him
Sun, moon and stars proclaim his power
Every day
On our way
We shall say
Hallelujah

Hallelujah the church bells ring
Hallelujah the angels sing
Hallelujah from everything
Hallelujah

You can listen to the Zither Carol at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EvfPmZOw60

Anita Farrell

Devotion - December 12, 2023

 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. --Luke 6:32-22

I think we’re all familiar with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. If you haven’t read the book, you’ve most likely seen one of the many movies or plays based on the famous tale. 
We know that Ebenezer Scrooge was a hateful old man. Dickens describes him:  “Oh ! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, was Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! External heat and cold had little influence on him. No warmth could warm, no cold could chill him.” Not the man one would want for a neighbor, fellow church member, or casual acquaintance.

As we read on, we see that, not surprisingly, people respond to Scrooge by avoiding him entirely.
“Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, ‘My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me?’” 

And can you blame them? But I was thinking, what if even one person reached out to Scrooge in genuine friendship. Might he have softened a bit?

I am reminded of a story involving my Mother. We didn’t call her St. Joan for nothing. There was a fellow member of the United Methodist Women who had a reputation for being unpleasant and argumentative. This woman’s brother was a sweetheart, and I heard Mom say more than once, “I can’t believe they’re even related.” 

One year, Mom made Mrs. Grumpy a cake on her birthday. I asked, “why?” And she said that she assumed no one else would acknowledge her birthday. So, she delivered the cake which was accepted with so much gratitude and an expression of “I love you so much!”

Did the woman’s demeanor change? Not much, but Mom’s life was enriched by the experience. 
Is there someone you might reach out to this holiday season? A genuine compliment to the exhausted cashier, a friendly word to the fellow stocking shelves at the grocery store, some cookies to the mother you’ve noticed struggling to keep up with her children’s schedules, won’t change the world, but will make someone’s day a little better. And you will be better for it. That’s a start.

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-16-22

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

So, he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” --Matthew 2:13-15

  

Recently, I was fortunate to take a trip to Türkiye (preferred spelling of Turkey) and Greece. A highlight of the trip was a sunrise hot-air balloon ride over the lava formations of Cappadocia, Türkiye. Ancient volcanic activity and years of erosion of the volcanic ash left a valley of tall peaks and deep crevasses. From the air, we could see what looked like doors and windows in the rock. Being the scholar I am, my first thought was, “That must be where the trolls and fairies live.” Over centuries, various people had carved caves and tunnels in the soft lava rock. These were people fleeing and hiding for one reason or another. Refugees. Jews, Christians, Muslims in turn, hiding for their very lives. 

From the Scripture above, we learn that Jesus and his parents were also refugees, fleeing into Egypt. Since they were able to return, we assume they received a level of hospitality while in Egypt. 

Today, the word “refugee” often has a negative connotation. We feel sorry for them but throw our hands in the air and proclaim we can’t do anything about the situation. Thoughts and prayers but no action.

My last year of teaching, I had a Syrian girl in my class. She, her mother and sister came to this area where they had some relatives while the father/husband was in Syria awaiting a visa. I got to know this mother and her sweet girls. A year later, the infamous photo of a dead Syrian boy on a Mediterranean beach made the news. When I looked at that photo, I thought it could have been my darling student. 

Perhaps we would look at refugees with different eyes if we transposed the faces of our loved ones onto their bodies. Or, the face of our Lord, who, himself, was once a refugee.

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” --Hebrews 13:2

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-16-21

 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” --Matthew 19:14, NIV

Ah, that spark of Christmas spirit. 

I was presented with a Third Angel today. Alice Hoffman’s book The Third Angel mentions three kinds of angels. The Angel of Life, the Angel of Death, and the Third Angel, someone who comes into our lives and by helping that person, we become better individuals.

My four sons range in age from 30-46. Christmas shopping for them isn’t challenging--write a check, grab some gift cards. Even shopping for my teenage grandchildren, who have their own tastes and activities, isn’t much fun--write a check, grab some gift cards.

Today I stopped at Ebenezer Community Outreach Center to select an “angel” from their daycare students to provide some gifts from their wish list. I was assigned a 4-year boy. Yay! As I read through his wish list, I was like the Grinch whose heart grew three sizes at the end of the book.

“Action figures, cars, Spiderman, Batman.” Oh man! You can imagine how many action figures and cars I bought over the years. I just gave containers of them to a great-nephew and I sort of hated to see them go. I call my youngest son my “comic book kid,” so getting to find Spiderman toys again sounds like a dream.

“Magnetic blocks.” I discovered some really cool magnetic toys when my grandson was younger and I loved buying and playing them. Fun!

“Learning toys.” I taught preschool for seventeen years so educational toys are definitely in my wheelhouse.

“Shirts and pants.” Look out children’s department, here I come! 

Thank you, little 4-year-old boy, for giving this old Grinch a dose of Christmas spirit. And thank you, God, for putting this child in my path.

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-15-21

The hymn The Holly and the Ivy is a traditional British folk carol dating back to the early 1800’s. Sir Henry Walford Davies wrote the popular choral arrangement we often hear at the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. 

Holly has been associated with Christmas since medieval times. The variety of holly found in Europe is sometimes called Christ’s thorn. The sharp leaves recall the crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head. The red berries remind us of the drops of blood Christ shed for our salvation. The shape of the leaves, which resemble a flame, are a symbol of God’s burning love for His people (a strong symbol for United Methodists).  Because of its characteristic of clinging to various bushes, trees, and buildings, ivy can symbolize faithfulness, and connections of closeness, friendship, and love. Both plants maintain their green color during the Christmas season and were a mainstay of British Christmas decorations in churches since the 15th century.

The tradition of making and giving wreaths of holly dates to the Roman Empire and may have entered Christianity via St. Augustine. Over time, it was believed a holly wreath on the door would keep evil spirits away, as well as tax collectors! 

Some say the holly represents the Christ Child and the ivy represents his mother, Mary. 
In the evergreen leaves of these two plants, we remember the promise of everlasting life, embodied in a newborn baby. 

The holly bears a blossom,
As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To be our dear Saviour

The holly bears a berry,
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To do poor sinners good

The holly bears a prickle,
As sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
On Christmas Day in the morn

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-18-20

We all have our favorite Christmas carols and memories. When I was in high school, my voice didn’t lend much to the choir, but, under the direction of Mrs. Carolyn McDowell, I was part of a liturgical dance to “What Child Is This” in the yearly Christmas program. I always think of that happy time whenever I hear that hymn. 

“What Child Is This” was written by William Chatterton Dix, the manager of the Maritime Insurance Company in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1865, at 29 years of ago, Mr. Dix suffered a near-fatal illness coupled with a severe bout of depression. While recovering, he experienced a spiritual awakening. He became an avid reader of The Bible and started writing hymns. He wrote the lyrics of “What Child Is This” and set them to the English folksong, “Greensleeves,” which was already a beloved tune, not necessarily associated with Christmas, but considered festive. The tune dated back to 1642 and was referred to twice in Shakespeare’s “Merry Wives of Windsor.”

“What Child Is This” was published in 1871. Dix subsequently published more hymns like “As With Gladness Men of Old,” and “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus.” 

“What Child Is This” calls to mind the adoration of the shepherds and asks questions which might have been on their minds. The first question, “What child is this?” is answered in the chorus, “This is Christ the King.” In the second verse, we see the term “mean estate.” Why is a King born in a stable? The writer is also alluding to Christ’s future suffering and anguish. The final stanza focuses on those attending the birth. Both king and peasant have an equal chance to adore the Christ Child and benefit from His salvation. 

“Haste, haste, to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.”

If you would like to hear “What Child Is This” with the printed lyrics, go here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzjfNu0TrcA

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-1-19

People were bringing children to Jesus so that he would bless them. But the disciples scolded them.  When Jesus saw this, he grew angry and said to them, “Allow the children to come to me. Don’t forbid them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people like these children.  I assure you that whoever doesn’t welcome God’s kingdom like a child will never enter it.”  Then he hugged the children and blessed them. --Mark 10:13-16 (CEB)

This is the 20th year of Johnson Memorial UMC’s Advent Devotional Book. For 20 years, the woman I call our Devotional Czar, Kim Matthews, has challenged, encouraged, cajoled, and pleaded with members to write devotions. I can’t give her enough credit.
I looked back at what I wrote in 1999. I told a story concerning my son and our nativity set. Oddly, that same year, a friend told almost the same story about her son, which confirms my belief that often children are smarter than adults.

In that devotion, I wrote about people making themselves so crazy with Christmas preparations that the real meaning of the season was lost. These days, with my kids grown and gone, I don’t obsess about getting ready for Christmas at all. There’s no pressure to find that most-wanted toy or bake a thousand cookies.

Sadly, now I’m more likely to be obsessing about the state of the world, social justice, etc. Those matters also can cloud the joy the Christmas season dares to bring.

Here’s the gist of my story from 20 years ago:

When my oldest son was about five, he said something profound. I had set our Nativity set out on a table with Mary, Joseph, the Baby, Shepherds, Wise Men, and animals perfectly posing for their picture. One day I caught my son rearranging the figures. “What are you doing?” I asked, afraid he was ruining my perfect layout. He replied, “Everyone should be looking at the Baby.” He put the Baby in the center and placed all the other figures in a circle around Him. And it stayed that way.

So, if the hustle and bustle of the season or the weight of the world gets you down, remember those words from a five-year-old. “Everyone should be looking at the Baby.”

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-23-18

Observations more than a Devotion

I recently read through the Nativity stories in both Matthew and Luke, the only Gospels which reported it, and was surprised at the gaps. Over the years, we Christians have added to the story, maybe for the sake of Christmas cards and pageants.

Matthew seems to focus on Joseph, who was visited by an angel four times in this narrative: 1. In a dream, an angel tells Joseph not to divorce Mary, that she is pregnant by the Holy Spirit and the baby will be a boy he is to name Jesus. 2. Another dream angel tells Joseph to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt and stay till Herod’s death. 3. In another dream, an angel tells him that Herod is dead and go back to Israel. 4. One more dream angel tells him to go to Nazareth in Galilee, a good place to hide from Herod’s son Achelaus.
Matthew tells us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but does not mention why they were there,  where they came from, or a stable. He launches into the story of the Wise Men, but never mentions the number of them. Perhaps we decided on three because of the three gifts.

Luke’s focus is more on Mary, who lives in Nazareth. The Angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her she will have a baby via the Holy Spirit and she should name the boy Jesus. She goes to visit her aged, pregnant cousin Elizabeth whose baby leaps in her womb when Mary arrives. This scene contains the famous song of Mary or Magnificat. Mary returned to Nazareth and the Roman Emperor decreed a census so Joseph had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, his ancestral home, to be counted. Luke tells us he took Mary with him. (No mention of a donkey or the trip).

“While they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.” (Luke 2: 6-7). I guess we assume it was a stable because of the manger.

Then Luke launches into the story of the shepherds.

Eight days after the birth, the baby was circumcised and named Jesus.

At the purification offering and dedication of the baby at the temple in Jerusalem (if a first baby was a boy, he was to be dedicated to the Lord)  they met the two prophets Simeon and Anna.

“When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. (Luke 2:39).  (No mention of fleeing to Egypt).

Do the gaps and discrepancies make me not believe the story? NO! Different writers at different times. Matthew was written for the Jewish people while Luke, with a Greek background, was aimed at a gentile audience. Combining the two, we have a wonderful story of the birth of our Lord.

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-12-17

Star of Wonder

Read Matthew 2:1-12

Thanks to nasa.gov, I get alerts when the International Space Station will be visible over Huntington. Thankfully, the directions are very specific: what time it will appear on the horizon, from which direction, how many minutes it will be visible, and in what direction it will disappear. I can’t explain why, but I love spotting the Space Station. I know the astronauts can’t see me waving and wishing them well, but it makes me feel good anyway.

Thinking about the Space Station got me to thinking about the Star of Bethlehem. It is mentioned only in Matthew. Most translations say “wise men” from the east came to honor the baby Jesus. Some say “magi” or “scholars” or “astrologers.” These were educated men of science! Their studies found a new star in the East signaling the birth of a new king.  I was interested to find a scientific explanation for the Star of Bethlehem.

Fred Grosse, a professor of physics and astronomy at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa.,says the favorite hypothesis for the star of Bethlehem is a planetary conjunction.

A conjunction happens when two celestial objects appear to pass very near to each other from our perspective on Earth. Often, these conjunctions look like one large object rather than separate ones.

“In 6 BCE, Jupiter and Saturn passed each other three times, in May, September, and December – a triple conjunction,” Grosse says. Since the actual year of Jesus’ birth is tough to pin down, an event in 6 BCE remains a good candidate to explain what the Magi saw.

“Because this conjunction only happens once every 140 years, it would have been a significant event to astrologers from Babylon.

“A conjecture is that they saw the first passing from their homes, left for Jerusalem, and got there in time for the second or third passing to guide them to Bethlehem.”

Though this is the dominant explanation for the star in the east, it’s not the only one.

“Nova and Supernova are new objects which appear in the sky and then dim to oblivion,” Grosse explains. And they can put on the kind of show that first century astrologers would have noticed.

According to Chinese records, there were supernova that appeared in the sky right around the time when Jesus may have been born, in 4 and 5 BCE.
But the fact that there’s a possible scientific explanation to what the Magi saw, doesn’t mean to Grosse that the event loses its transcendence.

“The symbolism is apparent. A small clear light, on a cold dark night, in a sometimes cold and dark world, leads the wise to the message of Jesus. The message tells us to love each passenger who journeys with us on this small, fragile, planet Earth.”

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-14-16

Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. --Romans 12: 9-10 (The Message)

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  John 13:34-35

“At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” --Maya Angelou

Camouflage 

I recently spent a day at a zoo with one of my sons. We really enjoyed The Bird House. We walked into a section that was sealed off by doors and plastic chain maille that featured plants, rocks and water. We both saw only one bird. I said, “This is a lot of trouble for one bird.” But then, we started spotting other ones. There’s one, and there’s another one in the corner, and here’s one right in front of our noses and there’re two on that branch... In the end, we found at least a dozen birds in the space. If we hadn’t made the effort, we would have missed most of them.

In our everyday worlds, we see people coming and going but do we really see them? I’d say most people reading this help others on a regular basis. The homeless, hungry, sick. We have programs and agencies to provide help in many forms to those. But what about those who are camouflaged? Did you ever consider that the well groomed, nicely dressed person in front of you at Starbucks is hurting on the inside due to a family crisis? Perhaps the thin, beautiful woman on the next treadmill is terrified that addiction will take her child. Maybe the owner of the perfect house on your street hates his job and is desperately searching for some meaning to his life.

We are called to love one another. Sometimes that takes some effort, often effort to recognize there’s a need in the first place. Here we are in another Advent season. Sadly, people are generally more stressed than usual and we need to make an extra effort to show the love of the one whose birth we are celebrating. Keep you eyes open!

Anita Farrell

Devotional 12-8-15

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 15:11

Recently I went to the health Department to get a flu shot. Of course, I would pick a time when half of Huntington also decided to go to the Health Department. The room was full of people waiting.............

Most every chair was taken. People were looking at their phones or at a TV which shows health-related videos, some were half asleep and some were just waiting........

The nurse announced a number and a man with a young boy went back. The boy said to his father, “We’re going to go see someone?” I thought to myself, I hope that kid had some warning that he’s going to get a shot.

Several minutes later the man and boy emerged. The boy stepped into the room, stretched out his arms and exuberantly announced to the waiting masses, “I got two shots! Two!” He was smiling from ear to ear. You would have thought he’d just been told he was going to Disney World. 

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing, looked at the boy and smiled along with him. For a few precious seconds, that room was filled with joy. 

It’s the holiday season. People are stressed. Oh, we know we should be happy and content, focusing on the birth of our Savior, but most are just plain old stressed and worn out. Could you bring joy to someone? To a room full of people? 

Give it a try.

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-17-14

The Christmas Cactus

Marleen, complete with a red Santa hat on her head,  pushed her cart into Room 3157. “Good morning, Mr. Davis and ho, ho, ho, it’s time for your breathing treatment.”

The frail-looking man sat up in the bed, “It’s Christmas day. What are you doing here?”

“Well, all the elves were busy, so I was elected to give you your treatment this morning.” Marleen had taken care of Mr. Davis several times over the past four years and he was one of her favorite repeat customers. 

“I thought you’d be spending Christmas with your family,” he said.

“It’s just me and my daughter and she’s in the marching band at Perdue. They’re playing for the Giants game this afternoon.”

He asked, “Didn’t you want to go?”

“Oh sure, but do you know what a hotel room in New York goes for? Cassie and I decided we’ll celebrate Christmas when she comes home for spring break.”

“Gee, that’s too bad.”

“Oh, it’s alright. Sometimes you just have to make do. Now, here, breath into this tube. You know the drill.” As she was entering data into her computer, Marleen looked around the room. There was one green plant on Mr. Davis’s bedside table. It occurred to her that she had never known him to have  any family member or visitor while in the hospital.

“I’m working a double shift today, but I get to take a break during half time of the game so I can watch Cassie’s band. Would it be alright if I came and watched with you? The TV in the lounge never works.”

“Sure. Will you bring popcorn and beer?” he asked with a mischievous smile. 

“I’ll see what I can do.”

That afternoon, she returned with cookies and soda. “It’s the best I could do,” she said. Mr. Davis was already watching the game. As the bands came onto the field at half time, Marleen strained to find her daughter. “There she is! Third clarinet on the left,” she pointed excitedly at the screen. 

Later, she came to administer Mr. Davis’ evening treatment. He was obviously tired. 

“I was able to talk to Cassie. Those kids are having the time of their lives.”

“You’ve work all day--all Christmas day. I want you to have this.” He pointed to the plant on his nightstand.

“Oh, I can’t take your plant. Someone gave it to you.”

“My son in Albuquerque sent it and I don’t know what to do with it.  Do I look like a person with a green thumb.”

“I’ll take it but you have to let me give you something in return.” Marleen was thinking fast. What could she offer? She reached into her pocket and felt her lucky penny, the one with a cross cut out of it that her friend Karen gave her eight years ago when she’d had medical problems of her own. “Here ya go, a lucky penny.” She pressed it in his hand.

“I can’t take your lucky penny” he wheezed.

“A deal’s a deal,” she said. A plant for a penny.” She picked up the plant and added, “I’ll see you in the morning. Have a good night.”

When she got home, she read the card with the plant: Christmas Cactus. Succulent green foliage with rosy red blooms.

“Ha,” she thought to herself, “I don’t see any red blooms. Probably false advertising.” She placed it in her kitchen window next to an African violet.

The next morning she was preparing for her rounds and looked at her schedule: Room 3157, George Farley.

She looked at the charge nurse and asked, “Where is Mr. Davis?”

Helen gave her a look that said, you know what happened to Mr. Davis. Don’t make me say it.

Two and a half months later, Marleen was driving Cassie home from the airport. It was so good to have her daughter home for a week. When they walked into the house, Cassie saw the small Christmas tree decorated with green and white shamrocks with wrapped presents underneath. Then she walked into the kitchen and exclaimed, “Mom this plant with the red flowers is amazing! What is it?”

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-18-13

O Lord, forgive

Our insensitivity to the needs of others,

     O Lord, Forgive.

Our prejudice and fear that prevent us from loving,

     O Lord, forgive.

The narrowness of our vision and 

our shrinking from your demands,

     O Lord, forgive.

Our resentment against those who have hurt us,

     O Lord, forgive.

Our desire to do your work in our way,

     O Lord, forgive.

Our impatience with those who are different from us,

     O Lord, forgive.

Our failure to listen properly to other points of view,

     O Lord, forgive.

Our fear of coming out of the fortress of our own

souls into fuller life and deeper love,

     O Lord, forgive.

--A modern prayer from Toronto, Canada

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 1-1-13

"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins." –Mark2:21-22

Happy New Year!
And you know what comes with the new year–resolutions. I confess, I have had the same resolution the last few years and keep falling far short. (Not the weight thing–that goes without saying). My resolution will again be to pay more attention to my friends. I get so caught up in my own little life, that reaching out to friends gets pushed to the bottom of my priority list.

Let me tell you a story about how doing a kindness for a friend can have far-reaching consequences.

My father’s memorial service was held a year ago on Jan. 3. There was a visitation time preceding the service and two women came in who I didn’t recognize. They greeted my Mother who was across the room from me and she was making gestures that said, “Look who’s here.” I asked several people near me if they knew who the mystery women were and no one had a clue. As they approached me one said, “You don’t know who I am, do you?” I had to admit the truth. She said. “I’m Sally, and this is my sister Susan.”*

Oh my goodness! I was instantly transported back 45 years to my maternal grandmother’s funeral in 1966. As I left that service Sally and I hugged each other. My grandmother had befriended her family, which had a pretty hard time. I don’t remember the circumstances, I think it was a simple case of lots of children and not enough money. My grandmother took them food, hired some of the children to work in her business and do odd jobs, and was someone the kids could talk to. And now, all these years later, Sally and Susan were two of the first people to come through the doors to comfort us and share in our grief. It just blew me away!

So, today I resolve, once again, to pay more attention to my friends.

Here are some words from Mahatma Gahdhi (1869-1948):
I will be truthful.
I will suffer no injustice.
I will be free from fear.
I will not use force.
I will be of good will to all men.

Happy New Year!
* Not their real names

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-14-11

I'm sure many of you have at least one poinsettia in your home over the holidays. Do you know The Legend of the Poinsettia?

There was once a poor Mexican girl named Pepita who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy.

"I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes," said Pedro consolingly.

Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a small bouquet. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed than ever by the humbleness of her offering. She fought back a tear as she entered the small village chapel.

As she approached the altar, she remembered Pedro's kind words: "Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes." She felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene.

Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle right before their eyes.

From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season.

Today, the common name for this plant is the poinsettia.

The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ. The white leaves represent His purity.

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-18-10

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered.   Luke 2: 4-6

The movie The Nativity Story came out in 2006. I am generally skeptical when Hollywood does religious topics and actually didn't see the movie till the following year when it was on TV. To my surprise, I mostly thought it was well done.

One particular scene isn't Biblical but made quite an impression on me. Joseph and Mary have packed their things and are heading out of Nazareth. The locals on the street are pointing and whispering. You and I can certainly imagine what they were saying: "That's Joseph, he could have married any girl in the village but he chose Mary, who's pregnant and not with his baby!" "Look at them, acting like the happily married couple when we all know what's going on." "Can you believe she claims she was never with another man? Please!" At this point Mary and Joseph share a glance, and he smiles and reassures her saying, "We're going to be missed." She responds with a simple smile and a nod, and they go on their way.

I love that scene because Joseph and Mary come off as real people, living in the real world and dealing with real problems. They do not look like the Christmas card Holy Family, where Mary looks like she just stepped out of a beauty salon and Joseph is calm and serene. In the movie, Mary was played by 16-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes. She had tattered clothes and tangled hair and dirty fingernails. She looked real.

I fear that we have heard the Nativity story so many times that in our minds Mary and Joseph are like fairy tale characters. We forget that these were real people who never would have believed we would still be talking about them all these years later. The distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem is 70 miles. I'm sure no mother reading this would have wanted to ride a donkey for 70 miles while pregnant! Joseph was walking and this was before fancy walking shoes. Although real, Mary and Joseph were chosen by God, and they trusted in Him as they took this journey.

This year, as you're looking though your Christmas cards and notice that Mary's clothes are clean and pressed and Joseph's beard is neatly trimmed, remember that these were real people, who had just made a 70-mile journey on foot and donkey and frantically raced to find a place for the baby to be born.
Throughout history, God has worked through real people. Today, God continues to work through real people. You are a real person--think about it.
Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-6-10

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121: 1 - 2

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver

The evening of the Marshall vs. WVU football game, I took a walk with my grandchildren and dog. Since most everyone else in Huntington was at the stadium, it seemed that we were the only people left on earth, and we were enjoying our status as owners of everything we beheld (my grandchildren can be a little over-dramatic, wonder where they get that?). As we turned onto the next street, we came face to face with an amazing sunset. As we walked along, the horizon became visible between houses, and it became more and more vibrant. When 3-year old Thurston declared, "Look, green stripes," I thought to myself, I thought he knew his colors, but as I lifted my eyes there were, indeed, green stripes mixed with the pinks and yellows and oranges of the sunset. (I thought this might be a good omen for The Herd, but noooooooooooo). By the time we got to the end of the street, the sun was almost out of sight and 5-year-old Loretta announced that "this must be the best sunset in the whole world." Well, it was certainly the best sunset for me at that moment. Thank you God for allowing me to see this, not only through my eyes, but through the eyes of these precious children.

I once heard a lady in our church refer to Psalm 121 as the West Virginia Psalm because of the reference to the hills. I never hear that first verse that I don't think of our beautiful West Virginia hills. We are lucky to live in a place where beauty is the norm and not the exception. But the Psalmist is quick to remind us that our help does not come from the hills themselves but from the creator of the hills. All this beauty isn't just for our enjoyment, it also serves to remind us of the creator. Looking at that sunset without thinking of and thanking God, would have been impossible.

This is a hectic time of year. I urge you to run outside every now and then and lift your eyes to the hills.

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars. ~Martin Luther

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 12-16-09

I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. John 17:6

Thou our father, Christ our brother,
All who live in love are thine:
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.
--(Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee) Henry Van Dyke

The Broler
Last December my co-teacher, Barb, and I were telling our 3-year-old preschool students the Nativity story. I made a point of explaining what a manger is and how it made a good substitute for a baby bed. The story ended with the visit of the Wise Men, and the children thought gold and perfume were strange gifts for a baby. So we asked them, "What present would you give to Baby Jesus?" Our little geniuses came up with very practical gifts: a crib and a blanket, a teddy bear, baby clothes, little socks, a high chair. The last child to speak was Nicky and the conversation went something like this:"Nicky, what would you give to Baby Jesus?"

"A broler."

Barb and I looked at each other. Nicky's mother is from Peru and he is bilingual, but every now and then we couldn't understand something he said, and this was one of those times.

"Say that again."

"A broler."

"One more time."

“A broler."

It was clear Nicky knew what he was saying but we were clueless.

I started rhyming in my head--what would rhyme with broler that would have to do with a baby?

"Ah-ha. Nicky, do you mean a stroller? You want the baby to have a stroller so he can take walks?"

"No, a brooo-ler." He was clearly becoming frustrated, and he clearly had something to tell us.

It was Barb who finally figured it out. "Nicky, are you saying brother?"

"Yes, yes, a broler!"

(Barb and I shared a teary-eyed "ahhh......")

Do I need to keep writing? The child wanted to give Baby Jesus a brother. What better gift could any of us give than the gift of a brother or sister, our own lives?

Dear Lord, May we always see you and your world through the eyes of a child. Help us to be deserving to be called your brothers and sisters. Amen.

Anita Farrell

Devotional 12-16-08

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never fail you nor forsake you." ...Hebrews 13: 5

You are reading this in December, but I am writing it in October, when the newspapers and media broadcasts are brimming with news of the economy. On a morning TV program this week, the host and an economist were discussing a magazine article titled "Will There Be A Holiday This Year?" I smiled and thought to myself, "Clearly, these people have never heard of The Grinch."

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, first published in 1957, tells the story of the Grinch who hates the Christmas celebration of the Whos down in Who-ville, so he conspires to stop Christmas from coming. He sneaks into town and steals every Christmas tree and decoration, the stockings and presents, even the roast beast meant for the Christmas feast. He goes back to his cave and waits to hear the wails of disappointment on Christmas morning. But as the sun rises, he hears a sound but it's not what he expected...........

But the sound wasn't sad!
Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so!
But it WAS merry! VERY!

He stared down at Who-ville!
The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise!

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN"T stopped Christmas from coming!
IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!...

It came without ribbons! It came without tags!

It came without packages, boxes or bags!....

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
Maybe Christmas....perhaps....means a little bit more."

And in that moment, the Grinch is transformed. He returns everything and the forgiving Whos invite him to their Christmas feast.

...HE HIMSELF...! The Grinch carved the roast beast!

And this year, Christmas will come again. I don't think I'll be quoted in any economic journals, but you can take that to the bank!

Anita Gardner Farrell