It’s here. It’s now. Tonight is the night to lay aside all of your burdens and cares and go into a warm sanctuary and simply worship. Listen to the music. Absorb the message. Take home the most precious gift the world has ever received. All you have to do is simply show up.
Simply be.
Simply adore.
Simply receive.
My prayer for you this Christmas is that you meet your Savior at his mangy manger and give him your heart. For unto us, he was born!
Merry Christmas, dear readers!
Betsy
Imagine this story. A very young woman is taken from her hometown by her fiancé to satisfy the tax register requirements of a hostile government. She is extremely pregnant and near term. The only means of transportation is an old donkey that stumbles over the rocky paths and hilly terrain. As her body prepares for the impending birth, her pain and discomfort increase with each step. This miserable journey was about 90 miles. Let that sink in.
The local hostel is filled with people who are also being forced to register for taxation. But the weary couple finds a space out in the barn, where at least there is some shelter from the wind.
Luke 2 (Common English Bible)
2 In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. 2 This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. 3 Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. 4 Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. 5 He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom.
A rough feed-box served as a bassinet for her baby. It is hard to imagine giving birth under such circumstances. No doctor, no midwife, no pain medications, no sterile bed, no sutures … just the man who refused to send you away (as was his right) encouraging life out of your travel-worn body as you experience the excruciating pain of delivery. Firstborns usually require long labors. Hers must have felt like a lifetime.
But with the instinct of every new mother, this teenage girl found cloths and wrapped her son snugly. Perhaps these cloths came from her own body, as she removed her head wrap and scarves to provide his first baby blanket. Perhaps the only donkey saddle she had was a worn-out blanket, which she now swaddled around her baby’s shivering shoulders. Her love for her son wrapped him as well. She finally knew the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies and the proclamation of the angel Gabriel nine months earlier. The comfort of those words wrapped her snugly as she fell into an exhausted sleep.
8 Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. 9 The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. 11 Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. 12 This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.”13 Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, 14 “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”
There was nothing snugly about the sudden and terrifying appearance of a host of fiery angels suddenly appearing and hovering over the ground like some horrific scene from a science fiction novel. The humble shepherds, dozing by their warm nighttime fires, were jerked to their feet and filled with an overwhelming desire to flee down the hill toward safety. But the winged creature spoke to them with the strangest direction: Don’t be afraid. Go and see. Your Savior is born. Look for the snugly blanket.
And so they did.
Close your eyes for a moment and think about Mary. Now imagine people in our own lifetime who are cold, homeless, traveling a road they did not choose for themselves, frightened, oppressed by a hostile government, and anything but snugly. Jesus came to bring warmth and security for even the least of these. Ask yourself this: How can we help? What will I do?
Don’t be afraid. Go and see, then go and tell. Take a snugly blanket with you to offer to someone cold, in the name of Jesus. It is the best way we can honor what his mother did for him.
Snugly
Let’s talk about Christmas movies. Which one is your favorite? I love a lot of the old ones, and every year I especially enjoy Miracle on 34th Street (only the original!), It’s a Wonderful Life, and Christmas in Connecticut, if only for the marvelous outfits worn by Barbara Stanwyck. Every once in a while a new movie will be added to my list, and this year I was pleased to add This is Christmas. I knew it would be good when my oldest daughter texted her dad and me emphatically recommending that we watch it. You can find it on Amazon Prime.
This is Christmas tells the tale of London train commuters who sit in the same railcar every day as they go to work. I read a review that argued that this is impossible. That lady has never been to church. You know you all sit in the same pew on the same side every Sunday! People are creatures of habit. But this is a necessary plot device. A young commuter named Adam realizes that he sees the same faces every day but knows nothing about his fellow travelers. He especially wants to know about a traveler named Emma. So one day he boldly stands up and addresses everyone in the car, inviting them to a Christmas party he was going to put together.
The story enfolds from there as we see people making real connections with each other and form a true community. The party takes shape as each one offers to contribute their unique gift to the event. Paul would have been pleased. They become a true Romans 12 community:
Romans 12 (Common English Bible)
3 Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you. 4 We have many parts in one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function. 5 In the same way, though there are many of us, we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to each other. 6 We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith. 7 If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. 8 If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.
They become a “found family” for each other and actually get to know one other. Ask yourself this: How well do you know your neighbors? Your co-workers? The people who wait on you every day in the store, coffee house, or restaurant? I have been guilty of knowing every dog’s name on my street but not every dog parent. We can do better!
This ‘journey on a train’ story becomes a journey into what makes us truly human. Forgiveness, solidarity, understanding, and redemption play a big role in the movie, just as in life. Obstacles and hardships, old hurts and new pain are all overcome by the compassion and warmth of people who now identify as a group that belongs to each other. The writer of Hebrews captures this idea of interdependent community best, offering this suggestion:
Hebrews 10 (Common English Bible)
24 And let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds. 25 Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.
Let us make that our rallying cry today. Consider others carefully. Spark love. Spark good deeds. Meet with friends and neighbors and get to know them. Encourage others.
After all, this is Christmas.
Community Fountain
Today we will dive into Psalm 146, the assigned lectionary passage for this week. As soon as I read the first sentence, it began to sound a lot like the preamble to the American Declaration of Independence. The phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” appears in the preamble, which describes the fundamental rights that governments are created to secure. While Jefferson’s words were aspirational, they did not carry the full weight and force of the law. However, the Constitution has such authority, and both the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments address this, guaranteeing equal protection of “life, liberty, or property with the due process of law.”
Surely our country’s founders understood what it takes to live a prosperous life. Constitutional guarantees were designed to protect those things with the backing of the law. When a nation turns its back on the law, everyone suffers.
The psalmist in today’s passage lived in a time when Israel had turned its back on the Law. In the midst of national suffering, he penned these hopeful words of praise, directing the people back to the true source of happiness. This is the first of the last five psalms, a collection known as the Praise Psalms.
Psalm 146 (New Revised Standard)
The person whose help is the God of Jacob—
the person whose hope rests on the Lord their God—
is truly happy!
6 God: the maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
God: who is faithful forever,
7 who gives justice to people who are oppressed,
who gives bread to people who are starving!
We have seen all throughout history that governments will deny rights to their own people in pursuit of personal agendas. The rich get richer and the poor deeply suffer. Only God can bring justice to our land. People will fail us miserably and spectacularly.
The Lord: who frees prisoners.
8 The Lord: who makes the blind see.
The Lord: who straightens up those who are bent low.
The Lord: who loves the righteous.
9 The Lord: who protects immigrants,
who helps orphans and widows,
but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!
10 The Lord will rule forever!
Zion, your God will rule from one generation to the next!
We, including those in power, should straighten up those who are bent low, protect immigrants, help orphans and widows, give justice to the oppressed, and give bread to the starving. It’s right there in black and white.
What can you do in your community today to live up to this? Can you bring happiness to someone in the name of the Lord?
Lord, help us to help others. Then we can be truly happy.
Winter Berries by Kathy Schumacher
Is your Christmas tree up yet? I bet for the majority of us it is. Decorating a Christmas tree is such a time of sweet nostalgia. We decorated our tree with the help of our older grandchildren, hanging each ornament up with the story of where it came from. I almost cried when my granddaughter showed me a little gold teapot with sparkling crystals and said it was her favorite one. I gave that to my tea-loving mother decades ago and inherited it back when she died. To see a fourth generation daughter appreciate it blessed me so much, and we had a long talk about her great-grandmother and what a wonderful woman she was.
Have you ever wondered about the history of the Christmas tree and what it symbolizes? Take a look at the first sentence of today’s lectionary passage from Isaiah.
Isaiah 11 (Common English Bible)
A shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse;
a branch will sprout from his roots.
Isaiah prophesies that a branch from Jesse’s roots will shoot up and receive the Lord’s spirit. Jesse was David’s father’s and of course Jesus was born of David’s lineage. So even back to the Old Testament we see Jesus’ birth associated with trees. We’ve been celebrating Christmas with trees for centuries.
I did some research and discovered that Christmas is a holiday especially suited to trees. Earl W. Count wrote a book called 4000 Years of Christmas (New York: Henry Schuman, 1948). Count reveals that using evergreens at Christmas was a medieval practice from Northern Europe. The green boughs served as devil-proof shields against all the evil forces of the universe, because evergreens refuse to die and never give up their green for the winter.
You probably didn’t realize that your humble Christmas tree is a devil-proof shield, did you? Unless you have a cat, in which case the devil-proofing function is null and void.
Count wrote: “Winter kills most of summer’s train but the greens remain steadfast. Where the greens are, it is not winter. They are the enemies of winter’s white death” (64-66).
According to our United Methodist Website, evergreens are understood as a symbol of the eternal coming to dwell among us as Word made flesh. They are a sign of life and growth overcoming and flourishing in the midst of the dead of winter, and also of the resurrection of Christ. The symbolism of evergreens points to the unending life of the age to come when Christ returns, the dead are raised, and the righteous enter life in the new creation.
Isaiah goes on to describe the attributes of the impending messiah:
2 The Lord’s spirit will rest upon him,
a spirit of wisdom and understanding,
a spirit of planning and strength,
a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.
3 He will delight in fearing the Lord.
He won’t judge by appearances,
nor decide by hearsay.
4 He will judge the needy with righteousness,
and decide with equity for those who suffer in the land.
He will strike the violent with the rod of his mouth;
by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be the belt around his hips,
and faithfulness the belt around his waist.
When you admire your own Christmas tree over the next few weeks, ponder these things. We are called to be like Jesus: wise and understanding, strong in our faith, non-judgmental, impervious to gossip, and generous to the needy. We are the lovely branches of Christ. How can you live that out today?
10 On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him out, and his dwelling will be glorious.
May we stand as a signal to the people as well.
How Lovely Are Thy Branches
Today we continue to celebrate the first week of Advent. Advent is our four-week season of preparation for the nativity of Emmanuel, God-with-us. The first week is always spent talking about the prophecies that foretold Jesus’ coming, and today’s passage is one of those prophecies that leads us straight to Jesus. We begin with a word of warning from John the Baptizer:
Luke 7 (New Revised Standard Version)
7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance.
John’s startling appearance at the beginning of Advent always reminds me of someone’s weird Uncle John who shows up 4 days late for Thanksgiving and disrupts the tryptophan-induced coma that the family has been comfortably enjoying. He looks strange, he dresses oddly, and he eats some weird kind of keto-paleo-whole 30-vegan diet that only consists of locusts and honey. He barges in with a loud message of repentance and warns about the judgment that is coming. He interrupts the football games and calls the family a brood of vipers … basically killing the mood as you’re trying to get ready for Christmas.
John is a total buzz kill. John’s message was hard to hear then, and it is hard to hear today. What does he mean by bearing fruits that are worthy of repentance?
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
Did you get that?
Share your resources with people in need.
Practice integrity in your work.
Treat people fairly.
Don’t cheat anyone.
Only speak the truth.
Be content with what you have.
Repent and return to God with your whole heart.
John’s “Getting Ready for Christmas List” was long, complicated, and had nothing to do with decorating, shopping, buying, and waiting for Amazon deliveries. Getting ready for Christmas really involves getting our hearts and minds ready to worship the Christ child in the manger, and bowing down our expectations, disappointments, hopes, ambitions, frustrations, and every other part of our selves before his throne.
How are you getting ready this Christmas? May we heed John’s words and share what we have while we adopt a life of Christ-like integrity. This is the best way to prepare for the birth of the baby king.
Are you in?
Be a Do-Gooder
We have finally landed in Advent, the season of preparation for the birth of our Lord. Preachers all said the same thing yesterday on the first Sunday of Advent: “As you are preparing your homes, presents, baking chores, and social events, be sure to be preparing your hearts and souls this season.” I bet if we took a survey of those of you who went to church yesterday, you heard something similar. I preached on Isaiah and still ended up saying the same thing. People get ready! Jesus is comin’.
Today’s lectionary Scripture offers a different approach to our beginning of Advent readiness plan. Paul focused on waking up from our sleep. What a marvelous twist! Have we, like Scrooge, been sleeping through the year? Is it time to wake up to the salvation that is impending with the birth of Christ? What does that mean?
Romans 13 (Common English Bible)
11 As you do all this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had faith. 12 The night is almost over, and the day is near.
Paul goes on to explain what he wanted the church to do. We can co-opt this list as we blink our way into morning’s light and think about what Jesus really wants for Christmas this year. You see, people can do many “religious” things yet still be asleep toward God.
So let’s get rid of the actions that belong to the darkness and put on the weapons of light. 13 Let’s behave appropriately as people who live in the day, not in partying and getting drunk, not in sleeping around and obscene behavior, not in fighting and obsession.
To be awake means to be active in casting off impure things in order to put on Christ. We are told to cast off drunkenness and inappropriate behavior. We are warned against desiring the “forbidden bed” and especially not to revel in and flaunt our sexual sins, acting as those who are without shame. We should cease our bickering and fighting and end our obsession with worldly things. Instead, Paul invites us to “dress ourselves in Christ.”
14 Instead, dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and don’t plan to indulge your selfish desires.
Did you hear that? Make a plan. Make a plan to be a shining example of a follower of Christ this Advent. Make a plan to set aside all selfishness and be generous toward others. Make a plan to be faithful in your behavior and gentle with your words.
Make a plan!
Walking in Light by Kathy Schumacher
Advent begins in darkness. This is a deliberate thing, meant to bring us back to a time when the prophets declared that the “people were walking in darkness.” That scripture is a word-figure for the reality of the absence of the Light of the World from our lives. Before Jesus arrived, God’s people had descended from the Garden of Eden into deep and hopeless darkness, until it was so ink-black you could not see your soul in front of your face.
We recognize the descent into darkness and Advent’s ascent into light in the things around us. The Advent wreath has four unlit candles on the first day of Advent. Each Sunday we light one, then two, then three, then four, and FINALLY we arrive at Christmas Eve, when the white Christ candle standing at the center is lit. What a joyful moment that is to behold…all the flames dancing at once in the air of anticipation met and expectation unfolded.
Ponder this Christ Candle lighting liturgy from the United Methodist Church:
O Finality.
O final Light.
O luminous One,
outshining lamp, stars and sun.
O End of Night.
O Day’s Light without ending.
O Light, all light,
outshining lamp, stars and sun.
Break forth, O heavenly Light, and reign to the ages of ages.
Shine forever and let no more greed or hatred near.
Illumine and save all creation,
outshining lamp, stars and sun.
O Light, we shall see face to face.
O Radiancy, we shall ever bear upon our foreheads.
O Splendor of Love, the world of greed and hatred ending,
outshining lamp, stars and sun.
That is a rich and beautiful series of images, emotions, and ideas. You may want to read it again. But the repetition of “outshining lamp, stars and sun” truly stands out. Jesus is the true light that illumines everything; a light that no one can extinguish.
Maybe Christmas Eve tomorrow will be dark for you. Grief, loneliness, illness, separation, missing your family, financial hardship…many things can dull the light. But all these things are worldly. Jesus is the Light of the World, and he longs to shine warmth, joy, and peace into your dark places.
Today is a day to do nothing else but embrace the Light. His light brings healing. His light brings solace. His light shines the way to eternal light, where literally none of those things matter. As much as it matters here and as deeply as you are feeling it, NONE of it will matter in eternity.
John 1 (NIV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
No darkness can overcome Jesus. He outshines the lamp. He outshines the stars. He outshines the SUN.
Bask in that light today. If you are headed to a Christmas Eve service tomorrow, listen for the light, look at the light, and be the light. If you aren’t, ponder these words again just like Mary pondered the angel’s proclamation of Jesus’ birth…in your heart.
Jesus is the Light of the World! A light no one can extinguish.
Light of the World by Kathy Schumacher
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
for shopping and baking, and for Xanax taking when loved ones come near!
It’s the most wonderful time… for a beer.
We have reached that point in the “most wonderful time of the year” when stress is at its peak. Are you feeling it? Just this week I heard two parents say that their children cried on the way to school several days this week, other moms told me they are completely overwhelmed and exhausted, and a colleague reached out for prayer because she feels like she is drowning in obligations and commitments. Why, oh, why, do we do this to ourselves every year?
Friends, this is no way to celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Peace. Are you at peace in your heart, or is your life filled with worry and fretting? Here are six steps toward peace, reminding us that we won’t have peace on earth and goodwill toward all people until we have peace within.
Phil. 4:4 says to rejoice in the Lord always… not just rejoice occasionally. Not just rejoice when something great happens but rejoice in the Lord always. Making the choice to rejoice in every circumstance brings peace to your soul. Can you pause right now and rejoice that at least you are alive to survive another day?
Be gentle and forbearing… with everyone. Scripture teaches us that “A gentle word turns away wrath.” Paul says to let your words be seasoned with salt and designed to build up, not to cut down, designed to develop, not destroy, and designed to help, not to hurt. Let your graciousness be evident to all. If your stress and exhaustion are making you be short with your kids or your spouse, figure out a way to take something on your list and just say no.
Jesus said: “I will never leave you nor forsake you!” Remembering that Jesus is with you and that you abide in Him will help you rest in Him and experience his peace when you have none. As the Prince of Peace, he longs to meet you in a quiet moment, even in the carpool line or as you put your head on the pillow. Just ask him, and he will come.
Let prayer be your first response, not your last resort. Paul says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 6:7)
The battle for peace is primarily fought in the mind. We must take every thought captive to Christ. Take two minutes to meditate on God’s Word. In Phil. 4, Paul wrote: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”
The Holy Spirit will not let us be at peace in sin, so we must confess, repent, and resolve to obey the Lord. The key is not the absence of troubles and trials or hurts and heartaches; but rather the key is the presence of God. When we confess and repent of our sins, we find an inner peace.
Pursuing peace will help us reduce our stress and be peacemakers. Where can you be a peacemaker in your workplace or your family? What better way to celebrate this last week of Advent could there be than to bring peace into your day? May the Prince of Peace make his presence known in your life today.
Peace Like a River by Michelle Robertson
The saying goes that “good things come to those who wait”. I remember a time in the Navy when that saying was replaced with “hurry up and wait.” Going to the Exchange? Hurry up to get there. Then wait. Seeing a doc at the base clinic? Hurry up and be on time for your appointment. Then wait. The deployment is almost over, and the squadron will be home soon. Hurry up, husband! Then wait.
There are many times in everyone’s life when hurry up and wait comes in to play: College applications are due by a certain date. HURRY UP and fill them out! Then wait to see if you got in. Cancer tests are scheduled for this day; hurry up! Then wait for weeks for the results. Babies come when they want to. Pre-labor beings! Hurry up! Then wait.
Waiting is hard.
Waiting is worrisome.
Waiting slap wears you OUT.
The people of Israel were promised a messiah. The messiah would come to rule his kingdom on earth. He would take away their sins and would save them. Under his reign, justice would flow like the waters, and there would be peace on earth. But they were beginning to get tired of waiting:
Isaiah 40 (NIV)
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
And so Israel hurried up. And waited. Centuries passed from the time of Isaiah to the advent of Jesus Christ. By then they had waited so long they didn’t recognize him as the messiah. But some did. Perhaps they were the ones who waited with open anticipation. As you wait, are you open to receiving God’s answer in a completely different way than you are expecting? Jesus was not what was expected, but good things came to those who waited for him.
Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. Why? Because God does not faint or grow weary. God gives power to the faint. He strengthens the powerless. But you … you will mount up with wings like eagles if you choose to wait for the Lord.
The challenge is to spend your time in the “waiting room” wisely. What else can you be doing while you wait? Can you be immersed in the word? Shoring up failing relationships? Actively spreading hope to others who are also waiting? Witnessing to God’s presence in the waiting room? Waiting rooms can be places that bear just as much fruit as delivery rooms if we keep our eyes open while we wait.
While we wait upon the Lord to deliver, we gain strength in knowing that God never grows weary. And so we take this time in our waiting room to grow in our love of God, of family, of faith, and in confidence that in every hurry-up and every slow-down moment, God is with us.
And I just can’t wait to see what he does.
Peaceful, Easy Morning by Michelle Robertson
At Water’s Edge 