Devotional 12-12-13

Mary's Song

Luke 1:46b-55

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.  Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.  He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.  He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Reflection

This may well be the most revolutionary song ever written.  It is a song of power from a powerless person. It came from the lips of a girl in a male-dominated world.  It came from the streets of a backwater town.  Her nation was a pebble in the shoe of the

greatest superpower in history.  She did not even have anything to do with the birth of this child! But she knew the tide had turned.  This Messiah was not being sent to the high and mighty but to a peasant child like her.  He came without a man’s permission.  He came without the blessing of Rome.  He came to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.  He came to change everything.  He came to care for those that the world did not recognize.  He came to reach the homeless, the helpless, and the lost.  How did she know all that?  Because he came first of all to her.  If you want to see the power of God in action, do not wait too long in the pews. Do not read too much theology. And above all, do not sit with those who are comfortable.  Go the least and lowest. Tell them Mary sent you.

Prayer:  Lord, I wish I was a brave person, like Mary. She saw your revolutionary hand at work through her, and she still said “yes.” Place me next to the uncomfortable, the afflicted. Send me to the least and the lowest.   Amen.

May this Advent season bless you with the spirit of the living God and remembrance of the reason for the season.

Jim Perry

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

Devotional 12-9-10

The Advent Virus
WARNING……WARNING: ADVENT VIRUS
Be on the alert for symptoms of inner Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of The Advent Virus:

• A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.
• An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
• A loss of interest in judging other people.
• A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
• A loss of interest in conflict.
• A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)
• Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
• Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
• Frequent attacks of smiling.
• An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.
• An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

Please send this warning out to all your friends. This virus can and has affected many systems. Some systems have been completely cleaned out because of it.

Jim Perry
Anonymous via email