Merry Christmas to all of you! My hope and prayer today is that you feel the joy, awe, wonder, and relief that Christmas morning brings. But truth be told, there are some among us who carry generational trauma at Christmastime. Today can be a trigger day for those whose families struggled with anger, neglect, abuse, poverty, and deep unhappiness. You may be waking up this morning just feeling glad that the season is over, and all you have to do is get through today. For you especially, I pray that God’s overwhelming peace and hope would flood your soul and replace your memories with calm assurance of his presence.
My favorite Christmas hymn is Christina Rossetti’s In the Bleak Midwinter. I think it speaks into every moment of Christmas: The bleak ones, the reverent ones, the tender ones, and the giving ones.
In the bleak midwinter Frosty wind made moan Earth stood hard as iron Water like a stone Snow had fallen Snow on snow on snow In the bleak midwinter Long, long ago
Angels and Arc Angels May have traveled there Cherubim and Seraphim Thronged the air But only his Mother In her maiden bliss Worshiped the beloved With a kiss
What can I give him? Poor as I am If I were a shepherd I would give a lamb If I were a wise man I would do my part But what I can I give him Give him my heart Give him my heart
If you are bleak this morning, know that you are loved. If you are filled with joy today, reflect on the maiden kiss that Mary gave her baby. If you are happily weary, rest in the company of angels. If you have hope, go out and tell it from the mountains.
Merry Christmas, my friends! Thank you for reading.
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.
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.
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.
Can you think about a good promise that someone made to you that was kept? How did it make you feel? Do you keep your promises? Our integrity is tested by the promises we make and keep. I recently applied to become a volunteer chaplain for the Southern Shores Fire Department. Chaplains are called out in situations where a death is occurring or has just occurred. Our job is to help the family at the site of the tragedy make their way to the next step. It is a job I hope I never have to do. I asked the current chaplain all kinds of questions about what to say and do, and then finally asked her what not to do. She quickly responded, “Never make a promise that can’t be kept.”
This is a good reminder to us today about promise making and keeping. I think it is especially important when dealing with children, who take things literally and remember everything we say.
God is an awesome promise maker and keeper. In our lectionary passage today, Jeremiah wrote about the good promise God made to Israel. This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, and this is a great place to start. Christmas readings should always begin with the Old Testament prophecies that foretold Jesus’ birth:
Jeremiah 33 (New International Version)
14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.
15 “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’
The picture of the coming Messiah that is painted here describes him being a righteous branch sprout from David’s line. Jesus had a lot to say about branches and vines (see John 15) where he identifies himself as the True Vine. Jesus invites us as his branches to abide in him, and he will abide in us. He also warns us about what will happen if we fail to produce the fruit of love. I love the use of the word sprout in today’s passage, and I have to admit I have never noticed it before. That word conjures up an image of brand new baby growth. Indeed, our Lord, the Messiah, came to us as a brand new baby sprout. His righteousness will not only restore Judah and Jerusalem but will restore the world. Come Lord Jesus, come!
God fulfilled and is fulfilling his good promise to us through Jesus. How about you? Are you fulfilling your promises to your loved ones? To God?
May we be faithful to the Righteous Sprout who calls us by his name.
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
I need to begin today’s devotional with a confession: I am hesitant to write on passages from Revelation. This book is so dense with meaning, so obscure with its analogies, and so over-analyzed that it makes me hold my breath to try to write about it. I had a recent conversation with my editor at Cokesbury when she called to offer me a new contract to write an adult bible study. My first question wasn’t about deadlines or pay … it was, “Is it on Revelation?” She said no, so I told her to have legal send me the contract. I respect this book too much to risk botching it!
That being said, we’ll take a dip into Chapter 7 today as it has a fabulous message with a life-giving ending.
Revelation 7:9-17(Common English Bible)
9 After this I looked, and there was a great crowd that no one could number. They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out with a loud voice:
“Victory belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
As John envisioned heaven, he continually focused his attention on the throne. He is purposeful and intentional as he directs our sight there. It gives the reader a set of binoculars for seeing the truth … Jesus will reign at the end of days, and every knee will bow before him. Notice that verse 9 talks about the great crowd standing before the Lamb. What do you see? People from every nation, tribe, people, and language. Does your church look like that? Does your community reflect the diversity of heaven? How about your work place and neighborhood? I like to joke that you may be surprised to see who is standing next to you when we gather before the throne. On the other hand, they may be surprised to see you, too!
If heaven is filled with diversity, why do we live in such separation? This is a great reminder that the throne of God is the great equalizer. God loves all his children equally. Shame on us that earth is filled with systems of oppression and discrimination that marginalize the ones he loves.
11 All the angels stood in a circle around the throne, and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell facedown before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and always. Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders said to me, “Who are these people wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
Then he said to me, “These people have come out of great hardship. They have washed their robes and made them white in the Lamb’s blood. 15 This is the reason they are before God’s throne. They worship him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them. 16 They won’t hunger or thirst anymore. No sun or scorching heat will beat down on them, 17 because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
It is a cold comfort to know that the hardships endured on earth will result in a place in heaven, but comfort it is. When we are persecuted for Jesus’ sake, when we are discriminated against, lied about, demeaned, rejected, and set aside, we need to remember that our displacement here is but a guarantee of a placement of honor there. If you have ever been ridiculed or put down for speaking God’s truth, get ready. You will wear the white robe of worship.
Read that last sentence again: He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. You see, just like in baseball, there is no crying in heaven. No pain, no mourning, no grief, no back-stabbing, no hunger, no loneliness. The Lamb will shepherd us and we will find joy in the flock. Thanks be to God!
And thanks be to Revelation for teaching us to hold on for now.
We’ve all heard the phrase “Practice what you preach.” That ranks up there with “Walk the walk and talk the talk.” These phrases have always struck me as backwards. What would it mean to preach what you practice and walk what you talk?
That puts the burden on you to authentically live out your Jesus-called life based on standards that will preach. That puts action before words. That puts do over hear. That’s a pretty good challenge, wouldn’t you agree? How are you doing with that? Are you more walk, or talk? More preach, or practice?
In yet another instance of Jesus vs. the Pharisees, we see Sassy Jesus enter the ring with his boxing gloves on. The crowd has gathered and is breathlessly waiting for the first verbal punch to be thrown. Ding ding!
Jesus does not disappoint.
Matthew 22 (Common English Bible)
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples, 2 “The legal experts and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore, you must take care to do everything they say. But don’t do what they do. 4 For they tie together heavy packs that are impossible to carry. They put them on the shoulders of others, but are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.5 Everything they do, they do to be noticed by others. They make extra-wide prayer bands for their arms and long tassels for their clothes. 6 They love to sit in places of honor at banquets and in the synagogues. 7 They love to be greeted with honor in the markets and to be addressed as ‘Rabbi.’
“But don’t do what they do.” Upper-cut! “They are unwilling to lift a finger.” Jab! “They only do things to be noticed by others.” Right cross! “They love to sit in places of honor.” Left hook!
Time is called, and Jesus and The Pharisee return to their respective corners. From there, Jesus turns his head to address the crowd again:
8 “But you shouldn’t be called Rabbi, because you have one teacher, and all of you are brothers and sisters. 9 Don’t call anybody on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is heavenly. 10 Don’t be called teacher, because Christ is your one teacher.
At this point the medic has been called to check on The Pharisee.
11 But the one who is greatest among you will be your servant. 12 All who lift themselves up will be brought low.
Knock out!
But all who make themselves low will be lifted up.
Ding, ding, ding! The first round goes to Jesus. Of course we know that his boxing matches with the Pharisees will continue for many more rounds, just as our own struggles continue as we fight to turn our self-interest and pride into humble service and tangible action.
Our challenge today is to be genuine in love, humble in service, gracious in the face of hostility, and real in our approach to our neighbors … even when they are throwing punches at us.
So glove up! Let’s show the world that we are Team Jesus.
Can you name a time in your life when you were part of a group that had a single purpose or goal? Even in the most highly trained sports team, the most gifted singing group, or the greatest work division the company ever put together, it is hard to find a group that doesn’t have some element of individualism, ego need, or competitiveness that ruins the unity.
Such it is with life.
The disunity that plagues the church in this season comes after many such moments in its history. Issues over slavery, racism, property rights, women’s rights (including ordination), ecclesial structure, hierarchy, and issues surrounding human sexuality have been present in most denominations since the first day they were formed. In my denomination these disputes have caused schisms, mergers, closures, and the re-writing of our Book of Discipline every four years.
What does scripture say about unity in the body of believers?
Paul wrote a letter to the church at Philippi in anticipation of a visit there. But in the meantime, he had words of instruction for the people:
Philippians 1 (The Message)
27-30 Meanwhile, live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message of Christ. Let nothing in your conduct hang on whether I come or not. Your conduct must be the same whether I show up to see things for myself or hear of it from a distance.
Stand united, singular in vision, contending for people’s trust in the Message, the good news, not flinching or dodging in the slightest before the opposition.
Your courage and unity will show them what they’re up against: defeat for them, victory for you—and both because of God. There’s far more to this life than trusting in Christ. There’s also suffering for him. And the suffering is as much a gift as the trusting.
We would do well to heed Paul’s words. The issues that divide us cannot be stronger than the message that unites us. We are called to make a witness to the world and contend for their TRUST in the message we are sent to deliver. It is a message of hope. It is a message of the good news of the resurrection. It is a message of peace. It is a message of God’s singular vision for the world … that all who believe in Jesus shall not perish, but have everlasting life. That is our singular vision.
It is worth setting aside our individual goals, ego needs, and competitiveness so that we might win the world for Christ. It will take our courage and our unity. Most of all it will take humility.
We are suffering right now, but if we focus on the singular vision of winning the world to Jesus, we can gain the trust of the people as we put our trust in God.
Meanwhile, live your life in such a way that you will be a credit to the cause of Christ. The world is watching.
Everybody knows so much these days! Google has enabled us to become instant experts on every subject. Just ask someone a question and they will have an answer. But that has been our undoing, in a sense. If person A is quoting resource A to person B, who is only reading resource B, a disagreement is likely to ensue. A and B will never agree because they don’t trust the other person’s resources.
Everyone is a know-it-all.
Stop and think a moment…what do you REALLY know? I’m not talking about education, research, or reading copious articles on a subject. What do you KNOW?
We know the sun rises every morning and sets every night.
We know the earth revolves around the sun and fall follows summer.
We know that things freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit and there is a certain level of humidity that is guaranteed to frizz a girl’s hair.
You know what else we know?
We know that the Lord is God and he made us. We know that we are his people.
Psalm 100 is a beautiful tribute to what we really know. It contains the everlasting truth of what can be known with certainty.
Psalm 100 (New King James Version)
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Did you notice that before we are assured that God is God, we are invited to make the joyful shout, serve with gladness, and come into his presence with singing? In Methodism, we call that prevenient grace. Before we are even aware of him, God comes to us with his grace. His unmerited favor, his unconditional love, and his offer of salvation come before we even know who God is. This indeed is a reason to rejoice.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Do you hear the invitation continuing? This Psalm is like a door that is being held wide open so that everyone can come in and set a spell. Come into the gates! Enter into the inner court! You belong here where the truth is made known. The Lord is God, and the Lord is good.
5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
So maybe we don’t know as much as we think we do. But if we know the goodness of the Lord, then we know everything we need to know.
At Water’s Edge 