Wiping Away Tears

Advent Day 4

First Wednesday in Advent

November 30, 2011

Reading: Isaiah 25:7-8 (NRSV)

⁷ And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; ⁸ he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.

Theme: Wiping away tears.

Reflection:

For many people Advent is a bittersweet season. Advent calls for time to meditate and reflect on God’s promises. God’s promise in this text from Isaiah is to “swallow up death” and “wipe away tears from all faces.” In the Advent season, losses of loved ones are often particularly felt. Amid the hope, joy and anticipation of Advent, there is often an undercurrent of pain. This promise to swallow up death and wipe away tears is a powerful antidote to any sense of loss in this season.

I have read these words at many funerals in my time as a pastor. I felt, more than heard these words, as my brother-in-law read them at my mother’s funeral this past fall. In the promise of these words, I could feel my tears being dried, and I could feel God’s promise that death would be no more.

In this Advent season of watching and waiting for Jesus’ return, we have the assurance that God has made good on the promise and has indeed swallowed up death in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Advent is a season of HOPE. Because of Jesus, we have the sure and certain HOPE that our tears will indeed be wiped away.

Prayer: Good and gracious God, in this Advent season we pray for all people who feel the pain of loss. May you wipe away tears of all of us and comfort us with the promise that death will indeed be swallowed up. Amen

Devotion for the Saturday of the First Week in Advent

THEME FOR THE WEEK: HOPE

DEVOTION FOR THE SATURDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK IN ADVENT (DAY 7)

READING: John 12:12–15 (NRSV)

¹² The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³ So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!” ¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: ¹⁵ “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

REFLECTION:

Yes, this is an Advent devotion, not a Lenten one despite the journey being to Jerusalem, rather than to Bethlehem. Why in this Advent season, did the authors of “I Wonder as I Wander” select a passage usually used during Holy Week as the day’s devotion? And why, other than the fact that I said I would write devotions based on the passages in this book, am I going along with a “Palm Sunday” text, rather than a more typical Advent passage?

The reflection topic for this week is Hope, and certainly Advent is a time of hope, when we look forward to the birth of our Savior and his second coming. Our usage, in Advent of a number of Old Testament passages that predict the arrival of a Messiah are reflective of our hope for Jesus’ coming. However, when we speak of Christian hope, this hope in grounded not only in Jesus’ birth, but also his death and resurrection. Because we have witnesses that Jesus died and was raised again, there is real meat in his promises that we will share in his resurrection.

Yes, Jesus’ mother arrived in Bethlehem on donkey, just prior to his birth. But Jesus, our King and Messiah also arrived in Jerusalem on a donkey in the days leading up to his crucifixion. Do not be afraid daughters and sons, because your King is coming. The final result of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem comes on a Sunday morning with his resurrection and resultant triumph over sin, death and the grave. This journey to Jerusalem and the empty grave mean HOPE for you. Amen, Amen, Amen.

PRAYER: In this Advent season may the HOPE that arises from Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection permeate your life. Amen

Devotion for the Friday of the First Week in Advent

THEME FOR THE WEEK: HOPE

Devotion for the Friday of the First Week in Advent (day 6)

READING: Romans 5:1–11 (NRSV)

¹ Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. ⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. ⁸ But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. ¹¹ But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

REFLECTION:

Suffering is something most of us don’t like to think about and try to avoid, almost at all costs. Much of our medical care is designed to help us avoid suffering. We get replacement joints, have surgeries and do all kinds of preventive care to help keep suffering at bay.

But what happens when you finally have to face something that beyond a shadow of a doubt will cause you pain and suffering? What happens when the doctor gives you a diagnosis that strikes fear in your heart? What happens when the inevitable occurs and you are truly in the depths of despair and suffering?

Where do you go? Do you try to run away? Is there fear? Is there anger? Is there questioning: “Lord why did this have to happen to me?” Do you ever get to the stage of acceptance? If you do get to acceptance is it something more than numbness?

St. Paul’s explanation in this passage from Romans provides a different look at suffering. “Suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint.” According to St. Paul’s words, hope ultimately emerges from suffering. This hope emerges through the action of the Holy Spirit in conveying God’s love to you in the midst of our despair. It is not actually your suffering that generates the hope; rather, it is God’s action toward you when you are suffering that creates the hope. The God of the cross is a God who can be found in the midst of human despair. A God whose Son has been crucified is a God who comes into situations of suffering, and who brings hope into the most desperate places.

Suffering leads to hope because God cares about you enough to come down to you and bring you the hope of the resurrection. God will ultimately heal in the ways that God knows best. Hope does not disappoint!

Prayer:

Lord God, be present with us when the diagnosis is grim, when the suffering is beyond comprehension, and when the future seems filled with despair. God bring the hope of the resurrection into our lives when hope seems so distant. Amen

Devotion for the Thursday of the First Week in Advent

THEME FOR THE WEEK: HOPE

Devotion for the Thursday of the First Week in Advent (day 5)

READING: 1 Peter 5:6–11 (NRSV)

⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. ⁸ Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. ¹⁰ And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹ To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.

REFLECTION:

By my calendar, there are only 23 more shopping days until Christmas. Our social calendar (meager as it is) has at least one event each weekend from now until Christmas. There are Christmas letters to write to out-of-town friends, cards to be sent to family, wrapping to be done, a tree to be trimmed, and at least a few batches of cookies to make. In my case, I am also thinking about festival worship services to be planned, sermons to be written, shut-ins to visit, and outreach to the community.

I don’t know about you, but if I don’t take time to slow down for prayer and reflection, anxiety about unfinished projects and activities can wreak havoc on my outlook on life. Unchecked anxiety is the “devil’s playground.” If I am not careful about preventing a lapse into anxiety, the devil can take some minor upset and blow it up until it becomes larger than life. This letter of Peter counsels us to cast all our anxieties on God because God cares for us. In the same vein, this letter warns us that “the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour.”

However, there is hope for you and for me. We have the promise, reiterated in this Bible text, that God, who has called us in Christ, will restore, strengthen and support us.

Take a deep breath, pray, and envision the power of God encircling you, uplifting and strengthening you. The anxiety begins to diminish, perspective is restored and the devil is once more pushed out of your life. Blessed Advent season to you!

PRAYER

May you cast all your anxieties on a gracious God, who has promised to restore, strengthen and support you. Amen

Devotion for the Wednesday of the First Week in Advent

THEME FOR THE WEEK: HOPE

Devotion for the wednesday of the First Week in Advent

READING: 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (NRSV)

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

REFLECTION:

This festive holiday season can be a very difficult if you have a loved one or dear friend who died recently. Holidays, especially during the first year after experiencing the death of a loved one, can be particularly painful. As you look around, it can seem like everyone else is having a good time celebrating, while all you can do feel the pain of loss and loneliness. If a dear one died near Christmas, even if the death occurred years ago, the holiday can bring back difficult remembrances of the separation that was experienced in death.

So what does Paul mean when he writes that he does not want us to grieve as those who have no hope. We must grieve—grief is a process we have to go through after a loved one dies. I think Paul means that as Christian believers, our grief has a different character. We grieve because we deeply miss the shared life we experienced here on earth. Our dreams and plans for our life on earth have been shattered. Yet even in our grief, we have the hope of again being re-united with the person we love. As Christians, our grief is for our temporary separation—our hope is grounded in Christ’s resurrection and the promise of the resurrection of both our loved one and ourselves. Yes, grieve we must, but as Christians, our grief is tempered with the sure and certain knowledge that our separation from our loved one is temporary. We will again be re-united.

Paul also reminds us to be mindful of those around us who are grieving. We are to encourage them with the words of hope in Christ Jesus. If someone around you is grieving in this holiday season, allow them space to grieve, as they are definitely experiencing a change in their life here on earth. Their holiday season, this year, is definitely different than in past years. However, gently comfort them and remind them of the hope that we have in Christ Jesus—that hope that we will be re-united.

PRAYER:

Pray for all those who are grieving the loss of a loved one in this festive season. Pray that our hope in Christ might reach them through their grief. AMEN

Devotion for the Tuesday of the First Week in Advent

THEME FOR THE WEEK: HOPE

Devotion for the Tuesday of the First Week in Advent

READING: Romans 12:1–2, 9-12 (NRSV)

¹ I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. ⁹ Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰ love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

REFLECTION:

The world sets many expectations for us—many of which may not match our own priorities and some of which simply may not be good for us. Our families set expectations, our friends have expectations, and yes, even the church sets expectations for us.

In this Advent season, which is also culturally the “Christmas Season”, we are tempted to try to live up to the expectations of others. We may have more invitations than we know what to do with. We may be expected to be happy and festive, when perhaps we have reasons for not feeling particularly festive. We may be tempted to BUY, BUY, BUY because billions of dollars are being spent to encourage us to consume endlessly, but also because we might feel that we have to meet the expectations of family and friends.

Some of expectations thrust upon us may actually be good for us. If we are feeling lonely, the encouragement to socialize may benefit us. Others of these expectations can be damaging to our fiscal and family well-being and may place inordinate pressure on us. The pressure to consume can cause us to be discontented and can distract our attention from the Advent Journey of prayer, reflection and focus on Christ’s coming.

Paul, in this letter to the Romans encourages us not to be conformed to this world, but transformed in ways that make our lives in sync with what God would want for us. Time spent in prayer and reflection is a good way to give God space to transform our lives and give us resistance to the expectations of others. Time spent is prayer opens us to the hope in Christ and enables us to rejoice in that hope.

PRAYER:

May your Advent time spent with God strengthen you, transform you and enable you to rejoice in hope. Amen

Devotion for the Monday of the First Week in Advent

THEME FOR THE WEEK: HOPE

Devotion for the MONDAY of the First Week in Advent

READING: Romans 15:1-6

¹ We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ² Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor. ³ For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” ⁴ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. ⁵ May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, ⁶ so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION

There are days when we could easily believe that we are the only ones who have ever faced trials and tribulations. We look around and from what we can tell, everyone else has it so easy. Everyone else’s life just seems to go along smoothly…But not us, we have that huge rock that has been placed in our path. And we feel so alone. No one else shares this tribulation, and if truth be told, we don’t really want anyone else to know about it.

Yet this passage from Romans offers two points of hope for us. One of these points of hope rests with our neighbor, the other rests with the Word of God in Scripture. When we are suffering, God commands our neighbor to help us—it is God’s purpose for our neighbor to help us—both for the sake of our neighbor and for our sake. God does not want us to suffer alone, and God knows that our neighbor’s life is enriched when he or she is able to help us.

In this letter to the Romans, Paul points out that our other point of hope rests in the experience of others as recorded in Scripture. By the encouragement of God’s Word in Scripture we are given hope. God shows us through the interactions with the people of the Bible that God is a faithful God who does not abandon us when we face trials and tribulations.

Each of us will have a day when we are discouraged or filled with despair because of some burden we are carrying or some trial we are facing. Through our relationships with our neighbor and with God we are granted hope and the strength to overcome.

PRAYER:

May the God of hope strengthen you through the hearing of God’s Word and through the love and care of your neighbor. Amen

Devotion for the Sunday of the First Week in Advent

THEME FOR THE WEEK: HOPE

Devotion for the Sunday of the First Week in Advent

READING: 2 Corinthians 3:4–18 (NRSV)

⁴ Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ⁵ Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, ⁶ who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. ⁷ Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stone tablets, came in glory so that the people of Israel could not gaze at Moses’ face because of the glory of his face, a glory now set aside, ⁸ how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come in glory? ⁹ For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, much more does the ministry of justification abound in glory! ¹⁰ Indeed, what once had glory has lost its glory because of the greater glory; ¹¹ for if what was set aside came through glory, much more has the permanent come in glory! ¹² Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, ¹³ not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. ¹⁴ But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. ¹⁵ Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; ¹⁶ but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

REFLECTION:

Some days we wake up wondering if we can even get out of bed, much less do what needs to be done that day. Maybe it is just bone weary tiredness—exhaustion from just doing too much the previous day. Or maybe it is soul weariness that makes us want to pull the covers up over our heads and ignore the morning light. On those mornings, of body or soul weariness, we wake, feeling that we just can’t depend on ourselves.

Questions linger in our minds such as: “What HOPE is there?” “Why should I keep going on?” This complex passage from 2 Corinthians gives us three points of hope to deal with those times of questioning uncertainty. First in verse 5 we hear the words, “not that we are competent of ourselves,…but our competence is from God.” Two, Paul tells us that “because we have such a hope (from God), we act with great boldness.” Lastly, in verse 18, we are told how we are being transformed by the Spirit.

From this passage, I draw the hope that I am not in this life alone; I not depending only on my competence. It is God’s competence, far beyond my understanding, that keeps me going. When I feel weary or just down in the dumps, I have the hope that is grounded in Christ Jesus—the hope that anything I need to do to live out life in God’s covenant will be supported by the power of God. God will transform me to do what God expects me to do.

PRAYER:

On this first day of Advent, may the light of the single candle burn brightly in your heart as you look toward the hope of Christ’s coming and feel the transforming power of the Spirit. Amen