Devotion for the Thursday of the Fourth Week in Advent

BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO YOU!

This will be the last of the daily Advent devotions. I have enjoyed sharing a daily cyber-devotion with you. Until Lent arrives, posts will likely be on a weekly basis with reflections on the Bible texts for the upcoming Sunday. May God bless your Christmas celebrations, travel and family reunions.

Theme for the week: peace

Devotion for the thursday of the fourth Week in Advent (Day 26)

Reading: Luke 1:67–79 (NRSV)

⁶⁷ Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: ⁶⁸ “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. ⁶⁹ He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, ⁷⁰ as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, ⁷¹ that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. ⁷² Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, ⁷³ the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us ⁷⁴ that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, ⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. ⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁷⁷ to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. ⁷⁸ By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, ⁷⁹ to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

REFLECTION:

In Zechariah’s prophecy, he prophesies the coming of the One who will “guide our feet in the way of peace”. Specifically he sees his son John preparing the way for the coming of this One. Guiding our feet toward peace is an interesting way to think about maintaining peace and avoiding conflict and war. In Zechariah’s time, battles, by necessity had to be fought face to face, and verbal conflict had to be done in person. If one’s feet were guided toward peace, conflict could not occur.

In contrast, in our own time of cyber-bullying and remotely controlled weaponry, we may have to expand Zechariah’s imagery of the way one is guided toward peace. For instances, children, who can attack one another and psychologically destroy each other with Facebook and texting, may need to have their hands and hearts, guided toward peace, as well as their feet. In an another example, those responsible for strategic war planning, who have at their disposal unmanned weaponry, may need to have their heads, hearts and hands turned toward peace.

A complex world needs the all-encompassing guidance of the One who brings light into darkness. When we pray “Stir up your power and come, Lord Jesus.” We are praying for the power of God, a power beyond our comprehension, to come into our complex, conflicted, divided world and bring the peace that passes all understanding.

PRAYER:

Pray for peace in our time, in our homes, workplaces, schools and churches. Pray for peace among peoples. Pray that our hearts, hands, minds, bodies and souls, in addition to our feet, be guided toward peace. Amen

Devotion for the Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Advent

Theme for the week: peace

Devotion for the wednesday of the fourth Week in Advent (Day 25)

Reading: Luke 19:28–38 (NRSV)

²⁸ After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” ³² So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. ³³ As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴ They said, “The Lord needs it.” ³⁵ Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. ³⁶ As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. ³⁷ As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, ³⁸ saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”

REFLECTION:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” These words spoken by the disciples in the last week of Jesus’ life have some echoes of the words spoken by the angel, who announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14) Both cries praise God and give glory in heaven.

The disciples’ cry in this later text from Luke calls for peace in heaven, as if they realize that these last weeks of Jesus’ earthly life are not going to be very peaceful. In contrast, at Jesus’ birth the angel declares earthly peace among those whom the Messiah favors. While we live here on earth, we pray for the fulfillment of the angel’s words: “on earth, peace among those whom he favors.” We pray that we might experience global peace in our lifetimes. We pray that our human homes might be peaceable places, free from strife and anger.

Yet, even in the midst of wars and conflict on earth, all who are baptized and believe have the everlasting hope of peace in our new lives in heaven. This new beginning will be a time for us when earthly strife and conflict are no more, when there will be no more wars and no more tears.

In this Advent season, we pray for our Lord Jesus Christ to stir up his power and come. Come and bring that time of heavenly peace into our lives today.

PRAYER:

Come Lord Jesus Come. Bring your peace, the peace that only you can give, the peace that passes all understanding. Bring your peace into our world today. Amen

Devotion for the Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Advent

Theme for the week: peace

Devotion for the tuesday of the fourth Week in Advent (Day 24)

Reading: Zechariah 9:9–12 (NRSV)

⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. ¹⁰ He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. ¹¹ As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. ¹² Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.

REFLECTION: “He shall command peace to the nations”

Who is powerful enough to command peace among nations for whom creating war seems to be second nature? In the global arena, tensions and disagreements seem to rapidly escalate into warfare. When disagreements occur, treaties and agreements cause sides to rapidly coalesce and prepare to do battle. The past century has seen two world wars and innumerable smaller scale wars, rebellions and conflicts. Some of these “smaller scale” wars are in areas of the world that have been conflict and war torn for millennia. Who is powerful enough to command peace? Peace, peace, is there no peace?

In this Advent season, we sing one of the newer hymns from Evangelical Lutheran Worship whose title is “Come Now, O Prince of Peace”. In this hymn we ask for the Prince of Peace to make us one body and for Jesus to reconcile his people. Because of our sinful natures, self-interest and divisiveness, it is not possible for us to make peace ourselves. Only the power of God made manifest in Christ can bring peace into the world. In this Advent season, we pray for the Prince of Peace to come as a way to unite and mend our differences, bringing the peace that transcends our sinfulness.

PRAYER:

Prince of Peace, we pray that your healing power and uniting force might bring peace into this troubled world. Amen

Devotion for the Monday of the Fourth Week in Advent

Theme for the week: peace

Devotion for the monday of the fourth Week in Advent (Day 23)

Reading: Isaiah 9:1–7 (NRSV)

¹ But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. ² The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. ³ You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. ⁴ For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. ⁵ For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. ⁶ For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

REFLECTION:

“The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light!!” This passage from Isaiah is our Old Testament reading on Christmas Eve each year. There is something particularly moving about hearing this read in a darkened and candlelit church. The words verbalize the feelings that, at least occasionally, cross our own hearts and minds.

We are those people. We often walk in a kind of darkness—a darkness of soul, a darkness of mood, or a darkness that arises from the sinful nature of humankind. We see poverty, we see crime, we see homelessness and hunger, yet at the same time we see those who have too much of everything. We can feel darkness and despair at the inequity, war, crime and poverty that we see around us.

Yet in the midst of this darkness, we are people who have seen a great light. We are blessed by knowing the Light that is Christ. We have heard the words spoken by Jesus’ mother Mary before his birth. The poor will be lifted up and the hungry will be fed. The Kingdom of God is at hand. The light will prevail. In that light that is Christ, look around you for the signs of hope and peace. The signs of the lame walking, the blind seeing, the hungry be fed and the homeless being given shelter.

“The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light!!”

PRAYER:

Pray that the Light which is Christ might brighten your life and reveal to you the coming of God’s Kingdom. May that Light show you the signs of hope and peace. May that Light brighten your path as you seek to live in the Kingdom of God. Amen

Devotion for the Sunday of the Fourth Week in Advent

Theme for the week: peace

Devotion for the sunday of the fourth Week in Advent (Day 22)

Reading: 1 Samuel 1:9–20 (NRSV)

⁹ After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰ She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. ¹¹ She made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.” ¹² As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. ¹⁴ So Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.” ¹⁵ But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. ¹⁶ Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” ¹⁷ Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.” ¹⁸ And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer. ¹⁹ They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. ²⁰ In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.”

REFLECTION:

What does the promise of peace mean in the midst of anxiety?

There are many things that cause anxiety in our society today, just as there were in the time of Hannah and Eli. Some of the great anxiety causers today are illness, unemployment, housing and food insecurity, money, and the inability to achieve desired plans.

Hannah, herself, knew more than a little about the anxiety of unfulfilled dreams. She was in great distress because her plan to bear a child seemed unreachable.

In this last week before Christmas, there are many among us who are feeling great anxiety. Some are anxious because they cannot afford to buy the gifts they think loved ones want or need. Some are anxious because they know that they have already run up credit card bills, that they cannot pay. For others the anxiety arises because they are worried that their attempts to create a “perfect” Christmas celebration will fall short. Some fear get-togethers with relatives. The temptations of parties, along with too much eating and drinking are also a source of anxiety for others.

Is it not somewhat ironic that so much anxiety arises from our attempts to celebrate the birth of a baby, who will be known as the Prince of Peace? It is not this child that causes the anxiety, but rather our own sinful natures arising out of our twinned desires for control and for more of everything. Eli’s promise of peace to Hannah, and God’s desire for peace for us are promises of wholeness and well-being. God desires contentment and an appreciation of living in God’s own abundance for us, rather than anxiety and a craving for more.

PRAYER:

Pray that the Prince of Peace might grant you a sense of shalom--peace, well-being, wholeness, and contentment. Pray that God might help you to treasure what you have rather than seeking additional treasure. Amen

Devotion for the Saturday of the Third Week in Advent

Theme for the week: Joy

Devotion for the saturday of the third Week in Advent (Day 21)

Reading: Philippians 4:4–7 (NRSV)

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

REFLECTION:

On this last Saturday in Advent, which is also the last Saturday before Christmas, what are you feeling? Do you have a sense of Advent delight? Are you feeling happiness because the coming of the baby in the manger is near? Is the growing light of the Advent wreath, signifying the growing strength of Light in the world giving you an unquenchable joy? Is the peace that is Christ giving you a sense of calm? May it be so for you!!

OR…is the annual Christmas frenzy wearing you down? Are you feeling heart palpitations because there are more items on your to do list than you have energy to do, or because you have more commitments than there are minutes in the day between now and Christmas morning? Are you moving so fast that perhaps you really don’t have time to even take a deep breath, much less read this devotion?

OR…is the melancholy of Christmas past weighing you down? Are you lonely because you have outlived many of your friends and family? Are you mourning someone who is no longer in this life, or missing someone whom you will not see this holiday season? Are you worried about a child, friend or other relative far away, perhaps serving our country in a troubled place in the world? Are you filled with fear because someone you love has taken a wrong turn in his or her life? Are you filled with anguish over a broken relationship?

Is there any stress, worry, grief or loneliness that is keeping you from feeling pure joy at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ? Rather than trying to give you any “computer distance” pastoral counseling, I suggest you re-read the passage from Philippians. Focus particularly on verse 6: “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Take a few minutes this morning and pour out your heart to God. Listen for God’s “pastoral counseling.”

PRAYER:

My prayer for you this morning, is that you will be able to open your heart, mind, body and soul to God, handing over to God anything that is weighing you down or stressing you out. May God hear your prayers. May God give your comfort and counsel. May God give you the peace that only God can give. Amen

Devotion for the Friday of the Third Week in Advent

Theme for the week: Joy

Devotion for the Friday of the third Week in Advent (Day 20)

Reading: Matthew 28:1–10 (NRSV)

¹ After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” ⁸ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

REFLECTION:

I have to admit, I am using this text only because I committed to reflect on the texts that are part of the devotions in the Advent devotional book “I Wonder as I Wander.” Personally I find using last supper and resurrection texts in the Advent season to be so out of sync with the church year, that I find it hard “to go there.”

But given this text, in this time, what does this passage have to say to our work of Advent waiting, and the joy that awaits us. There is waiting, fear and joy in this text. Waiting and joy are both characteristic of Advent, and Advent has a bit of fear as well. (Just ask Mary, the Mother of Jesus what she felt when the angel showed up to inform her that she was to be a mother!)

In this Easter text, clearly Mary Magdalene and the other Mary have been waiting. Jesus was buried at the start of the Sabbath on Friday night. They were not permitted to do any burial rites on the Sabbath, and when the Sabbath ended after dark on Saturday night, I imagine that they might have been too afraid to go to the tomb in the dark. Imagine that waiting! Their teacher and hero had just died at terrible death and had been buried, and they couldn’t even go to the tomb over the Sabbath. They had that long day of waiting and wondering of what had happened to Jesus in death. A day of waiting and mourning, filled with fear. Were they to be next? Would the authorities come after Jesus’ followers. If they were killed also, what would happen to their families? Now that Jesus was gone, what were they going to do with their lives? The meaning of life had seemed to evaporate with Jesus’ death.

The Marys were in a time of waiting—waiting without being clear as to what the end would be. We have lots of examples of this uncertain waiting in our lives. Just ask anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, but has to wait a month to see the doctor. In contrast, the Advent kind of waiting is a waiting which looks ahead with more joy than the waiting the Marys experienced during that long Sabbath, or which we experience as we await what we think will be bad news.

Then there is the trip, on that first Easter, to the tomb, which turned out to be empty. First the fear! It is kind of ironic that the angel says to the women, “Do not be afraid.” Angels always say that when your first impulse is either to melt in fear or take off running. These are the same words that the angel said to both Joseph and Mary. Of course the women at the tomb were afraid. The tomb was empty. Either Jesus’ body had been stolen, or something had happened that defied human reason. And now they were seeing an angel, and they were not supposed to be afraid. Not likely! Although “Fear NOT” is a powerful command, it is not one that is easy to follow. Sometimes we just have to flow with the fear to work through it.

After the women at the tomb experience fear, they also experience joy. Joy at finding out that Jesus has defied death and evil and risen from the dead. Theirs was a joy that transcends human reason. The Easter message, “He is Risen!” brings us a joy that is both unexpected and defies reason.

Our Advent joy also transcends human reason. There is joy at the birth of baby, joy that a Savior has been born, even if he doesn’t look like what we expect a Messiah to look like. There is joy at all the mystery surrounding this birth, and there is joy that Mary, Jesus’ mother can only ponder in her heart. The Christmas birth brings us joy because it is so unexpected.

What joy have you experienced recently? Is it a joy that you expected? Is this joy mixed with any other emotion?

PRAYER: Pray that joy may rise out of the fear and waiting in your life.

Devotion for the Thursday of the Third Week in Advent

Theme for the week: Joy

Devotion for the thursday of the third Week in Advent (Day 19)

Reading: John 15:7–11 (NRSV)

⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

REFLECTION:

“Your joy may be complete.” Jesus is speaking these words to the disciples in the context of his last supper with them. He has already washed their feet, served them a meal and now is beginning to prepare them for life without him. Jesus is giving to the disciples his own joy so that their joy may be whole and complete. Jesus is giving them the inner peace, serenity, fear of the Lord and focus that leads to complete joy. Jesus wants them to be able to accomplish their work joyfully, without fear, worry or concern. Jesus is giving them this joy as a kind of inoculation against what he knows they are going to face. In a very short while, they are going to be leaderless and in mourning. Jesus wants the disciples’ inner joy to protect them against the inevitable mourning and possible despair they will face.

Is your own joy complete? Is it whole and holy? If not, in what part of your life is your joy incomplete? What is stopping your joy from being complete? Jesus promises that we will abide in his love. Abiding in his love is like setting up a home with Jesus’ love spread over us like a tent.

What does knowing and feeling surrounded by Jesus’ complete love do for your sense of joy? What incompleteness do you want to share with Jesus? In describing this incompleteness to Jesus in prayer, try to visualize what it would look like if your joy were completed. Visualize Jesus love coming to you and filling out this incomplete place in your life. As Jesus’ has commanded, ask him for what it is that you need to feel complete joy.

PRAYER: Pray that you and those you love may always abide in Jesus’ love, feeling Jesus’ love spread over your entire life. Pray that Jesus’ love may heal and fill those incomplete spots where joy is blocked. Pray for all those who are lonely, in despair, unable to pray, or have no one to pray for them. Pray that Jesus may bring joy into their lives. Amen

Devotion for the Wednesday of the Third Week in Advent

Theme for the week: Joy

Devotion for the Wednesday of the third Week in Advent (Day 18)

Reading: Jeremiah 15:15–21 (NRSV)

¹⁵ O Lord, you know; remember me and visit me, and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance do not take me away; know that on your account I suffer insult. ¹⁶ Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts. ¹⁷ I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; under the weight of your hand I sat alone, for you had filled me with indignation. ¹⁸ Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail. ¹⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord: If you turn back, I will take you back, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall serve as my mouth. It is they who will turn to you, not you who will turn to them. ²⁰ And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, says the Lord. ²¹ I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.

REFLECTION:

“Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.”

What images come to your mind when you think of the Word of God? Do you think of comfort, sustenance, judgment, promise, fear, or all of the above? Would you use the word ‘joy’, as the prophet Jeremiah does, when he describes what God’s Word means to him?

God’s Word can act on us in many ways. In fact the same Biblical passage can affect us in different ways on different days in our lives. One of the blessings of God’s Word is that is that it acts on us, in the ways that we need at a particular point in time. God’s Word does sometimes challenge us, particularly when we are feeling complacent. We can also be comforted by God’s Word, at a time when perhaps we feel that there is no hope. In the psalms we certainly find words of comfort for difficult times in our lives. There are also times when God’s Word does judge or convict us, when we need to be brought face to face with things that we have done wrong. There are other times when we are in dire need of strength or uplifting. At these times, God’s Word comforts us and saves us.

Martin Luther wrote that all of the Bible consists of God’s Law and God’s Promise or Gospel. The Law convicts us and kills the sinner within us, driving us to need the Gospel. Just when we are feeling terribly convicted, we are driven to the comfort of the Gospel, which brings us back to life again. When the Gospel acts on us, we are filled with joy—the joy of the knowledge that God has forgiven us and saved us, even when we have done nothing to deserve God’s forgiveness.

In this passage, Jeremiah can depend on God’s promise that God will deliver him out of the hand of the wicked. No wonder Jeremiah can speak of the joy of God’s Word—a joy in the promise God has made to keep him from slipping into the grasp of the ruthless.

When have you experienced joy from the way that God’s Gospel or Promise has acted on your life? Has God ever pulled you out of the grasp of evil? What Bible story or quote most means joy to you?

PRAYER:

Pray that you might experience God’s Law showing you when you are going in the wrong direction. Pray that you might feel yourself being driven to need the comfort of the Gospel or God’s Promise. Pray that the joy of Gospel might permeate your life. Amen

Devotion for the Tuesday of the Third Week in Advent

Theme for the week: Joy

Devotion for the tuesday of third the Week in Advent (Day 17)

Reading: Proverbs 10:27–32 (NRSV)

²⁷The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.

²⁸The hope of the righteous ends in gladness, but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing.

²⁹The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright, but destruction for evildoers.

³⁰The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not remain in the land.

³¹The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

³²The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

REFLECTION:

How does the fear of the Lord prolong life? The fear of the Lord does not imply a terror, but rather respect and awe. Have you ever known someone who lives what we might call a God-fearing life? A person like this typically lives a prayer-filled life and knows how to call on God. Someone living a God-fearing life tries to live life in a way that best fulfills God’s expectations as he or she understands them. A God-fearer also knows that as a human he or she will never be able to fully measure up to God’s standards and will inevitably have to fall back on God’s grace.

Someone who is comfortable in prayer, easily able to call on God, and living a life directed by God is someone who is usually living a serene life. Such serenity is often characterized by generosity and is accompanied by a sense of living into God’s abundance, rather than stressing about getting the latest and best things.

The serenity and the sense of living into God’s abundance means a lower stress lifestyle. Current medical practice encourages people to reduce the tension in their lives in order to reduce the incidence of diseases induced or aggravated by stress. Living a prayer-filled life, coupled with contentment and an awe of the Lord will most likely mean a higher quality, joyful life. The lower stress associated with this lifestyle may also lead to an increase in length of a person’s life.

PRAYER:

Pray that God may help you to learn to love and fear the Lord. Pray that your fear of the Lord will lead to a prayer filled life and a sense of abundance, contentment, and joy.

Devotion for the Monday of the Third Week in Advent

Theme for the week: joy

Devotion for the monday of the third Week in Advent (Day 16)

Reading: Psalm 30:1–5 (NRSV)

¹I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.

²O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

³O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

⁴Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.

⁵For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

REFLECTION:

“Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

Have you ever had the experience of worrying and stressing about something at night? Worries and dreaded things seem to take on superhuman proportions at night. Bad stuff seems to weigh more heavily at night and there often seem to be no solutions. Tears that start in the evening often seem to continue long into the night. Loneliness and grief seem to be more powerful at night.

Likewise on a sunny morning, worries seem much more manageable. Some of the stresses seem to evaporate in the daylight and sunshine. It is so much easier to be joyful on a sunny morning than on a rainy night. A summer sunrise gives the whole world a new start, a fresh slate on which God can write new design.

God gives each us a new day and a new start each morning. God’s anger does not last, and neither should our anger, stress, or tears. Let God’s favor help you to start each day anew. Martin Luther wrote how each morning, a new you rises from the waters of baptism--renewed and forgiven. When you wake up and wash your face, remember with joy that you have been baptized and forgiven.

PRAYER:

Gracious God, help me to have joyous mornings and fresh starts. Help me to remember that I have been washed clean in the waters of baptism. Help my relationships with others to have fresh starts each new day. Amen

Devotion for the Sunday of the Third Week in Advent

Greetings Blog Community,

I am posting the devotion for Sunday a bit early. We are expecting bad weather in northern New England tomorrow. I may have to head out to church early, so I am getting a head start on tomorrow's work! For all of you dealing with bad weather, may God keep you safe, warm and dry.

Theme for the week: joy

Devotion for the sunday of the third Week in Advent (Day 15)

Reading: Luke 2:8–15 (NRSV)

⁸ In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

REFLECTION: At this point in Advent, at the beginning of the third week, we are poised to hear Good News and to be joyful. It may seem to be rushing the season a bit, to have a devotion that includes the heart of the Christmas message, but it is certainly a joyful message. I have often wondered how the shepherds felt when the angel appeared to them. Sitting out in their fields, on a hill outside of Bethlehem under a star studded sky, the appearance of an angel was probably the last thing they expected.

When she says to them that she brings message of great joy, particularly great joy for all the people, what went through their heads. Did they feel elated? Did joy run through their bodies? Did they think, “What kind of joy could an angel bring to shepherds like us—our lives are the same no matter what happens?”

How does the Good News of a Messiah bring joy to you? How would your life be different if the Messiah had never been born, or if you had never heard of the birth of Jesus?

PRAYER: Pray that I might feel in my soul and body how the news of a Messiah is joyful Good News for me. Amen

Devotion for the Saturday of the Second Week in Advent

Theme for the week: love

Devotion for the saturday of the second Week in Advent (Day 14)

Reading: Luke 19:1–10 (NRSV)

¹ He entered Jericho and was passing through it. ² A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³ He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. ⁵ When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. ⁷ All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” ⁸ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” ⁹ Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

REFLECTION:

What greater love is there than to seek out, pay attention to and save the lost? What greater love is there than to dine with an outcast? This story about Zacchaeus is one that shows how love and respect transform. Jesus shows love and attention to Zacchaeus, who then reforms his business practices and becomes a charitable giver.

Zacchaeus would have been one of the last people anyone would have invited to a dinner party, and certainly no one would have even considered going to dinner at this house. No one even wanted to be seen hanging around with a tax collector, much less dining with one. If you had dinner with Zacchaeus, everyone would think that you were his buddy, and that you were every bit as much of a sinner as he was.

Even today, our dinner invitations are typically to people we are comfortable with and who are part of our social circle. Seldom do we reach beyond our comfort zone when issuing invitations. Yet think of how reaching out might transform someone’s life, or at least transform your relationship with that person. How might an invitation to dine be a sign of respect?

I have had a couple of occasions in my life when extending a dinner invitation to someone has changed the relationship. Breaking bread with someone is a powerful message of respect. At one point in my AT&T career, I was part of a union-management joint planning team. The joint planning started out with a great deal of hostility and “Us-Them” thinking. One of the turning points in the joint work was a Christmas dinner party at my house, to which I invited both the management team and the union leadership in my organization. The union leaders told me, later, that it was the first time that anyone in management had invited them into their home. Invitations to dine at home and breaking bread together demonstrate respect, as well as convey a message of warmth and care.

What relationship might you transform with an invitation to break bread? To whom might you show respect and care, by reaching out with an invitation?

PRAYER:

Pray that Jesus’ love might be a transforming force in your life. Pray that Jesus’ love might help you to reach out to someone who seems to be unlovable. Pray about whom you might invite to break bread with you. Amen

Devotion for the Friday of the Second Week in Advent

Theme for the week: love

Devotion for the friday of the second Week in Advent (Day 13)

Reading: Luke 7:36–50 (NRSV)

³⁶ One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. ³⁷ And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. ³⁸ She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰ Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “speak.” ⁴¹ “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” ⁴⁴ Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹ But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

REFLECTION:

In this Advent time, it may be helpful to reflect on the two-way love shown in this passage from Luke. The unnamed woman in this text knows that she is a sinner. We don’t know what her sin is, although many Bible readers throughout the years have assumed that it is prostitution. Whatever the nature of her sin, it is so obvious and visible that she has been labeled a “sinner” by people in the community. Jesus, as has been the case on so many other occasions, is drawn toward those who are the outcasts and rejects of society. Jesus shows love for those, whom others would consider unlovable and unforgivable.

This woman knows how she is regarded. She undoubtedly knows that her presence creates disgust in anyone whose home she enters. Despite this, she is drawn to the love and acceptance that Jesus offers. Jesus models the forgiving life for us. The unnamed woman, in turn, shows an extreme level of love and devotion for Jesus. This love is free flowing.

Jesus’ love and forgiveness are freely available to you, also, regardless of what you have done. How do you respond to this love and forgiveness? Jesus, is no longer here on earth to receive your return love and acceptance. However, Jesus has told us that whatever we do for the “least of them”, we do for him. Who is the “least of them” for you? Who are you regarding with disdain, discomfort or disgust? Is there someone who has done something that you consider to be unforgivable? In this Advent season, as you look to the arrival of the one who is LOVE, is there someone against whom you are holding anger, disgust or revulsion, or with whom you would like to “get even”?

Considering the love of Christ which flows uninterrupted to your life, is there someone that Christ is calling you to love, accept, and forgive? Picture the love of Christ flowing through you directly to this person, who is the object of your anger, scorn or hate. Picture those negative emotions that you hold toward that person dissolving. Picture the acceptance and reconciliation that could accompany your celebration of Christ’s arrival in this Advent and Christmas season.

PRAYER:

Pray that love of God in Christ Jesus and Jesus’ acceptance of you might soften your heart. Pray that God’s unfailing love for you might transform any anger, disgust, or hate you are feeling toward another person into love and acceptance. Pray that God’s peace might flow into all of your relationships. Amen