CHBC Advent Devotions 2023

Crescent Hill Baptist Church Advent Devotions 2023

Contents Flying Buttresses

Margaret Graves

Partnering Together with God

Kelley Woggon

How Does a Weary World Rejoice?

Grady Throneberry

Tikkun Olam

John Arnett

A Blanket of Peace

Holli Haddix Rainwater

Lean in Toward the Light

Alice Adams

In the Midst of the Busyness

Brian Williams

The ACE Project

Betty McIntee

Violet Fern Pierce

Amy Pierce

John

Phyllis Skonicki

Hope Through Change

Andrea Woolley

Community and Companionship

Rhonda Gilliland

Consider the Lilies

Dale Tucker

God With Us

Luke Griffin

Gingko Trees

Rowan Claypool

My Dad

Melanie Claypool

How Does a Weary World Rejoice?

Debbie Brashear

Peacemakers

Charles Boteler

A Taste of Joy

Jordan Conley

When is Enough Enough?

Dale Tucker

Blessings

John Birkimer

Immanuel – God With Us

John Arnett

Flying Buttresses

By Margaret Graves A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35 The Harmony Sunday School Class is made up of some of the oldest women in our church. They were not always the oldest. The class was started over 50 years ago when the women were much younger and experiencing a different stage in their own lives and the life of our church. It is actually now known as the Agape/Harmony Class after absorbing the much-diminished remnant of the great Agape Class. The beauty of this class is found in having loved and stood with each other through the years and welcoming others to walk alongside them.

The class meets each Sunday morning, now in the Church Parlor. Recently our conversation was on the kinds of things that makes us and our world so weary. We named the horrific situation in Israel and Gaza, the war in Ukraine, the divisiveness in our national discourse, climate crises, health issues of our own and those we love, problems and pain experienced by our children and grandchildren. We could go on and on. Yes, we and our world are weary.

However, as we share, we find strength and joy in sharing the healing that we and others have experienced and the accomplishments of those we love. We delight in the stories we tell about children we enjoy, including at church, the games we have cheered at, and the books we have read.

As a class, we have studied scripture and other texts together, learning from each other’s struggles and the willingness to share insights and questions. We are able to rejoice because we are not alone but going through the difficult and the joyful together.

In the prayer “for friends who hold us up”, Kate Bowler says: I am reminded of the pillars I’ve seen holding up cathedrals.

Flying buttresses, engineered to provide support for a fragile wall, allowing them to be built taller, more stunning, more covered with ornaments or filled with stained glass, letting all the colorful light dance in.

The walls would collapse without them there, but strengthened, they create something beautiful.

As a class, we are flying buttresses for each other and many others as well. In this shared love we rejoice.

Dear God, Thank you for long and enduring friendships in our lives.

May we share this love with others around us. Amen

Partnering Together with God

By Kelley Woggon We know, in fact, that God works all things together for good with those who love God, who are called according to God’s purpose. Romans 8:28 There has always been pain, suffering, and violence in the world. But what makes it so hard today is that we have the ability to know about it ALL. For me, it is the constant barrage of bad news from my own neighborhood to the other side of the world that feels overwhelming. It makes me weary—and I know I am not alone in that weariness.

If we believe that it is all up to us as human beings to solve all that is wrong, we will despair. We can also despair wondering if God is going to do something when it seems to big. But we can find hope and perhaps be able, more and more to rejoice, when we realize we have a partner.

New Testament scholar NT Wright has taken a fresh look at a familiar verse from Romans that he says we have misinterpreted at least since the King James Bible was published. Wright says that what Paul is saying in this verse is that God works together with us to bring good into the world. God has a part in the good, and so do we. When we DO something, instead of curl up in despair, then God will take our efforts and together lives can change, peace can come, justice can be accomplished, and the world can rejoice.

Oh, God, we ask that you empower us to see places where we can act to bring wholeness, knowing that we are partnering together with you for the good of your world. Amen

How Does a Weary World Rejoice?

By Grady Throneberry Although you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy. 1 Peter 1:8 How does a weary world rejoice? That’s a big question that begs for a big answer, the one that we expect, the one that we want to share, the one that we Christians believe fully, Jesus! Does that answer, without further explanation, satisfy? It should, but it doesn’t.

We are weary, we are tired and we’re frustrated by things beyond our control - divisiveness, the politics of fear, war and a seemingly endless list of other things. There is no escape from the 24 hour news cycle informing us of tension and conflict. It can all be demoralizing and debilitating.

It’s not enough to just believe in Jesus, to accept him as our personal Savior. We must believe, without reservation, that He is the Hope for a weary world. That hope is a promise of inheritance, something we know we have coming, but have yet to realize. That inheritance isn’t just for us as individuals; in that hope we know that Jesus will redeem and restore our world. In that we can rejoice.

In the meantime, what are we to do as individuals? David Brooks in The Second Mountain has some good advice in describing the pursuit of joy: “I now think good character is a by-product of giving yourself away. You love things that are worthy of love. You surrender to a community or cause, make promises to other people, build a thick jungle of loving attachments, lose yourself in the daily act of serving others as they lose themselves in the daily acts of serving you. Character is a good thing to have, and there’s a lot to be learned on the road to character. But there’s a better thing to have— moral joy. And that serenity arrives as you come closer to embodying perfect love.”

This is what it means for me to be joyful and rejoice in a calamitous and weary world.

God, help us to see the hope that is a promise of inheritance. Amen

Tikkun Olam

By John Arnett Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over…every living thing… and God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. [but not perfect] Genesis 1:28,31 While reading Alice McDermott’s new 2023 novel, Absolution, I came across the following dialogue which seems appropriate for this year’s Advent theme, “How does a weary world rejoice?”

In a letter to Charlene’s daughter, Patricia is recalling a 1960’s conversation between her civil rights activist college roommate, Stella, and Stella’s uncle, a professor at University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

Stella: “I am the descendant of slave owners, and so are you. The original sin is ours, our family’s. We don’t have the option to stay safe. Not anymore. A sin like that can’t be absolved…. I’m sick to death of hearing how the issue is complicated. The issue is actually quite simple: there has to be a break with the past, there has to be retribution. Nothing breaks without violence. There’s no retribution without blood. This is exactly why we’re going to Birmingham.”

“The professor whispered, ‘Tikkun olam.’ He smiled at us all. An ancient midrash, he explained. ‘It means “repair the world.” ‘The Jews know that everything God has created is in need of repair, flawed and imperfect. Kind of like this house. Fix one thing, for certain something somewhere else is already broken.” He smiled at Stella again, “’Tikkun olam,’ he said. ‘Go forth and do likewise.’”

Later, Patricia told a friend of hers about the “tikkun olam” phrase. “And then Charlene looked at me with her smarter-than-everyone smile. ‘But don’t you know, Tricia,’ she told me, ‘the Buddhists say, ‘Mend yourself.’”

God, help us to mend ourselves and repair your world.

A Blanket of Peace

By Holli Haddix Rainwater (former CHBC member) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 Recently I participated in a livestream Peace Intention for the Middle East that left me feeling, as Wendell Berry says, "joyful though [I had] considered all the facts." Thousands of people participated from all around the world. For ten minutes we sat together, breathed together, and sent a great wave of peace to Israel and Gaza. Afterwards we shared, via the chat box, our responses to the experience. Quite a few people saw a great blanket of peace spreading over the region. And that's what I saw too, literally, because even though I had intended to use the trees outside my window as my focal point, my gaze kept drifting to a quilt that hangs on our bedroom wall that was made by my husband's Appalachian grandmother. The quilt pattern is called Around the World and I would guess that most of the fabrics she used were from feed sacks and maybe scraps of clothing. The color palette shimmers like a spring day, but if you look closely, you see how she used unexpected blacks, browns, navy blues and reds among the pastels, as well as stripes and plaids among the florals. Did she do that on purpose or did she just choose the next available fabric? I will never know, but her finished product is as beautiful as an impressionist painting and has now become a beacon of peace for me. With her needle and thread, she has given me evidence of things hoped for in this weary, war-torn world.

Loving God, we pray for peace Around the World. Peace that is a coming together of many diverse parts that together create a unified whole. Peace cobbled together from whatever scraps of beauty we have on hand.

Peace that embraces and comforts and passes understanding. Amen.

Lean in Toward the Light

By Alice Adams Put on then the garments that suit God’s chosen and beloved people; compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience. Colossians 3:12 In November, 2016, I found myself rocked to my core by the political reality unfolding in our country. I was fighting not to lose faith in the wisdom and common good that I had believed in for years. I felt like I had lost my footing and was scrambling for a solid place to stand. I awoke weary and discouraged. Gratefully, somehow I found this song “Lean in Toward the Light” by Carrie Newcomer. I bet I listened to this song at least once, and sometimes, five times a day! It brought me back to the ordinary things and values that we find around us everyday that bring goodness and joy. Ordinary things like music, laughter, swinging in the sunshine, nature, fresh garden food, children, radiant smiles, and Hope. When the realities of our world weary my spirit, these lyrics remind me to rejoice and be glad. (Google the accompanying video to experience the lovely, joyful and hopeful images that bring many smiles!)

“Winter is the oldest season But quietly beneath the snow Seeds are stretching out and reaching Faithful as the morning glow.

Carry nothing but what you must, Lean in toward the Light.

Let it go, shake off the dust, Lean in toward the Light.

Today is now, tomorrow beckons, Lean in toward the Light.

Keep practicing resurrection, Lean in toward the Light.

The shadows of this world will say There's no hope why try anyway?

But every kindness large or slight Shifts the balance toward the light.

Waters wind and open wide, Lean in toward the Light.

Don’t just walk when you can fly, Lean in toward the Light.

When justice seems in short supply, Lean in toward the Light.

Let beauty be your truest guide, Lean in toward the Light.

The shadows of this world will say There's no hope why try anyway?

But every kindness large or slight Shifts the balance toward the light.

The prayer I pray at eventide, Lean in toward the Light.

All left undone be put aside, Lean in toward the Light.

When forgiveness is hard to find, Lean in toward the Light.

Help me at least to be kind, Lean in toward the Light.”

Loving God, You know that we sometimes grow weary of the burdens, sorrows, and frustrations that the world can pile on. We know that You continue to remind us that every act of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience shifts that weary balance back toward your Light and we can rejoice. Amen

In the Midst of the Busyness

By Brian Williams When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. Matthew 2: 10 It is funny how we talk about how busy it gets at Christmas and that this year we are going to slow down and take time to enjoy the “important” things in life. Yet, every year life and commitments pull us in, and we have little to no time left for the “important” things.

So, what should we do, to be sure it does not happen this year? Maybe we could face the fact that it will happen again, that we will be exhausted by the end of the year, but if we change our approach and outlook on all the things we do and take part in, we may find the exhaustion not to be a negative but after a few days of rest be ready to live our lives with love.

This year in the mist of the busyness, whether it’s the routine things of life that we do every day, week, month, or every Advent, or it is something out of the ordinary or a special time with special people, or a special event let us try to be present in all we do with a grateful heart. We may all find out that the routine things in life are the important things.

What I have experienced living through all the busyness of life, when we have a grateful heart we don’t miss the wonders of God’s creation; we learn the things we do that often seem to go unnoticed, does make a difference in someone’s life and what we do is appreciated. When we sit down in that theater chair or church pew to hear the Christmas music we have been listening to for years, it will still speak to us in new ways touching our hearts and renewing our souls. All those holiday gatherings that you are invited to are a reminder that you are important to other people and they need you and want you in their lives.

So, when the New Year comes, you will be tired and worn out, but your heart will be full of hope and peace and love and you will rejoice in a new year to live with a grateful heart.

Dear Jesus, Thank you for this season of Advent. Help us live these days with a grateful heart. We give thanks for the busyness of the season, for all the opportunities that we are given to make a difference in people’s lives, for all the old friends we will reconnect with, and the new friendships that will be born.

So, at the end of this season, exhausted as we will be, may we with grateful hearts give you thanks for another Advent. AMEN

The ACE Project

By Betty McIntee He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless.

Isaiah 40:29

Sick and tired, sick and tired – how many times have I said to myself or others that I am sick and tired! Usually when I am saying these words, I am talking about the daily news of gun violence. I also think about hateful politics and hateful legislation that affects freedom of choice, including the banning of books, anti-trans legislation, and more. When I grow weary, I remember the phrase we often say in Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America - “keep going.”

The work Rose Smith does in the ACE Project gives me joy. Rose bought a house that stood on the corner of the site where her son, Cory Crowe, was killed. She renovated the property and began the ACE Project, a mentoring program for youth. ACE, Acting Compassionately Everyday, Academy of Child Entrepreneurship – is named for her son, Cory “Ace” Crowe. To listen to Rose speak and see the inspiring work she does gives me joy. She keeps going, loving, and encouraging even though she has suffered the tragedy of losing a son to gun violence. Whoever killed her son has never been arrested.

I cannot mention joy without thinking of my precious grandchildren. Even though sometimes I am “sick and tired,” precious children are a reason to hope and keep going.

Dear God, Thank you for the hope you give us and the joy which comes when we see the see the inspiration of people who keep going and work to bring hope and joy to others. Amen

Violet Fern Pierce

By Amy Pierce Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 I want to tell you about a person who influenced me greatly in my life and think of when I feel weary.

My aunt and my grandmother lived together and adopted my father. My aunt was more of a grandmotherly age, and we stayed with them a lot. We loved our visits and felt unconditional love! Her name was Violet Fern Pierce, but I called her “I”. That started as a baby, I guess. She and I had a special kinship. She and her mother were almost like a couple, and many would consider her a spinster because she never married or dated. My father grew up with them and grew up in the Christian church they attended. They wanted him to be a preacher one day but I thought he didn’t because he liked to cuss too much. He had a wonderful baritone voice and would travel with the choir and sang on gospel radio. My parents would harmonize many songs that I loved to listen to. He learned to play chess with the preacher and he in turn, taught me. Preachers were his father figures.

While I grew up in my mother’s “Mormon” faith, we loved attending Vacation Bible School and sitting in “I’s” Sunday School Class. She was my first example of a working woman. She’d put on her pleated skirt, blouse with a pin on the collar and her therapeutic shoes and go to work at GC Murphy department store. She grew beautiful roses, sewed my baby clothes, mowed (the only time she wore pants) and hauled coal into the house. But she could not cook.

I cannot tell you what a gentle, loving, patient and kind soul she was. My father would tell me, “If Christ had a wife…” I rarely saw her aggravated. I loved to draw. My sisters and I would excitedly draw pictures and ask her which was best. Now, I knew dang well that mine was the best, but she would always say, “well, they are all so good”. I couldn’t understand it! She always saw the best and had hope in everything and everyone.

Years later, one of my sisters was very sick and on life support. “I” was 80 at the time and my father delayed telling her. She told me later about that situation, “Amy, I’ve seen many things in my years and there is nothing my faith, hope and prayer can’t get me through”. If not, I have comfort…that comfort can go with you too.

When she passed, my uncle gave me her Bible and told me she wanted me to have it. Among many scriptures she had marked was Romans 12:12. My uncle gave her eulogy and said no truer words than “Violet never told anyone she was a Christian, you knew”. As I get older, I think about her and the wonderful stories I have. And the lessons that I didn’t know were lessons until I got older.

I’ve had “stuff” in my life. Trials, tribulations, wrong choices other life struggles. She taught me to always see the hope. To love life and feel comfort in my faith. The Bible has many stories of wrong choices, trials and triumphs in those situations. And those he puts in my path too to help me along. Many years later, I now get something. I understand now why all our pictures were so good. Because they were.

Dear Heavenly Father, I’m so grateful for the people you bring into our lives. Each one at a time we need them most. Those who are true example of your love for everyone, and who help us be mindful of the beauty in life during times when it may not always feel beautiful. And sometimes difficult. To turn to your comfort. Amen

John

By Phyllis Skonicki Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25 His name is John, John Imoro. John lives in Tamale, Burundi in Ghana, West Africa. I met John after being in Tamale in 2010 at the invitation of The University of Developmental Studies to help assess their nursing curriculum. With a nursing professor from the nursing department at the University of Louisville, we traveled to Tamale. Our host was Dr. Robert Kuganab Lem head of the nursing department in the UDS. We have stayed in contact all the years and I have learned a lot from his friendship.

Covid hit Ghana, as it did everywhere else. I heard through Dr. Robert that there was a young man who had started his university studies to become a teacher and he was having to do his classes via his cell phone because he couldn’t afford a computer or IPAD. I was able to help John through Dr. Robert and through that relationship, my family and I have “adopted” John and he is very much a part of our family and he calls me Grandma. Unlike many young men, who want to migrate to a better environment, John wants to stay, become a teacher to better the future of Ghana. John has since graduated and teaches at a government school. We have face timed and looking at those bright happy faces gives me hope and I can rejoice in a very weary world, knowing there are Johns in the world who work every day, in their own way, to make things better where they are.

There are so many more stories I could share about our relationship and stories he has shared about his classes, until our face time, many had never seen a white woman and couldn’t understand how John could be part of a white family not of his village. I say, thank you, John for being the young man who makes a difference in young lives, and under very trying circumstances. You and your students are my reason to rejoice in this weary world.

God, may we look for the reasons to rejoice and see the good that is still in our world. Amen

Hope Through Change

By Andrea Woolley You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.

Psalm 8:2 (NLT) I am sure many folks know The Peanuts comic strip. There are several strips where Snoopy is typing on his old typewriter.

Snoopy always seems to start his stories the same way…”It was a dark and stormy night.”

Many of us know what it is like to have a dark and stormy night.

Our world as a whole seems to be in a dark and stormy night.

Between the Israeli-Hamas War, the ongoing war in Ukraine, ongoing conflict in Myanmar, insurgency in the Maghreb region in North Africa, ongoing civil war in Yemen (just to name a few) to divisiveness along party lines in our own country and continued gun violence, it at times seems simply miraculous that any of us can find the hope to continue on.

We live in a weary world, don’t we? You can see it etched on faces everywhere you go. Our friends, neighbors, family members, and strangers are weary, worn, and worried. Many seemed shrouded and draped in a bleak hopelessness. Many people have journeyed into the dark corners of life. In my lifetime, I don’t know that there has been a season when the world is in more desperate need of hope, joy, and light.

As I have read through all of the devotions offered by members of Crescent Hill Baptist church, it seems like we know where to turn to find that hope – to the beauty of creation, in the changing colors of the leaves, in friends and family members, in causes and projects changing our nation like ACE Project or MOMS Demand Action, in meditating, praying, and focusing on the simple blessings of our lives, and perhaps most importantly in our faith in a loving God. One thing that always brings me hope is the realization that this is just a season and things are always changing. As adults, we often get stuck in what is and feel like it will always be and nothing ever changes. Our children have the advantage on us in this. For kids, the world is always changing. Their little bodies are always changing – every parent knows the challenge of constantly changing wardrobes as their size changes every few months to a year. Their brains see the world differently every single day – there are skills they can do today that they couldn’t do a month ago, there are expanding vocabularies, increasing literacy skills, physical feats that they are excited to show off, more complex understandings of the way things work and the how and whys of their world. Being able to glimpse the world through the eyes of children and to see the world anew every day, brings me hope that God is at work in this dark and stormy night, and things are always changing.

God of Hope, Help us to see this world through the eyes of children; to catch your world anew every day. Amen

Community and Companionship

By Rhonda Gilliland When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.

Psalm 94:19 (NIV)

These are changing times; I’ve heard this statement repeatedly in my short life. Never has it been truer for me than this last year. I have paused on the weary world and pushed my dissatisfaction of worldly concerns to the back, selfishly focused on my own personal weariness. This has been a challenging year! Without a doubt, it has been easy to recognize my own fears.

However, during great challenge lies the opportunity to discover small, amazing truths that otherwise might be overlooked. For instance, the love a congregation showers upon you when your burdens are heavy. The faces of many, who constantly and repetitively reach out to place loving arms around you and hold you when your tears fall. The surprise of thoughtful words placed inside a card that arrives on a particularly hard day.

Rejoicing in a weary world happens in these small moments when your community lifts your spirit and encourages you to move just one small step forward in a world that seems almost foreign on so many levels. My hope is reflected in the face of each of you – you have walked faithfully, and I rejoice in your companionship.

Great Spirit that gently holds my hand on this journey. I give thanks for those around me who lift me up and remind me that we are bound by the compassion of your heart and the witness of your love.

Consider the Lilies

By Dale Tucker Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass...how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? Luke 12:27-28 As I sit here in my overstuffed chair viewing the tree outside my window, resplendent in its fall colors, this passage came to mind; Jesus wanted us to be attuned to the natural world around us. Howard Thurman related in his book, With Head and Heart, going out in his backyard and sitting with his back against his oak tree, finding solace, telling the tree his problems and sharing his observations. He said it was here that he first felt the unity of all living things and for him, this was a religious experience.

The time spent among trees is a respite for the exhausted minds, refreshing for new goals. Nature helps us deal with the over-activity of the mind and relaxes us with its soothing environment. (The Healing Power of Nature, Psychology Today, 11/4/2021.)

So, I sit in my chair, relax and find peace for a bit, leaving behind the huge and troubling issues of today. If you cannot take a hike today, at least pick out a tree and enjoy watching the colors and the variety of animals, birds and insects that enjoy it too.

Lord of Creation, help us to settle down and contemplate the lilies of the field and the birds of the air and how you care for them. Let us connect with your world and, just like David, find reasons to marvel and experience the joys of those moments. Amen

God With Us

By Luke Griffin Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel', which means, 'God is with us.' Matthew 1:23 I find it fascinating to think about the cultural context in which Jesus entered the world. He came not to a world devoid of pain and suffering. In fact, the Jews were under the heavy rule of the Romans. But Jesus didn’t come to save them from their oppressors and the pain they were experiencing, but rather God came down to be present with God’s people. I think that's the beauty of this title given to Jesus; "God with us." Whether we see the pain of the world around us, or are experiencing our own form of personal difficulties and loss, let us remember that God came down to be with us through sending Jesus to the world, and that God is always here to give comfort and peace to a hurting world.

God, help me to feel and sense your presence during the difficulties of this season. Guide me to see your spirit and feel your love and comfort despite the pain that surrounds me.

Let me constantly be reminded that you are always with us. Amen

Gingko Trees

By Rowan Claypool Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Psalm 96:11-12 When I seek hope or inspiration, I can reliably turn to nature. God’s creation is a source of comfort and revelation. In short, nature lifts my spirits and gives me the optimism to carry on.

One example is a beautiful gingko tree in our neighborhood. My dog Woody and I walk by it twice a day. I marvel as its colors change through the seasons. In summer it has vivid lime green leaves, though the most interesting season is fall when it abruptly sheds its foliage.

Gingko trees have a very specific pattern by which their leaves change color. As fall approaches, the tree leaves begin to change from summer green to vivid fall yellow. Once all the leaves are a uniform color, the tree, which has depended on the leaves to sustain and feed it, drops all its leaves in dramatic fashion on a single day.

This overnight transformation produces a carpet of golden leaves for Woody and me to silently shuffle across as we move down the street.

I’m intrigued by this annual pattern which is so consistent and yet distinct from other trees. It leads me to a confident belief in a divine hand which is moving in our world, even if I can’t see it every day.

When I’m weary, I picture that tree and imagine seeing that inevitable, natural cycle repeated year after year and it comforts me.

Thank you for the comfort of creation. Amen

My Dad

By Melanie Claypool The Peace of Wild Things When despair for the world grows in me And I wake in the night at the least sound In fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake Rests in his beauty on the water, And the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things Who do not tax their lives with forethought Of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars Waiting for their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world and am free.

By Wendell Berry

My dad passed away after a very short illness February 2, 2023. He had been an ordained minister for 70 years, married to my mom for 68 of those years. His life was full of simple joys, fishing mostly, gardening, and connecting with a huge constellation of family and friends. He taught me many values, and some that I’ll carry with me are that God provides, we have little need to worry, and the natural world is full of His treasures.

These concepts are easier said than done, particularly when there is so much anxiety in our broken world.

International wars, our elected leaders and country more divided than ever, economic deficits and disparities, illnesses, and tense relationships are but a few which keep us awake at night.

Christ guided us in Luke 12: 27-40 to “consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. If then God so clothes the grass, which is today in the field, tomorrow in the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?”

Then in verse 32, He tells us to “fear not”. It’s been said that there are 364 other references in scripture to “fear not”, literally one for every day of the year.

However, research indicates that there is a broader definition of scriptural references to “fear” than just being afraid. “Fear” in Biblical context, both Hebrew and Greek, also means to be in awe of and respect for the majesty of our Creator and to engage in the power of His love. When I am living out of abundance and gratitude instead of fear and anxiety, I can better share love with my neighbor, marvel at nature, and act on Christ’s teachings. Many times, “fear not” offers the comfort of the following phrase, “for I am with you.” That presence, regardless of our circumstances, grounds us with assurance of hope for tomorrow.

After my dad’s funeral in Alabama, I was back in Louisville on the following Monday, catching up on emails when I heard a bird cooing outside my office window. A beautiful dove had taken a spot in a nest and within minutes a friend sent a text to check on me, including a dove emoji. Although I can’t explain that coincidence, I was comforted by the symbol of peace both in simultaneous reality and electronic communication.

This Christmas, may we pay attention to the “peace of the wild things”, even mysterious doves, and embrace the words of “O Holy Night”: O holy night, the stars are brightly shining, it is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till he appeared, and the soul felt its worth.

The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

How Does a Weary World Rejoice?

By Debbie Brashear Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” Genesis 4:8-10, NIV On a Saturday in October 2023 a diverse group of people met at Sacred Earth Community Garden in West Louisville. Taking the above scripture literally, we gathered to purify and cleanse soil collected from places in the west end where persons had been killed by gun violence. The ceremony to cleanse the soil of residual energy from gun violence was a transformative and spiritual time to heal the soil from the bloodshed and to cleanse our very beings.

There were tears, prayers, guided meditation, music, poems and thought-filled words concerning the loss of friends and family. As we marched with drums and rattles made of gourds and carried burning sage, we raised our voices in remembrance of those who were killed and prayed for a better world with less gun violence. It was a time of hope and peace to remember the many who had been killed in our city through gun violence and to pray for a more peaceful city.

After the march, the soil from the deadly sites was sprinkled into the ground and then hyssop and chamomile were planted in the soil. In Biblical times, hyssop was used for cleansing at Jewish rites of purification.

Chamomile is an ancient herb used to produce calm and reduces stress.

Words of peace and forgiving were expressed and we left with hope and a desire for a more peaceful community. Let it be so.

O Holy and Loving Creator, May we spread love and caring in this world weary of violence, hate, anger and bloodshed. We ask prayers for those who have died due to gun violence and we pray for a safer and more love filled Louisville and world. May the birth of the Prince of Peace remind us that this is a true possibility. May we be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers as you have taught us. Amen

Peacemakers

By Charles Boteler My Advent hope is that in a weary world we can become peacemakers. In Mathew 5:9 Jesus said “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” How do we become peacemakers? Jesus offered the following advice “...Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you... Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:27, 31.

Is peacemaking easy in a world that often yields to violence? Hardly. As Jesus was entering Jerusalem for the final week of his life, he stopped at a spot that overlooked the city and wept, saddened by the thought that the people did not know what makes for peace. Luke 19:41-42.

Is peacemaking something we only do as we gather in faith communities? Again, the answer is no. In the rough and hate filled world of the nineteenth century, Abraham Lincoln believed that we could turn enemies into friends by good treatment. To be certain, that hopeful view was hardly successful in preventing the horrible violence of our civil war, but we should remember that Lincoln never rejected the view that kindness may be the best way to deal with adversaries. One month before the end of the war and his own death when many Americans wanted revenge against southern rebels, in his Second Inaugural Address Lincoln offered the following: “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us... do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”

God grant us the courage and wisdom to confront injustice and evil and to be peacemakers in your Holy Creation. Amen

A Taste of Joy

By Jordan Conley Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that.

Because what the world needs are people who are alive.

-Howard Thurman During the isolation of the pandemic, Patrick and I decided to take up a new practice. Each week, we scoured the internet for new recipes that we cooked together on Sunday afternoons. It quickly became a gourmet pandemic tradition, served on Fine China with what my Mamaw called, “good napkins.” Over those months, we prepared Braised Short Ribs, Beef Bourguignon, Eggplant Parmesan, Spaghetti with homemade meatballs and our very own Arrabbiata sauce, Caesar Salad complete with homemade dressing, topped with pancetta & blistered cherry tomatoes, Baked Ziti, Bolognese, Pasta Alla Norma—if you are noticing an Italian trend here, you’ve got it!

Each recipe challenged us in a new way. Some used ingredients we had never cooked with before, while others asked us to light a match over our Dutch oven and stand back while the flame burnt down.

In a time of isolation and despair, these recipes became something we looked forward to each week, and believe me, there was joy in every spoonful.

Our lives can be very hard. We live in a world where sorrow and pain just seem everywhere. In times like these, theologian Howard Thurman reminds us to, “ask ourselves what makes us come alive, and then go and do that. Because what the world needs are people who are alive.” Go and find what makes you come alive, for we can stir up joy that’s as surprising and as tasty as a brand-new recipe.

God, this season of Advent, help me to live each day in the hope, joy, and renewal that you offer to our lives.

Give me the courage to look for joy, and when I find it, help me to taste and see that it is good. Amen.

When is Enough Enough?

By Dale Tucker Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a person’s life does not consist of the abundance of their possessions. Luke 12:13-21 We live in a troubled world in part because of the disparity of distribution of the world’s abundant resources.

The West is in competition with Russia and China for the natural resources of Africa, Latin America and other underdeveloped countries. Climate change and wars have created huge migrations of people wanting to survive and thrive. But even in “wealthy countries” like the United States, there is significant disparity.

In this passage, Jesus tells of a man who was not satisfied with enough to meet his needs. He wanted more!

The answer, of course, was to hoard rather than share the bounty. This greed was the man’s undoing.

During this season of consumeristic frenzy, we too may be contributing to the world’s troubles and perhaps our own. So, when is enough, enough? Do we have a feast just for ourselves or can we enlarge the table and share the bounty?

Eternal One, may we learn the gift of contentment so that we can share and bring joy to ourselves and others. Amen

Blessings

By John Birkimer I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm. 13:1 We are weary at the drums of war in Ukraine, Israel, Myanmar, and African countries we can hardly place.

Climate change impacts some we love and disputes over immigration proliferate. A recalcitrant government and many information insources we cannot trust. Where do we find cause for rejoicing?

Toddlers we loved and sang with in the nursery have grown and married and are birthing a new generation.

Roses and lilies and wildflowers grew and delighted us. Squirrels frolicked in our yards and deer stopped momentarily by.

Memories of past Christmases began to recur: snowflakes half as large as my childhood hand, carols playing and the city-colored lights in our downtown, a tree we bought for Mom Johnson, new bicycles near our tree, Christmas dinners with beloved families.

More recent memories of carrying my three-year old grandson into church as candle-lit worshipers began "O Holy Night" And other times we all implored "Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel", who has come and blessed this church and continues to do so in these wearying times., For this and other countless blessings we give thanks and rejoice.

Creator and Sustainer, In this time of weariness, grant us strength to recall and see the blessings you have given and continue to give us. Amen

Immanuel – God With Us

By John Arnett The young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 …which means “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23 Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’….God does not live in shrines made by human hands…he is not far from each one of us. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said. Acts 17:22-24, 28 “On the subject of the gods…others say that God exists, but is idle and indifferent and does not pay attention to anything…then there is a fifth group, Odysseus and Socrates among them, who say that ‘I cannot make a move without God’s notice.’…God has provided each of us with an individual guardian deity, which stays by our side and is in charge of looking after us – a guardian who never sleeps and is impossible to distract” Epictetus [55-135 CE], Discourses 12, 13 In claiming to be the embodiment of God, Christ showed “there were really two main principles of living on which all true morality and wisdom might be said to depend…to love God with the whole of one’s personality… and the second to love his fellow men as much and in the same way as he naturally loved himself…thus one would be in harmony with the Purpose of Life, which transcends time.” J.B. Phillips, Your God Is Too Small.

“A young man, adamant in his commitment, who walks the road of possibility to the end without selfpity…fulfilling the destiny he has chosen…into a new fellowship….Does he sacrifice himself or others, yet for his own sake – in megalomania? Or does he realize himself for the sake of others? The difference is that between a monster and a man. ‘A new commandment I give unto you: that ye love one another.’” Dag Hammarskjöld, Markings, pg 73 Is God Personal? Whether Jesus was the “son of God” or not, he was the person “God” chose to be his embodiment, demonstrating by his life, death, and resurrection the fact that “God,” the Force for Life is like a father, caring for each of us personally, and most importantly, He is Immanuel…God With Us. God, thank you for Jesus who has shown us that you are with us all the days of our lives. Amen

Crescent Hill Baptist Church 2800 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206 502-896-4425 www.chbcky.org