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O COME, EMMANUELDevotions for and by the people of St. Andrew’s
Advent 2011
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee.
O COME, THOU WISDOM
Sunday, November 27
Isaiah 11:1-5
Of Patience and Promises
Isaiah 11
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; 1
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— 2
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. 3
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy, 4
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt 5
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
I find that it’s very easy to get impatient during the Christmas season. I have to accept
it’s going to be a busy season, that there will be a lot of parties and concerts and special
events and shopping trips and also a trip or two to see family. If I am too impatient to
get to Christmas Day, I may forget to enjoy Advent and miss the point. I remember
hearing Robert Pinsky say that the theme of his poem “ABC” was to be careful about
wishing time away. He said he’d had that thought while standing in an airport, waiting
for a plane, getting impatient. He realized that he had a book with him, and the seats
were comfortable, and he was healthy and well-fed and had nothing much to be
worried about. This was “sweet time unafflicted” and someday his circumstances would
change, and he would look back and wish for such a blissful hour as this, so why not
enjoy it? So I’m trying to not wish Advent away.
If you are already starting to feel impatient for Christmas because the decorations have
been up in the stores since before Halloween, I suggest that you read the first chapter
of Matthew. We seldom read this long list of the 42 (male) generations from Abraham
to Jesus, including Jesse, his son King David, and his son King Solomon. The point was to
establish clearly that Jesus was a branch of the stump of Jesse, as predicted in Isaiah.
The great “tree” that included King David and King Solomon had been cut off from
greatness and become just the “stump of Jesse.” The day would come when that stump
would bear new fruit. But the list is also a reminder that they were waiting for
centuries, and even then, Jesus was not the kind of ruler that they’d been imagining.
We only need to wait a month, with patience, to see what this season will bring.
O Lord, help us to be ready whenever your light shines into the darkness. And help us to
wait patiently and confidently.
--Loren Gustafson
Monday, November 28
Proverbs 8: 1-36
Wisdom’s Call
“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. Council
and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.”
In her own words, Wisdom reminds us that God’s gifts of knowledge and power over all
His creation must be used wisely and judiciously. In today’s society, this message seems
more important than ever. For example, having the ability to extract natural gas for
current needs without considering the long-term ramifications and the impact on
future generations is not wise. Additionally, using one’s power over others for personal
gain instead of for the betterment of society is not just.
As a teacher, I feel it is incumbent upon me to not only teach knowledge, but impart
wisdom, too. Merely having knowledge is not enough; my students, the future leaders
of this country, need support and guidance on how to best utilize their God-given
talents for the benefit of all humankind and His creation. By demonstrating my own
wisdom and challenging them to think beyond themselves, I am trying to fulfill God’s
will.
Wisdom concludes her lesson by saying, “Blessed are those who keep my ways. Blessed
is the man who listens to me…For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from
the Lord. But whoever fails to find me harms himself.”
Dear Lord, as we reflect on your words during this season of Advent, help us find ways to
use our wisdom to the glory and honor of Your name. Amen.
--Torri Stark
Tuesday, November 29
John 1: 1-5
“The light shines on in the dark, and the darkness has never mastered it.” [John 1:5]
In our faith, light represents the presence of God. Without God’s presence, our lives
would be directionless and empty. When I am led to despair about the oppressive
darkness of injustice and evil in our world, I need to remember this passage, for it tells
us that even in a world such as ours, the divine light cannot be overwhelmed. The
peace of God that makes manifest God’s profound love is too powerful to be
vanquished even by the forces of evil. Yet I think that we tend to focus more on the
power of evil than on the power of love. I believe that love can accomplish more than
we ever imagine. Advent invites me to think about how the birth of Christ evokes the
power of love and enlarges the symbol of light for Christian faith. The incarnation of
God in Jesus allows me to understand more concretely how as a human, I am compelled
to be an agent of the light, that is, to do whatever I can to help bring about social
justice and the obliteration of evil.
O God, source of light and love, help me to
embody the power of love so that with my fellow
St. Andreans, I can help to dispel the darkness
wherever it exists.
--Susan Bowers
Wednesday, November 30
Romans 16: 25-27
To Him who has power to make your standing sure, according to the Gospel I brought
you and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of that divine
secret kept in silence for long ages but now disclosed, and through prophetic scriptures
by eternal God’s command made known to all nations, to bring them to faith and
obedience—to God who alone is wise, through Jesus Christ, be glory for endless ages!
Amen [Romans 16: 25-27]
O come, O come Emmanuel!
Redeem thy captive Israel,
That into exile drear is gone
Far from the face of God’s dear Son.
Cologne 1710, based on the ancient Advent
Antiphons
For centuries the cry of the Hebrews was “O come, O come Emmanuel.” Laments from
captives in foreign lands were raised to Heaven: “O come, O come and be with us.
Deliver us from this pain and desolation.”
And in his letter to the Church at Rome, Paul tells us that the divine secret that has
been kept in silence for long ages is now disclosed through Jesus Christ and has been
made known to all nations. Seeking for God, the Hebrew quest for the realization of
God’s presence, has come to all nations in the person of Jesus…..Emmanuel….God with
us.
In a sense we in 2011 carry on that ancient quest, the search for God to plainly and
openly reveal Himself to us in our lives. In unison with the Hebrews of old, we call out,
“Give us a sign. Make yourself known to us. In the midst of our stumbling about, help
us to know Your presence. Speak to me.”
Paul tells the Christians in Rome that God’s divine secret has been disclosed through
Jesus and has been made known to all nations. And if this is true, where can we seek
and find God in our lives? Where and how does God make Himself known to us?
In the Eucharist? Or the Communion of the Saints? The Liturgy? Of course! And it was
also Jesus who said: Even as you have done it to the least of these my brethren, you
have done it to me. Might you find God in the starving people in His world? Or the sick?
Or the homebound? The lonely and poor? Could God be found even in your
neighborhood or the house where you live?
Eternal God, hear our prayer and grant us the will, the courage and the strength to seek
You in the world where we live. Even in the midst of our busy, busy lives we pray: O
Come Emmanuel.
--Charles Confer
O COME, THOU LORD OF MIGHT
Thursday, December 1
Luke 20:27-40
“For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him,” [Luke 20:38]
Jesus was being pestered again by people intent on showing that they knew more than
he did – this time Sadducees. They asked him a question about the levirate and
proposed a hypothetical situation in which a woman was married to seven brothers in
turn. At the resurrection – in which, Luke tells us, they did not believe – whose wife
would she be? As usual, Jesus disconcerted his questioners by answering them at a
different level. The question, he said, was irrelevant because those who are
resurrected are no longer concerned with marriage and other human relationships but
only with their individual relationship to God as his children.
But who are the living? Is Jesus referring to the afterlife or to this present life – or are
the two linked because the living relationship which we have, or hope to have, with
God now is brought to fullness after our death, so that living transcends death. If so,
what of the Law? Is Jesus saying that the living should not be concerned with it? Surely
he cannot mean that we should live entirely as we please? Jesus respected the Law in
his time, but he did say that there were two commandments which animated the law
and the prophets: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. It sounds simple
enough, but, for me at least, the second is a lot harder than “playing by the (human)
rules” – you can’t go wrong doing that, can you? But perhaps really living is when we
listen to the voice that tells us to ignore those rules in the service of God and our
neighbor.
Please help us, Lord, to look beyond the deadness of “rules for their own sake” to the life
we live for God; and to act accordingly.
--Richard Waller
Friday, December 2
Isaiah 63:7-14
So he became their savior
in their every affliction.
It was not an envoy or a messenger,
but his presence that saved them.
Because of his love and pity
the Lord redeemed them.
Lifting them up and carrying them
all the days of old.
[Isaiah 63:9 – New American Bible]
One of the most critical eras in the history of the Jewish people was their exile in
Babylon. That exile began in 598 BCE and ended between 520 and 515 BCE.
The book of the prophet Isaiah “wraps around” this event. The first 39 chapters focus
on the coming of the exile. Beginning with Chapter 40, the content shifts to a
proclamation of hope in the midst of the exile. The closing chapters, from which this
selection comes, are regarded by most scholars to have been written after the return.
This return is what the prophet is speaking of when he says, “Because of his love and
pity, the Lord redeemed them.” The prophet goes even further when he writes, “Lifting
them up and carrying them all the days of old.”
This is not the way we normally think of “might.” It is the picture of a father or mother
carrying an exhausted child. It is the picture of a firefighter carrying a small child from a
burning building.
Advent invites us to reflect on the meaning of power and might. We think of power
and might in terms of force and often of violence. We think of power in terms of
military power. But Advent confronts us with a call to reflect on the power of love, the
power of tenderness.
Advent reminds us,
The reign of God, the eschatological liberation of the world, is already in process, is
already being established. It takes shape in concrete modifications of actual life.
Leonardo Boff
The Lord of Might is already in our midst. Let us go out to greet him.
--Fr. John Hoover
Saturday, December 3
Micah 6:3-8
“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to
do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” [Micah 6:8]
This verse from Micah means a lot to me personally. It is the key verse in Lutheran
World Relief’s mission statement. In 2003, I witnessed many Christians “doing justice,
loving kindness, and walking humbly with God” on a trip with Lutheran World Relief to
East Africa. It was a spiritually dry time for me, a time of burnout in my involvement in
church. The church was undergoing conflict where the parish council was split in two--
just like the Northern and Southern Kingdoms in the time of Micah. It ultimately led our
family to the doors of St Andrew’s, where we found many acts of great kindness and
compassion at this dry time.
In Africa, people say, “Jambo” as a warm greeting of hospitality and graciousness. One
meaning is “you are welcome...welcome to stay, welcome in my home, welcome to the
best part of the meal, the best seat at the banquet.” It can also mean “thank you” or
“all will be ok.” The experts sent on the LWR trek to East Africa received ‘jambo’ daily.
We were asked to give medical, educational, engineering, and communications advice
to those partners engaged in LWR projects throughout Kenya and Uganda. We all
received much more ‘jambo’ than we gave, and that the real exerts were the incredible
Africans we met along the way. What I most remember is that I witnessed people
“doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with their God” on a daily basis. The
widowed women’s fishing cooperative in Kitosi, Kenya welcomed us with dancing and
feasting on the shores of Lake Victoria. A proud farmer showed us his one acre plot of
soy beans which would improve the protein in his family’s diet. Orphans at a medical
clinic in a Kampala, Uganda orphanage were being trained to fill critical shortages in the
health professions in their war-torn country. A Roman Catholic priest invited us to
communion in his broken English: “We welcome our Lutheran brothers and sisters in
Christ; we have more that unites us than divides us--come the table is ready.” Jambo,
indeed!
But what does the Lord require of us at St. Andrew’s? The newborn King we anticipate
in Advent was only known to Micah in prophesy. We have the benefit of knowing the
rest of the story, and I wonder whether this makes us complacent in “doing justice,
loving kindness, and walking humbly with our God.” Who may we warmly welcome at
Open Table, with a kind greeting of ‘peace,’ ‘jambo,’ or with an understanding hug? Can
we extend this into our homes, our places of employment, volunteering, and in our day
to day interactions with those we encounter? When we do this, the Lord of might who
hates sin so much that He took it upon Himself, not just in the manger, but later on the
cross, to rid the world of sin, becomes the Lord of incredible love and grace. The law no
longer appears “in cloud and majesty, and awe,” but appears right in front of us as we
“do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.”
Come, Lord of might, and help us show your might as justice, kindness, and humility.
Amen.
--Doug Spotts
O COME, THOU ROD OF JESSE
Sunday, December 4
Isaiah 11:1-10
“On that day, the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the people; the nations shall
inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.” [Isaiah 11:10]
We had a house plant—a palm tree—which was dying. It was a tall, sad sight. The
fronds were drooping and then dropping off dead. I took it outside to dispose of it and
noticed new shoots at the root of the dying stem. So, instead of tossing it in the
compost, I trimmed back the dead trunk and put the new shoots in new soil.
There is overwhelming evidence of pain and suffering, evil and hurt in our world. When
left to itself, the kingdom of the world dries up, droops, and dies. But Advent reminds
us that Christ has ushered in a new kingdom. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us and there
are new shoots of the Kingdom of God sprouting in our midst. We experience them as
the wolf living with the lamb, and as homeless people finding refuge at Haven Ministry;
as a child playing over the adder’s den, and as children sleeping safe from mosquitoes
beneath a net provided by ERD.
Consider today all the ways in which you see the Root of Jesse sprouting in the midst of
a hurting world. It is the signal that the risen Christ is at work through us. It is glorious.
And it is a glimpse of how much more glorious the Kingdom of God will be in its fullness.
Spirit of God, with your wisdom help us to see the new shoots of the Kingdom growing;
and show us how to tend them in anticipation of your final glory. Amen.
--Sue Ellen Spotts
Monday, December 5
Isaiah 52:7-10
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that
publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that
saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth. [Isaiah 52:7]
O Come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny…
From depths of hell thy people save
And give them victory over the grave.
Latin text of the 12 Centuryth
Once again the people of Israel are in big trouble. This time they are carried off from
their homeland to Babylon. The temple in Jerusalem has been laid to waste. Again the
Jews are captives, enslaved in a foreign land with heartless rulers and unclean religious
practices. Could it be that the Lord God has turned His back on His people? Where is
God our Deliverer? He seems so far away. Are we to be left here to perish among
these nonbelievers far from the homeland that You promised us?
As I think about it, it seems to me that all of us have times in our lives when we suffer
what could be called our own personal Babylonian Captivity. It is those times when we
feel lost, separated from those people and things that have meaning for us. We feel a
sense of aloneness and our isolation from others weighs heavy upon us. At times of
mental or physical illness, divorce, alienation from our family or friends, financial losses,
we too, like the Jews in Babylon, live in a spiritual darkness. Has God forgotten us and
left us to be devoured by our own personal devils? As we experience sickness,
unemployment, financial problems, family woes and pains, we call out: “Where is God?
Has He forgotten about us? Are we left to go it alone and unprotected?”
However, Isaiah proclaims to Zion, that is to the Jews in Babylon, that God is faithful.
God has not abandoned them. They will be delivered from their pain and alienation of
captivity by the Lord God who will bare His arm to all nations and the whole world will
see how God delivers His people. It may not happen immediately, but ultimately God
will ensure freedom for His people.
This Advent we sing: O Come Thou Rod of Jesse come and free thine own from Satan’s
tyranny. Come, Thou Deliverer, and free us from the powers of sinful thoughts and
actions and give us the gift of joining with the Victorious Christ in the defeat over sin
and the grave and isolation and loneliness and fear and frustration. Strengthen us in
mind and body so that we may manage the afflictions and adversities that we meet in
our lives.
O God, Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier, in this Advent season, prepare my mind and
my heart and make me ready to receive Your redeeming power. Living my life isn’t
always easy; and I need Your guidance to help me make it from one day to the next.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel. --Charles Confer
Tuesday, December 6
Romans 15:7-13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing...” [Romans 15:13]
Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
[Hymn 66, The Hymnal 1982]
Jews and Gentiles praising the same Lord. How could this be? How could there be peace
where there is such a difference in history and culture? Could peace exist where conflict
still existed? This doesn't make sense, yet the benediction here is clear, for God to fill
you with joy and peace.
Life seems full of conflict. Trials seem constant. Questions of "why" often go
unanswered. Details of the future are murky at best. Can one really have joy and peace
if those uncertainties and internal conflicts remain?
Oh, but God is the God of hope and our hope in him makes all the difference. It is not
the absence of conflict, confusion or uncertainty that is our joy and peace, it is our
belief, our faith in the God of hope. The statement here is to “cram or to infuse” us with
all joy and peace.
In the advent of His birth was also the advent of joy and peace that comes from a hope
far greater than present circumstances. So too, in our advent season, if we can put our
faith in the God of hope, He can fill us with all joy and peace, in spite of our situations,
even if it doesn't make sense. Joy to the world! –Terri Mumper
O COME, THOU KEY OF DAVID
Wednesday, December 7
Revelation 3:7-8
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the holy
one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who
shuts and no one opens.” [Rev. 3:7]
What is the "Key of David?” As long as they remained true to the Lord, David and his
descendants were promised spiritual prosperity. Doors would be opened which no man
could close and doors would be closed which no man could open. It did not take long
for David to drift away from the Lord and seek the ersatz salvation of a material
spirituality and over the centuries the schism between God and the house of David
grew. In this time of advent we remember Jesus as a descendent of David. However, He
is more than that. Jesus, as Christ, is the only one who could remain in perfect harmony
with the Will of God. He is the holder of the key to God's heart. Only through Christ is
eternal salvation possible.
Some have fallen into the trap of a logical equivocation. Tempted by the worldly power
of being associated with the "one true religion," they have assumed that because Christ
is the only path to God, Christianity is the only path to Christ. Clearly, many people of
many different cultures and faiths can hold Christ in their hearts without an explicit
belief in the filial clause of the Nicene Creed. In this time of reflection on our
relationships with our friends and family, humanity, and the Church, we should remind
ourselves that we are saved by Grace and not by association.
--Thomas Simpson
Thursday, December 8
Isaiah 22:20-25
“I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David…” [Isaiah
22:22]
O come, thou key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path of misery.
[Hymn 56, The Hymnal 1982]
Friday, December 9
Matthew 16:13-19
“And who do you say I am?” [Matthew 16:15]
When Jesus asked his disciples this soul searching question, Peter jumped right in.
“You are the Christ, Son of the living God,” he answered Jesus. [Matt. 16:16]
Then Jesus explained to Peter that this faith came to him as a gift from God. “Blessed
are you, Simon…for this was not revealed to you by man, but my Father in heaven.”
[Matt. 16:17]
We, too, have been granted the gift of faith and each of us in our own way nourishes
and helps it grow deeper and stronger.
When you can’t understand why something happens in your life, are you able to
acknowledge that whatever happens, happens for a reason? It takes a true test of faith
to acknowledge that God has a purpose …which sometimes we never know.
Take a few minutes to think back on your life. Can you remember various situations
when you relied on your faith to get you over rocky roads and up slippery slopes?
Perhaps it was the loss of a loved one; illness; disappointments; family problems; loss of
job.
Are you able to show your complete trust and faith and “let go and let God?” When you
wake up in the morning, do you make God chuckle by telling Him your plans for the
day? Or is your faith strong enough that you trustfully place the day in God’s hands?
Today, confidently pray: I place myself completely in your hands today, God. Strengthen
and guide me to do your will in every way.
--Sally Coup
O COME, THOU DAYSPRING
Saturday, December 10
Isaiah 9:1-7
“…(T)hose who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” [Isaiah
9:2b]
I cannot help but read this passage in Isaiah with a hint of skepticism this year. I think of
so many out there at this moment for whom the "darkness" has no apparent end. For
some, the freedom of their people is deemed the sacrifice necessary to uphold the
security or the freedom of another people. For others, they find their families,
communities and even friends deem their identity as loathsome, deviant and dirty. For
them, Isaiah's prophecy rings no more true than opium's ability to actually make you
happy.
Unless the prophecy is a call to action. The light shining upon us will not magically and
suddenly end all the unnecessary suffering people face, and yet we do not stop walking.
We must acknowledge that the end of oppression and injustice in general will not end
in our lifetime, while at the same time we must acknowledge our ability to step forward
and the grace of God that empowers us. When the people of God recognize the light
and begin walking in it, creation moves further along the path of transformation.
Look to every step you take this next week, every email you send and every argument
you engage and reflect on whether you are walking in the light. Are your actions
bringing life or bringing death? For in life we march on toward the kingdom that has
already come near, but is not yet realized. Thus we break the rod of the oppressor.
--Kurt Esslinger, Agape Christian Center (reprinted with permission)
Sunday, December 11
Isaiah 58:1-9
The kind of fasting I want is this: … [Isaiah 58:9]
We don’t often associate fasting with Advent; most of us know it as an important part
of Lent. But how can we not connect the two church seasons? Without the birth, there
would not have been the death and resurrection. Without the resurrection, we would
not anticipate the second coming of Christ.
As we are now deep into the Advent season, we are bombarded with requests for gifts,
especially monetary, from many organizations, as well as buying for family and friends.
While we cannot contribute or buy for all, we need to understand the message that the
Lord gave to Isaiah in this chapter in verses 6 and 7. The Lord tells us what kind of
fasting he wants. It must have been an important message because Jesus repeated it in
Matthew 25:35-40. Can we call someone just to check up? Can we give a few dollars to
someone in need? Can we run an errand for a friend?
We are never without the love and grace from God. We may not always see it or feel it.
Sometimes it seems as if God isn’t there, or at least not listening as we go through our
struggles and life’s trials. But many of us have that hope that something better will
come, as in the hope we feel during Advent.
While we give presents to family and friends during this season, we can give presence to
others and feel God’s presence in doing so throughout the year. What a great gift He
gave us – His love and His son!
May the light that shone over the Baby brighten our hearts and lives and show us the
path that God wishes us to follow.
--Marcia Sherman
Monday, December 12
Isaiah 60:1-3
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the
LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
[Isaiah 60:1-3]
On Sunday morning, after the snowstorm but before we went to church, Lucy and I
headed to our popular hill on the golf course to try to get some sledding in before the
snow melted. We were in luck – the snow was still there and perfect for sledding – fast
enough to provide screams and laughter but not injury. At the top of the hill, the view
was breathtaking – snow on the ground and on the mountains in the distance and
sunlight shining on the colorful dripping leaves in front of us. It was a strange sight –
the leaves, snow and light all together.
This picture in my head stayed with me all day (and even now). I thought of it when
reading the scripture for today. With the current economy, political climate,
oppression, hunger, and loneliness around us, it can feel so dark and sad. The
approaching winter can have that effect on us as well – the cold, the darkness, the lack
of color. I sometimes lose hope along with the light. I believe these moments of
beauty remind us that the Lord is with us through the darkness and that we need the
darkness to really see and appreciate his light and love. Loren once pointed out to me
how beautiful the trees are without their leaves. I can still see that beauty and I am not
as sad to see the leaves fall. God reminds us about our potential to see light in the
darkness with these small reminders of beauty in our winter and we are given hope and
spread our love and lightness to others in the darkness.
“For you were once darkness, but now are you light in the Lord: walk as children of
light.” [Ephesians 5-8]
Dear Lord, help us to see the light when we think we are in darkness; help us to shine
your light for others when they see only darkness.
--Sarah Bell
Tuesday, December 13
Luke 1:67-79
“[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 1:78-79]
Comfort, comfort ye my people,
speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
comfort those who sit in darkness
mourning ‘neath their sorrows’ load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem
of the peace that waits for them;
tell her that her sins I cover,
and her warfare now is over.
[Hymn 67, The Hymnal 1982]
Wednesday, December 14
John 1: 6-9
“He was not himself the light; he came to bear witness to the light.” [John 1:8]
Jesus so revered the man whom we know as John the Baptist that he is reported in John
1:15 to have declared that John “takes rank before me.” We learn in this passage that
John was sent from God “as a witness to testify to the light, that all might become
believers through him.” As Christians, we all are witnesses to the light, but how can we
be such good witnesses that others can become believers through us? Although John
the Baptist was a brilliant preacher, I suspect that the path to such exceptional
“witnesshood” is more about who we are than what we say. That is, how can my own
life embody the light of God that is the presence of God? What am I doing now that
witnesses to the light? What do I do that impedes that witness? What else am I called
to do to witness to the light of God? Just as the magi and the shepherds witnessed the
star that announced the Christ child’s birth, during this Advent season I seek to learn
how to bear witness to the light of Christ.
O God, teach me how to live my life as witness to your love.
--Susan Bowers
COME DESIRE OF NATIONS
Thursday, December 15
Isaiah 2:2-4
He shall judge between the nations
and set terms for many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
One nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
[Isaiah 2:4 – New American Bible]
About 28 centuries have passed since Isaiah uttered the words of this prophecy.
Kingdoms have risen and fallen. Empires have risen and fallen. Nations have risen and
fallen. And still we pray for the coming of the day when the words of the prophecy will
be fulfilled.
Members of the United States military forces are stationed in well over a hundred
nations, and we probably spend more on defense than all other nations of the world
combined. And still we wait in hope for the day where swords are beaten into
plowshares, and spears into pruning hooks.
Those of a “certain generation” remember well the words sung by Bob Dylan:
…how may deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died,
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind…
And so we pray for the outpouring of the Spirit. And so we pray for the coming of the
Messiah, the one who will bring peace to the nations. And we pray for the wind of the
Spirit.
O day of peace that dimly shines
Through all our hopes and prayers and dreams
Guide us to justice, truth and love;
Delivered from selfish schemes.
May swords of hate fall from our hands,
Our hearts from envy release,
Till by God’s grace our warring world
Shall see Christ’s promised reign of peace. Amen.
Carl P. Daw
© 1982
--Fr. John Hoover
Friday, December 16
Psalm 47
“Clap your hand for joy all peoples!
Praise God with loud songs!” [Ps. 47:1]
This psalm is very appropriate for the Advent and Christmas seasons. We are told to
praise God with loud songs. I've never known that to be a problem at this time of year,
starting long before Thanksgiving, but usually ending the day after Christmas. Radio
stations flood the airwaves with Christmas music and some stores and malls still do,
too. Yes, there are some beloved carols that are played, not as often as Frosty or
Rudolph, but the older and some newer praises to God make the list.
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen is one I hear quite often. “To save us all from Satan's
power.” Now there's an encouraging message! The song of the Three Kings and
Drummer Boy show us that all walks of life are covered under God's umbrella of love.
Would the psalmist be jumping up and down as he hears us rattling the church rafters
with the strains of Joy to the World? Would he be looking for his tambourine to join us
in Go, Tell it on the Mountain? Perhaps he would be pleased, too, to hear our
reverence as we harmonize Silent Night by candlelight.
“Sing praise to God; sing praise to our king!” he says in verse 6. We at St. Andrews are
pretty good at that all year long. However, it seems as though the songs of the
Christmas season are those most familiar to Christians around the world. Perhaps that
is something that unifies our many denominations.
Let us listen carefully to the carols this year. Which bring us joy and great hope in the
birth of the Christ Child? Which make us pause at the wonder of the gift given to us?
“O, come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.” In December, in March, in June......
--Marcia Sherman
Saturday, December 17
Daniel 7:13-14
“I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven.” [Daniel 7:13]
Lo! He comes, with clouds descending, once for our salvation slain;
thousand thousand saints attending swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ the Lord returns to reign.
[Hymn 58, The Hymnal 1982]
Sunday, December 18
Ephesians 2: 11-22.
“And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who
were near, for through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” [Ephesians
2:17-18]
This passage stood out for me because just a few days ago I was looking through some
papers that belonged my mother. Mother died in 2000 at the age of 97. A good long
life filled with the spirit of the Lord. She was one of eight children born to a Lutheran
minister and his loving wife who had churches in New England and in the mid-west. She
entered nurses’ training after high school and after a brief period of taking care of
children in the Chicago area she answered the call to become a medical missionary. She
spent six years in central India (1929-1935) caring and healing and praying. During that
time she helped design and build a hospital. She told me that it was a great day when
the hospital was completed and the surgery suite had a cement floor rather than the
old dirt floor. In the days before antibiotics and other medications, the caring team
relied a lot on personal contact and prayer. I always thought that she must have been
very brave to go so far away into a strange land, learn a new language and care for the
local people.
When she returned to the USA she found that both her father and sister had died. That
must have been quite a blow and a test of faith. She decided not to return to India but
to stay in the states and care for her mother. I am glad she did since there in
Connecticut she met my father. She gave to her family, church and community an
example of lasting faith and trust. She returned to nursing after her three boys were in
school. She lived for the service of others. Even in the final years of her life in a
retirement community in Daytona Beach she would get the hymnals out for the daily
chapel service and repair any which had a loose page or two. I would say that through
her life many people have had access in one Spirit with the Father.
Heavenly Father, Help us all to care for those who are near and those who are far away.
Let us live a life of service, sharing our talents and giving all that we can to others.
Amen.
--David D Pearson
Monday, December 19
Psalm 96
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
Then all of the trees of the forest will sing for joy. [Ps. 96:11-12]
One of the most difficult things to do in regard to listening to the word of God is
maintaining focus. With so many events and distractions in our lives, it is easy to lose
focus on what is truly important. Focus is like a seed planted in the ground, hoping that
someday a tree will grow.
Focusing on the teachings of Jesus Christ helps lead to clarity, which can shape our
perspectives on life. Clarity is like the young sapling that has sprouted from the seed;
we begin to see what shape the tree may become and we have a better understanding
of what needs to be done to help it continue to grow.
From clarity comes calmness, which helps us better understand our role in God’s world
and consider the actions we need to take to fulfill it. Calmness can be viewed as the
fully grown tree that is strong and is able to weather many storms. The cycles of the
seasons may change the appearance of the tree, but the strength associated with its
growth and calmness can never be doubted.
Finally, from calmness comes patience; patience in the knowledge that full growth takes
time and that if we do our best to abide by the teachings of Jesus Christ, that we have
nothing to fear. Our daily distractions and stresses seem trivial in many ways. Patience
can be seen in the branches and leaves of the tree; even in winter when the tree looks
bare, buds fat with new life will soon bloom.
But it all starts with focus. If we begin by regularly focusing on the lessons of Jesus
Christ then like the mighty trees of the forest (and all of God’s creations), we too will
ultimately sing for joy.
Dear God,
In our daily travels and activities, please help us remain focused; focused on your word
and promise, and focused on knowing that all of the distractions of life are temporary
and fleeting. Help us also achieve clarity, calmness, and patience so that like the trees of
the forest, we too may sing for joy. Amen.
--Craig Stark
O COME, EMMANUEL
Tuesday, December 20
Isaiah 7:13-14
“Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him
Immanuel.” [Isaiah 7:14]
To you this night is born a child
of Mary, chosen virgin mild;
this newborn child of lowly birth
shall be the joy of all the earth.
[Hymn 80, The Hymnal 1982]
Wednesday, December 21
Matthew 1:18-23
“All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet”
[Matthew 1:22]
Lo, how a Rose e’re blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming as seers of old have sung.
[Hymn 81, The Hymnal 1982]
Thursday, December 22
Luke 1:26-33
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for you hast found favour
with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a
son, and shalt call his name JESUS. [Luke 1:30-31]
Can any of us living in the 21 century imagine how Mary, a teenager,st
could have possibly felt or even understood this mandate from Gabriel? She was
engaged to Joseph but not married so couldn’t understand how she could bear a child
without being with a man. Even though Gabriel explained how this could happen, Mary
must have felt some apprehension and possibly even fear at the news. A teenager
today would have probably told Gabriel to “get lost, weirdo,” but in Mary’s time, girls
did not argue with men or angels! They were raised to accept orders of the men in
their lives, so Mary did not rebel but acquiesced to the higher power of Gabriel, as the
messenger of God, and was a willing vessel for the coming Jesus.
And how about us, as adults? Could we handle a visitation from Gabriel or any other
messenger from God? Would we be suspicious or even annoyed that it happened to
us? Should we be thinking, in this season of Advent, how we can become more willing
to accept God’s important presence in our lives? Can we open our hearts and minds to
the fullness of God’s love and do a better job of spreading His word? That could be our
gift to Jesus this season.
Dear Lord, please guide us to do your will and through our thoughts and actions make
our world a tribute to your everlasting love.
--Al and Ann Reeves
Friday, December 23
Luke 1:39-45
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was
filled with the Holy Spirit. [Luke 1:41]
It’s funny how different people see things differently. If I were in Elizabeth’s place, it
wouldn’t have occurred to me to think that my unborn baby’s movements had any
spiritual meaning; I would have attributed the baby’s leaping as a response to my rising
to greet my guest, if I would have taken any particular notice of it at all. And that’s how
many of us go through life—focusing on mundane activities day in and day out, without
stopping to notice the divine all around us. And when something happens that does
make us stop and consider God’s hand at work—the stranger who appears out of
nowhere to fix our flat tire in the pouring rain, or the way the sun will break through
the clouds in a breathtaking display—there’s often a little voice that says, “Oh for Pete’s
sake, it’s just a coincidence.”
During this Advent season as we prepare for this most remarkable and holy event that
took place in the most humble of places, let us be open to the Holy Spirit as it opens our
eyes to the presence of God in all things.
O come, Creator Spirit, come
And make within our souls thy home;
Supply the grace and heav’nly aid
To fill the hearts which thou hast made.
(from the hymn Veni Creator)
--Janie Coyne
Saturday, December 24
Luke 1:46-55
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” [Luke 1:46]
Let the heights of heaven adore him;
angel hosts his praises sing;
powers, dominions, bow before him,
and extol our God and King;
let no tongue on earth be silent,
every voice in concert ring,
evermore and evermore!
[Hymn 82,The Hymnal 1982]
Sunday, December 25
Luke 2:1-20
It was a night much like any other at this time of year: silent (except for the baying of
the occasional sheep), cold and dark (or deep, as the hymn writer describes it). The
shepherds who inhabit the plains near Bethlehem of Judea are so poor and insignificant
that they don’t even bother with the requirement of the emperor to be registered;
after all, anybodies don’t count. And what do they have to lose if they do skip the
Emperor’s registration (assuming they even know about it)? You can’t get blood from a
stone, the saying goes. So the shepherds go about their lonely business minding sheep.
They and the sheep have bedded down beneath the cloudless sky. It will be a long
night, one of the longest of the year. The chill has set in, and the dampness of a
winter’s night makes sleep difficult. But with any luck, they will soon fall asleep out of
sheer exhaustion.
Then one shepherd, still awake as he adjusts his blanket to hold out the chill, notices
something out of the corner of his eye. It is a figure who seems bathed in light. Soon
many more appear, filling the sky. The shepherd awakens the others and speechlessly
points to the sky. The choir of angels begins to sing, “Glory to God in the highest
heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.” “He,” of course is the one
whose coming the angels announce: “the Messiah, the Lord,” born in nearby
Bethlehem, the city of David. The shepherds unaccustomed to such encounters quickly
get up and head for Bethlehem to see for themselves.
How intriguing of God to make the savior’s
birth known to the nobodies of the world first?
This portends interesting things to come for
the savior. For now, let us relish the unlikely
scene of shepherds crowding a tiny stable
where they worship the Christ child
surrounded by farm animals. The lowly
shepherds are the first to know and the first to
worship him for whom our prayer is: “O come,
Emmanuel.”
O Christ, with the shepherds we come to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken
place; with the shepherds we kneel in silence among the friendly beasts; and in awe and
wonder we ponder the miracle of your incarnation. You come, not in power and might,
but in peace and humility. And because you come to us offering yourself, so we come to
you offering our hearts. Enter our hearts this day and be born in us that we may show
forth your glory and be transformed into your likeness. This we ask in your name. Amen.
Fr. Peter Harer
