Advent Devotional 12-15-25

Please read Matthew 1: 18-25 

As I read this scripture I was struck by the trust and faith that is shown by both Mary and Joseph. They were so young and had plans to marry and start a life together and everything changed in a very short time. 

Mary is visited by an angel who tells her she has found favor with God and that she will conceive and give birth to a son whom she will call Jesus and he will be called great and son of the most high. Mary doesn’t argue, shake her head and say “no”. She says her soul magnifies the Lord and her spirit rejoices in her Savior. She agrees to all of this and trusts in what she has been told. 

Likewise, when Joseph finds that Mary is with child he plans to marry her and quietly divorce her after the baby is born. That was his plan until he is told in a dream that he was to wed Mary and she would bear a son to fulfill a prophecy. He also did not question but trusted that this is what he was to do.  

I looked up the meaning of faith and trust and in Ephesians 2:8-9 we are told that “Trusting is what we do because of our faith. Trusting is believing in the promises of God in all circumstances. 

At this beautiful time of the year with so much promise before us, I pray that we can all use the trust and faith that God has shown us to live lives of hope and service to others. 

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father,  Help me to have trust in you always and use that trust to faithful do good works in your name.   Amen

Debbie McGinnis

Devotional December 17, 2023

Please read John 1:6-8, 19-28

Have you ever thought about John?

His place in history is being the opening act. He was born to tell the people about Who was coming and Who he was and What he could do.

People came to him to be taught. They came to be baptized.

He always knew this would be his job, and he did it without regret. 

He loved Jesus. He knew he was the Son of God and he told everyone he saw that this was the One. 

It’s hard to imagine in this day and age, where supreme egos rule, that this man could put aside his ego to bring others to one who could save them. When everyone is so caught up in being #1, this man was happy to just save others by bringing them to Christ.

During this season of Light and Love may we all think of who we can introduce to the Savior. How may we humble ourselves to raise others.

Dear heavenly Father, in this season where we celebrate the birth of your Son, our Savior, may we stop and think of others who need to hear this story, who need to know that there is grace and forgiveness there for them if they will stop and hear the Good News!  Amen.

I pray peace and blessings for you and yours.

Debbie McGinnis

Devotional 11-27-22

 Psalm 122, v 1:  I rejoice with those who said to me,   “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

When Kim asked for writers for the Advent Devotionals I was happy to volunteer.

I love the Advent season and all the joy I have experienced at this time of the year. When she sent me the date I would be writing for and the readings to choose from I was even happier.

November 27th is my parents wedding anniversary. It seems appropriate that my devotion is on the day my sister and brother and I celebrate the people who first took us to the house of the Lord.

Our Christmases weren’t always filled with the Hallmark moments we see on TV, but we always had good food, lots of laughing and some off key singing. We were happy to be together.

Johnson Memorial is that kind of family. We’ve had some difficult Christmases in the past few years, fire, water damage, Covid, but we rejoice when we can be together in the house of the Lord. Our Common Grounds folks have mentioned how happy they are to be back inside the church.

We can’t always be together but we can always be together in spirit and read the text and sing the songs that bring us back to the manger.

This Advent I’m happy that I will be with the ones I love and worshipping the Holy Child who brought Love to all the world, forever and ever.

Amen

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sharing your son with us and giving us an example of how to love without ceasing.

Debbie McGinnis

Devotional 12-23-21

 Isaiah 9:2-7

When we do the Advent devotionals I usually look for the readings about the day the baby was born. I love babies, holding them and whispering in those tiny ears how much I love them.

This time I read all the lectionary readings and Isaiah jumped out at me. The reason is that it talks about the people walking in darkness shall see a great light.

The last 22 months we have walked in darkness. I realize our country, the world have faced things like this before. Part of the difference is that we didn’t have 24 hour news talking to us constantly telling us how bad things are and how much worse they can be.

I’ve had to be very careful about the news I watch. I want to know what’s going on, I just don’t want to hear all the despair they pour out.

What I do want to see and remember is the tiny glow in the darkness. The lamp in the manger, the star in the sky that announces the birth of hope.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the old testament foretold the coming of the tiny baby who was and is the hope for every day. Isaiah and you and I know.

Everyday we need to give thanks to God for the gift of his son, the light of the world.

When it’s a dark day, talk to your Father in heaven. Thank him for the greatest gift ever given.
It was given for you and for me.

Merry Christmas!

Dear heavenly father, We thank you for the original gift that keeps on giving.  You gave your son to us and he gave his life for us.  Please dear Lord, help us to remember each and every day that you love us and care about who we are and what we need. May we go forth ready to care that same way for others we meet. May we share your love always and forever.  Amen.

Debbie McGinnis

Devotional 12-9-18

Philippians 1:3-11

In this reading, Paul and Timothy are writing to all of the deacons and all of the Christians in the city of Philippi.

In verse 9, Paul says “ my prayer for you is that you will overflow more and more with love for others, and at the same time keep on growing in spiritual knowledge and insight, for I want you always to see clearly the difference between right and wrong, and to be inwardly clean, no one being able to criticize you from now until our Lord returns.”
As I am writing this there are two things that I am very aware of.

First, the election is next Tuesday and no matter who you are voting for, it’s a little difficult to feel inwardly or outwardly clean with all the hype we are being deluged with. One commercial after another and almost every mailing tells us what a terrible person this one is, how crooked that one is and what a horrific mistake you will make no matter which way you vote. By the time you read this it will all be decided and I hope that we all prayed before we voted and made the most informed decisions we could.

The second thing is that last week was the terrible shooting at the synagogue. What a terrible thing to happen and no way it can be understood. It was a blessing that so many of our
church and community members were together last evening to show our synagogue here that we love and respect them.

After more than 2,000 years we still need to pray for each other, to overflow with love and understanding for each other.

The good news, we’re still working at getting it right. We’re still trying. And in this season of expectation, we know there is a God who hears all of our prayers and smiles when his children still heed his words and try to get it right.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,
We are so very blessed that you listen to our prayers, send us love when we are hurting and give us joy in so many different ways to brighten our lives on dark days.
Thank you Father for your precious Son. Thank you for your unending love and thank you for the lives of those in our church and community who make it their mission to share your love everywhere they go.

In your name we pray,
Amen.

Debbie McGinnis

Devotional 12-15-17

John 1: 6-8

God sent John the Baptist as a witness to the fact that Jesus Christ is the true Light.  John himself is not the Light; he is only the witness to identify it.  Later on, the one who is the true Light arrived to shine on everyone comin into the world.

Do you think John the Baptist felt slighted that he was not the Messiah or “Light” but just the announcer.

Do you think he thought he was being overlooked...again.

I don’t. 

Have you ever been around someone that you just knew was destined for greater things, at church, at school at work or maybe a family reunion.?

I think all of us have had someone in our life like that but I can’t imagine how John must have felt when he really came to know Jesus and realized exactly who he was and what he was going to mean to the world. He must have been bursting with joy that HE was going to announce to so many that this man, this
“Lamb of God” was here to save all of us from our sins. This “Light” would change the world forever.

In this Advent season we celebrate the birth of this “Light”. It seems that everywhere we turn there is light to help us celebrate and it is beautiful and joyful even in dark times.

We are not John but each of us in our own way has the ability to share the Joy of Jesus and the Light he brings to our lives.

During this season it’s so easy to be tired or maybe sad at a loss you’ve suffered or some part of your life that didn’t turn out as planned. Try to remember that your face reflects your feelings. Try to remember the Light and let your face shine.

We never know what the person we’re passing is going through but maybe a smile from you will give them the lift they need to deal with their problems and maybe, they will pass it to someone else.

Dear Heavenly Father
Please forgive us Father when we’re too tired to do the things we know we should.
Help us to remember that we should share the joy you have given to us in the form of your perfect son.
Help us to realize that God loves us so much that he gave his only son for us.
May we remember always and try each day to share that joy with others.
Amen

Debbie McGinnis

Devotional 12-10-15

Please read Luke 3: 7-18

Today’s reading is about the birth of Jesus and the angel appearing to the shepherds. How frightened these men must have been. In the news last week there was an uproar about a light in the sky on the west coast. Even with today’s technology people feared what they didn’t know.

I guess this can be called human nature because it’s something we all do but in the case of the shepherds they listened and obeyed. Maybe that was because they were looking for something, someone who could make their lives better and an angel in the night sky seemed like an idea they could live with.

In December of 1967, what seems like a million years away now, I was asked to be the Annunciation Angel in the Christmas Pageant at my church, Calvary Baptist, in Norristown, PA. I was 17 and scared to death to talk in front of any gathering but I accepted. It amazed me that when I spoke the words “for unto you is born, this day in the city of Bethlehem, a savior who is Christ, the Lord”, I wasn’t afraid, and they could hear me in the back of the church.

These words are empowering yesterday, today and tomorrow. Maybe if we think about them and use them in thoughts, words and deeds we could convince a shepherd, a king, a neighbor or a homeless person that there is hope in this world and his name is Jesus.

Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, in the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, may we keep foremost in our minds that there is hope in this life. Things have changed in 2,000 years but you haven’t, your Son hasn’t. May we remember to talk to you everyday and to listen to hear what you have to say to us.  I ask these things in the name of your precious Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen

Debbie McGinnis

Devotional 12-15-14

Please read Luke 1, vs. 26-38

This scripture is about the angel appearing to Mary and telling her that she has been chosen by the Lord to give birth to the Son of God. Mary’s only question was how she, a virgin, could give birth to this child. What a truly amazing young woman Mary is. The plans that she has for her life are put on hold. She accepts this pronouncement and says she is the Lord’s servant.

What a wonderful acceptance Mary has. I hope that I would be eager to obey something that would change my life this much. I’m afraid I would not. I would have all kinds of excuses for why I couldn’t do what I was supposed to do. I’d be too tired, too busy, too old, too ,too, too.

The words to an old hymn occasionally run through my mind. It may be my own angel telling me that I need to do the things I don’t want to do or I’m afraid to do. Maybe, during this Advent season we can all think twice before we pass up a chance to do something that would make our Lord smile. Maybe we should have the faith of a young woman who not only took the step that many would have avoided but also gave her heart to be broken by the loss of a son.

This Advent Season let us remember to...

Trust and Obey
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What he says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Dear Heavenly Father, as we celebrate this blessed season of the year, help us to have faith enough to accept your call to serve you even in places we are not comfortable, doing things we are not comfortable doing.

May we always be ready to trust and obey.
Amen.

Debbie McGinnis