December 25

Luke 2:8-20

In that 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. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

“To God on high, the highest praise and peace to all down here.
God favors those who live with love and keeps them from all fear.”
The echo of that song in unexpected gladness rings.
And Christmas calls us to be still and hear the angels sing.

Beyond all darkness and all sin, the truth is told above:
that God shines light upon our world, that God draws near in love.
As Word takes Flesh, big concepts such as grace and truth and peace
are made concrete in Jesus, who embodies words like these.

The angels point to Him tonight. He comes in mystery.
They point to him for He’s the One who redeems history.
We’re not left empty or alone, cut off from heaven’s plan.
The song connects both strong and weak in one young Jewish man.

One day when Christ would show his strength in great humility,
He rode a colt into the town for all the world to see.
Bystanders waved their palms and raised their voices up to sing:
“All peace in heaven, glory too”[1] -- the angels echoing!

That’s what God wants – an echo! As the song starts from above,
It comes to dwell among us, then we give it back in love.
From God, through us, and back to God. That’s how the carols move.
The world is filled with rhythm ‘til we all get in the groove.

God starts the joy by sending Christ. The shepherds join the dance
And soon this night is filled with light, and all receive the chance
To lay down troubles at the cross, all sins abandoning.
And then the “world gives back the song which now the angels sing.”

So now we sing. We must respond. For much is now at stake
This world is shrouded in dark gloom and few dare stay awake.
The Caesars stomp with bloody boots and fill weak souls with fright.
It's up to us to echo grace. Our songs shall pierce the night.

Our mission is to sing, and serve all neighbors who cannot,
until the song consumes the world. This is God’s joyful plot.
This day we echo angels as we sing of peace and grace.
We lift the song that we received. With candles, find your place.

Rev. Bill Carter 

---

[1] Raymond Brown’s observation on Luke 19:38, from The Birth of the Messiah (Doubleday)

December 24

Luke 2:1-7

In those days a decree went out from Emperor 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 for them in the inn.

AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING

 

His eyes

open for the first time

taking in the world

he’s been sent to save.

What he sees

transforms a makeshift maternity ward

covering dust and offal

with love

as tears dribble down the cheeks

of his exhausted young mother

and a relieved smile accentuates the wrinkles

around his “scandal-be-damned” step-father’s moist eyes.

 

His feet

about to disappear

in bands of cloth

like the ones he’ll abandon

in his final resting place

kick in spasms

unaccustomed to the air

replacing the watery world

they’ve left behind.

Ten toes she gladly counts

while wondering where they will carry him

unaware her tears will not be the last to splash them.

 

His hands

ten fingers gently counted and caressed

wave wildly ‘til they too

are tamed and bound by cloth

providing warmth against the chill.

Unencumbered and calloused

the touch of these

will bring healing and wholeness.

Stretched wide and pierced by nails--

precious hands first put to work at creation--

offer the welcoming embrace of eternal life

to you and to yours, to me and to mine, to one and to all.

James E. Thyren

From We  Need You More Than Ever,©2020

December 23

Isaiah 9:2-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
    on them light has shined.
3 You have multiplied the nation,
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as people exult when dividing plunder.
4 For the yoke of their burden,
    and the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors
    and all the garments rolled in blood
    shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For a child has been born for us,
    a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
    and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His authority shall grow continually,
    and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
    He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

              “Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.”

This year especially we can empathize with the people of Isaiah’s day. It feels as though we have been walking in darkness, captives mourning in lowly exile. Some have labored under the yoke of burdens. Others have suffered the rod of oppressors. We yearn for a government upon righteous shoulders with peace and justice.

Into our darkness comes a great light. Hear the mighty words again.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government will be upon his shoulder
and his name will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.

Lord of hosts, even when we feel lost in darkness, we remember that you
send us light and increase our joy. Thank you for the gift of light, a child, your son,
our Prince of Peace.

Chris Norton

December 21

Luke 1:39-45

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Five Haikus for Elizabeth and Mary

A visitation - 

two women, powered by God

to birth Holy Men.

Hearing Mary's voice,

Elizabeth's baby leaped 

with joy in her womb.

Elizabeth, filled

with the Holy Spirit, cried:

"Mary, blessed are you."

"Blessed are you among

women and fruit of your womb

God's power unleashed!"

Fulfillment done.

Given by God and believed:

A faithful response.

Char Lyon

December 20

Isaiah 35:1-10

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.


This undated poem points to a moment when God will give a home to those who have no other home. God will restore their lives. God will re-establish their physical well being and affect the environment around them. “They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” That is good news. God promises joy.

Someone describes joy this way: “Such a gift, far from being a positive attitude or constantly upbeat mood, is best described as a deep confidence, even a kind of astonished laughter because of the discovery that there is One at work in our world more central to our stories than we are to ourselves.” (Tom Currie, The Joy of Ministry, p. 4)

Joy is more than a transitory emotion, as with all the other emotions that come and go. Joy is a “deep confidence” or an “astonished laughter.” It is rooted in the kind of God that we have. God’s work in the world is with those who have weak hands, feeble knees, and fearful hearts. It’s where confidence replaces the fear, where laughter interrupts the sorrow. Joy is the deep and abiding knowledge that, no matter what happens to us, God is with us, and God is working out the restoration of the world.

This is something that we can keep reminding one another. Isaiah’s poem is not a carrot on a stick, some vain hope that entices us to keep going. No, it’s this confidence that there is a greater love at the heart of the universe than what we see day to day, that there is a greater goodness than the recurring human nastiness, that there is a deeper wisdom than all short-sighted human foolishness, that there is truly a salvage operation that heaven is undertaking on earth.


Restoring God, save us, lift us, salvage us, and give us joy. Amen.


Rev. Bill carter

December 19

Psalm 80:1-7

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might, and come to save us!
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

O Lord God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us the scorn[a] of our neighbors;
our enemies laugh among themselves.
Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.

When our children were younger and there was confusion in the house, if she needed attention, instead of calling out “Dad!” our daughter would sometimes shout out my first name. Saucy, but effective; I listened!  She knew me well enough to call me by another name.

The Psalmist does something like this, using a collection of names: Shepherd! Enthroned one! God of hosts! -- Restore us! save us! shine your face upon us!  We call out for such things in Advent, the season of waiting. It may seem futile, trying one name, then another. Yet it is the language of lament, a gift the Bible offers. It is full of sorrow, yet not hidden sorrow; rather, it is sorrow expressed, sorrow addressed, to a specific one, whom we know well. Later Jesus will do it, mimicking Psalm 22: “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?”

Psalms of lament give us voice to speak out, to describe graphically how we really feel: my only bread is my tears! But the lamenting psalmist does not shout into the wind; no, he addresses God, who has made himself present before in many ways. We know him, and this gives us confidence to keep on calling until we are heard.  

God of many names, you have come before. Come again. Heed our cry, and the cries of so many who sorrow today. 

 

Charlie Pinches

December 18

Micah 5:2-5

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
    who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
    from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
    to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth;
5 and he shall be the one of peace.

 

Waiting.  We spend many minutes of our life waiting; waiting in line at the store, waiting on the telephone, waiting at the doctor’s office, …. the list goes on and on.  Micah was waiting for a new ruler, someone to rescue the people of Israel and bring peace to their nation.

Micah is the sixth of the twelve minor prophets.  He was the first prophet  to  predict  the downfall of Jerusalem. He felt the city was doomed because it was supported by dishonest business practices which impoverished the citizens of Jerusalem in addition to mistreatment of women and children, and a government that lived in luxury off the hard work of the nation’s people. It’s not surprising that over two thousand years later many cities and nations around the world are still guilty of these practices.  As Micah predicted Israel did fall to the Assyrian Empire in 722BCE.

In the verses we are reading today, Micah writes of a new ruler arising from the lineage of David and Bethlehem as the birthplace for the new ruler of Israel.  Like many others Micah compares this new ruler to a shepherd who gathers together the people of Israel and cares for them. He envisions peace throughout the lands and protection from the Assyrians. Even though this prophecy is centuries old, it still resonates with the current status of our nation and the world.

Lord, during this Advent season may we be followers of the Shepherd and minister to others in need.  Help us to lead simple lives and use our waiting time for spreading peace and joy to all we meet. Amen

For your listening pleasure copy this link into your browser: Waiting for a King
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=aOtCJajwD_M&list=RDAMVMaOtCJajwD_M 

Connie Weiss