2019 Advent Devotional Booklet 12.01.19

Devotional Readings & Reflections

All scriptures are from the Common English Bible translation.

ISAIAH 2:1-5

December 1, 2019

This is what Isaiah, Amoz's son, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In the days to come the mountain of the LORD's house will be the highest of the mountains. It will be lifted above the hills; peoples will stream to it. Many nations will go and say, "Come, let's go up to the LORD's mountain, to the house of Jacob's God so that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in God's paths." Instruction will come from Zion; the LORD's word from Jerusalem. God will judge between the nations, and settle disputes of mighty nations. Then they will beat their swords into iron plows and their spears into pruning tools. Nation will not take up sword against nation; they will no longer learn how to make war. Come, house of Jacob, let's walk by the LORD's light.

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o you remember those paperboard Advent calendars? Those 12x18 skinny little boxes were a great way to mark the twenty-four days in December before Christmas. Our friends, Tom and Janet, first gave, and later sent, each of the girls a calendar in late November in preparation for Advent. For twenty-four days, there was this glorious anticipation each day about what the piece of chocolate behind the day’s numbered door might depict. Oh, who am I kidding?

The chocolate (before breakfast, mind you) was what they really anticipated. But their daily anticipation always served as a reminder of the anticipation that we should feel when it comes to celebrating Jesus' birth.

The scripture for today reminds us of a time when the world longed for a day when peace would reign across the land and the people would focus on what God wanted for the world and not what they themselves wanted. As we begin the run-up to Christmas (though the stores put Christmas stuff out before October 10), what would it look like if, over the next twenty-four days, we leaned in to learn who God wants us to be and what the birth of the Messiah means for us? Let’s open this devotional daily with eager anticipation to hear what God says to us through the words of each author. Let us not worry about the countdown to Christmas, but instead enjoy the journey. That is what Advent is about – the journey, not the destination. The destination will arrive soon enough. But for now, let us enjoy the novelty and joy of each daily nugget of God’s goodness for us. ~ Glenn Kinken

2 PETER 3:1-9

December 2, 2019

My dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both letters to stir up your sincere understanding with a reminder. I want you to recall what the holy prophets foretold as well as what the Lord and savior commanded through your apostles. Most important, know this: in the last days scoffers will come, jeering, living by their own cravings, and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? After all, nothing has changed—not since the beginning of creation, nor even since the ancestors died." But they fail to notice that, by God's word, heaven and earth were formed long ago out of water and by means of water. And it was through these that the world of that time was flooded and destroyed.

But by the same word, heaven and earth are now held in reserve for fire, kept for the Judgment Day and destruction of ungodly people. Don't let it escape your notice, dear friends, that with the Lord a single day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a single day. The Lord isn't slow to keep his promise, as some think of slowness, but he is patient toward you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to change their hearts and lives.

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any people want to know when the world will end or when Jesus will return. There is endless debate about that. Peter, however, writes to tell us that the most important thing we can do is focus on our own lives here and now and ask ourselves if there are things in us that need to change. What sort of repentance do we need in this penitential season of the church year?

Peter is no different from Paul who spoke on the same topic. He wrote: “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.”

(Romans 12:2) There is still time for us to change and lay aside those sins that cling so closely to us, as the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews urges in 12:1. We have time to ask for this, seek it, and find it. Peter says, in essence, that God is patient and forbearing toward us because God does not want any of us to perish.

And where else have we heard words like that if not in John 3:17: “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

God is patient. Think about the times when you made a mess of things, behaved poorly, hurt people with your words, deeds, and attitude. And what happened afterwards? God did not strike you down, did not bring an end to the world and did not crush the rest of us who have also messed up. God is patient and compassionate.

God waits for us to turn and turn until we come round right.

God is patient. God is waiting. God is always willing to come for us and carry us back to the place where we belong. We might begin and end each day by praying, “Lord, have mercy on me. Take me and mold me until I am filled with your love.

Amen.” ~ Bill Gramley

December 3, 2019

MATTHEW 24:36-44

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waiting the birth of a child can be both exhilarating and exhausting.

Unless there is a scheduled delivery, not knowing when the baby may arrive keeps you on high alert and (hopefully) always ready to spring into action when the time is near. Mary and Joseph were probably no different as they prepared for the birth of their son, Jesus Christ.

The passage in Matthew reminds us to be just as prepared for the return of Christ: “But nobody knows when that day or hour will come, not the heavenly angels and not the Son. Only the Father knows. As it was in the time of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Human One. In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. They didn't know what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. The coming of the Human One will be like that. At that time there will be two men in the field.

One will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill. One will be taken and the other left. Therefore, stay alert! You don't know what day the Lord is coming. But you understand that if the head of the house knew at what time the thief would come, he would keep alert and wouldn't allow the thief to break into his house. Therefore, you also should be prepared, because the Human One will come at a time you don't know.

The certainty of His coming is clear but no one knows the timing of his arrival.

Be ready in joyous expectation for the return and the arrival of the Son of God.

~ Mary Ann Wexler

ROMANS 13:11-14

December 4, 2019

As you do all this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had faith. The night is almost over, and the day is near.

So let's get rid of the actions that belong to the darkness and put on the weapons of light. Let's behave appropriately as people who live in the day, not in partying and getting drunk, not in sleeping around and obscene behavior, not in fighting and obsession. Instead, dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and don't plan to indulge your selfish desires.

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ime is such a precious commodity. The older I have become the more aware I am of how quickly time passes and how easily I can fritter it away doing things that seem important, although in hindsight really weren’t. When I was a young, I would wish the month of December away, hoping each day would pass more quickly than the next in hopes of getting to the morning of the 25th and the wonder that lay beneath the Christmas tree. Now the days and moments of my life pass far too quickly. Now my desire is for things to move more slowly, allowing me to take it all in and witness the events and the moments that pass so I can cherish and appreciate them. In these verses from Romans, Paul calls us to “wake up” from our sleep. His urgency is grounded in his trust that our salvation is closer to us now than ever before, but what does that mean exactly? The key to understanding this may be within the first phrase of these verses, “As you do all this, you know what time it is.” Typically, when people tell me, “You know what time it is,” they are telling me it is time to get busy or get serious about doing what needs to be done. It is a call to recognize and accept what is truly needed and important and lay down everything else that has been distracting me. Advent is a time to get busy not merely getting ready for the 25th, but to get busy doing what needs to be done; reconnecting with those we love, rebuilding relationships that have grown stale, and mending the places in our own hearts that have worn thin through a lack of awareness and attention. The phrase, “As you do all this,” that begins our reading, points us back to the wonder of our salvation, God’s love for us, and our most important task or obligation: to take time to remember and reflect upon this gift, the true gift of this season before the moment is gone.

Lord of light and love, help me slow down on this day and in the days and weeks to come so I may awaken to all the love that surrounds me and those I love this day. Amen. ~ Bret Cogan

ISAIAH 1:15b-18

December 5, 2019

Even when you pray for a long time, I won't listen. Your hands are stained with blood. Wash! Be clean! Remove your ugly deeds from my sight. Put an end to such evil; learn to do good. Seek justice: help the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow. Come now, and let's settle this, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. If they are red as crimson, they will become like wool.

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n this difficult passage, Isaiah warns the people of God that rebellion against God comes at a cost. He condemns the community leaders’ unjust ways and efforts to make amends through insincere prayers and offerings. To receive mercy and regain God’s favor they are to end their sinful ways and learn to do right. In doing right, their sins will be washed away.

The Advent season is one of excitement and celebration. Christmas is a time of joyful giving to those we love, as well as a time to focus and care for those who are less fortunate, and there are many opportunities to do both during the holiday season.

But Isaiah isn’t talking about seasonal giving or charity. God calls us as leaders in the community to end oppression and seek justice for the most vulnerable among us. That’s hard. How do we create a more just and equitable community in today’s complex matrix of laws and systems that are difficult to understand and often seem to work against those who struggle?

Adjusting our focus less on the enormous challenges of poverty, addiction or homelessness and more towards the people who struggle can provide clues. Getting to know the story of someone in crisis can be difficult and takes time, and yet it may also help us grasp the challenges they face and provide clues on how to change systems for the better. Few can dedicate the amount of time it takes to change systems, and the thought of adding a new commitment to the calendar, especially this time of year, probably isn’t practical. But God asks His people and their leaders to learn. Our ministerial staff can help each of us discern how we are uniquely gifted to serve others. Volunteering for one of the many missional organizations our church supports is a great place to start. Imagine the impact if, at the start of 2020, we all learned about the many ways we can help create a more just community.

Learning takes time. God says, “Come now, let us reason together.” It’s as if He’s saying, “I’ll help you figure this out, I’ll show you how to seek justice and correct oppression.” And in sending His son, Jesus Christ to live among us, He shows us the way. ~ Tracy Mohr

December 6, 2019

COLOSSIANS 1:9-14

Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we haven't stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with the knowledge of God's will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding. We're praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; and by giving thanks with joy to the Father. He made it so you could take part in the inheritance, in light granted to God's holy people. He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins.

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The Invitation of Christmas

s I write this at the end of September, hearings are going on about the ethics of a phone conversation between our President and the President of Ukraine. What a mess! You watch people on both sides weaving and dodging simple truth and trying to get lost in the weeds. The feeling I get is that I am helpless in making a difference in the grand scheme of things. Already in September I long for the celebration of Christmas where I can get lost in Christmas carols, childhood memories, and the joy of the season.

But Christmas isn’t about escape through the celebration of God’s intervention in the birth of a peasant child 2,000 years ago. Christmas is about what God is birthing in us and God’s intervention through the most unlikely vehicles of all – US. The author of Colossians says as followers of Jesus, we will be “filled with the knowledge of God’s will.” The Interpreter’s Bible says that “is the ability to choose right conduct.”

Knowledge of God’s will is about an ethical way of living.

Or as the early Church father, Athanasius, put it, “He became what we are that we might become what he is.” That, my friends, is the invitation of Christmas. You and I are to be yeast in the bread, salt in the world, light in the darkness. We are God’s Christmas present to the world.

I once heard meteorologists say that butterflies flapping their wings in Chicago can affect the weather pattern in Japan. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

But what if it is true? What if you and I are that interconnected? May you and I as followers of Jesus see our lives and their effects as God does. ~ Duke Ison

PSALM 8

December 7, 2019

LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth! You made your glory higher than heaven! From the mouths of nursing babies you have laid a strong foundation because of your foes, in order to stop vengeful enemies. When I look up at your skies, at what your fingers made— the moon and the stars that you set firmly in place— what are human beings that you think about them; what are human beings that you pay attention to them? You've made them only slightly less than divine, crowning them with glory and grandeur. You've let them rule over your handiwork, putting everything under their feet— all sheep and all cattle, the wild animals too, the birds in the sky, the fish of the ocean, everything that travels the pathways of the sea. LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!

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his is one of those Psalms that gives all praise to God, and rightfully so, and does that until you read past the first couple verses. Then you understand what that familiar hymn means that begins: “Lord of all being, throned afar, your glory flames from sun and star; center and soul of ev’ry sphere, yet to each loving heart how near!”

The distant God way out there and the nearby God way down here tells us that our God did not call the universe into being and then stay away. Not this Creator. In recent years, in fact, scientists and astronomers have developed technologies to give us a glimpse of how huge the cosmos is and how intricately small the particles are that hold us together. That makes us bow in even greater awe at God’s glory!

The Psalm tells us about God and also about us. The psalmist writes, “...what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?”

Of course, he couldn’t have written that if he had not been part of the covenant community that God had called for a mission, beginning with Abram. The writer found out from the faith of his fathers and mothers that this was a God that wanted them to love God with no exceptions and also to do justice and show mercy in their earthly relationships.

In addition, the psalmist says God has given us dominion over the world God’s fingers shaped, the animals and all else within the world where we live. So we give all glory and praise to our Creator and then realize how highly God regards us. What an honor, what a responsibility God has placed in our hands! The question before us today is this: “Do we see our stewardship as a holy calling? How precious is the land, sea, and air, and how shall we relate to our fellow creatures?”

O Lord God, I am humbled to be made a partner in the cosmos you have given me. Equip me for the task. Amen. ~ Bill Gramley

MATTHEW 3:1-9

December 8, 2019

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the desert of Judea announcing, "Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!"

He was the one of whom Isaiah the prophet spoke when he said: The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, "Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight." John wore clothes made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem, throughout Judea, and all around the Jordan River came to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized by John. He said to them, "You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don't even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham's children from these stones."

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ohn the Baptist is a little odd. I mean, anyone wearing camel hair while eating locusts dipped in honey is going to make you turn your head. But I’m thinking that may have been the point. If you read John’s warning to the Pharisees and Sadducees - religious leaders who began coming to John themselves to be baptized - John had some harsh words for them. He called them snakes warning them that his message was about a change of heart that led to a change of life.

Perhaps John’s weirdness was one of the signs of his changed heart and his changed life.

John is kind of like the mascot for Advent. During the season of Advent we are called to prepare our hearts, lives, and homes for the coming of Jesus. John is said to be the one referred to in Isaiah who would come with the message, “Prepare the way for the Lord!” Maybe your preparation is not to begin wearing camel hair and eating bugs, but what are you doing? How do people know that your heart and life have been changed by Jesus?

During this season of Advent do something on your own or with your family that bears witness to God’s love, not so that people will look at you differently, but so they might notice something different about you. Need an idea? Check out the resource for Advent Random Acts of Kindness on the church webpage. How can you share God’s love by sharing kindness this Advent season?

God, during this Advent season your prophet, John, challenges us to prepare for the celebration of your birth. Nudge each one of us to prepare in ways that change our hearts so that those changes are then born out in our lives. Amen.

~ Kate May

ISAIAH 11:1-10

December 9, 2019

A shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse; a branch will sprout from his roots. The LORD's spirit will rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of planning and strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. He will delight in fearing the LORD. He won't judge by appearances, nor decide by hearsay. He will judge the needy with righteousness, and decide with equity for those who suffer in the land. He will strike the violent with the rod of his mouth; by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked. Righteousness will be the belt around his hips, and faithfulness the belt around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; the calf and the young lion will feed together, and a little child will lead them.

The cow and the bear will graze. Their young will lie down together, and a lion will eat straw like an ox. A nursing child will play over the snake's hole; toddlers will reach right over the serpent's den. They won't harm or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain. The earth will surely be filled with the knowledge of the LORD, just as the water covers the sea.

On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him out, and his dwelling will be glorious.

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saiah 11:1-10 is a passage that has brought hope to people from every generation.

From its context, we know the oracle stems from the Syro-Ephraimite war—a brutal time in Israel’s history full of violence and upheaval when the dynasty of David appeared as a mere stump to its enemies. Yet amid this time of chaos and fear, Isaiah declares that in the future all enemies will fall like a tree, and from the line of David a new king will arise. As the prophet explains, the arrival of this new king will bring justice to the land and judge the earth with equity. We are also told that some unlikely friendships will form: a wolf will lie with a lamb, leopard with kid, calf with lion, cow with bear. Furthermore, snakes will no longer bite, little children will be our leaders, and all the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord! Some may say this passage sounds more like a fantasy than a prophecy. Its words stand in direct contrast to the brutality, injustice, and violence we often see in the world.

Advent is a season of waiting…but waiting is not always easy. I know for myself, when I see the pain, violence, and chaos in the world I don’t want to wait, I want to act! I want to change the harsh realities of today and usher in a peace-filled kingdom like Isaiah prophesied—and I want it to happen now! However, when we listen to Isaiah, we learn that God is the one bringing new life, not us. In this season of waiting, Isaiah reminds us that our hope is perhaps more important than our action; but our very hope will lead to action. One day the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, but in order to get there we must look at the realities of the world around us and keep alive our hope for change. We must be willing to see the brutality of today with the hope to dream about God’s peaceable kingdom sprouting up now and growing in the future. By keeping hope, we begin to move with hope, we begin to proclaim justice, act with mercy, and dwell in peace with one another.

There are many troubles around us, but with an orientation of hope we participate in the unfolding vision of God’s peaceable kingdom. ~ Emily Rivers

JOHN 1:1-5

December 10, 2019

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

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rue confession, when I wrote my name beside this scripture, I did not realize what the scripture reference was. I chose it because the space beside it was blank. Being that we selected these scriptures in September, you might imagine how crazy busy the communications office is at the church as we kick-off the fall semester. Needless to say…I put this task on the back burner.

As I found the time to write down some notes for this reflection and I read the passage, I was struck. This passage chose me. God chose this passage for me. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” As the Director of Communications for Centenary, I read a lot of words. I write a lot of words. My life is filled with words. Selecting the best fitting or those having the best nuance can be a challenge. But this scripture is about the Word.

I have reflected on this passage numerous times over my life. To think that the Word made flesh was there from the beginning. He watched as God the Father created the heavens and the earth. He watched as mankind took its first breath. The Word humbled himself to live among us and show us the way. To comprehend that is not an easy task and I am humbled by the beauty of it.

When you finish reading this devotion, I invite you to jump onto your computer to watch and listen to “The Word was God.” I’ve included the link I used below. May the Word dwell in each of us in new way during this season of Advent and always. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLqrIOI86hg ~ Doug Peninger

COLOSSIANS 1:15-20

December 11, 2019

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the one who is first over all creation, because all things were created by him: both in the heavens and on the earth, the things that are visible and the things that are invisible.

Whether they are thrones or powers, or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him. He existed before all things, and all things are held together in him. He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the one who is firstborn from among the dead so that he might occupy the first place in everything. Because all the fullness of God was pleased to live in him, and he reconciled all things to himself through him— whether things on earth or in the heavens. He brought peace through the blood of his cross.

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here are so many stories, songs and movies that seek to capture the meaning of Christmas. Every year there are new ones that seek to recreate a moment that will truly speak to the wonder of the season. Some of them you know, such as O Henry’s short story, “The Gift of the Magi,” or Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol.” Then there is the holiday movie classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

And what about all the music that stirs our hearts and touches our souls? One of my favorites is “O Holy Night.” Even given all there is to choose from, I have to admit that one of my favorite Christmas movies is “The Family Stone.” The reason I watch this movie each year is the story line. It is based upon a family who tries to come together in the hope of finding the love, peace, joy and hope that is the message of Christmas only to have all their plans undone by the realities of their lives.

Christmas has never been easy for me. My father died on December 7, 1964 when I was 5 years old. His death left a void and an ache that reopens each year. The verses we read today from Paul’s letter to the Colossians are called the “Christ hymn.”

These words and their message are truly some of the most poetic and profound within the Bible. They tell the story of the One who comes to us, not as the baby born in Bethlehem, but as One who has been there from the beginning and is with us every day of our lives. The words within these verses that speak most clearly to me are found in verse 17: “He existed before all things, and all things are held together in him.” They reassure me during Advent and Christmas that my life and our lives are held within the love of God and even though they may seem to come undone, there is One who holds them together and will not let us go.

Dear God, our lives are unpredictable, and sometime messy. We try our best to stay between the lines and yet life happens. Help me remember this day, and every day thereafter, that you, who holds the world in your hands, also hold my life and the lives of those I love together in and through your love.

Amen. ~ Bret Cogan

December 12, 2019

JOHN 3:16-21

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won't perish but will have eternal life. God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him isn't judged; whoever doesn't believe in him is already judged, because they don't believe in the name of God's only Son. "This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil. All who do wicked things hate the light and don't come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light.

Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God."

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Overcoming the Darkness

n artificial pre-lit Christmas tree has adorned our living room during December for over 10 years. Magically, some years all the lights work and other years, as luck would have it, there was lots of darkness. Frustratingly, I spend hours seeking the burnt-out bulb to bring light back into the darkened artificial fir. I must confess that many years I gave up on my search for the broken bulb. I would solve the problem by stringing along a new strand of working lights over the tree’s “built-in” lights that refused to shine.

Two years ago, I found that I was adding more strands to the tree than I had ever before as there was a great big ring of darkness in the middle of the seven-foot Tannenbaum. After Christmas, when the time came to pack up all the ornaments, I stood back and looked at the tree with over a third of the tiny light bulbs refusing to twinkle. I wondered if it was the last year for the stubborn tree. Should it go to the curb during bulky waste pickup? Then it hit me. What if I stripped the tree of all the wires and bulbs? Then I could just add lights year after year giving many more Christmases to this fake Fraser! With wire cutters and needle-nose pliers in hand, I painstakingly removed the miles of dark lights to make way for new strands to come the following year.

With the advent of Christ, God did the same for us. God, through amazing, audacious, sacrificial love removed the darkness from our lives, however, it’s up to us to receive that light and to keep it burning. As we journey through this Advent, let us consider the places where the light refuses to shine and where darkness has overcome hope, joy, peace and love. Then let us welcome the light of Christ into our hearts, not just during the Advent season, but throughout the year.

Almighty God, thank you for sending your Jesus to save the world. Today, I welcome his love and his light into my life. May my light shine brightly for you. Amen. ~ Jeremy Pegram

ROMANS 15:4-13

December 13, 2019

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.” Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.” And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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have served on the Welcoming Team at Centenary for about 20 years. I enjoy telling people about the church and the love and fellowship found here, so you might say today’s scripture lesson gets me excited.

The scripture contains only 10 verses but they have a lot of meaning and give me four important messages that begin and end with hope.

1. The first few verses tell us the Old Testament was written to give us hope and encouragement and to use Jesus as our model to be patient and loving with one another.

2. Paul then goes on to some of my favorite verses when he says to “welcome each other” as Jesus welcomed ALL people.

3. Paul then quotes Isaiah when he says Jesus descended from the root of Jesse, a Jew, and that He would rule the Gentiles. God’s love is for all people.

4. The last verse is quoted a lot and expresses the joy, peace and hope that come with believing.

What a wonderful Christmas gift!

~ Carol Holden

ISAIAH 40:1-5

December 14, 2019

Comfort, comfort my people! says your God. Speak compassionately to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her compulsory service has ended, that her penalty has been paid, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins! A voice is crying out: "Clear the LORD's way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God! Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be flattened. Uneven ground will become level, and rough terrain a valley plain. The LORD's glory will appear, and all humanity will see it together; the LORD's mouth has commanded it."

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was a blanket kid. My blanket was one knitted by a colleague of my mom’s and given to her as a baby shower gift before I was born. The blanket went everywhere with me because it brought me comfort. I remember preparing for my first overnight camping trip as a young elementary student. I was participating in Girl Scout day camp and there was one night that we had the opportunity to spend the night. Then... tragedy struck. As we packed for my overnight we couldn’t find my blanket anywhere! All day I was preparing myself for a night without my greatest object of comfort when I needed it most. But God is good and a little after lunch my counselor brought me a brown grocery bag with my mom’s handwriting on it. All it said was, “I found it!” Inside was my blanket. As you can imagine, the rest of the day and through that night in the tent my anxiety drained away and fun ensued knowing that I had my blanket.

In the book of Isaiah chapter 40 Isaiah writes to God’s people who are in exile. They are far from home because of their own unfaithfulness. Knowing the power that my mom’s message on that paper bag had for me, I can only begin to imagine the power that Isaiah’s message of comfort, forgiveness, and hope had for God’s people. Not only was their exile going to come to an end, but the Messiah was coming.

My prayer is that whatever is disturbing the peace and comfort in your life, you might this Advent season feel hope as you read Isaiah’s message. Take a few moments to do what comforts you and then consider how you might share this message of comfort and hope with others.

~ Kate May

December 15, 2019

LUKE 1:5-20

During the rule of King Herod of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. They were both righteous before God, blameless in their observance of all the Lord's commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to become pregnant and they both were very old. One day Zechariah was serving as a priest before God because his priestly division was on duty.

Following the customs of priestly service, he was chosen by lottery to go into the Lord's sanctuary and burn incense. All the people who gathered to worship were praying outside during this hour of incense offering. An angel from the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and overcome with fear. The angel said, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to your son and you must name him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many people will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the Lord's eyes. He must not drink wine and liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth. He will bring many Israelites back to the Lord their God. He will go forth before the Lord, equipped with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and he will turn the disobedient to righteous patterns of thinking. He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? My wife and I are very old." The angel replied, "I am Gabriel. I stand in God's presence. I was sent to speak to you and to bring this good news to you. Know this: What I have spoken will come true at the proper time. But because you didn't believe, you will remain silent, unable to speak until the day when these things happen."

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Don’t Be Afraid

n Luke we are told of Zechariah’s encounter with the angel of God where Zechariah learns that he will become the father of John the Baptist, the messenger of Jesus’s coming. When the angel tells him this we are told that Zechariah was “startled and overcome with fear.” What can we learn from this?

First, we need to always be aware of God’s messages to us. Sometimes they come as quiet thoughts or whispers, sometimes as a startling event, and sometimes via angels (and we need to remember that not all angels have wings). To Zechariah’s credit, he heard God’s message as told to him by the angel. Before you become overconfident that you are always open and aware, remember the many instances in the Bible where the recipients of the messages were unaware or asleep. Even the disciples fell asleep in the garden and were even asleep at the Transfiguration and had to be awoken to that incredible event. So be aware and open!

Second, seeing that Zechariah was overcome with fear, the angel told him, “Don’t be afraid.” To not be afraid is the most common commandment and assurance in the Bible. In fact, the message to not be afraid is given 365 times – one assurance for each day of the year! Why should we not be afraid? Because of two promises God has made to us. First, God has promised that he has good plans for each of us, plans for us to prosper and not to harm us, plans to give us hope. Second, we have been promised that we are never alone in this life journey, that God is with us always, even to the end of the age.

So Zechariah’s encounter with the angel tells us to be aware at all times and listen, and then to follow with courage and hope. Isn’t that also the message of Advent?

~ Robert Esleeck

LUKE 1:26-38

December 16, 2019

When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David's house. The virgin's name was Mary. When the angel came to her, he said, "Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!" She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. The angel said, "Don't be afraid, Mary.

God is honoring you. Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. He will rule over Jacob's house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom." Then Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen since I haven't had sexual relations with a man?" The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God's Son. Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive' is now six months pregnant. Nothing is impossible for God." Then Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant. Let it be with me just as you have said." Then the angel left her.

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ach Advent I try hard to put myself in the shoes of Mary. Mary, a young woman, not married, innocent, faithful, excited to be betrothed. She must have been hopeful, wide-eyed, eager…and then the angel shows up and suddenly all she thought about her life was going to be shifted. No longer just a soon-to-be-bride to Joseph, she is also going to be a mother. Not just any mother, but the mother of Jesus. Jesus, who will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord will give Him the throne of His father David. No small feat for sure.

The thing that stands out to me the most about Mary was that she believed. She had faith. When the angel, Gabriel, says to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one…you are blessed among women…you have found favor with God.” How incredible is it that she believed it? In the world we live in today, it is so easy to let others determine our worthiness. We get caught up in what people think of us, how many ‘likes’ we get on our Instagram, who follows us on Twitter, what our titles are. We forget that God has already called us His. God has called us His beloved. Each of us has been called that beautiful name for God’s own good purpose. For Mary, her purpose was to birth, love and raise Jesus to be all He was made to be, our Savior.

May we each hear God calling us His favored one! We may not be called to birth the Messiah, but we are all called to live out the purpose God has for us. We are all called to reflect the light and love of Christ, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and to love the Lord with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. May we believe it and may we trust, just as Mary did, that nothing is impossible with God.

Loving God, help me to be just as Mary was: willing to hear you call me your favored one and believe it! May I believe it enough to live into the purpose you have for my life and in doing so, bring glory to you. Amen.

~ Tammy Pollock

EZEKIAL 34:8, 11-16a

December 17, 2019

This is what the LORD God says: As surely as I live, without a shepherd, my flock became prey. My flock became food for all the wild animals.

My shepherds didn't seek out my flock. They tended themselves, but they didn't tend my flock. The LORD God proclaims: I myself will search for my flock and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out the flock when some in the flock have been scattered, so will I seek out my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered during the time of clouds and thick darkness. I will gather and lead them out from the countries and peoples, and I will bring them to their own fertile land. I will feed them on Israel's highlands, along the riverbeds, and in all the inhabited places. I will feed them in good pasture, and their sheepfold will be there, on Israel's lofty highlands. On Israel's highlands, they will lie down in a secure fold and feed on green pastures. I myself will feed my flock and make them lie down. This is what the LORD God says. I will seek out the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the wounded, and strengthen the weak.

The Lord God proclaims: I myself will search for my flock and seek them out… I will seek out the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the wounded, and strengthen the weak…

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s we get closer to Christmas we often find our lives in chaos. We haven’t found the perfect gift or haven’t planned the perfect meal for Christmas Eve dinner. Maybe there’s a concert coming up you need to play for or maybe relatives are in town. Maybe you’ve been so busy that you forget to decorate the tree! There are just countless distractions and stressors that make Christmas feel less like a holy season and more like a chore.

Today is the day to let all those worries go and remember what this season is all about: Jesus is coming!

This passage in Ezekiel is a reminder that Jesus is no ordinary man shepherding God’s flock towards new life. Jesus is God himself coming to shepherd us back to the flock. But that is not all God is doing. God wants his flock to not only have direction but also to have a good and abundant life. God wants us to graze in good and rich pastures, wants to give us a home, to find strength in him and most of all he wants us to live in creation with Him. Rejoice! Let today be a reminder that this is a season of joy and abundant love.

Don’t let the preparations wear you down. Pray today for direction in the future, for strength in the hard times and for rest... but also pray today for the ability to focus on the good things that God has given to us. Give thanks for the life He has given you with Him. ~ Andrew Epermanis

ISAIAH 35:1-10

December 18, 2019

The desert and the dry land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom like the crocus. They will burst into bloom, and rejoice with joy and singing. They will receive the glory of Lebanon, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the LORD's glory, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and support the unsteady knees. Say to those who are panicking: "Be strong! Don't fear! Here's your God, coming with vengeance; with divine retribution God will come to save you." Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be cleared. Then the lame will leap like the deer, and the tongue of the speechless will sing. Waters will spring up in the desert, and streams in the wilderness. The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground, fountains of water. The jackals' habitat, a pasture; grass will become reeds and rushes. A highway will be there. It will be called The Holy Way. The unclean won't travel on it, but it will be for those walking on that way. Even fools won't get lost on it; no lion will be there, and no predator will go up on it. None of these will be there; only the redeemed will walk on it. The LORD's ransomed ones will return and enter Zion with singing, with everlasting joy upon their heads. Happiness and joy will overwhelm them; grief and groaning will flee away.

In the time of Isaiah, the people of Israel had been defeated and were largely in exile in Babylon. Their temple had been destroyed, and Jerusalem lay in ruins. A fragmented people, both physically and emotionally, they yearned to return home.

The scripture selection for today declares that God ultimately is in control and will come with the power to transform even the bleakest of human situations. His promises will come to pass and will bring a lasting joy to those who live with neither hope nor joy.

It has been said that hope and joy are what Christmas is all about. While that is not the full story, it does speak of an important part. At this Advent season we again look forward to the coming of Christmas and celebrate Christ’s arrival and the fulfillment of the many Old Testament promises, including those of Isaiah. This affirmation that God remains with us and works for our good is indeed a profound source of hope and joy.

It is especially interesting to me that in the midst of today’s reading we find the two verses of Isaiah 35: 5-6. George Frideric Handel used those very words (in the King James Version) to describe the glorious coming of the Messiah and his miraculous ministry: Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing... Isaiah 35:5-6 (KJV) (“Hart” is an archaic word for “deer.” I had to look that up.)

It is interesting also that the lame man would not merely walk, rather, he would leap.

Christ had arrived. Christ had made him whole, and he leaped with a joy that all could see!

Dear Heavenly Father, in the midst of this busy season we pray that we might find room for you and that we might experience what the hymn writer spoke of long ago: “Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King, let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing...” Amen. ~ Tom Hunt

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9

December 19, 2019

Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. Don't be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you.

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was looking through old photographs this week and found a picture of myself taken when I was three or four years old. I am laughing hard, standing (probably jumping) on my parents’ 1970’s green sofa wearing a dress and slippers that appear to have big fuzzy pom-poms decorating them, which very likely made them an instant favorite. My eyes are shining and every part of my tiny body is in motion. It’s a picture of unbridled joy that had been locked away for years. When I pulled it out of the box this week and saw the child in the photo, I was overwhelmed with a sense of mystery and gratitude for that child — a lot like I felt when I held my daughter for the first time.

I’ve been thinking about that little girl since I found that photo, trying to remember myself at that age. I was a lucky child, raised by parents who loved me and surrounded by a church family that told me that God loved me. I used to think that I wouldn’t have known God if I hadn’t been at church, but now I think that those grownups were giving me words to describe an experience that I was already having. I remember at that age feeling that God was as close to me as my own skin and breath and that God was “for me.” God was awesome and God thought I was awesome — and I was.

Fast forward several decades and my colleagues can tell you that there are few things now that comfort me and keep me sane better than a “to do” list — and ‘tis the season for endless lists! The Apostle Paul concluded his letter to his friends at Philippi with a to do list, and number one on his list is “Rejoice in the Lord” and (in case we missed it the first time) again, Paul says, “Rejoice!” There are big important things on his list like attending to truth and beauty and excellence, but the first order of business is joy in the Lord and until now, I’ve tried to ignore that verse because I couldn’t make sense of it. Now I think that my preschool self helps me to remember what I’ve known all along. If anyone was ever “in the Lord,” she was. I was. I am.

Loving that God is as close to me as my own skin and breath is pure joy. I just need to try to remember to keep that at the top of every day’s list. ~ Stacy Holley

JUDE 1:17-25

December 20, 2019

But you, dear friends, remember the words spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, "In the end time scoffers will come living according to their own ungodly desires." These people create divisions. Since they don't have the Spirit, they are worldly.

But you, dear friends: build each other up on the foundation of your most holy faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep each other in the love of God, wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will give you eternal life. Have mercy on those who doubt. Save some by snatching them from the fire. Fearing God, have mercy on some, hating even the clothing contaminated by their sinful urges. To the one who is able to protect you from falling, and to present you blameless and rejoicing before his glorious presence, to the only God our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, belong glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, now and forever. Amen.

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ecember 24, 1984 was an unusually cold morning in Atlanta. I was not able to leave before Christmas Eve, and since I was a seminary student, I also didn’t have the money to fly home to Ohio. So, I loaded my luggage and gifts into the car I had recently purchased: a 1971 Volkswagon 412 station wagon. It had been a mild winter, so I had no idea if the heat for this car, which was dependent upon air flow over the engine, was not going to work because the vents which controlled the heat were rusted shut. I hit the road at 6:00am bundled up with a warm jacket and some gloves and an air temp hovering just slightly above 15 degrees. I assumed it would get warmer as the motor in my car warmed up and as the sun rose. I was wrong on both accounts! By the time I reached Chattanooga, the air temp was hovering just slightly above zero. To make matters worse, one, of the gifts I was bringing home was a young dwarf lop-eared bunny, which I knew would not survive in my chilly car! I decided to stuff the little guy in my coat, where he settled in for our frigid adventure. Throughout the day the temperature continued to drop, and I found myself in need of frequent stops to warm both myself and my passenger.

I discovered that day as I traveled, numerous people who, when they realized my situation, were more than willing to care for and accommodate us, allowing us to get warm. One waitress at a Denny’s outside of Columbus, Ohio, gave my furry friend some lettuce on-the house. Our journey which typically took 12 hours became an 18 hour adventure. More than once I was touched by the kindness of others: complete strangers at gas stations, fast food establishments, staff in the lobby of a Red Roof Inn and at a Denny’s. They extended mercy, shared kindness, and even a few prayers on our behalf. The holidays can be a hassle, where the spirit and wonder of this season are eclipsed by our frustrations, or they can be a time where we seek out ways to lift up and touch those around us. In doing so we share the message of the One who comes to us to warm our hearts and change the world we live in.

Lord, help us lift up those around us as we keep one another in your love and in so doing celebrate your love and extend your message to the world around us. ~ Bret Cogan

ISAIAH 42:1-9

December 21, 2019

But here is my servant, the one I uphold; my chosen, who brings me delight. I've put my spirit upon him; he will bring justice to the nations.

He won't cry out or shout aloud or make his voice heard in public. He won't break a bruised reed; he won't extinguish a faint wick, but he will surely bring justice. He won't be extinguished or broken until he has established justice in the land. The coastlands await his teaching.

God the LORD says— the one who created the heavens, the one who stretched them out, the one who spread out the earth and its offspring, the one who gave breath to its people and life to those who walk on it— I, the LORD, have called you for a good reason. I will grasp your hand and guard you, and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to lead the prisoners from prison, and those who sit in darkness from the dungeon. I am the LORD; that is my name; I don't hand out my glory to others or my praise to idols.

The things announced in the past—look—they've already happened, but I'm declaring new things. Before they even appear, I tell you about them.

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t was the middle of a Tuesday morning, and I was sitting at the Jiffy Lube getting the oil changed in my car. I had read this Isaiah passage several times before, and was reading it again while waiting in the lobby – and this time something caught my eye. There it was, right at the end of the very last verse: “… but I’m declaring new things. Before they even appear, I tell you about them.”

This makes it sound like something amazing is about to happen, and as the reader, I just naturally assumed this must mean pretty soon (after all, I was sitting at a Jiffy Lube expecting my car to be ready in ten minutes, maybe less). But wait a minute Isaiah was speaking to the Israelites in the 8th century BC. He was prophesying the arrival of the Messiah, more than 700 years before Christ was born! That’s almost three times longer than the United States has even been in existence…wow.

This Messiah was going to be God’s chosen servant - chosen to deliver justice, to speak up for the poor, bring sight to the blind and release prisoners from bondage and darkness. As a light to all the nations, God’s servant would never quit and never fail.

But the Israelites would have to wait for this Messiah for a very, very long time. And during those years of waiting, they would be at war, ultimately conquered and exiled in Babylon, then later restored and finally returned to their home. While they waited, they passed down Isaiah’s stories of the coming servant, from parents to children and grandchildren and beyond, for over 20 generations of families.

God’s chosen people waited more than seven centuries to see God’s promise of salvation come true. Surely I can wait a little longer than I might want to, when God says there are new things that will appear.

Dear God, remind me of the countless promises you have already fulfilled across the centuries. Help me to be faithful while I wait for new promises to be fulfilled, always expecting great things to come from you. Amen. ~ Suzanne Epermanis

MATTHEW 1:18-24

December 22, 2019

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn't want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Now all of this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled: Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, And they will call him, Emmanuel. (Emmanuel means "God with us.")

When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife.

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ays away, Christmas is a time of marvelous joy but it can also be a time of fear and dread for having to come up with the perfect plan for your family during this holiday season. Who is going to host? Who is going to cook? Who is going to receive presents? We imagine the perfect Christmas day but we are only human and therefore we will never have complete control, no matter how much we may wish for it. Your day may not have gone as intended, but find comfort in the knowledge that just as he did for Joseph and Mary, God has a greater plan for our lives. Their plan consisted of (in the following order): engagement, marriage, and children. As terrifying as it might have been, when their plans changed they placed their trust in God for they knew His plan for their lives was so much bigger than they could ever comprehend, one that would shake all of creation straight down to its core. ... an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.�

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

~ Abby Dwiggins

LUKE 1:39-56

December 23, 2019

Mary got up and hurried to a city in the Judean highlands. She entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. With a loud voice she blurted out, "God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child you carry. Why do I have this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. Happy is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill the promises he made to her." Mary said, "With all my heart I glorify the Lord! In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior. He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant. Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored because the mighty one has done great things for me.

Holy is his name. He shows mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors him as God. He has shown strength with his arm.

He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.

He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed. He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, just as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to Abraham's descendants forever." Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.

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he act of singing is an ancient way for humans (and many other creatures) to express great emotion. Some say that song even preceded speech. Is it any wonder then that Mary’s expression of joy came to us as a song? The Magnificat was sung by someone utterly powerless. She was young, female, poor, and vulnerable. Her culture could easily have cast her out or erased her from existence if not for God’s secret protection by way of angel visitations. Mary knew firsthand of God’s power, and it was because of her trust that she was chosen to carry out the most important task in all of history.

Mary sang of gratitude. Mary sang of humility. In her precariously dangerous situation, she rejoiced and knew in her heart that she was blessed by God. “My soul magnifies the Lord,” she sang. And then she waited, like all expectant mothers.

This Advent season, we join Mary in waiting. We long for the Christ Child who brings peace and joy. And like Mary, we look around us at a world in chaos and confusion. Can we, in the midst of it all, ponder the question, “how does my soul magnify the Lord”?

~ Martha Bassett

December 24, 2019

LUKE 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. Since Joseph belonged to David's house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David's city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. The Lord's angel stood before them, the Lord's glory shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David's city. He is Christ the Lord. This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, "Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors." When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go right now to Bethlehem and see what's happened. Let's confirm what the Lord has revealed to us." They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told.

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Do Not Be Afraid! Look! hy is it that we hear the call to “fear not” again and again in the biblical narrative? What is it about this condition of fear that seems to be written into our human DNA?

It is true that we have much less to fear than our ancestors, when security from the elements was not a guarantee. It is true that we have much less to fear than many of our local brothers and sisters who may not know the source of their next meal. But fear is still a part of us, perhaps a more influential player in the ways that we relate to the world and to one another than we even realize.

Might it be that our deepest fears are a symptom of what we sense as a separation from God? Might it be that we are sometimes so uncomfortable with things as they are – or that we are sometimes so unwilling to let things go – because we haven’t yet embraced the Spirit-infused essence of each precious, God-given moment?

The good news of Christmas, revealed in the life of Jesus, is that humanity and divinity are somehow equal partners in this world. When we embrace the Christ that dwells within and among us, our fear is vanquished and our mundane, ordinary, and vulnerable lives blossom, flourish, and become enchanted. That is the promise of this holy night.

On this Christmas Eve, may we allow God’s very human arrival – in Jesus – to cast out all fear, all doubt, all worry. Then we can join the shepherds with clear sight, and hurry to Bethlehem for the birth of Christ in us.

~ Jonathan Emmons

ISAIAH 9:2-7

December 25, 2019

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned. You have made the nation great; you have increased its joy. They rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest, as those who divide plunder rejoice. As on the day of Midian, you've shattered the yoke that burdened them, the staff on their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor. Because every boot of the thundering warriors, and every garment rolled in blood will be burned, fuel for the fire. A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be vast authority and endless peace for David's throne and for his kingdom, establishing and sustaining it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of heavenly forces will do this.

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wenty-five days ago, we embarked upon a journey of waiting. Rather than letting the busyness of the season consume us, we took things one day at a time, opening the pages of this devotional guide for each day’s nugget. In spending time each day listening to what God was saying to us, we let God prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of the Christ child. So this morning, the journey of Advent is complete and now we bask in the glow of Christmas morning.

“A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

I often wonder if the characters in the nativity fully understood that the words of Isaiah had come true in that one singular event. Did they know that the birth of Jesus changed the trajectory of all the world? We inherit this same prophetic word and have the benefit of knowing that the Son of God has come to save the world. But with that knowledge comes great responsibility. Even as we gaze upon the tree in the corner, recall the joy of yesterday’s worship service(s), and smile with anticipation of gathering with family and friends, we must remember that there are still places where people walk in darkness. We are the light bearers and we must reflect the light of Christ in our hearts to brighten the dark corners of the world.

I pray we will live in the Christmas season as the people God prepared us to be during Advent. ~ Glenn Kinken

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