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

Rejoice Always

Advent Day 15

Third Sunday in Advent

December 11, 2011

Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NRSV)

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Theme: Rejoice Always

Reflection:

Those of you who will be in church this morning, will have a double dose of this passage, as it is also one of the texts for the day and figures in my sermon! But maybe this time of year, it doesn’t hurt to be reminded that we are to “rejoice always.” In both the Advent season and the secular December season, we can use lots of reminders about rejoicing.

In the early church, the third Sunday in Advent was designated ‘Gaudete’ Sunday (or Joy Sunday). Advent, at this time, was marked as a very penitential season, almost like Lent. The color of the season was purple and Advent candles were purple reminding worshippers of the need for penance. On the third Sunday in Advent, the readings on this Sunday were more joy-filled and often included the text from Thessalonians we are using this morning. On this Gaudete or Joy Sunday, the one pink candle on the Advent wreath was lit, giving worshippers a break for joy in the middle of the penitential season. This tradition continues in the Roman Catholic Church today.

In the mid-20^th century, the Protestant churches changed lectionaries (the cycle of readings) and hence, no longer celebrate Gaudete Sunday. The focus of Advent also was modified to emphasize hope rather than penance (keeping Lent as the penitential season). That is why we use blue candles in the Advent wreath—blue being the color of hope. Having said this, in the middle of the Advent season, JOY is still a welcome theme.

By this time in December, I have been rushing around—with Christmas shopping, wrapping, writing cards, trying to attend festivities and keeping up with all the things that have to be done at church in Advent. Each of you, may also have a non-stop to-do list. Sometimes it is hard to remember to feel joyful in the midst of the freneticism. I have to stop, take a deep breath, and remind myself what Advent and Christmas are all about. God wants me to be joyful and hope-filled. I am anticipating the greatest gift ever given—the gift of God’s own Son—given for me and for you. I can be joy-filled while I watch and wait for Jesus to come.

Rejoice always. Ok, always may be difficult—but keep on rejoicing. If you have trouble rejoicing, try the praying part. Frequent praying will help keep the focus where it belongs and the rejoicing with flow along.

Prayer: Gracious God, fill my heart with joy at the gift of Your Son. Help me to pray always and follow the prayer with rejoicing. 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

Pray Without Ceasing

Week 4 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 22: Saturday March 13

Theme for the Week: The Lord’s Prayer as a Way to Ask for Help

Passage for the Day: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit.

Reflection:

In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he give us a “tall order”. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. Was Paul kidding? Did he really think this was possible? Some days it seems like even a little rejoicing is difficult. How is it possible to rejoice always, particularly when I am in pain or worried about something, or things just don’t seem to be going my way?

I think the rejoicing always, the praying without ceasing and the giving thanks in all situations are tied together. This group of three distinct actions all influence one another. If I am in constant communication with God in prayer, it will influence my outlook on life (e.g. my willingness to be joyful) and my capability to be thankful. On the other hand, if I can find something to be thankful about, then I want to pray to God in thanks, and if I am thankful, I am a whole lot more likely to be joyful. If the “always” and the “unceasing” seem difficult, I can start simply. I can find one thing to rejoice about even if I seem to be in the middle of a raw deal. If I can find one thing that gives me joy, then I can pray to God in thanks for that one thing. That may well jump start the cycle and get me off to a much happier, thankful day.

The last part of this passage is also tied to these three interlocking actions. “Do not quench the Spirit”! If I get myself off on a “woe is me” attitude, I am can get so focused on me and my problems that I will never hear the Spirit. If on the other hand, I am busy finding something to be joyful about, thanking God for that one thing, and spending time in prayer, the Spirit will have a much better chance of finding an entry into my life. When the Holy Spirit is working with me, I will also have a much better chance of sticking with prayer, joy and thanks.

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the all the things in my life that give me joy. Pray that God will help me to find things to be joyful about. Pray for help in thanking God and praying regularly. Pray for those who are finding it difficult to pray.