Isaiah 52:9-10 (The Message)
Break into song! Boom it out, ruins of Jerusalem:
“God has comforted his people!
He’s redeemed Jerusalem!”
God has rolled up his sleeves.
All the nations can see his holy, muscled arm.
Everyone, from one end of the earth to the other,
sees him at work, doing his salvation work.
Creches on the bookcases,
Computer stands and end tables,Decorating walls and Christmas tree.
A world of figures waiting...
Mary, Joseph, Shepherds and Kings
gathered 'round an empty manger.
Waiting, hoping, anticipating, preparing
For the coming of Peace.
For a tiny baby to wiggle and cry
From within the straw.
On Christmas morning,
Christ will come again.
Emmanuel - God WITH us.
God IN us to live as one with God.
After Christmas, after Emmanuel,
Look not to the manger for Christ.
He has grown up
And crawled out of the straw
To 'roll up his sleeves and do salvation work'!
Manger to hearts, straw to service,
The creche should be empty.
The Prince of peace should be found in you,
And in me.
What is the status of your manger?
Of mine?
I put up over 35 nativity scenes this week, scattered throughout the dining and living rooms and beyond. They are from all over the world: Kenya, Phillipines, Cambodia, Alaska, Guatemala, Ecuador, Uganda. Large, small, of every material conceivable. As we set them up, we removed the manger or infant Jesus if possible (many are one solid unit). Empty mangers or spots, with figures gathered around....nothing. They look rather lonely or perhaps...unfulfilled? On Christmas morning, the Jesus figures will gently come to my mangers. Hopefully our hearts will fill as well, as once again, we bring the Peace of God into our world.
FRIDAY, December 7 "Thanks, Spanks, & Planks"
1 Thessalonians 3:11 (Good News Translation)
May our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus prepare the way for us to come to you!
Last week the message was to create an Advent Prayer Journal....to include those moments of praise when we saw God at work (yes, stop and notice!), a daily confession, and a daily prayer for help. A lover of alliteration and rhyme, I titled my journal THANKS, SPANKS, and PLANKS - Give thanks and praise to God, a little spank for sins of the day, and a plank to help me or someone else over a rough spot in the road of life. I am trying to discipline myself to reflect each evening before bed - to take notice of how God is preparing the way!!
THURSDAY, December 6 "Peace Amidst Chaos"
Luke 21:34-36 (The Message)
“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 go to sleep at the switch. 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.”
My son, Luke, wrote an Advent Poem, which includes the following opening and closing stanzas, appropriate for today's message. To see the whole poem, click on the link provided.
Advent
time to prepare
time to clear out space
in the corner of the living room
for the Christmas tree
time to clear out space
in the cluttered corners of our lives
for the Prince of Peace.....
......Time to prepare.
Because if we don't prepare
we might not leave room in our lives
for His presence to matter at all.
WEDNESDAY, December 5 "Leaves of Peace"
Luke 21:29-33 (The Message)
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.
Flower, and wither to golden hues. .
Seasons come and go.
Life and death; an eternal circle.
Dependable, assured.
Where are the buds of God's Kingdom?
What signs lead us to peace?
To a cycle of life lived abundantly?
Small actions of grace;
Shared possessions,
Words of kindness and hope;
Gifts of time and talent;
Welcome to all creation.
These are the leaves of the Kingdom.
The signs that God is near,
Ready to enter our hearts,
and ripen the fruit of His peace within us.
And when autumn comes,
And the leaves fade,
The Kingdom will remain strong,
And the life well lived.
Think peace...
Pray for peace...
Accept God's peace...
Go and BE God's peace for others.
(Andrew Kellner, d365.org)
TUESDAY, December 4 "Let Loose Heaven!"
Luke 21:25-28 (The Message)
“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.
“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!”
There are many who proclaim that the end is near, considering the changing shifts in climate, the increase in natural disasters, not to mention the Mayan Calendar which gives us just one month before the end of planet Earth. But God calls us to LIFE - to living here and now. God calls us to take note of the suffering and injustice, and respond - with love, respect, compassion, forgiveness, and sharing. What would happen if enough people of God responded as Christ has taught us? Surely that would send a message to evil and the threat of doom! Surely that would cause people to stand up and cheer! Surely it might seem like "all heaven has broken loose!" Cause and effect, a chain reaction....part of the 'natural' order of things. Shall we be a part of the disruption for the sake of God? What can I do TODAY to respond...and perhaps disrupt the suffering?
MONDAY, December 3 "Promise Fulfilled"
Jeremiah 33:14-16 (Good News Translation)
The Lord said, “The time is coming when I will fulfill the promise that I made to the people of Israel and Judah. 15 At that time I will choose as king a righteous descendant of David. That king will do what is right and just throughout the land. 16 The people of Judah and of Jerusalem will be rescued and will live in safety. The city will be called ‘The Lord Our Salvation.’
A promise from God,For a descendant.
One king.
Just one person of justice promised.
And the world will be rescued.
Salvation will reign.
How can that happen?
How can just one person bring about peace?
The world is in so much conflict.
So many wars, so much hurt,
So far from peace.
But God comes to us in that King of Promise
To bring peace to our hearts
To join our hands in work together.
To toil with us side by side
In mending fences, building bonds, and restoring creation.
The promise is fulfilled.
Can we find the peace within
To join our heart and hand with God
To bring peace to our world,
To be peace in our world?
SUNDAY, December 2 "A Signpost Star"
Psalm 25:8-10 (The Message)
God is fair and just;
He corrects the misdirected,
Sends them in the right direction.
He gives the rejects his hand,
And leads them step by step.
From now on every road you travel
Will take you to God.
Follow the Covenant signs;
Read the charted directions.
It is the start of the Advent Season, although Christmas shopping and Christmas decorations have been screaming at us since early October! And in some way, I am ready for the stores and all the commercialization to "get it out of their system" early, so now, as we near the date of Christ's birth, we can concentrate on what it really means: God come to us...in a form we can recognize. But for that recognition to truly happen, we need to slow down and ask God's direction, feel God's presence, find the peace and comfort that comes from dwelling IN God and having God dwell IN us.
SIGNPOST STAR
Do I have the wisdom of the magi
To drop everything and follow a star?
You, Lord, gave them the signpost star
To lead them step by step, day by day, toward Bethlehem.
To the peace of an infant baby.
May I travel my advent road
With eyes and ears open
To see the stars of your presence
To follow the daily reminders that you are at work
Amid the chaos and clutter of the season.
To find the peace of the Christ-child.
Give me the wisdom of the magi, Lord,
To drop all and follow the star.
THE PRESENCE OF GOD (Andrew Kellner, d365.org)
Peace is certainly something we can want and pray for in our world. There is much unrest and violence that disrupts the peace of humanity. We can work to settle disputes and discourage violence, but perhaps peace starts closer to home.
Perhaps peace in our world begins with peace in our own lives. We each have places of unrest, and perhaps if we work for peace here, inside our lives, we might be able to know more of God’s peace in the world.
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