It's a new beginning!
We start again with the Advent of a new age, the Advent of a new King of kings and Lord of lords, the Advent of
Anticipation of the celebration of new birth swirls around us. Jesus’ birth-day is only four weeks away, four Sundays of Advent before the Christ-Mass. Then we celebrate for twelve more days when the story of the Wise Men helps walks us into a new Epiphany, a new understanding, of who this ‘Baby’ in the manger becomes. Jesus pierces the dark world as New Light.
These meditations begin with a new set of scriptures in this three-year cycle. Year “A" invites us into the Gospel of Matthew and passages from John’s Gospel. God’s word from the Old Covenant, from the Psalms and from the Epistles enhances our daily Gospel message.
PAUSE
Before we dive in, we pause to define a tradition that draws families into God’s story of new birth. Many churches encourage the household tradition of lighting an Advent Candle for each of four Sundays before Christmas. Four candles represent the growing ‘light’ as the days become the darkest of the year. The ‘Christ-light piercing the darkness, becomes brighter each week. The candles sit in a ring, a never-ending circle, which represents eternity, having no beginning and no end.
The purple candle for the first Sunday in Advent is the candle of HOPE. Isaiah is a prophet of Hope. Jesus is the Hope who was and is and is to come. The color Purple reminds us of this time of thought-full prayer to prepare our souls for the ‘coming’ the ‘advent’ of Christ Jesus.
St. Augustine said, "Now, may our God be our hope. He Who made all things is better than all things. He Who made all beautiful things is more beautiful than all of them. He Who made all mighty things is more mighty than all of them. He Who made all great things is greater than all of them. Learn to love the Creator in His creature, and the maker in what He has made.”
Sunday December 1, 2019
First Sunday of Advent, Year A
First Sunday of Advent, Year A
Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44
Isaiah 2:5 "O House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”
Matthew 24:37 “The coming of the son of man will be as the days of Noah. :38 Before the flood they ate and drank, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. :39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away. So also will be the coming of the son of man.”
God lets us know His plans for us well ahead of time. Isaiah’s prophecy was repeated in various ways so that all of God’s chosen people could understand. Yet, as happens with every generation, many turn away from God.
God warns the people of Northern Israel to shape up, come back to the Lord, walk the well-lit path God has
Fast forward to the Gospel of Matthew. God’s word repeats the story we all know well. Noah was the object of derision while he built this ‘ark’ upon parched land. Even if rain came it would take years of deluge to create a large enough body of water to allow this monstrous edifice to float. “What a crock,” the people say, “Let us make merry and wed our children so we can enjoy grand children and the generations thereafter. There is no need to worry about the future. Let’s party!”
They turned a deaf ear to Noah’s plea to turn to God, the One who ‘saves.’ Noah might have said, “Be prepared for the worst, make sure you are ready for the end of life as we know it.” Three other stories mentioned in this passage in Matthew remind us be prepared for a change, a plan that is not our own, a new way of being drawn into God’s presence.
Think about it: Are we truly ready to come aboard the ark with Noah? Are we willing to follow God’s command for us if it seems silly or even impossible? Could we ever be a Noah? Perhaps not. But seeking to become intimate with Jesus may be as uncomfortable as building an ark on dry land.
Can you remember a time when the Lord tried to gain your attention and you were not yet ready to listen? Make a mental note of the turning point in which the ‘light went on’ and you understood that magnetic power of Christ’s love, grace and mercy.
Some of us have a hard time listening to that small voice within our soul that tells us to go this direction or that , to stop and listen carefully. The Lord keeps whispering until we choose to focus and listen to Him.
This first Sunday of Advent, take a moment to honor God with your presence. Create a tradition that draws you further into the presence of our Lord, something special. Perhaps you could set one candle in a candle holder while placing three other candle holders in a circle of greens to create a wreath.
Light the first candle and ask the Lord to show you how Jesus Christ is our gift of Hope. Then ask the Lord how to walk into the Light of Christ a little more each day this week. Be prepared for whatever happens.
Be hope-full!
December 2 Amos 2:6-16; Psalm 1,2,3,4,7; 2 Peter 1:1-11; Matthew 21:1-11
2 Peter 1:1 God has granted promises to us so that we can partake of his divine nature . . . so . :5 “Supply moral excellence and in your excellence
knowledge and in your knowledge self control and in your self control perseverance and in your perseverance, godliness and in your godliness, brotherly kindness and in your brotherly kindness, LOVE.”
As we prepare for the ‘advent’ the coming of Christ Jesus, there is something in the air. It’s like God gave people permission to be nice to one another. Perhaps it comes from our childhood when we knew that this was the month to do all our chores with a bit more cheer. After all, we did not want coal in our stockings.
Of course, Peter knew nothing of this grand celebration in which even the secular world joins in celebration. By this time Peter had picked up the Cross of Christ, and continued to teach precepts that Jesus taught him.
Peter saw daily the immorality, lack of self control and less than stellar perseverance among those Jews who no longer followed God’s precepts. It’s the same story today. Immorality, cheating, skimming from others’ hard work and so much more has become the norm. Once we see our licentious nature next to God’s expectations we become more knowledgable regarding what is truly right and wrong. Unless we are pinned against the wall and have no options to press through a tough situation, the more
immature seem to cave ever-so-easily. They give up and blame others for their lack of perseverance. Yet, once we understand the incredible strength given to us through our faith in Christ, we are able to seek godliness and with godliness we learn to be a little kinder, to be mindful of others, empathetic. We learn to honor others as individuals to be loved as Christ loves us. That’s a tall order but through our faith in Christ Jesus, we can love the unlovable as fully as Christ loves us. WOW!
This phrase in 2 Peter has been special to me for years. Each verse builds upon the other, like building blocks. I love building blocks, literally. My brothers played with the pre-curser to Legos, red plastic bricks. A few green roofs and slanted pieces were added to the pile so, when I was allowed, I could build small mansions . . . one brick at a time. Peter’s chain of words is like these little red bricks. They build a disciplined soul, ready to pick up the Cross of Christ and love the unlovable. Years ago I placed a note by these words to ‘Memorize.’ Since I have not yet done so, perhaps this will be my Advent project.
Think about it: Do you have an Advent project that might fill your soul? This is a time of quiet anticipation
filled with joy-moments so your ‘project’ need not take too much of your time or energy. Memorizing a small verse is easy if you digest one word at a time. Like building blocks, each word builds on the next until your heart and soul have absorbed another Truth, the ‘brick work’ of our foundation in Christ.
12-3 Amos 3:1-11; Psalm 5,6,10,11; 2 Peter 1:12-21; Matthew 21:12-22
Matthew 21:13 “My house shall be called a house of prayer but you are making it like a den of robbers.” :22 “Whatever you ask for in prayer, with faith, you will receive.”
Jesus saw the destruction of Jerusalem to be like the fig tree He passed by that bore no fruit. If it bears no fruit it is worthless and takes in precious water that a fruitful plant could use. Jesus used his divine power to
suck the life out of that fig tree in the same way that the abuses in the temple, the place to worship God, was sucked dry by corruption and abuse. Jesus knew temple sacrifices for sin soon would be unnecessary as he would become the sacrificial lamb for all eternity.
Jesus also knew that the temple would be unnecessary as the only place of prayer. It’s our personal heart and soul, filled with faith in Christ, that directs our prayer to the will of God. Whatever we ask according to God’s will, we will receive.
Think about it: Prayer is not hard. We just talk to God. It’s taking a few moments each day, throughout the day to focus on God that is hard. The more we talk to God, the easier it is. The more we offer prayer for another’s needs, or our own, the more fruit we bear in the name of Jesus Christ.
Prayer is connecting with God. “Pray without
ceasing,” is not impossible. Simply never cease to be mindful that the Lord is with you every moment of the day. Being mindful of His presence is connecting with God, which is like prayer. When in the grocery store ask the Lord to guide you when you purchase items. He will direct your path.
Specific, daily, devoted, intentional prayer is also necessary. The Lord desires to hear about our aches and pains as well as our victories. The Lord will also ‘act’ on your requests, especially if we pray for another’s soul to connect with our Lord. Prayer is part of evangelism. Pray first, let God direct you as you lead that soul into God’s presence.
12-4 Amos 3:12—4:5; Psalm 119:1-24, 12,13,14; 2 Peter 3:1-10; Matthew 21:23-32
Amos 4:4-5 Amos prophesied, “Come to Bethel and transgress; to Gilgal and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; bring a thank offering of leavened bread and proclaim free-will offerings, publish them; for so you love to do O people of Israel!, says the Lord God.”
“What a wholesome, God loving community,”you might
Their wealth drips with obsession. Homes are decorated with Ivory and inner decor teams with ivory. These people are Jews who have intermarried and mixed pagan rituals with temple customs. They worship in their edifice in Beth-el, house of God . . . or god.
It’s not really worship. They show off their wealth by endless thank offerings and celebratory gatherings. These are not ‘sin’ offerings of sacrifice. There is no burnt sacrifice. They ‘tithe’ only in regard to expanding the edifice or some grand project that makes the wealthy look good to each other. God weeps as Amos shares these words of woe.
It’s not really worship. They show off their wealth by endless thank offerings and celebratory gatherings. These are not ‘sin’ offerings of sacrifice. There is no burnt sacrifice. They ‘tithe’ only in regard to expanding the edifice or some grand project that makes the wealthy look good to each other. God weeps as Amos shares these words of woe.
All too soon these carefree souls will be hauled off to various parts by the Assyrians, their luxuries confiscated, their lives in ruins. Their motto, “Play now, enjoy largess, serve self, God will always provide.”
Think about it: Amos was ignored, pelted with shameful
words or was driven from the village square throughout his ‘career’ as a prophet. Who wants to hear doom and gloom when prosperity looms?
Many of the greatest sermons are good teaching, totally according to God’s Word. Preachers unpack scripture so that we can better discern and grow in knowledge as we proclaim Christ Jesus as our Lord. That’s great! Yet, have you heard words of scripture that cut through the core of our daily abuse of life? Are we admonished to truly share with the secular world God’s love through His son, Jesus Christ? Or, do we hear sermons that are politically correct, being neither hot nor cold, steadfast in that ‘zone’ of ‘easy listening’?
We chuckle at the sermons our parents may have heard regarding sin and damnation, doom and gloom, going to hell [heaven forbid we even say the word today]. Because we, as a whole, flourish on touchy feely words that help us love who we are, we gravitate away from such preaching. We want to hear, “Nice.”
Is not our desire to pick and choose what we hear and apply to our lives much like the ivory accouterments of the wealthy in Samaria? Are Christians already in exile as the morals of scripture are desecrated by the
secular world while they celebrate joyous occasions like Christmas without any regard to what this celebration means? Where are we in this scenario? How are we called to be a ‘prophet’ during this season of anticipation?
Ask your friends and neighbors who celebrate Christmas but have no intention of celebrating Jesus Christ, “Why do you celebrate Christmas? What does this special day mean to you?”
Make a list of the answers.
By doing so, you are a prophet of sorts.
Be ready to share why you celebrate this special season.
Make a list of the answers.
By doing so, you are a prophet of sorts.
Be ready to share why you celebrate this special season.
12-5 Amos 4:6-13; Psalm 18:1-50; 2 Peter 3:11-18; Matthew 21:33-46
Psalm 18:14 “The Lord thundered out of heaven the Most High Uttered His voice.”
This psalm gives praise from an earthly king to God, the King of kings, and is among several “Royal Psalms.” [Psalms 2,18,20,21,45,72,89,110,132] In this era kings
were the ‘god’ of the realm. His power is what leads the people.
Yet, in this psalm and the others listed, the king gives homage to the Lord of Lords, the God of the Hebrew people. This king gives glory to our God after God saved him and his troops from near-death in battle.
This is one of the longest psalms after psalm 119 but tells a powerful story of the intimate relationship between monarch and God. This king is forthright in his praise to God and knows he could not win the battle nor rule properly without the direct sovereignty of God working in and through his every move. It is refreshing to know that this psalm and the others listed show us there were worthy kings and leaders who sought the leadership of our God.
Think about it: Perhaps you are in some sort of leadership position. Are you leader of a prayer group or do you lead in bible study by asking tough questions? Do you have a family in which you have made tough decisions? We are all called into some sort of leadership even if it is for a day. Leaders ask questions. Leaders make decisions. Leaders find solutions that the rest of the pack (whether it’s the kid’s party or outing of the day) follow.
For the most part, hubby and I pray about huge decisions but even then we may exclude talking to the Lord about the many steps within that decision. Yet, I must trust that, because we pray together and find moments throughout each day to praise our Lord and give thanks, He is with us and gives blessing with decisions we feel are right for us.
Perhaps our intimate relationship with Jesus, our Lord, prompts right decisions. And, when we make a decision that does not 'sit well with us' we think again. The Lord directs from within so I seem to know in my soul when a decision needs further scrutiny.
Do you feel you have an intimate relationship with the Lord? Do you give thanks throughout the day? You also may be making decisions according to God’s will knowing that the Lord is with you.
My favorite verse I use when making tough decisions is, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
Another little tune I sing sometimes is, "Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
Today is Saint Nicholas Day
St. Nicholas of Myra (270 - 343 A.D.) was the only child of a wealthy Greek Christian couple living in what is today the country of Turkey. He was a pious child who, after his parents died, was raised by his uncle, a bishop. Nicholas became a priest and then a bishop and was involved in quelling the Arian heresy by participating in the creation of the Nicene Creed at the Council of Nicea. The Nicene Creed is a staple, said in many churches before receiving communion.
There are many legends about St. Nicholas but one spread throughout the world. A very poor man was almost forced to sell his daughters into slavery. Nicholas heard of this and tossed gold coins through his window so he could pay a dowry for them to be married. The coins landed in their stocking which were hung above the fire place to dry. To this day we in the U.S.A. hang our stockings up and receive trinkets (sometimes some coins) on Christmas Eve. Others around the world celebrate St. Nichols Day on December 6.
Scripture of the day:
Jude 4 “Certain intruders have stolen in among you,
people who long ago were designated for this condemnation as ungodly, who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
You may have never read this little book with only 25 verses. It was most likely meant for a specific group of Jews who had become Christian in the 1st century. Jude may have been one of the first letters written after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you open your bible to the beginning of Revelation and turn one page back, you will find this little ‘book’ packed with exhortation against false teachers.
Almost as soon as Jesus died and the Apostles began teaching, false teachers popped up. Many tried to combine the expectations of the Old Covenant (like circumcision and not eating specific foods) with the simple action of becoming a Christian . . . stating faith in the resurrected Christ and being baptized in the name of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
At that time there was confusion for Jewish converts. Their ‘traditions’ were hard to set aside. Thus, theologians like Jude, and St. Nicholas centuries later, had much work to do to keep the bishops of the day from false teaching they had absorbed from those with slick rhetoric.
Think about it: Do you drink in every word your pastor
shares with you on Sundays? Do ‘red flags’ ever go up as to what he is saying? Perhaps you have a fine pastor who preaches from the Word and has you follow in scripture. That’s great. But we all can get swayed by the ‘works’ of Christianity. Believe and then ‘do’. Believe in this scripture and ‘do’ this and that. Perhaps friends or bible study leaders who guide your growth have made statements that do not sit well with you. That may be the Holy Spirit giving you discernment OR it may be your unwillingness to believe if it truly says so in scripture.
What matters is that you study the scriptures with a group to discover the Truth. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life . . . not a pastor, not a bible study leader. Yet, they are ‘called’ to guide us to the Truth.
Sometimes our leaders are spot on with the truth but what they say conflicts with today’s norms. Our deep convictions about abortion, capital punishment, or sex outside of the bond of marriage may feel contrary to what scripture says. Ask yourself how you feel about these ‘hot’ topics.
Dig deep into scripture to see what God’s Word says. Talk to your pastor or a trusted leader in your church. What does the Word of God actually say? Who is the false teacher? Are Christians working in the secular world twisting God’s Word to their own benefit, especially in politics? Read all 25 verses of Jude as you reflect on Christian life today.
Ask yourself if you believe in a false teaching and why. Then ask Saint Nicholas to help you ‘lighten up’ a bit and enjoy this season of godly living . . . and giving.
12-7 Pearl Harbor Day remembered
Amos 5:18-27; Psalm 20,21, 110:1-7, 116,117; Jude 17-25; Matthew 22:15-22
I could not resist meditating on another psalm. Two reasons. First, this is the shortest of all the Psalms. It is interesting that it is so close to Psalm 119, the longest of all the Psalms. Second, it is a perfect psalm to memorize as this is the total psalm, all two verses.
Psalm 117 is a call to worship the One God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the Old Covenant, the God of the New Covenant. God is Steadfast, faithful, and endures forever. The Hebrew word for faithful is “‘emet” . . . for all time . . . eternally. Just as God shows His faithfulness to us, we are to show our ‘emet, our faithfulness to Him . . . at all times.
Although the destruction was mighty and unexpected at Pearl Harbor, God was there. Yes, too many trapped
inside exploding vessels died. Yet, God, through the new technology of radar, showed those on duty that there was something invading Pearl Harbor. God gave warning but the likelihood of airplanes coming as far as it did from “out of nowhere” seemed impossible. Because of human frailty and lack of faith in this new invention, radar, the Japanese invasion was ignored. Yet, God was there, touching life that was saved, embracing life that was lost, guiding leaders into next steps.
Think about it: God’s steadfast love and faithfulness is always with us but is our steadfast love and faithfulness always with God? We cannot wait until a crises point to begin our walk with the Lord. We must begin now if we have not yet done so. I just read a quote from Pope Benedict XVI regarding our faithful walk with the Lord:
God is with us, directing our path, no matter what our occupation. We cannot separate our faith-filled, God-directed decisions from the secular world. We cannot be ‘secular’ and faithful to God at the same time. We cannot be Sunday Christians. If God steadfastly loves us and is forever faithful with us, we must steadfastly love and remain faithful to God every minute of each day.
How are you doing in your faith-filled walk with the Lord? Are some decisions difficult to make because you want to make others happy? It’s not easy. Ask the Lord to help direct your path . . . and memorize this psalm as a reminder of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.
How are you doing in your faith-filled walk with the Lord? Are some decisions difficult to make because you want to make others happy? It’s not easy. Ask the Lord to help direct your path . . . and memorize this psalm as a reminder of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.
12-8 Second Sunday of Advent, Year A
Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12
Isaiah 11:1 “Then a shoot will spring from the root of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out if his roots.”
This well known Advent verse speaks of the perfect king and a kingdom of righteousness, the ‘Peacable Kingdom’ in which all will be made right. From this verse the “Jesse Tree” was created in about the 19th century.
From the ‘stump’ or stubble or root or what is left of God’s chosen people, a new kingdom will spring forth. This new branch is, of course the son of Jesse, the father of King David. In ancient Israel, the ‘son’ would be one who came from the family ‘line.’ Thus, Jesse is the father of King David but is also in the lineage of Jesus, the Christ. David, a righteous king, was the ‘father’ of Mary, who is the mother of Jesus.
Thus, the Jesse ‘Family Tree’ tells the history of godly events leading to the birth of Christ. The pictures or ornaments tell the story of God in the Old Testament, connecting the Advent season with the faithfulness of God across four thousand years of history.
Think about it: Much of the following information is taken from a book written by James P. Campbell: The Stories of the Old Testament. The O.T. events follow the four weeks of Advent. Each day of this first week of Advent we placed a symbol on the Jesse tree to remind us of the beginning of God’s story.
Advent I, Day 1: Adam and Eve are represented by a piece of fruit. The second day, we placed a little Ark on the tree to remind us of the story of Noah. Day 3, Abraham: A picture of a field of stars. Friday is Jacob: a ladder. Saturday is Joseph: A hand drawn picture of a coat of many colors.
Today begins Advent 2. Here are the rest of the Advent ornaments if you choose to make a Jesse tree for home or church. Little preparation is necessary and the JOY is enormous. A Jesse Tree is also nice for a Senior Living community where some of the residents need a little extra attention. They’ll remember the stories if given something tactile to place on the Jesse Tree
Below is a brief overview of the rest of the ornaments for Advent. Many churches place a tree near the altar for Advent, filled with all the symbols. These ornaments show the story of Jesus lineage from Adam and Eve for the whole congregation to enjoy.
In the church where I served several years ago, the children decorated the tree with these symbols rather than the usual ornaments. Sometimes the tree gets a bit messy but that's OK. The tree is then blessed and the rest of Advent is a time for all to circle the tree and find as many ‘stories’ as are possible.
Placed near the tree are half-pages showing all the symbols with their explanation. The challenge is finding that same symbol or picture on the tree.
Great fun!
Advent 2 Sunday, Moses: Burning bush, Monday Israelites: Lamb,Tue. Moses and Aaron: Tablets of the
Torah, Wed. Joshua: Ram’s horn trumpet, Thurs. Gideon: clay water pitcher, Fri. Ruth: Grain, Sat. Samuel: Crown
Advent 3 Sunday, David: Shepherd’s crook or Harp, Mon. Elijah: Stone Altar, Tue. Hezekiah: An empty tent [read the fascinating story], Wed. Isaiah: Fire tongs with hot
coal, Thurs. Jeremiah: Tears, Fri.Habakkuk: Stone Watchtower [sack of Jerusalem and fall of Judah] Sat. Nehemiah: City Wall
Advent 4 [If this week is short, incorporate some of these into Advent 3]
Sunday, John the Baptist: Scallop shell, Mon. Mary: White lily, Tue. Elizabeth: Mother and Child [visitation], Wed. Zechariah: pencil and tablet, Thurs. Joseph: carpenter’s square or hammer.
Christmas Eve or Christmas morning: Jesus in the Manger
Christmas Day is Christ: Symbol Chi-Rho [first two letters of the word Christ, Greek for ‘anointed one’. Also represents the first letter of ‘Christ’ and the first letter of ‘King’.]
Perhaps you can find a way to incorporate this Jesse tree into your Bible study group, your family traditions, a senior community, your church or some other group that might enjoy a Jesse Tree.
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