Advent Devotional: Love

“The hardest spiritual work in the world is to love the neighbor as the self – to encounter another human being not as someone you can use, change, fix, help, save, enroll, convince or control, but simply as someone who can spring you from the prison of yourself, if you will allow it.”

– Barbara Brown Taylor

The wait for Christmas is almost over. “Love”- what better word to have this last Sunday of Advent? The English Standard Version of the Bible uses the word “love” 684 times. To complicate our relationship with love, it is said that the English language has only one word for love. In reality, we actually have many different words, they all just seem to end up meaning “love”. There is familial love, God’s love, romantic love, there is even the brotherly love between brothers and sisters in the church.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, ESV

Most of us have heard this beautiful passage. If you haven’t, you should take in a wedding; they can be fun. Hearing 1 Corinthians at a wedding is setting the bar pretty high for the participants as well as those in attendance. Hearing it also gives us the perfect groundwork to help us achieve what Jesus called the most important commandment. 

Jesus said,

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Matthew 22:37-29, KJV

As we look toward Christmas and the coming new year, let’s try to realize that what Paul said to the Corinthians so many years ago is as viable now as it was then. It seems as though loving our neighbor as ourselves starts with being patient and kind, then all we have to do is try not to be rude or arrogant. There is of course more, but at this time of year I also think a smile is a great start. I am going to try.

Merry Christmas,
Ken

---

You can sign up here to join our mailing list to receive church emails.

If you are looking for a simple daily practice this season, you can download Kate Bowler's Bless This Advent devotional here.

Advent Devotional: Joy

“For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself.”

– Charles Dickens

We are now halfway through Advent; as a child, my anticipation was just beginning to reach a fever pitch. Christmas is right around the corner and we have now lit two of the candles on our Advent wreath. This week our candle is pink in color and “joy” is how we should be centered. Biblically, joy has us, again, looking to the future.

We often mistake “joy” for simple excitement and happiness. The Joy of Advent is much deeper than the often fleeting nature of happiness. This Joy is based on the solid foundation of God’s promises and gifts. The early disciples must have been full of God’s joy. They had witnessed so much. No matter how Paul was treated by those he was converting, he continued on. Paul realized that his earthly discomforts were temporary and would ultimately be replaced by the promises that Jesus has given us.

Paul’s epistle to the Philippians encapsulates the joy that marks our faith in God’s eternal love and mercy. Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice.” Our belief in Jesus and the knowledge that that means eternal life for us should make it easy to have joy knowing that this life is but part of the journey that leads us to paradise.

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."

John 14:1-4 KJV

Be joyful in this Holiday season. Christ is with us!

Ken

---

You can sign up here to join our mailing list to receive church emails.

If you are looking for a simple daily practice this season, you can download Kate Bowler's Bless This Advent devotional here.

Advent Devotional: Peace

"Guide us gently and firmly toward each other,
Toward peace."

– Rabbi Sheila Weinberg

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-25 NRSV

We are now in the second week of Advent waiting for the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ. The second Sunday is associated with peace. Depending on your age, peace can mean many things, but “the absence of war” is what often comes to mind. The word peace is used around 450 times in the King James Bible. It is used many different ways, for many purposes. Galatians 5:22 states that “peace” is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. In addition to being a part of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, peace in the Bible is not only the absence of war, but is also used to mean completeness. In Hebrew, peace is often translated as Shalom, which, in fact, means completeness. Shalom comes from the word Shalam, which stands for making something whole or righting the wrongs that we have committed. So, it seems as though the Bible wants us to first pursue wholeness and remember, Christians cannot truly be “whole” without Jesus.

Matthew 5:9 has Jesus praising the “peacemakers”, for they will be the children of God. Our military is often thought of as “peace keepers”; Jesus wants us to be “peace makers”. They are close, but very different. Peacekeepers make boundaries to push others away. Peacemakers go out in an attempt at minimizing conflict. Peacemakers go out to cultivate respectful and loving interactions that make a safe space for restoration and health.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he began to speak and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Matthew 5:1-11 NRSV

How often do we, in our daily life, go out during a personal conflict and attempt to understand the needs of the individual with whom we are in conflict? That’s not what most of us normally do. It is usually easier to overwhelm and subdue our enemy, rather than open our hearts. I hope that we can all attempt to be the “children of God” we should be. Let our “peace”, be a peace of wholeness and love. If we all make an attempt to break down the walls that we have built for our personal protection and actively attempt to be the peacemakers that Jesus wants us to be, it could be a beautiful start during this wonderful season.

May peace be with you,
Ken

---

You can sign up here to join our mailing list to have these devotionals arrive to your inbox each Monday morning during Advent.

If you are looking for a simple daily practice this season, you can download Kate Bowler's Bless This Advent devotional here.

Advent Devotional: Hope

"God, these are darkening days, with little hope in sight. Help us in our fear and exhaustion. Anchor us in hope."

– Kate Bowler

'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'

Jeremiah 29:11

During children’s time in church I once asked what they thought “hope” was. His answer was “faith”. Well, that sounds pretty accurate, but, perhaps biblically, “hope” is more accurately the part of faith that deals with the future.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

Our world is a difficult place. It is almost impossible to turn on any media source and not be fearful of our future.  How is that some people are able have joy in these arduous times? I would say, “hope”.  How can some seem to grow stronger through personal adversity? Again, “hope.”  We all need hope to get through these trying times. To know what God has for us is our salvation.

So I finish up this Devotion on hope by asking that we all, "be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Romans 12:12

In hope,
Ken

---

You can sign up here to join our mailing list to have these devotionals arrive to your inbox each Monday morning during Advent.

If you are looking for a simple daily practice this season, you can download Kate Bowler's Bless This Advent devotional here.

Christmas Eve Services

Watch Second Presbyterian videos on YouTube, like Second on Facebook, and stay connected by signing up for our emails which offer a snapshot of upcoming church and missions events and announcements.

A Service of Lessons and Carols

A SERVICE OF LESSONS AND CAROLS 

Tripp Carrington, Reader

Beloved in Christ, at this Christmastide let it be our care and delight to hear again the message of the angels, and in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, and the Babe lying in a manger.

FIRST LESSON

Genesis 3:8–15, 17–19

God tells sinful Adam that he has lost the life of Paradise and that his seed will bruise the serpent’s head.

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”   He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”   He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”    The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.”    Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.”  The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures;  upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

And to the man he said,  “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you;  in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life;  thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.  By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

SECOND LESSON

Isaiah 11:1–4a, 6–9 

The peace that Christ will bring is foreshown.

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see
    or decide by what his ears hear,
but with righteousness he shall judge for the poor
    and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

The wolf shall live with the lamb;
    the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the lion will feed  together,
    and a little child shall lead them.

 The cow and the bear shall graze;
    their young shall lie down together;
    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
    and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

THIRD LESSON

Luke 1:6–35, 38

The angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,  to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”    But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.    The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.    And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.   He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”  

           Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”  The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.   

         Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

FOURTH LESSON

Luke 2:1-7

St Luke tells of the birth of Jesus.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered.  Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.   While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.    And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.

FIFTH LESSON

Luke 2:8–16 

The shepherds go to the manger.

Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”   And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 

      “Glory to God in the highest heaven,  and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”  So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger.

SIXTH LESSON

Matthew 2:1–12

The wise men are led by the star to Jesus.

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.”   When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him,  and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah  was to be born.   They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler
    who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 

Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared.   Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”    When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east,  until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.   On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.   And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

SEVENTH LESSON

John 1:1–14

St John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   He was in the beginning with God.   All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being  in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.   The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John.   He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.   He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.  The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him.  He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.   But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,  who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Thanks be to God.

---

Watch Second Presbyterian videos on YouTube, like Second on Facebook, and stay connected by signing up for our emails which offer a snapshot of upcoming church and missions events and announcements.

Advent Devotional: Love

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love."

-Hamilton Wright Mabie

Night after night under the wide night sky, the shepherds probably had a sense of perspective, of how they fit in the world. But when the angels come with their news - and call it good, and say that it's for everyone - it's an invitation to set out and see what is there, and to discover who they are in the presence of what they find.
 
This is about more than just the shepherds. When they arrive, they tell Mary and Joseph and the baby all that the angels told them. Then the shepherds leave, rejoicing. They've become carriers, bearers of God's good news, and witnesses to it.
 
Living in a post-birth-of-Christ world, we forget what it must have been like to wait in darkness, wondering if God had forgotten the Jewish people oppressed under Roman rule. There was no sign that God was in a hurry to fulfill the promise made centuries before, the promise that someday there would be one who would rescue them from the shadows of evil. They waited, and waited, and waited, with no sign that God remembered them.
 
Christ is the reminder that God remembers us. 

You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
    Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
    before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—
    may your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
    and he rules over the nations.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
    all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness,
    declaring to a people yet unborn:
    He has done it!

Psalm 22:23-31 NIV

The Message version puts the end of this passage this way (with my own added emphasis):

All the power-mongers are before him 
   —worshiping!
All the poor and powerless, too 
   —worshiping!
Along with those who never got it together 
   —worshiping!
Our children and their children 
   will get in on this
As the word is passed along 
   from parent to child.
Babies not yet conceived 
   will hear the good news— 
   that God does what he says.
 
Good news is all around. May we be transformed by it. May we learn to love this world and all people just as we are loved.

With great love,
Jordyn

---

Devotions this season are inspired by 2020 Advent lessons adapted from Shadow and Light by Tsh Oxenreider and In Light and Darkness published by Illustrated Ministries. You can sign up here to join the church email list to receive special devotionals like this directly.

Advent Devotional: Joy

If you take the time to listen, you’ll begin to hear the angelic proclamation: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people... a Savior has been born to you.”

- Honest Advent

This is the third week of Advent, which means it’s the second half of the season. Does the fact that we’re inching closer and closer to Christmas spark joyful anticipation for you? Or does the countdown elicit some panic as you think of all that you’d still like to accomplish before the 25th? What brings you joy right now?

Happiness is a lovely thing, but fleeting. That reality can leave people chasing the feeling, stuck in nostalgia, or steeled against the feeling so as not to be left abandoned by it. Happiness is wholly dependent on outside circumstances beyond our control. But joy is the byproduct of transformation, wholly dependent on our inward posture. Feeling joy isn’t required for acknowledging that there is real, genuine joy found in God’s never-changing love for us.

May we enjoy the trappings of the season, but may we not be overcome- or undone- by it. Happiness is not a guaranteed outcome no matter how many presents are under the tree or how well the holiday party goes. We can welcome joy into our lives, even when we may not feel quite ready, deserving, or willing. There is joy simply by entrusting our lives to the God who loves us and cares for us.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:8-12 NIV

We often depend on faith, because it is hard to trust that there is unseen goodness and glory at work. May you be given the eyes to see all the unexpected messengers carrying good news of great joy in the world today. I hope that you find joy in the coming Hope of the World. And that such knowledge instills in you the good news that lights the world.

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

With great joy,
Jordyn

---

Devotions this season are inspired by 2020 Advent lessons adapted from Shadow and Light by Tsh Oxenreider and In Light and Darkness published by Illustrated Ministries. Aspects of the Sunday church service and the book Honest Advent that we used in Thursday night bible study were also referenced this week.

Advent Devotional: Peace

“Grace and truth is the invitation to be seen, and in that seeing to receive the gift of presence not withheld.”

- Scott Erickson, Honest Advent

At one of our Thursday night small groups last year we talked about peace, peacemakers and shalom. We sat out on a porch together imagining what implication a biblical call to peacemaking has on our lives and how that might shape us as a people of shalom. Shalom is a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility. Peace is a hope, a comfort, and a challenge.

Jesus embodied shalom on earth. People saw the glory of God in Jesus and described that wholeness as full of grace and truth. When we recognize ourselves as in need of and also worthy of grace we can extend grace readily. When we recognize truth as something that surpasses our own perspective, we can see things for what they actually are, which allows us to bear witness to the world around us but by continuing to seek truth, we can open ourselves up to other perspectives and point to the truth that is in fact good news to all people.

Jesus showed the world the grace and truth known in God. When we embody the wholeness found in truth that surpasses our own understanding, we can see others in their loving humanity and can offer ourselves in kind. In grace and truth we can see and be seen. We can offer the invitation of presence and come to know the gift of presence not withheld. When we are committed to creating spaces for people to be known and nurtured- when we can allow ourselves to be known and nurtured- the hard and holy work of peace can develop.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

John 1:14-18 NIV

May we make peace, with our words and with our actions, that contributes to peace everywhere. 

As we prayed on Sunday: Faithful God, you are at work to restore all of creation in its intended harmony. Give us your shalom that we may be reconciled to all enemies in the peace that passes all understanding, through Christ Jesus our Lord.

God of promise, God of hope, into our darkness come.

Shalom,
Jordyn

---

Devotions this season are inspired by 2020 Advent lessons adapted from Shadow and Light by Tsh Oxenreider and In Light and Darkness published by Illustrated Ministries. Aspects of the Sunday church service and the book Honest Advent that we're using in Thursday night bible study were also referenced this week.

Advent Devotional: Hope

“The world feels dim, but glory grows in the dark.”

As a prayer for Advent this year Cole Arthur Riley offers, "the world feels dim, but glory grows in the dark." She reminds us that the glory we are waiting for is not “a God who delights in conquering the earth but who came in tenderness to bring healing and liberation.”

As we begin our journey through this season reminded of what was and is and is to come, we start out in hope.

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.

John 1:4-5 NIV

This Advent, consider the suggestion of John- and Genesis- that “the darkness” is what is, and “the light” is what comes. We are rooted in the first and we await the second, but our lives find meaning through them both.

Darkness can be sacred, offering rest and focus, and it is rife with creative possibility. The people John’s writing to would have experienced the return of light each morning as what made it possible for them to see and navigate the world around them, to know themselves and each other, and to work, learn, and discover. The darkness allows us to see the stars, but is also what offers us the promise of a new sunrise.

Enjoy the expectation of what's to come. Hold hope for what could be birthed forth even when things feel dim. And when our hope falters, may we encounter the face of God in those around us.

As we prayed on Sunday: renew us in hope, that we may work toward Christ's advent of peace among all nations. God of promise, God of hope, into our darkness come.

In hope,
Jordyn

---

Devotions this season are inspired by 2020 Advent lessons adapted from Shadow and Light by Tsh Oxenreider and In Light and Darkness published by Illustrated Ministries. Aspects of the Sunday church service, the book Honest Advent that we're using in Thursday night bible study, and Cole Arthur Riley's "Holy Dark Advent" at Black Liturgies were also referenced this week and would each make a great option for extended study.

If you are looking for a simple daily practice this season, you can download Kate Bowler's A Season of Waiting Advent Devotional here.

Advent Devotional: Christmas

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.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

John 1:1-16

GOOD NEWS FOR A WEARY WORLD

Throughout this season of Advent we have explored so many well-known, well loved, and incredibly powerful stories. Stories that prepared the way for the Divine’s intervention into a wounded world. Stories of how God chose to invite the most unexpected people to be a part of the most unexpected, yet hoped for, plans to redeem this whole entire wounded world.

I find that these words from the beginning of John’s gospel poetically usher in the Good News—the Logos, theLife, the Light has arrived, Jesus has been born. The Logos or Word chose to become flesh and to live life among us to bring life and bring it abundantly. 

John’s words weave in the mystery that is Emmanuel, the Logos (or Word), the Light. Yes, he is here. Yes, he has come. And yes, he has always been present. And yes, he shall surely come again. 

John’s flowing words in this text speak of God in a variety of ways—revealing just a bit more about who God is. As we celebrate the Good News of a Savior born to us today, Light in the world, let us rejoice that this Savior, this Light, this God of love brings “grace upon grace.” 

This truly is good news for a weary world. Thanks be to God! 

Merry Christmas—may God’s peace and blessings abound!
- Margaret

Advent Devotional: Love

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.”

Luke 1:46-55
 

And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

John 19:25-27

LOVE, FAITH AND TRUST

Years ago, I read the wrong text for my devotional. Instead of reading the text that was set earlier in John, I read one of the hardest parts of the story, Jesus on the cross. The Gospel of John names Mary, his mother at the foot of it. This is a hard story to include in an Advent devotion yet it is powerful to read where this incredible story begins and a powerful middle part—for we know Jesus on the cross is not where this story ends.

This accidental read led me to see Mary in a different light. Often times we do not know quite what to do with Mary. She was a fourteen year old girl and these two texts give us a glimpse into what kind of woman of faith she was. You see, Mary was brave. She said a bold “yes” to a Divine plan that was not fully explained and flushed out to her. She said “yes” knowing she would most likely be shamed by her community for being pregnant out of wedlock. She said “yes” not knowing that years later, she would stand at the foot of a cross, seeing her son hanging there. 

I have wondered time and time again about this bold woman. About the hopes she had for herself and for her son and the many ways they most likely went against her plans. Yet, this woman still said “yes” and she chose to be present there when her son was crucified, and was probably one of the women who went to the tomb that ultimately stood empty. 

This week we lit the Advent candle of love and Mary embodies this love. The love, faith and trust she had in God and God’s divine plan to redeem God’s people is evident in her Magnificat. And the love this woman has for her son is evident throughout her entire story. May we be bold and brave with our yeses and may we open our hearts to love even when it is hard.

Peace and Joy,
Margaret

Advent Devotional: Joy

After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Luke 1:24-25, 39-45

FINDING JOY IN THE UNCERTAINTY

Elizabeth was an older, faithful woman of the Lord, who was unable to have children. When Elizabeth miraculously conceives, there are two things verses 24-25 tell us to be of significance—one, she gives thanks to God for what God has done, is doing, and how God has redeemed her amongst her people and the text tells us she was in seclusion for five months.

We have lived in a world for nearly two years now, where we still hesitate to get close to one another, to open our arms wide and fully wrap ourselves in the warm embrace of loving hugs. Even now, we hesitate to get too close, frightened of the next variant that might take away our chances of being together.

Up until now, I had never comprehended the line of the text that tells us Elizabeth was secluded for five months of her pregnancy. In the sixth month her cousin, Mary, is visited by an angel announcing her own miraculous conception and immediately she goes to be with Elizabeth whom she has learned is also expecting.

I can imagine both women were experiencing anxiety, fear, shock, and uncomfortable uncertainty for their futures and the futures of their children. Yet, in the midst of all of that uncertainty, the text writes of joy. The joy of this relationship, the joy of two very special babies growing, the joy of knowledge (no matter how limited) that God is at work in this world and has created a way and has chosen them to be a part of it.

I wonder if we might be able to find joy in the uncertainty we constantly live in? As we sit in the flickering lights of the candles of hope, peace, and now joy, may we remain open to the holy moments of joy that can be found even in the darkest of places.

Peace and Joy,
Margaret

Advent Devotional: Peace

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Luke 1:76-79

PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD

The overarching theme for this Advent series is waiting with hopeful anticipation for the coming of the Lord. There are many different ways of waiting and many of them are not very pleasant. We can wait with anxiety and impatience, we can waste our time waiting, we can do everything and anything to distract ourselves from what we are waiting to happen, or we can do nothing. This Advent, what if we found another way to wait? 

I recently listened to a podcast, the host, Jen Hatmaker, interviews one of my favorite authors, the ordained Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber. Bolz-Weber spoke of how Advent is a season of preparation; we are preparing ourselves and our hearts for the way of the Lord. 

Our text today is a brief section of Zechariah’s song of praise and prophecy after the birth of his son, John. John is proclaimed to be a prophet of the Most High and he is set apart to prepare the people for the coming of their Lord. 

Yesterday, we lit the second Advent candle, the candle of peace. Lighting the wreath is a way of being intentional in preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord. We are gifted with a theme to focus on throughout our week and invite the Spirit to soften our hearts, to prepare them. 

As we go into this week, living in a world that seems to be anything but peaceful may we take comfort in Frederick Buechner’s beautiful definition of peace. He writes in his book of daily meditations, Listening to Your Life, “…for Jesus, peace seems to have meant not the absence of struggle but the presence of love.” 

Grace and Peace,
Margaret