Week of Love - Monday - Christmas Eve

John 1:12.

But those who did welcome him, those who believed in his name, he authorized to become God's children,

How will you welcome him?

On this day before we celebrate the coming of the Christ child, reflect on what parts of the Advent story sound like GOOD NEWS to you. The good news for some was bad news for others. Isn't life often like that. As I reflect on the hope, peace, joy and love of the gospel message, I wonder how I make it into good news for my daily life.

Reflection Questions for Monday, Week Four
Take time for quiet reflection.  Respond to the questions below by writing in your journal or quietly reflecting.

• When have you experienced good news and bad news as two sides of the same coin?  a move?  a new job?  a marriage or divorce? 

Prayer for Monday, Week Four
Gracious God, we are grateful for those who dare to believe in the incredible story of Jesus' birth and, in believing, have become your children, proclaiming the message of reconciliation, hope, love, and peace with justice throughout the world.  O Lord, may the light of Bethlehem's love and hope continue to shine. 

Week of Love - Sunday

Matthew 1:18 - 25
Birth of Jesus
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. But he didn't have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus.

Luke 2:8-20
Announcement to shepherds
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.

John 1:1 - 18
Story of the Word
 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. What came into being hrough the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn't extinguish the light. A man named John was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him everyone would believe in the light. He himself wasn't the light, but his mission was to testify concerning the light. The true light that shines on all people was coming into the world. The light was in the world, and the world came into being through the light, but the world didn't recognize the light. The light came to his own people, and his own people didn't welcome him. But those who did welcome him, those who believed in his name, he authorized to become God's children, born not from blood nor from human desire or passion, but born from God. he Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. John testified about him, crying out, "This is the one of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than me because he existed before me.'" From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace; as the Law was given through Moses, so grace and truth came into being through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, has made God known.

For many who have heard the Advent story over and over again, there is a danger that the story will become familiar and lose its freshness.  Ask God's Spirit today to give you eyes to see and ears to hear the Advent story in new ways, ways that lead to vitality and life. 

Today I was one of the narrators in our Christmas Cantata. (I do not sing!) The story is so familiar and I don't imagine that much of it is literally true. The truth lies in its message and meaning. With Jesus birth, the world order was overturned, but not as expected. The meaning of Jesus birth, life and death is that Love is the ascendant power. Love has the power to bring change, hope and transformation to every human life. Violence will not be overcome with violence. Only Love can overcome violence and hatred. Only Love can overcome suffering and despair. We sing for Joy because of the power of Love


Reflection Questions for Sunday, Week Four
Take time for quiet reflection.  Respond to the questions below by writing in your journal or quietly reflecting.

• Where do you see wonder in your world?  How can you recover the awe and mystery and beauty of the Advent story?
• Imagine telling the story of Jesus' birth to someone outside the church.  What strikes you as amazing, fantastical, or wondrous?
• Consider people you know.  Who needs to have this wonder and hope injected into their lives?  How can you participate?

Prayer for Sunday, Week Four

• Wondrous God, this Advent lead us to seek new discoveries and to go where we have never gone before.  Help us, O Lord, to allow for the singing of angels.  Amen.  

Week of Joy - Saturday

I John 3:18.
 Little children, let's not love with words or speech but with action and truth. 


I end this week as I began it: asking how I can possibly make a difference in a world of violence, war, and suffering. Where is the joy? The online post today reminds me that its all about love. "Jesus' birth is all about the love of God 'radiating through human flesh and blood' (page 73,Singing Mary's Song)."   I ask God to allow me to taste, feel, see, smell, and hear that love today.

I spent an hour ringing a Salvation Army Bell today. Such a small thing to do. I am always heartened by the generosity of the people in my small town. I love to see the little children dropping their coins in the buckets. I have learned that I can't tell by a person's appearance whether they will give. I receive a joyful blessing in the faces of all those folks coming and going about their Christmas shopping today.

Reflection Time for Saturday, Week Three

• What difference does the birth of Jesus make to the world?
• What circumstances can be different?  How?

Prayer for Saturday, Week Three
Thank you, O God, for those humble servants who have dedicated their lives to be Christ's servants in service to others.  Help us to discover the joy that such service can bring.  May this be the Advent that we hear the call of Christ to a new level of discipleship.  Amen.  

Week of Joy - Friday

Luke 2:41 - 42.
Jesus in the temple at Passover
Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to their custom.

Jesus grew up within a family who participated in the rituals of worship, within a religious community. We can imagine that their religious observances were more than just obeying laws and following rules. We can imagine that their faith was rooted in the love of God and neighbor.

In our families, in our culture, many of us don't take time for daily family rituals of prayer and devotion.  For some of some, church participation is spotty or so routine that it has lost its meaning. Advent can be a time to recover some of the spirit of Love that infusing the Christmas season and the whole of life with meaning.

In "Singing Mary's Song" John Stroman puts it this way:

"Christmas Eve services have grown in popularity, and in some churches more

people attend worship on Christmas Eve than on Easter. Since Christmas is a

time for families to gather, many attend Christmas Eve services as a group. Many

of these services blend a celebration of the Eucharist and traditional Christmas

music with the high energy of contemporary worship. When we celebrate

Communion, we participate as a part of the covenant community, expressing

sacramental love."

Reflection Questions for Friday, Week Three
Take time for quiet reflection.  Respond to the questions below by writing in your journal or quietly reflecting.

• What are your family rituals?  How can you invite God into the midst of these rituals?
• Imagine the Advent story in a world of cell phones, Internet, and text messages.  How can we recover the intimacy of a family traveling together, earthy shepherds kneeling in the stable, the beauty of a bright star?
• Pray for those in your covenant community, the group (large or small) that celebrates with you, prays with you, and loves you unconditionally.

Prayer for Friday, Week Three
Lord, as we leave your table, grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit to give ourselves for others.  Amen.  

Week of Joy - Thursday

John 2:1 - 12.

Wedding at Cana

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. When the wine ran out, Jesus' mother said to him, "They don't have any wine." Jesus replied, "Woman, what does that have to do with me? My time hasn't come yet." His mother told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Nearby were six stone water jars used for the Jewish cleansing ritual, each able to hold about twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water," and they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Now draw some from them and take it to the headwaiter," and they did. The headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine. He didn't know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. The headwaiter called the groom and said, "Everyone serves the good wine first. They bring out the second-rate wine only when the guests are drinking freely. You kept the good wine until now." This was the first miraculous sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. After this, Jesus and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there for a few days.  

 

John the Baptist has been described as the last of the Old Testatment prophets as he preached about repentance and coming judgement. Jesus message and ministry was 180 degrees different. As his ministry began and increased, the old thinking represented by John the Baptist decreased. Advent is a time for the old to decrease in order to make room for the new.The first public miracle of Jesus, at the wedding feast, has always presented a puzzle. But in the story it is clear that while Mary may not have fully understood her son, she trusted him to do the right thing. His way was going to be different.

In "Singing Mary's Song" John Stoman repeats Walter Brueggemann's instructions to us as we desire to grow in faith:

• Decrease what is greedy, what is frantic consumerism, for the increase of simple, life-giving sharing.
• Decrease what is fearful and defensive, for the increase of life-giving compassion and generosity.
• Decrease what is fraudulent and pretentious, for the increase of life-giving truth telling in your life, truth telling about you and your neighbor, about the sickness of our society and our enmeshment in that sickness.
• Decrease what is hateful and alienating, for the increase of healing and forgiveness, which finally are the only source of life. 

Reflection Questions for Thursday, Week Three
Take time for quiet reflection.  Respond to the questions below by writing in your journal or quietly reflecting.

• In the list of "decreases" above, which one sounds the most difficult for you?  Which on feels most relevant to your life now?
• "New life in Christ means little unless we commit every aspect of our lives to that truth." Do you believe this statement?  Why or why not?  If yes, do you believe it enough to commit to a new plan of action this Advent?

Prayer for Thursday, Week Three
God of abundance, help us to take mystery, disappointment, suspense, and danger and use them to gain assurance, patience, perseverance, and courage. Create in us, O Lord, clean hearts and right spirits.  Amen.  

Week of Joy - Wednesday

Luke 2:41 - 52.
Jesus in the temple at Passover

"Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to their custom. After the festival was over, they were returning home, but the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn't know it. Supposing that he was among their band of travelers, they journeyed on for a full day while looking for him among their family and friends. When they didn't find Jesus, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and putting questions to them. Everyone who heard him was amazed by his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were shocked. His mother said, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Listen! Your father and I have been worried. We've been looking for you!" Jesus replied, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father's house?" But they didn't understand what he said to them. Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. His mother cherished every word in her heart. Jesus matured in wisdom and years, and in favor with God and with people."

Jesus knew who he was, even as a boy. While Mary and Joseph may have wondered whether he would live up to their early expectations, he was on track. This is the only account we have of Jesus between his dedication in the Temple and the beginning of his ministry. Mary was there throughout, supporting him. The story reminds us to ask ourselves who we think Jesus was and is.

Reflection Questions for Wednesday, Week Three
Take time for quiet reflection.  Respond to the questions below by writing in your journal or quietly reflecting.

• What about Jesus mystifies you?  What about Jesus cause you to wonder?  What about Jesus brings you confidence and assurance? Joy?
• Mary's story reminds us that God's delays are not our denials.  What denial in your life requires transforming?  Does it help you to think of it as a delay?  What hope or fresh vision does this new perspective give you? 

Prayer for Wednesday, Week Three
Gracious God, in our Advent journey may our hearts be so open to you that no corner of our lives will be unillumined by the light of your presence.  Let there be nothing within us to darken that light.  Amen.  

Week of Joy - Tuesday

Matthew 2:20 - 23.
"Get up," the angel said, "and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead." Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus ruled over Judea in place of his father Herod, Joseph was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he went to the area of Galilee. He settled in a city called Nazareth so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.

"Withdrawal is not an end in itself; withdrawal happens for the purpose of return" (page 64, Singing Mary's Song).  Were you able to schedule a few moments to withdrawal yesterday?  How did what you experienced in that withdrawal alter your day?

Mary and Joseph, with little Jesus, were refugees in a foreign land. They had to find work and a place to live. But always, everywhere, God was with them.  At the time God made known to them, they returned to their homeland. John Stroman says it well, "The point of withdrawal and return lies not in seeking God somewhere else and bringing God back into the here and now. Rather, this process engages us in the exciting discovery that the God we thought was only “out there” is already “in here.” 

Taking time apart each day for reading and meditation helps us find that God is present with us. Sometimes I wish he would speak as clearly to me as he did to Joseph. Perhaps the truth is that Joseph listened better than I. I find that taking daily time for withdrawal is challenging. I don't manage it every day, sometimes not even in a week.

Reflection Questions for Tuesday, Week Three
Take time for quiet reflection.  Respond to the questions below by writing in your journal or quietly reflecting. 

• "Withdrawal is not an end in itself.  Withdrawal happens for the purpose of return."  In which place are you now living--in the world of wilderness or in the time of preparation for return?  What do you learn from the return of Joseph and Mary, Moses, Elijah, or Jesus?
• Where do you need to see God revealed in the here and now?

Prayer for Tuesday, Week Three
Lord, help us to see you more clearly and love you more dearly.  Amen.  

Week of Joy - Monday

Matthew 2:13 - 15.
Escape to Egypt
When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him." Joseph got up and, during the night, took the child and his mother to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod died. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I have called my son out of Egypt.

Today's scripture is a selection from the passage that we used yesterday. The selection below from the reading passage selected for today in the Upper Room course seems unusually fitting.

"The world’s pain, suffering, and bloodshed come spilling into our living rooms in real time and in graphic color. We require help to sift through this overload of mental and emotional stimulation and to make sense of what it means to live in this twenty-first-century world. We need moments to withdraw and to gain not only a new realization of who we are but also a deeper realization of who God is."
This reading is a selection from Singing Mary’s Song, by John A. Stroman © 2012

Reflection Questions for Monday, Week Three
Take time for quiet reflection.  Respond to the questions below by writing in your journal or quietly reflecting.

• When was the last time that you withdrew--on retreat or on vacation?  What gifts did you find there?
• Make a list of the details and logistics that have to be arranged in order for you to withdraw again.  Formulate a plan to act on these details.  Choose a date, a place, and a person who may want to join you.  Go to meet God there. 

Prayer for Monday, Week Three

• Lord, when withdrawal brings us a deeper understanding of ourselves and you, give us the courage to face the changes in our lives that our vision of you may entail.  Amen.  

Week of Joy - Third Sunday of Advent

Matthew 2:7 - 23.

Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search carefully for the child. When you've found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him." When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

Escape to Egypt
When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him." Joseph got up and, during the night, took the child and his mother to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod died. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I have called my son out of Egypt.

Murder of the Bethlehem children
When Herod knew the magi had fooled him, he grew very angry. He sent soldiers to kill all the male children in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding territory who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. This fulfilled the word spoken through Jeremiah the prophet: A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and much grieving. Rachel weeping for her children, and she did not want to be comforted, because they were no more.

Return from Egypt
After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. "Get up," the angel said, "and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead." Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus ruled over Judea in place of his father Herod, Joseph was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he went to the area of Galilee. He settled in a city called Nazareth so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.

Today begins the third week of advent, the week of Joy. It almost seems improper to be joyful today when our hearts are filled with grief over the tragic death of so many innocent children and women. Today's scripture reminds us that murder, death and grief have always been part of the Christmas story - a part that we skip over quickly. But they are not the end of the story. God has provided us a comforter. Today we don't want to be comforted because our children are no more. But Jesus comes to us wherever we are, in whatever state we find ourselves, whether we are filled with joy or sorrow or a confusing mixture of both.

As I have reflected on the events of the past few days, it has occurred to me that thousands of innocent children die every day. They die of violence, of neglect, of starvation, of disease, from accidents and natural causes. Each day, each death is a tragedy for loved ones. They die one by one and do not attract our notice. But when so many are senselessly killed at once we cannot escape tragedy. Their have deaths become personal and we want to make some sense or take some meaning from the events.

I can't make sense of the senseless and will not try. I will not attribute their deaths to some grand scheme of God. I will look into my own heart and life to search for the ways in which I am guilty. I give silent approval to our culture of guns and violence every time I turn on the TV to watch entertainment that glorifies the hero with a gun. I give silent assent when I fail to lobby my elected leaders to take sensible action on gun control. I am a partner when I am more concerned about the cost of my taxes than I am about providing affordable mental health services to those obviously in need.

Reflection Questions for Sunday, Week Three

• Take time for quiet reflection.  Respond to the questions below by writing in your journal or quietly reflecting.
• Read Exodus 3:7-8 (see below).  Imagine the words written to you, for you.  What has God observed in your life?  What is your cry?  What does God know?  How can God come to deliver you?  What new land might God bring you to?  Try rewriting these verses for yourself.
• Pray these words of Charles Wesley's hymn over and over, listening for God's message to you.  "Hasten the joyful day which shall my sins consume, when old things shall be done away, and all things new become."  (UMH 388)

Exodus 3:7-8
(7) Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, (8) and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
(The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)


Prayer for Sunday, Week Three
O God of grace and power, deliver us from our shortsightedness, which hides your presence from us.  Grant us a clearer vision of your truth, a greater faith in your power, and a more confident assurance of your love.  Amen.  

Week of Peace - Saturday

Luke 23:42-43.

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus replied, "I assure you that today you will be with me in paradise."

Amazing Grace

How would you define the word "grace" to a young child?  In Singing Mary's Song, John Stroman defines grace as "the unmerited, undeserved, and unearned love of God showered on our lives" (page 52).  Stay alert to notice and receive that love today.

Today the news if filled with the tragic shooting of school children and teachers by a young man, not much more than a child himself. We cannot help but ask, "Where is God in this senseless tragedy?" I think we need to be careful to not frame this action as something that God caused in order to achieve some higher purpose. There is evil and there is mental illness in the world. There are natural disasters and man-made disasters. God does not spare us from the consequences of our actions. Let us pray instead that God's grace will be received by those touched by tragedy, loss and pain.

Reflection Time for Saturday, Week Two 

• What is true of God from generation to generation?
• What attributes or characteristics of God have been revealed to you?

Prayer for Saturday, Week Two
Thank you, God, for your grace.  On our own, we feel frustrated and helpless.  But your grace and your acceptance of us in our most despairing moments bring to us both transformation and hope.  Thank you for a love that will not let us go.  Amen.

Week of Peace - Friday

Luke 7:18-23.

John the Baptist and Jesus
John's disciples informed him about all these things. John called two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord. They were to ask him, "Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for someone else?" When they reached Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you. He asks, ‘Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for someone else?'" Right then, Jesus healed many of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he gave sight to a number of blind people. Then he replied to John's disciples, "Go, report to John what you have seen and heard. Those who were blind are able to see. Those who were crippled now walk. People with skin diseases are cleansed. Those who were deaf now hear. Those who were dead are raised up. And good news is preached to the poor. Happy is anyone who doesn't stumble along the way because of me."

Even John who baptized Jesus wondered, Are you the one? It isn't surprising, then, that we too may wonder whether God is really present in the world. After all, there is plenty of evidence - poverty, pain, violence, disaster and death - to lead us to doubt the existence of a loving God. How can we find God in the darkness?

Reflection Questions for Friday, Week Two
Take time for quiet reflection.  Respond to the questions below by writing in your journal or quietly reflecting.

• John's question, "Are you the one?" remains our question.  When have you asked this question?  How has Jesus answered you?
• Do you believe--in the depth of your soul--that God is always present?  If not, what keeps you from believing? Is so, what give you assurance?

Prayer for Friday, Week Two
God, we don't believe you have forgotten us or are hiding.  Your actions may be a mystery to us, but we believe your promise never to abandon us.  Give us courage and wisdom to overcome anger with love, and evil with good.  Amen. 

Week of Peace - Thursday

Psalm 23.
A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters;  he keeps me alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of his good name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me. Your rod and your staff— they protect me. You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the LORD's house as long as I live.

Like you, I memorized Psalm 23 as a child. Through all the years, it has been there to comfort me when I am afraid or lonely. I learned the King James version, but have printed above the Common English Bible translation. In whatever translation or language, it brings a message of hope and love. God's loving care has been a constant presence in the world since creation. He cared so much that the walked among us as one of us. Christmas is a touchstone reminder of His great love for us.

Love Was Born at Christmas

Take a deep breath and remember that you are loved with love that is higher, wider, deeper, and broader than you can imagine!

Reflection Questions for Thursday, Week Two

• Take time for quiet reflection.  Respond to the questions below by writing in your journal or quietly reflecting.
• "The Bible recounts the unfolding drama of God's activity in human life."  What part are you called to play in this unfolding drama?
• When has love been revealed to you in weakness, scars, and callouses?

Prayer for Thursday, Week Two
Thank you, Lord, for your love so deep, so high, and so broad.  There is no place we can go that is out of bounds of your love and care.  Help us not to forget that our greatest opportunity is sharing that good news with others.  Amen.

Week of Peace - Wednesday

Luke 1:5 - 17.

John the Baptist’s birth foretold

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, or 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."

Waiting seems like a lost skill in our hurry-up, instant gratification world. Sometimes I get impatient if I have to wait 3 or 5 seconds for my interent to connect. I am sending a signal to a satellite, to multiple servers around the country or world and it is coming back to me...in seconds...yet I chafe at the wait. Waiting in line during this busy holiday shopping season, waiting in traffic, waiting for the "big day" to come or to finally be over - we should be good at waiting but we are not. 

Some of us may be praying or waiting for a miracle to change our lives, as Zechariah and Elizabeth waited for the gift of a child, as Mary waited for the fulfillment of promise in her son. In the process of waiting, we may receive a greater gift...the "gift of endurance." God does not promise to send us miracles to overcome all the troubles we may face. He does make this promise: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).

During my husband's treatment for tonsil cancer (he is fine now) this little haiku poem became my daily mantra and carried me through the waiting:

Grace

God's Grace is present,

Sufficient for every need-

A bottomless well.

God's Grace is enough

If we believe it is so

To carry us through.

Reflection Questions for Wednesday, Week Two

• Take time for quiet reflection.  Respond to the questions below by writing in your journal or quietly reflecting.
• What are your physical responses to waiting?  Do you feel annoyed?  angry?  a tightness in your chest?  a headache?  exhaustion?  Envision that God is present with you in the waiting, and release and relax your physical body.  
• Picture again the time line of your life.  Have you gone through weeks, months, or years when God seemed silent?  Where was God?  Why couldn't you hear God?
• Do you see endurance (long-suffering) as a gift?  How is endurance linked to grace?

Prayer for Wednesday, Week Two
Lord, when there is no answer or no immediate way out, give us the gift of endurance through your grace that we may be patient in our hope.  Amen.  

Week of Peace - Tuesday

Luke 4:16-30.

 Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue as he normally did and stood up to read. The synagogue assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the synagogue assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the synagogue was fixed on him. He began to explain to them, "Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it." Everyone was raving about Jesus, so impressed were they by the gracious words flowing from his lips. They said, "This is Joseph's son, isn't it?" Then Jesus said to them, "Undoubtedly, you will quote this saying to me: ‘Doctor, heal yourself. Do here in your hometown what we've heard you did in Capernaum.'" He said, "I assure you that no prophet is welcome in the prophet's hometown. And I can assure you that there were many widows in Israel during Elijah's time, when it didn't rain for three and a half years and there was a great food shortage in the land. Yet Elijah was sent to none of them but only to a widow in the city of Zarephath in the region of Sidon. There were also many persons with skin diseases in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha, but none of them were cleansed. Instead, Naaman the Syrian was cleansed." When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was filled with anger. They rose up and ran him out of town. They led him to the crest of the hill on which their town had been built so that they could throw him off the cliff. But he passed through the crowd and went on his way.

"We find it difficult to realize and believe that God brings liberation to us on limping, human feet, through the most ordinary and the least expected means.  At times the highest comes to us amid the lowest" (page 42 of Singing Mary's Song). I just finished reading an ebook, "River Rising," that unexpectedly turned spiritual. Its theme was finding God in the humility of walking alongside the "least of these" and of the liberation of the soul that resulted. The author didn't preach, he just told a story of an orphan searching for his roots and of the unexpected ways that he found them and himself.

Reflection Questions for Tuesday, Week Two

• Through what unexpected place, time, or person has God been revealed to you?  What do you recall about that event or person?
• Identify a time when you sustained a loss only to discover that it allowed you to find new life.
• Recall a time when you encountered a saint--a person faithful, compassionate, and true.  How did you feel in his or her presence?  Based on that experience, contemplate what being in Jesus' presence might be like.

Prayer for Tuesday, Week Two
Dear God, help us to remain aware of your presence in all places at all times.  Give us a more sensitive attitude toward others that we might see you in the unexpected.  Help us to meet you there.  Amen.

Week of Peace - Monday

John 1:1-14. 

Story of the Word
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. What came into being through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn't extinguish the light. A man named John was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him everyone would believe in the light. He himself wasn't the light, but his mission was to testify concerning the light. The true light that shines on all people was coming into the world. The light was in the world, and the world came into being through the light, but the world didn't recognize the light. The light came to his own people, and his own people didn't welcome him. But those who did welcome him, those who believed in his name, he authorized to become God's children, born not from blood nor from human desire or passion, but born from God. The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

"The word became flesh." God came to us, not as an angel or super-being, but as fully human. Jesus was born as person. He was a helpless infant who required the constant care of his mother and father. He had to learn the same lessons that we have to learn. He worked and was part of a family. He faced temptations, sorrow, and joy just as we do. In every way he was one of us. He is one of us. Because he came as one of us, we know that God knows, God hears and God heals us.

Reflection Questions for Monday, Week Two

• Jesus' Incarnation is a mystery--he was fully human and fully divine.  Talk with Jesus the Human One about a struggle that you are having.  Now talk with Jesus, the divine Son of God, concerning the same struggle.  What wisdom did you gain from both conversations?
• As humans, can we become all compassion?  What can we learn from God's unbounded love?

Prayer for Monday, Week Two

O God, keep us mindful that you took on our human nature so that we might take on divine ways, especially in our love for others.  Equip us to serve you in the spirit and power of Christ.  Let your presence flow through us.  Amen.  

Week of Peace - 2nd Sunday of Advent -

Galatians 4:4.

But when the fulfillment of the time came, God sent his Son, born through a woman, and born under the Law.

Our theme for the second week of Advent is "In the Fullness of Time." God initiated the event. He  was born as one of us. God chose a time that the world was at relative peace - the Pax Romana (peace of Rome). During this time in history, Romans had built highways to facilitate trade and there was a common language, Greek, spoken throughout the territories. Communication and travel had never been better. God chose the place central to his chosen people, a place that had become a crossroads of trade and civilization. But God came in an unexpected manner. Who would have thought that a baby born in such a humble way would be God's gift to the world.

Reflection Questions for Sunday, Week Two

• What does it mean that God has taken the initiative in history?  How has God taken the initiative in your life?  How will you respond?
• Write, draw, or consider the time line of your life.  Where do you see God's perfect timing in your own life?
• What thought, if any, have you given to the historical Jesus?  How do these insights about geography, politics, and culture support, enhance, or challenge how you will observe Advent this year?

Prayer for Sunday, Week Two
O Lord, grant to us in these troubling days a clearer vision of your truth, a greater faith in your power, and a more confident assurance in your love.  Amen.

Week of Hope - Saturday

Matthew 1:18 - 25.

Birth of Jesus
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. But he didn't have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus.

Reflection:
Life rarely turns out the way we plan.  Joseph and Mary can attest to this.  Joseph was able to trust God and accept the unexpected turn in his life. He could have turned away, but he did not. When we accept the challenge to follow the will of God, we never know where life will lead us. What has helped to grow your trust in God when your life has taken unexpected turns? How are you able to find God in the messiness that is everyday life?

Prayer for Saturday, Week One
O Lord, what do we do when life seems to cast us aside and we find ourselves immersed in circumstances that we did not choose and we cannot change?  Our only hope is your promise, which you gave to your apostle under similar conditions, "My grace is sufficient for you."  Lord, help us to believe.  Amen. 

Week of Hope - Friday

Luke 2: 22-39

When the time came for their ritual cleansing, in accordance with the Law from Moses, they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. (It's written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord.") They offered a sacrifice in keeping with what's stated in the Law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

Simeon’s response to Jesus

A man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. He was righteous and devout. He eagerly anticipated the restoration of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he wouldn't die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Led by the Spirit, he went into the temple area. Meanwhile, Jesus' parents brought the child to the temple so that they could do what was customary under the Law. Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said, "Now, master, let your servant go in peace according to your word, because my eyes have seen your salvation. You prepared this salvation in the presence of all peoples. It's a light for revelation to the Gentiles and a glory for your people Israel." His father and mother were amazed by what was said about him. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "This boy is assigned to be the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that generates opposition so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your innermost being too."

Anna’s response to Jesus

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher. She was very old. After she married, she lived with her husband for seven years. She was now an eighty-four-year-old widow. She never left the temple area but worshipped God with fasting and prayer night and day. She approached at that very moment and began to praise God and to speak about Jesus to everyone who was looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Jesus as a child in Nazareth

When Mary and Joseph had completed everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their hometown, Nazareth in Galilee.

A few people, notably Simeon and Anna, (along with Elizabeth and Zechariah) recognized the the infant Jesus as God's fulfillment of his promise to send a Messiah. Surely Mary and Joseph understood as well, but to them he was just their baby boy. They cared for him as faithful Jewish parents. This week I heard the gospel carol by Mark Lowry, "Mary Did You Know?" It sweetly expresses the wonder of Mary and of what her little boy were to become. 

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.

Reflection Questions

• What promises or wisdom do you stand on?  Quips from grandparents, family rules from childhood, scripture that has gotten you through difficult times?
• Imagine yourself at the foot of the cross remembering the account of Jesus' birth.  What stands out to you?  What becomes more or less important in this hindsight?
• As you prepare to celebrate the coming of the Christ child, what lessons from his humble beginnings will you carry with you in the coming weeks?

Prayer for Friday, Week One
O God, we are waiting, pinning our hopes on your promises. The whole world is waiting - waiting for peace with justice, for freedom, for deliverance, food, for redemption and for reconciliation. Waiting for the Messiah, who has come and is coming, into our hearts. Gladden our hearts with your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

Week of Hope - Thursday

Luke 1: 57-79

When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a boy. Her neighbors and relatives celebrated with her because they had heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy. On the eighth day, it came time to circumcise the child. They wanted to name him Zechariah because that was his father's name. But his mother replied, "No, his name will be John." They said to her, "None of your relatives have that name." Then they began gesturing to his father to see what he wanted to call him. After asking for a tablet, he surprised everyone by writing, "His name is John."  At that moment, Zechariah was able to speak again, and he began praising God. All their neighbors were filled with awe, and everyone throughout the Judean highlands talked about what had happened. All who heard about this considered it carefully. They said, "What then will this child be?" Indeed, the Lord's power was with him.

Zechariah’s prophecy

John's father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, "Bless the Lord God of Israel because he has come to help and has delivered his people. He has raised up a mighty savior for us in his servant David's house, just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago. He has brought salvation from our enemies and from the power of all those who hate us. He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and remembered his holy covenant, the solemn pledge he made to our ancestor Abraham. He has granted that we would be rescued from the power of our enemies so that we could serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness in God's eyes, for as long as we live. You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way. You will tell his people how to be saved through the forgiveness of their sins. Because of our God's deep compassion, the dawn from heaven will break upon us, to give light to those who are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide us on the path of peace."

• When confronted by the angel, Zechariah said, "I am an old man."  How do you define yourself?  "I am [young, old blind, fully employed, unemployed, a parent, a student]."  How do you see your self-identity as a limitation?  How might God see it as an opportunity?
• Do you tend to receive God's entering into your life with disbelief (like Zechariah) or with joy (like Elizabeth)?
• How do you deal with the skepticism of the world?  Do you contribute to it?  Ignore it?  In what ways might you counter skepticism with hope?

Remember who you are. You are a beloved child of God. Breathe in saying "I am" and breathe out saying, "God's beloved child." Watch how living from this truth influences your actions.

Prayer for Thursday, Week One
Dear Lord, when you seek to enter our lives, help us always to remain ready to see and to do your will.  Open our eyes and ears to the message you have for us.  Illumine us and calm us so that trust and obedience will take the place of our fears.  Amen.

Week of Hope - Wednesday

Luke 1: 52-55
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."

"How Beautiful the World Could Be"  
Mary sang about hope and fulfillment in the coming of her son. She imagined a reversal of the worldly order of power where "the least of these" we fed, housed and clothed. I heard the lovely carol, "Mary did you know?" Did she know that the baby she was carrying would continue to be present in the world, even to this day? Jesus was born to be with us, whatever our circumstances - good or bad, joyful or difficult, ordinary or unusual. Imagine Jesus seeing what you see today, sharing your daily life. How does your life help others see how beautiful the world could be?

Prayer for Wednesday, Week One
Dear God, thank you for the gift you have given to us in Jesus.   Help us to remain constantly aware of the new possibilities for life and living that he brings to us.  Open our hearts to your spirit that we might show others how beautiful the world could be. Amen. 

Week of Hope - Tuesday

Luke 1:56; Luke 2:1-7

"Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home.

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 inn."

Humble beginnings, difficult births without adequate medical care, unwed mothers, children without health care or enough to eat - these are the norm in our world, not the exception. Others struggle against difficult circumstances - military families facing long separations and uncertain futures, retired and elderly struggling to make ends meet, adult children who are forced by economics to move in with their parents or who must take in family members. What does the good news of Advent have to offer these?

With whom do you identify in the story -  Mary, a young unmarried woman? Elizabeth, bearing a child late in life? Joseph, facing the judgment of his peers?

What impossible situation are you facing in your life right now?

Who has taught you, by word or example, that nothing is impossible with God.

Prayer for Tuesday, Week One
Watchful God, keep us alert and awake as we wait.  In our everyday, ordinary lives, help us to seek diligently and watch for signs of your coming around us.  Nothing is impossible with you.  May the birth of Christ occur not only in history but in us as well.  Amen.

Week of Hope - Monday

Week of Hope- First Sunday of Advent

Luke 1: 46-55
And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.  He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Today we begin the season of waiting and anticipation, just as the expectant Mary waited in faith for the birth of her son. Did the young, unmarried girl understand the significance of what was happening? Did she feel lonely? Was she afraid? Was she full of joy? I can imagine her experiencing all these emotions and more. What enabled Mary to find faith and joy in the midst of fear and chaos.

Mary prepared herself for the birth of a child. How are we preparing ourselves for the coming of Jesus into our world. What do we expect? How can we find joy and faith in the midst of the chaos of the season?

Prayer for Sunday, Week One

O Lord, as we begin this journey that requires awareness and preparation, help us to seek a quiet place where we may hear the message you have for us.  May we ponder with Mary the amazing ways in which you choose to speak to us.  Amen.