Rejoice, Rejoice

Advent Day 26

Fourth Thursday in Advent

December 22, 2011

Reading: Zephaniah 3:14 (NRSV)

¹⁴ Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!

Theme: Rejoice, Rejoice!

Reflection:

What does rejoicing look like to you in the context of the celebration of Jesus’ birth? Our celebration of Christmas has many layers to it. One layer is our Christmas celebration as a Christian community. We rejoice, as we celebrate Christmas in church, following the meditative Advent season. When the Advent light grows stronger and the Christmas tree is decorated and finally lit, I think each of us, present in our CLC community, feels a particular joy at Jesus’ coming. Each of us is touched when we hear the good news of Jesus’ birth come from the mouths of our Sunday School students in the Christmas pageant.

Yet Christmas in our culture has many other dimensions. We rejoice as we gather our family together around home, hearth and Christmas tree. We rejoice when we thank a store clerk for her service in this busy frantic, season. And there is yet another layer of celebration in the public, more secular Christmas gatherings and parties in towns, communities and businesses.

I think we can be full of rejoicing and celebration of Jesus’ birth in any of these layers when we keep the reasons for Jesus’ coming in our hearts and minds. A neighborhood Christmas party can help you connect with friends and neighbors, living out Jesus’ command to love your neighbor. Perhaps that party is also chance to listen to one of your neighbors’ recent difficulties, or maybe it is a chance to re-connect with someone with whom you have lost touch.

It is only when our multi-dimensional Christmas celebration creates stress and bad feelings that we need to realize that we have lost the sense of rejoicing. If trying to buy that last gift causes us to cut off other drivers or snarl at store clerks, then perhaps we need to step back and re-evaluate the meaning of Christmas, and re-gain the sense of rejoicing.

Christmas celebrations are among the most meaningful and tradition laden in our culture. If you associate a particular food or tradition with the celebration of Christmas, and it raises a sense of joy in you, give to glory to God. If your family always decorates your tree at a particular time, and the tree decorating helps ground the spirit of Christmas in you, rejoice! Enjoy all the special things that you love about the Christmas season and use them as a way of giving thanks to One whose coming we celebrate.

Prayer: Rejoicing God, we give you thanks for the coming of your Son, and we give you thanks that we are able to rejoice at his coming in so many ways. Ground us in your Son’s love and help us to use the special traditions of this season as a way of giving glory to you. Amen

Spirit Rejoicing

Advent Day 25

Fourth Wednesday in Advent

December 21, 2011

Reading: Luke 1:46–47 (NRSV)

⁴⁶ And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

Theme: Spirit Rejoicing

Reflection:

“My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Here is Mary, singing these lines as part of her song, sung after her cousin Elizabeth greets her, upon her arrival at Elizabeth’s home. Mary, young, unwed, and pregnant is rejoicing. Mary has complete faith that God has blessed her by choosing her to be the Mother of God’s Son. Mary’s faith gives her the courage that God will help her overcome any and all obstacles that occur as a result of her pregnancy. Mary’s song speaks of her trust in God and the apparent peace that this trust gives her.

In this late Advent season, my spirit is also rejoicing in God, my Savior. The sense of Christmas and the joy of the coming of the newborn Savior is upon me. And, somehow, between God and me (with a lot of help from Andrea Green—the church secretary), we have managed to finish nearly everything has be done to celebrate Christmas!!

I know in my heart that God always helps me to finish everything that the church needs done, but somehow that doesn’t let my head rest. Like many of you in this busy season, the to-do lists have been humming in my brain for the past weeks. For the past two weeks, the humming has been so loud that it has sounded like hive of bees had taken up residence in my head. I pray that someday, my trust will be as complete as Mary’s and the resultant peace will calm the humming in my head!!

But even with my incomplete trust, God has walked alongside of me these past weeks and seen me through! I can see the glow of the four Advent candles, and this light gives me the assurance that the God’s light is indeed coming into the world. We are reminded one more time of the miracle of Jesus’ birth, which we will soon celebrate. My spirit is indeed rejoicing in God my Savior.

Prayer: God of miracles, if it be your will, give me please, just a fraction of the faith and trust that Mary had in you. Amen

Sing a New Song

Advent Day 24

Fourth Tuesday in Advent

December 20, 2011

Reading: Psalm 33:2–4 (NRSV)

²Praise the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.

³Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

⁴For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.

Theme: Sing a New Song

Reflection:

Some of you know that my husband John is a Christmas music aficionado. He has been collecting for years, and now having an iPod and access to iTunes has given him totally new opportunities to acquire different renditions of Christmas carols. We usually play Christmas music in our house from the time Thanksgiving is over, throughout December and the entire Christmas season, until Epiphany. Even though we play Christmas music frequently during the season, each late November, the music is NEW again. Because we play this music for only a short season each year, it is special music that somehow helps to create the aura of Christmas.

It is hard for me to think of Advent without thinking of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “Messiah.” There are certain German Christmas carols that just mean Christmas to me. I find it nearly impossible to sing “Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming” in English. When the music is played, I revert to German, and suddenly in my mind, I am standing next to my grandmother in the church of my childhood.

Music has the power to evoke powerful memories and thoughts in each of us. For people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, music is often their last contact with their memories. People who don’t recognize their relatives may be able to sing “Silent Night.”

Music is an important component of devotion and worship. It is a means of giving praise to God. In addition, words set to music have a way of enhancing the meaning of Biblical texts that surpasses mere oral reading of the passage.

We are in that transition time from Advent to Christmas. Savor these days and enjoy the music of the season (preferably not “Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer”). Let music be a form of worship and praise to God for you in these busy days. Sing along with the radio, your iPod, or whatever musical device you use. Give praise to God with the CD, iPod, iTunes, iSymphony or even your low tech voice! Make a joyful noise to the Lord. “Soon and Very Soon, we are going to see the Lord!”

Prayer: God of Glory, lift our spirits with song and help us to give praise to you with whatever musical instruments and devices are available to us. Amen

A Sign

Advent Day 23

Fourth Monday in Advent

December 19, 2011

Reading: Isaiah 7:14 (NRSV)

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

Theme: A sign

Reflection:

In the same way that most of us like prophecies about the future, we also like signs. If we can’t know for sure what is going to happen, at least a sign would give us some clue as to the future.

In the original context of this 7^th century B.C. Biblical passage, Isaiah spoke God’s word about this sign to King Ahaz, the King of Judah (the Southern Kingdom). This sign was an indication for him that the two Kings whom he feared would not be successful in an attack against Judah. Kings often asked prophets for signs from God about their potential success in battles.

Because the word Immanuel means, literally “With us is God”, in the centuries after the 7^th Century B.C., this text from Isaiah was often interpreted as God’s promise of a Messiah, God’s special anointed one. From a Christian context, looking back into the Hebrew Scriptures, this passage from Isaiah is viewed a God’s prophecy of the birth of Jesus. In his Gospel, Matthew uses this quote, translated slightly differently, to reveal the birth of Jesus. (Matthew uses the less common translation of the Hebrew word for young woman; Matthew translates this word as “virgin”)

²⁰ …An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ²³ “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:20–23).

Matthew quotes Isaiah to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of this sign spoken about by Isaiah, that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, “God with us” !

In this latter part of the Advent season, when we have been waiting and watching for a sign—a sign that the Messiah will be born, this sign from Isaiah is particularly hopeful for us. We wait for Christmas Eve, when we will hear the story of the birth of God’s Messiah, Jesus Christ. We wait for the hope that this Gospel (Good News) brings us. We long to know and experience “God with us”. We want the reassurance of hearing the treasured story, yet one more time, that God did indeed send a special baby. We long for the holy night when we will hear the story of how God’s own son came to live among us, a very human baby, born in very human and very poor circumstances. The virgin is with child, and soon, very soon there will be a baby born in Bethlehem, the baby whose very birth name means that he will save his people. The Lord, himself will give YOU a sign and send His Son to YOU.

Prayer: Emmanuel, God with us, we also pray for signs. We pray for signs of your presence among us. We pray for signs of hope in a troubled world. We pray for signs that Your Kingdom, the world envisioned by Your Son, will indeed come. Amen

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