Advent: Wait, Watch, Hope. Stargazer. Star-crossed. Star-strucked. Call me what you want to: I love the shimmering twilights in the nighttime sky. If the evening news tells us there will be an eclipse - I am there. If they predict meteors - even better. I am obsessed when the moon performs wonders and shooting stars dance. I used to drag our kids out in the middle of night to join in my fun. Well, fun for me; I am not sure for them. One time I woke them up at 3 AM, dressed them warmly and drove to an airport where telescopes were set up to watch the once in a lifetime view of Haley’s Comet - once in a lifetime for me, but a possible twice in a lifetime event for my kids. Priceless! Last Tuesday the Geminids’s meteor shower presented a marvelous showing in the clear dark skies. The kids are grown now and safely away from their obsessive mother. But being the diligent mother I am, I texted them that heaven planned to show off that night and reminded them to look … [Read more...]
Healing Comfort Prayer – Lectio Divina
All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah!Father of all mercy!God of all healing counsel!He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.2 Corinthians 1: 3-5 (The Message)Healing ComfortI stumbled into your arms tonight, Lord.My heart plunges even further shattered in disbelief; in pieces that can’t be put back together.Lord, this evil that pervades the world overwhelms us at times.Wickedness darkens our life by snuffing out too many candles, much too soon.I am weary of senseless violence, Lord.Eradicate evil and grant us Your Goodness.Today I hold my kids a little longer.Tomorrow I will snuggle my precious grandkids.But some have empty arms … [Read more...]
Advent Truth: God with Us – Quote of the Week
If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: “God with us.” We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Christ. The greater truth of the holiday is His deity. More astonishing than a baby in the manger is the truth that this promised baby is the omnipotent Creator of the heavens and the earth!John F. MacArthur, Jr. … [Read more...]
Advent – Do “Ewe” Know Who Watched the Sheep?
“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” I love the enthusiastic response of these ordinary shepherds to God’s announcement of the birth of the Messiah. These passages are one of my favorites for this time of year telling us about the Christmas shepherds. But last night I wondered, “Who watched their sheep?” Did they all take off deserting the poor creatures? Did one abandoned shepherd draw the short straw and got left behind doing the work of many and missing the birth of the King? Did the angels come back and hover over them with divine protection? Phillip Keller wrote the classic book, A Shepherd Looks aPsalm 23 and described the not so complimentary nature of sheep. Sheep are timid, feeble creatures vulnerable to missteps and attacks. They are easily panicked by loud noises and flashing lights. Duh, a whole host of angels descending suddenly on this midnight pasture with joyous singing and beaming … [Read more...]
Advent Discernment – You said what, Lord?
I had one of those moments on Sunday.I participated in our annual Taize Service. My job was to read from Matthew 1: 18-25:This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their sins.”All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[g] (which means “God with us”).When … [Read more...]
A Prayer for the Reader – Lectio Divina
I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ for this will bring much glory and praise to GodPhilippians 3: 9-11 (NLT)Lord today I lift up into Your loving hands the readers of these words.Some who come here are celebrating Your joyous presence.Others drown in tears of loss.Another one stands lost in the dark fog of not knowing where to go to next.But we all come to You today Lord just as we are - in need of You.I ask You to pour into their hearts Your love until overflowing.Grant that they grow in knowing and embracing You.Purify their motivations and wash clean their desires to mirror You, Lord.May the work of their hands honor You and tell others of Your grace, … [Read more...]
An Advent Prayer – Henri Nouwen – Quote of the Week
Lord Jesus,Master of both the light and the darkness,send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.To you we say, “Come Lord Jesus!” Amen.-Henri Nouwen … [Read more...]
Advent: the Gift of Time in Present Tense
The gift of time. December blew in with a chilly and crystal clear star- shimmering night this week in Ohio. I gazed out my back window into the darkness. The light from the brilliant half moon and the twinkling of a million heavenly lights captivated my being. I paused and embraced that one moment. How are You preparing my heart for Christmas, Lord? How will I be transformed by Your coming? Advent is an in-between time. A time of waiting. A time of reading the old stories. A time of anticipating what will come. Time of preparing my heart to receive the good news. Advent - the interval between stuffed grateful Thanksgiving and joyous, noisy, family filled Christmas. We wait impatiently for family to arrive. We live in expectation of the future. We ignore the present. Somehow I don’t think God wants our Advent time to be this … [Read more...]