Readings

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 or Isaiah 58:1-12

Psalm 51:1-17

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Devotion

Peace be with you!

A few weeks ago, my friend and I went to Kennedy Space Center where we watched an IMAX film based on the findings of the Hubble telescope. Did you know that thousands of light years away, new solar systems are forming in star clusters? In the depths of the darkness of space, new planets are quietly being made without many of us even knowing they exist. Who knows – maybe those new planets will become a home for us in the distant future. But, for the time being, those solar systems are in their incubation stage in a far corner of space.

The Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday is a difficult one for us to hear. It is one that calls us to repentance. Jesus warns us about being like the hypocritical religious leaders of his day. He gives many admonishments: Do not announce to others how much you put in the offering plate (Matthew 6:2). Do not pray loudly so others can hear you (Matthew 6:5). Do not disfigure your face when you are fasting (Matthew 6:16). We are not supposed to make a grand entrance and proudly announce our fabulous achievements.

What? I cannot brag about having 79 likes on my Facebook page and 53 followers on Twitter? I should not announce to the world that my devotions are the greatest on earth? Oops…

Then what does Jesus want us to do? Hide? He says, “Do not tell your left hand what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3). How is this even possible? My right hand always knows what my left hand is doing, especially when they have to work together. (But then again, with Cerebral Palsy my muscles fight each other just to perform daily tasks!) I don’t believe that Jesus means that he wants us to make such subtle movements that we barely notice them ourselves. Jesus doesn’t want us to be out of touch with reality.  That’s not what he’s getting at here.

Jesus’ point is that the acts of faith in our lives should be for an Audience of One, ultimately. Offering is to be something we give to God, because it comes from him and we give back what belongs to him. In Mark 12:43-44, Jesus praises a poor widow for giving all she has while the wealthy elites only gave a tiny portion of their riches. The poor widow gives more than the others, because she entrusts God with everything she has to live on. God wants all we have to give, not so we can proudly announce our earthly accomplishments, but so we can share our very being with him. We cannot just give a portion of ourselves to God and think it will please him. God wants our all, even if it is not as much as the next person. God desires our personal best.

Then Jesus tells us to pray alone behind closed doors. This is a difficult for me since I am spiritually strengthened when praying in an intimate group. I will even be bold to say I pray better out loud in a group setting than when I pray quietly or alone. There is something amazing about hearing believers pray together, because prayers grow in depth as they wind together in a labyrinth web.

However, to pray contently alone – to be alone with God – is a bit scary. What do I even say? Although I still struggle in my private prayer times, I am learning that God just wants to know what is on my heart. Even though he knows exactly what I am thinking (the good, the bad, and the ugly), God wants to have a personal relationship with me through that special one-on-one time together.

We can lose our thoughts in a large group. To sit alone with God allows us to quiet our minds and to speak honestly with him. Our God is a loving God who does not judge but offers love, hope, joy, and grace. We do not need to tweet incessantly about our undying love for God the Father. All we need to do is spend a few moments with God each day as we go about our busy routines.

The last spiritual ritual Jesus speaks about is fasting. In Jesus’ days, Jewish leaders would make their facial features look withdrawn when they were fasting so that they would appear more pious to everyone (Matthew 6:16). Jesus tells us to tend to our features in order to keep our fasting a secret. Again, we do not to gloat about our fasting to prove our love for God the Father to everyone. God is the only Person to whom we need to show our loyalty and love.

Most of us do not fast on a regular basis for religious reasons. If we do fast, it is usually for a medical reason, such as blood work or surgery. I believe this passage applies to more practices of faith than literal fasting. My first thoughts go to pastors and mission leaders who work long hours to answer their callings but forget to take care of their own physical health or tend to their families. They and their families are left running on empty because of the idolatry of workaholism. Workaholism is the idea that you are irreplaceable; it’s ultimately all about you and what others think of you, not about God.  God wants our work to be all about him; when we take the time for rest and family, we honor him and remind ourselves that he is the Center of it all.

Just as new universes are forming without us knowing, we are called to carry out our faith journeys as if our actions as Christians are second nature. We do not have to boast about our faith to get rewarded on earth. God sees our quiet acts of faith and will reward us in heaven. The Holy Spirit works through us in these acts of faith, grounding us in the love of the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As Galatians 5:22-23 states, the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, because the Spirit places God in our hearts. Holy Spirit makes it possible for our quiet acts of devotion to become second nature and to be in our hearts.

On this Ash Wednesday, I challenge you to work on doing quiet acts of faith, even if it means spending more time with family and friends. Do these acts of love and devotion without expecting fanfare; simply do them for God and God alone. Lent is a time where we can grow closer to the Triune God. Take time this Ash Wednesday to make a plan to strengthen your relationship with God the Father. What will you add? What will you give up?

Do not be like the hypocrites by doing what rewards them here and now, focusing on themselves and their image before others. But act according to God’s will and God will reward you in heaven. Whatever you do: just do it for God and God alone. You are a star in a brand new universe, being formed by the Holy Spirit; shine bright, then, for God the Father alone.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the promise of our reward in heaven. Help us to be little stars in the universe that you are forming through the Holy Spirit. Remind us to do subtle, quiet acts that tell our faith journey. Thank you for having a relationship with each one of us as your children. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What subtle, quiet acts express your faith?

2. Where do you go and talk with God the Father? Why?

3. When do you find yourself tempted to do good deeds to impress others? How do you resist that temptation?

4. How do you plan on using the next 40 days to grow closer to God the Father?

Readings

2 Kings 2:1-12

Psalm 50:1-6

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Mark 9:2-9

Devotion

Peace be with you!

This Transfiguration Sunday, picture yourself on the mountain-top with Jesus and the disciples.  In one glorious moment, Jesus begins to glow from the inside out; the glory of all that God is becomes present within Him.  He appears between Moses and Elijah, showing Himself to be the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets: the One who fills up in His Person all that they were intended to be and do.  Jesus shows Himself to be the Point of it all, the End of the road, the Goal of the journey.  Jesus shows Himself to be God Himself.  When the vision ceases, distractions are peeled away and the disciples see Jesus alone.  In reflection on the glorious splendor of all that Jesus is, the Apostle Paul writes this magnificent verse in our reading today,

“For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake”(2 Corinthians 4:5, NIV).

It seems that everywhere you look, people are preaching themselves, whether they are Christians or not.  Many of us promote ourselves non-step on our social networks.  Popular author Eckhart Tolle (promoted by Oprah Winfrey) writes in The New Earth, “The light of consciousness is all that is necessary.  You are that light.”  Whitney Houston sang, “I’m ev’ry woman; it’s all in me!”  Kanye West famously said, “I realize that my place and position in history is that I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade; I will be the loudest voice.”

Christians are no better; often we determine our beliefs based on our feelings instead of turning to God’s Word for guidance.  Churches are built around a pastor’s personality.  Christians have silly arguments over incidentals like the color of the carpet in the sanctuary and the superiority of favorite worship styles.  We demand that the church meet “my needs” without thinking about the needs or perspectives of others.  Everywhere we are told to seek our own empowerment and our own inner voice.  It seems as if our culture does nothing but preach itself!

But think about reality.  Have you found the answers to be within yourself, practically speaking?  I would be quite concerned if the best answers in the universe were to be found within me, given how much I mess up!  I need a Word from outside of myself!  In contrast to Tolle (and the rest of our culture), Paul says, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).  Paul tells us the light is not found in us but in Christ.  In us is darkness, so we need Christ to light us up, to cast out the darkness.

In contrast to our culture and our sinful nature’s self focus, Paul says that we are to preach Jesus Christ as Lord.  Jesus Christ as Lord means Jesus is the Boss and I’m not.  This is just like when we have a Boss on the job.  He or she is in charge, lays down the rules, and sets the tone.  We submit to the Boss and not the other way around.  The good news is that we have a loving Boss who cares for the needs of His employees, not a harsh taskmaster.  But we are still called to submit to Him and His directives, found in the Word.

There are groups of Christians these days who want to base their beliefs on their own feelings and their own ideas instead of on the Scriptures.  Jude 17-19 says, “But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.  They said to you, ‘In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.’  These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit” (NIV).

2 Timothy 4:3-4 says, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

As Christians, we are always tempted to drift away from the one and only Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, and from His Word, the Scriptures.  We are always tempted to conform to fashionable ideas, to let our hearts be wooed by something new, to think of Jesus as the Same Old Thing (to borrow an expression from The Screwtape Letters).  But Jesus calls us to faithfulness.  Jesus calls us to continue to be wooed by Him alone.  Jesus calls us to a lifetime of walking with Him in which we find that there are no end to the new discoveries and the endless beauty and splendor of who He is.  Every day, as our relationship with Jesus unfolds, we see new expressions of His goodness, His promises, His kindness and love for us, His endless knowledge, power and wisdom.

We do not preach ourselves.  We ourselves are boring and finite and we come to an end.  Jesus Christ is our Lord, endless in all of the discoveries we can make of His salvation, beauty, goodness, power, and wisdom.  We therefore worship and adore Him, not ourselves.

If we aren’t preaching ourselves anymore but Jesus Christ who alone saves and redeems us and who alone is worthy of our worship and praise, we no longer need to toot our own horn.  We no longer need to claim our rights.  We have come to realize that the world does not revolve around us, but around Jesus.  We have come to see that the Church does not exist to serve us but to serve Jesus and His mission in the world—to save the lost.  If we are no longer the focus, then we are free to be servants, as Paul says.  We are free to stop worrying about ourselves, to stop worrying about our eternal fate or even our temporal fate.  We are free to simply be vessels in Jesus’ hands to accomplish His purposes.

Does this sound like a difficult prospect?  Of course!  That’s why the Apostle Paul said, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).  In other words, you don’t have to be Super Christian.  You’re just a freed sinner that God can work through.  You are just a frail human being who Christ saved.  You are just a fragile piece of pottery that God has given the privilege of showing forth His message.  God’s glory now shines through His people in the Church.  We serve not because we work up the energy to do it, but because by His power He works through us.  And so we exist to serve each other and to serve a broken world.  We exist to do this in Jesus’ name.

So unlike false teaching, unlike the message of the world, unlike simple selfishness that we have in our sinful nature, we do not preach ourselves.  Instead we proclaim the splendor and majesty of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  What a relief that it isn’t all about us!  What a freedom!  And as we proclaim Jesus and not us, we proclaim ourselves as servants to each other and to our world.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for removing the burden of self-focus.  We know that you do this daily for those who believe in You, daily drowning our sinful nature and raising us anew in Christ.  May we turn to You as the Boss, the fair and loving One who we preach, love, and adore.  And may we be freed to serve others in Your name.  Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Have you noticed some ways in which you find yourself preaching yourself instead of Jesus?  How do the culture and the Church do this as well?

2. What are some ways that it might be freeing to focus on Jesus instead of on you?

3. Can you trust Jesus to be the Boss of your life?  What barriers do you find to this trust?

4. How can a focus on Jesus help you to serve others better?

Readings

Isaiah 40:21-31

Psalm 147:1-11, 20c

1 Corinthians 9:16-23

Mark 1:29-39

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Growing up, I was not as accepting of my Cerebral Palsy as I am now. As a young child, I struggled to make friends with my peers, since I was not fully integrated into the regular classroom until sixth grade. Then I had to grapple with the cliques and my own shy nature. Even through a school, I preferred to eat lunch in the special education classroom where it was quiet and I could visit with my aide. I did have a best friend during high school who also was in an electric wheelchair. We were inseparable, especially during the weekends. We went to every home football game and spent a lot of time at each other’s houses.

Beyond my one close friend, I do have to say that my saving grace was my awesome youth group during high school, which met every Sunday night. My friends at church would roll my electric wheelchair into the back of someone’s van or truck and off we would go to. One day we went to an outdoor Christian concert festival, and I can still hear us girls giggling as the strong boys lifted my electric wheelchair into the truck. We also attend the youth gathering in 2000 and partied the nights away.

In a sense, I grew up hanging around adults, so I never truly had a group of friends my age to do hang out with until college where I met other peers who have Cerebral Palsy. In college, I became a social butterfly and much more outgoing, because I could get out and about independently. I also experience the freedom of living on my own. I was invited to my friends’ dorm rooms and apartments. We even went to a few concerts without my parents.

Since college, I have been able to accept the fact I have Cerebral Palsy. I no longer view my condition as a negative; rather, I see it as a different way of life, which gives me a unique point-of-view. I especially realized the importance of my point of view during seminary. I no long see Cerebral Palsy as a challenge; it is a part of me and makes me an unique individual. Sure, I have my self-pity days, but those days are few and far between.

In Mark 1:29-31, we read about Simon’s mother-in-law being very ill with a fever. Keep in mind that a fever in Jesus’ day could kill an individual. Simon’s mother-in-law was not able to do her daily routine, including serving her household and being a good hostess. The fever left Simon’s mother-in-law unable to live her life as she was accustomed and left her nothing to do but to wait to die.

Simon was not ready for his mother-in-law to die, so he brought Jesus to her. At once, Jesus took her hand and lifted her up, relieving her of the fever and giving her the ability to serve again. The physical healing gave Simon’s mother-in-law a renewed purpose in life, restoring her self-worth.

However, Jesus also heals Simon’s mother-in-law psychosocially and spiritually. Simon’s mother-in-law is now able to go back to work, which restores her self-worth and place in the society. She is able to go back to what she loves and feels called to do.

This healing story reminds us of the promise of vocation through Jesus. No matter what your abilities, Jesus promises to use you to further his plan. During my childhood, God was preparing and healing me in order that I might learn to be patient and understanding of the needs of others. I am able and called to point out other individuals’ unique abilities because I have Cerebral Palsy and see things differently. Jesus restores us by healing us so he can use us through our abilities and bringing us back into a relationship with God the Father.

Sure, God has not healed me of my Cerebral Palsy in a way you or I may wish he has, but he is physically healing me everyday when I learn how to do something new, like wiping off the table after dinner. I now see God’s hand in my everyday life. Like psychosocial and spiritual healings, physical healings are ongoing. God has put amazing therapists and doctors in my life to make me more independent. Over the years I have had to learn to set up things so I could do them independently. For example, I usually have Jerry leave a cup of water or a can of Coke with a straw on the kitchen table all day, so I can get a drink when I get thirsty. In my shower, the shampoo, the conditioner, and the body wash are in hand pumps, so I can shower independently.

A physical healing also includes understanding what you may never be able to do without help or in the traditional way. I will probably never be able feed myself a full meal, but it also means I never eat alone. I cannot downhill ski standing up, but I can bi-ski (see picture). I have learned to take what I cannot do and make it into a positive or find a way to adapt [whatever “it” is] I want to do.

My healing story begins with my understanding that God will use me with my unique abilities. I am able to serve the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, because I have an unique point-of-view. God has used my ability to write (developed at an early age by gifted teachers – you know who you are!) through these devotions. He uses my life experiences to connect with others in similar situations, because I understand how it feels to want to be healed and what it means to be healed. I am who I am, because Jesus has called me to further his plan.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for physically healing us when we are sick and need a jumpstart. Help us to feel your healing touch as we long to answer your call and to be your agents in the world. Remind us that even through our different abilities we are called by you to further your plan. Thank you for restoring our sense of call through a vocation. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How has Jesus restored you so you could serve or answer a call again?

2. How has your call changed over time?

Readings

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Psalm 111

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Mark 1:21-28

Devotion

Peace be with you!

A few weeks before Christmas, Jerry and I moved into our new home that we built. We were both excited to finally have our own space after living with my mom for two years. As we began the never-ending process of unpacking, we had a lot of energy to set up our home the way we wanted it and to show it off to friends and family. However, the week after Christmas, I was emotionally done with the unpacking process. We just had too much stuff that I did not know where to put and throwing it into the basement was not an option since this is Florida we are talking about.

I snapped. I was exhausted from constantly directing people where to put things. I wished I could do the unpacking myself, but my Cerebral Palsy limits my ability to do so. Three people were asking me where to put things all at once.  In my exhaustion, I started blowing people off. It felt like something moved into my body and made me do and say things I would never do or say otherwise. The stress of moving put me in a bad mood and made me do and say things that were not me.

Once the majority of the unpacking was done, the bad went out of my body, and I became me again. Thankfully after a few apologies, my friends came back and forgave me for my rude behavior, because they understood the stress I was under.

The Gospel reading today is a bit weird. Jesus performs an exorcism, which is something we, in the western hemisphere, only see in horror movies with priests chanting spells to release the evil spirits. To be honest, I avoid watching those movies, because 1) they give me nightmares, and 2) I cannot grasp the concept and reason behind exorcisms.  When I read Mark 1:21-28, I am a little taken aback by Jesus commanding an unclean spirit out of a man’s body. What makes it more awkward is this exorcism begins Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of Mark. Out of all the different kinds of miracles (healing, walking on water, raising the dead) the author of Mark chooses to document an exorcism first. Why?

The exorcism in today’s reading leads me to ask the question: “How are we possessed today?” It is a difficult question to answer, because as Christians we have to admit the Devil still has some power over us. We know that sin is a real force in the world that the Devil controls, but to admit the Devil has power over us is difficult for Christians to reconcile with our belief that God is all-powerful and has conquered sin, death, and the devil.

So then the question becomes “How does the Devil possess us today?” The first thing that comes to mind is when we do or say something out of anger, jealousy, foolish pride, etc. When we allow strong emotions to control our lives, we are allowing the Devil to have power over our lives. The week after Christmas, the Devil definitely had power over me as I took my frustration out on everyone around me. I was a real bear to my friends and family.

In Mark 1, when Jesus frees the man of the unclean spirit, he claims him for God’s purposes. Jesus continues to cast out unclean spirits through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection by which he redeems us for God the Father. Jesus restores our relationship with God and sends the Holy Spirit to possess us to do his work in the world.

Unclean spirits are cast out when we turn our minds and hearts to God the Father and seek forgiveness. Jesus reclaims us daily on the cross by giving us forgiveness in order to restore our relationship with God. Therefore, when we seek forgiveness and allow Jesus to reclaim us, Jesus cast out the demons in our lives.

When I asked for forgiveness from my friends, Jesus threw out the unclean spirit (the anger that caused me to lash out) from my body. He reclaimed me for God the Father who loves me in spite of my faults. We experience an exorcism when we are baptized and denounce the Devil. Although the Devil keeps trying to convince us otherwise, God has claimed us as his own and dwells within us.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for claiming us as your children. Help us to denounce the Devil, and deliver us from evil. Thank you for being in a relationship with us. Amen.

Works Cited

Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How are we possessed by sin, the world, and the Devil today? What demons possess us today?

2. How does Jesus cast out unclean spirits in today’s world?

3. How does Jesus reclaim you as a Christian on a daily basis?

Readings

Isaiah 60:1-6

Psalm 72:1-7

Ephesians 3:1-12

Matthew 2:1-12

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Remember the first time you heard about God the Father or Jesus Christ? The feeling of being free of this world for the first time is incredible because you no longer have to beat yourself up for [whatever “it” is] you did and regret. The feeling of the weight of the world being lifted off your shoulders allows you to take your first breath in a long time.

The faith journey is different for each individual. Some people receive God’s love and grace upon hearing the good news, while others request proof of God’s existence, even with his miracles all around them. Even with individuals who believe in God, their faith can be challenged by life-changing events, such as cancer, a car accident, bad decisions, a loss of a child, and the list goes on. As Christians, we dedicate our lives to walking through life with God by our sides. But sometimes it difficult to figure out where God is leading us– or at least that is what we tell ourselves when we refuse to answer his call for us. We deny we were given the gifts required for [whatever “it” is] God is calling us to do. My denial sometimes is that God has given me an unique voice as individual with Cerebral Palsy who has faith in the Triune God. I do not see anything unique in what I have to say. I am just doing to my part to spread the good news, which has not changed in two thousand years. But some people have told me that the way I speak the Good News is particularly powerful to them, because of my personal story. I still think my seminary professors and mentors have a more eloquent way to say the same things. I struggle with jealousy of their scholarly achievements. I worry that I will never get to their level.

In today’s gospel reading, King Herod is jealous of what he is hearing about this baby Jesus. King Herod calls upon chief priests and scribes to tell him where he can find this Messiah (Matthew 2:4). The chief priests and scribes tell King Herod the Messiah was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2:5). But they do not stop there ; they tell King Herod what he does not want to hear: “…for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel” (Matthew 2:8c, translation?).

This creates jealousy in King Herod’s heart, because a baby named Jesus is going to threaten his kingship. King Herod is thinking the baby Jesus is going to grow up and get a great army together. He fears that Jesus is going to take over his kingdom. In a way, Herod is certainly right, for this is what Jesus does by reclaiming people for God the Father. But Herod is also wrong in a way, for Jesus later comes to tell us that his kingdom is not of this world. However, King Herod does not understand the importance of a spiritual kingdom. He feels threatened and fears the worst.

Jealousy causes King Herod to call upon the wise men to go see this baby Jesus and to report back to him. We know from Matthew 2:13-17 King Herod will seek to kill the baby Jesus out of fear of his conquest over Herod. However, God outsmarts him by making the wise men have a dream and telling them to not to report back to King Herod. And God sends an angel to Joseph, telling him to escape to Egypt.

The wise men stand in stark contrast to King Herod. Instead of being threatened by him, they bring Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh – gifts of a king (Matthew 2:11). The wise men honor Jesus as they would the king of a country; they find or renew their faith in the Lord. Though the mystery of the Kingship of Jesus could not be fully understood by the wise men, they recognize his Lordship to the best of their ability. Though they do not yet understand it, Jesus will become a king in whole different sense, a king who saves us from our sinful nature. Even with their limited understanding, the wise men find themselves looking at life in a whole new way.

Take a moment to ask yourself where you fit into the story. Are you King Herod afraid of the next person who may steal your glory? Are you one of the wise men who are looking God’s love, peace, and grace?

Come, O Lord, Come.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus Christ into the world. Help us to be amazed by your presence. Thank you for surprising us with your grace. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Where do find God? How are you reminded of God’s presence?

2. Where are you in your faith journey?

3. When in your life have you been like King Herod, threatened by Jesus’ Kingship?

4. When in your life have experienced the surrender and awe of the Wise Men, who bowed down before Jesus?

5. What will you do this week to honor Jesus as King?

Readings

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

Psalm 148

Galatians 4:4-7

Luke 2:21, 22-40

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Holidays are those times of the year where schedules are just a bit more hectic. We spend the whole month of December visiting and exchanging gifts with friends and family. It is splendid time. However, in the midst of all the holiday cheer, there always seems to be a few moments where you get a dose of reality: a friend or family member passes away, others are laid off from their jobs, or it is your first Christmas without a loved one. There are also those moments where two or more individuals who do not get along have to be in the same building. In my family, these individuals are my mom and her brother. If there is argument to be had, they do. In those moments, you are reminded that the cycle of life is still going on.

You say to yourself, “It is Christmas, for goodness sake. Why does [whatever “it” is] have to happen now? Why can’t we enjoy the season without the despair and without arguments?” My moment occurred when I felt ill and had to sleep all day. Although I enjoy my sleep, I had two people over to help me unpack and organize my new house. In my eyes, the day was wasted on being sick. Luckily, my two friends were able to continue unpacking and organizing without my help: a blessing in the despair.

Here we are, the Sunday after Christmas. Jesus Christ, Mary’s and Joseph’s son and the Son of God, has been born, and it is eight days after his birth. According to the Jewish law, Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple to be circumcised. To their best abilities, Mary and Joseph teach Jesus the Jewish ways.

Circumcision is an important event, particularly for a first-born son, since he is set aside as holy to the Lord. The symbolism here is important since Jesus is also God’s holy first-born Son. Mary and Joseph may not have known the true importance of Jesus being circumcised, but it sets the stage for his ministry.

A man named Simeon was in the temple when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to be circumcised. Simeon was looking forward to the redemption of Israel, which the Lord had promised to the Israelites. The Holy Spirit rested on Simeon and revealed that he would see the Messiah before dying (Luke 2:25-26). When Simeon sees Jesus being circumcised in the temple, he is overwhelmed with joy as he recognizes Jesus as the Messiah who is destined for the falling and raising of many Israelites (Luke 2:34). Jesus will redeem those who turn their backs to the Devil and will serve the Lord.

Simeon in his old age sings the song of death to praise the Lord for allowing him to meet the Messiah before dying and for allowing him to see the redemption of Israel. He can die in peace knowing his friends and family will be redeemed in the name of the Lord. It seems odd for Simeon to praise the Lord through the song of death, but Simeon is okay with dying now that he has seen how the Lord will redeem Israel through the Messiah eight-day-old Baby Jesus. The redemption of Israel is being set into action, and although Simeon will not be there to see it accomplished, he can die happy, knowing it will happen as the Lord has promised.

It is a well-known fact among those who work with the dying that some individuals hang on through the holidays to say final goodbyes to family members who live far away. This gift of closure gives the family members a chance to make peace with the loved one. Of course, this makes the holiday season hard for the surviving family members who live with shadow of their loved one’s passing as each new anniversary rolls around.

However, family members should rest assured their loved one has been saved and redeemed by the Savior Simeon celebrated so long ago. We celebrate Jesus’ birth as a way to remind us the joy Simeon had in recognizing what was to come and what is to come.

We owe God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Son on-going praise as they continue to offer us redemption and grace all the days of our lives. We should think of redemption as something that has happened in the past. We should also think of it as an ongoing thing; the world continues to be redeemed by the Lord. We are redeemed and given grace on a daily basis.

As we bury loved ones in the coming months—or as we mourn the loss of those we love who are long in the ground, let us lift their memories to the Lord and trust that he will redeem them as his children.

Although Simeon’s song of death seems out of place during the Christmas season, it reminds us of the joy found in redemption and grace through the Messiah. This reassurance in God’s on-going redemption and grace gives us the peace of mind, knowing the Lord will always redeem us as his children.

Come, O Lord, come.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for continuing to redeem us as your children. Help us to understand that redemption is an on-going experience. Remind us as we bury loved ones that you redeem them as your children. Thank you for giving us grace through your Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How do Simeon’s words of God caring for departed love ones bring you assurance?

2. How do you experience on-going redemption and grace?

3. How do you express joy and thanksgiving in recognizing Jesus as the Messiah?

Readings

Isaiah 9:2-7

Psalm 96

Titus 2:11-14

Luke 2:1-20

Devotion

Peace be with you!

It just does not feel like Christmas. Jerry and I have been so busy unpacking and organizing our new home that we have missed the holiday season. We have a Santa and a ginger man out to make our home feel a little Christmasly, because they were handy to put out. Jerry has his stocky up, because his mom just sent it in the mail. Other than that our home looks like it is just another day. We rush around everyday trying to get our home set up by attacking the mountain of boxes. And of course, there have been a few things that have not worked, like our bedroom fan and the roll-in showers. We have been working with the builder, my step-dad, and my brother to solve little issues around the house.

The only reason I know it is Christmas is the fact Hallmark has Christmas movies on every night, plus there is the usual hustle and bustle at stores as people rush around to find the perfect gifts. For the most part, I have missed the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping. Jerry and I have to save money for things, like curtains, that we need around the house, so we only got gifts for our immediate family. And do not ask where our famous Christmas card and letter is, because I have yet to write it. Maybe next year…

As I reflect on the Luke text that we read every Christmas, I cannot help but wonder if our unprepared Christmas is really what God would want. Here is Joseph and Mary rushing to Bethlehem to registrar for the census that Emperor Augustus called for (Luke 2:1). We also know Mary travelled to see Elizabeth who expecting a child in her old age. After travelling so much, I wonder if Mary had time to prepare the nursery or if the baby shower gifts were just thrown in a room with the hope she will have time to organize upon her return. And what did her doctor think of all this traveling?

Then Joseph and Mary get to Bethlehem, and all of the hotels are filled up. The census is a great excuse for a giant family reunion. I bet Mary had a few choice words for Joseph: “I am due any day with God’s baby, and you drag me to Bethlehem so we can registrar for this stupid census. Oh and you forgot to reserve a room. … Huhmmm Joseph, you better find a place to stay quick because my water just broke. … No, I am delivering God’s son in a tavern. … A stable will be warm with all the animals. Why don’t you ask the farmer??? And hurry Joseph!!!! …”

Mary and Joseph were really prepared when they got to Bethlehem, and she was about to deliver God’s son, just as prepared as Jerry and I are this Christmas. Mary probably had no doctor in Bethlehem lined up.

But in the midst of this hectic time Mary delivers a baby boy name Jesus. And an angel appears to shepherds announcing the arrival of “a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11). The shepherds decide to go to Bethlehem and see the child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.

Suddenly, the busyness of the world melts away as the young couple treasures the first moments of their son’s life, a baby given to them by God. Then shepherds who are not honorable individuals in biblical times show up announcing their son is a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. Everyone who heard the shepherds’ proclamation was amazed, except Mary who treasured these moments in her heart (Luke 2:19).

As you go about your hectic Christmas festivities, take a few moments to hear the shepherds’ proclamation announcing the arrival of “a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord”. Let it catch you off guard. Feel the amazement of the arrival of the Messiah.

Come, oh Lord, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for amazing us with the arrival of the Messiah. Help us to treasure the shepherds’ proclamation. Thank you for the blessing of gathering with friends and family this Christmas. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How does the arrival of the Messiah catch you off guard? How are you unprepared for the arrival of the Messiah?

2. How does the arrival of the Messiah amaze you?

Readings

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26

Romans 16:25-27

Luke 1:26-38

Devotion

Peace be with you!

When a person buys a new house and begins to make it their home by putting up pictures and unpacking their treasures, there is a sense of a new beginning and a sense of ownership. As a few of you know, Jerry and I have been moving into our new home this past week after living with my mom for two years. We are finally beginning to unpack our belongings, which have been in storage for two years. This has been like opening Christmas gifts all week! We are also enjoying being able to have our own space with our treasures. We can finally settle into our own lifestyle.

As Americans, we like having our own dwellings with the space to be ourselves. David is like us; he likes his rather large palace and his treasures. He decides to build God a house where he can settle and live. But God has other plans: God will establish a reign through David. His kingdom will go on forever. The Israelites will have a home in God.

Unlike David and us, God is too busy to settle down and be in one place. God is a million steps ahead of us. He plans our future and the future of the unborn for thousands of years. We cannot build God a home; he builds our home, our families, and our communities and networks…and he is doing it all over the world simultaneously. And it is not only for the Israelites, the Jews, or the Christians but for all people.

Now flash forward a few thousand years. God is still building a home for his people, but the Homebuilder now enters the world in an unlikely way: given birth to a virgin named Mary. God favors an unlikely individual (a woman) at an unlikely time (before marriage). All this time (way back with David) God had plans to continue David’s kingdom through the virgin Mary.

There is an idea: being favored by God. How can this be? For most parents with children with disabilities, being favored seems out of the question. The doctors told my parents I would never amount to anything. I have Cerebral Palsy, and the doctors said I would never sit up, stand, walk, or talk. As Jerry says, I love giving my desertions. I work out with a personal trainer twice a week. I sit up independently and walk with assistance, though I do prefer my electric wheelchair to get around in. Society does not embrace differences. Some parents become embarrass when their children want ask me questions or point at my wheelchair. Or some people get nervous when I take the bus or fly alone. Last time I flew with a friend and the people who brought my electric wheelchair up from below the plane were amazed I knew how to reengage it, so I could drive away. My friend simply said, “It is her electric wheelchair. She better know how it works, because I do not.” The parents with “normal” children are the favored ones, because they do not have to fight for their child’s rights everyday.

But these parents and children are favored if only by the claim to being God’s children. God never said life would be without struggles. Some days I am like Mary: “really God, how can this be!?!” That’s right: it took Mary a few moments to accept the fact that she was a virgin with child – God’s son, no less. Take a moment to be Mary – feel the shock, the unbelief, the acceptance, and the charge. Imagine what it would be like to be told that you are in charge of carrying and raising God’s child. What a heavy responsibility—and yet, what an amazing blessing.

In my experience as a person with a disability, I have found that I daily walk through the journey of shock, unbelief, acceptance…and the unexpected blessings of my unique call. I see God’s blessings where others see disappointments. My best friend, Nathan, all through elementary school and high school had a disability where he grew weaker as he got older. At times, it was depressing to watch Nathan become unable to move around on his own or talk without needing a communication device, which was difficult for him to use. Nathan was also my impression. His facial expressions could tell a story. Whenever I wanted to give up, Nathan would give me the “oh fudge, if you are going to give up” look. Nathan always had a smile on his face and would begin laughing at anything; he saw the beauty in life. Society may have seen Nathan as a vegetable, but I saw him as a person who found the blessings in life.  As I walk through this journey, I find myself hearing the challenge to be God’s voice in a society where the unknown is unwelcomed. I pray God the Father uses my gifts to build his house and to bring others in a relationship with him.

Come, oh Lord, come.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for building us a home to gather. Help us to welcome others into your home and to use the gifts you gave us for your will. Thank you for gathering us as your people. Amen.

Works Cited

Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Special thanks to Rebecca Miller for her amazing editing skills and ability to fill in the gaps, especially this week.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Are there times in your life when you have felt spiritually “homeless”?  What brought you out of this time?

2. In what ways have you experienced Christ as a Homebuilder—and as a Home?

3. Is there someone in your life who is feeling “homeless” that you could introduce to the Homebuilder?  How could you do this?

Readings

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

Psalm 126 or Luke 1:46b-55

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

John 1:6-8, 19-29

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The year my younger brother, Ryan, graduated from high school, four of his classmates died in a car accident during a bad snow storm on their way to the Wisconsin Dells from Mukwonago, Wisconsin. Although none of the four classmates were close friends with Ryan, their deaths marked a dark time for his class.  Four deaths at once do not happen often in a small town. When they do happen, the whole community experiences psychosocial issues, including emotional and attachment issues. The world becomes smaller. People take stock of what is important. And of course, loved ones experience the biggest loss as they find a hole left in their lives.

I cannot imagine the feelings a mother or father goes through when their child dies. Loss is big around the holiday season, in contrast to the jolly images we see on TV.  In my circle of clergy friends in recent weeks, I have heard the news of quite a few of their congregation members’ deaths, ranging from four to eighty years old. It often seems as though people die more around the holidays, although it probably is not true. People die every day; however, the news of deaths around the holidays always seems to hit home harder.

The passage from Isaiah this week is about the Israelites finally returning to the Promised Land after the Babylonian exile. The Israelites should be celebrating their return. However, the Israelites feel distance from the Lord, because he had abandoned them for breaking their covenant with him. The Israelites had lost their way with the Lord.

There are several things the Israelites are mourning for. First, the Israelites mourn for the relationship they once had with the Lord. The loss of an important relationship can certainly leave an individual feeling empty, but this was the most central relationship in Israel’s life. No wonder they felt lost! Second, the Israelites mourn for the way things used to be. The Babylonians destroyed the temples, the synagogues, the homes, the markets. Nothing about the Promised Land is as the Israelites remember.

“This is not right.” This is a terrible feeling that leaves people hopeless and lost in an unknown world. Imagine being one of the parents of the four kids who died in the car crash. Imagine going to set the table for a family dinner and setting an extra plate out of habit. Imagine the first holiday without your child. Imagine the empty feeling of having someone missing. It is a lonely feeling. Part of you knows you have to move on; another part of you worries that if you move on, you may forget. It feels like a double-edged sword.

This desolation is much of what the Israelites were feeling as they returned home.  They are back in the Promised Land, but it is not the Promised Land that they remember. They wonder how they can bring the glory back to the Promise Land. God tells Prophet Isaiah and the Israelites that they must celebrate their new life in the Promised Land. The future holds so much hope. Nothing can be rebuilt until people celebrate the new life which lies before them. Once they celebrate, the Israelites will be able to enjoy the beauty of the Promise Land. Then the Israelites will be able to rebuild the temples and synagogues. This will allow the Israelites to take pride in their work and to rebuild their relationship with the Lord.

It is interesting to hear God yearning to be in a relationship with the Israelites as they reenter the Promised Land. God desperately wants to share his love and grace with the Israelites, so much so that God makes a new covenant with Israelites. This new covenant introduces new concepts of grace and forgiveness, which allows the Israelites (and us) to goof up and still be in a relationship with the Lord. God loves his children so much that he will do whatever it takes to be in a relationship with the Israelites and with us. The Israelites are not the only ones who are healing from the broken relationships, but so is the Lord. When we sin, we wound God because he deeply cares for us.  But God’s love is unconditional and he reaches to us even when we least deserve it. By doing so, God demonstrates his faithful love for his children.

At Ryan’s high school graduation, all of his classmates wore a four-leaf clover on top of their caps with the names of the four who died. Before everyone walked up to receive their diplomas, the principal called up the families of the four classmates who died and presented each of them with the would-be graduate’s diploma. It was a moving presentation. I would like to think the graduation gave the classmates and families closure as it was a commencement of the future. Hopefully the classmates and the families were able to celebrate the future as they celebrated the lives that were with them physically for a short time and now are with them in their hearts forever.

Come, oh Lord, Come.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the celebrate celebration of life as we look towards the future with you, our families and friends, and individuals we have yet to meet. Remind us to celebrate, even in the midst of sorrow and grief, as we step forward into the future. We may not always understand why pain is in the world, but your comfort and love carries us through difficult times. Thank you for the new covenant you embraced with the Israelites. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. When have you felt distance from the Lord?

2. How do you celebrate in midst of pain and sorrow?

3. How has the Lord written a new covenant with you?

Readings

Isaiah 40:1-11

Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13

2 Peter 3:8-15a

Mark 1:1-8

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The main road outside my neighborhood is under construction and the two entrances are a bit difficult to turn onto.  The road with the straight shot to my house has an awkward approach – it seems like an on and off ramp to a highway.  I cannot tell you how many times my significant other has missed that first entrance and had to use the second entrance.

And just when we became used to the awkwardness, the construction guys have now changed the route and how we enter our neighborhood in so that they can work on the other side of the road.  It is great to see the progress, but many of us will thoroughly rejoice when this phrase of the roadwork is done.

We are not fully sure why work on our road was needed, but the rumor is that a Wal-Mart and a YMCA are going in on the corner, and the widened road will accommodate more traffic. A Wal-Mart and a YMCA will be welcome additions to our small town, but in the meantime we wearily watch the rebuilding of our main fairway.  Although it is exciting to see the preparations for the future take place, all of our neighbors are anxiously awaiting the completion of the roadwork.

In our reading this week, God is preparing Isaiah for his second commission to rebuild Israel’s relationship with God.  It is like a construction project to open a road that God can travel to reach his people. The Israelites have failed to keep their part of the covenant (their roadwork) with God.  Luckily for them, God understands it is impossible for the Israelites to be perfect in his eyes in order to keep their relationship whole.  God has a plan to rebuild his relationship with the Israelites, and his plan starts with Isaiah who will comfort God’s people. Can you imagine the conversation God and Isaiah have regarding this new commission?

Isaiah asks God, “Why bother? You know the Israelites will not be able to hold up their end of the bargain. They’ve always been terrible at roadwork.”

God chuckles and says, “Isaiah, you think I do not know that. I am recreating their covenant, so they can be in a relationship with me. See, I am going send another prophet called the Messiah to gather my people to come back to me through forgiveness. But your job is to prepare the Israelites by telling them the good news of grace and love that I will give them. In doing so, I will give them forgiveness of all of their sins. Now some of the Israelites have repented. These Israelites need to comfort the afflicted instead of afflicting the comfortable. The afflicted Israelites need to hear the comforting word of forgiveness. Therefore, you must tell the Israelites the good news of forgiveness that will rebuild their relationship with me.”

God has a plan (When doesn’t he?), and even if Isaiah does not understand God’s complete plan, he is being asked to set events in motion.  As God commissions him, Isaiah has the responsibility to share this strange good news with the Israelites. God will provide a way for his people to be in a relationship with him again. Even if the Israelites feel unworthy or abandoned, God knows that his people are broken and could not be blameless under any circumstance. By doing so, God is starting to rebuild his relationship with his people, including us.

Then we come to the Gospel of Mark.  “The beginning of the good news of Jesus, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1).  Well, we know it is not really the “beginning.” With a trained ear, we know the messenger in Mark 1:2 refers to Isaiah, which the readers of Mark would recall from the Book of Isaiah. The readers of the Gospel of Mark would also see John the Baptist as Elijah as the one who is thought to be coming back to redeem God’s people (Jacobson, et al.).

We also know the story never truly ends, and the beginning is still happening through the way we live out the good news.  We continue to prepare the way for the Lord (Mark 1:3) by living out the good news in a way that draws other people to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  The beginning happens with us as we spread the good news of God’s forgiveness for sinners.

Like the Israelites and Isaiah, we may still feel unworthy of God’s grace. We may also feel as though we have been abandoned – maybe by a significant other, a parent, a friend, a sibling, an aunt or an uncle – or even by God.  We still have these feelings, even when we believe in the good news. We try to fight the feelings of unworthiness or abandonment, but because we are human we cannot escape these feelings. They are a part of the human condition.

Part of the point of the season of Advent is about working through our feelings of unworthiness or abandonment and experiencing God’s forgiveness and grace.  How we let these feelings define our lives determines how we accept the good news and therefore God the Father.  Take time this week to experience the feelings of the unworthiness or abandonment in your lives and allow Jesus to love you even in that dark place. Then hear his message of forgiveness, given freely to you through his death and resurrection. This is one way we can prepare the road of our hearts for the big thing that is coming: Jesus!

Come, O Lord, come.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for good news you share with Isaiah and the Israelites.  Help us to be honest about our feelings of unworthiness or abandonment this Advent season in order that we can welcome the good news into our lives. Thank you for rebuilding your relationship with us through Jesus. Amen.

Works Cited

Jacobson, Rolf, Karoline Lewis, David Lose, and Matt Skinner. “Brainwave 207: Lectionary Texts for Dec. 04, 2011.” Brainwave. St Paul, November 27, 2011.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.) You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How has God commissioned you to share the good news?

2. How and when has God rebuilt his relationship with you?

3. How do you fight or accept your feelings of unworthiness or abandonment? Have you ever let Jesus love you in the midst of those feelings?