Advent Devotionals

Beauty for Ashes

Posted on by Betsy

Losing someone at Christmas time is a gut-wrenching experience. Every holiday season going forward will forever be marked with the sadness of that untimely event. Yesterday, I officiated a funeral for a vibrant young woman in our community who brought light and laughter to everyone she met. As I counseled her mother earlier in the week, I kept hearing the phrase “beauty for ashes” in my mind. This young woman was an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Cosmetology at our local college, and everyone talked about her drive and desire to bring beauty into the world with her teaching, her skills, her delightful sense of humor, and her smile.

I opened today’s lectionary passage and there it was, the “beauty for ashes” Scripture. God is amazing that way.

Isaiah 61 (New International Version)

61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,

These were the very words that Jesus read from the scroll in the Temple as recorded in Luke 4:16-22. He was announcing himself as the long awaited Messiah. The use of the word “anointed” is key, as the word “Messiah” means “anointed one.” He then goes on to describe the ministry of the Messiah:

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

In verse 3 we see that the Messiah comes to bestow a crown of beauty instead of ashes to the people. Ashes were used as a sign of mourning and were spread all over the head and forehead. They represented desolation, ruin, and deep grief. Imagine spreading ashes all over your head … surely grief is messy, no matter how you approach it.

But Jesus came to offer a crown of beauty for your head to replace your ashes. He came to give you the oil of joy to replace your mourning. He game to replace your sackcloth of despair with a garment of praise. It bodes the question, why would we sit in ashes when Christ gave us so much better? Through his life, death, and resurrection, we are never permanently separated from those whom we love. And when overwhelming grief finally releases its grip on our hearts, we can live into that beauty, with God’s help. It will never be the same, but it won’t always feel this bad.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.

God is able to rebuild and restore the devastation of a loss by the renewal of your spirit, when you are ready to let him. In the meantime, for those who mourn, remember that you are never alone. Jesus walks your lonesome valley with you. Thanks be to God.

Lonesome Valley by Becca Ziegler

Blue Christmases

Posted on by Betsy

This is an excerpt from ADVENTuring to the Manger, available at Amazon.

When I was a child, my family’s Christmas lights were red, yellow, green, white, and orange. I don’t recall when blue lights came into vogue, but I remember being stunned the first time I saw a tree vibrant with blue LED lights dominating the color scheme. Blue is now my favorite Christmas light color. After all, blue is the liturgical color for the season of Advent.

Then I experienced my first “blue Christmas,” a phrase now used to define a sad, lonely, and sorrowful Christmas. Not everybody has a holly, jolly Christmas. The loss of a loved one, a divorce, a family member not being able to come home, having to work over the holidays, and just plain disappointment can all lead to feeling blue during the most wonderful time of the year. My blue Christmas was due to three things. I had moved away from my church of 16 years, and I was on leave with no Christmas Eve services to look forward to. My oldest daughter had just gotten married and was spending Christmas in another state with her in-laws. Worst of all, my father passed away suddenly two days after Thanksgiving.

I wasn’t just blue; I was black and blue.

Have you ever felt like a holiday could smack you right down? Holidays can be sneaky little buggers. They can come up behind you without any warning in the mall or at a party and poke you so hard from behind that it knocks the wind right out of you. A flash of memory, a familiar song, a taste of nostalgia, and suddenly, unbidden, you are feeling the pain of your loss with such intensity that you can’t move or breathe. The unhappy irony of that is that Christmas is the celebration of the Prince of Peace, the Comforter:

Isaiah 40

1 Comfort, O comfort my people,

    says your God.

2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

    and cry to her

that she has served her term,

    that her penalty is paid,

that she has received from the Lord’s hand

    double for all her sins.

3 A voice cries out:

“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,

    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

4 Every valley shall be lifted up,

    and every mountain and hill be made low;

the uneven ground shall become level,

    and the rough places a plain.

5  Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

    and all people shall see it together,

    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Even in the bluest of Christmases, God comes into our valley of sorrow to lift us up and level us out. Grief is a natural expression of a life that was well loved. It is the heart’s way of dealing with the unthinkable void that death creates. God longs to bring comfort to his people who mourn. He longs to comfort you in your blueness. And here is the good news: he will stay by your side until you begin to feel just the smallest and slightest bit better. And eventually you will.

He won’t leave you or grow tired of comforting you, for he is the everlasting God.

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.

Are you having a blue Christmas this year? You are not alone. If you look around, you will probably find others in the same color scheme as you. So don’t feel ignored or left out of all of the “have yourself a merry little Christmas” celebrations…others are faking it, too.

I hugged a friend last week who just lost her mother. I know she is dreading this Christmas. I have experienced that same dread and the feeling of disconnect with the joy-to-the-world spirit that others were feeling. I even felt resentful and could not wait for Christmas to be over. As I held her, I heard myself saying, “Every time you miss your mom this season, try to get up and do something for someone else. Think of someone who needs a prayer, or a card, or a casserole, and focus on that.”

I don’t know if that will help. I do know that when we push our way out of our circumstance, we survive for another day and live to tell about it. Sometimes that’s all we can hope for. Blue Christmases are a game of survival. And when grief finally loosens its stranglehold on us, we can begin to feel joy again.

So look around. Others are blue, too. Somebody you know is having a bleak mid-winter this year. Find someone who needs their pain to be acknowledged and let them know that you see them. When you do that, blueness begins to fade … theirs, and yours.

If you are looking for a resource on grief, try Mourning Break: Words of Hope for Those In Grief, available at Amazon.

Bleak Midwinter by Michelle Robertson

I Am Not the Messiah

Posted on by Betsy

Many years ago I attended a pastor’s retreat where we were encouraged to set boundaries, recognize our limitations, and learn to lean on God for strength and direction. The oft repeated mantra for the weekend was, “I am not the Messiah.” It began as a humorous call-and-response led by one of the speakers, but as the weekend went on, we became aware of the many times in ministry when we fall into the trap of thinking we should have all the answers, be able to solve everyone’s personal problems, raise funds, cast big visions, preach stellar sermons every week, resolve every conflict, and have the ability to fix everything. Part of this conundrum is based on our natural desire to help our people and our churches get better and thrive. The other part is based on unrealistic expectations some congregants have of their ministers. In any case, remembering that “I am not the Messiah, I just work for him” is a healthy way of dealing with our own limitations and the truth of Who is really in control.

This is a life lesson for everyone, not just clergy.

I chuckled when I read today’s lectionary, remembering that good lesson from many years ago. In actuality, we were quoting John the Baptizer when we chanted, “I am not the Messiah.” Do you remember the event?

John 1 (New International Version)

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

Before we get to the punchline, let’s stop right there. “He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.” In that one golden sentence we find the shared call of every single follower of Jesus. We are not called to be God. We are not called to sit in the judgement seat that God occupies. We are not here to save people, like Jesus does. We are not called to resolve issues with an iron fist. We are not called to determine the parameters of the sheepfold. Those things are of the Lord. All we are called to do is witness to his light.

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

John reminds us that we serve the Lord in a wilderness of secular thinking. We serve the Lord in the bumpy places where there is confusion and hurt. We serve the Lord by witnessing to the glory of God in the darkest places. We serve the Lord when we reflect his light.

24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

How about you? How can you witness to the Light? How can you offer the hope of the Living Water to the people who are parched and dying of thirst?

No, we are not the Messiah. But pointing to him every day and in every way will bring us great joy. Our witness is strongest in our actions, behaviors, and choices. These are the things people notice. As the old song says, “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” So, go and witness to the light.

Witness by Michelle Robertson

Comfort

Posted on by Betsy

Think about all the things you have accumulated or want to buy so that you can increase your comfort. Soft blankets, large cars with heated seats, remote controls, grocery delivery right to your door … we seek and find comfort wherever it can be found, and Madison Avenue feeds right into our desire to be comfortable. The Pixar movie, “WALL-E” is a cautionary tale about what happens when a society becomes obsessed with “creature comforts.” The people grow large and inactive and can’t get out of their recliners in this movie.

This all begs the question, “what is true comfort”? Does physical ease really satisfy, and is it good for us in the end? Or should we be pursuing spiritual comfort with the same passion as we search for new ways to be comfortable?

Our passage from Isaiah today points us in the right direction.

Isaiah 40 (The Message)

40 1-2 “Comfort, oh comfort my people,”
    says your God.
“Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem,
    but also make it very clear
That she has served her sentence,
    that her sin is taken care of—forgiven!
She’s been punished enough and more than enough,
    and now it’s over and done with.”

Comfort comes with the forgiveness of sins. Comfort is found in the presence of God. Comfort is the result of leaving the past behind.

3-5 Thunder in the desert!
    “Prepare for God’s arrival!
Make the road straight and smooth,
    a highway fit for our God.
Fill in the valleys,
    level off the hills,
Smooth out the ruts,
    clear out the rocks.
Then God’s bright glory will shine
    and everyone will see it.
    Yes. Just as God has said.”

As we move toward Christmas morning, Isaiah reminds us of the fact that Jesus’ arrival on earth will level the playing field. No longer will we be Jews or Gentiles and people of separate faiths and nations, but all the earth will be one in the Lord. God’s bright glory will shine, and everyone will see it.

6-8 A voice says, “Shout!”
    I said, “What shall I shout?”

“These people are nothing but grass,
    their love fragile as wildflowers.
The grass withers, the wildflowers fade,
    if God so much as puffs on them.
    Aren’t these people just so much grass?
True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade,
    but our God’s Word stands firm and forever.”

9-11 Climb a high mountain, Zion.
    You’re the preacher of good news.
Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Jerusalem.
    You’re the preacher of good news.
    Speak loud and clear. Don’t be timid!
Tell the cities of Judah,
    “Look! Your God!”
Look at him! God, the Master, comes in power,
    ready to go into action.
He is going to pay back his enemies
    and reward those who have loved him.
Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock,
    gathering the lambs in his arms,
Hugging them as he carries them,
    leading the nursing ewes to good pasture.

You, my friend, are the preacher of this good news. We have a Shepherd who gathers us up in his arms and welcomes all to become part of his flock. God comes in power to reclaim his lost children and his Word stands firm.

So, go and preach!

The Wildflowers Fade by Michelle Robertson

Messengers

Posted on by Betsy

If you have ever been the one to deliver bad news to someone, you know what a terrible responsibility that can be. I have had to communicate the death of a loved one to family and nothing can prepare you for how to handle the shock and overwhelming emotion that follows. On the other hand, delivering good news is such a joyful blessing. To be able to say, “He made it out of surgery,” “The cancer is gone,” or “They just got engaged!” is a delightful task.

Malachi stands in the precipice between good news and bad news in our passage this morning. He is tasked with announcing that God is sending two messengers; one to prepare the way (John the Baptizer), and the other to fulfill the covenant (Jesus), who will delight the people as the fulfillment of their messianic hopes:

Malachi 3 (Common English Bible)
Look, I am sending my messenger who will clear the path before me;
        suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple.
        The messenger of the covenant in whom you take delight is coming,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.

But quickly the good news turns dark, as a warning bell is rung and the reality of the true nature of this messenger is revealed:
2 Who can endure the day of his coming?
        Who can withstand his appearance?
He is like the refiner’s fire or the cleaner’s soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver.
        He will purify the Levites
            and refine them like gold and silver.

Yes, the Messiah is coming, but no, it won’t be pleasant. There will be a refining and purifying that must take place, and that will not be easy or pleasant. But after the cleansing has occurred, the nation will become a righteous offering to the Lord.
            They will belong to the Lord,
                presenting a righteous offering.
4 The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord
        as in ancient days and in former years.

It is good to remember that refining brings forth the deepest shine and the cleanser’s soap cleans, not destroys. Malachi frames his announcement in hopeful images and alludes to our ability to withstand this cleansing. And we know cleansing is necessary if we want to present ourselves to the world as forgiven and redeemed people.

What does this mean to you today? Can you submit to the refiner’s fire and walk away from your sin?

Let us strive to become a pleasing and righteous offering to the Lord.

A Pleasing Offering by Michelle Robertson

Come Clean

Posted on by Betsy

December is nothing if not a season of preparations. Now, I know some of you have had your Christmas tree up since the day after Halloween (I’m looking at you, daughters!!) but the real rush begins as soon as the calendar moves from “11” to “12.” Now begins the time for shopping, decorating, cleaning, ordering, wrapping … I’m tired after just typing that.

Our lectionary passage today speaks of the preparation that happened just before Jesus’ full divinity was revealed. His cousin John was instructed to go out into the Jordan River region and prepare the people for what was about to break forth on earth … the revelation that the Messiah was walking among them. You will see that baptism was the means of getting ready to receive him:

Luke 3 (Common English Bible)

3 In the fifteenth year of the rule of the emperor Tiberius—when Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea and Herod was ruler over Galilee, his brother Philip was ruler  over Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was ruler over Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas—God’s word came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 John went throughout the region of the Jordan River, calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. 

This is a gentle reminder to us, as we hurry and scurry over the next few weeks getting ready for Christmas, that a cleansing and changing of heart was the first way that people got ready for Jesus. What does that say to us today? Do we need to take a pause on the prep work and consider changing our hearts and lives, and ask God to forgive our sins?

4 This is just as it was written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

A voice crying out in the wilderness:
    “Prepare the way for the Lord;
        make his paths straight.
5 Every valley will be filled,
    and every mountain and hill will be leveled.
The crooked will be made straight
    and the rough places made smooth.
6 All humanity will see God’s salvation.”

John had the privilege of announcing the way of the Lord. He knew the prophecies of Isaiah and felt the strong call to go out and preach a repentance of sins as the path straightener for Jesus’ arrival. He anticipated a time when Jesus would burst forth and make the crooked places straight and the rough places smooth. He looked forward to the time when all humanity would see God’s salvation. But not before the people came clean.

Is it time for you to come clean, too?

Make the Rough Places Smooth by Kathy Schumacher

When all Hell Breaks Loose

Posted on by Betsy

Our lectionary passage today is filled with foreboding. This is a strange way to welcome the first Sunday of Advent, but Jesus was very purposeful in his words about what will happen at the Second Coming. Perhaps it is a sober and thoughtful way to start Advent, before we get too caught up in the “parties and drinking and shopping,” as Eugene Peterson says in The Message version of this Scripture. It is a good reminder that the first coming that we celebrate on December 25 was only a precursor to the second one. Let’s dive in:

Luke 21 (The Message)

25-26 “It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.

27-28 “And then—then!—they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!”

Even in the terror of what he is describing, Jesus gives us this word of assurance. We, who follow him, are encouraged to stand up, stand tall, look up, and see our redemption coming. While the unbelieving world will be cowering and quaking, believers will be able to stand and watch as the Son of Man reclaims the earth.

29-33 He told them a story. “Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter. When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. The same here—when you see these things happen, you know God’s kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this off: I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too—these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.

The realization that at some point heaven and earth will pass away but God’s words will remain is good reason for us to do what we are doing right now. We should stay in the word, study the word, and be in the word on a daily basis.

34-36 “But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”

Our job, then, is to be ready and to be constantly on the alert for signs that Jesus is about to return. In the meantime, while we wait, we have work to do. We must pray and stay focused on the One who is coming. God’s kingdom is about here! How will you live that out your life today?

Be ready.

The Day of the Lord is at Hand by Michelle Robertson

Seeing Was Believing

Posted on by Betsy

Hearing the Christmas story read from the Gospel According to Luke is essential to the celebration, in my opinion. Matthew also records the events, but not in the lush detail that Luke used. And if your earliest memory of this passage comes from Charlie Brown, it was Luke that Linus read as he stood on the school stage. It resonates. It reveals. It will preach.

Because the passage is so familiar, I wondered what it would sound like in an unusual translation. Typically, we hear some variety of New Revised Standard, New International Version, New King James, or the original King James. As you know, I advocate for reading several translations of a passage to fill in gaps of nuance and meaning.

I realized that I had never read it in the Message, which I appreciate for its use of contemporary dialect. I eschew The Message for traditional writings (like the Psalms) so I thought I would see if there are any undiscovered nuggets in Luke 2. Peterson did not disappoint.

Luke 2 (The Message)

2 1-5 About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

6-7 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

As I read the word “hostel” I immediately thought of the word “hostile”. Indeed, Christ was born into a hostile world. Born of unwed parents in a society that would instantly reject them, born to save a world that would basically ignore his gift, born in a government system that oppressed and persecuted his people, Jesus was born in a hostile, if not a hostel.

An Event for Everyone

8-12 There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

An event for everyone! Be mindful that “everyone” includes the people who don’t look, act, think, or live like you. Everyone, worldwide.

13-14 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

15-18 As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the shepherds talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the shepherds were impressed.

Seeing was believing.

This is why it is imperative for modern day Christ followers to live out the Gospel in their behaviors, attitudes, and deeds. How can we hope that people will see Jesus if not in what we do and say? How can we expect the good news to spread if we don’t live it out in front of people? When we cut people off on the highway in our BMWs with the ichthus icon on the trunk, giving them the finger when they honk in protest, do we really think that Christ will be seen and believed in this life? You’re the ONLY Jesus some people will ever see. Act like it.

19-20 Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The shepherds returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

As we roll into this new year, may we be like Mary and keep Jesus’ teachings dear and deep within us. And then may we be like the shepherds and let loose, praising God for everything!

My prayer for you today is that you have a deep, meaningful, and life-changing 2023.

Believing is seeing. Go, and tell!

Merry Christmas by Michelle Robertson

Happy Boxing Day!

Posted on by Betsy

The day after Christmas is known as Boxing Day in the British Commonwealth. It is said to originate from two different sources. One legend says that Boxing Day was a day when the servants of Lords received a box of small gifts and Christmas dinner leftovers. They were given the day off to travel to their homes with said boxes. Another tradition suggests that it is a reference to the Feast of St. Stephen, whose feast day falls on December 26th. Stephen was one of the men selected in the Book of Acts to ensure that the distribution of alms was done equitably, including the Greek widows who were being neglected. On the Feast of St. Stephen, clergymen take the alms that were dropped in boxes at the church on Christmas Day and deliver them to the poor in the village.

In both cases, Boxing Day is a celebration of offering charity to the marginalized.

What a lovely reminder as we bridge Christmas and New Year’s Day. Those who have received much are invited to give much.

Luke 14 (The Message)

12-14 Then he turned to the host. “The next time you put on a dinner, don’t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You’ll be—and experience—a blessing. They won’t be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned—oh, how it will be returned! —at the resurrection of God’s people.”

In this parable, Jesus seems to speak right into the type of Christmas that many of us experienced. We gave to our friends. We supped with our family. We received riches. We offered things to people who are able to offer things back.

But the way to be a blessing on Boxing Day is to box something up and give it to someone who had a scant or non-existent Christmas.

Your community has homeless people living in it. Your community has families who rely on assistance to make the most meager ends meet. There is need where you live.

What will you do on this Boxing Day?

God calls us to share what we have. Dig deep. Open up your eyes, your heart, and your wallet. Christmastide has only just begun, and it is always better to give than to receive. And this kind of favor is returned at the resurrection. You get to be a blessing today, and you will be blessed by your giving. 

Happy Boxing Day! 

Better to Give by Becca Ziegler

David’s Psalm

Posted on by Betsy

Today’s writing is a real treat. My friend David Jones is a retired United Methodist pastor in the North Georgia conference, my home base. He is an excellent communicator of the Gospel, and I know you will love this story that I am sharing with his permission. Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!

“This is my favorite Christmas story. A true and personal story. Christmas Eve 10 years ago I was the pastor of Glenn Memorial UMC on the Emory University campus. Between our 2 services I walked over to Emory Hospital to visit Ted and Cindy Runyon, long-time members at Glenn.

The hospital was quiet, as I’ve always found hospitals to be on Christmas Eve. The only people in a hospital on Christmas Eve are the staff and the patients who absolutely have to be there. Ted had to be there. He’d had emergency open heart surgery the day before.

When Cindy and I walked into Ted’s room in the ICU a nurse was checking Ted’s vital signs. Then he walked across the room and started writing on Ted’s chart.

Cindy and I stood by Ted’s bed for a brief visit. While it’s always difficult to leave someone in the hospital overnight it’s especially hard when they’re in Intensive Care. All the more so on Christmas Eve.

When the nurse came back over to check Ted’s monitors I said, “I hope you’ll take good care of this man. He was my teacher when I was in seminary here at Emory. Now it’s my privilege be his pastor.”

The nurse smiled. I don’t remember what he said. I do remember he said it with a Jamaican accent. Then he went back across the room and started writing on Ted’s chart again.

Ted and Cindy and I talked for a few more minutes, then I said, “Before I go I’d like for us to have a Christmas Eve prayer together.” The 3 of us held hands. As we finished the prayer and said, “Amen,” we heard another “Amen” from across the room, spoken quietly in a Jamaican accent.

I looked across the room and said, “You’re a believer.” “Yes,” the nurse said, “I am a Christian.” I said, “My name is David. What’s yours?” He said, “My name is Emmanuel. I will be here with your friend all through the night.”

At that moment the Christmas story hit me as never before. The angel said, “You shall call him ‘Emmanuel,’ which means ‘God with us.’” Every day. Every night. Wherever we are. Whatever is happening to us. In our growing and our becoming. In our rejoicing and our weeping. In our struggling and our loving. In our living and our dying. God with us.”

Oh, the wonder of it all!”

Matthew 1 (Common English Bible)

23 Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son,
And they will call him, Emmanuel.

Indeed. Oh, the wonder of it all. I pray you find your own Emmanuel tonight.

God With Us by Michelle Robertson