The Fellowship Community Advent Devotional 2023

is a network of churches and leaders called together to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ by growing in Christ’s likeness, living by God’s Word, and joining in God’s mission in the world.

At the heart of The Fellowship Community is the desire to reclaim a covenanted biblical community where we are united by a clearly articulated theology, a shared commitment to disciple-making, and a culture of encouragement and accountability.

As a covenanted order, we will stand together and will attempt at all times to speak God’s Truth as we know it with humility and grace.

In 2023, we have seen a growing awareness of the ministry of connections through The Fellowship Community. We have seen many newcomers find a spiritual home among us. We have connected Pastors, Ruling Elders, and other ministry leaders in the bond of discipleship across the country! We have seen an increased diversity among us, as well as the presence of younger believers. There is a noticeable enthusiasm, energy, and hopefulness about how our connections will lead us to better fulfill the call of Christ to share the Good News with all people.

We appreciate you praying together with us for visibility, connections, and engagement with our evangelical brothers and sisters in ministry leadership throughout the PC(USA). May we become a beacon of hope, a rock of faithfulness, and a safe harbor for those who feel alone. Pray that God would allow us to find one another, genuinely engage in ministry together, and be in prayer for our brothers and sisters as an act of love, as well as discipleship.

Rev. Cynthia Betz-Bogoly Elkins Park Presbyterian Church Elkins Park, PA The Fellowship Community Board Member

3

Elkins Park Presbyterian Church is a congregation of approximately 50 active members in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Our mission is to be the Family of God—to serve, love, pray, and worship together.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

- Hebrews 10:23-25 In 2023, we have seen God at work in our interchurch relationships. We partner with five local congregations in the PC(USA) and the RCA for youth group and confirmation class. This has brought together middle school and high school youth from our region for recreation, mission projects, team building, Bible study, and of course, silly youth group games. We also partner with a group of five local PC(USA) congregations for periodic combined events like hymn sings, Ruling Elder training, Vacation Bible School, and Christmas caroling at the local senior living facility. These interchurch relationships allow us to affirm our identity in the larger Church as brothers and sisters with all believers in Christ, as well as give us a chance to share resources and build enthusiasm. We then all return to our own congregations for Sunday worship, the ministry of our committees, mission partnerships, Christian Education, and fellowship. It is a wonderful balance of local ministry, regional ministry, unique congregational identity, and a corporate understanding of the Body of Christ!

...

We appreciate you praying together with us for our connections with our neighboring followers of Christ and our own identity as those called to this place, in this time, to use the particular gifts the Holy Spirit has equipped us with to respond to the needs of the world, our community, and one another with the love of Christ.

Rev. Cynthia Betz-Bogoly Elkins Park Presbyterian Church Elkins Park, PA The Fellowship Community Board Member

5

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 We too often reduce the season of Advent to preparing for the celebration of the birth of Christ.

Yet, our faith calls us to not only retell the Good News of Christ’s birth, but also to prepare for His promised return. Scripture reminds us that this preparation for eternal glory with our Savior is meant to encourage our faith right now. We are to live with the confidence of eternal life with our Lord as well as the joy of being reunited with all believers across time and place.

Prayer: Lord, we thank You for the promise of eternal life with You. We cannot fully fathom the awesomeness

x ...

of the promise of Your return, yet we have confidence that You will fulfill this promise. Let us encourage one another as we seek to live into what You are calling us to do right now leading us into the continued fulfilment of Your promises. May we be ready when You return! We ask this all in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, AMEN. Rev. Cynthia Betz-Bogoly Elkins Park Presbyterian Church Elkins Park, PA The Fellowship Community Board Member

7

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you... will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus.

He will be… called the Son of the Most High.”

– Luke 1:30-32 Holy Spirit Encounter in the Womb: Luke, a medical doctor, is the only author of the four gospels to include the account of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.

Matthew introduces John the Baptist with the words, “in those days John the Baptist came preaching.” Mark simply starts with “John appeared, baptizing…and proclaiming.” And, John states, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.” But, Luke sets out to present an “orderly account,” and so he begins John’s bio by introducing the readers to John’s parents. Luke details Zechariah’s encounter with an angel. The angel informs Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth, though “advanced in years,” will bear him a son who will be “filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.”

The angel’s words are fulfilled and Elizabeth conceives and hides herself for the first five months of pregnancy. In Elizabeth’s sixth month, Mary hears of Elizabeth’s coming child from the angel, Gabriel. He tells Mary that she will conceive a son, Jesus, who will be called “the Son of the Most High.” Mary’s first response is to to go and visit Elizabeth. If she found that Elizabeth was indeed pregnant the angel’s message would be validated.

Little did Mary know how the Holy Spirit would move to confirm the angel’s words that day.

...

The story of Elizabeth’s pregnancy illuminates our understanding of Christ’s coming as God in the flesh. Think of the encounter between John the Baptist and Jesus Christ while they are both yet in the wombs of their mothers. Jesus was the tiniest of embryos—only a few days or weeks old—yet at the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s baby boy, John the Baptist, leaps! This yet-to-be-born baby, who will “make ready for the Lord a people prepared” began to fulfill his calling in that moment by leaping at the prompting of the Holy Spirit in recognition of the presence of his Lord. His mother, Elizabeth, was also filled with the Holy Spirit. Before Mary is able to tell her she has conceived a child, Elizabeth loudly proclaims a blessing on the “fruit of your womb” and calls Mary “the mother of my Lord.”

Luke’s account makes unmistakably clear the fact that Jesus identified with humanity not only from the moment of his birth but from the moment of conception. The God of glory laid down His power and became the most vulnerable of all human beings, an embryo. Emanuel, God with us!

Mrs. Marie Bowen Retired, Presbyterians Protecting Life Lancaster, PA

9

“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ He said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt…”

- Matthew 2:13-14 For the past decade I have been fascinated by the spiritual practice of pilgrimage—a spiritual journey alone and with others to discover more about God, myself, and others. Pilgrimage provides the opportunity to stretch physically (walking farther than I’ve ever walked), emotionally (experiencing feelings I may have never felt), and spiritually (paying attention to God’s voice along the way).

Each pilgrimage includes months of planning and preparation, receiving hospitality, giving thanks for all we see and meet, journeying together with others, and it requires some inner reflection on the joys or challenges that lead us on this camino.

But here in the story of Joseph’s dream and flight to Egypt, the journey is unplanned, under-prepared and seems to be motivated by fear and dread, not faith and hope. This is a journey of survival, not an optional path for self-improvement. Mary and Joseph had no one else to travel with—they were companions on the road together.

On my last pilgrimage, one pilgrim left a note for other pilgrims: Q: Is it the journey or the destination?

A: It’s the companions on the journey.

...

They learned to listen and respond to God’s calling.

They both heard and trusted God’s voice in preparation for Jesus’ birth. They learned to walk the road together to Bethlehem and see God’s faithfulness along the way. They knew how to take a step of faith motivated by God’s prompting in their lives.

During this advent season, what internal or external journey are you on? How are you being still to hear the voice of God in your reflections on scripture, solitude, and silence? What external or internal motivations are moving you this season? Look around you. Are you, a friend, or a neighbor on a planned or unplanned journey of grief, loneliness, or faith discovery? Who is your companion for this journey?

Rev. Dr. Michael J. McClenahan Senior Pastor, Solana Beach Presbyterian Church Solana Beach, CA Board President, The Fellowship Community

11

Read: Matthew 1:18-25 The Jewish rabbi and scholar Abraham Heschel once said “Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder, and he gave it to me.”

You’ve heard the words of Matthew 1:18-25 put to music, read in worship, recited on Christmas Eve or elaborated on from pulpits. It’s entirely possible you may have heard or read them so many times that you mostly skip over them. So my encouragement is that you take a moment to read them out loud, slowly, right now.

Eight verses. Eight verses to describe the pivot point of all human history, eight verses to make the most audacious claim imaginable, eight verses to tell Mary’s story and Joseph’s story and Mary and Joseph’s story. Eight verses to communicate Jesus’ purpose… twice: save people from their sins, be the presence of God-with-us. Eight verses to record Joseph having his mind changed, tie the Messiah’s birth to the Old Testament prophecy, and let us know that the Holy Spirit’s hands are all over this entire event. Eight verses to fire our imaginations and bring us to our knees. Eight verses to fill us with wonder.

In 1933 a man named John Jacob Niles stumbled on a young girl, Annie Morgan, at an Appalachian revival, singing a traditional folksong that had been handed down to her. Niles asked Moore to repeat the song for him, jotted down some notes and eventually turned it into a poignant Christmas song.

...

I wonder as I wander, out under the sky, how Jesus the Savior did come for to die, for poor ordinary people like you and like I; I wonder as I wander, out under the sky.

Sometimes I worry that I could lose my capacity to wonder, to see and be in awe of what God is doing in me and in the world. Sometimes the mundane carries the day. If you find yourself there, try reading Matthew 1:18-25 again, slowly. It’s just eight verses.

Rev. Dan Baumgartner The Cove Fellowship Santa Rosa, CA Board Member, The Fellowship Community

13

Waiting is Not Easy Advent means coming. In this season, we wait and prepare for the coming of the birth of our Savior.

Waiting is not easy. We often struggle waiting for many things: a job, a house, healing, the end of a conflict. We pray and long for our hopes, dreams and plans to be fulfilled. The question in Advent is: can we wait for God? Advent is a season of preparation of nearly, but not yet. But why do we go through the motions when we know the holy night will come?

Advent is derived from the Latin 'adventus', which is a translation of the Greek word Parousia.

Parousia is about the second coming of Christ. We are living in what theologians call an “already not yet” reality. If we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are saved, and we are still being saved (Philippians 2:12-13). We are a new creation in Christ, yet we are being renewed (2 Corinthians 4:16). We are growing in our knowledge of Christ, and one day we will see him as He is. Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated, "The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come."

Rev. Robert Zemke Ashburn Presbyterian Church Ashburn, VA

Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people...

“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the whole earth to show Himself mighty on behalf of those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” - 2 Chronicles 16:9 Read Ruth 1 There is a Christmas story in the Old Testament. It is a story about a Mary and her baby boy. A scandal and a tragedy occur. Both stories include a journey by two people back to Bethlehem, and in Bethlehem there is born a baby from the family tree of King David. The Old Testament Christmas story is found in the book of Ruth.

The story begins with a widespread economic crisis, a depression, a famine. There are no jobs. There is no bread in the “House of Bread” (Beth-le-hem means “house-of-bread”).

Naomi (her name means “my winsome beauty.”

See Taylor Swift) immigrates with her husband and two sons to a foreign country, Moab, in order to find work. And for a while, life fares well for Naomi and Elimelech (“my God is King”) and their sons.

The boys grow up and marry Moabite women.

Then tragedy strikes. Joys come in squadrons. But sorrows strike in battalions. Elimelech dies. Then both of her sons die, Mahlon (“wheezy”) and Chilion (“Sneezy”). You could tell from their names they were poor insurance risks. Naomi is devastated. She has lost everything. In that culture in those days a woman’s income, her standing in society, her legal rights and her safety were dependent upon a close male relative. Naomi is nnnn

...

dependent upon a close male relative. Naomi is about fifty years old, a widow, and now childless, penniless, powerless, hopeless.

When she gets word that the depression has ended back in Bethlehem, Naomi decides to return home accompanied by one of her daughters-in-law, Ruth (“friend”). When she arrives after twenty years, the women of the town, who had known her way back when, greet her with joyous shouts and screams and squeals.

But Naomi confesses, “Don’t call me ‘Naomi.’ Call me ‘Mara,’ (“bitter”) because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.” So Naomi and Ruth arrive back in Bethlehem and… well, what do you know! It was just the start of barley harvest!

“Well…what do you know!” This expression stems from a tiny, two-syllable Hebrew word that can be used for providing emphasis. There is no English equivalent, no “this-for-that.” “Well!... What do you know!” works as well as anything in colloquial English.

So, what do you know! It’s barley harvest! There is something about the barley harvest that is going to change the world and the worlds of Ruth and Naomi and in the next chapter, Boaz. Barley harvest is in the month of April/May. The storywriter wants us, the readers, to know that there is Someone who is unseen who is going to turnabout the fortunes of Naomi and Ruth and Boaz. The Almighty (El Shaddai - “the God who is enough”) is wearing long sleeves because He has something up one of them and barley harvest is rolling around.

...

17

God loves longshots and lost causes and little beginnings. When He wanted a nation, He started with a 100 year-old childless codger named “Father” and his 90-year-old, barren wife. When He wanted to lead His people out of Egypt, He selected an eighty-year-old washed-up shepherd with a bad habit of misplacing his staff (Ex. 4:18). When God wanted to put an end to wars and treachery and wickedness, He sent a baby.

You might be drowning in sorrow or disappointment or loneliness or failure. You might feel as if you are living in a hole you cannot climb out of. Your barley harvest is on the way. How can you know? We worship a God who raises the dead!

Rev. Bruce Becker (retired) Roxborough Presbyterian Church Philadelphia, PA

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom He favors!

Read Ruth 2-4 Some people are just buoyant. No matter what life dumps on them, they bob right back to the surface.

How do they do this?

In the Bible, in the book that bears her name, Ruth loses everything through the untimely deaths of her husband, his brother and his father. Ruth is childless. She devotes herself to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and the two of them walk from Moab back to Bethlehem, Naomi’s home.

They are two single women alone in a culture that provides rights and protection only through close male relatives called “kinsman-redeemers.”

Without a male kinsman-redeemer, the lives of Naomi and Ruth are poverty-stricken and hopeless.

Ordinarily, the prospects for such women were limited to prostitution or welfare.

Ruth chooses welfare and the poverty that comes with it. At the first opportunity she woke at the crack of dawn and went out into the fields to glean.

Israel’s welfare program was not a gift. It was a job—to pick up the stalks and seeds left behind by the harvesters who were collecting vast amounts of grain. The harvesters could not stop to pick up leftovers and bare patches. Those remained for the gleaners. Imagine scattering a box of Rice Krispies in your backyard and picking them all up by hand.

That will give you an idea of what gleaning is like.

Ruth left home just after dawn expecting a hard day’s work in the fields and in the sun with the bugs. And she got what she expected—heat, sweat, and bugs. But more than that, in her first xxxx

...

day on the job she experienced seven events of marvelous good fortune.

1. Of all the fields Ruth could have selected, she chose the field belonging to Boaz, a kinsmanredeemer.

2. On that day, out of all of his land holdings, Boaz selected THAT FIELD to supervise.

3. The foreman has already noticed Ruth and gives her a good report: she has already worked a half-shift and she took just one break in the shack. The woman can work!

4. Boaz notices Ruth among the dozens of young workers.

5. Boaz and Ruth have a conversation. Boaz offers her protection, seasonal employment for the next seven weeks and employee perks like free access to the water cooler (even though the 200 pounds of water was hauled every morning by some of the men).

6. Boaz invites Ruth to eat lunch with him in the executive dining area. He orders for her twice as much food as she can eat.

7. Boaz orders his harvesters not to embarrass her and to leave behind some of the good stuff taken right from the sheaves.

At the end of her first day at work Ruth comes home with a job, seven weeks of continuous employment, safety, the possibility of a date with the boss (a 40-something bachelor), 50 pounds of barley, which is two weeks’ worth of groceries, threshed and winnowed, plus the doggie bag from lunch! A bonanza!

...

21

There is a Hebrew word used three times in the Book of Ruth (1:9, 2:20, 3:10). Chesed. The NIV and the KJV translate it as “kindness.” Elsewhere in the Bible it is translated “loving kindness,” “covenant love,” “steadfast love,” and “mercy.” Chesed is a Hebrew word that has no exact English equivalent.

So let me try to explain.

Chesed is reliable and loyal. It takes the initiative and binds itself with promises. It expresses itself in actions which surprise and exceed both expectations and obligations. It combines devotion, generosity, and thoughtfulness.

And in Ruth, Naomi recognizes God’s activity in the timeliness, even luck, of the coincidental events. Chesed is God’s providential, lucky love.

Both Naomi and Boaz recognize a compensatory nature (2:11-12,20) to chesed. Chesed out, chesed returned.

19th-century Scottish preacher, Alexander Whyte observed, “You put God in your debt as often as you do any handsome and unselfish thing; and especially anything in the pure interests of righteousness and peace. And it is wise and politic to put God in your debt now and then. For He always pays His debts sooner or later." (Alexander Whyte) Jesus explained, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, He will reward you.” (Matthew 6:3-4)

...

It wasn’t a GPS that brought the magi to Bethlehem.

It was chesed. It wasn’t Caesar Augustus who ensured Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It was chesed.

No obstetrician conducted Jesus’ birth. It was chesed. No network news team announced the babe’s arrival. That was left to shepherds and that was chesed too.

Rev. Bruce Becker (retired) Roxborough Presbyterian Church Philadelphia, PA

23

Patuxent Presbyterian Church is in St. Mary’s County of Southern Maryland, where we seek to make and grow disciples of Jesus Christ by building bridges for the Gospel between God and people, between one another in community, and between our church and the world. We serve a community which still retains some of its rural feel while also growing significantly through the presence of the Naval Test Pilot School and defense contracts at Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

“Jesus, when He began His ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph…”

– Luke 3:23-24 Family and loved ones at Christmas. At first glance, these should be a source of joy. But most of us also have a strained relationship with at least one, if not many, individuals in our family. Images of the idyllic family Christmas leave you wondering with disappointment: “Why can’t my family be more like that?”

At Christmas, we celebrate the eternal Word of God made flesh. The sinless Savior was born into a human family tree filled with centuries of sin and dysfunction. Treasure that thought: how was the Savior of the world born? Not into a “Rockwell Christmas,” but into a family tree just like ours – a family tree marked by periods of generational sin and dysfunction. When the arguments or bitterness come in fresh waves this December, you may wonder “Where is God in all this?” Take heart in vvvv

...

this historical fact: that is exactly where the Son of God first appeared. Perhaps Jesus wants to reveal Himself in the middle of your family drama this year. Will you and your family members recognize Him if He does?

Before I start sounding too pessimistic, I do hope you have moments of sheer joy with loved ones this Christmas. As grand as the moments of family joy are, the grandest joy of all is what causes us to sing “Joy to the World!” …the Lord is come! Let it deepen your Christmas family joy even more to remember that those moments are a gift from God, a taste of joy that is meant to point our eyes back to Jesus, the source of all lasting joy.

Prayer: Loving God, soften my heart and open my eyes to recognize Your presence in every single interaction I have with loved ones this December. Help me to recognize You in the pain and conflict. Help me to recognize You as the author of every moment of true joy. Amen.

Rev. Matt Pooley Patuxent Presbyterian Church California, MD

25

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon … And there was a prophetess, Anna…”

– Luke 2:25, 36 We struggle when days go by without evidence of God’s presence. Imagine having that feeling for decades. Simeon was likely quite old, living his whole life under an oppressive Roman Empire.

Anna had been a widow for most of her long life.

No one would have blamed them for becoming hopeless or bitter over the years. Yet they teach us that persistent habits, expectant eyes, and vulnerable souls can prepare us to recognize Jesus when He does show up.

Persistent habits: Keep coming to Sunday worship.

Keep serving the needy. Keep praying. Even when those things feel boring. Simeon and Anna had to “keep showing up” in order to be in the Temple on the day when the Messiah arrived.

Expectant eyes: hundreds of Jewish infants came through the Temple. How did they know this one was the Messiah? Simeon’s words all link to Old Testament prophecies. This man knew Scripture so well that he recognized the Messiah in the face of an olive-skinned infant. Are you spending regular time in Scripture to “train your eyes” to recognize Jesus?

A vulnerable soul: the four Gospels are full of people who knew exactly who Jesus was but wanted nothing to do with Him. We must have an honest, vulnerable soul. The famous Christmas xxxxx

...

carol doesn’t say “where proud souls will receive Him still…” No: where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Prayer: Lord God, on my own, I cannot recognize you. Only the power of Your Holy Spirit can empower my heart, mind, and soul to recognize You and to receive You. Holy Spirit, do that work in me so that my heart prepares Him room this Advent. Amen.

Rev. Matt Pooley Patuxent Presbyterian Church California, MD

27

“And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.”

- Luke 2:22 “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.”

- Matthew 12:6 “But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him.” - Habakkuk 2:20 Years ago, I heard a Christmas carol I had never heard before: “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.”

Verse one starts: “Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand…” If you don’t know it, I encourage you to look up this haunting melody.

Jesus declared Himself “greater than the Temple.”

In Luke, the infant Jesus is presented in the Temple. The greater Temple is physically in the foreshadowing Temple! Amazing. How should we respond? With silence.

We generally make Advent and Christmas quite noisy, literally and figuratively. Wish lists. To-do lists. Bright lights. Music. Parties. Travel plans. The prophet Habakkuk declared: when the Lord is in His holy temple, we are to be speechless. Silent.

I wonder: where will I make space for sheer silence this December? Will I quiet the hustle and bustle inside my soul enough to truly listen for the Word made flesh? Will you?

...

Prayer: God, I confess I am often wordy in my praying: praise, thanksgiving, requests. But when I truly appreciate Your grace and glory, I am rendered speechless. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, meet me in the quiet this Advent.

Rev. Matt Pooley Patuxent Presbyterian Church California, MD

29

New Harmony Presbyterian Church sits atop a hill in rural southern York County with its bell tower reaching into the deep blue sky and its neighbors well-known and well-loved.

In March of 2023, New Harmony began a new chapter by welcoming the Rev. Pamela Leach as Covenant Pastor. We celebrate the ways we reach out and invite our community in, including pancake breakfasts and picnics. Each week through the school year we welcome over 30 Bible Adventure students from our local elementary school along with a group of faithful volunteers for an hour learning God’s Word.

We ask you to join in prayer with us for the Bible Adventure ministry to be fully staffed and to be a place where children come to know God’s deep love for them and this world. As we approach 2024, we have begun plans to celebrate our 175th anniversary. Please pray that God will be glorified in the special events of the upcoming year.

New Harmony Presbyterian Church Brogue, PA

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

- 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NRSV) Many churches, including ours, set aside a special time for “Hanging the Greens” (decorating the church) at the beginning of Advent. Although it is easy for this decking of the church halls to pass as just another December event, we may instead claim it as a bold declaration amidst the frenzied distractions of the culture swirling around us. In the red and green of poinsettias and garlands, the white and gold of Chrismon trees, the soft flickering of candles and twinkling of lights, we “declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). In placing them in our sanctuaries, the signs of the season are reclaimed as symbols of God’s sacrificial love and mercy, of heaven come near, of the gift of eternal life—reminders that illumine the season and increase our joy.

Prayer: Light of the world, keep our eyes focused on the symbols of Your love surrounding us this season that we may not become distracted but serve as Your people proclaiming Your mighty and merciful acts in the name of Christ. Amen.

Rev. Pamela Leach New Harmony Presbyterian Church Brogue, PA 31

Since 1891, Narberth Presbyterian Church has been a Christ-centered, biblically-based, loving community, just outside Philadelphia. In the year since our Sr. Pastor announced his retirement for November 2023, we have experienced God’s goodness in bringing people back, and new people in, for in-person corporate worship, fellowship, service, and learning. During this time of pastoral transition, we pray to “cohere” and grow in our individual/shared faith, fellowship, and witness to the One whose birth we celebrate, as we patiently await the Sr. Pastor of God’s choosing!

Divine Interruptions “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.”

– Matthew 1:18 Joseph’s was a well-ordered, well-planned life, until interrupted by Mary and the angel. Through it all, God was present and working, not always obviously to the people involved. They were called to trust God in the upheaval of life’s interruptions!

Always challenging for God’s people is to discern how to love God and neighbor today. How are we to be us, in this time of pastoral interruption?

Prayer: Lord, help us, like Joseph, to relinquish our need to self-protect, our own plans, and learn, in this transitional time, how to love You and our neighbor in ways familiar and new, so that our individual and shared lives point clearly to Your Son – Immanuel – God with us. Amen.

Debbie Watson, Associate Pastor Narberth Presbyterian Church Narberth, PA

The English translation of Luke 1:78, “By the tender mercy (splanchna eleous) of our God, the dawn (anatolē) from on high will break upon us” obscures the richness of the images in the Greek text. God’s splanchna refers (in anthropomorphic terms) to God’s heart or guts, the inner organs where one’s deepest emotions reside. God saves because of His most tender, loving, and sympathetic compassion for His own.

The dawn is only one meaning of anatolē, which fits well with “[giving] light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (1:79a). In Scripture, light denotes not only God’s presence, but also God’s salvation that moves people from darkness into light. Anatolē, however, also means shoot or branch, which reminds us of references to the Messiah as “a righteous Branch” (Jer. 23:5) or “a shoot that comes out of the stump of Jesse” (Isa. 11:1).

Taken together, these meanings of anatolē underscore the fact that no-one else but the Messiah, Son of God and Son of David, can lead God’s people into “the way of peace” (1:79b).

2023 is the year of warring conflicts in our world.

Diplomats and politicians try in vain to broker peace and ceasefire to no avail. May these two verses sustain our hope and challenge us to a dogged trust in the merciful and just One who is ultimately in charge.

Prayer: O God of compassion, have mercy on our broken world and grant us Your peace, Your light, and Your love. Amen.

Diane Chen, Elder Narberth Presbyterian Church Narberth, PA

33

2024 National Gathering April 23-25, 2024 First Presbyterian Church Nashville, TN

600 E State Street | Sharon, PA 16146 | 601-207-0651 www.fellowship.community office@fellowship.community